SUMMARY
Christmas (Christ Mass) originally referred to the Catholic Mass celebrated at midnight on December 24 in honor of Christ’s birth.
God’s willingness to become a human being reveals that God wants to be close to us, that our human body is God’s good creation, to be one day restored to its original perfection, that the man Jesus was the closest revelation of God’s perfection that He can reveal to this sinful world, and, lastly, that it was consistent with God’s character to be willing to lay aside his divine glory and to be humbled for our salvation.
Christ was born in September or October. This is indicated by His death at Passover in March or April, by the fact that it still was warm enough for the flocks to be in the field at night, by the custom of the Romans to arrange censuses at a time that would be convenient for the people, and, lastly, because the Feast of Tabernacles, that falls late in September or early in October, was a time of joy and the presence of God, and therefore an appropriate time for the birth of Christ.
Christians did not have Christmas during the first two centuries. This custom entered the church in the third or fourth centuries. At that time December 25th was the pagan feast of the birthday of the Invincible Sun, when after the winter solstice, the days began to lengthen and the ‘invincible’ sun triumphed again over darkness, and which they celebrated with “the most splendid games”, the kindling of fires, a profusion of light and torches and the decoration of branches and small trees. This feast had captivated the followers of the cult to such a degree that even after they had been converted to Christianity they continued to celebrate the feast. To facilitate the acceptance of the faith by the pagan masses, the church found it convenient to institute the 25th of December as the feast of the birth of Christ, to divert them from the pagan feast.
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The term Christmas is a compound of two words that derive from the Old English CristesMaesses, the Mass of Christ, that is, the Catholic Mass celebrated at midnight on December 24 in honor of Christ’s birth.
The Meaning of Christ’s Birth
God’s willingness to take on human flesh reveals much:
First, God wants to be close to us.
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14).
The word for “dwelt – skene” in Greek, means “to set up a tent.” In Scripture, this word does not imply temporary residence. For example, in Revelation 21:3 the new heavens and new earth are described, saying: “Behold the dwelling (tent) of God is with men. He will dwell (pitch his tent) with them, and they shall be his people.”
The notion of God pitching a tent among us implies that He wants to be close to us.
Second, our human body is God’s good creation.
Gnostic “Christians” viewed the material human body as evil and to be discarded at death. They, therefore, taught that Christ had a human appearance, but no material human body. John condemns these people as “false prophets”, confirming that everyone “that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God” (1 John 4:2-3).
The fact that Christ was born as a human baby and lived as a human being, tells us that God views our human body as His good creation. He became a man, not to change the nature of our bodies from physical to spiritual because He found a flaw in His original creation, but to redeem and one day restore our bodies to their original perfection.
Third, God Revealed Himself through Jesus.
God always wants to make Himself known to His people, but when Moses asked to see God, God replied, “You cannot see me and live”.
Before sin, Adam and Eve enjoyed a perfect relationship with God and lived in the presence of God. But sinful human beings cannot endure the full presence of God. So God told Moses to hide in a rock when He passed by. Moses caught a brief glance of God’s back, and he returned to his people with his face glowing so bright that he had to put on a veil on his face to protect the people from the glory of God.
But still, God desires to reveal himself more fully to the human family. Hebrews 1:1-2 explains that God spoke through the prophets in many ways, but in these last days has spoken to us in His Son. The man Jesus was the closest revelation of God’s perfect holiness that He can reveal to this sinful world:
“No one has ever seen God; the only Son who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known” (John 1:18).
“He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9).
If the Father became man instead of the Son, He would have acted exactly as Jesus acted.
Fourth, God is humble.
“Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God … emptied Himself … being made in the likeness of men. … He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Phil 2:5-8)
Only eternity will reveal the depth of meaning in the words, “He humbled Himself.” It was consistent with God’s character to be willing to lay aside his divine glory and to be humbled for our salvation. In Jesus, it was revealed that this is how He always is.
We worship a God who dwells infinitely far beyond what we can understand but also wants to be with us on this earth.
Christ Was Born in September or October.
It can be shown in a number of ways that Christ was born in September or October.
