Have you noticed that Christians sometimes argue over the dumbest things!? When we should be uniting around the deity of Jesus the Messiah and His atonement of our sins, we squabble over whether or not Christians should celebrate Christmas! After all, some say, it is pagan in origin and highly commercialized today. (Pagan in origin – debatable, commercialized – absolutely!)

BTW – some say the same thing about Easter.

Amir Tsarfati compares the dilemma to that of the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah. Take a listen:

We don’t need to go down rabbit holes regarding the celebration of Christmas and Easter and it should not become a divisive issue! You may or may not agree (and that’s fine!), but here are some takeaways:

• Indeed, Christmas and Easter have been tainted by materialism, cultism, and ideas we do not find in Scripture. But we know for certain Jesus was born and that He was crucified, buried and raised to life again. THAT is worth celebrating, regardless of what you call it.
• Christmas almost assuredly did not take place in December, and many say Easter didn’t take place exactly when we celebrate it either. But it still does not change the fact that Jesus was born and died for our sins. Both are worth celebrating! If you choose to celebrate them at different times than indicated by our admittedly imperfect holiday calendar, go right ahead! Just don’t use dates as an excuse not to celebrate!
• If you think Christmas trees and other ornamentation associated with Christmas are pagan and that is offensive to you, then don’t include those items! As for me, I prefer to decorate with a manger rather than a Christmas tree, though I see nothing wrong in celebrating around a tree. The point is, decorate in a way that glorifies Jesus and doesn’t pain you spiritually! Glory belongs to Jesus, so whatever points you in that direction, feel free!
• As for Easter, I don’t like many of the occultic associations, such as bunnies and eggs. So, I steer clear of them, but I still celebrate. Easter is the traditional Christian terminology for the celebration and if you choose to call it Easter, I have no issue with that. I prefer to recognize it as Resurrection Weekend! (Again, it is a personal preference that eliminates connotations in my own mind about strange origins and associations that I am personally unable to align with Scripture.)
• Avoid judging one another regarding Christmas and Easter celebrations. Make it about Jesus and all is good!

Though most Gentiles probably don’t celebrate Hanukkah, Jesus and His family did, along with all other Jews! Jesus used the occasion to bring glory to Himself as the Light of the world. Let Jesus be our example. Make Jesus 100% the central focus and give grace if someone else chooses to make Him the focus in a different way! After all, He is our Savior and soon coming King!

Celebrate Jesus this Christmas season!