"A Thing of
Brass"
(A Study of Christmas)
Intro. An Old Testament
Example
A. Israel and the serpents—Num. 21: 4-9
a. God’s goodness & mercy toward
Israel even though they sinned against Him.
b. Gave them chance to repent and
continue to live.
1. 700 years later became a symbol of
worship— 2 Kgs. 18: 1-4
2. King Hezekiah destroyed it…“Nehushtan” (“a thing of brass”).
b. Israel had once
looked on the brass serpent at God’s
instruction in order to
obtain life.
c. Now, it was only a thing of brass they had turned into an object of
idolatrous worship!
B. New Testament Parallel—Jn. 3: 14-17
a. Serpent in the wilderness a fitting
figure of Jesus Christ & the salvation He gives
b. Death of Jesus on the cross—God’s
instruction in order to
obtain life (1 Pet. 2: 24 “who
his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto
sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed.”)
"Since
by His holy sacrificial death upon the Cross
Christ sanctified this former instrument of shame and ignominy, it must have
very soon become in the eyes of the faithful a sacred symbol of the Passion,
consequently a sign of protection and defence. (St. Paulinus of Nola, 4th Century, "Archaeology of the
Cross and Crucifix”)
c. Cross, the new “Nehushtan”
1. Only a piece of wood that people have turned into an object
of worship (superstitious reverence).
C. Historical record of the birth of Jesus – Lk. 2: 1-20.
a. At God’s
instruction, we look at the birth
of Jesus as the coming of the
Son of God –
1. Announcement to Mary—Lk. 1: 30-35
2. Announcement to Shepherds—Lk. 2: 11
3. Jn.
1: 14, “And the Word became
flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only
begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth.”
[Faith
is produced that He is the Son of God (virgin birth).]
b. People have turned the birth of Jesus
into “Nehushtan” – a false
worship of the birth of Christ that God never instructed or commanded
of mankind.
c. True Worship—Jn. 4: 23-24
D. We should be concerned with
Christian’s involvement in the activities of Christmas:
a. Is the religious observance of
Christ’s birth authorized by God?
b. What is the history of this religious
holiday?
c. What is the Christian to do at this
time of year?
d. What are we teaching our children
about Christmas?
E.
We do not want to come before God with false worship – a thing of brass.
I. Is
Christmas, as a Religious Holiday, Devised of Man or God? (Matt. 21: 23)
A. The Bible Affirms the Virgin Birth of
Jesus – Lk. 1: 31-35 (2: 1-7); Phil. 2: 7-8 (READ).
B. The Bible Does not give us the Date of
Jesus’ Birth.
1. Days of Herod the Great (37-4 BC)
& Caesar Augustus (27 BC-14 AD) – Matt. 2: 1; Lk. 2: 1.
2. Shepherds in fields watching flocks –
Lk. 2: 8.
a. Summer months: Read Barnes’
quotation.
The same country - Round about Bethlehem.
Shepherds - Men who tended
flocks of sheep.
Abiding in the field -
Remaining out of doors, under the open sky, with their flocks. This was
commonly done. The climate was mild, and, to keep their flocks from straying,
they spent the night with them. It is also a fact that the Jews sent out their
flocks into the mountainous and desert regions during the summer months, and
took them up in the latter part of October or the first of November, when the
cold weather commenced. While away in these deserts and mountainous regions, it
was proper that there should be someone to attend them to keep them from
straying, and from the ravages of wolves and other wild beasts. It is probable
from this that our Saviour was born before the 25th of December, or before what
we call “Christmas.” At that time it is cold, and especially in the high and
mountainous regions about Bethlehem. But the exact time of his birth is unknown;
there is no way to ascertain it. By different learned men it has been fixed at
each month in the year. Nor is it of consequence to “know” the time; if it
were, God would have preserved the record of it. Matters of moment are clearly
revealed; those which “he” regards as of no importance are concealed.
Keeping watch ... - More
literally, “tending their flocks “by turns” through the night watches.”
b. S of S 2: 11 – Winter marked by cold
& rain.
“For, lo, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone”
c. December would not have been when
Jesus was born.
3. Human speculation over date:
a. Clement of Alexandria - Nov. 18, 3
B.C. / May 20.
b. Hippolytus – Jan. 2, March 25 or April
2, finally Dec. 25.
c. Others – January 6; March 28; April 18
or 19; every month has been proposed.
d. “No sufficient data, however, exists
for the determination of the month or day of the event” (The New
Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, Reprint 1977, III:47)
4. God could have told us if He had
wanted us to know. (Deut.
29: 29)
C. There is no Biblical Authorization
for the Celebration of Christ’s Birth.
1. Historical record
does not authorize celebration of event. (Num. 21: 8-9; 2 Kgs. 18: 4)
2. Nor for Baptism of
Jesus; Crucifixion, Resurrection, Ascension…
3. Silence of Bible must be
respected by men.
