Matthew 1-2: The Birth of Christ

Discussion of the lineage and birth of Christ as well as the star signifying His birth and the gifts given to Him.

Lineage

Matthew starts off with the lineage and birth of Christ. Lineage was a major deal to the Israelites, in fact, in most societies bloodlines are very important. Several verses in the Bible articulate that the life of a person is in their blood. Our blood defines us—no, I'm not referring to blue blood or other worldly definitions. I'm referring to the very cells within our blood. The DNA contained in these cells is like a computer program that controls how we interact with the world around us. I don't want to get sidetracked, so if you want to know more about the life in the blood, check out my podcast episode on the topic.[8] The main point I'm making here is bloodlines are more than just wealth and worldly power passed down generation to generation, it's also Godly covenants passed from seed to seed. Because of this, the Jews meticulously kept up with bloodlines, searching for the promised seed (Genesis 3:15) that would defeat Satan.

The lineage presented in Matthew traces back to Abraham, and identifies Christ as a legitimate descendant of David with rights to the throne of Israel. That would be the end of the story, except Luke gives a very different lineage. There are many theories about why this is, which I've already covered in my post Harmonizing the Gospels: the Lineage of Christ. I don't want to be redundant, so I'm not going to go into detail about the lineage. I will say that there are multiple theories discussed in the post, and I fall in the camp of those who believe one lineage is that of Joseph (a legal justification for Christ's lineage) and one is that of Mary (a true bloodline lineage). Nonetheless, the early Church did not contest the written accounts, nor cry foul about such a glaring mistake; therefore regardless of why they are different, I am confident that the disciples and early church understood both of these lineages to be correct and valid.

Christ is Born

Matthew doesn't go into as much detail about the birth of Christ as Luke, but he does give us a few details to think about.

Mary & Joseph

When I look at the scenario of Mary and Joseph, I can't help but imagine this in today's crazy society. Can you imagine preparing for a wedding and finding out your fiancee is pregnant and you've never slept with her? While, I suspect how people external to the situation saw it would vary in our time (considering that premarital sex has been normalized, most would just assume it was Joseph's baby), the internal struggle each person experienced would have been very similar in today's time.

Today, Mary probably wouldn't worry about "slut shaming" or being condemned for having sex outside of marriage (depending on what circle she traveled in), but she would still be faced with the impossible task of convincing Joseph she hadn't been unfaithful. How crazy does it sound to say "I promise I'm a virgin...An angel told me I was carrying the Son of God, that's why I'm pregnant"? That probably sounded crazy then too. The only reason Joseph believed her is because the angel visited Joseph as well. Had Joseph not been visited by the angel, he would have left her. Sticking with the culture of Mary's time, her parents would have been furious if she'd gone to them; an illegitimate pregnancy would eliminate most decent prospects in marriage. Mary had to step out on faith that God would work things out. We aren't told how many people knew this information or how deep into the pregnancy she was when she got married, so we don't know how people around her reacted (if they reacted at all) but when she accepted what the angel told her, she had to accept the possibility that she would never be accepted into society again.

From the text, we know that Joseph was definitely not convinced by whatever Mary said (and who could blame him!?). It took an angel confirming that matter (as it should) for him to settle in to his role, but what is interesting is how Joseph intended to handle it. He could have been bitter and nasty about it; he could have made a spectacle of her. However, Joseph had resolved to handle the issue discreetly. This is a clear depiction of the man God chose to raise His son.

Both Mary and Joseph's reactions to the situation are indicative of why God chose them in the first place. Aside from being descendants of David to fulfill the prophecy, both bore the fruit of the Holy Spirit. God was entrusting this couple with His only son; He had to know they would make good parents.

The Wise Men & The Star

One of the most popular aspects of the birth of Christ is that of the star. One thing I could never understand as a child was why only the magi saw the star. Herod seems utterly baffled at its appearance and can't determine how old the child is based on the information. If the star was abnormally bright, wouldn't Herod have seen it and remembered? The cartoon-ish way Christians portray this element as a large gleaming star hanging above the manger is ridiculous and clearly false. A more likely scenario is that a sign played out in the heavens (see Genesis 1:14 for the purpose of the stars to be signs).

In some translations, the men who come to see Christ are the "magi" in others they are called "wise men." The original Greek is μαγοζ, which was a term applied to "the wise men, teachers, priests, physicians, astrologers, seers, interpreters of dreams, augurs, soothsayers, sorcerers, etc." in that culture. We can already see why some translators favored the term wise men, a term that could encompass many of the other terms. A compelling theory I've run across leans toward them being "astrologers."

I use the term astrologers loosely because there's context that needs to be applied here. In Matthew's day, anyone who studied the stars in any form or capacity was an "astrologer." Today, we have to terms for people concerned with the stars: astronomer or astrologer. Astronomers study the movement, behavior, life/death and inner workings of stars, while astrologers seek to connect those things to how events play out on earth. If you grew up in church you were probably taught that astrology is bad. I want to challenge that notion a bit wit this Bible verse:

¹⁴Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and they shall serve as signs and for seasons, and for days and years; ¹⁵and they shall serve as lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. ¹⁶God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. ¹⁷God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, ¹⁸and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. ¹⁹And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day. Genesis 1:14-19 NASB

In Genesis 1:14 we are told that God created lights in the sky not just for seasons and tracking time, but also for signs. So there is some relevance to "reading the stars." The thing to keep in mind is that it is not the stars making things happen. The stars are merely testifying to what God has already spoken (Psalm 19). Keep that in mind as you read what I'm about to type.

There is a theory that the star referenced in Matthew 1 is actually the behavior of a star over time (there are also theories about conjunctions of planets forming a really bright star, but that goes back to my question of why no one else seemed to notice). Many cultures have a zodiac and while they may ascribe slightly different names, the constellations are fairly consistent. One of the signs in the zodiac is Leo, the Lion. The lion was connected with the tribe of Judah and is connected to the Messiah (Who is the Lion and the Lamb). The brightest star (well, star system, but it appears as a single star to the naked eye) in Leo is called Regulus which comes from the Latin rex and means "little king."[1] Also in the sky is the planet Jupiter, which isn't a star but does appear as a light in the sky. Jupiter is named after the Roman god who was "king of the gods;" it was regarded as the king planet. Some who've studied the stars have identified interesting interplay with these three signs in the sky around the time of Christ's birth. This behavior is as follows: Jupiter (the king planet) passes through the lion near Regulus (the king star), goes in to retrograde (which mean it appears to go backwards, passing Regulus in the opposite direction), then crosses Regulus again. This pattern would have taken quite some time to complete, but the wise men would have seen the king planet "crown" the king star in the lion. It's not hard to see how that would be interpreted as the Messiah (the lion of Judah) being born (little king); especially if you were familiar with prophecy and understood the 70 weeks of Daniel. If you dig into it, though, there's even more with Virgo (the Virgin), Venus (the mother star), Mercury (the child star), and prophecy given in Revelation by John... If you're interested in this theory, I found a great video on YouTube that goes in to more detail (he goes into a lot of other things too; I encourage listening to the whole series, but I am linking the part specific to the star at the nativity). This theory explains why no one else noticed the star.

Herod and the Massacre of the Innocents

When the wise men get to Jerusalem they tell Herod why they're in town, and Herod is not happy to hear that the true King of Jerusalem has been born. Here I want to insert some context that will be reoccurring theme in the gospels: the Jews thought the Messiah was going to restore Israel to the splendor of Solomon. Essentially, they expected something much closer to what we expect for the second coming. In Herod's mind, this child would grow up and overthrow both him and the Roman government that gave him authority. This is why from birth, Christ was seen as a threat to power.

