I decided to take a break from my Sabbath discussion in order to discuss a topic that has really been on my mind lately. We have officially entered the Christmas season, so I thought it appropriate to discuss the holiday a bit. Growing up, I loved Christmas! I couldn’t wait for this season. I loved everything about it - the tree, the lights, Santa Claus, presents, spiced cider and vacation. Was Jesus a part of my Christmas? Sure, my mom tried really hard to get our attention as kids. She would gather us and make us listen to the story of Christ’s birth; we had nativity scenes around the house and participated in church plays etc. But that was never what I looked forward to. It was the family get together, the food, the presents and the décor that attracted my attention as a kid. As I grew and began to establish my own family I saw myself doing the same thing as my mom. I tried to force Jesus into Christmas. I tried to teach my kids that, amidst all the décor and fun, Jesus was the real reason for the season. But, even as an adult He just never seemed to take center stage. Maybe that is the fault of our materialistic culture, but no matter how hard I tried I could not elevate Jesus to the place I thought He should be in the holiday. Why? I don’t know, maybe some Christians are successful, but I never was.
As I began to study the feasts of the Lord and to participate in them I saw a different picture. These celebrations were so centered on God that there was no mistaking the reason for the feast. It was so intertwined with the fun and food and traditions. What a stark difference! Why couldn’t Christmas be like this? So I started to question the reason for the Christmas season. I started to look into the historical and biblical reason we celebrate Christmas. I started asking really hard questions. My journey led me away from the Christmas season as I realized that Jesus is not the real reason for the season.
Instead, paganism is the reason for the season. The Christians stole the pagan traditions, renamed them Christmas, and tried to insert Jesus as the reason for the season. No wonder He never fit! The motivation for this blog post is to explore what God thinks of Christmas.
Instead, paganism is the reason for the season. The Christians stole the pagan traditions, renamed them Christmas, and tried to insert Jesus as the reason for the season. No wonder He never fit! The motivation for this blog post is to explore what God thinks of Christmas.
As I began to study the origins of what we do at Christmas, I was over and over again led to pagan origins. The Christmas tree, décor, food, Santa, the advent wreath and candles, etc. Everything I loved about Christmas came directly out of paganism. This should not surprise any one; it is not hard information to find if you look for it. I don’t think there are any studied individuals that deny that these things come from paganism. Once I discovered this fact I wanted to know if these things were still connected to paganism today.
So I started looking at pagan sources to see what they had to say for themselves. Sure enough Paganism in the form of Wicca, Druidism and other forms are growing movements today. They are a throw back to the very same paganism that many ceremonies and traditions of Christianity were born. And almost all of the things Christians do at Christmas are identical to what is done in paganism. You have the evergreen tree with the five pointed pentagram on top. The advent wreath, also called an advent wreath by pagans complete with candles that are lit as they approach the winter solstice. You have the Yule log, which is thrown in the fire and believed to reappear as a tree the following morning. Even the colors of red and green are used for the pagan yule celebration. Santa is a compilation of many pagan god myths. As I studied, one thing after another kept popping up as originating in paganism. And not only did these traditions originate as pagan practices, but they are still being practiced by modern day pagans today.
So I started looking at pagan sources to see what they had to say for themselves. Sure enough Paganism in the form of Wicca, Druidism and other forms are growing movements today. They are a throw back to the very same paganism that many ceremonies and traditions of Christianity were born. And almost all of the things Christians do at Christmas are identical to what is done in paganism. You have the evergreen tree with the five pointed pentagram on top. The advent wreath, also called an advent wreath by pagans complete with candles that are lit as they approach the winter solstice. You have the Yule log, which is thrown in the fire and believed to reappear as a tree the following morning. Even the colors of red and green are used for the pagan yule celebration. Santa is a compilation of many pagan god myths. As I studied, one thing after another kept popping up as originating in paganism. And not only did these traditions originate as pagan practices, but they are still being practiced by modern day pagans today.
