Christmas Redemption Archives

This time of year I see article after article from Christians about why it is sinful to decorate Christmas trees, wrap presents, and sing “Deck the Halls.”

Here is an example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1xqD9-9RA0

Whenever I see these blog posts, Facebook articles, and YouTube videos, I always want to ask if they celebrate Easter, drive a Mazda, or use a Calendar.

Why?

Because the exact same logic people use to say that Christians should not celebrate Christmas can also be used to say that Christians should not celebrate Easter, should not drive a Mazda, and should not use a Calendar.

Here is the logic some Christians use to teach that it is sinful to celebrate Christmas:

Christmas has roots in the pagan holiday of Saturnalia. It was celebrated with decorating trees, baking cookies, putting up lights, passing out presents, and singing songs.
If we do these things for Christmas, then we are participating in a sinful, pagan holiday.

This is the basic logic, and some Christians occasionally find passages like Jeremiah 10:1-5 to support this view.

But let us plug the same logic in to the holiday of Easter:

Easter has roots in the pagan holiday that celebrated Ishtar, the sex goddess. Among other things, the spring celebration of Ishtar was observed with sunrise celebrations, decorating eggs, giving candy, and cute bunnies. It reminded people of new birth and new life.
If we do these things for Easter, then we are participating in a sinful, pagan holiday.

And how about driving a Mazda:

The Mazda car is named after the chief Persian deity, Ahura Mazda. Even the early symbol of the Mazda line of cars (1936-1962) resembled the dual-winged image of Ahura Mazda and can still be seen in the modern winged “M” logo of the Mazda (see the three images below).
Therefore, driving a Mazda is a tribute to Ahura Mazda, the pagan Persian deity, and is sinful for Christians. The same thing can be said, by the way, about driving a Saturn or a Mercury.

Following the Christmas logic, we also cannot use a calendar:

All the days of the week are named after pagan deities.

Sunday = Sun’s Day
Monday = Moon’s Day
Tuesday = Tyr’s Day
Wednesday = Woden’s Day
Thursday = Thor’s Day
Friday = Frey’s Day
Saturday = Saturn’s Day

And most of the months of the year are also named after various pagan deities.

January = Janus’s month
February = month of Februa (pagan purification)
March = Mars’ month
April = Aphrodite’s month
May = Maia’s month
June = Juno’s month
July = Julius Caesar’s month
August = Augustus Caesar’s month
September = the seventh month*
October = the eighth month*
November = the ninth month*
December = the tenth month*

^{*The Roman calendar originally only had 10 months, with the first 60 days of the calendar being “monthless.” January and February were later added to the Calendar, but the final four months of the year retained their numbered names.}

Therefore, to talk about the days of the week or the months of the year is to give honor to the false gods and deities after which they are named.

As long as we are at it, we should also stop wearing Nike clothes and shoes, eating Mars bars, using Venus razors, buying Hermes handbags, or investing in Janus funds. And since all the planets are named after pagan Roman deities, we shouldn’t talk about our study our solar system. We also shouldn’t visit the Statue of Liberty. And no matter what, we should definitely stay away from the Washington monument and churches with steeples since they are symbols that come from pagan rituals that celebrated the male phallic.

Do you see where all this is going? As soon as Christians start to try to avoid and condemn anything and everything that has pagan roots or symbolism, we end up having to just sit at home twiddling our thumbs. Of course, even that is fraught with danger, because as Paul himself writes, every single human being has a background that is filled with paganism (cf. 1 Cor 6:9-11). So we cannot even be around ourselves!

Yes, this has now crossed over into the realm of the absurd.

But that is exactly the point.

All these condemnations of various aspects of life because those areas of life have pagan origins are nothing but absurd.

They also deny and reject the absolute fact that our God is a redeeming God. That Jesus Christ is a redeemer. That everything in heaven and on earth has been placed under the feet of Jesus so that He is all in all. That everything can be received with joy and thanksgiving in the name of Jesus. That everything is “Yes” and “Amen” through Jesus Christ, the Lord of all.

So this Christmas season, go put up lights on your tree. Go bake cookies and pass out presents. Go drive your Mazda to your job on Monday while you wear your Nike shoes and snack on a Mars bar. And while do you do all these pagan things, give praise to Jesus because He has redeemed everything, including you and me.

So go ahead! Cut down the tree, decorate it with silver tinsel and gold ornaments, bake the cookies, hand out presents, sing the carols, and do it all with praise to Jesus Christ, who is our Redeemer!

If you want to read more about this, I have written a short eBook on the subject, titled Christmas Redemption. Get your copy on Amazon today for $2.99.

Better yet, “Hope” and “Love” Members of RedeemingGod.com will get this book for free a few weeks after signing up. Join now.

Are Christmas Trees Idols?

By Jeremy Myers

74 Comments

Did you know that Christmas tress are idols?

At least, that is what I was once told by a member of my church.

Several of us had gathered together on a Saturday afternoon in early December to decorate the church for Christmas. We put up lights, tinsel, red and green ribbon, poinsettias, and the crowning glory… a tall, beautiful Christmas tree – right up in front of the sanctuary to the left of the platform. We used all white lights and wrapped it with silver and gold ribbon.

The next day, after the Sunday service concluded, one of the men in the church pulled me aside and said, “Pastor, I cannot attend a church that erects idols in the sanctuary.”

I just stared at him. I had no clue what he was talking about.

