It’s been called “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” However, there are so many things that are just plain wrong with Christmas.
You can begin with the fact that it’s a holiday that celebrates a birthday of which we don’t know the date. God told us the month and the day when the great flood came upon the earth, when the exodus left Egypt, when Aaron the priest died, when Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem, and when many other things happened. You might think that if He had wanted us to celebrate His Son’s birth, He would have told us when that happened. But He didn’t.
There has been much speculation about the date of Jesus’ birth. Some say that December 25 was adopted rather early and so must be the right date. Others say an old pagan festival was simply appropriated for His birthday. Some say that the weather was too cold in December and shepherds would not have been in the fields. Others say shepherds are occasionally in the fields in December. Others say that springtime is the more likely time for the birth of Jesus, as the decree of Caesar Augustus likely came in the fall or winter, and Joseph would have set out for Bethlehem the following spring; perhaps Jesus the Lamb was both born and sacrificed at Passover – there would be a symmetry in that. Others say that the birthdate of Jesus can be roughly calculated from the temple service of John the Baptist’s father – that John’s mother conceived at the end of that service, and that Mary conceived six months after that, which would put the birth of Jesus in the early fall.
The point of all of this is that we do not know the date of Jesus’ birthday. So it’s appropriate to ask if God wants us to celebrate the birthday of Jesus. The Bible tells us that the day of our death is more important than the day of our birth. The only birthdays celebrated in the Bible are those of Pharaoh and Herod, not exactly the role models we want to emulate. The only day we are told that was observed by the early disciples was the first day of the week, the day that Jesus arose from the dead.
So, is it wrong for people of the world to remember Jesus on December 25? Certainly not, but they should remember Him every day of the year. The greatest criticism of Christmas is that it limits for many people the celebration of Jesus to one day each year. There is some truth in the message of the preacher who closed his Christmas day sermon with “Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and I’ll see you all next Christmas!” Christians should take advantage of the Christmas season to spread the everyday gospel of Jesus Christ to people who may be more open to it then.
It is also unfortunate that there are so many beautiful songs about Jesus that sound weird if we sing them any other time of the year. Try humming “O Little Town of Bethlehem” in July and see the strange looks you will get.
Another thing wrong with “the most wonderful time of the year” is the gift-giving. A tradition supposedly begun by the Magi has become an over-commercialized, present buying frenzy. The gifts given by the wise men were given to honor a king, but also served the practical value of providing funds for a family that was about to flee the country. What purpose do the gifts we give serve?
Christmas is a time when many family and friends get together in love and harmony, reminding us that we need those things all year long and that we need God all year long, not just at “the most wonderful time of the year.”