| Shout and be glad. I am coming and I will live among you. — Zechariah 2:10 |
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A Pagan Festival?
by Hank Hanegraaff, from The Complete Bible Answer Book
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 Shout and be glad. I am coming and I will live among you. — Zechariah 2:10
Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. — Colossians 2:16–17
As we continue our journey to the heart of Christmas, let’s pause for a moment to consider a common concern raised each year regarding the validity of celebrating Christ’s coming — namely, that when Christmas was originally instituted, December 25 was a pagan festival commemorating the birthday of a false god.
In response we should first acknowledge that this is substantially true. As noted by Dr. Paul Maier, eminent professor of ancient history at Western Michigan University, “The Romans of the time not only celebrated their Saturnalia festival at the close of December, but they also thought that December 25 marked the date of the winter solstice (instead of December 21), when they observed the pagan feast of Sol Invictus, the Unconquerable Sun, which was just in the act of turning about to aim northward once again.”
While this is indeed a historical fact, what is frequently overlooked is the reason the early Christian church chose December 25 as their day of celebration. The purpose was not to Christianize a time of pagan revelry, but to establish a rival celebration.
As such, Christmas (from Old English Crīstes +mœ ̄sse “Christ’s festival”) was designated as a spiritually edifying holiday (holy day) on which to proclaim the supremacy of the Son of God over superstitions concerning such gods as Saturn, the god of agriculture, and Sol Invictus, the unconquerable sun god.
While the world has all but forgotten the Greco-Roman gods of antiquity, it is annually reminded that two thousand years ago Christ, the hope of humanity, invaded time and space. But as Christians we perceive an even greater reality. Each year as we celebrate the First Advent of Christ, we are simultaneously reminded of the Second Advent in which the old order of things will pass away and Christ our Lord will put all things to right. As the prophet Zechariah put it,
'Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,’ declares the LORD. ‘Many nations will be joined with the LORD in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.' — Zechariah 2:10–11
If you cannot celebrate this, pray tell, what can you celebrate?
SCRIPTURE READING:
Acts 17:16–34
Angels From the Realms of Glory ~ James Montgomery
Angels from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o’er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation’s story
Now proclaim Messiah’s birth:
Come and worship, come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King.
Shepherds in the field abiding,
Watching o’er your flocks by night,
God with us is now residing;
Yonder shines the infant Light:
Come and worship, come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King.
Sages, leave your contemplations,
Brighter visions beam afar;
Seek the great Desire of nations;
Ye have seen His natal star.
Come and worship, come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King.
Saints, before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear;
Suddenly the Lord, descending,
In His temple shall appear.
Come and worship, come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King.
Excerpted with permission from The Complete Bible Answer Book by Hank Hanegraaff, copyright Thomas Nelson.
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Your Turn
As we Christians celebrate the First Advent of Christ, let us also be reminded of "the Second Advent in which the old order of things will pass away and Christ our Lord will put all things to right." How does the hope set before us change how we celebrate Christmas? What better time than Advent to share your faith with others? Spend some time today thinking about who in your life needs to hear the Good News and how you can utilize today's cultural themes, religions, poetry, music, art, and pop-culture as a segue for evangelism as Paul did! Join the conversation on our blog and share your ideas for evangelism! We'd love to hear from you! ~ Devotionals Daily
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