What did December 25 originally celebrate?

For some time before the coming of Christianity, December 25 was a time of pagan celebration. The pagans knew that at this point in their calendar the shortest day and longest night had passed, that little by little the sun would rise higher and remain longer in the sky, bringing with it the promise of spring.

Prior to this day occurred the week-long Roman feast called Saturnalia (December 17-24), held in honor of the deity Saturn. This festival brought hopes for peace, happiness, and goodness that supposedly occurred during Saturn's reign.

Emperor Aurelian (A.D. 270-275) quickly capitalized upon the heathen worship of the sun and, in the year A.D. 274, officially declared December 25 as the birthday of the Unconquered Sun (dies natalis solis invicti). -- These Times, December, 1981, pg. 22

Clearly what Aurelian did had nothing to do with recognizing the birth of the SON of God. But it formed the basis of the day on which about 100 years later the western church "Christianized" the day and claimed it as a day to celebrate the coming of the Messiah into the world.

But the early church did not think about the birth of the message or the messenger as much as the finishing of the message and the victory of the messenger - for that which was even from the very beginning or Biblical history was the foundation on which they built, and everything began and built towards one earth changing event - when Christ finished the work of purchasing the right to a restored relationship with God...... It's God's gift to you.... Will you unwrap what God has given and set it aside? Or will you pass it by as nice but of no value to what you need to do in life? Or will you receive it, rejoice in it and live in it as if your life counted on it? For it does both now and forever!! If you give your son or daughter the gift of a future - investing in school, in a new business a new hope - what would you desire them to do with it? What can you make them do with it?

Your father has given you a new career, a new business philosophy, a new lifestyle to enter and enjoy. If you wish to remain in spiritual poverty you may, because God cannot force his riches on you. But if you want to discover the richness of God you have to unwrap the gift and use it to discover the great delights and the great changes that will work in your life. Both your joys and your sorrows will change.

Let's look at the scriptures and what they mention the role or the place of the Holy Spirit was in the birth of Christ.

WHAT ROLE DID THE HOLY SPIRIT HAVE IN JESUS'S COMING?

Here the message that comes to Joseph - Mary's betrothed wife who has found her to now be with child, but not by relations with him, and what he is told the role the Holy Spirit has played in the conception of Christ.

Matt. 1:18 -21 (NIV) This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

The society in which Joseph and Mary lived were aware of the great consequences of children born into situations without the ocmmitment of a loving father and mother, and out of wedlock births were not ignored.

Luke 1:35 -41 (NIV) The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God." "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

It certainly could not have been an easy thing for Mary to hear what she is going to hear from an angel, and to know the possible reaction of Joseph and her friends and neighbors as what was proclaimed became obvious in her body, and the questions began to arise. Was Joseph transgressing their marital arrangements by being with her before it was time? Was Mary being unfaithful to Joseph? If there was someone else who could it be:? But Mary has a submissive spirit to let God's Spirit do as it was going to do in her body. A kinsman's wife and family is also included in the prophecy that is given. And immediately Mary went to see her.

Let's look at what the scriptures say happened when Zechariah was told about Elizabeth being with child in her advanced years that would be opening the way for the Messiah to come on the world scene.

Luke 1:11-17 (NIV) Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

Luke 1:67 -68 (NIV) (Pastor's note - in context this passage continues the reference to John - later called John the Baptist and what his father declares at his birth when his voice is restored) His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people.

There were also other "witnesses" who were given the opportunity to share in what God's Spirit was doing. Let's look at a passage that talks about a faithful man who had served in the temple for much of his life..... looking for the promised Messiah.

Luke 2:25-29 (NIV) Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace.

What he had been waiting for had arrived and he was content for his life to come to a close in God's timing.

A striking Christmas card was once published with the title "If Christ Had Not Come". It was founded upon our Savior's words "If I had not come." The card represented a pastor's falling into a short sleep in his study on Christmas morning and dreaming of a world into which Jesus had never come.

In his dream he found himself looking through his home, but there were no little stockings in the chimney corner, no Christmas bells or wreaths of holly, and no Christ to comfort, gladden and save. He walked out to the street, but there was no church with its spire pointing to Heaven. He came back and sat down in his library, but every book about the Savior had disappeared.

The doorbell rang and a messenger asked the preacher to visit his poor, dying mother. He hastened with the weeping child, and as he reached the home he sat down and said, "I have something here that will comfort you." He opened his Bible to look for a familiar promise, but it ended with Malachi. There was no Gospel and no promise of hope and salvation, and he could only bow his head and weep with her in bitter despair.

Two days later he stood beside her coffin and conducted the funeral service. There was no message of consolation, no hope of heaven.

Christmas is based on an exchange of gifts, the gift of God to man--His unspeakable gift of His Son, and the gift of man to God--when we present our bodies a living sacrifice. -- Vance Havner. Christianity Today, Vol. 31, no. 18.

God's package has come - the gift is yours - but you must unwrap and use it.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Pastor Russ