"Jesus we remember it's your birthday," said a Christmas song we used to sing in the church choir. Because we tend to forget whose birthday it really is. Well, it's not really his birthday. No one knows when exactly he was born, but some guy said it was December 25. How he came up with that, we don't know exactly. Some say he was born in summer.
Photo by Hedi Alija on Unsplash.
And anyway, the bible says it's his death we should remember. Nothing is said about his birth. So it's not a sin not to celebrate Christmas. I don't. I mean, yeah I got my 13th month and Christmas bonuses before, and I got lots of gifts. I still get gifts and give the same to people. But that's because you cannot but get caught in the occasion. It's like Ramadan. You're not a Muslim and yet you have no choice but to enjoy the holiday. So with the Chinese New Year.
December 25 to me is just another day. I don't care if the food's not special or if I don't get gifts or wear new clothes. I'm not so particular about Christmas bonuses or 13th month. I don't need to have a Christmas tree in my living room or a "belen" or nativity scene. A lot of born-again churches make this a big deal, and they got to have a Christmas party. They make a big fuss of it all but they're all meaningless. You can do without them and God is not gonna get angry at you.
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And special food? Jesus said, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work." Because it's his birthday, we should be eating this food. And clothes? He said, "Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning." Meaning, we have to be ready all the time for his Second Coming, "like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes," [Luke 12.36-37].
This is what we should be doing on Christmas because it's HIS birthday, not ours. Instead, in effect, we're messing with his birthday, celebrating it in ways contrary to what he has indicated in his Word as his preferences. Even Christian churches celebrate it in the way the world does, not how God would have it celebrated--if indeed he wants it celebrated. Does he? It's not Christmas God is excited about. It's Christ's second coming when he finally gathers those who are his so they can be with him forever.
Because anyway these are the holidays and everyone's home vacationing, I spend it with family for bonding and relaxation. My first ministry is to God and then second to my family. I want it to be a relaxed atmosphere with my wife and kids, enjoying fellowship, talking about Jesus and giving stuffs to the poor, especially young carolers. I don't even want to spend it in church or church ministry. And that was how it was when Jesus was born. They were home (home then was a barn where Jesus was laid in a manger) with a few poor guests.
You don't like it if someone messes with your birthday, right? If your birthday is on May 17 but some smart Aleck insists it's December 25--and everyone believes him and makes a big deal of it--how would you feel? What would you do? Moreover, they celebrate your birthday but make Santa Claus the star--or the Christmas tree--and have everything about you wrong. Sometimes, they can't decide whose special day it really is, Santa or Jesus? Worse, sometimes Jesus is completely taken out of the picture. All you see are Christmas trees, lights, lanterns, Santa and his reindeers, gifts and snow. None of which are in the Gospel account of his birth.
I don't care about all that. I'm a nonjoiner for Jesus. I believe Jesus was a nonjoiner, too. I thank God for sending Jesus to die for our sins so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. But I don't celebrate Christmas, especially not as the heathens do. "For the pagan world runs after all such things..."
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