Does Christmas Have Pagan Origins?

Christians around the world believe Christmas is a time to remember the incarnation of Christ.

But does the celebration of the Christmas season have pagan origins? That's just one of the questions we'll be answering on today's edition of CORE Christianity. Hi, this is Bill Meyer, along with my friend, Pastor Adriel Sanchez. And this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. You can call us with your question at 833-THE-CORE. That's 1-833-843-2673. You can also post your question on our Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter accounts. And you can email us with your question at questionsatcorechristianity.com. So Pastor Adriel, you just returned from a few days at your mom's house, and grandma was there too.

How was your time? I don't know if you ever had that, Bill. What is pozole?

Well, it's not pronounced that way for one. But it's this sort of stew with pork and hominy and chili. I love spicy food. So I mean, it's just, you know, the perfect light stew. Not really, but it was absolutely delicious. And so we had a good time. Now I'm recovering doing sit ups. Well, let's get to our first question of the day.

This one is a Facebook post from Bruce. He says, Fear is very real in our country these days. How do we as Christians keep our faith in these uncertain times? How can we connect our faith to very real and palpable fear that we feel in the world around us? Yeah, Bruce, thinking about your question, the first thing I want to say is just be immersed in the Word of God, because there is story after story of how God saw his people through very difficult situations, times where fear was really at the doorstep. I mean, you think of the slavery in Egypt and being delivered out of Egypt. You think of the exile later on, you know, when the Babylonians came against the people of God. All these instances where fear was a very pressing reality, and yet God was still there with his people, speaking to his people, giving them hope and comfort, and even guidance in the midst of those difficult times. And I think if there's anything that the Bible can give us, it's hope during times of great fear.

And the other thing I would say is this. One of the main things that I see all around us right now, and I'm sure you're seeing the same thing, is just a fear concerning death, especially the coronavirus pandemic has brought this front and center. We were talking some time ago about how now, you know, you're just hearing the language of death all over the place. You know, every day you check the news and it says, this many people have died. And it's interesting because as a society, we really try to avoid talking about death altogether, don't we?

I mean, we've sort of tried to dress it up. It's just a natural part of life. We even depict it as this beautiful thing, but the fact of the matter is, is when a pandemic hits you, you realize death is anything but beautiful. Actually, it's precisely what the Bible says that it is.

It's the great enemy of humanity. And here, I think we point people, Bruce, to the hope of the resurrection. We really don't make this connection as often as I think we need to, but the Christian faith gives us hope in the face of our greatest fear, the fear of death, because Jesus came to conquer death. Through his life, his death, and his resurrection, put away sin and give us the hope of eternal life and even the resurrection of the body. And I think of what the author of the Hebrew said in Hebrews chapter 2, verses 14 and 15.

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself, Jesus, likewise partook of the same things that through death, he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. You know, we look around us right now and we see a lot of people who are still enslaved to the fear of death. Now, I'm not saying we minimize the reality of things like the pandemic. We don't take it seriously.

I think that there's a foolish way to approach this as well. But the reality is, is we don't have to be gripped, enslaved to the fear of death because we know the one who has actually conquered death, Jesus. And so, Bruce, I think in these days, in days where people are gripped by that fear, we need to cling all the more to the message of the resurrection of the dead, the hope that Jesus gives to us, and share that with others because people are talking about death right now in a way that they weren't two years ago, a year and a half ago. People are afraid and Jesus gives us hope and meaning. And so we turn to him.

And I think that's the primary thing that we have to do, Bruce. And I pray that the Lord gives you comfort and peace. And I pray that the Lord gives you comfort and peace as you continue to search the scriptures and rest in what Jesus has done for you. Bruce, thanks so much for your Facebook post. It's great to hear from you. And thanks for being one of our regular listeners here at Core Christianity.

Here's an email we received from Douglas. He says, What is the gospel of the kingdom that Jesus preached in Matthew 4-23? It sounds as if it's something different from the common use of the phrase the gospel or the gospel of Jesus Christ as it's used today. In Matthew 4-17, Jesus preached repentance for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Is Jesus preaching the good news to Jews so the Messiah they've been waiting for has finally come? Is the gospel actually a call to repentance?

