Dispelling the myths about Christmas
So here we are once again at the time of the year where this world comes together to celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, or at least that is what it should be!
Instead it has become way more than that. There are several reasons why it has become more focused on everything else other than Christ’s birth and I will look at a few things that have over shadowed his birth.
Christ vs. Santa;
Boy has Santa taken over the true and real meaning of Christmas. He has for many years now been the reason little boys and girls are not knotty but nice. He is the reason parents have lied to their kids for years about what Christmas is really commemorating. Cookies, coco, chimney’s, reindeer and slays are all a part of this extravagant lie we tell each year around this time. This is what this day and season has become when it comes to Santa being compared to Christ. Santa is the good guy who comes to reward all the good little boys and girls with gifts and materialistic items. So we do this once a year and at the same time we are asking our children to not lie to us! This is an oxymoron and we can only expect to get back from our children what we are unconsciously teaching them. So I know someone reading is not going to like what I have said but it is really true. I am not telling anyone how to live or what to do just speaking factually.
When it comes to Christ we know he was born to be the savior of the world according to my beliefs. He was a miracle and came to this earth miraculously. He is the Son of god and walked the earth as God in human form. He was born to be the atonement of the world. He is Christ the King. The sacrificial lamb that would eventually die for the remission of all humans sins. This is who we celebrate each year. This is who we acknowledge as the one who gave the biggest gift. This is who we mimic 365 days of the year not just during the winter time. He is the reason for the season and the reason why we love all year around. So in case anyone needed to be reminded or even understand why Christmas is, this is the reason!
Worship vs, shopping
This time each year is set aside for mankind to focus on the gift of Gods Son who was born. We are supposed to take the time to worship him because of who He is. We worship out of a respect and love for who Christ the King is.
Shopping has jumped in the driver’s seat and is being driven by capitalism. People have looked at the financial gains it can make and used this time of the year as a reason for people to spend money to show how much they love someone. Shopping has given people the misconception that this is what Christmas is all about. Christ has been lost in the season that is supposed to celebrate His birth. Merry Christmas has slowly turned into happy holidays to appease others while denying what Christmas really celebrates. So if you ask me what Christmas is I will say for sure that it is the celebration of our King being born! If you were to ask the average person they will tell you many other things that don’t relate to the birth of Jesus at all. Remember that Jesus is the reason for the season.
Giving vs. receiving
So when it comes to giving and why we give during this time of the year it is very clear the historical reason why gifts were even brought up. Christ received gifts when He was a young child from many wise men all over and as far east as Turkey to Bethlehem. These wise men brought the most expensive gifts at the time to pay respects to whom they had been promised would come. So this is how the whole giving gifts has come about during this season. The strangest thing is that when God saw fit to send His Son to the cross He was giving us the greatest gift that could ever be given. So there is nothing that can compare to this child being born to be the greatest gift to the world.
Receiving is what God wants us to do for the most part. It has never nor will it ever be about giving things to people. He gave His Son so that we could receive eternal life. He led by example so that we could mimic His behavior all year long. It has never been about gifts more than it has been about receiving the gift of Christ. So the challenge is not how much we can give to one another each year but how much love we receive from the Father who gave the ultimate gift. His gift trumps all gifts and is the gift that keeps on giving!
Christmas tree vs. tree of life’
We take the time each year to decorate our houses with many different items to light up our homes. The Christmas tree is one of those things that traditionally we decorate. We put many different things on our tree and typically top it with a star or an angel which most don’t even realize that is symbolic of the angel or star that led the wide men to Jesus. The three has so many different things it represents but they all lead back to the Savior of this world.
The tree of life is the tree that was chosen to be one that gave life. This tree was in the garden and if gave life but also death if eaten. It is important to remember that for everything that is real there is a counter fit. The tree of life can be traced all the way back to the beginning of mankind. The Christmas tree has taken many different forms and been worshiped by many different people throughout mankind but can be traced back to the garden and its origin in the beginning. So when listening to others who say that having a tree is pagan worship remember it has its roots in the genesis of mankind and only becomes bad when one worships it like its God.
Christmas tree roomers;
So for years I have heard many different things about the Christmas tree and what it means.
Jeremiah 10:1-5King James Version (KJV)
10 Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
2 Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.
This is one of the verses that has been used over the years to tell people that Christmas trees are bad and it is duplicating paganism. The only thing that is bad is when the tree becomes the focus of the holiday and not Christ. Once again I want you to understand that when it comes to the whole tree thing it gets its origin from the garden and the tree of life. People are very quick to jump to conclusions when it comes to what is right and or wrong. The thing to keep in mind is that everything we do is always determined by ones motives. The heart behind anything can either be good or bad but either way the heart is revealed through the actions one takes. So when it comes to the Christmas tree it is not wrong to have a tree during Christmas. What is wrong is when it becomes something that is worshiped over Christ during this time of the year.
So with that I wanted to dispel any roomers that may have been out there about what Christmas truly means. Although Christ has been over shadowed by many other things remember that Jesus is the only and true meaning of Christmas. The Savior of the world was born so that we all could be set free. So from now on remember that anything other than the worshiping of our King is just idolatry and really can be done anytime of the year if that is the case. Also remember that many other holidays that are celebrated in this country have pagan roots. So remember that it is the heart in which one celebrates this time of the year that determines what one truly is worshiping.
As always have a great day!
God bless you all, D