Would Jesus Keep Christmas?

The Apostle Paul, in one of his letters, where he was being inspired by God, gave Timothy some very important tips about preaching. In 2 Timothy 4, verses 2-4, I'd like to give this as an introduction. He tells young Timothy, "...Preach the word, be ready in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and teaching, for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine." Talking about the Church brethren. He wasn't talking about preaching to outside people, but he says, in prophecy, there will be time when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers. They will start selecting teachers, and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables. So Paul tells Timothy that you should teach the messages in season, which means when the opportunity is right, when it's the right time to give it. And then he says, but sometimes, even if people don't want to listen to it, out of season, also tell them what God's word says, whether they like it or not, or because it talks about a time when people will just want to choose their own teachers to tell them what they prefer, instead of what God's word is all about. And so the term in season does have to do with the right time to give it. And of course, what season are we in? Well, it's a time when we're being bombarded by all things that are Christmas. So naturally, questions arise about it. We have new people in the congregation, but those that have heard it before, you know, once a year is not going overboard with this, but it is. It's in season. It's the right time to speak about this because there are questions that arise about it. And most Christian churches justify the keeping of Christmas. They say that it was done to honor Jesus. What's wrong with that? Or saying it's a Christian holiday or holiday. Others ask, what's wrong with the festive spirit or of exchanging gifts?

And so we have to look in God's Word first. For Christians, we follow Christ. And Christ told us to follow the truth, which is in His Word. He says, don't just use my name, but what did I teach about it? What should you follow? And I would say one of the best advice given in the Bible about this is in 1 Thessalonians 5.19. 1 Thessalonians 5.19 says, test all things. Hold fast what is good. And of course, in the Bible, what is good is defined as being according to God's Word. That's what's good. That's what should be done.

And Paul, again, gave us a key verse. While we test all things and hold fast to that, which is good, Paul gave a key verse, which is in 1 Corinthians 11.1. He said, imitate me just as I also imitate Christ. So he says, test and see if the person speaking is imitating Christ, what he did, what he taught, or are we just following men and their teachings, even if they go against God's Word.

So the question is, would Jesus keep Christmas if He was here? Would Jesus keep Christmas? How about the Apostle Paul or the rest of the Apostles? What does the Bible say? That's what's important. Everything that we have questions about, we should first go to the Bible and see what it says about it. So the first point is, does Christmas really honor Him? Jesus warned about thinking people were honoring Him when they were keeping man's commandments. Notice in Mark chapter 7, Mark chapter 7, He warned there would be followers that would be honoring Him in their thinking when they were not. In Mark 7 verse 5, Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands? That was one of the traditions that the Pharisees had established as a commandment. Jews, those that are orthodox, that they're strict following the traditions, they have to go through elaborate hand-washing ceremony before they can eat. And so Jesus was talking about that. He answered and said to them, Well, did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me, and in vain they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. So is Christmas a commandment of God or is it a commandment of men? Well, Christmas was established hundreds of years after the death of Christ. Basically, it was only after Constantine became the emperor where they adopted the first day of the week, which is Sunday as the day of worship. And then they adopted the son God's birthday on December the 25th. And then they changed it to the birth of Christ instead of the birth of the son. As you know, in this time of the year is when the son is at the lowest point. And actually today is the shortest day of the year, but back in Jesus' day, it was around the 25th of the year. And so they would have all of these rituals to ask the son God to come back, not to continue to shorten the day. And then they thought that the son God heard him. And so on the 25th, they said it was the beginning again of the son coming back and the days would get longer. Now Hanukkah, for instance, is a Jewish civil holiday kept around this time that was added. And it talks about the Feast of the Dedication in the New Testament, but it never became a commandment of God. It never became one of God's holy days. But as a national civil celebration, for the Jews, it's similar to the Fourth of July here as the day of independence. For the Jews, Hanukkah is the time when they gained independence over Antiochus, Epiphanes, and defeated the Greeks and gained their independence. So they keep their independence day. But at least that's based on something that happened centuries before Christ was there. But it was a moment in history when the Jews gained their freedom. But here we're talking not of some feat that happened in Israel, we're talking about something that was going on in Rome and throughout the Roman Empire, the worship of the Sun God on that day. And they actually had several days before called Brumalia. And then Saturnalia was December the 25th, which was dedicated to the God Saturn, which was the God of the Sun. He's supposed to have that power over it. So it's much worse to keep a day that has no biblical backing to it. Notice also in Matthew chapter 7, Matthew chapter 7 verse 21, Jesus again warned those that thought that they were honoring Him.

