Nile Street Notes Anna Church of Christ 104 Nile Street, Anna, Illinois 62906 833-5815

Website: www.annachurchofchrist.com

Vol 23. Issue 51 Dec. 20, 2009

Some Thoughts About Christmas

Friday is a day that many people across the world, especially in this country, will celebrate as the birth of Christ..

We should understand that in spite of all the wonderful acts of kindness and emotions and family togetherness that the Christmas holiday prompts, it is not a Bible doctrine. If our blessed Lord had wanted us to celebrate His birthday, He would have told us when and how to celebrate it, but Christ never told anyone to celebrate His birthday. The Holy Spirit never commanded anyone to celebrate the birth of Christ. Furthermore, we know from the Bible and from church history that the apostles and the early church never celebrated Christ’s birthday.

Now, there’s no evidence to suggest that God would object to us celebrating the passing of a year in a person’s life, but to apply our own traditions and practices to religion is condemned in various places throughout the Bible (Matthew 15:9).

Another point to consider it’s highly doubtful that Christ could have been born on December 25^th. “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. ⁸And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ¹⁵And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us” (Luke 2:7-15).

Now, we need to understand this: The shepherds WERE IN THE FIELDS taking care of their flocks on the night Jesus was born. As the shepherds were watching their sheep, the message came to them of the birth of Jesus.

It’s a known fact that December falls in the middle of the rainy season in Palestine, and the sheep were kept in the fold at that time of the year.

The shepherds always corralled their flocks from October to April. They brought their sheep from the mountainsides and the fields no later than October 15 to protect them from the cold, rainy season that followed that date. Therefore, the birth of Christ could not have taken place at the end of December. We see the same thing happen in our day: farmers who raise cattle tend to keep them nearer the barn during the winter months so they wouldn’t be very far from shelter and feed.

Furthermore, Luke 2, verses 1 and 3 tell us that at the time of the birth of Jesus it was decreed that “. . . all the world should be taxed... And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.” This couldn't have taken place in the winter. Caesar Augustus, the ruler at Rome, would certainly not call for such a taxing in the depth of winter. Travel at this time of the year is extremely difficult; hence, it would be virtually impossible for everyone to comply with the decree if it had been given then.

No one knows the exact day when Jesus was born, but some place His birth sometime during the first part of October because His earthly ministry lasted three and a half years, and He was crucified on the fourteenth day of the month of Nisan, which corresponds to our April (John 19:31; Leviticus 23:5). If we go back three and a half years to the time when Jesus was 30 years old, when He began His public ministry, we come to the month of October.

However, we need to understand that it’s not the date of Jesus’ birth that’s important. The important thing is that He was born and that He died for our sins in order that those who would be one in Him would have eternal life (John 17:21-23). We’re not worshiping a helpless baby lying in a manger. We’re worshiping a risen and exalted Christ who has all power in Heaven and in Earth (Matthew 28:18).

Should the Christian celebrate Christmas? Am I saying we shouldn’t celebrate it? Certainly not. My family will exchange presents on Dec. 25^th and spend time together and we’ll look upon it as a time of family togetherness and love, but we have no Bible command, approved example, or necessary inference anywhere in Scripture that authorizes us to celebrate Christmas as the birth of Jesus Christ.

I hear a lot of well-meaning denominational folk cry out, “Don’t take Christ out of Christmas!” and my reaction is to want to shout back, “You put Him there in the first place, God didn’t! The Bible didn’t!”

Roman pagans first introduced the holiday of Saturnalia, a week-long period of lawlessness celebrated between December 17-25.  During this period, Roman courts were closed, and Roman law dictated that no one could be punished for damaging property or injuring people during the weeklong celebration.  The festival began when Roman authorities chose “an enemy of the Roman people” to represent the “Lord of Misrule.”  Each Roman community selected a victim whom they forced to indulge in food and other physical pleasures throughout the week.  At the festival’s conclusion, December 25^th, Roman authorities believed they were destroying the forces of darkness by brutally murdering this innocent man or woman.

