Christmas is the second best holiday, only because Resurrection Sunday is the best! Christmas foreshadows Resurrection Sunday, because without the birth of the humanity of Jesus, there could have been no death of Jesus on the cross for the sins of the human race. That’s why children of every culture welcome Jesus at Christmas time!

Did Jesus come from heaven to earth for all of mankind? Yes, Jesus is the Savior for all mankind, “…because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.” (1 Tim. 4:10 NKJ) Why is He the Savior? He’s the Savior of the world, because He died for the sins of the human race, “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” (1 John 2:2 NKJ)

But Christmas has sure taken a beating lately! Employees are often restricted from saying “Merry Christmas” in favor of the politically correct phrase “Happy Holidays.” (It’s only a matter of time before that is removed, because it has “holy-day” in it.) But to be honest, Scripture does not direct us to celebrate a holiday called Christmas. But then Scripture does not tell us to build church buildings either. Fortunately, Romans 14 allows Christians to celebrate Christmas according to their conscience, “One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.” (Rom. 14:5 NKJ)

An interesting fact is we do not know the exact date Jesus was born.  The best theological and scientific approach leads us to believe it was actually around B.C. 4! Imagine that, four years “before Christ”! And why was December 25 chosen? That is the date chosen by Western churches, because the Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate Christmas on January 7. During the third century, Christian churches settled on December 25 to line up with the winter solstice, which is when the daylight amount begins to increase and as a new beginning. Was it chosen as a pagan holiday?

The early church had no intention of introducing paganism. It was the slowest time of the year, a time of new beginnings and people needed a celebration of new birth and new hope. So, where did all the “stuff” of Christmas come? You know, the trees, ornaments, holly, mistletoe, Saint Nick, etc.? People can certainly find pagan associations, but that was not the intent.  Early Christians wanted to celebrate that Jesus had been born as the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world. As the years went by, people added items and rituals with meaning to create reverence and awe of the glory of God sending Jesus to earth. They were grateful to God that we would not be condemned to hell, but be given a choice to accept Jesus as Savior and follow Him as Lord.

Will you accept Jesus as your Savior today? He was God and was sent into the world as man, because He had you in mind and wanted you to be with Him forever in heaven.  If you accept Him as your Savior, He will give you the right to become His child, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:12 NKJ)

Let me know if I can help you as a new child of God!