Firstly, if, as it is generally agreed, Christ was 30 years of age when He was baptized and that His ministry lasted three and one-half years until His death at Passover (March/April), then by backtracking we arrive at the months of September/October for His birth.
Secondly, in the winter the shepherd brought the sheep into a protective corral, while shepherds were watching their flocks in the field at night when Jesus was born (Luke 2:8).
Thirdly, Jesus was born during a Roman census (Luke 2:1-4), and the “Romans were known … to have the people report to their provinces at a time that would be convenient for them. There is no apparent logic to calling the census in the middle of winter. The more logical time … would be after the harvest, in the fall”. (Barney Kasdan, God’s Appointed Times (Baltimore, MD, 1993), p. 97)
Fourthly, the important events of the plan of salvation are consistently fulfilled on the Holy Days that prefigured them. (For example the death of Christ at Passover (John 19:14), and the outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit on Pentecost (Acts 2:1)) It is therefore very probable that the same principle applies to the amazing birth of Christ. The Feast of Tabernacles, which falls late in September or early in October, was a time of joy and the presence of God, and therefore an appropriate time for the birth of Christ. To elaborate:
The Feasts of Trumpets and Atonement were a time of introspection and repentance, but the Feast of Tabernacles was called “the season of our joy.” “You shall keep the feast of booths seven days, when you make your ingathering from your threshing floor and your wine press. You shall rejoice in your feast, because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands. ” (Deut 16:13-15). The themes of rejoicing relate perfectly to the terminology used by the angel to announce Christ’s birth: “Behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people” (Luke 2:10).
The presence of God is associated with the Feast of Tabernacles because it also commemorated the way God sheltered the Israelites with the tabernacle of His presence during their sojourning in the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt. Also, John saw a new heaven and a new earth, and he heard, “the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them”. (Rev 21:1-3) This will be the ultimate Feast of Tabernacles when God dwells among us.
As a time of joy and the presence of the Lord, the Feast of Tabernacles, in September or October, was an appropriate time for Christ to become a human being and pitch His tent among us as our Savior.
The Pagan Origin of the Date of 25 December
There is no mention in the New Testament of an annual celebration of the birth of Christ. Neither is there a clear indication of such a celebration during the first two centuries. The Early Christians rather annually commemorated Christ’s death and resurrection at Passover. A major controversy erupted in the latter part of the second century over the Passover date, but the date of Christ’s birth did not become an issue until sometime in the fourth century. The first explicit indication is found in a Roman calendar of the year 354, which says that on December 25th Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea (T. Mommsen, Chronography of Philocalus of the Year 354, 1850, p. 631).
At the time of the early church December 25th was the pagan feast of the birthday of the Invincible Sun (dies natalis Solis Invicti):
The Philocalian calendar (AD 354) designates December the 25th “The birthday of the invincible one”. (CIL I, part 2, p. 236);
Julian the Apostate, a nephew of Constantine and a devotee of Mithra says: “at the end of the month which is called after Saturn [December], we celebrate in honor of Helios [the Sun] the most splendid games, and we dedicate the festival to the Invincible Sun.” (Julian, TheOrations of Julian, Hymn to King Helios 155, LCL p. 429);
Franz Cumont, Astrology and Religion Among Greeks and Romans, 1960, p. 89: “A very general observance required that on the 25th of December the birth of the ‘new Sun’ should be celebrated, when after the winter solstice, the days began to lengthen and the ‘invincible’ star triumphed again over darkness”;
Both Augustine and Leo the Great strongly reprimanded those Christians who at Christmas worshipped the Sun rather than the birth of Christ:
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- Augustine, Sermo in Nativitate Domini 7, PL 38, 1007 and 1032, enjoins Christians to worship at Christmas not the sun but its Creator;
- Leo the Great rebukes those Christians who at Christmas celebrated the birth of the sun rather than that of Christ (Sermon 27, In Nativitate Domini, PL 54, 218).)
