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  • Writer's pictureTrey Harper

Happy Holidays?

“Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God” (Romans 14.4-6).

Some people, correctly state, that Jesus was not born on December 25. They may go on to point out that Christians are commanded to celebrate His death, burial, and resurrection weekly, and there is no mention of perpetually celebrating His birth. They may conclude that the lack of information should indicate that we must not celebrate, in any way, the holiday that the entire world knows as Christmas.

My response is that Jesus was involved in the celebration of Hanukah. You can read of the event in John 10.22ff. What you will not read is of any protest on the part of Jesus. You may correctly state that John does not record anything about Jesus feasting, but He is in the Temple. The (cleansing of the) Temple is the point of the celebration in the first place. By the Holy Spirit, John includes the information in scripture, not to waste ink, but for us to find understanding.

Celebrate or not, do not lie. Jesus was not born on December 25. Make sure you do not transgress the Word of God and that you can answer questions about your actions with a clean conscience. Also, use care if you abstain from celebrating. Be careful not to cross the line that Romans 14 clearly draws regarding celebrations.

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