Rob Witham

If Christmas isn’t really a Christian holiday then should Christians celebrate it? If Christmas used to be a Christian holiday but has become hopelessly secular should Christians celebrate it? These are questions that Christians debate about today. We have looked at the history of the Christmas celebration in earlier articles in the Christmas Rediscovered series. I think the historical evidence is rather clear that Christmas is a combination of Christian religious tradition and quite a few various pagan and secular influences. However, regardless of your opinion on the history of the Christmas holiday most of us would agree that Christmas has little spiritual meaning today. Christmas is a commercial holiday driven by consumerism, consumption, over-spending and ridiculous debt accumulation.

The current state of Christmas, coupled with the questionable origin of the holiday, causes some Christians to view Christmas as being more like Halloween than any true Christian holiday. Some Christians choose not to celebrate Christmas due to the lack of spiritual interest surrounding the holiday. I have talked to many more Christians who seem uncertain whether they should celebrate Christmas or not.

I think we have plenty of examples from the Scriptures where people of God co-opted secular or pagan words, ideas or activities and applied a spiritual angle to them. Part of our mission here as Christians is to be salt and light - and sometimes that will involve redeeming culture from the carnal, sinful mess the world produces. Whatever the true origins of the Christmas holiday, Christmas affords Christians a unique, annual opportunity to proclaim the incarnational gospel to family, friends and those around us. You could argue that we would be remiss to pass up the ministry opportunity Christmas affords us.

• People are often open to spiritual discussions around Christmas.
• Christmas provides opportunities for dialogue with unbelievers.
• Many people are lonely and grieving on Christmas. This provides a unique opportunity to minister the love of Jesus to them and to live out the incarnational nature of our faith.

Whether you choose to celebrate Christmas or not remember the words from Romans 14.5-10:

One man esteems one day as more important. Another esteems every day alike. Let each man be fully assured in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks. He who doesn’t eat, to the Lord he doesn’t eat, and gives God thanks. For none of us lives to himself, and none dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord. Or if we die, we die to the Lord. If therefore we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died, rose, and lived again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

Each of us will give an account to God. Examine your own heart, study the Scriptures and seek the Lord about this matter. If you feel God is leading you to celebrate the Christmas holiday then do so with a convinced conscience. If you feel God is leading you to not celebrate the Christmas holiday then do not celebrate - but do so with a convinced conscience. No matter the position you choose to take remember to respect your brothers and sisters who choose to view this day differently than you do. We all answer to one God and it is not ours to judge those who see this matter differently.