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The date of Christmas was borrowed from this pagan festivity:
An unknown Syrian writer wrote in the margin of the Expositio in Evangelia of Barsalibaeus as follows: It was a solemn rite among the pagans to celebrate the festival of the rising of the sun on this very day, December 25th. … they were accustomed to kindle fires, to which rites they were accustomed to invite and admit even Christian people. When therefore the Teachers observed that Christians were inclined to this custom, they contrived a council and established on this day the festival of the true Rising. (J. S. Assemanus, Bibliotheca orientalis 2, 164, trans. by P. Cotton)
Gordon J. Laing, Survivals of Roman Religion, 1931, pp. 58-65, argues persuasively that many of the customs of the ancient Roman Saturnalia (Dec. 17-23) were transferred to the Christmas season.
Mario Righetti, a renowned Catholic liturgist who is the author of the standard four volumes set on Storia Liturgica—A History of Liturgy, writes: After the peace the Church of Rome, to facilitate the acceptance of the faith by the pagan masses, found it convenient to institute the 25th of December as the feast of the temporal birth of Christ, to divert them from the pagan feast, celebrated on the same day in honor of the “Invincible Sun” Mithras, the conqueror of darkness. (Mario Righetti, Manuale di Storia Liturgica, 1955, II, p. 67)
In his dissertation The Cult of Sol Invictus, Gaston H. Halsberghe similarly concludes: The authors whom we consulted on this point are unanimous in admitting the influence of the pagan celebration held in honor of Deus SolInvictus on the 25th of December, the Natalis Invicti, on the Christian celebration of Christmas. … The celebration of the birth of the Sun god, which was accompanied by a profusion of light and torches and the decoration of branches and small trees, had captivated the followers of the cult to such a degree that even after they had been converted to Christianity they continued to celebrate the feast of the birth of the Sun god. (Gaston H. Halsberghe, The Cult of Sol Invictus, 1972, p. 174.)
The adoption of the 25th of December for the celebration of Christmas is therefore a most explicit example of Sun-worship’s influence on the Christian liturgical calendar.
So Christmas, like Easter, has pagan origins. At this point, it doesn’t really surprise me much. I’ve heard that the tree itself, being triangular in shape, represents the holy trinity, which I used to think gave the celebration some authenticity. But I recently discovered that concept is also non-biblical. And the manger scene with straw and animals…I suppose that’s all rubbish too. Makes me wonder if Santa Claus was introduced into Christmas as a thinly-veiled reference to Satan, with two letters displaced. Well, at least maybe the star on the top of tree has some biblical authenticity, but I’m not holding my breath.
It’s a pity that when a TABOO is practiced for so long, it becomes a TRADITION. Many people are doing it does not make it right. God’s word encourages us not to follow the crowd. Exodus 23:1 and 2. Visit to jw.org website have been helpful.
Andries, excellent work. If I may add to what you’ve written, the Feast of Tabernacles (“Sukkot”) commemorates the time when the Israelites lived in booths (tents)–temporary dwellings–in the wilderness. For us it is also a picture of Christ, leaving everything He had in Heaven, to take on a temporary dwelling of flesh here in “the wilderness” of the world, and dwell with us. Sukkot is indeed the time of Jesus’ birth; He was born on the first day of Sukkot and circumcised on the eighth day, known in Hebrew as Shmini Atzeret. The clues for determining this are in the scripture, but we don’t know how to recognize them because of what Paul writes at Ro. 3:1-2; we’ve thrown out the Old Testament. Zechariah was a priest in the order (or course) of Abijah. 1Ch. 24:10 tells us which course was Abijah’s, which tells us what time of year it was when Elizabeth became pregnant. Elizabeth became pregnant three months before Miryam. Those are the clues, but it puts Jesus’ birth right at Sukkot. All of God’s feast days have prophetic significance for New Covenant believers, but we’ve discarded them in favor of pagan ones.
Hey Thomas, it is therefore been claimed that when John leaped in Elizabeth’s womb it signified Christ’s recent conception that being about late Dec.
Personally I don’t think believers need dismiss the time to celebrate Christ’s conception or the opportunity to show our faith in him all the more to those who don’t think of Him except maybe for a few fleeting moments at Christmas time.
Please, I really want to know how the beginning of the world was written in the Bible, when our first parents didn’t have knowledge of records of such events.