Yeah, Douglas, there are quite a few questions there. But I think that you're picking up on something that's really important. And that's that sometimes in our preaching of the gospel, or even in our definition of the gospel, we can have too limited a view of what the gospel is. On the one hand, I think we can have a sort of truncated view of the gospel, meaning we view it as the entry way into the Christian life. So the gospel is, you know, Jesus died for my sins, I can ask Jesus into my heart, receive forgiveness, and I'm saved. And then I move on from the gospel to the really important stuff, the stuff that God wants me to learn about, you know, the study of the end times or the study of some other doctrine that we view as separated from, severed from the gospel message, which we've moved on from. Actually, in college, having a professor said, you know, the gospel, this is sort of the ABCs, and then we move on from the gospel, we graduate to the more serious doctrines. Well, I couldn't disagree with that idea more now, because you realize as you grow in the Christian life that you never grow out of the gospel, you only grow into it deeper and deeper as you grasp the wonder of what God has done for you in Christ. And it's that gospel message that sustains us not just at the beginning of our walk with the Lord, but for the entirety of our Christian lives.

So it's really important that we don't have that sort of truncated view of the gospel, but we can also, and I think this is another issue that you're picking up on, Douglas, we can have too limited a definition of the gospel. I mentioned earlier how some people will say, you know, Jesus died for my sins, I asked him into my heart, I'm forgiven. Well, yeah, that's a part of the gospel, the forgiveness of sins. I mean, it's the heart of the doctrine of justification.

But too often, I think we view it primarily as this sort of personal individual thing. We don't view the gospel as good news for the whole world, for even the whole creation. God is establishing his perfect righteous kingdom, and that was something that Jesus was preaching. When Jesus came into the world, even John the Baptist as well, you know, proclaiming the message of the kingdom, the good news of the kingdom.

And you have to think back to what kingdom is being referred to here. Well, back in 2 Samuel 7, God made a promise to King David that he was going to establish his kingdom and that David was always going to have someone to sit on his throne. That promise is actually summarized in a place like 1 Chronicles 17 verses 11 through 14.

Listen to what it says there. When your days are fulfilled to walk with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for me and I will establish his throne forever.

I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son. I will not take my steadfast love from him as I took it from him who was before you, but I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever. And his throne shall be established forever. Think about this wonderful promise given to King David that he is going to have one of his sons be this forever ruler over the people of God.

Well, it's that kingdom. It's that promise that Jesus fulfills. He came preaching the good news of the kingdom. Now the people in Jesus's day were expecting him to establish the kingdom very differently than the way that he did. He was enthroned on the cross to forgive all of our sins and ultimately enthroned in his ascension. This is actually how the New Testament sees the fulfillment, if you will, or the beginning of the fulfillment of this kingdom promise. Think about this passage. I want you to turn, if you have a Bible, turn to Acts chapter 2 and look at what the text says there. Acts chapter 2, beginning in verse 25.

For David says concerning him, that is Jesus, I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken. Therefore, my heart was glad. My tongue rejoiced. My flesh also will dwell in hope for you will not abandon my soul to Hades or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life.

You will make me full of gladness with your presence. Peter began preaching that after he quotes this from David, brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried and his tomb is with us to this day. Being there for a prophet and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up and of that we are all witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool. Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. I know that that was a lot of scripture there, you know, looking at that passage in 1 Chronicles 17 and then in Acts chapter 2, but it's really important for you to understand how the scripture works together, especially as we think about this idea that the gospel of the kingdom is rooted in Christ's death and resurrection. That's exactly what Peter says on the day of Pentecost, and Jesus right now is enthroned in heaven at the right hand of the Father, ruling over his church and advancing his kingdom.

How? Through faithful pastors, through faithful people who are sharing the message of Jesus, the good news of his kingdom, of the forgiveness of sins, so that people can turn to him and receive that goodness, that grace. And so we really have to understand this message of the kingdom, this gospel of the kingdom in its context. And when we do, I think it helps us to realize that this is bigger than just me personally.

This is good news for the whole world. This is Core Christianity, where we answer the questions you have about the Christian faith. Adriel loves answering your questions every day, and we have an amazing team of people behind us that are producing this show who write the core articles for our website and produce our special core Bible studies.

