Christmas celebration and its significance today

Rev SR Onesima *

Introduction:

Christmas is being celebrated every year in all the Christian countries around the world to mark the coming of Christ, the Son of God, in a human form to the human world. The word Christmas though very familiar with most us is in use only in the English speaking countries and it is known by different names in different countries.

As for examples, Christmas is known as "Yule Day" in Scandinavian countries, "Weihnucht" meaning 'Holy Night' in Germany and Switzerland, "Natividad" in Spain, "Natale" in Italy, "Noel" in French, "Baradin" perhaps in India and many others names in different dialects.

The word Christmas actually is a combination of two separate words – "Christ" from the Greek word "Christos" meaning "anointed one" and from the Hebrew "Mas" meaning "Tribute" which together form the word Christmas connoting "Tribute to Christ". In other word, Christmas is a tribute paid to Christ.

Origin of Christmas:

We now have inherited so many Christmas traditions. But it is said that for almost 300 years after the birth of Christ there was no observance of Christmas. As a matter of fact, some of the ancient church fathers held it to be a sin if a man ever celebrated at all the Savior's birth. No one can tell exactly when Christmas celebration originated.

The only fact available to us is the record of a physician turned Evangelist Luke telling us that it was by night when some shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock, an angel of the Lord stood before them, the glory of the Lord shone around them and announcing to them the birth of Christ the Lord and Savior in the city of David (Luke 2.8ff.).

Christmas was observed on different days in the past. The observance of December 25 most probably took place in Rome in A.D. 325 under the pursuance of a Christian Emperor in the person of Constantine and by the decree of Bishop Liberius of Rome in A.D. 354. The early church fathers probably chose December 25 as the feast of the Sun or Winter Solstice was a familiar Roman pagan feast celebrating the Victory of Light over Darkness.

This idea, though, was rejected at the famous council of Nicaea in A.D. 325, is understandable that the church intentionally opposed it to mean that the pagan festival SUN was foreshadowing the birth of Christ as prophesied by prophet Malachi as the SUN of RIGHTEOUNESS (Mal. 4.2). A righteous and devout man Simeon in the Gospel also affirmed Jesus Christ as "A light for revelation to the Gentiles" (Luke 2.32;cf. Matt. 4.16; 1 John 1.5).

Significance of Christmas Today:

Much traditions, customs and legends have been adapted in the celebration of Christmas in our day. In whatever way and manner we may celebrate Christmas in our day and even in the days to come. But, one thing, we all must be clear about is that the meaning and significance of Christmas should never be deviated.

As it has been pointed out earlier, the first ever celebrated Christmas was the account given by Evangelist Luke in his Gospel Chapter 2. The first ever Christmas message brought by the angel with a multitude of heavenly host was,
"...on earth peace among men..." (Luke 2.14).
Peace is a gift of Jesus Christ. His birth was prophesied by the Israelite prophets as "The Prince of Peace" (Isa. 9.6; Mic. 5.5).
Eventually, the NT shows the fulfilment of the messianic hope of peace in Jesus Christ (Luke 1.79; 2.14,29).
Jesus himself demonstrated the way of peace in his life time.

The OT principle of "eye for eye, tooth for tooth" was challenged by him and said,
"But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to the other also" (Matt. 5.38).
He forbade his disciples the use of sword even at the moment of his impending death at the garden of Gethsemane (Matt. 26.52ff.).
He was prepared to face a violent death himself rather than inflict violence on others.

He taught about love saying, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" which was also against the OT principle,
"You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy" (Matt. 5.43).
His first word from the cross was of forgiveness for his enemies (Luke 23.34).
He also taught his disciples to be at peace with one another (Mark 9.50b).
He left peace with his disciples saying,
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.
I do not give to you as the world gives" (John 14.27).
The peace that Jesus talked about is a peace that transcends all human understanding not as the world gives.

As we celebrate Christmas this year, may everyone of us remind ourselves the situation of our state where we live in the midst of deteriorating human condition of growing violence and destruction in the forms of terrorism, brutal oppression and killing, violation of human rights, hatred, communal fighting, robbery, corruption, hunger, agitations, kidnappings for ransom, human trafficking, and even self destroying drug addiction and HIV/AIDS. And ask ourselves whether we still can have a hope for peace in our troubled torn state?

Yes! Peace is the essence and centre of Christian life.

For "Christ is our Peace,
in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall,
that is, the hostility between us.
He abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances,
that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two,
thus making peace,
and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross,
thus putting to death the hostility through it.
So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off
and peace to those who were near..." - (Eph. 2.14-17).

This peace will not be given to us on a silver or golden platters. We have to work for it. We cannot be simply a peace lovers but have to be peacemakers. The peace of Christ must first rule in the hearts of those who seek peace and pursue it (Col.3.15ff.).

Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God" (Matt. 5.9).

Yes, dear friends! May the messianic vision of peace in Christ, the stump of Jesse, when
"... the wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the young lion and the falling together,
and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie together,
and lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp..." - (Isaiah 11. 6ff.),
be now realized in our midst.

Amen!