Reason for the Season
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- Category: Perspectives
- Published on Saturday, 07 January 2012 15:56
- Written by Aurelius Raines
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Reason for the Season
For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (KJV)
Having reflections about the past Christmas Season, I thought about the above passage of scripture. The context of the passage only confirms my personal belief that Jesus is not the reason for the season. This may sound strange coming out of the mouth of a man that has embraced the Christian message for all that it is worth, but Christ has never been in Christmas. Let me explain.
I have not been able to find one instruction or anything that implies it is the will of God for the followers of Christ to observe his birthday. For all of our scholarship on the date of Christ’s birth, all we have to support any conclusions is speculation. I am sure if God wanted us to observe the birth of Christ he would have assured the actual date of Christ’s birth would have been preserved. Therefore, without an actual date or anything in God’s word that implies or directs the followers of Christ to observe the date of Christ’s birth, the only logical conclusion one can make is the actual practice is from a tradition instigated out of the minds of men than out of the mind of God. Following this line of reasoning, it is safe to conclude that Christ was never in Christmas.
Taking the thoughts of the previous paragraph into consideration, it is possible to take the thoughts of this topic a bit further. One would have to wonder if God actually gave a commandment to observe Christ’s birthday, would it be observed as faithfully under the commandment as it is observed without the commandment. Would we still celebrate the birth of Christ by telling stories of Santa Claus, a red-nosed reindeer, Christmas trees, and the other traditions of Christmas that encourages the indulgence of the flesh instead of the cultivation of spiritual development? One can only speculate. However, there is something in the Word of God that may help us to understand the world’s reaction to a commandment to celebrate Christ’s birth. That is the commandment to remember his death.
Thinking about the directive to remember the death of Christ brings us back to the opening passage of scripture. The followers of Christ were actually given a prescription for remembering the death of Christ. It is the remembrance of an event instead of the remembrance of a date. To remember this event, there is a requirement for believers to meet together and participate in a ritual. The communion service is one of the many reasons given why Christians should meet in fellowship on a regular basis. Yet, there are professing Christians who argue against Church attendance as a necessity in the perfection of one’s faith. By extension, if one can argue against a directive directing believers to assemble on a regular basis (Hebrews 10:25), the same people would probably argue against the merits of celebrating Christ’s birth.
If one would consider the two events, the birth and the death of Christ, there is a clear distinction in the ways the events are remembered. For Christmas, people are working feverishly to put Christ back into Christmas. Thinking about the man-made origins of Christmas, Christ was added to something for which he was not intended. The results are Christians are trying to shape Christmas into something it was never intended to be. On the other hand, the directive to remember the death of Christ is often observed in the shadow of obscurity without all of the secular fanfare. I personally would rather promote Christ in the causes condoned and recommended by the Word of God than to promote Christ into something that has its origins in the practices and minds of men.