The Christ-Mass Story

No authoritative historical evidence points to December 25th as the day of the Lord Jesus birth. Traditionally, December 25th was the date of a Roman pagan festival inaugurated in 274 AD, as the birthday of the unconquered sun which at the winter solstice begins again to show an increase in light. Sometime before 336 AD the Roman Catholic Church, unable to stamp out this pagan festival, spiritualized it as the Feast of the Nativity of the Sun of Righteousness.

The term “Christmas” literally means “Christ-Mass,” and should probably be prounounced that way to remind us of it’s true meaning. In the Roman Catholic Church, three masses are usually said to symbolize “the birth of Christ in the bosom of the Father, from the womb of Mary and mystically in the soul of the faithful.” We have inherited then a holiday that is based on a form of worship (the Mass), which is absolutely contrary to the Gospel, and a perversion of the person and work of the Lord Jesus. (The Mass in Roman Catholic tradition is a ritual whereby the bread and wine are said to change into the actual body and blood of Christ, under a priest’s blessing, and offered again to God). It is a denial of the finished work of the Lord Jesus, and Him as the only Mediator between God and men, 1 Timothy 2:5.

When people say, “Let’s keep Christ in Christmas,” we must answer, “He was never in it.” To celebrate December 25th with any sort of religious significance is superstitious idolatry, and has no scriptural warrant whatsoever. Religion may have its Christmas one day in 365, but, the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ has the gift of Christ, through the Gospel, by the Spirit, 365 days a year!

By Ken Wimer