Why Does the Westside Church of Christ Not Have a Christmas Program?

Introduction:

As everyone knows, tomorrow is Christmas Day.

There are different views about Christmas Day.

For some, it is a time to gather with loved ones, exchange gifts and create memories.

Some people see it as the birth of Christ.

During this season, several churches organize their Christmas program.

Play or manger scene

Songs about the birth of Christ

Christmas trees & decorations

Party with fun & food

If someone asks you why your church doesn't have a Christmas program, how would you respond?

1. It Is Not Because…..

A. We Do Not Believe in the Birth of Christ or Its Importance

I believe every word about the birth of Christ

I believe that he was born in the city of Bethlehem

I believe that he was born of a virgin

I believe that he shepherds came and saw him on the night that he was born

I believe that an angel appeared to the shepherds to tell them where they could find the new born babe that was the son of God

i believe that sometime after that the wise men came to see the Lord

I believe that they brought three gifts

I believe the birth of Christ was important - it was most of the important events that ever transpired

W/o it he would not have become man and without it he wouldn’t have died and if he didnt die we would be lost in our sin – Heb.2:14-18

Birth of Christ was the fulfillment of O.T. Prophecy – Isa.7

B. We Believe That Christ is Not Worthy of Honor

He is worthy of our adoration and worship

Rev.5:11-14

2. We Are Not Told When Jesus Was Born

A. Don’t know the year

Born between 7 BC and 4 BC

Problem with the calendar:

When Christ was born time was reckoned in the Roman Empire from the founding of the city of Rome. When Christianity became the universal religion over what had been the Roman world, a monk named Dionysius Exiguus, at the request of the Emperor Justinian, made a calendar, 526 AD, reckoning time from the Birth of Christ, to supersede the Roman calendar. Long after the Christian Calendar had replaced the Roman Calendar it was found that Dionysius had made a mistake in placing the birth of Christ in year 753 A U C. (From the founding of Rome.) It should have been 749 or a year or two earlier. So the reason we say that Christ was born 4 B C is merely because the maker of the Christian Calendar made a mistake of 4 or 5 years in coordinating it with the Roman Calendar which it replaced. - HalleysBible Handbook, 436

B. Don’t know month or day

Bible doesn’t say

Most likely not December 25

The climate was mild, and, to keep their flocks from straying, they spent the night with them. It is also a fact that the Jews sent out their flocks into the mountainous and desert regions during the summer months, and took them up in the latter part of October or the first of November, when the cold weather commenced. While away in these deserts and mountainous regions, it was proper that there should be someone to attend them to keep them from straying, and from the ravages of wolves and other wild beasts. It is probable from this that our Saviour was born before the 25th of December, or before what we call "Christmas." At that time it is cold, and especially in the high and mountainous regions about Bethlehem. But the exact time of his birth is unknown; there is no way to ascertain it. By different learned men it has been fixed at each month in the year. Nor is it of consequence to "know" the time; if it were, God would have preserved the record of it. Matters of moment are clearly revealed; those which "he" regards as of no importance are concealed. -Albert Barnes Comments on Luke 2:8

The exact date of Jesus' birth is unknown; the legendary date of December 25 cannot be traced back farther than the fourth century. - (The Wycliffe Bible Commentary)

It was a custom among the Jews to send out their sheep to the deserts, about the passover, and bring them home at the commencement of the first rain: during the time they were out, the shepherds watched them night and day. As the passover occurred in the spring, and the first rain began early in the month of Marchesvan, which answers to part of our October and November, we find that the sheep were kept out in the open country during the whole of the summer. And as these shepherds had not yet brought home their flocks, it is a presumptive argument that October had not yet commenced, and that, consequently, our Lord was not born on the 25th of December, when no flocks were out in the fields; nor could he have been born later than September, as the flocks were still in the fields by night. On this very ground the nativity in December should be given up. The feeding of the flocks by night in the fields is a chronological fact, which casts considerable light upon this disputed point. - (Adam Clarke's Commentary)

The Cyclopedia Of Ecclesiastical Literature by McClintock and Strong, says "The observance of Christmas is not of divine appointment, nor is it of New Testament origin. The day of Christ's birth cannot be ascertained from the New Testament, or indeed, from any other source. The (church) fathers of the first three centuries do not speak of any special observance of the nativity (birth) of Christ .... The institution may be sufficiently explained by the circumstance that it was the taste of the age to multiply festivals .... at the same time the heathen winter holidays (Saturnalia, JuvenaliaBrumalia) were undoubtedly transformed, and so to speak, sanctified by the establishment of the Christian cycle of holidays; and the heathen customs .... were brought over into Christian use" (Vol.2, p.276).

