I have some crazy news for you. Jesus was most likely not born on December 25th. Now, I know you are probably perplexed and maybe a little concerned or frustrated. In fact, when people realize that Jesus was most likely not born on December 25th they suggest us getting rid of Christmas altogether, that there is no point in celebrating December 25th as the day Jesus was born.
If in fact, we don’t even know if he was born on that day. And people become a little frustrated, a little agitated and they tend to forbid even celebrating or mentioning Christmas at this time of year for that reason alone the fact that Jesus was most likely not born on that day.
Now, if you are one of those people I feel for you and I am very sorry that you are deciding to forbid and celebrating this time of year. Mainly for couple of reasons; number one, it is very strategic, we have to understand that when unbelievers decide to come to Church, it typically is on Easter Sunday or its on Christmas. And so if we forbid Christmas, if we forbid the season of Christmas, we really forbid an opportunity to witness to those who may not regularly attend church, and so that’s one of the reasons.
Number two, if we are going to be consistent with the holidays we do and don’t celebrate, we have to consider this, when we say the word “Sunday” that’s referring to the God of the Sun. Back in the day Pagans and Pagan traditions would call Sunday as a day that they dedicated and worship the God of the Sun. And so if you are okay with calling a day of a week Sunday but you are not okay with celebrating Christmas there is great hypocrisy in your life at that point.
So if you are going to be consistent with not celebrating Christmas then you may as well come up with a new day of the week to call Sunday. But my encouragement would be to continue celebrate Christmas. It is a strategic time for the Church, it is a strategic time for nonbelievers to come to Church to hear the Gospel message. And most importantly to remember that God came in the flesh, that God put on skin and bone so that we might become children of God and children and followers of Jesus.
So that’s my encouragement to you; keep Christmas alive, keep celebrating it not just for the presents and for the festivities but mainly because it’s a great opportunity to witness and it is a good reminder that God came in the flesh.
Pastor Anthony Santiago