The
Truth in Print Vol. 31 Issue 11, Dec. 2025
A
Publication of the Valley church of Christ,
2375
W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364 (928-782-5058)
Website
Address ~ http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
Replacing
the Truth with Christmas Tradition
We'll
hear soon that Christ has been left out of Christmas. Some will say we need to
put Christ back into Christmas. Have you ever asked one just what it is that
they desire to put in? After all there is nothing said about the practice or
tradition of observing Christmas as worship for the church in the New Testament
as the will of Christ.
JOSEPH
RECEIVED HELP IN UNDERSTANDING JESUS' BIRTH
Matthew
1:18-25 gives a wealth of information about Jesus' birth. Here we find that God
helped Joseph to understand the significance of His birth. Matthew records
Joseph's "dream" which was one way God communicated with man during
the Mosaic dispensation (Heb. 1:1-2). Joseph, being a just man, had determined
to put Mary away privately as he'd come to have knowledge of her pregnancy. The
dream revealed that Mary had done no wrong for this was "of the Holy
Spirit." This was far beyond man's procreative powers and what was taking
place was according to God's appointed time (Galatians 4:4; Ephesians 1:10;
Daniel 2:44; Isaiah 7:14). Joseph accepted the fact that this was a miraculous
birth and, "she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus,
for He will save His people from their sins." Jesus literally means
Savior. This was in fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14. This remarkable
prophecy came from a prophet of God who lived and wrote events which took place
from about 745 to 695 BC. Matthew 1:23-25 says they shall call his name
Immanuel "which being interpreted is, God with us." This is
important. The connection is always that Jesus was God in the flesh (see John
1:1-3,14). Thus, we have recorded "the birth of Jesus Christ"
(Matthew 1:18). This means that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah the Jews were
looking for! It also means that He is the Savior of all men, both Jews and
Gentiles (Romans 1:16-17). The point that needs to be made here is that there
are not two Saviors. There is not one for the Gentiles and another Messiah for
the Jews who has not yet come. Our text above tells us that Mary remained a
virgin until or after the birth of the Savior. The doctrine that she remained a
"perpetual" virgin is unfounded by the scriptures. Matthew 13:55-56
and Marks 6:3 names his brothers and states that he had sisters as well!
Realize what this does to major Catholic dogma.
THE
ACTUAL PLACE WHERE JESUS WAS BORN
Luke
chapter 2:1-5 tells us why Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem (the city of
David) at the time the Christ child is born. Caesar Augustus had decreed that
all should be registered, and they had gone there to Joseph's own city. From
Nazareth to Bethlehem would have been a trip of about seventy miles. Here, in
Bethlehem, we see further fulfillment of prophecy for Micah had said, Micah
5:2, "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands
of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in
Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."
THE
ACTUAL BIRTH
The
actual birth is recorded in just two verses in Luke 2:6-7. All the text says
about the day is "this day" (Luke 2:11). God did not tell us the day
or the year. It is simply impossible to know the exact date of Jesus' birth. Do
you think that God wanted us to observe the "day" when He did not
want us to know the day? Had God wanted us to incorporate the day into the
worship of the church He would have specified the day and authorized such. The
unauthorized practice of putting Christ in "Christmas" is obvious
when churches plan a program of entertainment "for" the Christmas
Season.
LESSONS
LEARNED FROM THE SHEPHERDS IN THE FIELD
In Luke
2:8-20 we have the account of the angel appearing the shepherds who were out in
the fields by night tending their sheep. Obviously, the angel's appearance was
God's way of spreading the news of Christ's birth. But the lesson goes beyond
that. Since they were still in the fields by night it is believed by some this
would have been sometime during the months of October and November. No one is
exactly certain on this. It is not likely that the
taxation would have been in the dead of winter either! But we must remember
that Israel's winter is not our winter. Notice who the angel said the child
born is: Luke 2:11, "For unto you is born this
day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." There can
be no mistake that this is the Messiah! John tells us in John 1:41 that Messiah
is translated the Christ. The place is the place the prophet said it would be.