Herod, being led by Satan, does the same thing Pharaoh did while Israel was awaiting a Savior in Egypt (Exodus 1): he kills all the children. This fulfills a prophecy given by Jeremiah 31:15. During this atrocity, Mary, Joseph, and their newborn baby hide in Egypt, which also fulfills a prophecy (Hosea 11:1). Please note that the family hiding in Egypt follows the pattern started with Abraham of hiding in Egypt when there is trouble in Israel.

Nazarene

Before we end the chapter, we are told that Joseph and his family settle in Nazareth to fulfill a prophecy that the Messiah would be a Nazarene. There are two major things to point out about this revelation.

First, the reference to this prophecy appears to be lost. Many theories have been ascribed to what is being referenced here. Some believe there was a book that has not been added into our canon. Others believe it is a reference to Him being despised (Isaiah 53), because in John 1:46 we learn that the residents of Nazareth are not held in high esteem.[3][4]

Second, Nazarene is not the same as Nazarite. I've heard many people confuse this. Christ was a Nazarene because He was raised in Nazareth (similar to how I would be considered a Carolinian because I was raised in the Carolinas). Christ did not take a Nazarite vow, as evidenced by His consumption of wine (Numbers 6; Luke 7:34-35).

Frankincense, Gold, and Myrrh

The 3 gifts given to Christ are very fitting. Each represents a part of the Messiah's purpose. Frankincense was associated with the priests (Leviticus 2). Gold was associated with kings (). Myrrh was associated with death (Mark 15:23).[5][6][7]

Also, a common misconception is that there were 3 wise men; this assumption comes from the fact that they gave 3 gifts. It could just as easily been ten wise men or two wise men—the Bible does not specify that each man gave one gift, only that there was more than one man and 3 gifts given.

References

1. Larry Sessions. "Meet Regulus, The Lion’s Heart". Earth Sky. May 1, 2020
2. "Solar System Exploration: Jupiter". NASA; visited July 2021
3. "The Messiah would be called a Nazarene". Jews for Jesus; visited July 2021
4. "What prophecy is Matthew 2:23 referring to regarding Jesus being a Nazarene?". GotQuestions.org; visited July 2021
5. Eric Zielinski. "Gold, Frankincense & Myrrh – The Truth About Their Significance". Natural Living Family. June 23, 2020
6. Clint Pumphrey . "What Are Frankincense and Myrrh?". How Stuff Works. October 16, 2018
7. "Why Did the Magi Bring Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh?". Biblical Archaeology Society. June 15, 2021
8. Ree Hughes. "The Life is in the Blood". PSALMS to God. June 23, 2021

4 Biblical Reasons Why I Don't Celebrate Christmas

It's been quite a while since I stopped celebrating Christmas, and no I'm not a Jehovah's Witness. Christmas is America's favorite holiday, and as the season dawns I am inevitably asked to explain why I don't celebrate Christmas. I have several posts on the blog about the history of Christmas and it's pagan origins, I'll list them in references for those who are new to the site. However after overhearing a church leader who knows the history of Christmas "explain" to members of the church why he thinks they can celebrate the holiday, I realized I needed to approach this topic from a Biblical basis not a historical one.

The leader's main point was from 1 Corinthians 8:

⁴As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. ⁵For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) ⁶But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. ⁷Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.1 Corinthians 8:4-7 KJV

His argument was that because we know that the pagan deity originally worshipped on this day is not real, we are free to celebrate the holiday as we choose. I can see how if you have a strong attachment to the holiday and are looking for support, this quote would seem to do the trick. However, we can't just take one quote from the Bible and transplant it into our modern world. We have to look at context and scripture as a whole. It is for that reason, I want to present my reason for not celebrating it from a Biblical context.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego Did Not Bow To The Idol

In Daniel 3, the king of Babylon creates a golden statue of himself meant to be worshipped—an idol. The king declares that anyone not bowing to the statue would be thrown in the fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not bow to this statue when the time came and were thus thrown into the furnace, but were saved by God, Who joined them in the midst of the furnace.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were obviously loyal followers of God; they had strong faith and trusted in God to see them through their situation. They knew that the idol set up before them was not a god and had no power over the true God. However, it would have been a sin for them to bow before this statue and would have revealed much about them:

• Their fear of death
• Distrust that God protects those who stand for Him
• A desire to fit in
• False witness: pretending to worship and thus giving credence to a false god
• and many more

So, what's the difference between bowing to an idol and eating meat offered to idols? That's what we need to know to understand how this applies to us today.

Historical Context

Today, when you want meat, you go to the local grocery store and buy it. In Biblical days, that's not how things worked. Animals were always slaughtered as an offering to some deity. Sometimes it meant the animal was reduced to ashes, but sometimes it was probably closer to a cookout or a barbecue. If you read the beginning of Leviticus as well as the passages on the Feast Days, you'll notice that the priests and the offerers, were meant to eat the meat of the sacrificed animal. The most well known example of this is the Passover lamb. They were to kill the lamb as a sacrifice to God, and then eat the meat of the lamb in celebration of the Passover. Animals weren't just killed and consumed because someone had a craving for chicken the way we do now. Wether a person had their own animals to kill or had to buy meat from a marketplace, that animal was killed in a sacrifice before it made it to the table.

So, if you lived in Israel, the meat sold in town or served to you at your neighbor's house was probably offered to God first. However, if you lived in the city of Corinth, as the recipients of Paul's letter did, the meat around town was probably sacrificed to some pagan god worshiped by the Romans or the Greeks. This is why people were concerned about consuming that meat.

The difference in consuming this meat and bowing to a statue is active and direct participation in worship of an idol versus an indirect participation. There's a major difference in me taking an animal to a pagan temple and offering it to this false deity then eating the meat and me simply accepting meat offered to me at my neighbor's dinner table. The former being closer to what the king of Babylon was attempting to get Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to do, requires the person to go through the motions of worshipping a false deity, whereas the latter is simply a consequence of living in a fallen world.

Modern Examples

Because it is the season, most things in the store have Christmas packaging. Just the other day I saw Walgreen's had made an aisle for "Christmas" candy. If I go to the store and buy a piece of chocolate that has Santa on it, that's a consequence of the fact that I live in America (Rome). I'm going to tear the wrapper off and throw it away, because I just want the chocolate inside. That's different from purposefully buying decorations and decorating my house.

God Does Not Change

One of the arguments the leader brought forth was that Christmas isn't associated with paganism today. I imagine that was brought up in rebuttal to Jeremiah 10:2-4 or 1 Thessalonians 5:22. These verses tell us not to participate in pagan customs and to maintain an image of goodness. The logic put forth here only holds in a select circle. I disagree with the concept that Christmas isn't associated with paganism, or rather I would argue that Christmas isn't associated with Christ.

1. If Christmas was associated with Christ, there would be no reason for the slogan "Jesus is the Reason for the Season"
2. If Christmas was associated with Christ, there would be a massive uproar and breach of separation of church and state in that it is a federal holiday
3. Many of my friends who are atheist, agnostic, or members of an entirely different religion love and celebrate Christmas
4. Every Hallmark and Lifetime Christmas movie is about finding love, magic, and enjoying the season, but has not a single mention of Christ

I could go on for days, but I think the above list should suffice. Besides, I want to look at this point as though the assumption that Christmas is associated with Christ and Christianity is true. Would it be ok for us to celebrate it now just because it's no longer associated with paganism?

Well, first and foremost, ignorance is bliss (until it gets you in trouble). I don't believe God holds us accountable for things we have no way of knowing. Information hasn't always been easily accessible; that's one of the reasons traditions stick better than the actual Word of God. I know people today who truly believe Christ was born on the 25th of December, and without a doubt over the centuries many people truly believed this. I don't think God is going to say them "hey, you didn't know, but eternal death to you anyway." What I'm discussing concerns those of us that do know or have the ability to learn but choose not to because we don't want to change.

