BY OKPAN CLEOPAS,

The term “Christmas” means “Christ’s Mass” or “Mass for Christ.” It is a celebration in honour of the birth of Christ. The celebration of Christmas, instituted by the Catholic Church, has for many centuries taken the religious world by storm. Many are so carried away by the festivities that come along with the season such that they fail to stop and ask if it is scriptural or not. This lesson on Christmas will serve to reveal the scriptural position on the celebration.

HOW DECEMBER 25 CAME TO BE CELEBRATED AS BIRTHDAY OF CHRIST:
This unscriptural practice called “Christmas” was invented by the Roman Catholic Church. It was stated that the birth of Christ was assigned to the date of the winter solstice.

The date was December 25 in the Julian calendar. So, when days began to lengthen in the northern hemisphere, the solstice was referred to by Pagans as the “Birthday of the Unconquered Sun.” During the third century, the Emperor Aurelian was said to have proclaimed December 25 as a special day dedicated to the sun-god, Mithra, whose cult was very strong in Rome at that time.

It was said that before this time Christian writers had already started referring to Jesus as the ‘Sun of Justice.’ As Christianity began to dominate the religious scene in the Roman Empire, the December observance which originated with Pagans as a feast day to their sun-god, Mithra, was changed into a “Christian Holy Day” by the Roman Catholic Church to celebrate Christmas.

WHY CHRISTIANS SHOULD NOT CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS:
The exact date of Jesus’ birth is not mentioned in scripture.

It is therefore wrong to fix December 25 as His birthday.

The scripture condemns the observance of times and seasons as a religious activity (Gal. 4: 10, 11).

The scripture emphasizes the death of Christ, not His birth (Matt. 26:26-28; I Cor. 11:23-26).

December 25 celebration has a pagan root, originally celebrated in memory of the sun-god (Mithras).

Jesus warned of the danger of following human traditions (Mark 7: 6-9).

HOW SHOULD WE REMEMBER JESUS?
What does the scripture say we should remember about Jesus? How does the scripture want us to remember Jesus? Since God has given us everything that pertains to life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3), it is equally clear that everything we need to know and practice, that is of a religious nature, has been revealed in the Bible. Therefore, we must turn to the Bible to provide answers to the above questions.

Apart from the story of His birth as recorded in the scripture, nowhere in the scripture do we find either a command or an apostolic example pointing to the celebration of Christ’s birth. Christ did not institute any such memorial. His apostles and the first century church did not also celebrate anything in memory of His birth.

There are three things we can find in the Bible which are in memory of Christ.

Baptism in water: This reminds us of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Rom. 6:3-4).

Worship on the Lord’s Day: The Lord’s Day, also called the First Day of the week (Matt. 28:1-6; Acts 20:7; Rev. 1:10), reminds us of the resurrection of Christ from death.

The Lord’s Supper: The Lord’s Supper constantly reminds us of the death of Christ (Matt. 26:26-28; Luke 22:19,20).

As we eat the bread and drink the fruit of the vine, we proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes (1 Cor. 11: 26).

CONCLUSION
We are scripturally enjoined not to add to the word (Rev. 22: 18, 19), but to speak as the oracles of God (1 Pet. 4: 11).

If Jesus had wanted us to remember His birthday as a religious observance, it would have been revealed in scripture.

He did not command it; His apostles and early Christians did not observe it, so we should not celebrate it.

REMAIN BLESSED!

Source: http://brainnewsng.com/all-about-christmas/

Seun, Lalasticlala

Jesus himself is a myth, a Character created by the Romans. Why do you think the Jew's from which the gospel originates don't believe in his existence.