A Christmas Conundrum
For those of us in the Messianic walk, Christmas is an especially trying time. We recognize the origins of this practice along with all the decorations and trappings of the season to be of pagan derivation. In Deuteronomy 12:31 God tells His people to be careful to not follow the customs of the nations because everything they do for their gods is disgusting.
In the book of Jeremiah, chapter 10, The Almighty admonishes us to “not learn the practices of the nations” and states through the prophet that the religion of the people is worthless. “Woodcutters cut down trees from the forest. The hands of craftsmen prepare them with axes and that craftsmen decorate them with silver and gold and fasten them together with hammers and nails so that they won't fall over.”
In Jeremiah 16, the prophet cries out, “The LORD is my strength and my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. Nations come to you from the most distant parts of the world and say, “Our ancestors have inherited lies, worthless and unprofitable gods.””
The prophet Zechariah at the end of chapter 8 states, “This is what the LORD of Hosts says: In those days ten people from every language found among the nations will take hold of the clothes of a Jew. They will say, “Let us go with you because we have heard that God is with you.””
It appears from these writings that we inherited a practice that is worthless as societally we observe Christmas and that there will come a future time when the nations realize that God is amidst the Jews and will seek to worship Him as the they, the Jews, do. As Messianic Believers, we believe the entire Bible is the inspired word of God and that none of it has been suspended or discarded.
We understand our commitment to the Almighty as a responsibility to conform more fully with His ways with each passing journey around the sun and, as we walk with Him, we see three critical areas that testify to our allegiance to His ways i.e.; holding to a seventh day Sabbath, observing His Feast Day cycles, laying aside pagan observances such as Christmas, Easter, and Halloween, and eating a Biblical Diet.
This is why we follow the Feasts of the Lord just as do the Jews. Yet, this is the one time of year when we can proclaim Christ our Savior quite freely throughout society! Thus, the challenge for us as Messianic Believers. We do not want to see His name brought to naught as many would reduce us to greeting each other with a mere “happy holidays.” We desire to see the name of our Messiah exalted! Yet, we shun participation in this observance, instead following His Feasts primarily as outlined in Leviticus 23.
Most likely, our Savior would have been born in the Fall during the Feast of Sukkot, or Tabernacles, as He came to tabernacle among us. One of His names being Immanuel which, translated from Hebrew, is “with us God,” Im anu El. El being the poetic short form of Elohim. He would most likely have been born on day one and circumcised on day eight of the feast of Sukkot.
At this time of year, we recognize the Feast of Dedication which Yeshua Himself observed as noted in John 10:22, At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon.
So essentially, we have come to understand that Yeshua, Jesus, a Jew would not have celebrated the feast many of His followers celebrate this time of year. Yet, when we are wished a merry Christmas, we understand we are being wished well.
Still, after many years of pondering how to best respond to the spirit of the season, I have concluded that when wished a merry Christmas, it would be appropriate to say, “please be sure to keep the Christ child as the focus of your celebrations!” In so doing, He will hopefully lead you to leave behind this pagan observance, instead focusing on His Feast Days as set forth in His word, the Bible. He’s done that for many other sincere seekers, and He’ll gladly do it for you!
Here’s to Biblical Traditions and Festivals! Blessings.