For I am the Lord, I change not;Malachi 3:6

Malachi 3:6 says God doesn't change. When you think about the verses I mentioned earlier (Jeremiah 10:2-4 and 1 Thessalonians 5:22), it's easy to say that it is wrong to participate in pagan festivals. Most Christians today would agree that they have no business playing with a Ouija board or trying out voodoo. Many would still tell you it's wrong to celebrate Halloween, for the same reasons. When Christmas was Sol Invictus or Saturnalia, the early Christians would have known not to go near it. If it was not ok then, how can it be ok now when Malachi 3:6 tells us God doesn't change?

Murder was wrong when Cain killed Abel. Murder was wrong when David had Uzziah killed. Murder was wrong in Jesus' day (Matthew 5:22). Murder is wrong today. The same is true of worshipping idols. To quote Shakespeare, "a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet" and a pagan holiday by any other name is still a pagan holiday.

No Other God

Let's go back to the idea that we know there are none in the same league as God. The pagans actually thought their gods could defeat the Most High God—we see these examples throughout the Bible—but we know there is only one God in Heaven and He reigns supreme. Knowing that God is the only God and only serving God seem to be different things sometimes, though.

Unfortunately, we create our own gods and give them power over us. This is precisely what Adam and Eve did in Genesis 3. Remember, the word "lord" means master. The Lord God is our master. By listening to someone or something over Him, we have chosen a new master. Even though that person or thing may not be a god, we have made them a god in our life. That is, by definition, what consumerism has done to Christmas. People have to have the perfect tree, the perfect lights, the perfect presents, etc. There's a concept of a "good" Christmas vs. a "bad" Christmas. If Christmas is about worshipping God, how do you have a bad one? It's only possible if you let other things creep in.

The fact is, the holiday was created for a pagan deity. Even though he is powerless in the face of the Most High God, people have given this deity power and no matter how hard you try to Christianize the holiday, that pagan deity is lord over it. That's why it's so easy to fall into the trap of consumerism. When asked about the meaning of Christmas, most Christians (and non-Christians) do not say Christ. I've heard "it's about giving" and "it's about family" the most.

My question is, knowing that God never told us to celebrate birthdays (Ecclesiastes 7:1), knowing that Christ was not born on December 25, could you skip Christmas? Whatever it is you do traditionally for the holiday, could you put it aside and treat that day like a regular day? Can you imagine doing it for one year? For two? For ever? If the idea of abstaining from the holiday for even one year bothers you, a false god has power over you. If the idea of giving it up for a little while seems doable, but you could never give it up forever, a false god has power over you. The reason I can tell you this is because I struggle with giving up things too. It took me 4 years to start keeping Sabbath after I started coming to the realization of its importance. I still haven't given up cheese or soda. I'm not judging you, because just like Christmas has power over you, cheese has power over me. I'm simply making you aware of the fact, because you can't combat it until you admit it's a problem.

False Witness

There are plenty of passages telling us not bear false witness, though usually specified against a neighbor, there are also passages telling us not to add or subtract from the Word of God (re: don't bear false witness against God, either). Bearing false witness against God is the devil's greatest tool. How do you take down a leader? Defame his character, and make him look unreliable. I could write a whole book on ways the modern church bears false witness to God, but let's stick to the topic at hand...

For Those Who Engage in Santa

Among Christians who choose to celebrate Christmas, some allow Santa and some don't. I have a whole blog post on the trouble with Santa, so I won't go into detail about that, but I want to reiterate the harm of lying (bearing false witness) to your children about Santa. In an episode of 7th Heaven, when the youngest daughter discovers that Santa (along with the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, etc.) aren't real, she assumes her parents lied to her about God too. A growing portion of society believes God is a fairy tale like Santa. We, as Christians, have a responsibility to treat God differently, to take Him seriously and to make clear distinctions between fantasy and truth.

Discovery of the Truth

I remember being about eleven or twelve when I discovered that the name I call my uncle is not his name. It's not his first name; it's not his middle name; it's not descriptive... Imagine you've known someone your whole life thinking their name was Robert and you find out their name is actually William John (names are completely random and not my uncle's actual names). I was so confused.

I recognize this confusion in my friends who have abandoned God due to the lies of the church. Let's face it, most people aren't steeped in the Word. Most people don't read the Bible monthly, let alone weekly or daily, not to mention digging deeper to be able to understand context or correlating across books and chapters. A lot of people's entire world has been shattered by the revelation that Christmas has nothing to do with Jesus (among other things). When people discover the religion of the antichrist, the mother god, father god, and son god worship that began with Nimrod, Semiramis and Tammuz,[14] they see parallels in the modern church and decide the whole thing is false. They've been taught their whole life that pagan worship is false, and now what they've been worshipping all their life is the same as what they were taught to reject.

The antichrist isn't a single person that acts in a blatant sinister and evil manner. The antichrist is a power, a fusion of government and religion that seeks to take the place of God's true kingdom. That's always been Satan's goal: to replace God. It's not that this religion is the exact opposite of what God has commanded us, it's that it is being followed in place of God. Some of it will be true and very compelling, but the way we can spot the difference is by identifying the lie.

Here is the lie:

• Replacing Semiramis with Mary and then elevating Mary. Examples include claiming that Mary was a perpetual virgin, praying to her, creating and bowing to statues of her
• Asserting that Mary's miracle birth coincided with Semiramis', essentially demoting Christ to the role of Tammuz (who was not a miracle birth and is not the Son of God).
• Including all the original sun worship elements, such as aligning the date with the winter solstice, halos, and traditions of Sol Invictus/Saturnalia/Yule

Then, before you know it, you're celebrating the false religion in place of the true Word of God.

So many people have trouble separating Christ's birth from the pagan holiday, that understanding the above negates His entire birth in their mind. The first time someone told me Christmas was not in the Bible, I could not differentiate between the holiday we celebrate and the narrative of Christ's birth in Luke 2. It takes a strong foundation and understanding of scripture to learn the truth about Christmas and understand that it has no bearing on Luke 2 because Christ wasn't born on December 25 and Satan has been trying to counterfeit God's promise of salvation since it was prophesied in Genesis 3:15. The reason this is so hard for most people? The church is bearing false witness against the God they claim to serve. In doing so, we endanger the souls of many.

What Does it Mean?

Primarily, it means you will never hear me telling people "Jesus is the Reason for the Season." I am not going to be shouting lies from the rooftop. I am not putting up a tree in my house or "decking the halls" with garland, because I know why that tradition exists. I am not out spending all the money I don't have to buy gifts for people because the world has said that is what Christmas is about. If I see something I think you'll like, I'll buy it when I see it and give it to you when I see you. Giving is 24/7/365.

Do I watched the hallmark movies? Sometimes. Like with the Nutcracker (which I'm going to see a variation of this evening), the story isn't always about Christmas, it just takes place during Christmas. If the focus of the movie is pagan (like The Santa Clause series, Elf, etc.) I'm not going to watch it. You have other examples like This Christmas, which is about a family coming together and it just happens to be set around Christmas. Or the Nutcracker (I just love the music), which is simply about the dream the main character has on Christmas Eve. In those cases I let the Holy Spirit determine what is and is appropriate. Who knows, 5 years from now I may look back at this post and say the god of Christmas still had it's hooks in me and I shouldn't have been watching any of this either.

Am I rude to people who do celebrate Christmas? Not at all. I know that most people celebrate the holiday and most are not aware of the complex history of it. Think of how long this post is, and I have numerous posts that go into more detail and discus things I haven't mentioned here listed below. That's a lot of research, a lot of time, and a long journey. I don't expect people to be in the same place I am. I also know that when the cashier at the grocery store says "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" they don't want a dissertation. I have no problem with "Happy Holidays" as it includes Hanukkah, which Jesus celebrated (John 10:22). When people say "Merry Christmas", I simply say "I don't celebrate it but thanks, and I hope you enjoy yours."

