In Defense of Christians Celebrating Christmas II: The Argument from Jeremiah 10

The argument based on Jeremiah 10 is interesting.

Well-meaning people state that Christians should not have Christmas trees, because Jeremiah 10 explicitly says it is against God to do so.

Back up. It does?

A tree from the forest is cut down

and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman.

They decorate it with silver and gold;

they fasten it with hammer and nails

so that it cannot move. (Jeremiah 10:3-4 ESV)

Hmmm. At first glance it does appear to be against putting up a Christmas tree. But we have to look closer and delve into the context:

Thus says the LORD:

“Learn not the way of the nations,

nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens

because the nations are dismayed at them,

for the customs of the peoples are vanity.

A tree from the forest is cut down

and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman.

They decorate it with silver and gold;

they fasten it with hammer and nails

so that it cannot move.

Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field,

and they cannot speak;

they have to be carried,

for they cannot walk.

Do not be afraid of them,

for they cannot do evil,

neither is it in them to do good.”

There is none like you, O LORD;

you are great, and your name is great in might.

Who would not fear you, O King of the nations?

For this is your due;

for among all the wise ones of the nations

and in all their kingdoms

there is none like you.

They are both stupid and foolish;

the instruction of idols is but wood!

Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish,

and gold from Uphaz.

They are the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the goldsmith;

their clothing is violet and purple;

they are all the work of skilled men.

But the LORD is the true God;

he is the living God and the everlasting King.

At his wrath the earth quakes,

and the nations cannot endure his indignation.

(Jeremiah 10:2-10 ESV)

Do you see what I see? (Said the king to the people everywhere....)

It's not talking about Christmas trees at all, but idol worship. It wasn't just that these wicked people were cutting down a tree and decorating it. They were cutting down a tree, fashioning it into an idol, decorating it with choice valuables, and worshiping and praying to this block of wood.

God is the only True God. He alone created the heavens and the earth, and everything in them; He alone can move to save His people. He alone is the Living God.

If Christmas trees were idols, then I would agree that Christians should not have them in their houses. But they're not idols. They are a piece of fun during the Christmas season. And they smell nice (at least the real ones...sigh...).

In Defense of Christians Celebrating Christmas

Today I heard some things that made my eyebrow twitch. Christians who celebrate Christmas are sinning hypocritical pagan-god-worshipers.

This is news to me.

So anyway, I want to answer some of the criticism of Christmas that I heard.

Criticism: Christmas means "Christ's Death". It's putting Christ on the cross over and over and over, which the book of Hebrews clearly denies. Christ need be offered only once.

Answer: While I highly doubt that people mean "Merry Crucify Christ!" when they say Merry Christmas, Jesus Himself gave His disciples symbols of His body and blood, and said "do this as often as you eat/drink it in remembrance of me." Essentially Christ commanded us to proclaim and remember His death until He returns. So remembering the death of Christ is not unbiblical; rather it is right that we should do so, not only on Christmas day but on every day.

Yet many of the definitions I have seen suggest "Christmas" is "commemorating the birth of Jesus", not His death. Which leads me to the next point:

Criticism: Christmas is a pagan celebration.

Answer: Sure, as well as an increasingly secular day of spendyourmoneyandmakesomemoneyoncommercialization, but not as celebrated by Christians; to me, Christmas is a holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus. Not necessarily that Jesus was born December 25th; it is merely the day chosen to celebrate that the Son of God came down to earth, Love Incarnate, born in humility; that He lived a life of perfect righteousness, and made atonement for our sins on the cross of shame.

One could bring up all kinds of arguments for why Christians shouldn't have Christmas trees or eat pork (because eating pork on Christmas day has something to do with worship of pagan gods, I hear - no bacon for YOU), but none of these things matter, because this is not what Christians are celebrating. I celebrate Christ's birth. Not His birth date, His birth. The fact that He came to earth is incredible and ought to be celebrated.

~

There were more objections to Christmas than that, but that's all I have time to answer today. I could get pretty fired up about this; suffice it to say that I believe celebrating the birth of our Saviour is a good thing, not a sin.

It is a time to rejoice and praise God along with the angels:

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!

I Stand Ashamed

I lie ashamed before the King

In misery and endless grief

Every accusation stings

My soul; I can find no relief.

I kneel accused before the throne

But my Defender, speaking up,

Proclaims His goodness as my own

And takes my sin; He drinks my cup.

I stand as that grace takes its toll

But the accuser wants to fight

He demands to see my record whole

He claims it is his solemn right.

My Defender gives it him;

"Read at will," is what He said.

The records are in no way slim:

My heart is filled with sudden dread.

What is hidden from that book?

What unrecorded message hides?

None! Every action, every look

And thought and word besides:

All my wrongs are written there

All my sins for all to see!

It almost is too much to bear;

He opens it; he seeks to read.

The accuser stands in silence though,

His mouth is shut, his face gone white.

He slams the book with violence now,

And shouts with every form of spite.

"I would accuse," said he, "with pride

If the words could but be read;

But every single dot inside

Is covered over with blood red!"

My Defender gives a smile.

"If only you had understood.

You accuse, yet all the while

Her sins are covered with My blood.

"My sacrifice has paid her price;

You have no case, it is all done.

She is not yours, though you entice.

She is mine, and I have won."

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now...