Tis the Season to be jolly… not bogged down with man’s ridiculous follies over Christmas traditions. There is nothing mystical or spooky spiritual about this season, unless you are a modern-day scribe or pharisee, i.e. religious. A religious person can suck the life right out of you. They are always citing scripture, asserting spiritual dominance, and removing the simplicity of this season. I do not believe that God intended for us to get bogged down in the date and time that Jesus was born but the religious have to demonstrate their knowledge of Greek and Hebrew by reminding us that Jesus was not actually born in December.
There is a reason for all things that the Early Church Fathers did regarding all our holidays but let’s just focus on Christmas for the moment. Satan mimics everything God does so if you look around every corner you will find satan twisting and perverting the traditions and celebrations of Christmas that God established for us to enjoy. I believe that the religious take special pride in puffing their chest out and interjecting their “knowledge” about Christmas into the atmosphere. Truth be known they have it partially right but not all right. What makes their viewpoint so obnoxious is the demeaning stare as they look down their noses at the rest of us who are just trying to reverence Jesus and celebrate the season with all the holy grace and honor that it deserves.
The notion of “Christmas” did not start appearing in the Early Church until the early 4th century. The Early Church fathers started recognizing December 25 as the day that Christ was born because they believed that Mary became impregnated by the Holy Spirit on March 25. [i] You do the math, 9 months from March 25, carry the one and you have December 25. This was done on purpose and by consensus of the Early Church Fathers. The tradition of Christmas began and has held up until this day. If satan has his way he will stop us from celebrating Christmas altogether. Do you want that? I do not.
Did the Early Church Fathers know what they were doing? Yes, they were devout men who were led by the Holy Spirit. What they started was not an accident. Remember that these are the same men who were led by the Holy Spirit to put together the Bible.[ii] If they were not following God with all their hearts nothing that they did would stand the test of time. The Bible has stood the test of time. Christmas has stood the test of time.
Look at what some of the Early Church Fathers said about Christmas.
1. “For there is no proper place for sadness, when we keep the birthday of the Life, which destroys the fear of mortality and brings to us the joy of promised eternity. No one is kept from sharing in this happiness.” St. Leo the Great (400 – 10 November 461)
2. “This is our present Festival; it is this which we are celebrating today, the Coming of God to Man, that we might go forth, or rather (for this is the more proper expression) that we might go back to God – that putting off of the old man, we might put on the new; and that as we died in Adam, so we might live in Christ, being born with Christ and crucified with Him and buried with Him and rising with Him.” St. Gregory of Nazianzus (329 – 25 January 390)
3. “Come, then, let us observe the Feast. Truly wondrous is the whole chronicle of the Nativity. For this day the ancient slavery is ended, the devil confounded, the demons take to flight, the power of death is broken, paradise is unlocked, the curse is taken away, sin is removed from us, error driven out, truth has been brought back, the speech of kindliness diffused, and spreads on every side, a heavenly way of life has been ‘in planted on the earth, angels communicate with men without fear, and men now hold speech with angels.” St. John Chrysostom (349 – 14 September 407)[iii]
The Early Church Fathers believed in celebrating the Nativity of Jesus. At first It was called the “Feast of Nativity”. There intention was to have believers reflect on what God did for them by causing them to remember that God sent His only begotten Son into this world through the virgin birth of Mary. The Feast if Nativity was celebrated in conjunction with the Feast of Epiphany on January 7. The Feast of Epiphany originally had four celebrations. The celebration of the baptism of the Jesus, the miracle of Jesus turning the water into wine, the Nativity of Jesus, and the visitation of the Wise Men to Jesus.[iv]
The Feast of Nativity was the celebration of the revealing of Jesus with the Star of Bethlehem. We commonly read Isaiah 60, “Arise, shine; For your light has come...” to talk about the Glory of God but the Early Church Fathers believed and celebrated every part of the scripture and they believed that the light was the star over Bethlehem that revealed that Jesus had come into the world. There really is a reason for everything. We must remember that God knows what He is doing even when man does not. If you have been assaulted by the verbal haranguing’s of those bond by a religious do not let them steal our joy. Tis the season to be Jolly.
You would be surprised to know what God honors.
“But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness”, {I Timothy 4: 7 [NKJV]}.
“5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks”, {Romans 14: 5 – 7 [NKJV]}.
As we celebrate this season, let’s celebrate the traditions of Christmas as they were intended. The Greek and Hebrew interpretations or lack thereof regarding this season are not worth bringing offense to each other. Just be Merry and Bright with the Light of Christ.
Selah.
[i] https://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/301-600/the-1st-recorded-celebration-of-christmas-11629658.html [ii] https://redstate.com/streiff/2017/12/25/church-fathers-awesomeness-christmas-n81873 [iii] https://redstate.com/streiff/2017/12/25/church-fathers-awesomeness-christmas-n81873 [iv] https://www.learnreligions.com/epiphany-of-our-lord-jesus-christ-542471