References

1. Ree Hughes. "Day 1: The Etymology of Christmas. PSALMS to God. December 25, 2015
2. Ree Hughes. "Day 2: The Origin of December 25. PSALMS to God. December 26, 2015
3. Ree Hughes. "Day 3: The History of Santa Claus. PSALMS to God. December 28, 2015
4. Ree Hughes. "Day 4: Giving Gifts. PSALMS to God. December 28, 2015
5. Ree Hughes. "Day 5: Lights of the Season. PSALMS to God. December 29, 2015
6. Ree Hughes. "Day 6: The War on Christmas. PSALMS to God. December 30, 2015
7. Ree Hughes. "Day 7: Carol of the Bells. PSALMS to God. December 31, 2015
8. Ree Hughes. "Day 8: Depression and Christmas. PSALMS to God. January 2, 2016
9. Ree Hughes. "Day 9: Why Red & Green?. PSALMS to God. January 3, 2016
10. Ree Hughes. "Day 10: Frosty the Snowman & Co.. PSALMS to God. January 5, 2016
11. Ree Hughes. "Day 11: Christmas Was Un-American Once. PSALMS to God. January 5, 2016
12. Ree Hughes. "Day 12: The Meaning of Christmas. PSALMS to God. January 6, 206
13. Ree Hughes. "Is Santa Claus Replacing Jesus". PSALMS to God. December 5, 2015
14. I found a claim online that the idea the idea of Semiramis, Nimrod, and Tammuz is actually made up. (See here) I did not research the claim so I cannot speak to it's legitimacy, but regardless of where the the trio of mother god, father god and son god came into being, you can in fact see this pattern repeated in many religions. The History of Religion series by TruthUnedited on YouTube is a great way to learn about this deception.

And, lo, the Angel of the Lord Came Upon Them

There are definitely aspects of Christmas that I think are Godly, but there are definitely aspects that are pagan (this is how the devil gets you, mix a little good in with his evil). The good things about Christmas are things you can do anytime. I can give gifts to friends and family (even strangers) at any time. I can make plans to see my family any time. I can fellowship with my fellow believers any time. Just like I can talk about the crucifixion any time, I can talk about His birth any time. None of these activities is restricted to December.

⁹And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. ¹⁰And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. ¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. ¹²And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. ¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, ¹⁴Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.Luke 2:9-14 KJV

Introduction

The announcement of Jesus' birth to the shepherds in Luke 2 is one of the most beautiful things written in the Bible. I used to have the pleasure of reciting these verses almost every year during the church Christmas play each year when I was a child. These words have never gotten old; despite years of repetition, they never lose their impact on me. Each time, it's as though I'm hearing it for the first time and I'm overjoyed!

People don't really recite these verses during other parts of the year, instead, they tuck them away and save them for the month of December. They mix these verses with the man made traditions of Christmas and gleefully end the year... Something about this has always felt wrong to me.

Two years ago, I wrote a series called The 12 Days of Christmas, in which I talked about the pagan origins of several Christmas traditions. Many people are well aware of these pagan origins, but the question among the Church is whether or not these origins matter. The holiday is almost exclusively associated with Christianity now, so does that mean we are free to celebrate it?
Top

Questions & Answer

I've been asking about the celebrating of Christmas since I was knee-high to a grasshopper. There are people who are staunchly against Christmas, but for the most part, most churches are all for it. In mainline denominations such as Methodist and Baptist churches, the question of celebrating Christmas never comes up. At the church I grew up in, people thought I had lost my marbles for suggesting there was something off about the holiday. Jehovah's Witnesses don't celebrate the holiday because they fail to recognize the deity of Christ. Now that I've been attending a Seventh Day Adventist church, I see that they too have mixed feelings on the holiday. The pastors at my church did a Bible Study on the topic last Wednesday, and even though I was not able to attend, I was able to view it online.[3]

They brought up many points and suggestions, but unfortunately, I still have doubts and questions...

The Issue of Commandments

Many people who are against celebrating Christmas are quick to point out the issue that God did not command us to celebrate the holiday. If you look in the Bible, God is very specific when He tells the Israelites to keep a holy day. For example, when He commands them to celebrate Passover, He gives the date and the menu. God even provides instructions for how to make up the holy day if they are prevented from celebrating at the appointed time (Numbers 9). Moving in to the New Testament, we are told that Jesus dies on the 14th of Nisan as the Passover Lamb around the ninth hour (Matthew 27:45-50, Mark 15:34-37, and John 19:30-31).[1]

Contrarily, Jesus' birthday is a bit fuzzy. God sends the wise men and the shepherds to worship Jesus, but He doesn't tell us any details for us to commemorate the occasion annually. We are told that Mary became pregnant 6 months after John the Baptist's mother, Elizabeth (Luke 1:24-27). However, we aren't told when Elizabeth became pregnant! The shepherds are told of the birth at night, leading us to assume the birth happened at night though we aren't given an exact time. However, the wise men don't actually show up until years later. We learn of the wise men's search for Jesus in Matthew 2. In Matthew 2:16 it appears that the wisemen's information about Jesus led Herod to believe He could be two years old! So did the wise men arrive around the time of His birth or a few years later? Did they even show up around the date He was born?

God's treatment of the date in the case of Jesus' birth is a stark contrast to the dates of the feasts and Jesus' crucifixion. However, as the pastors point out, there are plenty of holidays that are celebrated that are not commanded by God. Jews celebrate Hanukkah and Purim, neither of which are ordained by God. Here in the United States we celebrate national days (like Vetran's Day or Independence Day) and Thanksgiving. So, does it matter that God didn't ordain Christmas as a celebration?

Both Hanukkah and Purim celebrate God's faithfulness to Israel. Hanukkah is about the rededication of the Temple and is known as the Feast of Dedication.[4] The Bible doesn't explicitly say Jesus celebrated Hanukkah, but it does tell us Jesus went to the Temple during that time. Purim celebrates the triumph of the Jews over Haman during their captivity, as told in the book of Esther. Jesus neither confirms nor denies Purim as a holiday to celebrate. Nonetheless, the Bible shows the Israelites celebrating Purim at the end of Esther without condemning it.

Civil holidays are a little different. They have no religious significance. Thanksgiving, Vetran's Day, and the like are all independent of religion. Celebrating such a day says nothing about your religious affiliation and does not require you to partake in pagan festivities. While I agree with the pastors that it is possible to over do it in any celebration, I don't think it's right to compare celebrating Thanksgiving, which has no religious significance or connotation, to celebrating Christmas.

Overall, I agree that God not commanding us to celebrate Christmas, it not a commandment to abstain from Christmas. Just as with Israelites celebrating Hanukkah and Purim, or us celebrating civil holidays, I think all things done to the glory of God are ok in His eyesight (Philippians 4:8).

The Issue of Paganism

The biggest issue with Christianity is the mixing of paganism and Christianity. When the pastors dove in to this topic, they concluded (based upon 1 Corinthians 8) that today, no one is going to be confused about whether you are celebrating Jesus or Sol Invictus so it isn't as much of an issue as people make it out to be. I disagree with this statement, however. There are two types of confusion that we promote when celebrating the birth of Jesus at Christmas.

The Lie of December 25

I know a large number of ex-Christians and one thing that is common with these ex-believers is that they felt like they were lied to. One reason they feel lied to is that they grew up, read a history book and learned of the pagan origins of Christmas. They discovered that December 25 is actually the birthdate of pagan gods like Tammuz or Sol Invictus and decided that Christianity is just as false as those religions. They count Jesus among the many pagan myths because His story is the same, despite the fact that it is not.

