Pastor S.O. Falade
INTRODUCTION
Glory be to our living God who has chosen to make us see Christmas 2022. It is neither by power nor might (Zech. 4:6); not by merit (not that we deserve it), but by His mercy, coupled with grace. He sure deserves our praise and thanksgiving, and to Him, we give these.
God alone controls time and season (Eccl. 3:1ff). He has kindly given us this Christmas season to honour our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in a special way. In His eternal redemptive plan, each day is unique. One special day like this is Christmas. Therefore, it is important to comprehend why God permitted this special day in the first place. May we not fail to realise His plan for our life.
Meanwhile, disputes around the date of Jesus' birth have surrounded the Christmas holiday. Some people also have a tendency to criticise Christmas due to its alleged pagan roots. These and many other issues have crept into both Christian and secular groups, and regrettably, the devil has exacerbated them by using them to obfuscate the reason for the season.May God's purposes for ourlives, both individually and collectively as the Church, churches, homes, communities, nations, etc., come to pass this Christmas.
FORGET ABOUT THE CONTROVERSIES:
Yes, there has been debate over Christ's birthdate in both academic and non-academic circles. The truth is that Jesus Christ has been and will continue to be the topic of debate on a global scale. Of course, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (Lk. 2:34-35). Should you be shocked that His birth is generating so much commotion? The devil uses such crises to divert people's attention from the true Person of Christ to unimportant trivialities.
Who informs you that December 25 is the birthday of Jesus? Are you a December 25th baby? Don't start celebrating and boasting that you are, in a sense, Christ's birthdate-mate. It is most reasonable to conclude that Jesus wasn't born in December after studying the voluminous amount of biblical and extra-biblical evidence that is currently available in the information realm, but that this constrained space and time cannot contain for discussion. Study Jewish tradition. In the winter, do shepherds watch their flock in open fields by night (cf. Lk. 2:8)? So, when was Christ's birth?
Why all the fuss over this birthday issue? Accept my argument that God purposefully made the date less precise to prevent some people from unnecessarily idolising it. Suppose individuals had access to Jesus Christ's actual body in the grave, justimagine how the depraved psyche of man would have terribly exploited it. Thank God, it's not here.
God, therefore, prefers that we focus on His Person than His actual birthdate. We must give thanks to God for the Church fathers who proclaimed that we should celebrate the uniqueness of our Lord by setting aside a day to celebrate His birthday, exalting Him above and against pagan gods, and particularly proclaiming Him to the world that is sinning and perishing.These fathers really did well, leaving such a godly legacy for us. We must prevent misuse of it.
What is wrong with picking a day to honour our Lord? Every day is His. However, by selecting one to advocate for Him, we haven't done any harm. Of course, we should proclaim Him always, but the holiday season is a special opportunity to do that even more so. Ignore the fact that this day was once devoted to the worship of pagans. The good news is that Christ is now exalted over and in opposition to such gods (idols).After all, as long as we are now in Christ, and have become His new creation, old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (2 Cor. 5:17). Shouldn't we rejoice that these idols (gods) and many more are becoming obsolete and being demoted so that the King of kings, Lord of lords, and God of gods might ascend to His proper throne, both now and forever after?
Therefore, disregard the day of His birth or the fact that it occurred on a day when some pagan gods were once worshipped. If you research different cultures around the world, you'll find that idol worship has always taken place on a certain day. Why? Man created religion because of his base, corrupted nature and mentality, which erroneously seeks to replace the broken bond with the holy God. But praise God for releasing the suffering and dying man by the gracious arrival of His redemption. Jesus Christ is the sole Provision of God for man’s ransom and redemption. This merits a lavish celebration, don't you think?Read the Old Testament to learn how God specifically commanded His people to observe feasts like Passover as a reminder of His gracious dealings with them—deliverance and establishment—so that they would continue to love, praise, thank, and serve Him throughout their lives, from generation to generation. Is it against the Bible to declare that God allowed Christmas to draw our attention to His redemptive and saving acts via the incarnate, crucified, and raised Lord Jesus Christ?
Let's promote the idea that God, not the idols that are celebrated on days like today in such civilisations (who are nothing more than demons and agents of Satan), created, owns and controls these days. The day of December 25 has been designated as a holy day to honour our Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to His name!
FOCUS NOT ON CHRISTMAS TREES AND LIGHTS:
After establishing that Jesus Christ is the Reason for the Season, let's focus on the Festival itself.
People's current Christmas celebrations need to be reviewed. There are many things that are no way connected to the celebration of Christ's birth at Christmas. Christ has nothing to do with Santa Claus, Christmas trees and lights, as well as colours red, green, and white, etc. Beware lest we discreetly celebrate the godless Halloween, a celebration in which children dress up, frequently as witches or ghosts, and knock on doors while yelling "trick or treat." The devil is highly cunning, and we should be aware of his tricks (2 Cor. 2:11; Eph. 6:11).In fact, some individuals have mistakenly held that Halloween and Christmas are identical. They assert that despite the fact that All Hallow's Eve is no longer a religious event, both holidays nonetheless contain a blend of Christian and pagan traditions. Do you recognise the devil's trickery? Never let the occasion of Christ's most holy birth become an idol in your possession!
For some people, Christmas would not be the same without Santa Claus, trees, lights, and other decorations. Do you know that in the past, the pagan gods' festivals included binge drinking, sex fests, licentiousness, and other godless behaviours? Yes, that is true! These behaviours are being subtly inserted by the devil into the so-called Christmas holiday (which should commemorate the birth of Christ). I sincerely hope that's not how you celebrate Christmas—in bars, clubs, with unsavoury sex partners, etc. Listen, if you're doing that, you're not honouring Christ Jesus. You are merely enjoying Satan's deception, which leads to catastrophe. You are feeding the flesh, and feeding the flesh has a destructive conclusion.
So who or what should be our main concern? Christmas is Christmas without Santa Claus, trees, lights, and the red, green, and white colours. But Christmas, the holiday that commemorates the birth of Christ, cannot truly be celebrated without the Light of Christ shining in our hearts and drawing people to Him. If the joy of the Lord (cf. Neh. 8:8) that comes through the Celebrant (the risen Lord Jesus Christ) is not resident in your heart, then the chickens, goats, and turkeys you kill and season with rice and other delicacies for the celebration mean nothing and cannot bring you true joy.
Furthermore, Jesus cannot be honoured outside of His standards. His sanctity is his benchmark. He can only be pleased with your celebration when you do that with hands lifted up in holiness (1 Tim. 2:8). On Christ's altar of celebration, you cannot place any profane fire and expect not to be devoured by the fire of His holiness. Just ask Abihu and Nadab (Lev. 10:1–ff)!
CONCLUSION:
In light of the foregoing, accept the lordship of Christ Jesus, whose birth we claim to celebrate, by acknowledging your sinfulness, confessing your sins, and accepting God's gracious provision of forgiveness, salvation, and cleansing in Christ Jesus. This will make this Christmas celebration exceptional (Jn. 3:16ff; 2 Cor. 5:21). As we commemorate Jesus' birth, today might be your own spiritual birthday.
Remember, we aren't simply honouring the newborn Jesus; we are also commemorating the indisputable King Jesus, the resurrected Lord and King who will soon make an appearance to judge both the living and the dead. Choose to follow Him this Christmas, henceforth, so that you won't look back and regret ever having set foot on this planet!
MERRY CHRISTMAS 2022 AND HAPPY NEW YEAR 2023!
By
Pastor Sam. Olu. Falade
CAC Ag. Director, Christian Education
08066212696; muelkit1@yahoo.com