Letter to the Brethren: December 19, 2024

Even though Jesus kept the biblical holy days and did not celebrate birthdays, many who claim to be His followers as well as many who do not make such a claim will be keeping the holiday set apart to celebrate the sun god Mithra next week on December 25th.

What does the Bible teach about the time of Jesus birth?

Here is a Roman Catholic-accepted translation of the account in the Gospel According to Luke:

1 Now it happened that at this time Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be made of the whole inhabited world. 2 This census — the first — took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria, 3 and everyone went to be registered, each to his own town.

4 So Joseph set out from the town of Nazareth in Galilee for Judaea, to David’s town called Bethlehem, since he was of David’s House and line, 5 in order to be registered together with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 Now it happened that, while they were there, the time came for her to have her child, 7 and she gave birth to a son, her first-born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the living-space.

8 In the countryside close by there were shepherds out in the fields keeping guard over their sheep during the watches of the night. 9 An angel of the Lord stood over them and the glory of the Lord shone round them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel said, ‘Do not be afraid. Look, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people. 11 Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 And here is a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.’

13 And all at once with the angel there was a great throng of the hosts of heaven, praising God with the words: 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace for those he favours.

15 Now it happened that when the angels had gone from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go to Bethlehem and see this event which the Lord has made known to us.’ 16 So they hurried away and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. 17 When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, 18 and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds said to them. (Luke 2:1-18, NJB)

Notice that, at the time of the census, Luke teaches that the shepherds were out all night in the field at the time of Jesus’ birth. This is biblical evidence that Jesus could not have been born in late December for a couple of reasons. One of them is that the practice of shepherds spending the night with their flocks outside ceased each Fall.

Consider also that we are told by Luke that we can rely on the verity (certainty, NKJV) of his writings:

3 It seemed good to me also, having diligently attained to all things from the beginning, to write to thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, 4 That thou mayest know the verity of those words in which thou hast been instructed. (Luke 1:3-4, DRB).

Furthermore, related to the reason that Joseph had to go to Bethlehem (the census) at the time of Jesus’ birth, even The Catholic Encyclopedia admits that the “census would have been impossible in winter” (Christmas, 1908). If something is impossible, then it did not happen.

Therefore, we can have certainty that December 25th was not possibly the day that Jesus was born.

Consider further that Jesus said:

24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. (John 4:24)

The truth is that Jesus was not born on December 25th and no early Christian celebrated His birthday.

Most of the symbols associated with Christmas are either pagan or otherwise based on lies.

Those are facts.

Here is a list of 25 things Christians should consider who wonder about observing Christmas:

1. In Leviticus 23, God lists His festivals–with specific dates.
2. In Jeremiah 10, God says not to follow pagan practices, such as using a decorated tree, in the worship of Him.
3. Nowhere in the Bible is the date of Jesus’ birth mentioned.
4. Scripture opposes the view that Jesus could have been born in late December because the “census would have been impossible in winter” per The Catholic Encyclopedia and because shepherds were not spending the night outside with their flocks then.
5. Nowhere in the Bible is anyone instructed to observe the date of Jesus’ birth.
6. The Bible does not show that Jesus’ disciples ever observed the date of Jesus’ birth.
7. At the time of Christ, observant Jews did not celebrate birthdays, nor did early Christians.
8. The Apostle Paul wrote that Christians were not to use demonic pagan practices (1 Corinthians 10:20).
9. Christmas was NOT part of the ‘faith once for all delivered to the saints’ (Jude 3).
10. Early church writings do not show that any Christian observed the date of Jesus’ birth.
11. The sun god Mithras was allegedly born on December 25th as the season was celebrated as the rebirth of the sun.
12. Pagans celebrated the sun-god Mithras and the god of agriculture Saturn in late December each year with lights, wreaths, parties, and gift-giving.
13. About 2 centuries after Jesus was born, Tertullian wrote that people in what we would now call the Eastern and Roman Catholic churches, used wreaths and lights, gave gifts, etc. in late December to be like the heathen. Pagan worship really is the “reason for the season.”
14. Tertullian condemned those practices as demonic and idolatrous and further wrote that those who professed Christ should not honor pagan gods in their worship.
15. The pagan Emperor Constantine worshiped the sun-god Mithras and celebrated Jesus’ birth on December 25th starting in 336 A.D.
16. Roman pontiffs followed Emperor Constantine’s lead and in 354 A.D., Bishop Liberius of Rome ordered the people to celebrate on December 25.
17. The anti-Semite Constantinople Bishop John Chrysostom, who opposed the biblical holy days, got a December 25th celebration adopted in his area by 395 A.D.
18. The word for Christmas in late Old English is Cristes Maesse, the Mass of Christ, first found in 1038, and Cristes-messe, in 1131. It most certainly did not come from the Bible.
19. The “twelve days of Christmas” originally came from the 12 days of Yuletide which began at sunset on December 20, known as Mother Night, and ended on the night of December 31, the Night of the Oak King and the Roman day of Hecate.
20. Mistletoe came from the pagan Druids.
21. Yule logs were originally a scandal to the Church of Rome, but were later embraced.
22. Roman Catholics originally condemned Protestantism as the “Tannenbaum religion” because of what are called Christmas trees. But now Vatican City prominently displays one each year.
23. It is wrong to bear false witness, including telling lies about the mythological Santa Claus.
24. Christmas is NOT a biblical nor truly a Christ-centered holiday. It is a sentimental and commercialized pagan tradition.
25. The Apostle Paul warned Christians that they were not above God’s wrath for combing pagan traditions with Christian practices (1 Corinthians 10:21).

Christmas is a distraction from the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.

It has the wrong emphasis and is not based on truth.

So brethren, try to not let the world’s emphasis on pagan celebrations affect you as we seek first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33) and strive to live by every word of God (cf. Matthew 4:4).

Remember, Christians say No to Christmas.