Any exposition on Easter celebration?
Thank you. This is the truth that has been taught by Jehovah’s witnesses for decades now.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses are not the only ones who have been aware of this.
We ought to do the right thing. We must not follow the crowd and do the wrong thing. Let the birth of Jesus Christ be celebrated at the right time of His birth
May God focus our minds to do the right thing at the right time. We are only looking at Scriptures as it occurred in the past. Since 25th of December as been ordained to be celebrating the birth of Christ, let us accept this in good faith and ask God for forgiveness for any wrong doing along the line. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
“Since 25th of December has been ordained…” But who did the ordaining? Who established it and why? That information is not hard to find. We should walk in error because some guys in robes established the error in the 4th century and ask God to forgive us for it? No thanks. My God is holier than that.
Let us equip ourselves for God’s purpose and leave alone any ambiguities with respect to the birthday of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ came into this world over 2000 years ago for our sins: “if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Why then arguing? Why not preach this message? Let the Holy Spirit of our Lord talk to us. Let us get to know Him so that we can continue to advocate the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the sinners until they get saved. Remember, accepting Jesus Christ means accepting the Holy Spirit of our Lord, which means that we have the necessary fire to conquer the devil forever. We must make sure we are born again in Jesus Christ. Thank you all.
how many shepherds went to see Jeaus when he was born ?
Remember even Christ’s people still celebrate and observe the holy communion, as it says in 1corinthians 11:24-25 ″do this in remembrance of Him”. That is the only thing He asked us to do in remembrance of Him…he never asked us to celebrate his birth in remembrance of him. So Christian take heed less u fall. The name Christian means ‘Christ like’. Ask your self are u Christ like? Why am I really celebrating Christmas??
People have been taught by their education systems to celebrate what they do celebrate. For instance in our country people celebrate Christmas but are not aware of its origin.
Even though some Christians see Christmas as a pagan feast yet they will still went ahead and do it. Some Christians can see. but pretend.
The main thing is Christ was born
And I believe that the born again Christian wants to celebrate Christ’s birth 25th Dec ….. stand strong and celebrate
Jesus Christ is the King of Kings and Lord of lords.
Let me get a bid Amen!!!!
You celebrate your ownself not Yahushua.
So you want an “amen” for your suggestion that we worship God according to our own understanding rather than according to the Bible?
Though it is now glaring that 25th is not the real date our Lord Jesus Christ was born, yet some naive are still celebrating it. As a result we do not have further Christian leader researchers to continue the reformation process.
Thanks for this new discovery that Christmas celebrants are worshipping the Sun god.
Over the last 5 to 10 years, I have observed that the reformation process is no longer pursued by Christian leaders, but by individuals whom God is touching. These individuals are finding others who are doing the same and they are forming their own groups independent of denominational straitjackets. I have grown more in my scriptural understanding in three years in one such group than in all my previous 20+ years in other congregations.
Thanks for this exposition. We don’t celebrate Christmas in our church. The Bible said we should investigate all things before we accept it. That’s why I have to do this. I am well convinced now that Christmas is not for the born-again-child-of-God.
Christian, know what you celebrate; don’t celebrate what you don’t know. What have decorated trees (lights etc.) to do with the birth of Christ? He came as the light to save the world. If we are in Him—who is the light—then truly we represent light in this world. Ask yourself the question: am I celebrating Holy days or Holidays?
Jeremiah 10:1-4
Hmmmm! Thanks all for your respective views on this topic (25 the December/ Christmas). Whatever we are celebrating, in the name of faith or Deity, deep in our hearts we all have a picture of what we are celebrating. So for the Christian, if it is right in their hearts to be celebrating Christ’s birth, in a holy and moral way, to the Glory of God (Jehovah) – good for them. For the Pagans, if to them their intents in their hearts is to be celebrating the solstic Sungod in their own moral way, to the glory of the sun, then good for them. We all in this world belong to one or other religious group or order. So let’s just focus our mind on our own respective religious or faith business, and follow peace and love with all humans, which is the principal things to practice, rather than castigating people that marked and celebrate specific dates of days. I’m a member of the body of Christ which focuses is on believing in Him and be baptized and focus on repentance from all forms of evil (wickedness) and practice holiness and righteousness, without which no human can be save from the wrath of God that is yet to come on earth.