Whether they read a Bible or not, when the church is teaching that December 25 is Jesus' birthday, it becomes difficult to separate that fact from Biblical Truth. When I was in 7th grade, a friend of mine who is Jehovah's Witness, tried to explain that Christmas is not in the Bible. I was too stuck on the fact that Luke 1 and 2 clearly tell the birth of Jesus to process the fact that nowhere in that passage is December 25, Christmas trees, lights/candles, etc., mentioned. The same is true for these ex-believers. They have been programmed to associate December 25 with Christ's birth. Church tradition takes precedence over the Bible in their mind and Jesus' birthday is December 25, thus to them, Jesus is no different than the pagan myths.

Whether a church celebrates or doesn't celebrate, I think it is important that church admit it is not the actual date of Jesus' birth to avoid confusion. Of course, for the countless people who don't go to church, well, many of them are looking at Christians as though they're idiots because we proclaim to be against paganism and celebrate pagan birthdays since we don't know the birthdate of our Savior...

Santa

The second problem is Santa. Sure, the majority of the general population does in fact associate Christmas with Christianity, but the majority of the population also associates Christmas with Santa. I did a post on the similarities between the fairy tale of Santa and the reality of Jesus a few years ago. I was amazed at how badly the Santa myth tries to replace Christ. What's more, is that it works!

The pastors make mention of avoiding the worship of self during the holidays by giving to those in need, which I think is wonderful. What I'm not sure about is how many people will know that what you mean when you say Christmas. Growing up in a Christian family, the most repeated questions/statements of December were about Santa and gifts. People always said "I hope Santa is good to you" or "Was Santa good to you?" and asked "What did you put on your list to Santa?" Aside from the Christmas play at church, no one ever mentioned Jesus. The gifts weren't attributed to Jesus and we weren't encouraged thank Jesus for our blessings. All of that praise went to the fictional Santa...

I know Santa isn't real. You know Santa isn't real, but most of the children in the world do not know Santa isn't real. I can tell you for a fact that as happy as Luke 2 makes me, when I was 5 the reason I couldn't sleep on Christmas Eve is because I was excited about all the presents I would receive the next day. I wasn't thinking about Jesus in the least.

Idolatry

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Aaron Burden

Most people I know who are aware of the pagan origins of Christmas, and the fact that it isn't even Jesus' birthday, argue that none of this matters if we keep Jesus as the focus.

Let's think about it. When the first Christians participated in these festivities, it was definitely because they were converts from a pagan religion and their participation in these traditions was a holdover from that lifestyle. We can be sure of this because outside of people coming to worship Jesus after hearing of His birth, there is no mentioning of celebrating Jesus' birthday. We see Jesus and the disciples keep the Passover, and Paul mentions returning to keep an unnamed feast, which is surely one of the feasts outlined in the Old Testament. However, the disciples and apostles never mention commemorating Jesus' birthday. In fact, celebrated birthdays are only mentioned 3 times in the Bible and all 3 times it is a pagan celebrating (Genesis 40:20, Matthew 14:6, Mark 6:21). So while we are neither forbidden nor commanded to celebrate birthdays, all Biblical evidence of birthdays is associated with paganism... Ecclesiastes 7:1 explains that the day of someone's death is more important than their birth. Jesus had to be born to save us from our sins but it was His decision to suffer and die for us that gives us salvation.

Do we think God was upset with the early Christians for participating in the customs but is suddenly ok with us doing so?

We can argue that Christmas is thought of as a Christian holiday all day, but the fact is, Christmas is associated with Santa, Rudolph, and Frosty the Snowman too. There is no other name given to the holiday in which Santa brings gifts to little kids, and even though January is the traditionally the coldest month of the year in Northern Hemisphere, no one talks about Frosty after Christmas. God didn't say to worship Him more than other gods, He said to worship Him only and not to have idols. Jesus should never be sharing the spotlight, especially on His birthday!

I've never been to a church that didn't decorate for Christmas... Despite Ecclesiastes 7:1, there aren't really any decorations for the resurrection, and the decorations placed in the church for Christmas are not Christ focused! A tree is placed in the sanctuary along with poinsettias, garland, and lights—all of which stem from pagan traditions. Poinsettias are native to Mexico and would not have been present in Israel during Jesus' birth. They became associated with Christmas in the 1800s.[2] As one of the pastors mentioned, the tree was associated with a fertility cult.[3] While I did see on the news that one church placed a nativity outside (and someone stole the baby Jesus, smh), no church I've ever been to has placed a nativity in the sanctuary. If we are truly focused on Jesus and worshipping God, why is our idea of decorating focused on the worldly aspects of Christmas? If you can't celebrate the holiday without trees and lights, what does that say about your focus?

Photocredit: eBay/ginnelly

In high school, I bought a nativity wreath like the one pictured to the left. I spent the month of December painting it (I wish I had mine handy so I could picture it instead—my people are more diverse in skin tone). Not two days after Christmas, my mom was fussing at me to put it away. Have you ever noticed that Christmas decorations go up way before Jesus' birth and then disappear right after. In my home town it's considered bad luck to enter the New Year with Christmas decorations still up.

Consider that. Why would a continued celebration of Jesus's birth be bad luck? Would it not be grand to start the new year praising the birth of our Savior? Furthermore, if we follow the Biblical birth of Jesus, the shepherds and wise men didn't show up until after the birth! Our celebrations should start on Jesus' birthday and continue for some time after, not the other way around. Instead, we revel in consumerism for a month before he is born and then rush to erase the supposed signs of His birth the very next day.

Consumerism

Speaking of Santa and gifts, let's talk about consumerism. How do you get through the holidays without getting swept into consumerism?

Yesterday, I got off work early and decided to go grocery shopping so I could have food for my parents when they arrive tonight. It's an 11 hour drive, so the least I can do is prepare dinner, right? Since I typically go grocery shopping on Sunday, my refrigerator starts looking bare around this time of the week. I have enough food to get me through until Sunday, but not enough to feed two more people. So off to the store I went. Not to buy a lavish spread, but to get the basic necessities of a feeding guests. It took me 45 minutes to drive one mile.

Everybody in the city was headed to the mall, which unfortunately is near the grocery store. People were driving like mad men trying to get to the mall to get the last of their Christmas shopping done. In all the commotion, I got frustrated and gave up on going to the grocery store. I remember this insanity well, however. Many of my friends are now stressed out about getting gifts and how much they've spent.

⁶But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. ⁷Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.2 Corinthians 9:6-7 KJV

I think Jesus is all about giving, but as the pastors pointed out, it shouldn't be about self. I feel as though it's impossible to give cheerfully during Christmas. There's way too much stress in shopping and expectations. When I was an avid gift giver I worried about two major cultural faux pas: 1) being the cheap giver and 2) receiving a gift from someone you didn't buy a gift for.

The Cheap Giver

For most of the time I gave gifts I was either unemployed and buying gifts for my friends with my parent's money or employed part time at a minimum wage job. Spending $10 on someone was a lot. Most of the gifts we exchanged were small lotions or perfumes from Bath & Body Works (because they're guaranteed to have some kind of buy one get one free type of sale right now) or fake jewelry from the likes of Claire's. Still, no one wants to spend $10 on a gift for someone and receive a gift they bought from The Dollar Tree. It's culturally unacceptable. Except, that's the complete opposite of God's stance on giving. We are to give without expectation. A genuine gift may be $100 and I may not receive anything in return.

We are called to give to those who are in need. If they are in need, it stands to reason that they probably can't give us anything back. I feel like this is a good time to direct you to an advertisement of a man who gave a little boy soup for his sick mother and later received a free operation from the boy, who grew up to be a doctor![5] This shouldn't be part of our expectations, but unfortunately this is very much a part of our culture and thus mangled into the holiday.

