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Whether you are a new or a seasoned Christian, you may wonder, "Should I celebrate Christmas?" As Christians, we look to the Bible for answers. Does it say to celebrate the day of Christmas?
First, the word, “Christmas” is not in the Old or New Testament. Christmas literally means, Christ Mass. Those who sought to worship God contrary to the teachings of the Catholic, Anglican, or Orthodox religions rejected the holiday, as reflected by the Pilgrims or Puritans. This was due to the Bible not mentioning a specific day to celebrate. Fact is, to our knowledge, the Bible is silent on the exact day God's only begotten Son was born. However, due to historical events and the writings of people who lived during the times of Jesus, plus many centuries of research done by many wise men, we can now know, for certain, that the star of Bethlehem was a real event—therefore concluding that Jesus was born some time before the wise men entered Bethlehem of Judaea, as is denoted in Scripture. Visit Bethlehemstar.com and click on, “Start the Study”. Make it your free Christmas gift to yourself.
So, the question remains, should we celebrate the day of Christmas? According to Websters' Dictionary of 1828,
CELEBRATE, verb transitive
1. To praise; to extol; to commend; to give to; to make famous; as, to celebrate the name of the Most High.
The grave cannot celebrate thee. Isaiah 38:18.
2. To distinguish by solemn rites; to keep holy.
From even to even shall ye celebrate your Sabbath. Leviticus 23:32.
3. To honor or distinguish by ceremonies and marks of joy and respect; as, to celebrate the birth day of Washington; to celebrate a marriage.
4. To mention in a solemn manner, whether of joy or sorrow.
If you celebrate in this fashion, the Scriptures do support this, as recorded in the book of Luke. 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-ref Lk 2:13,14. As for the giving of gifts, we know that after Jesus was born, probably several month later, the wise men came from the east and gave gifts to the child Jesus, (NOTE-He is no longer a baby)-ref Mt 2:11. Since Jesus is not with us in flesh and blood, and since born-again Christians are Christs' ambassadors-ref 2 Cor 5:20, is it not to far fetched to see that when we give gifts to other born-again Christians, we are giving to Jesus Himself?-ref Matthew 25:40. And, if we are to love our neighbors (family and friends), as ourselves-ref Mk 12:30-31, certainly the Scriptures are clear that gifting, in lowliness of mind (humbleness), esteem others better than ourselves-ref Phil 2:3, is acceptable.
But, let us also be aware, that the greatest gift given was Jesus Christ—He is the Savior of the world. And as the Shepherds heard from the angel, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord”—so we should make that our message for this day—giving people around us, not only the good new of Jesus Christ, but as the angel told the shepherds where to find the baby Jesus, so must we relay to other where they can find Him—read it for themselves in the Holy Scriptures, the Bible, the living Word of God.
So, this Christmas, don't let the day go by without reading the accounts that the Bible gives for the birth of your Savior-ref Mt 1:18, and chapter 2; Lk 2:1-40.
Merry Christmas and may God bless you as you seek Him with all your heart!
Sources: https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/celebrate;
https://bethlehemstar.com/;
Barton, David (2003). Celebrate Liberty!:Famous Patriotic Speeches & Sermons (3rd ed.). Wallbuilder Press. pp. 191, 192.