Our goal must not be to get people to do the right thing, but to get them to follow the King and to do the right thing because it is in their hearts.
Have u finish celebrating the one given to you by God himself before adding your own? Let’s stop deceiving ourselves with human wisdom, defending what is indefensible. In the book of Deuteronomy God made it known to us that Passover should be a memorable feast for his people. Why importing another?
When are come to light of truth, no matter how much we may have loved something, if it deals with idols and deities, our intention should be to put it far from us not willingly participating in it.
Hmm, sounds kind of like Cain: “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
Tonny Aleogena.You have blessed my heart..
This is an exercise in legalism. As new testment Christians anything done in faith with a clear concience is holy. Read 1 Cor. 8 :4-6, 10:31.
Tony you’d said it all
In practice Christmas is not celebrated with faith. It is rather celebrated in ignorance.
So I can steal your car as long as I do it in faith and with a clear conscience?
If Jesus Christ was not born in the month of December, why should Christmas be highly accepted in the world?
Ignorance, whether inherited or intentional. It’s always easier to go with the crowd.
I love this exposition. we need to think about the body that brought about this idol worship into Church. and Christians followed suit. Roman Catholic worship images so the images replicated the celebrations.
U have spoken nothing but the Truth. The act of image worship in churches brought about Xmas celebration.
Thanks nice one
Cellebrating or not cellebrating christmass does not make you more Spiritual, what make you more Spiritual is the fact that Jesus is perpetually the Lord over your life. Please let’s focust on things that build the body of Christ not on things that destroy the body.
But if Jesus is Lord over your life, would you celebrate a co-opted pagan celebration and do that unto YHVH (Dt. 12:29-31)?
OK
As pertaining to Christians and the scriptures: the word Christmas does not have any biblical origin and therefore, Christians should abstain from such celebration; the Bible says ” we should not add or remove anything”.
“…the Bible says ‘we should not add or remove anything’.”
Sounds like solid reasoning to me.
What matters to me is not necessarily the date, but rather the fact that my saviour was born and angels celebrated from the realms of glory while shepherds and the wise men came running from the fields to worship the new born king. These facts gives me reason to celebrate the birth of Jesus who came to take away the sins of the world.
You can’t make something unclean clean and use it for God. He requires whole devotion. Besides neither Jesus nor his disciples celebrated his birth.. That has to mean something
Agreed.
Celebrate daily. Yahushua does not want us to partake of abominations
Well does it mean that Christians celebration of Christmas is demonic?
yes
Did Christ command His disciples to go into the world and Christianize pagan holy days (Dt. 12:29-31)? Did God give us a calendar and specify days that He says are holy (Lev. 23)? Put another way, how would my wife feel if I chose to celebrate her birthday on the date of my ex-girlfriend’s birthday?
An eye opener outcome research. Really I now know. wish all will do also.
I want to know the actual month Jesus was born – with bible back up
What good will it do to us to know the exact month in which Jesus was born?
The sixth month of the year (Luke 1: 26) He was born. Tnx.
The sixth month was when an angel was sent to Nazareth not when Christ was born, read your Bible carefully. Tnx also.
Christmas is s popish celebration of utterly no spiritual value to the souls of christians.
it has no spiritual value to you not to others. Wake up you do not define your perspective as if it is the best.
The exposition is amazingly detailed and well researched. It goes beyond the commonly heard rhetoric and rigmarole most associated with Biblical scholars and apologists of the yester-years. Its an eye-opener.
Hi to all, the contents present at this website are actually remarkable for people experience, well, keep up the nice work fellows.
well detailed, well researched. i don’t celebrate Christmas anymore. unfortunately the process of reformation seems to have stopped.
Any one interested by Yeshua’s birth should read the following article. (one wonder after that if we will ever fully understand the Bible one day as It is truly a bottomless well.)
http://bible-truth.org/BirthPlaceofJesus.html
Very good article.