These are the resources that help you and other believers more fully understand the gospel and have the confidence to share your faith. Now, as you can imagine, this requires a lot of people to come alongside us and support this important work. We can't do it without your prayers and financial contributions. And that's why we're asking you to come alongside us and become a regular supporter.

Thanks, Bill. Yeah, we want to invite everyone to consider coming alongside of us as a member of the inner core. We are so thankful for each inner core member and their regular gifts that help us to accomplish our mission with people each and every day. New listeners discover the Core Christianity show, and your support helps us keep reaching people all over the world with this radio program, podcast, and the entire website of articles and resources at corechristianity.com. With your monthly donation of $25 or more, you can be a part of the team, making it possible for us to answer these questions and share the core truths of the Christian faith. By signing up to be a member of the inner core, you'll get a signed copy of the book that helped to start it all, Core Christianity, Finding Yourself in God's Story, by our founder, Dr. Michael Horton. Much like our radio program, the book unpacks the essential beliefs that Christians share in a way that is easy to understand, and it shows why these beliefs matter for our lives today. So head over to corechristianity.com forward slash inner core to learn more, or give us a call at 833-THE-CORE. We'd love to have you get involved with the inner core. Head over to corechristianity.com forward slash inner core to learn more, or call us at 833-843-2673. That's 833-THE-CORE. Well, let's get to a call that came in at 833-THE-CORE. Hey, how you doing?

This is Robert, and I'm calling from Oceanside, California. How can I put my question? Well, it's a little bit baffling to me. I'm scared to death that I've committed the unforgivable sin, and I don't know. I've heard two explanations. Exclamations? Explanations. One being that, let's see, that it's basically just not accepting salvation, and then I heard it had to do with what the horrible thing that the religious leaders in Israel said. So, at any rate, maybe give me some heads up on that.

If you want to give me an answer on the air, I'd appreciate it. Thanks so much. Bye. Hey, Robert. Well, you know, the first thing I want to do is pray for you. Father, we lift Robert up to you and pray, gracious God, that you would cause the light of your countenance to shine upon him. I know, Lord, that the evil one would like nothing more than to get us to believe that ours is a hopeless situation, that we have exhausted your forgiveness, that you're through with us. Thank you, Father, for the blood of your Son, Jesus, which is more powerful than our sins, and through which we have forgiveness, Lord, grace. And I pray for Robert, Lord, that you would help him to know that forgiveness, that grace, and to rest in it, Lord.

Would you be with him now? Would you bless him? And would you open his heart to your scriptures? In Jesus' name, amen. Robert, my heart goes out to you because I remember as a new Christian having this exact same fear and really being concerned. I mean, you read certain passages in the Bible, in particular those texts that talk about the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. And for someone who's experienced the grace of God, who knows that they're a sinner and yet knows that there's no hope for them in themselves as well, the idea that we've done something that would cause God to say, okay, I'm totally done with you now, there's no more hope, is just absolutely devastating.

And so that's why it's so important that we understand what this is and what the scriptures teach on this issue. Otherwise, I think we can be convinced that it is hopeless for us, and that's precisely like I prayed for you there. That's precisely, I think, where the evil one, where Satan wants us, because if it's hopeless, if God is through with me, well, then what's the point? Why go to church?

Why read the scriptures? Why try to follow Jesus? If God isn't going to accept me, well, then there's nothing that I can do.

And so, brother, you need to understand that God is so merciful, and that so long as you turn to Jesus, there is hope for you. That was the problem with the people who committed this sin, is that they turned away from Jesus. They wanted nothing to do with Jesus. Mark chapter 3 says, the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, Jesus is possessed by Beelzebul, and by the prince of demons he casts out demons. And he called them to him and said to them in parables, how can Satan cast out Satan? The kingdom is divided against itself. That kingdom can't stand, and if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is coming to an end. But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man.

Then indeed he may plunder his house. Truly I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness but is guilty of an eternal sin. For they were saying, he has an unclean spirit. The context is teaching us here, it wasn't that they had accepted Jesus and then fallen into some sin pattern or sin struggle and God just said, I'm through with you. No, they didn't accept Jesus at all. They actually taught and said Jesus is demon possessed. The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, the unpardonable sin, is this unbelief that vehemently rejects Jesus, even going as far as to say he's a devil.