Photocredit: Pixabay/Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke

The Forgotten Giver

When it became tradition for my friends to buy each other gifts for Christmas, it wasn't just something my circle of friends started doing, but something the whole school was doing. This meant Sally Sue who sits next to you in English, and thinks you're friends because you say hi, might get you a gift even though you don't even know Sally Sue's real name... The worst thing about giving a gift to someone and not receiving one in return, particularly in school, is that it's a statement of mismatched placement in each other's lives. Since we bought gifts for those we were close to and considered good friends, this awkward situation means one person considers someone a close friend while the other person doesn't reciprocate that sentiment. That's embarrassing...

Regardless of how I viewed people I knew, the last thing I wanted was to leave someone feeling insulted and belittled. I am definitely guilty of lying with the excuse of "oops, I left your gift at home, I'll bring it tomorrow" to cover my tracks. Then, I'd have to go out that night and buy the person a gift. Now, I've lied and given a gift out of necessity. That's not what God wants from us. So why is it such a common theme in a holiday people claim is about Him?

The pastors talk about giving to those in need, which is a wonderful idea, but it clashes with the cultural celebration of Christmas. A coworker at my job this year gave me a present for the holidays—she's not even Christian, she's Muslim—she is not in need, nor had I thought to give her gift, so any gift I give her now is from the cultural instillation that I should return the gesture. This is a common theme during the holidays. Lots of people give and expect in return, meanwhile if we aren't participating in this consumerism, we're causing offense.

Last year, my mom went on and on about how she sent out Christmas cards (which she did begrudgingly), and this one person she sent a card to didn't send her one. As someone who doesn't send out cards at all, I was trying to explain to my mom that it was possible this person didn't send out cards to anyone, but my mom was still upset that she didn't receive a card. The expectation in our society is that you will do certain things during the holidays. If you don't people are upset. That's unhealthy.

The Bankrupt Giver

Fortunately, I never hit the milestone of spending money I don't have to buy gifts, but a common reason for depression during the holidays is tied to the expectations I mentioned above. People feel pressured to give "good" gifts. Parents feel pressured to give the children a "good" Christmas. It's embarrassing to tell people you're having financial trouble or have them figure it out, so people buy lavish gifts they can't afford to keep up appearances. We receive unexpected gifts then feel obligated to reciprocate the gift even if we can't afford to. Meanwhile the 1% is getting rich off of our attempt to please those around us.

Conclusions

As mentioned above, there are definitely aspects of Christmas that I think are Godly, but there are definitely aspects that are not (this is how the devil gets you, mix a little good in with his evil). The good things about Christmas are things you can do anytime. I can give gifts to friends and family (even strangers) at any time. I can make plans to see my family any time. I can fellowship with my fellow believers any time. Just like I can talk about the crucifixion any time, I can talk about His birth any time. None of these activities is restricted to December. Overall, I think it is our duty as Christians to insure that people are not confused. While that doesn't necessarily mean you can't enjoy the season, I do think people should spend more time addressing these issues so that those who are struggling or lost can actually see the light of Jesus.

References

1. John Gill. "Acts 3:1 Commentary". via Bible Study Tools; visited December 23, 2017
2. "Poinsettia". Wikipedia; visited December 23, 2017
3. Joesph Salajan and Andrew Nugget. Deeper Part 10 Should (Could?) a Genuine Christian Celebrate Christmas?. Plantation SDA Church via YouTube. December 20, 2017
4. "What is Hanukkah". Chabad.org; visited December 23, 2017
5. Lee Moran. "VIDEO: Tear-jerking ad shows how a small act of kindness can have a big impact ". NY Daily News. September 17, 2013

Christmas Quiz

Test your knowledges on the origins and traditions of Christmas. This quiz is based on the information presented in the 12 Days of Christmas series on this blog. If you're looking for more information that what is provided by the quiz, check the series.

Below is a quiz based on the 12 Days of Christmas series.

Day 12: The Meaning of Christmas

What is the meaning of Christmas? That's the ultimate goal we need to be asking ourselves.

On the 12^th Day of Christmas, the Meaning of Christmas was Revealed

For the last post in the 12 Days of Christmas Series, I wanted to talk about the meaning of Christmas, because that seems to be so clear, and yet so hazy for people. What am I talking about? As I said at the beginning, most Christians argue that Christmas is about Jesus—Jesus is the reason for the season. If you ask a Christian what the meaning of Christmas is, though, they don't always say Jesus.

I've heard Christians say that the meaning of Christmas was family; that it was about relaxing. I've heard them say "a good Christmas" and refer to "doing" Christmas or "putting on Christmas" for a child. Now don't get me wrong, spending time with family and relaxing are both great things, but they don't really have anything to do with Jesus' birth. Like the message in A Christmas Carol, people associate kindness and giving with the holiday, but when it really boils down to it, they forget all about Jesus. As I may have mentioned earlier, not a single person I spoke to on Christmas day mentioned Jesus. People said "Merry Christmas, did you get everything you wanted?" or "Merry Christmas, how's your family?" One person said "Merry Christmas, let's see what Santa brought." No one said "Merry Christmas, isn't it awesome that Jesus was born?" or "Merry Christmas, the Messiah is born!" If Jesus is the reason for the season, why is it that even those claiming this phrase are neglecting Jesus on this day?

The church I grew up in used to have the Christmas play on Christmas Eve. After I left home, they moved it to the Sunday before Christmas (which also places the celebration closer to those pagan holidays we discussed earlier). When I found out, I asked why they move it and was given reasons such as "some people have to work" or "some people want to be with family." Well, some people work on Sunday (not to mention 90% of that church is retired)... Those traveling to family could go to church with their family... You see, the holy days that were actually mandated by God in the Old Testament, before Jesus fulfilled them, were also declared Sabbaths by God. The Israelites were not allowed to do work on those days, nor were they allowed to require others to do work. If Christmas were a holy day dictated by God, He'd expect you to be looking for a job that gave you Christmas Day off and the Christmas play would happen on Christmas Day. Yet, most of the people at my church hate the idea of the play on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve because they want to be home to wrap presents, make cookies for Santa, and place the hidden presents under the tree. They want to wake up and kneel under the tree to retrieve gifts rather than kneel at the altar to pray, to spend the day relishing in their gifts and feasting instead of relishing in Jesus and worshipping God. The meaning of Christmas is evident in their actions and it has nothing to with Jesus.

Day 11: Christmas Was Un-American Once

Did you know Christmas wasn't always a thing in America? In fact, celebrating Christmas use to be illegal in some places... The grandiose tradition we see to day is actually a very modern trend for the United States. Your grandparents and may even parents wouldn't have celebrated it with such pomp and grandeur with they were small children.

On the 11^th Day of Christmas, Christmas Came to America

Christmas Banned in America?

