By Weylan Deaver
No one knows Jesus was born on December 25. The best that can be said is that December 25 is Christ’s birthday, by tradition, but that is a long way from provable fact. Had God wanted us to know the exact date, he would have told us. That no one knows Jesus’ date of birth is evidence God never intended for it to be religiously observed. The first mention of celebrating Jesus’ birth in the extant historic records does not occur until A.D. 336. Even though December 25 cannot be proven as Jesus’ birthday, some may ask, “Isn’t it still good that so many think about Jesus on that day?” Well, it is certainly good to think about Jesus. The problem is, most do not think about him enough. They do not meditate on his message. They do not let the gospel bring them to obedience. In the end, what good does it do a person to keep Jesus’ birth in his thoughts during a particular season of the year, if he is not going to obey the Lord throughout the year? As Jesus remarked, “You are my friends if you do what I command you” (John 15:14, ESV). Jesus commanded many things, including repentance (Luke 13:3), baptism (Mark 16:16), and putting God first in everything (Matthew 6:33). Jesus never demanded we celebrate his birthday. To remember his birth while forgetting his commands does no one any lasting good. If one wants to focus thoughts on the Lord’s birth at Christmas, then he ought to follow up by focusing on the Lord, including all his commands, every day. The gospel is not seasonal (2 Timothy 4:2), and Jesus’ words will judge us all one day (John 12:48). Visit us at the church of Christ, where our goal is not to keep Christ in Christmas, but, rather, to keep Christ constantly.
Biblical Notes 