Author/ Editor: Ken Hennessey

The debate about whether or not Christians should celebrate Christmas has been raging for centuries. There are equally sincere and committed Christians on both sides of the issue, each with multiple reasons why or why not Christmas should be celebrated in Christian homes. Does the Bible give clear direction as to whether Christmas is a holiday to be celebrated by Christians?

Do traditions surrounding the holiday have origins in paganism? Sources often contradict one another. The use of Christmas symbols in one’s home certainly does not indicate a return to paganism.

While there are definitely pagan roots to some traditions, traditions associated with the true meaning of Christmas combat such things: 1. Bells played to ring out the joyous news. 2. Candles lit to remind us that Christ is the Light of the world. 3. Stars placed on the top of a Christmas tree to remember the Star of Bethlehem. 4. Gifts exchanged to remind us of the gifts of the Magi to Jesus, the greatest gift of God to mankind.

December 25 th ? Christians who choose to ignore Christmas point to the fact that the Bible doesn’t give us the date of Christ’s birth. But, in what year was Jesus Christ born? Close examination of the chronological details of history narrows the possibilities to a reasonable window of time.

Matthew 2:1 states that Jesus was born during the days of Herod the king. Since Herod died in 4 B.C., we have a parameter to work with. Further, after Joseph and Mary fled Bethlehem with Jesus, Herod ordered all the boys 2 years old and younger in that vicinity killed. This indicates that Jesus could have been as old as 2 before Herod’s death. This places the date of His birth between 6 and 4 B.C.

Luke 2:1-2 notes several other facts to ponder: Caesar Augustus reigned from 27 B.C. to A.D. 14 and Quirinus governed Syria during this same time period.

Luke mentions another detail concerning our timeline: “Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age” (Luke 3:23). Jesus began His ministry during the time John the Baptist ministered in the wilderness, and John’s ministry started “in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar... during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas” (Luke 3:1-2).

A.D If Jesus was “about thirty years of age” by A.D. 27, a birth sometime The only time period that fits all of these facts is between 6 and 4 B.C. would fit the chronology.

But was Jesus born on December 25? December 25 has become more and more acceptable as the birth date of Jesus. However, some argue that the birth occurred in some other season; they claim that the Judean winters were too cold for shepherds to be watching their flocks by night. History proves otherwise, however, and we have historical evidence that unblemished lambs for the Temple sacrifice were in fact kept in the fields near Bethlehem during the winter months.

The truth is we simply don’t know the exact date of our Savior’s birth. One thing is clear: if God felt it was important for us to know the exact date of the Savior’s birth, He certainly would have told us in His Word. The Gospel of Luke gives very specific details about the event, even down to what the baby was wearing – “swaddling clothes”—and where he slept—“in a manger” (Luke 2:12). These details are important because they speak of His nature and character, meek and lowly. But the exact date of His birth has no significance whatsoever, which may be why God chose not to mention it.

This is what we should celebrate. We are told in Zechariah 2:10: “’Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,’ declares the LORD.” The angel that announced the birth to the shepherds brought “good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10). Surely here is the cause for celebration every day, not just once a year.

 He was born without sin  He came into the world to atone for our sins  He was resurrected to eternal life  He’s alive today The Christmas message is that there is hope for a ruined humanity - hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory - because at the Father's will Jesus Christ became poor, and was born in a stable so that thirty years later He might hang on a cross." - J. I. Packer