Christmas is without a doubt the most popular holiday in the United States. Not only is it a federal holiday, but almost everything in the country is closed for the holiday—even Walmart, the definition of a 24 hour store, is closed on Christmas day. Christmas decorations fill the stores and companies utilize holiday themes in their commercials. Interestingly, in the first days of colonization, Christmas didn't exist in America. It was actually banned—as in against the law—in Boston from 1659-1681.^[1]

When America separated from England, it also distanced itself from England's traditions (like Christmas), also many of America's settlers were protestants who wished to separate themselves from the Catholic church's pagan traditions. Christmas wasn't made a federal holiday until 1870 (that's 7 years after slavery was abolished). During the 1800's the upper class worked to reinvent the rowdy Saturnalia like festivities of England to the more peaceful, family-oriented, holiday of today. Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol helped to promote that image.^[1]
Top

A Christmas Carol

Of all the tales around Christmas, A Christmas Carol, is definitely the most popular. I can think of an episode or movie borrowing the plot from Dickens' novel for almost every children's character I think of. There are a few re-imaginings for adults, but most are for children. The overall message of the story is not to take life for granted, to give when you can (particularly on Christmas day), and to confront your past. Despite the fact the main character is brought to justice by three ghosts, this is a good message. Perhaps this is what led people back toward the holiday (which kinda reminds me of the wolf in sheep's clothing or the passage in Daniel which says that the enemy will come by peace). I'm sure Dickens just wanted people to be better people, and hopefully some people have become better people, but let's not fall down the slippery slop of believing generous behavior is only necessary during Christmas. The fact that God and the birth of Jesus is not central to the story, but rather the giving of gifts, spending time with one's family, and greed, is an indicator that it was probably the devil that cajoled Dickens into writing the novel. What he needed was a good surface message (which A Christmas Carol definitely has, to entice Americans to forget the debauchery of the European Christmas festivals and lure people back to celebrated the pagan holiday. Instead of seeing a blatant show of drunkenness and pagan tradition, this brought about the age of the "harmless" Christmas that is about family and giving—two things God would want us to appreciate and take part in, right? Suddenly Americans were not eschewing the pagan traditions, but like the Catholic church, trying to retrofit Christian beliefs and concepts to a tamer version of the holiday. In the final post I'll talk about how this view has made it so easy for the pagan traditions to infiltrate the hearts of Christians and pass themselves off as "no big deal."
Top

References

1. A&E Television Networks. "History of Christmas". History.com. 2015

Day 10: Frosty the Snowman & Co.

Snowmen, Jack Frost, and Myths, oh my! Jesus doesn't just share His supposed birthday with Santa Claus, there's a whole cast of fictional characters swarming through the season. Let's look at where they come from and how they fit it to the holiday.

On the 10^th Day of Christmas, A Heap of Other Characters Joined the Party

Introduction

We talked about the pagan origins of Santa, which indirectly touches on elves and Rudolph, but what about other wintry characters like Frosty the Snowman and Jack Frost? While neither is as popular as Santa and would still come to mind after both Jesus and Santa, they are icons of the holidays.
Top

Frosty the Snowman

Photocredit: Shutterstock.com/Anneka

Technically, Frosty the Snowman has nothing to do with Christmas; he has to do with winter, specifically snow. Yet, even as a person who has experienced 80°F Christmases, but has never seen snow on Christmas, Frosty the Snowman seems "Christmas-y" to me. They don't continue to play Frosty the Snowman (the movie) or "Frosty the Snowman" (the song) after Christmas has passed, so I think its safe to assume most others also lump Frosty in with the Christmas holiday as opposed to the general winter season.

Who is he, though? Is he ok to plaster on your kid's notebooks, sing about, and watch movies about? Unlike Santa, Frosty doesn't try to be Jesus; there really are no comparisons there, I mean Frosty isn't even human-like. No kid ever thinks Frosty is real, nor do they expect a snowman they build to suddenly come alive (do they?).

Like Rudolph, Frosty's origin story is a song by Gene Autry. Following the hit record, a children's books and movie were made. The combination of these things boosted Frosty's status as a winter icon. Unlike Rudolph, Frosty isn't attached to Santa, but that doesn't mean he isn't a distraction meant to lure God's people into celebrating a pagan holiday. Why not promote Frosty all winter? Many conservative Christians might also lambaste the magic aspect of the story. The Bible does not look too kindly on practicing magic, and God is not attributed as the creator of the snowman (though a believer would still assume He created the snow). I think, however, the most problematic aspect of Frosty the Snowman, is not that he's a "magical" snowman or the question of his creator, but the fact that it seems to be a yet another way for companies to shift attention from Jesus and make money. Whether you understand the true origin of Christmas as pagan, or attempt to keep Jesus as the reason for the season, Frosty is one of those many hooks that pulls you towards the pagan. I think it's possible that God has no qualms with Frosty as a character, but I do think He may see Him as a lure and tempter for His people, thus putting Frosty in the hot box.
Top

Jack Frost

Well what about Jack Frost? The first time I heard of Jack Frost was in "The Christmas Song" ( Jack Frost nipping at your nose... ), and again, though theoretically he should be a winter icon and not a Christmas icon, he too is associated with Christmas. Where I grew up, the winter season (at least the cold of winter) doesn't start until late November to mid-December, and ends sometime in March. So why are these wintry characters stuffed into the first few days of winter then totally forgotten about? If people can stomach Christmas decorations in stores starting in October, why can't Jack Frost (or Frosty the Snowman) appear from December to February? Instead they culminate with Christmas, and disappear shortly after.

Unlike Frosty, Jack Frost does have ties to paganism. As the personification of winter and a possible double for "Old Man Winter" or "Father Frost," Jack Frost is deeply connected to the winter solstice (and thus the pagan holidays surrounding it).^[2] Jack Frost might also be an elf, of course not the same type of elf known for working with Santa—more of a sprite. Likely, Jack Frost is the son of a Norse god of the wind.^[3] Luckily, Jack Frost doesn't have his own song to get stuck in your head, though he is a character Guardians of the Galaxy. Overall, I'd say God probably dislikes Jack Frost much more than Frosty.
Top

References

1. Eckstein, Bob. "Way Past Frosty: An Uncensored History of the Snowman". NPR. December 2007
2. Tuthill, Samantha-Rae."Winter Tales and Myths: Where Did Old Man Winter, Jack Frost Come From?". Accu Weather. December 2014
3. Roy, Alyssa. "The Amazingness of Jack Frost throughout History". Rotoscopers. June 2013

Day 9: Why Red & Green?

When you think of Christmas, you think red and green. When you see red and green, you think Christmas. Do you know why those are the colors most often associated with the holiday or the history behind their popularity?

On the 9^th Day of Christmas, Someone Chose the Color Scheme

The first colors you think of when someone mentions Christmas, are red and green. If you think long enough you may come to gold and silver, maybe even to blue. Where did these color come from though? Frankincense, gold, and myrrh are all yellowish or gold. We aren't told what color clothing Jesus is wrapped in, but purple is the color associated with royalty (in Europe at least) and Jesus is King of Kings. The star would have appeared silver or gold-ish. Bethlehem isn't a forest or jungle where we would imagine a lot of greenery... I can't even fathom where the red would come from.

One scholar traces the red and green combination past Catholic paintings of saints to a Celtic legend in which a tree was said to be half green and half red.^[1] Another source assumes green became associated with the holiday through the pagan Saturnalia's tradition of exchanging greenery (like holly or ivy) and the red originates from Jesus' sacrifice.^[2] Yet, another theory is that the red and green come from a play, showcased on Christmas eve, about the fall of man. In this play, Adam and Eve's forbidden fruit is a red apple tied to a pine tree (we won't get into the fact that the Bible does not say they ate an apple).^[3]

This made me wonder what the Bible says about these colors. When God tells the Israelites how to build the tabernacle, we get a glimpse of the colors He prefers. What were those colors? Scarlet, gold, blue, and purple. Green is generally mentioned Biblically in reference to food, though interestingly both green and red are mentioned in connection to identifying a "plague of leprosy" in a house (likely in reference to mold). Green is also the color mentioned in reference to binding Samson,^[4] the fresh, undried (and green) rope renders him weak. In short associating color with the holiday is not Biblical and is purely a man made tradition.

References

1. "Who Colour-Coded Christmas?". University of Cambridge. October 2011
2. "The Importance of Christmas Colors". Color Combos. 2015
3. Cooper, James. "The Colors of Christmas". Why Christmas. 2015
4. Judges 16

Day 8: Depression and Christmas?

