Editor: There are persons who do not know and there are others who care not to know that Jesus is really NOT the reason for the Christmas season. There are also those who would say “well, I know December 25 is not the birthday of Jesus, but I still celebrate it…it doesn’t matter where it came from; I just choose to celebrate Christ’s birthday….” Imagine, two persons in a relationship.{{more}} One decides he is going to celebrate his girlfriend’s birthday on the birthdate of his ex-girlfriend. He says to her “honey, it really doesn’t matter that I am celebrating your birthdate on a day that is NOT your birthday….” Absurd right?

History shows that Christmas springs from the pagan winter-solstice festivities celebrated long before the birth of Jesus Christ. It involved drunkenness, excess, orgies, human sacrifice and revelling. It was the Church of Rome, through Pope Julius 1, which decreed that December 25 should be celebrated as the birthday of Jesus Christ. It was not Jesus Christ who gave such a command or decree. In fact, “Within the Christian church no such festival as Christmas was ever heard of till the third century…the choice of December 25 was made by Pope Julius 1 in the fourth century AD because it coincides with the pagan rituals of the winter solstice, or Return of the sun.” Good Old Time Religion p.3.

Though present day merriments have been shredded of some of the activities of the ancient celebrations, with some Christian forms added, it is still not the birthday of the LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ. It does not matter how much we ‘dress up’ an orange and call it an apple, it still remains an orange.

God came to earth in flesh at a particular point in history. In His own wisdom, He chose not to reveal the exact date of His birth in His written word. However, the Bible is clear in giving us the real reason for the Incarnation. Jesus came to “…save his people from their sins…He was manifested to take away our sins;…to redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works”( Mat.1:21; 1 John 3:5; Titus 2: 14). Yes, Jesus wants to change your heart today, giving you thoughts of peace – the Spiritual mind. He wants to make you sin-free that you may love all your fellowmen throughout the year. The whole world is in dire need of the love of God. We don’t need a festivity that is usually characterized by extravagance, gluttony, partaking of forbidden drinks and food (e.g. alcohol and swine flesh) that are against the strict command of God. We need Jesus dwelling in our hearts through His truths to make us genuine and holy in heart and behaviour. Would you accept Him today? Would you?

Ann-Marie Ballantyne

svgpatriot@hotmail.com