Christians and Christmas

It's that time of year again: the weather is getting cold, snow is beginning to fall, and we are constantly bombarded by retail stores and their marketing blitzes. Christmastime is upon us yet again, and every year it seems more commercialized, more cutthroat, and less about family and togetherness.

Many attempt to counteract this trend with banners proclaiming, "Put Christ back in Christmas!". Such persons feel that the loss of the religious aspect of Christmas is a disturbing trend. Is it appropriate, however, to have "Christ" in "Christmas"? Since this is the time of year that many engage in "Christmas discussions," it is appropriate for us to consider what we can learn from the Scriptures regarding Christians and Christmas.

When we open the Scriptures, we find in Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2 the description of the birth of Jesus the Christ according to the prophecies of the prophets of old. The shepherds and the manger are there, along with Joseph and Mary. There are "wise men" (Matthew 2:1), but surprisingly, their number is not mentioned. Most curious of all, however, is that no date or even time of year is mentioned; "December 25" or any ancient Roman or Hebrew equivalent is not present at all! The Scriptures report the fact that Jesus was born, demonstrate how His birth fulfilled prophecy, but remain absolutely silent about when the event took place.

In the end, no one knows precisely when Jesus was born. Sure, it was in Bethlehem in Judea, and likely between 6-4 BCE; best estimates based on certain details in the narrative would point to His birth being either in spring or fall.