Charles Spurgeon on Christmas

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You can find these informative articles at CrashCourseMormonism.com. That's CrashCourseMormonism.com. Viewpoint on Mormonism, the program that examines the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from a Biblical perspective. Viewpoint on Mormonism is sponsored by Mormonism Research Ministry. Since 1979, Mormonism Research Ministry has been dedicated to equipping the body of Christ with answers regarding the Christian faith in a manner that expresses gentleness and respect. And now, your host for today's Viewpoint on Mormonism. So glad you could be with us for this edition of Viewpoint on Mormonism. I'm your host, Bill McKeever, Founder and Director of Mormonism Research Ministry.

With me today is my colleague, Eric Johnson. We thought that we would take today and look at some quotations from a very well-known Christian leader of the 19th century, Charles Spurgeon, and some of the things that he had to say about Christmas Day and the incarnation of Jesus. We certainly do recognize, Eric, that even within Christian circles, Christmas has its controversy. There are some Christians who choose not to celebrate it at all, and there are others that tend to celebrate it in a way that might make some professing Christians uncomfortable. But nonetheless, it is a part of the Christian heritage. It's a part of our nation's heritage.

It's actually a national holiday. But I think Spurgeon had a lot of good, sober things to think about when it comes to this holiday. And so we thought we would go through some of those and just kind of maybe comment on some of the things that he had to say to put things in its proper perspective. So one of the statements that he made is starting off by saying how Christ's birth is not despicable, which is kind of an interesting way of putting it. Yeah, he says, even if we consider the visitors who came around his cradle, shepherds came first. And as it has been quaintly remarked by an Old Divine, the shepherds did not lose their way, but the wise men did. That's an interesting phrase to put in there, because sometimes when we look at the wisdom of this world, it's the people who think that they're really smart and educated that seem to miss the simplicity of Christianity, and of course the simplicity and the carnation of Christ as well. And shepherds came first unguided and unfed to Bethlehem. The wise men directed by the star came next. The representative men of the two bodies of mankind, the rich and the poor, knelt around the manger, and gold and frankincense and myrrh and all manner of precious gifts were offered to the child who was the prince of the kings of the earth, who in ancient times was ordained to sit upon the throne of his father, David, and in the wondrous future to rule all nations with his rod of iron.

Of course, one of the reasons why the incarnation means so much to us as Bible-believing Christians is because of the incredible predictions of the Messiah being born of a humble origin. And it's easy for us to look back in hindsight and ask the question, well, how did Israel miss this? How did they miss something that we think is so simple? And I guess I have to struggle with that myself, wondering if I lived during that time, would I have seen the signs and the things that were to take place as I see them now?

And I don't know, because I'm not in that particular situation, so I kind of hold back a judgment in that area, you might say. But anyway. Any kind of prophecy is going to be easier to look back on than to see forward. And so, you know, like the second coming of Jesus, it's kind of a mystery in many ways, and after it all takes place, I'm sure we'll be up in heaven looking at all this and going, how could we have missed all of these signs? Spurgeon also in another sermon said, This is the season of the year when, whether we wish it or not, we are compelled to think of the birth of Christ. I hold it to be one of the greatest absurdities under heaven to think that there is any religion in keeping Christmas Day. There are no probabilities whatever that our Savior Jesus Christ was born on that day.

And that's one thing, if you'll notice, that Spurgeon often does. He does kind of harp on that. He just wants to make it very clear to his listeners, don't think that this was the actual day. And I don't think many Christians who have done any study at all on the celebration of Christmas really think that it took place on December 25th.

Certainly that's not the case. He goes on to say, though, However, I wish there were ten or a dozen Christmas days in the year, for there is work enough in the world and a little more rest would not hurt laboring people. Christmas Day is really a boon to us, particularly as it enables us to assemble around the family hearth and meet our friends once more. Still, although we do not fall exactly in the track of other people, I see no harm in thinking of the incarnation and birth of the Lord Jesus. Well, I'm going to say, based on your earlier comment as far as the day, I've been in Israel three of the last four Easters. And every time we make it a point to go to Bethlehem, of course, Micah 5 2 predicted that Bethlehem would be the place.

And so we go to a shepherd's cave and every single time you would not believe the enthusiasm. People want to sing Christmas hymns in the middle of April. And it's like it's December.

I mean, it's one of those things. Maybe it's a cliche, but Christmas is not just for one day. It should be in our hearts. The idea of Jesus coming and God giving us the very best.

And here we have the opportunity to have a relationship with him. So in a sense, you can celebrate Christmas on December 25th if you want. Probably in April. It's closer to when it actually did take place. But we were celebrating the Easter time. And it's one of those it's one of those holidays that I think needs to be 365. Well, one of the things that I have noticed about this season at the end of the year is you would have to admit that people, despite all the hectic-ness of this time, tend to be much more friendly with each other and or at least, I think, open to the discussion. And it gives us an opportunity as Christians to actually talk about the Incarnation. It certainly is a good excuse if you're talking to someone who may not fully understand why Christians look at this as a special day. It does open the door to be able to share the gospel with people like that. And it's a time for remembering the birth of our Savior, but also to be with family.

