Over a few days a celebration would take place in many houselholds, by which trees are decorated and one not only in the tree extra lights are brought in, but also around the houses. Extra light and atmossphere bringers can be welcome now. But we must be conscious that we focus us rightly.
Christmas as generally celebrated today is one of many carry-overs from Roman Catholicism
that survived the Reformation. Historian Will Durant reminds us that Roman Catholicism grew out of the merger between paganism and Christianity that took place under Constantine in the early 300s. Commenting upon the resulting "Christianization" of the Roman Empire, which Reconstructionists such as Coalition on Revival (COR) director Jay Grimstead look back to fondly as a model of what they hope to achieve, Durant wrote:
Paganism survived...in the form of ancient rites and customs condoned...by an often indulgent Church....Statues of Isis and Horus were renamed Mary and Jesus...the Saturnalia [Festival of Saturn in celebration of the winter solstice] was replaced by Christmas celebration...[ I]ncense, lights, flowers, processions, vestments...which had pleased the people in older [pagan] cults were domesticated and cleansed in the Ritual of the Church....
In spite of its pagan/Roman Catholic origins and crass commercialization, we can perhaps rejoice that Christmas annually brings a reminder of the Savior's birth. Unfortunately, however, Christmas festivities generally perpetuate the confusion concerning who Jesus Christ really is, why He came, and what He accomplished.
This is not surprising, considering the misunderstandings even among His own disciples at the first advent--and the far greater confusion that the Bible warns will precede His second coming.
Christmas is only a few weeks away, and it's meant to be a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, but how many people celebrate Christmas in ignorance of who Jesus actually is?
I'm sure you know who Jesus is, but download it anyway and forward it to your friends who might not know. This is a great time of the year to tell people about God and his plan for the earth as many are often more willing to listen because of all the Christmas celebrations going on around them. Use every opportunity possible to make the saving name of Jesus known to those around you this Christmas!
Free eBook - Who Is Jesus?
I'm sure you know who Jesus is, but download it anyway and forward it to your friends who might not know. This is a great time of the year to tell people about God and his plan for the earth as many are often more willing to listen because of all the Christmas celebrations going on around them. Use every opportunity possible to make the saving name of Jesus known to those around you this Christmas!
Free eBook - Who Is Jesus?
Dutch version / Nederlandse versie:Kerstmis, Saturnalia en de geboorte van Jezus
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