The holidays are supposed to be joyous, but depression may be stalking the holidays as well! Countless people experience "holiday blues" due to the pressure and anxiety of the holiday season. From financial strain to family drama, a lot of people experience a great deal of stress trying to cope with this season.

On the 8^th Day of Christmas, People Lost Their Joy

Introduction

I've seen and heard the idea that suicide and depression are more common during the winter holidays. On Day 5 I discussed Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which could be the culprit behind some holiday blues, but for this post I wanted to focus on the question of whether suicide and depression are directly linked to the holidays. The primary need for an answer this question is to clear up all myths about the holiday. An increased risk of suicide and/or depression is often used by those against the holiday. While it is evident from my previous post that I am not "for" the holiday, I believe it is important to stick with arguments that can be proven.
Top

Does Christmas Cause Depression?

If it could be proven that there was a link between depression and Christmas, one could make the claim that Christmas and its pagan origins were obviously bad and not part of God's plan. Some people have, in fact, made this claim despite evidence showing that suicide rates actually decline around the Christmas holiday. Their claim is based on two widespread beliefs that are false: 1) suicide rates and severe depression increase during the holidays and 2) following God never causes suffering. We're going to talk about each, followed by a look at the actual mood of the holidays.
Top

Suicide Rates & Depression During the Holidays

Photocredit: Shutterstock.com/Anneka

According to almost every source I've found, suicide rates and depression do not increase during the holidays (though they do increase after the new year).^{[4][5][6][7][8]} Many experience slight lows, SAD, and extra stress during the holidays which probably makes it appear that depression increases during the holidays. Parents become stressed about providing their children with an "adequate Christmas" (which does show that God has been taken out of the equation). Some may spend more than they should, hence the slump after new years. Extra drinking may cause some to make poor decisions (another possibility for increasing suicide rates in the time frame directly after). Some conclude that the decline in suicide rates during the holidays is the fact that people are surrounded by their family and are supported. Of course, it is possible that families and friends encourage people to spend or drink more than they should, causing the slump at the new year. It is also possible that judgments from family and friends during the holidays could cause people to make new years' resolutions they can't keep and then fall in to depression. Regardless, there isn't a study to show that those who participate in holiday traditions do or do not experience an increase in suicide or depression after the new year, thus no conclusions can be made. While the causes of stress during the holiday season points to the ungodly nature of the traditions, increased suicide/depression is not an argument people should be trying to use.
Top

Following God Can Still Cause Pain

Many preachers today preach prosperity. Their sermons focus on what you gain by following Christ and only mention peace, prosperity, and success. The danger in this is that they omit much of what we are shown in the Bible as well as the fact that prosperity on Earth was for the old covenant. The time Jesus was crucified, we stepped into the end of days, an era of persecution for all of those who truly believe and follow Jesus Christ. In the future, I will do studies on the end times that goes into more detail and explains misconceptions of naysayers, but for now I want to focus on the top of pain and suffering for God's people. As the final day approaches, Jesus warn us that those who truly believe in Him will be killed and on several occasions He references those who are killed for His namesake. This does not sound like we should expect prosperity here on Earth...

In the Old Testament, notable favorites of God are Abel, Noah, Job, and Moses.

Abel

Note that Abel's favor in God's eye sight sparks wrath in his brother and subsequently causes Abel's death. The only success we know of Abel's is that His offering pleased God. Hebrews 11:4 tells us that it was Abel's faith that caused God to be pleased with His offering; we don't know if Abel had a large flock, how old Abel lived to be, or whether he married. Assumably he didn't have children as none are mentioned and Eve wants a son to replace both Abel and Cain, which implies she had no grandchildren to adopt. Abel may not have felt any suffering, but it is also possible that Abel knew for quite some time that his brother was jealous of him. Abel had favor with God, not with man.

Noah

Noah survived the flood; he and his family were spared God's wrath thanks to Noah's righteousness. Genesis 6-10 tells us all about Noah building the ark, gathering the animals, and waiting out the flood. Yet, how many of the people Noah left behind where his friends? Noah's father Lamech dies just before the flood, but Noah's grandfather Methuselah likely died in the flood. Methuselah has Lamech when he is 187 years old and Lamech has Noah at the age of 182, thus Methuselah is 369 years old when Noah is born. The flood comes when Noah is 600 years old, and Methuselah dies at 969 years old. Since 969-369 is exactly 600, Methuselah either died during the flood or just before the flood began. Regardless, Noah's neighbors would have ostracized him and wrote him off as crazy for building a massive boat in the desert. Also, since Noah was righteous and man was so sinful God had to destroy the world with a flood, it is unlikely Noah was welcome in society. Even though Noah ultimately survives the flood, the psychological ramifications of being the only family to survive, as well as, the pressure to complete the boat on time were probably exceedingly high.

Job

Job was another favored by God; he was greatly blessed with a large supply of livestock, a large family, and wealth. To prove a point to the devil (and possibly to us, as well), God allowed the devil to take everything from Job, including his health. Does this sound prosperous? Naturally God rewarded Job in the end when he did not succumb to Satan's attempt, but do you think Job experienced no stress, pain, or even slight depression?

Moses

Moses is chosen by God, though he does a lot to anger God during his time on Earth. We talk about Moses' great victory and how he was able to communicate with God, but what about the fear of Pharaoh killing him on the spot? What about the guilt of killing one of Pharaoh's men? The guilt of watching the Hebrews suffer for so long? What about fighting through all the Israelite fought through only to end up wandering in the wilderness for 40 years and never getting to enter the promised land? Do you think that Moses was never stressed? He was responsible for all of the Israelites, and not just their physical well-being on the journey he incited, but their spiritual well-being with the God he introduced them to. Moses' life during those 40 years was likely not rainbows and unicorns.

New Testament

Many ignore the Old Testament, something I would advise against, but in an effort to provoke their curiosity as well (and to be balanced), I'm going to talk about some of the New Testament men who followed Jesus. Judas, who betrayed Jesus, committed suicide. James is executed by Herod. John is exiled to Patmos and Paul is thrown is jail. Based upon non-Biblical texts, similar fates are thought to have befallen the other disciples as well.^[2][3]

Because we have faith, we should never get so low as to commit suicide, but that doesn't mean there won't be periods of adversary we must strive through. Our modern society allows us to develops habits that upon receiving Christ and trying to abandon sin, we likely will feel some level of stress, strain, and perhaps even sadness. For example, when I began only eating Kosher food (food that meets the dietary restrictions given by God), I found myself unable to eat at many of my usual restaurants, at odds with family who didn't understand why I wouldn't eat their cooking, and having to put more thought into food than I ever have before. This didn't make me want to go out an commit suicide, but it definitely put a heavy amount of strain on me the first week or so (and during the holidays, since I couldn't find Kosher food at my parents' house). Now, I know God didn't sanction Christmas, but to argue that because it causes stress and strain it is automatically ungodly is a bit of a stretch.
Top

References

1. Curtis, Ken. "Everything you need to know: December solstice 2015". Christianity.com. 2016
2. "When and how did the Twelve Apostles die?". Amazing Bible Timeline with World History. 2013
3. Kiger, Patrick J. "How Did the Apostles Die?". National Geographic Channel. February 2015
4. Wein, Harrison et al. "Beat the Winter Blues: Shedding Light on Seasonal Sadness". News In Health. National Institutes of Health . January 2013
5. Carley, Simon. "Suicide at Christmas". Emergency Medicine Journal 2004;21:716-717 doi:10.1136/emj.2004.019703
   
6. Burton, Neel. "Is Suicide More Common at Christmas Time?: The Seven Greatest Myths About Suicide". Psychology Today. December 2012
7. "11 Tips for Avoiding Holiday Depression Triggers". Health.com. 2015
8. Mann, Denise. "Emotional Survival Guide for the Holidays". WebMD. 2016