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Who Needs Christmas Anyway!

By Thomas M. Parsons

Of course, no one really needs Christmas. It's just that most people like Christmas. It can be a lot of fun. Presents. Friends. Food. Family. Lights. Colors. Decorations. Music. So many things people like are part of the Christmas celebration.

But Christmas can be a challenge for Bible-believing Christians. There is nothing in Scripture that mandates the celebration of Christmas. There is nothing in Scripture that even suggests the idea of celebrating the birth of Christ. In fact, some Christians find in the Bible verses that they believe condemn the practice of celebrating Christmas.

Christmas does not have a pure history. It was born in the ancient pagan Roman empire, the celebration of the winter solstace when the sun begins its long journey back to the northern hemisphere. It was the Roman church under Constantine that took the pagans and their practices into the church turning them and their customs into instant Christians, although not necessarily converting them to faith in Jesus Christ.

Customs were added to the celebration as it spread from culture to culture and age to age. It was like a rolling stone gathering the moss of culture after culture to it.

Yule logs. Decorated trees. Gifts. Feasts. Santa Claus. Merchandising. Scrooge. Rudolph. And on and on it goes. Many wonder what all this has to do with the birth of Jesus Christ.

The answer is: nothing. Jesus was not born in December. Since shepherds were keeping their flocks in the fields, it would have to be summer. His birth was simple, humble, unnoticed by most of the world.

The world has a difficult time understanding the true meaning of Christmas. In A Christmas Carol author Charles Dickens suggests the true meaning lies in the spirit of loving and giving to others. This is the lesson Ebenezer Scrooge learns in that classic story.

In Dr. Suess' The Grinch Who Stole Christmas the Grinch learns that the residents of Whoville do not need trees and presents and roast beast to celebrate Christmas because Christmas resides in their hearts.

Over and over again, popular stories tell us that Christmas is a time of loving and giving, the celebration of life and of togetherness. Christ is seldom mentioned as the center of the celebration.

So, this is the dilemma faced by Bible-believing Christians. Do we celebrate a holiday that has such a casual relationship to Christ? Or not.

I can only tell you what I think about this. Each believer has to decide for himself or herself what to do.

My family and I do celebrate Christmas. We celebrate it as a family holiday and as a means of reminding the world why Jesus Christ came.

It is a wonderful family holiday. We try not to go overboard on the gift giving, concentrating on gifts for the younger members of the family and keeping within our budget. We spend the day celebrating family, and reminding ourselves of the Lord we love and worship. It is not so much His birth we celebrate as it is the Savior Himself.

The lights that brighten our tree and our home remind us not only of the special star God sent to guide the wise men to Jesus, but of the Special Star Himself prophesied in the writings of the Old Testament prophets. "A Star will come out of Jacob," Balaam said, and "a scepter will rise out of Israel."

The tree itself represents the life He came to give. Ever green. Ever alive. Eternal. The tree also represents the instrument of His death, the cruel tree on which He was crucified, His death providing life for all who believe.

Because the world's attention is focused on Christmas during the last month of the year, believers can use this focus to provide a witness for Christ to those lost in sin and despair. The brightness of Christmas can be used as a reminder that Jesus is the Light of the world, and that He can chase the darkness of sin away and flood the believer with His light.

And that we do need.

My Christmas Column

In 1958, I wrote the following piece for my high school newspaper, the Railsplitter. Back then, it was not considered a major crime to mention Christ and Christmas in a public school. This is what I wrote:

There was no room for Him in the inn. It was too crowded with travelers staying in Bethlehem because of Caesar Augustus’ tax. He had to be born in a stable, and wrapped in swaddling clothes, and sleep in a manger. A very humble beginning for a Prince.

But was it so humble? Did not the animals sense the specialness of that night? Did not a star guide three wise men to the place? And did not a group of shepherds nearby find themselves confronted by a multitude of heavenly angels all praising God for the wonderful event that had just taken place?

Why had He come? What was His purpose? Who had sent Him? Surely the world was in no situation to need saving. Weren’t the people happy? Weren’t they satisfied? So they had sinned a little. What did it matter?

It mattered to Him. It mattered to His Father Who was hurt very deeply every time one of His creatures sinned, hurt because He loved the world He had made and the people He had made so much — loved them enough to give them His only Son.

But there was no room for Him in the inn. The people didn’t know — they didn’t care. He had come to save them, but they did not care.

And Mary, His mother, how she pondered these things in her heart. Why had God chosen her? What about Joseph, her husband? What of her Son, lying there in the manger? How had it all happened?

She thought of the Angel who had come to her and said, "The Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women." She thought of the innkeeper, who had said, "Sorry, there's no room here."

There was no room for our Savior Jesus Christ at His birth. Let us make room for Him now in our hearts. We need Him. In a world of darkness, He is our only light.

When Lights are Lit on Christmas Eve

When lights are lit on Christmas Eve
And children laugh and sing
I seem to hear a Baby's cry
And angels echoing.

When candles glow on Christmas Eve
And snow falls glistening white
I seem to see the Christmas star
That filled the world with light.

When carols ring on Christmas Eve
And bells in steeples chime
I seem to feel the wondrous joy
Of that first Christmas time

When gifts are brought on Christmas Eve
And laid around the tree
I seem to know the presence of
God's gift of love to me.

Words translated from Marie Wexelsen
Copyright © 2010, Thomas M. Parsons, All Rights Reserved. - 395