E. The Religious Celebration of Christ’s
Birth is Based on Human Authority, Not Divine Authority –
a. Matt.
21: 23, “And when he was come
into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him
as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and
who gave thee this authority?”
b. 2 Tim. 3: 16-17
c. Col. 3: 17
d. Human Reasoning—Col. 2: 22-23; 2 Jno.
9-11; Gal. 1: 8-9).
II. THE
ORIGIN OF CELEBRATING THE BIRTH OF CHRIST.
A.
Definition of “Christmas” –- “Mass of Christ.”
1. Catholicism – Celebration of the birth of Christ
by a special mass.
-(“Cristes
Maesse” or “Mass of Christ” first found mentioned by that name in 1038, Catholic Encyclopedia)
2. This festival created
to counter pagan festivals:
a. Roman Saturnalia (Dec. 17-24) – Honored Saturnus
(Saturn), a pagan god – A time of gluttony & licentiousness.
b. Roman feast of Mithrand, the
Sun god (Dec. 25).
B. No Doubt that the
Festival of the Birth of Christ Began After New Testament Times.
1. “There is no evidence of the existence
of a Feast of the Nativity before the 4th century” (Encyclopedia Of
Religion & Ethics, III:601).
2. (CHART)“There is no historical
evidence that our Lord’s birthday was celebrated during the apostolic or early
post-apostolic times” (The Shaff-Herzog Encyclopedia, III:47).
3. How December 25 was selected for
celebrating Christ’s birth:
a. Liberius, Bishop of Rome, declared
Dec. 25 celebrated as Christ’s birthday in 354 AD.
i. (CHART) “There can be little doubt
that the Church was anxious to distract the attention of Christians from the
old heathen feast days by celebrating Christian festivals on the same days (Encyclopedia
of Religion & Ethics, III:607).
ii. “The indications are, that the Church
in this way grasped the opportunity to turn the people away from a purely pagan
observance of the winter solstice to a day of adoration of Christ the Lord” (Collier’s
Encyclopedia).
c. The observance of Christ’s birth began
in Catholicism & paganism, not NT Christianity!
d. “Human in its origin, arbitrary and
irrelevant in its time, and Pagan in its ceremonies, it clearly has no claims
whatever upon the true Christian.” (W. K. Pendleton, Millennial Harbinger, 1848, p.
22)
III. WHAT
IS THE CHRISTIAN TO DO?
A. The
Christian Cannot Participate in the Religious Additions of Men – 2 Jno. 9-11 (1
Cor. 10: 20-22)
1. Breaks fellowship with God;
fellowships errors of men – 2 Jno. 9-11. (Eph. 5: 11, “and have no fellowship with the
unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even reprove them;”
2. Religious days of OT wrong to observe -
What about the 4th century!
– Gal. 4: 8-11
3. Don’t be forced into adding to God’s will for your life
– 2 Cor. 6: 14. “Be not
unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and
iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness?”
B. Use the Opportunities of the Season to
Explain why You do not Celebrate Christmas as the Birthday of Jesus Christ –
1. Salt and Light—Matt. 5: 13-16
2. Fear Not—Matt. 5: 11-12
3. Regardless, we must live by our
convictions without compromise.
C. A Christian may
Celebrate the Christmas Holiday Non-Religiously.
1. Many things that
carry religious meanings can be practiced non-religiously:
a. cf. Circumcision – Acts 16:
1-3.
b. Vows of purification given
in OT law – Acts 21: 23-24, 26.
c. Eating meats sacrificed to
idols – 1 Cor. 8: 4-8.
2. Rom. 14: 5,
23 – Without violating God’s
authority or one’s conscience!
a. Festive season of goodwill,
exchanging gifts, visits, helping the needy, seasonal traditions, which have no
inherent religious significance or have lost that significance over time.
b. Should be everyday attitudes &
actions – Gal. 6: 10.
“So
then, as we have opportunity, let us work that which is good toward all men,
and especially toward them that are of the household of the faith.”
c. Christmas can be
observed non-religiously, even though some will observe it religiously.
"We have no superstitious
regard for times and seasons. Certainly we do not believe in the present
ecclesiastical arrangement called Christmas: first, because we do not believe
in the mass at all, but abhor it, whether it be said or sung in Latin or in
English; and, secondly, because we find no Scriptural warrant whatever for observing
any day as the birthday of the Savior; and, consequently, its observance is a
superstition, because not of divine authority."
~Charles Spurgeon, Sermon on Dec. 24, 1871
1.
The basis for observing Christmas as the birth of Christ is man’s religious
authority (Catholicism & paganism); Started centuries after the time of
Christ; not commanded anywhere in anyway in NT.
2. We
fully believe in & thank God for the fact of the virgin birth of Christ.
3. God
has not instructed or approved the celebration of the birth of Jesus; to do so
is a violation of His revealed will (Lev. 10:1-2).
4. Let
us truly be faithful to Christ this holiday season & not turn the
truth of His birth into “Nehushtan”.