Said in verse 21, Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, so they accept Him as Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but He who does the will of my Father in heaven. And that will of the Father in heaven has been transmitted here on earth by God's Word. That's the way we know God's will. It's been transmitted. That's why we have the Bible, because this is what God transmitted of His will. Verse 22, Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? Christ knew that His name was going to be very popular. There would be enormous religious movements based on His name. And even some miracles can be done without Jesus being involved. We know there are satanic forces. There are all kinds of things. Drugs can also affect people, and you can fake like something's happened miraculously, cast out demons in your name, and done many wonders in your name. So don't get caught up with all of these religious signs and wonders. Verse 23, And then I will declare to them, and will they ever be shocked? I never knew you. You weren't part of my true church. Depart from me you who practice lawlessness. That's the Greek term anomia, which means breakers of God's law. Breakers of God's law. You're not doing God's will. But of course, Satan is the God of this world. He's very clever, and he uses counterfeits to deceive people. So in the Bible, we have the Sabbaths, we have the Holy Days that God established. What does Satan do? Well, he's got his day, and he's got his holidays to cover up for God's ways. So Satan is the master counterfeiter.

Let's go to 2 Corinthians chapter 11. This is a scripture that I just thought of right now that applies to this. 2 Corinthians 11 to show that it's not something I'm saying.

In my opinion, it's what the Bible says.

He says in 2 Corinthians 11 verse 3, it says, But I fear lest somehow as a serpent deceived ye by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit. Here it talks about getting caught up with an attitude where a person just sees what they want to see, and they've been convinced by others. They gain this spirit or a different gospel, a teaching that is not correct, which you have not accepted, you may well put up with it. And then he says in verse 13, For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. Notice they're part of traditional Christianity. They call themselves teachers of Christ and authorities of Christ.

And no wonder for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness. That's what they claim, whose end will be according to their works, where Christ will say, you know, you taught the wrong things. I wasn't there. You were wrong. You were deceiving people. Now, can we know what Jesus and the apostles kept? Again, we should follow Jesus' example. What days did he keep and his apostles? And which days did they teach others to keep? Let's go to Luke chapter 2. From his childhood, he already kept holy days. Luke chapter 2, verse 41.

It says, His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. And when he was 12 years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. So that was their tradition. That was their custom to go every year during the Passover. That was the feast that Jesus kept. Now, don't you think if he would have changed his mind? He said, well, I'm going to have different feasts that I want you to keep. He would have told his disciples. He would have preached about it, but he never did. In fact, in the last day of his death, he told his disciples that he was not going to keep the Passover until he returned in his kingdom. In other words, the Passover was not going to be done away with because he said, when I come back, that's when I will hold the Passover with all of you again. Notice this scripture. Many times not well known. Luke chapter 22, verse 15. Let's see. I don't want to put anybody on the spot here, but just, is any of the Aguilar family here? Anybody? I don't see them this time, but thanks to Mr. Aguilar, he pointed this out to me. So I have to give him credit. In Luke chapter 22 and verse 15, Luke chapter 22 verse 15. Then he said to them, With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I say to you, I will no longer eat of it, talk about the Passover, until it is fulfilled, which means until it is kept, in the kingdom of God. So he said that this is going to continue with him officiating it. I look forward to having Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, giving that Passover ceremony. Boy, I tell you, there won't be a dry eye, even if it's spiritual. There'll be some equivalency of people weeping at that moment.

Even in the future, we see when Christ comes back, it's not only the Passover, it's also the Feast of Tabernacles, that he is going to enforce its observance. Notice in Zechariah chapter 14, verses 3 and 4. In verse 1, it talks about the day of the Lord that comes. And then it says in verse 3, Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations as he fights in the day of battle. Yeah, that's when Armageddon is going to take place, and he's going to come back to establish his kingdom. And in that day, his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. Just as when he left his disciples, it was from that very Mount of Olives that he rose up, and two angels said, What are you marveling about? This same Jesus, the same way he rose in this very mountain, he is going to come back again. And so this is when it's going to be fulfilled.

And then it continues on a little farther in verse 9. It says, And the Lord shall be king over all the earth. In that day it shall be the Lord is one, and his name one. In other words, all other religions will be abolished. Won't that be shocking? But Jesus is not going to have any rivals or competition. And then notice what he establishes. In verse 16, it says, And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem. So all of these are the survivors of all the plagues, of all the battles that have taken place, talking about all the survivors, because remember all the plagues have decimated the earth at this time. Probably maybe a tenth of humankind of what we have will still be alive at that time. So they're going to be shell-shocked. And Jesus will lovingly invite them to come and worship him. And it shall come to pass. They shall go from year to year to worship the king, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. So notice this is in the future. This is when Jesus Christ has come back. How can somebody read this and deny the fact that it's the same Jesus that we worship today, that we pray to, that when he comes back he's going to establish the feast of tabernacles? Is this part of God's word, or is this a lie? Or is it some way that you can cleverly rebuke and try to erase what it says here? The simplicity of Christ, the simplicity of the Bible. This isn't some poem. This is a historical description of what is going to happen. Verse 17, and it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the king, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain. So Christ says you want to be stubborn. You want to be rebellious children. Well, guess what? All your river beds are going to dry up. All your lakes. You're not going to have one drop of water. And we'll see how long. So this is actually a type of a spanking that Christ gives these nations. If the family of Egypt, and of course now there are fanatical Muslims in Egypt, if they will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain. They shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. See, God is not asking now for all of mankind to keep this. He's not enforcing it now. But then it's going to be very different. Christ is going to have His religion, His way of being worshiped, not the way human beings imagine so.