The words Savior, Christ, Lord, and Messiah give the absolute title of Deity!
One
important aspect of this is the "saying" of the heavenly host
recorded here. Luke tells us that suddenly there was with the angel a multitude
of the heavenly host praising God and saying: NASV [14] "Glory to God in
the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."
There are
two fundamental parts to this saying: 1. Glory to God in the highest; 2. On
earth peace (good will) among men with whom He (God) is pleased.
Notice that
the men are those in whom God is pleased! Such men would be the Shepherds who
obeyed God that night, or Joseph with his wife Mary, or Simeon (Luke 2:34) who
is (a prophet) one who understood the Old Testament prophesies and was not
prejudiced as so many Jews were to the Old Mosaic Covenant. He was waiting for
the Christ who would be the fulfillment of the Law and whose blood would be the
blood of the new testament shed for the remission of sins (Matthew 26:28). He
knew that Christ was for both the Gentiles and the Jews and said so! In
contrast to such men, however, God was not pleased with men such as Herod who
hated the child when he learned of his birth. To associate Christ with just
"good will" among men regardless of their obedience to God's will is
a perversion of the meaning of this passage. God is not pleased with men
(people) who revel at drinking parties, despise the truth, are covetous, or who
exploit others "in the name of Christ" through their organizations this
time of the year! Nor was He pleased with the "likes" on the night
Jesus was born! People get kissy-huggy at Xmas time, don't they? But somehow
people have been overtaken by the mistaken idea that God's pleasure rests at
this "season" (secular) upon everybody regardless of their deeds, and
even upon those who are worldly and know they are and have no determination to
be otherwise. This is wrong! This shows they are not studying about the birth
of Christ as they should be.
THE
WISE MEN AND THE STAR
Let's
look quickly at Matthew 2:1-15. The wise men followed the star until it stood
over "the house" where the young Child was! One fact we can pin down
here is that Jesus is not a newborn babe in the manger when the wise men come.
That scraps many a manger scene put up for display! Furthermore, it says
"the young child." By now Jesus is referred to as "the young
child" and the wise men finally find him in a house. It does not say there
were three wise men, nor does it name them. And it does not say that they
presented exactly three gifts to Him. The important thing is they
"worshipped Him." Only God is worthy of worship! Where they were
living when they fled to Egypt I don't know for sure, but from Luke 2 it does
appear that they went to Jerusalem from Bethlehem (2:22) and then returned to
Nazareth from Jerusalem (2:39).
CONCLUSION
What the
inspired text has to say about the birth of Christ is particularly important.
It is the truth. Each Christian has the responsibility to uphold the truth of
God's word to the best of his ability. If we don't then it will be replaced by
human tradition. The love for and practice of human tradition is what Jesus
says constitutes vain or empty worship. So, it is this very season, dear
reader, wherein so many vainly worship Him. Many will attend a church service
that has incorporated Christmas into the work of the church. The
vast majority of people think that their mere human tradition is the
truth today. They errantly seek to put Christmas into Christ, but it does not
fit! Take time to reflect upon the truth of God's word and see the church plays
(entertainment), singing performances (the kids are sure cute and grandpa and
ma are sure to be there), etc., and various displays in the foyers, parties,
etc., for what they really are. This is nothing more than man's empty
tradition! It is practiced by a people who have forgotten how to worship God in
spirit and in truth (John 4:24). And those who know it has no place do not have
the courage to speak up against it lest they should be cast out of the
synagogue! We find no such thing in the worship of disciples in the first
century church in the New Testament. You do not have to remain among them and
be lost with them!
By Bob W. Lovelace
NOTE: Concerned reader, to learn more about New
Testament worship go to "Fundamental Lessons on the Church," Lesson
Five, "The Worship of The Church" at our website listed below, or use
—
http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com/articles/churchfive.htm .
Valley Church of Christ
2375 W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ
85364
(928) 782-5058 ~
http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
Sunday Services – Classes ~10:00;
Assembly 10:50 am; Evening: 6:00 pm.
Wednesday evening – 7:00 pm
To learn more call, visit or visit our website at:
http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com