So, I had established that paganism is present in the modern world and that most of the activities we participated in during the Christmas season were stolen from paganism. Now what? How did that happen? So I began to look into church history. What I found was that the birth of Christ was not mentioned as a feast until the 4th century. The early believers did not celebrate it. It seems that paganism was chosen by the church fathers to commemorate the birth of our Messiah on purpose. The idea was that it would draw more pagans into Christianity if they did not have to give up their pagan ways entirely, so the church ‘redeemed’ the pagan ways for God and syncretized the birth of the Messiah with the Pagan festivals revolving around the birth of the sun at the winter solstice. If you are questioning these origins right now, I suggest you do some study on the matter. Don’t believe me, check it out. Do a couple searches online for the pagan origins of Christmas; you will find an abundance of info. Don’t trust the internet? Look it up at your local library, pull out your encyclopedias, or check out the history channel, they tend to run specials on the origins of Christmas this time of year. There is no shortage of sources to verify this information. This is not what I want to focus on in this blog. The origins of Christmas are documented and well established in Paganism.
What I want to discuss is does this matter: Can we worship God in any way we desire? Is it okay to worship Him using pagan ways? Can pagan ways be redeemed for God? What does scripture tell us about this topic?
What I want to discuss is does this matter: Can we worship God in any way we desire? Is it okay to worship Him using pagan ways? Can pagan ways be redeemed for God? What does scripture tell us about this topic?
Here are a few verses pertaining to the way God views paganism:
Leviticus 18:1-5
Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the sons ofIsrael land of Egypt where you lived, nor are you to do what is done in the land of Canaan
Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the sons of
We are not to do what the pagan nations (Egypt) do.
Leviticus 18:24-30
“…Do not defile yourselves by any of these things; for by all these the nations which I am casting out before you have become defiled.’for the land has become defiled, therefore I have brought its punishment upon it, so the land has spewed out its inhabitants. But as for you, you are to keep My statutes and My judgments and shall not do any of these abominations, {neither} the native, nor the alien who sojourns among you (for the men of the land who have been before you have done all these abominations, and the land has become defiled); so that the land will not spew you out, should you defile it, as it has spewed out the nation which has been before you. For whoever does any of these abominations, those persons who do {so} shall be cut off from among their people. Thus you are to keep My charge, that you do not practice any of the abominable customs which have been practiced before you, so as not to defile yourselves with them; I am the LORD your God.' "
“…Do not defile yourselves by any of these things; for by all these the nations which I am casting out before you have become defiled.’for the land has become defiled, therefore I have brought its punishment upon it, so the land has spewed out its inhabitants. But as for you, you are to keep My statutes and My judgments and shall not do any of these abominations, {neither} the native, nor the alien who sojourns among you (for the men of the land who have been before you have done all these abominations, and the land has become defiled); so that the land will not spew you out, should you defile it, as it has spewed out the nation which has been before you. For whoever does any of these abominations, those persons who do {so} shall be cut off from among their people. Thus you are to keep My charge, that you do not practice any of the abominable customs which have been practiced before you, so as not to defile yourselves with them; I am the LORD your God.' "
We become defiled when we practice the ways of the pagans.
Deuteronomy 12:29-32
"When the LORD your God cuts off before you the nations which you are going in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, beware that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How do these nations serve their gods, that I also may do likewise? You shall not behave thus toward the LORD your God, for every abominable act which the LORD hates they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. "Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it.
"When the LORD your God cuts off before you the nations which you are going in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, beware that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How do these nations serve their gods, that I also may do likewise? You shall not behave thus toward the LORD your God, for every abominable act which the LORD hates they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. "Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it.
We are not to mimic the ways that pagans worship their gods and redeem that type of worship for the LORD!
Jeremiah 10:1-5
“Hear the word which the LORD speaks to you, O house ofIsrael
“Hear the word which the LORD speaks to you, O house of
Here is a great article on why this verse may actually be a reference to the modern day Christmas tree: http://www.askelm.com/doctrine/d911101.htm We are not to learn the ways of the pagans, and we are not to participate in the ways of the pagans.
