TWO CHRISTMAS SERMONS - 2002

CHRISTMAS 2002


1. What is Christmas?

This may seem an obvious question, but the answer we give may reveal our whole understanding of Christianity. It shows what we really think of Jesus.
Christmas is the English name for the Feast of the Nativity (or Birth) of Christ on 25 December - the "Christ-Mass”. Why December 25th? Christmas as such doesn’t seem to have been celebrated before the 4th century. We know that it was celebrated on December 25 in Rome in the year 336. It was only in the sixth century that the church in Jerusalem began to celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25. Some churches celebrate Christmas on January 6th, the feast of the Epiphany and not on our Christmas Day. It is a sad fact that the traditional Christmas feast is almost entirely pagan in origin. 25 December was the date of a Roman festival of the sun. The Roman festival of Saturnalia (December 17-24) was a time of merry-making, drunkenness and immorality. But it was also a time when the Romans gave one another presents. The church of Rome could not entirely stamp out the pagan festivals because they were so popular and so it tried to spiritualize them as the celebration of the birth of Christ. So Christmas was superimposed on Saturnalia.

2. When was Christ’s birthday?

It seems that the early church did not celebrate the birth of Jesus and so the date of Jesus’ birth was forgotten. The only way we can find out the real time of Jesus’ birthday is to look at the evidence of the Gospels. The Bible does not specifically state the date of Jesus’ birth. At least we know it didn’t take place in the middle of winter, since the shepherds were out in the fields with their sheep - so there was no snow and no ice! It is possible, however, to calculate the dates of the births of John the Baptist and Jesus by looking at the Gospels and other Jewish literature. It can be worked out when John the Baptist’s father was ministering in the temple, because the temple rotas have been recorded in the Talmud. John the Baptist would have been born on or around Passover (Nisan 14) in the spring - March-April. Mary conceived Jesus 6 months later (Luke 1:26-33) - which would bring us to the month of Kislev in November-December. Kislev 25 is the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. Hanukkah is known as "the festival of lights" - was Jesus, the ”light of the world”, conceived on the Festival of Lights? If we count the 9 months of Mary’s pregnancy from Kislev 25 we arrive at the approximate time of the birth of Jesus - the FESTIVAL OF TABERNACLES in the month of Tishri - September-October.
The Feast of Tabernacles is a week-long autumn harvest festival beginning on the 15th of Tishri (September or October). It is also known as the Feast of Booths, or Sukkot in Hebrew. The Feast of Tabernacles was the final and most important holiday of the Jewish year. The word "Sukkoth” meaning "booths” refers to the temporary dwellings or tents that the Jews were commanded by God to live in during this holiday. Leviticus 23:43: "That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.”
During the Feast of Tabernacles the Jewish Law required all male Jews to come to the Temple in Jerusalem. There would be so many Jews filling the roads to Jerusalem that many of them stayed in the surrounding towns. One of these towns is Bethlehem, about 5 miles - 8 kilometres - from Jerusalem. So if Joseph and Mary were travelling to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, it is not surprising that the inn was full. There were just too many visitors. And it was common for officials to declare tax time during a temple feast. But if it was the Feast of Tabernacles there were plenty of temporary dwellings or booths. In fact, during harvest the fields were full of these temporary dwellings to provide shelter for animals. In Genesis 33:17 we read, "Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built himself a house, and made booths for his cattle; therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.” Traditionally we have thought of the place where Jesus was born as a stable, which is a building for horses rather than cattle. There is also a tradition that Jesus was born in a cave. But if it is correct that Jesus was actually born in a sukkah, a tabernacle, then we need to see the Christmas story in a whole new light. In John chapter 1:14 we read that "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” In fact, what John said was that the Word, Jesus, became flesh and "tabernacled” among us. He lived temporarily, in a human body, among men and women.

3. How did Jesus celebrate his birthday?

As an observant Jew, Jesus observed the Jewish festivals. On one such Feast of Tabernacles he went up to a mountain with his closest friends and disciples - Peter, James and John - and there he was transfigured - his appearance changed and his face shone. And they saw Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus. Peter offered to build three "booths” or "tabernacles” for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. This event, known as the Transfiguration, seems to be what John is referring to in John 1:14:
"the Word became flesh and "tabernacled” among us...we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.” John chapter 1 is one of the traditional Gospel passages read at Christmas. It links the Incarnation with the Transfiguration - that is , the Word becoming flesh with the revelation of His glory. And if we are correct, it is the Feast of Tabernacles that links the Incarnation with the Transfiguration.

4. How did the apostles celebrate his birthday?

It would seem that the apostles did not celebrate the birthday of Jesus except for celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles. The apostle Paul says briefly in Galatians 4:4 that "when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law...”, but he does not say what time he means, nor does he even mention Mary’s name.
But the apostles did emphasize at least two things - firstly that Jesus was the promised Messiah, the Son of David, and secondly that not only had he come once but that he was coming again in glory. The apostolic church looked back to God’s promises to Israel, commemorated in the festivals, and looked forward to the messianic age, when the Messiah would reign over all nations.
Certainly the Jewish disciples did not celebrate the birth of the Messiah by eating joulukinkku - Christmas ham - which would have been a mockery to the Jews. Rather they gave new meaning to the Jewish festivals of Tabernacles and Passover - the Messiah would not only be coming in the future, but he had already come to save his people from thier sins and would be coming again a second time to judge the world.

5. How should we celebrate Christmas?

Jesus is no longer the baby of Bethlehem - he is the Risen Lord, the King of Kings. Boys, at least teenage boys, at least don’t like being reminded that they were once weak, helpless babies. Sometimes I wonder how Jesus feels about people being sentimental about him as a baby but forgetting or not even realizing that he is alive today, no longer a helpless baby but Lord of heaven and earth. How does he feel when he is remembered as a baby but ignored as an adult? How does he feel when more attention is paid to his mother than to him?
Faced with the increasing commercialism of Christmas, many Christians have come up with slogans such as "Put Christ back into Christmas” and "Jesus is the reason for the season” because Christmas is empty without Jesus. We want a Christmas that is Christ-centred, not an excuse for overeating and drinking. We want reality not just Christmas traditions.
A number of Christians, especially those from a Jewish background, are celebrating the birth of Christ during the Feast of Tabernacles in September or October, and either nor celebrating Christmas at all or keeping it as a second "official” birthday. Maybe this is something to be recommended.
Christmas then is a time to remember that God became man in Jesus of Nazareth, that he is the Messiah, the King of Israel. That he died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins, that he rose again, that he is alive today, and that he is coming again.

"What can I give him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd,
I would bring a lamb.
If I were a wise man,
I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give him -
Give my heart.”

"He came to his own home, and his own people received him not. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God”. (John 1:11-12)

This Christmas, are we ready to receive Jesus into our hearts and lives, not as the baby of Bethlehem, but as Lord of all? Will we allow Jesus to come into our everyday lives, into our decision-making, into our worship, into our prayers? Will we allow him to give us new life?