And then it goes on to say, verse 19, This shall be the punishment, and the word here means sin from kathath, the sin of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. In God's word version, it says, This will be the punishment for Egypt's sin, and for the sin of all the nations that won't go to celebrate the festival of booths or the Feast of Tabernacles. So it's not a suggestion. You're going to be sinning. You're breaking God's law if you don't keep that feast. Now, of course, again, we live in a world where God is working with two tracts of people. There's one tract, which is the unconverted world, and of course, He extends mercy to them.

In their ignorance, being led by the God of this world, they have not been called. But then, on this second tract, God is calling His people. And so He raises the standards, and He expects His people to be obedient, to follow Him now. We don't want to be sinning against God. And so we see that Jesus Christ is going to keep the feasts of God. He's not going to be keeping Christmas. For Him, it's an insult that the Son God is placed in this certain day of the month, and then He's being worshipped in this way with all the different accoutrements and disguises and all the crazy stuff going on.

So the apostles also never set up a new holiday. They had the chance. They're in Acts 15. That was 20 years after approximately the death of Jesus Christ. Here, they gathered together. They could have said, well, let's establish holidays and let's start taking them and changing them. They never imagined even that could be possible. In none of the epistles or the New Testament do we see different Holy Days than the one established there.

So the feasts of God already had Christ as their center. Notice in 1 Corinthians 5, verse 7, 1 Corinthians 5. This is why we can go to these feasts with joy knowing they all have Jesus Christ as the center. Of course, God the Father is over all, but He's using Jesus Christ to carry out that plan of salvation here on earth. 1 Corinthians, did I say it's chapter 5, verse 7. It says, So He's saying, let us keep the feast. Passover in the days of 11 bread. So here are two different feasts. They're combined into eight days that we faithfully follow. Now, as you can see here, the apostles already realized that the Old Testament Passover was a symbol of Christ's sacrifice in the New Testament Passover. So they understood that, and that's what they taught. People said, oh, let's set up a birthday for Jesus Christ. They would have said, no, no, that's not biblical. We already have that memorial to Christ's death that He is the one that is resurrected and that these feasts all represent Jesus Christ's triumph over sin. And so through the centuries, God's people faithfully carried out not only the Sabbath, but the Holy Days. That's why the Encyclopædia Britannica, the 11th edition, which was dedicated to religion, says the following. There is no indication of the observance of the Easter festival in the New Testament or in the writings of the apostolic fathers. The first Christians continued to observe the Jewish festivals, though in a new spirit as commemorations of events of which these had been the shadows. Thus the Passover, with a new conception added to it, of Christ as the true, passional Lamb, continued to be observed. So they knew Jesus Christ. He's the Passover, and every feast has Jesus Christ as the center. So why do you need something else in that during the year? Now what do you see? You see people stressed out. You go anyplace. They're all over with malls and all this fervor because now they're exchanging gifts and spending thousands of dollars many times, giving gifts to people you don't even want to give. You just feel obligated to. And you can offend people if you give them gifts that they don't like or they think you're being cheap. So people stress out with all of this. Well, God did not have in mind doing all of these things. When we worship God, we worship Him in spirit and in truth. Notice in John chapter 4 verse 21. We don't need all of these paraphernalia and stuff that people buy just to throw away. Talk about ecology. Talk about going green. Just think of the thousands of trees that are destroyed. And thrown away. More junk. All that spent in John chapter 4 verse 21.

Jesus told the woman at the well. You said, woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, talking about Gerizim, nor in Jerusalem, nor in the mountain in Jerusalem. They will neither worship in either of those the Father. You worship what you do not know. Talking about the Samaritans. We know what we worship for salvation is of the Jews. It comes from the Old Testament, part of the Bible, that the Jews have faithfully preserved. But the hour is coming, and now is when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. And of course, talking about people that receive God's Spirit and can worship Him in truth following His wonderful truths. Verse 24, God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. Now, when Jesus said, not in Jerusalem, that must have been a very startling statement.

