Should Christmas be celebrated or rejected according to the word of God?

[Marathoner]

Just now, AFlameOfFire said:

Yes, there are a lot of M's

And yeah, did you ever see those videos where Walmart opens their doors on black Friday and they run over each other in the hundreds and kill each other for presents? That is not the Spirit of God at all.

Me, personally, I do not celebrate the day itself, I used to though, I just do not any longer so it's really not an issue concerning me.

I don't either, and I never have. This applies to holidays of all kinds. In my case, holidays were a nightmare to endure and Christmas was the worst of them all. Everything had to be "perfect" and if something was amiss, we were beaten for it. 

If I opened a present incorrectly, I was beaten. If one of my siblings was being beaten and I cried, I was given "a reason to cry." Needless to say, I was thankful to escape my parents' house. 

It took years to get over my abhorrence of holidays after I came to the Lord.

[Guest AFlameOfFire]

10 minutes ago, Marathoner said:

I don't either, and I never have. This applies to holidays of all kinds. In my case, holidays were a nightmare to endure and Christmas was the worst of them all. Everything had to be "perfect" and if something was amiss, we were beaten for it. 

If I opened a present incorrectly, I was beaten. If one of my siblings was being beaten and I cried, I was given "a reason to cry." Needless to say, I was thankful to escape my parents' house. 

It took years to get over my abhorrence of holidays after I came to the Lord.

I do not celebrate any either,  people have various reasons as to why they might not. 

[Yes, and]

1 minute ago, Marathoner said:

I don't either, and I never have. This applies to holidays of all kinds. In my case, holidays were a nightmare to endure and Christmas was the worst of them all. Everything had to be "perfect" and if something was amiss, we were beaten for it. 

If I opened a present incorrectly, I was beaten. If one of my siblings was being beaten and I cried, I was given "a reason to cry." Needless to say, I was thankful to escape my parents' house. 

It took years to get over my abhorrence of holidays after I came to the Lord.

Not quite as traumatic or dysfunctional an upbringing, but for me it is a similar reason for not much caring for the holiday. And similarly, it's taken years to come to terms with it.  But no judgment from me on those who do enjoy it (like, my wife, for instance, and I have a pretty good idea about where her heart is with regard to our Lord!)

As to that joke, about 40 years ago I saw a one-panel comic (i.e., a JOKE) which laid out 4 reasons that Santa and Satan were the same: 1) the anagram; 2) both have red suits; 3) distinctive laughs ("Ho Ho Ho" and "Hee Hee Hee"); 4) both are associated with extreme climates. I thought it was funny then, and I still think it funny now. (Our Lord has the last laugh! Ps 2:4)

Of course, given my own dysfunctional upbringing and negative associations with Christmas, that joke has been a way for me to project my negative attitudes, and I have even added a fifth reason: both distract from the real reason we even have a Christmas. But note this attitude springs from wounded flesh, not love, joy, peace, and FREEDOM (which my wife has in spades.)

[Marathoner]

21 minutes ago, Yes, and said:

Not quite as traumatic or dysfunctional an upbringing, but for me it is a similar reason for not much caring for the holiday. And similarly, it's taken years to come to terms with it.  But no judgment from me on those who do enjoy it (like, my wife, for instance, and I have a pretty good idea about where her heart is with regard to our Lord!)

As to that joke, about 40 years ago I saw a one-panel comic (i.e., a JOKE) which laid out 4 reasons that Santa and Satan were the same: 1) the anagram; 2) both have red suits; 3) distinctive laughs ("Ho Ho Ho" and "Hee Hee Hee"); 4) both are associated with extreme climates. I thought it was funny then, and I still think it funny now. (Our Lord has the last laugh! Ps 2:4)

Of course, given my own dysfunctional upbringing and negative associations with Christmas, that joke has been a way for me to project my negative attitudes, and I have even added a fifth reason: both distract from the real reason we even have a Christmas. But note this attitude springs from wounded flesh, not love, joy, peace, and FREEDOM (which my wife has in spades.)

Indeed. When I came to Christ, I started to learn what love really was. He received me with love and from there, I started walking in His love. The Lord has been so kind toward me that my words fall short in sharing this with others; I can only point toward examples of His loving kindness. 

I sometimes mention the woman who became like a mother to me --- and I became like a son to her --- as one of the greatest examples of His goodness and mercy in my life. It was wonderful beyond words because His blessing didn't rest upon me alone, having been rejected and hated by my own mother. She was rejected and hated by her own children and when she needed someone to rely upon the most, the Lord brought us together. 

Standing by her side was a gift from the Lord! He gave me the opportunity to honor my mother. It was an honor to safeguard her life and care for her during her final years. I would have done the same for my own mother but she wanted nothing to do with me after I came to Christ. 

I was presented with a story recently. In this story, a woman was given the ability to change the future: her daughter would be born with a fatal illness and would pass away in her teens. She decided not to change a single thing for every moment her daughter spent on this earth was worth it. 

