The real problem with Christmas

Every year the controversy over Christmas grows more intense. In this country (America), there is the uproar over secular attempts to replace the greeting of "Merry Christmas" with "Happy Holidays." And the removal of manger scenes from public property.

Even among Christians there is the seasonal angst over the emphasis placed on materialism, over-indulgence of our children, wasteful, unaffordable spending, and a fictional Santa.And worse still is the sad realization that the holiday itself, which falls on December 25th, has more to do with the continuation of the pagan celebration of the winter solstice than biblical truth. For as most Christians know, the date of Jesus birth is not mentioned in the Bible.

However, all of this controversy is but a distraction from the real problem with Christmas. The real problem is the misguided focus it causes us all to put upon the birth of Jesus, rather than upon the message he came to deliver through his life and death. That message is summed up in one of the most quoted verses in the Bible: "For God so loved the world He gave His only begotten son..." (John 3:16)

The true message of Jesus is not found in his miraculous birth, but in his pointing us to the great love God has for His children, which was articulated through Jesus' death and resurrection. For if we believe his death atones for our sin, we gain victory over man's greatest enemy - death. And we receive the most sought after treasure in the world - eternal life. It assures us we will be awakened from the sleep of death to live forever with Jesus in the kingdom of God.

I'm certain the reason God didn't put the date of Jesus birth in the Bible was because He knew we'd make it a religious holy day. Under the New Covenant, the requirement to celebrate religious holy days was rescinded. When the early disciples in Galatia were coaxed into celebrating the Jewish feast days, which God did ordain under the Old Covenant,Paul scolded them, saying: "How is it you turn back again to the weak and and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you" (Gal. 4:9-11).

The problem with celebrating unauthorized holy days like Christmas and Easter, even though they may include some biblical truths, is they take on a life of their own. Their observance soon becomes a substitute for living lives of faith and obedience to the glory of God, and separating ourselves from the contamination of this world.

Jesus said the only way to worship God is "in spirit and truth" (John 4:23). Therefore, the more we separate ourselves and our families from the contaminated mixture of religious holy days like Christmas (Christ's mass) and Easter (from the goddess Ishtar), the more we separate ourselves unto God.

The God of Fire

This insight relates to Israel's recent terrible fire in the northern Carmel region near Haifa. I am a bit reluctant to write this because of the many lives lost in the fire. Yet I cannot escape the "coincidences" surrounding it. First, Carmel is the area where Elijah challenged the priests of Baal to a test of fire in the midst of a three-year drought. The drought itself was a judgment brought upon Israel through the prayers of Elijah for their idolatry (James 5:17).

I didn't think more deeply about it until a brother pointed to the words of Elijah's challenge to the Baal priests: "The God who answers by fire, He is God" (1 Kings 18:24). Which quickly begs the question: "Is God speaking again through this fire?" And if so, what is He saying?

Israel was again in the midst of a drought, the worst in their 90+ years of recorded history (a judgment in itself?). So for "coincidences" we have the drought, the fire, the words of Elijah, and the site of the Carmel region.

As to what God's message might be, I think we can rule out Baal worship. But what about faithfulness? If you recall, the real issue was Israel's double mindedness. "How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him" (1 Kings 18:21). It is reminiscent of the warning by Jesus: "I would that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold,I will spit you out of my mouth" (Rev. 3:15,16).

There is no question Israel is again torn between two opinions. Either appease the Arabs and world opinion by surrendering its ancestral lands to create another Palestinian State (Jordan was the first). Or believe that God has miraculously brought them back to the land after 2000 years of exile to fulfill the promises to their forefathers. The promise as stated to Abraham was: "And I will give it to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God" (Gen. 17:8).

It's true Israel was out of the land for centuries(though a remnant always lived there),and many other powers ruled over it. Still it never became the nation of another people. It remained a God-forsaken, barren territory called Palestine, a name referring to Israel's arch enemy the Philistines, that the Romans slapped on it as an insult.

But now they've returned and the land is again prospering. And even though the Jews were officially recognized as the rightful owners by the League of Nations (1920),there has been a continual international drumbeat demanding they relinquish more and more land to their sworn enemies.

So if the one "who answers by fire" is God, then Israel's leaders might want to take more notice before offering to give away any more land. The next conflagration might be even worse.