But recent travelers tell us that in the end of December, after the rains, the flowers come again into bloom, and the flocks again issue forth. The nature of the seasons in Palestine could hardly have been unknown to those who fixed upon the present Christmas-period: the difficulty, therefore, is perhaps more imaginary than real. - (Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary)

Dates Suggested:

Jan. 6

March 25

Jan. 10

May 20

Dec. 25

D. What we know about the birth of Christ

Birth of Jesus (Mt. 1:25; Lk 2:1-7)

Visit of the Shepherds – same night (Lk 2:8-20)

Jesus circumcised 8th day (Lk. 2:21)

Jesus’ presentation 40 days after birth (Lk 2:22; Lev. 12:2-6)

Visit of wise men (Mt. 2:1-12)

Not told how many

Came to house – not manger (v. 11)

Journey to Egypt (Mt 2:13-15)

Male children killed (Mt 2:16-18)

Return to Nazareth (Lk. 2:39; Mt. 2:19-23)

E. How Did Dec. 25 Become birth of Christ?

Not Because of The Bible

No record in the Bible

“Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the church” (Catholic Ency. Vol. 3, 724)

Origen (245) repudiated the idea of keeping the birthday of Christ as if he were a king Pharoah (Ency. Brit. 1975, Vol. 5, 642)

Clement of Alex. (ca 200) mentioned several speculations on the date of Christ’s birth and condemned them as superstitious (ibid.)

Pagan Background

The Encyclopedia Britannicareports that "The traditional customs connected with Christmas have developed from several sources as a result of the coincidence of the celebration of the birth of Christ with the pagan agricultural and solar observations at midwinter. In the Roman world the Saturnalia (December 17) was a time of merrymaking and exchange of gifts. December 25 was also regarded as the birth date of the Iranian mystery god Mithra, the Sun of Righteousness

Catholic Background

Liberius, Biship of Rome (Pope) changed the date From January 6 (in 353) to December 25 (in 354). Arrived at date saying conception was March 25. Then added 9 months.

Grolier Interactive: “Despite the beliefs about Christ that the birth stories expressed, the church did not observe a festival for the celebration of the event until the 4th century. The date was chosen to counter the pagan festivities connected with the winter solstice; since 274, under the emperor Aurelian, Rome had celebrated the feast of the ‘Invincible Sun’ on December 25.”

Colliers Encyclopediaagrees. Quote: "After the triumph of Constantine, the church at Rome assigned December 25 as the date for the celebration of the feast, possibly about A.D. 320 or 353. By the end of the fourth century the whole Christian world was celebrating Christmas on that day, with the exception of the Eastern churches, where it was celebrated on January 6. The choice of December 25 was probably influenced by the fact that on this day the Romans celebrated the Mithraic feast of the Sun-god (natalis solis invicti), and that the Saturnalia also came at this time."

3. We Are Not Authorized To Observe His Birth

A. No Bible Authority

Observance of birth of Christ – religious act

Must have authority (Col. 3:17; 2 John 9)

There is no authority!

B. Forbidden to observe special days(Gal. 4:8-10)

C. Why do what not authorized and fail to do what is authorized?

Some only attend church at Christmas & Easter

Told to observe his death every week (Acts 20:7)

4. It Is Entertainment

A. Presented to Entertain:

Plays

Songs

Etc.

B. Entertainment is not work of Church

Not worship (John 4:24)

Not evangelism (1 Tim. 3:15)

Not edification (Eph. 4:16)

Not benevolence (1 Tim. 5:16)