In the 4^th century, Christianity imported the Saturnalia festival hoping to take the pagan masses in with it.  Christian leaders succeeded in converting to Christianity large numbers of pagans by promising them that they could continue to celebrate the Saturnalia as Christians.

The problem was that there was nothing intrinsically Christian about Saturnalia. To remedy this, these Christian leaders named Saturnalia’s concluding day, December 25^th, to be Jesus’ birthday.

Christians had little success, however, refining the practices of Saturnalia.  As Stephen Nissenbaum, professor history at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, writes, “In return for ensuring massive observance of the anniversary of the Savior’s birth by assigning it to this resonant date, the Church for its part tacitly agreed to allow the holiday to be celebrated more or less the way it had always been.”  The earliest Christmas holidays were celebrated by drinking, sexual indulgence, singing naked in the streets (a precursor of modern caroling), etc.

The Reverend Increase Mather of Boston observed in 1687 that “the early Christians who  first observed the Nativity on December 25 did not do so thinking that Christ was born in that Month, but because the Heathens’ Saturnalia was at that time kept in Rome, and they were willing to have those Pagan Holidays metamorphosed into Christian ones.” Because of its known pagan origin, Christmas was banned by the Puritans and its observance was illegal in Massachusetts between 1659 and 1681. However, Christmas was and still is celebrated by most Christians.”

I can’t imagine why anyone claiming association with Christ would want to associate such a glorious event as His birth with such a sinful, pagan celebration.

Again, am I saying you shouldn’t celebrate Christmas and exchange presents and be of good cheer? Absolutely not. Don’t lose heart! Don’t feel “let down” because Christmas isn’t all you may have been taught it was! Fill your stockings and put presents under the tree and enjoy the time you can spend with family. Just remember, the important thing is that we commemorate Jesus’ death and what it means to us (Heb. 2:9, Rom. 5:8-9; Jn. 3:16) every first day of the week (Acts 20:7). Treasure your family, show them your love, and have a Merry Christmas!

- R.W. McAlister

SERMON TOPICS

A.M. – “My Lord, And My God”

(John 20:24-28)

P.M. – 3^rd Sunday Song Service

Those For Whom We Are Praying:

Kathleen Ritchey

Rodney & Nikki Lingle

Bill Whitnel

Mitchell Shock – Grandson of Rosemary’s cousin.

Bonnie Mangum

Virginia McIntyre – Admitted to the hospital last week w/arterial blockages. Was released Friday morning.

We express our sympathy to the family of Sarah Wilkins at the passing of her father, Paul Etherton.

Quotable Quote: “The only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve.” -Albert Schweitzer

Wisdom From Proverbs: “Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.” (Prov. 12:1).

Welcome! If you're visiting with us, we extend you a special welcome and invite you to come back at every opportunity. If our worship seems unusual to you, please let us know what you find different. We endeavor to worship "in Spirit and in truth" (Jn. 4:24) and do only what scripture authorizes (Col. 3:17, Deut. 4:2; Rev. 22:18-19).

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES/MEETINGS

* Thanks to all who helped with & participated in the Men’s Prayer Breakfast yesterday.

* Please clip “Box Tops For Education” & put them in the box in the Preacher’s office.

* Please continue to drop any Bible questions in the Question & Answer box in the foyer.

* Please continue boycotting Pepsi & Frito-Lay products as they support the homosexual agenda..

* Christmas is just around the corner and so is 2010! Be careful as you travel this holiday season.

* Hearing assistance available upon request.

BIBLE QUESTION/ANSWER:

Last week’s answer: Actually, Paul told Timothy, “…the love of money is the root of all evil…” Money itself is an inanimate object and neither good nor evil.

New question: Is the husband required to submit to his wife?

Sentence Sermon: “Don't wait for 6 strong men to take you to church.”

Birthdays &Anniversaries

Jason McAlister – 12/20 (4 yrs. old)

Nickie Lingle – 12/20