Jesus, Nativity and Mistletoe – What is the history of Christmas and how should it affect you? – Part 1
When I first started seriously asking questions about the Bible, God and Jesus, I received some answers I never expected and it has taken me years to develop my own view about Christ, His teachings and the Bible. And I will admit, I still do not have it all figured out… But one of the doctrines I have been struggling with the last few years is about how to celebrate Christmas, whether or not it is Biblical and what to do about it. This week I will talk about the topic of Christmas, its history, what it means and what you can do about it, using the Bible as the go to reference book of choice.
First, let’s talk about the date, it is December 25th and is very close to the winter solstice, which had its own celebration within the gentile nations. Probably partially because of the fact that it was a reminder, in the Northern Nations anyhow, that things were going to be warming up soon and was likely a way of celebrating the coming season of harvest and warmth. But was Jesus born on December 25th? It is hard to tell, but likely not, as it has been argued that the time the shepherds were out in the field connecting with the time of Jesus’s birth may have been closer to an October timeline. And speaking of Christmas trees specifically, there is a verse in the Old Testament that mentions a description of something that may have been similar to the ancient origin of the modern Christmas tree (Jeremiah 10:1-5). I will leave the truth of the meaning and purpose of that verse up to the reader to decide.
More to come…
Darrell
darrellmowat.wordpress.com 