And you're right, I think people do have this extra step in there. You know, when you're in the store that's busy, people don't seem to mind as much as if it were in February and it's snowing outside. It's cold and people are more irritable.

But it seems like in December it's a good time to be with other people. He goes on to say, We venture to assert. What does he say there? He says that if there be any day of the year of which we may be pretty sure that it was not the day on which the Savior was born, it is the 25th of December. Nevertheless, since the current of men's thoughts has led this way just now, and I see no evil in the current itself, I shall lodge the bark of our discourse upon that stream and make use of the fact which I shall neither justify nor condemn by endeavoring to lead your thoughts in the same direction. Since it is lawful and even laudable to meditate upon the Incarnation of the Lord upon any day of the year, it cannot be in the power of other men's superstitions to render such a meditation improper for today. Regarding not the day, let us nevertheless give God thanks for the gift of his dear Son. And that's really the point of it. Spurgeon is making it very clear. Look, if it's not wrong to think about the Incarnation of Christ any other day of the year, why would it be especially wrong to celebrate it on this particular day?

And he's not finding any fault in that whatsoever. But again, the focus needs to be on what the day is all about. And I would tend to agree with Spurgeon, and I would tend to agree with a lot of my brothers and sisters in Christ who struggle with this, that there are a lot of distractions that take us away from the focus of what that day is really all about.

And so I would say that they would have a good criticism there. Well, you and I both have signs in our yard that says Jesus is the reason for the season. Again, another cliché perhaps, but it really is. And when you make Jesus the focus, I think it can be done, celebrated in a biblical, improper manner. Despite the fact that Spurgeon, no doubt, had some struggles with this day and wanted to make sure that people who did celebrate it focused on its proper meaning, he did wish people to have, as they said in England at that time, a happy Christmas.

There's a quote that talks about that, and we'll end with that quotation. Now a happy Christmas to you all, he says. Yeah, now a happy Christmas to you all, and it will be a happy Christmas if you had God with you. I shall say nothing today against festivities on this great birthday of Christ. I hold that, perhaps, it is not right to have the birthday celebrated, but we will never be among those who think it as much of a duty to celebrate it the wrong way as others the right. But we will tomorrow think of Christ's birthday.

We shall be obliged to do it, I am sure, however sturdily we may hold to our rough Puritanism. Now that's a reference, of course, to the Puritans who did not celebrate Christmas at all. They were very firm in that conviction that they would not do that, even though there were other Christians during that same time period that didn't seem to have a problem with that. Well even those in Boston, for instance, I was reading that they did not, they shunned Christmas in that sense, and it wasn't until the middle of the 19th century that they actually started to celebrate. So it was something that they felt like maybe too much carnal thought was going into the celebration, perhaps, and not wanting to participate.

There could be, but that could also happen with just about everything, too. So again, we have to keep the focus on what it's all about, and I think if we can keep our focus on really what it's all about, then there wouldn't be any harm in that whatsoever. Spurgeon went on in that same message, he said, And so let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Do not feast as if you wished to keep the festival of Bacchus.

Do not live tomorrow as if you adored some heathen divinity. Feast, Christians, feast. You have a right to feast.

Go to the house of feasting tomorrow. Celebrate your Savior's birth. Do not be ashamed to be glad.

You have a right to be happy. Solomon says, Go your way, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart. For God now accepts your works.

Let your garments be always white, and let your head lack no ointment. Certainly, as you gather with your family tomorrow, we would hope that you would keep your eyes on the reason for the season, as you have said, Eric, that it is a day that is very special in the hearts of many Christians where God became manifest in the flesh. I like what Spurgeon says there toward the end, Do not be ashamed to be glad. I think sometimes we as Christians, and as hard as we try, sometimes can get a little bit legalistic, and we tend not to have joy. And if you read the New Testament especially, God wants us to have joy. Jesus said in John chapter 10 verse 10 that he came to give us a joy, a completeness, and a satisfaction. And I think in a holiday like this, if we can't find satisfaction being with our loved ones and enjoying the day itself, then that's a very sad event. And certainly we see the whole picture as Christians.

We need to look at the whole picture. I don't know who said it, but I've always remembered it at this time of year. Someone actually said this phrase. They said, Without the cross, the crib is meaningless. So certainly God was manifest in the flesh, born of the Virgin Mary, lived, but he died for our sins. He rose again for our justification.

And certainly we can find something to rejoice in that. And the Incarnation, God with us. So all of us here at MRM, we hope that you do enjoy tomorrow and that you will keep your eyes focused on why we set this day apart to celebrate the birth of Christ. And we hope that you do have a good Christmas day. . All of us at Mormonism Research Ministry want to wish you and yours a joyous Christmas season as we remember the miraculous birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, who came into this world to save His people from their sins. If Viewpoint on Mormonism has been a blessing to you, would you consider a generous year-end gift to help further the efforts of Mormonism Research Ministry? Please know that your tax-deductible gift to MRM is very much appreciated, and we humbly thank you for your kind support.