Everybody thought, oh, they have to go to Jerusalem. They have to go to the temple. They have to offer all these sacrifices to please God, to kill all of these animals, to have all the blood spilled all over the place. The priest started with nice white linen, but after those sacrifices, they were basically all tainted in red and blood. And Jesus said, this is not going to continue in the future. He would be the Passover lamb, and His sacrifice will satisfy all the needs, and no longer will you need to have animal sacrifices as a symbol of the forgiveness of sins.

This week, I also received a biblical archaeology magazine called Bar, in short, and a good article talking about how Christ's coming changed the religion around that whole area of the world. You have to remember, in Athens, which was this great intellectual capital, they had over 30,000 idols to all the different gods, because they were afraid if they missed one out, He would get back at them. And so you had to appease them, you had to please them, you had to do all these animal sacrifices all the time.

We saw the Pergamum Museum there in Germany, this past year after the Passover, we went there, and they had this panorama about the size of this room, and it had a 360-degree picture of what it was like at ancient Pergamum during approximately the time of Christ. And there they were sacrificing bulls, you saw the blood down the stairs, or the steps, then you had the big altar, and all the animals. Well, that wasn't just in Pergamum, in Jerusalem, they were sacrificing thousands of animals. And we think somehow that was a romantic vision.

Well, people, they were doing their best, but when Jesus Christ came and became our sacrifice, we don't have to be doing animal sacrifices, like on the Sabbath that they had to sacrifice at the beginning and at the end there of the Sabbath, lambs. Notice in Hebrews 9 in verse 7, and as we get there, I just mentioned that in this article this month, it mentions how liberating it was.

We take it for granted that we can worship God in spirit and truth. But believe me, if we'd have been in Old Testament times, it would have been this big concern. What are we going to bring to sacrifice? What are we going to take up to the temple? And you've got to be carrying your animals all this way. And basically, it's just in a way to please God. But He said there's a better way, and Jesus Christ brought it.

Hebrews 9, verse 7 talks about the tabernacle, which later became the temple. It says, but into the second part, of that tabernacle, the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins, committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered there in the temple in Jerusalem, which cannot make Him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience, concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings and fleshly ordinances, talking about fleshly sacrifices, imposed until the time of Reformation.

But Christ came as high priest of the good things to come, with a greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the most holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

And for this reason He is the mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. So yes, we take it for granted. But worshiping God in Spirit and truth is such a privilege to have God's Spirit instead of enacting and carrying out all of these animal sacrifices. Notice in Hebrews chapter 10, I have time to cover this as well.

In Hebrews chapter 10, it says, By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. So all these sacrifices that had to do with sins, we don't need to carry those out. And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices which can never take away sins, because these are spiritual in nature. They're not physical, but this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God from that time, waiting till his enemies are made his footstool. And then it goes on to say, verse 19, Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he consecrated for us through the veil that is his flesh, and having a high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope, as it was mentioned in the first message, without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching. Yes, we need to encourage each other, hold fast what we have. And of course, we're talking about this subject. Would Jesus have kept Christmas?

Well, for worshiping in spirit and in truth, we don't need all of those accoutrements. We don't need all of those decorations. That's not helping us. That's taking our vision away from the God of the Bible and His holy days and feast days. In Hebrews 13, verse 15, these are the sacrifices that God wants from us now. Hebrews 13, verse 15 through 17, it says, Therefore by Him, talk about Jesus Christ, let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is the fruit of our lips, giving things to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices, God is well pleased. Yes, they're spiritual. We are through love, kindness, sharing, helping each other. God sees those. It's much better than just seeing an animal. The person could be as unconverted as a crocodile, but he's got a nice ox there, and you see all the bleeding going on. God says that's not profitable, so it's a great blessing that we have now. Of course, brethren, we are in this season that we need to remember to be courteous, not offend others. We should give an example to others, be a light, not a trumpet, as it tells us in Colossians chapter 4. Colossians chapter 4. I'm going to read it from the contemporary English version. It says, when you are with unbelievers, always make good use of the time. Be pleasant and hold their interest when you speak the message. Choose your words carefully and be ready to give answers to anyone who asks questions. That's a right attitude. Be loving. Somebody brings you a gift. Thank them for it. It doesn't mean you're going to go out and at that time, it can be another period where you reciprocate. You give something but not during this time because, again, it has to do with exchanging gifts because you feel an obligation because of the festival that's going on instead of from the heart. Really appreciating. Gifts should be something given to a person that you really appreciate and you want to reward instead of an obligation. So be careful to not offend. We realize many have unconverted relatives around, friends, and the office. Try to be gentle, patient, instead of offending them. So to end with the question, would Jesus keep Christmas? After going over the Bible, the answer is, of course not.