TODAY IS CHRISTMAS

You may be shocked to learn that the two hottest issues in American pulpits right after the Civil War were slavery and whether to celebrate Christmas. Before that, in English colonies (following Puritan England) it was against the law to close your store or take a holiday on Christmas. Lawmen were dispatched to catch and fine any culprit who dared to celebrate this Papist holiday. Opposition was strong. It was not in the Bible. No one could know the date of Jesus’ birth. However, in centuries since then most have shed their opposition to Christmas and now we often see manger scenes even in Protestant church yards. While questions linger, we still must rejoice that this is the time that more people hear about Jesus and rejoice about His coming to this earth than at any other time. Even the pagans in town are singing “Joy to the world, the Lord has come!” Gifts are given and the poor are remembered as at no other time. In the Bible Christians are told to celebrate His death, not His birth, not once a year but in meetings of worship on the first day of each week. His blood takes away the sins of the world (Jn 3:16; I Cor 11:23-29; Heb 10:25).

(#143)