Weekly Devotional
What is Christmas to you? Many Christians will answer, “It is a celebration of Christ’s birth.” Others may say, “It is a time of giving and receiving.” Still others, “It is a time to do extra good things for those in need.” Maybe Christmas is all of those things to many people. Christmas holds fond memories of being with family, candy cooking, and the smell of comfort foods like shrimp gumbo or ham and sweet potato casserole.
Indeed we do not know the date of Christ’s birth. In fact, we do know that he was not born on December 25th. The shepherds would not have been in those open fields in December. This was a time of piercing cold. Many scholars believe that Christ was born in late summer or early fall. Christmas began as a pagan holiday. It was actually celebrated as the birth date of the sun god Mithra who was worshiped in the Roman Empire. The sun god’s image was even placed on Roman coins during the reign of Constantine. Romans participated in pagan festivals, celebrating the Winter Solstice. Christians wanted to celebrate the birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. When Christianity became the official religion in the Roman Empire, the emperor Justinian named Christmas a civic holiday. Christians were able to replace the worship of the sun with celebrating the Son.
Believe it or not, there is controversy in the religious world regarding Christmas. Some believe that we are compromising our Christianity with pagan celebration. Christmas, to me, is a celebration. Pagan? I think not. Christmas is a time where many come to worship who otherwise would not. Christmas is a time when much money and time are given to charities. Christmas is a time when neighbors come out and bring you goodies. Christmas is a time when people celebrate goodness and thinking of others instead of themselves. Christmas is a time when people gather with family, when they reminisce about old times and loved ones who have gone to their heavenly home. Christmas is a time of forgiveness.
In the midst of all of the wonderful things of Christmas, isn’t it lovely that so many are focused on celebrating the birth of Christ. Without his birth, there would be no death and no resurrection. Without his birth, we would not have eternal life. We would be forever lost. Every week we gather on the first day to celebrate Christ’s death, burial and resurrection through the Lord’s Supper as we are commanded. No matter the origin, what a wonderful time that has been set aside to come together as a nation and as a world to celebrate the birth of Christ on this special day.
Luke 2:34-35 "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed, and a sword will pierce your own soul too."
Luke 8:25 "Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Merry Christmas from my family to yours. Margie