Celebrating Christmas, Is it Wrong?

Today morning just before the sermon begins, TPM minister/believer will pray something like this “Give thy servant message from Zion…” Most of us already know what that word from imaginary Zion of TPM would be. Probably loudspeakers from the pulpit will sound words like “We TPM people do not celebrate Christmas. We do not celebrate any birthdays.” Few Pharisees might even rebuke members of eating cakes on Christmas. If these so-called saints happen to visit your home or you give them a piece of cake any other food stuff, then they will refuse to eat it. It is not sin according them to eat these things. But to eat these things on 25^th December is a great sin for these Pharisees. They will reason that Christmas was birthday of Nimrod…. and not of Jesus! As you watch all this drama unfold today you might begin to wonder “Is it wrong to celebrate Christmas?” This article will use the opportunity to help you sit down calmly and decide for yourself what you want to do.

Breaking of the hard nut that I was

Once upon a time, I myself was hard nut TPM believer who condemned celebration of Christmas. One day, I prepared notes from the internet about nimrod, Santa Claus, Christmas tree and other stuff, and translated it in the local language and made a few 100 copies of the stuff and handed all these to TPM pastor-in-charge to preach it on Christmas. On 25^th December meeting Pastor preached the material I bought from the internet. We also gave handouts to every believer. It was a very successful day for me.  I was on cloud number nine. I thought I had convinced people of the great sin of celebrating Christmas.

Next Christmas I was reading Charles Cowman’s daily devotion titled “streams in the desert.” It struck me of my folly of not enjoying the birth of Jesus. I began ruminating on the joy I missed by refusing to celebrate the birth of Jesus. I began wondering, “if angels from heaven came down and celebrated Christmas by saying “I bring you good tidings of great joy,” and multitudes of heavenly host praised God by saying “Glory to God in highest and peace and goodwill towards men,” then how right I was in not celebrating the great day?” I knew that I don’t know the exact date of birth of Jesus, yet still, the thought struck me that this is the only birthday celebrated in the bible and that too by angels and multitude of hosts of heaven. This shook the floor beneath my foot. Why was I behaving in the antichristian way of neither letting myself enjoy nor letting other enjoy the coming of savior in the world? Here are the words of Charles cowman from his book “stream in the desert” which shook my legalist haughty mentality.

A number of years ago a remarkable Christmas card was published by the Title “If Christ Had Not Come”. It was based on our Savior’s own words, “If I had not come,” in John 15:22. The card pictured a minister falling asleep in his study on Christmas morning and then dreaming of a world into which Jesus had never come. In his dream, he saw himself walking through his house, but as he looked, he saw no stockings hung on the chimney, no Christmas tree, no wreaths of holly, and no Christ to comfort and gladden hearts or to save us. He then walked on to the street outside, but there was no church with its spire pointing toward heaven. And when he came back and sat down in his library, he realized that every book about the savior had disappeared. The minister dreamed that the doorbell rang and that a messenger asked him to visit a friend’s poor dying mother. He reached her home, and as his friend wept, he said, “I have something here that will comfort you.” He opened his Bible to look for a familiar promise, but it ended with Malachi. There was no gospel and no promise of hope and salvation, and all he could do was bow his head and weep with his friend and his mother in bitter despair. Two days later he stood beside her coffin and conducted her funeral service, but there was no message of comfort, no words of the glorious resurrection, and no thought of a mansion awaiting her in heaven. There was only “dust to dust, and ashes to ashes,” and one long eternal farewell. Finally, he realized that Christ had not come, and burst into tears, weeping bitterly in his sorrowful dream. Then suddenly he awoke with a start, and a great shout of joy and praise burst from his lips as he heard his choir singing these words in his church nearby:

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant 

O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem!

Come and behold Him, born the King of angels.

 O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!

Let us be glad and rejoice today because He has come. And let us remember the proclamation of the angel: “I bring you good news of great joy that will before all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).

What does the Bible Say?

Apostle Paul says there is nothing wrong in celebrating any feast days. It is neither wrong to celebrate, nor wrong not to celebrate, provided we do all for glory of God. Read Romans 14:5-8 yourself,

Rom 14:5  One man esteemeth ONE DAY above another: another esteemeth EVERY DAY ALIKE. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. 

Rom 14:6  He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. ….. 

Rom 14:8  For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. 

The above verses make it clear that celebrating Christmas is not wrong.

What are the facts?  

In lucid language, we agree that

• We do not have any date of birth of Jesus Christ.
• It is possible that Nimrod was born on 25^th But it is also possible that a person worse than nimrod might have also been born on the day Jesus was born (whatever date). And if that be true then does the birth of any wicked man make the birth of Christ futile?
• It may be true that Santa Claus or Christmas tree or other traditions of Christmas be pagan in nature.

What is the right way to celebrate Christmas?

So what are we saying? Yes! We have agreed that it is possible that all the customs practiced by Christendom on Christmas day, might be pagan in nature and indeed unbiblical. Celebrating the birth of Jesus by drinking wine, eating cakes and pastries, decorating homes etc might be a sign of religious spirit in church. But I think it is equally wrong to stop people from enjoying the remembrance of the birth of the savior of mankind, just because people celebrate it via ways you and I do not agree with. One best way to celebrate Christmas is to remember “what we might have missed had Christ not born.” I received a video message on what is the right way to celebrate Christmas. I want to share the video message with you all.

Conclusion

I think the Bible clearly says it is not wrong to celebrate Christmas or any other day. But Bible does command us that certain things must not be done – like conducting tarrying meeting (I Corinth 14:27-28), calling yourself chief pastor or rabbi (Matthew 23:8-9), going from house to house with the intention to collect money (Luke 10:7) and so on.  So when TPM pastors try to make you guilty of celebrating the birth of the savior, ask them why do they commit that which is strictly forbidden and forbid that which is not forbidden? Let me end this by reminding you again the words of the angel “I bring you good tidings of great joy… (Luke 2:10)…. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men (Luke 2:13-14).