A Christian who believes in Jesus Christ, who confesses him as Lord, who longs to know Jesus and to walk with Jesus. And you look at yourself and you think, man, I fail so often. But that's not someone who's committed the unpardonable sin. I mean, that sounds a lot more like Paul in Romans chapter seven, the things I want to do, I don't do, and the things I hate.

Those are the things that I do. Wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ. And so, Robert, I just want you to know, brother, if you go to God looking for his grace, for his forgiveness, turning to Jesus, recognizing him as your only hope, man, there is an ocean of mercy, an ocean of grace, the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. That refers to people like the ones here in Mark chapter three, who deny Jesus and don't just deny him out of ignorance, but they've seen the signs, they've seen the changed lives.

They reject him and they even say, he's a devil. That person, that person who clings to that idea, that false idea, has no hope. For those who turn away from themselves to Jesus, there is hope. And Robert, there is hope for you. And so I would say, rest in the promise of the gospel and receive the grace of Christ for you, brother. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. And Adriel, here's an email that came in from Laura. She says, I love and appreciate core Christianity.

Thank you for all you do. My question is, is it true that Christmas is rooted in a pagan holiday? And if we want to celebrate the incarnation, then why does our celebration often look like the world's celebration of Christmas? Yeah, this is an objection that you hear around this time of year in particular. Some people say, oh man, you Christians with Christmas, don't you know that's a pagan holiday?

And so I think it's important that we sort of get behind that. For the first few centuries of Christianity, the church had a very simple calendar, if you will. Every Sunday was the Lord's Day. That was the day of feasting, when the church would gather together for worship and for celebration. And what they were celebrating was the fact that Jesus rose again from the dead on the first day of the week, on the Lord's Day. Early on, you also had a sort of annual celebration or observance of what we call Easter. Again, the resurrection of Jesus. Some Christian traditions referring to it as Pascha, where the resurrection again was key.

And so it seems like, Laura, in the days of the early church, the focus was on the resurrection of Jesus. Now, in the fourth century, when Christianity became more accepted, you began to have a focus not just on the resurrection, but the Christian church began celebrating all sorts of events in the life of Jesus. In Rome, many believers started to celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25th. Now, there was a pagan holiday celebrated on December 25th as well from the time of the third century that honored the Syrian sun god. And some people think that the Christian church simply took that over and basically baptized this pagan holiday with some Christian decorations, now focusing on Jesus. Others came to the date of December 25th by trying to figure out what day Jesus was actually born. It was believed by many Christians that he was crucified on March 25th, and there was this idea that Jesus was conceived on the same day that he died, March 25th.

And so if you go from March 25th, nine months forward, what that brings you to is December 25th. And so there are different ways in which people have said Christians arrived at the celebration of Christmas on December 25th in the fourth century. But the main point is this, Laura, the idea that Christians who participate in Christmas are engaging in pagan worship is just false.

That's not true. Whether or not Christians celebrated the birth of Christ on the 25th because they were choosing to do that instead of worshiping the Syrian sun god or commemorating some pagan holiday, or because they really believed that Jesus was born on December 25th, it really doesn't matter. I mean, that's not the focus. The reality is, what we should focus on around this time of year is that the Word was made flesh.

John 1, verse 14, that God really did come to us, born of a virgin, for our salvation so that we, humanity, might be redeemed. We can get so caught up in, well, what are the origins of this, and what is this associated with, that I think we miss the entire point. The focus needs to be on Jesus. And historically, that's what it was for the church. It wasn't trying to introduce paganism to the church or that kind of a thing.

It was, let's focus on Jesus, and in particular, let's focus on his birth around this time of year. Now, it can turn bad. It can turn pagan. If, like the culture, we turn it into consumerism and greed.

Now, that's not what this is about. And certainly, if that's what we make it about, well, then there's a serious problem. It's about God's gift to humanity and his Son. And when we focus on that, as Christians have done for 2,000 years, man, this becomes a really wonderful time, a blessed season for us and for our families to glorify Jesus and to give thanks for Emmanuel, God with us. Thanks for listening to Core Christianity. To request your copy of today's special offer, visit us at CoreChristianity.com and click on Offers in the menu bar, or call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 833-THE-CORE. When you contact us, please let us know how you've been encouraged by this podcast. And be sure to join us next time as we explore the truth of God's Word together.