That's how I feel about my own life, my friend. I wouldn't change a thing even if I could. I'm thankful for the gift God has given to me: Himself. He is worth it all. 

Edited December 12, 2023 by Marathoner

[Starise]

Confession- I do all the decorations for my wife and family. If I were on my own I doubt I would go to the trouble.

I see absolutely nothing wrong with them, but it's a lot easier to go enjoy someone else's decorations.

[Yes, and]

12 hours ago, Marathoner said:

Indeed. When I came to Christ, I started to learn what love really was. He received me with love and from there, I started walking in His love. The Lord has been so kind toward me that my words fall short in sharing this with others; I can only point toward examples of His loving kindness. 

I sometimes mention the woman who became like a mother to me --- and I became like a son to her --- as one of the greatest examples of His goodness and mercy in my life. It was wonderful beyond words because His blessing didn't rest upon me alone, having been rejected and hated by my own mother. She was rejected and hated by her own children and when she needed someone to rely upon the most, the Lord brought us together. 

Standing by her side was a gift from the Lord! He gave me the opportunity to honor my mother. It was an honor to safeguard her life and care for her during her final years. I would have done the same for my own mother but she wanted nothing to do with me after I came to Christ. 

I was presented with a story recently. In this story, a woman was given the ability to change the future: her daughter would be born with a fatal illness and would pass away in her teens. She decided not to change a single thing for every moment her daughter spent on this earth was worth it. 

That's how I feel about my own life, my friend. I wouldn't change a thing even if I could. I'm thankful for the gift God has given to me: Himself. He is worth it all. 

It seems the more we grow in and experience His love, joy, peace, and FREEDOM (I'm still capitalizing this) the less these arguments really matter. I suggest that the arguments about Christmas (and LOTS of other things)—whether for or against—distract us more from keeping our eyes on the Lord than the topics we argue about. I think that's sort of what Paul is getting at with, "Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one." (1 Co 8:4) I believe you could substitute "celebrating Christmas" for "food" in that passage and still have the same basic understanding (and I won't allow for the "professional weaker brother" to twist the intent of that passage and try to take away my freedom!)

@Starise: Ditto, if I were on my own, but lucky me, all I have to do is go find a tree and get it set up! My wife does most of the decorating, with some tree help from our adult sons.

 

[Vine Abider]

On 12/5/2023 at 3:42 PM, other one said:

I do not see anywhere in scripture that we should celebrate Jesus's birthday....    Likewise, I don't see anything that tells me not to celebrate his birthday...  So, I would say that it would probably depend on how you celebrate it and why.   

I personally do not like the pagan stuff, but that's just me.   The rest of you, it's between you and the Lord.

Indeed! 

I haven't read through all the posts in this thread to see if this idea was looked at through the lens of Romans 14: 

"One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. He who observes a special day does so to the Lord; he who eats does so to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.…"  (14:5-7)

"But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: 'As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.' So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way." (14:10-12) 

And if a saint is weak, we are to by no means to do anything to stumble them - if they experience the Lord in celebrating a certain day, may they be blessed in their praise and worship of Him!

Look @Bro.Tan, I was once as anti-Xmas (notice the cross in "Xmas") as they come, seeing all the things you mentioned, and maybe even more, that were exceedingly negative about the whole matter.  But slowly the Lord showed me that pointing out this stuff did nothing to testify of His love, mercy and grace . . . and saved/edified exactly no one.

May our eyes are open, yet may we be as gentle as doves in all matters . . . the Lord is gentle and kind, therefore: "Let all you do be done in love -- and for the building up of others!" 1 Cor 16:14 & 14:26

[Starise]

14 minutes ago, Yes, and said:

@Starise: Ditto, if I were on my own, but lucky me, all I have to do is go find a tree and get it set up! My wife does most of the decorating, with some tree help from our adult sons.

We still haven't put the decorations on the tree. My wife has a collection from all over. When we visit somewhere they usually sell a Christmas tree ornament and she buys it. Then she has ornaments that are sentimental passed down through the family, many of them very delicate- Translation, the less I handle them the better.

[farouk]

On 12/6/2023 at 10:30 PM, Anne2 said:

I somewhat feel the same way. I got caught up in that attitude years back. So I know what they might be feeling some anyway. But having been involved in the Messianic movement for a few years, I had my eyes opened some at a passover seder. Yes, we briefly partook of the Lord's supper during a two hour seder. But without all the rabbinic additions it is the Lords supper still. It seemed to others it was not. Like the Sabbath being made for man, the passover was made for our Lord, not our Lord for the passover. Same for Christmas.

 

@Anne2 In the end it's a matter of the revealed doctrine of the NT fulfilling in the Person and Work of Christ the types and shadows of the Old Testament.

[farouk]

1 hour ago, Starise said:

We still haven't put the decorations on the tree. My wife has a collection from all over. When we visit somewhere they usually sell a Christmas tree ornament and she buys it. Then she has ornaments that are sentimental passed down through the family, many of them very delicate- Translation, the less I handle them the better.

We are often late in starting any decorations for Christmas....