The following are messages to the churches mentioned in the prophetic book of Revelation and commentary from the NASB study bible explaining how these churches were rebuked for their mixing with paganism.
The following are messages to the churches mentioned in the prophetic book of Revelation and commentary from the NASB study bible explaining how these churches were rebuked for their mixing with paganism.
Message to Pergamum: Revelation 2:14-15
“But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit {acts of} immorality. So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.”
“Nicolatians. A heretical sect within the church that had worked out a compromise with the pagan society. They apparently taught that spiritual liberty gave them sufficient leeway to practice idolatry and immorality. Tradition identifies them with Nicolas, the proselyte ofAntioch who was one of the first seven deacons in the Jerusalem Pergamum
NASB Zondervan Study Bible notes on Rev. 2:6
Message to Thyatira: Revelations 2:20
“But I have {this} against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit {acts of} immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.”
“Jezebel. See 1 Kin 16:31; 2 Kin 9:22’30-37. The name is used here as an epithet for a prominent woman in the congregation who undermined loyalty to god by promoting tolerance toward pagan practices.”
NASB Zondervan Study Bible notes on Rev. 2:20
“But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit {acts of} immorality. So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.”
“Nicolatians. A heretical sect within the church that had worked out a compromise with the pagan society. They apparently taught that spiritual liberty gave them sufficient leeway to practice idolatry and immorality. Tradition identifies them with Nicolas, the proselyte of
NASB Zondervan Study Bible notes on Rev. 2:6
Message to Thyatira: Revelations 2:20
“But I have {this} against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit {acts of} immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.”
“Jezebel. See 1 Kin 16:31; 2 Kin 9:22’30-37. The name is used here as an epithet for a prominent woman in the congregation who undermined loyalty to god by promoting tolerance toward pagan practices.”
NASB Zondervan Study Bible notes on Rev. 2:20
These are just a few examples in scripture of how God views the idea of redeeming pagan ways for worship of Him. We are not to do it! Pagan ways cannot be redeemed for God!
This is the reason my family has decided not to participate in Christmas. We do however celebrate the birth of our Messiah. But it is very clear that He was not born on December 25th. I personally believe that Yeshua was born during the feast of Sukkoth for numerous reasons that can be found in the Bible. It is so fitting that He was born during this time of year as Jesus/Yeshua is God dwelling amongst man - which is exactly what is celebrated at Sukkoth. It is a remembrance of God indwelling the Tabernacle. Yeshua is the Tabernacle that God dwelled in, He is the Sukkah, the tent, the dwelling place of God. For more info on when Yeshua was born according to scripture here is a great article: http://biblelight.net/sukkoth.htm
I know some Christians today are not aware of the pagan origins of the season, or maybe they are but don’t really understand why it matters. I used to be in this latter category. But, then I began to ask questions, and study God’s Word and history a little closer. I encourage those of you in one of these two categories to study to show yourself approved (2 Tim 2:15). Ask yourself what God desires, seek to please Him alone! Are our fond memories of Christmas enough to redeem it for God? I have wondered if Lot’s wife didn’t have the same fond memories of the customs of Sodom
I will leave you with the following analogy. Let’s suppose you meet and marry a man whom was previously married. You have told your husband that you love yellow roses. You have made it clear to him that you want yellow roses on your anniversary. You have also told him you hate sunflowers. You have told him that you know that sunflowers are the flowers he used to bring to his ex-wife. His ex-wife loves sunflowers, they were her favorite flower. Your husband decides to bring you sunflowers on the anniversary of him and his ex-wife’s marriage. He tells you that he thought he would redeem those things his ex liked by giving them to you, because he loves you so much. And He also decides to ignore your real anniversary, saying that it’s not really important which date you celebrate. You can just celebrate your anniversary on his ex's and his anniversary. How would you feel? Would you want to accept his gift? God has told us how we are to worship Him, so why would we try to worship Him in the way that we worshipped our ex-gods?
Shalom!
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