He pulled out his Bible and turned to Jeremiah 10:3-4 and had me read it. It says this:

For the customs of the people are futile;
For one cuts a tree from the forest,
The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.
They decorate it with silver and gold;
They fasten it with nails and hammers”
So that it will not topple.

“You see?” he said. “You have erected a Christmas tree idol in the church sanctuary. Until you remove it, I and my family will not be back.”

Being a young pastor at a small church, I didn’t want to lose any family over such a things as a Christmas tree, and so I called a few of the elders that afternoon, and we decided that while we could not get rid of the tree (another family had donated it to the church and they would be offended if we threw it out), we could move it into the foyer. I called the man who had pointed out Jeremiah 10:3-4 to me, and while he wasn’t happy that we were keeping the pagan Christmas Tree idol, he said that moving it would be good enough, and he and his family would be back in church the next Sunday.

Ironically, he and his family had a little Christmas party over at their house that year. We went. I remember walking into his house and seeing all the normal Christmas decorations. He had the lights, the tinsel, the ribbon… even some ornaments which he had hung on the wall, but no Christmas tree. Cookies were on the counter. Christmas music played on the stereo. There were even Christmas presents piled in a corner. But no Christmas tree. I remember thinking that it seemed a bit hypocritical…

He and his family left the church a few months later over something else. It had to do with the worship team this time. (And I lost the worship team as well… Ah, the joys of a small church.) I remember thinking after he left, “I sure wish I had left that tree in the sanctuary. In fact, I wish I had added a few more Christmas trees!”

Christmas Tree Idolatry

So are Christmas trees idolatrous? If you put up a Christmas tree in your house, or in your church building, are you engaging in pagan idolatry?

The answer is no… unless of course you are praying to the tree and worshiping it… in which there might be some Christmas tree idolatry going on. And no, singing “Oh Christmas Tree” does not count as praying to the tree or worshiping it…

Look, I fully admit that there was a pagan practice of chopping down trees and erecting them in public spaces or homes and decorating them with lights and gold and silver. This is a common practice among many cultures that goes back thousands of years and is part of their cultural and religious celebrations at this time of year.

I don’t think that is exactly what Jeremiah 10:3-4 is talking about, however. If you look at the surrounding context, it appears that after the tree is cut down, it is carved into a shape and then gold and silver is hammered onto it. What Jeremiah is talking about, it seems, may be the actual crafting of an idol, not necessarily the decorating of a tree itself.

But regardless, even IF Jeremiah 10:3-4 is talking about a practice that is almost identical to our tradition of putting up a Christmas tree, it is still not idol worship.

Why not? Because in the minds and practice of most Christians, the Christmas tree does not represent a pagan holiday, but represents a time when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The Christmas tree reminds us of how the Light of the World arrived to bring hope to those in darkness. The Christmas tree reminds us how shepherds and wise men brought gifts to honor His birth, and how Jesus Himself brings the free gift of eternal life to all the world. The Christmas tree even reminds us of how Jesus died upon a tree, taking our curse upon Himself, so that we might become the righteousness of God.

Though it is true that the Christmas tree may have once been a pagan symbol, it is a symbol that has been redeemed in Jesus. Just as Jesus redeems us, so also, Jesus has redeemed the Christmas tree. For most people, the Christmas tree is no longer an idol, but is a reminder of what Jesus did for us in coming to this earth as a humble babe.

Jesus is in the business of redemption. Take the cross as another example of a “tree” that has been redeemed. At the time of Jesus, the cross was a symbol of brutal torture and Roman military power. Nobody would dream of erecting a cross in their house or wearing one around their neck. But Jesus redeemed it! When people see a cross today, nobody thinks of brutal Roman torture. They think of Jesus.

The Christmas tree is the same. Though it used to be (and still is in some places) a symbol of pagan idolatry, the Christmas tree has been redeemed by Jesus and we can put one up in our houses and in our church buildings as a way of celebrating the birth of Jesus and all that He accomplished for us through His birth, life, death, and resurrection. Christmas trees have been redeemed by Jesus, just like you and me and everything else Jesus touches.

So Merry Christmas! I hope your Christmas tree is especially beautiful this year.

P.S. I wrote a short eBook on this subject…. you can get it here.

Was Jesus Born in a Barn?

By Jeremy Myers

9 Comments

As a child I often remember running outside to play, leaving the door wide open behind me, only to have my mother call after me, “Come back and shut the door! You weren’t born in a barn!”

I have often wondered if Mary ever called after Jesus in such a way. If so, maybe Jesus could have answered, “Yes, I was!”

But was He really? Was Jesus born in a barn? Or a stable? Or a cave?

No, probably not. We get this idea from Christmas carols, artwork, and other stories, but the Gospel accounts of the birth of Jesus do not indicate that He was born in a stable, a barn, or a cave. Instead, Jesus was most likely born in a house.

Jesus was Born in a House

In my book, Christmas Redemption, I briefly look at the wording in Luke 2:7 which says that when Jesus was born, Mary laid Him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. I suggest in that the word “inn” is most likely a mistranslation, and the word really should be “tent” or “tabernacle.” The word refers to a “temporary shelter” which can be erected and taken down quickly, not to “temporary lodging” at a place like an inn.

Most likely, Bethlehem did not even have an “inn.” The town had less than 1000 people at the time, and it was culturally unacceptable to stay at inns. When most people traveled they depended upon the Middle-Eastern value of hospitality for their food and lodging needs.

But it doesn’t make any sense for Mary to lay Jesus in a manger because there was no room in the tent, does it? What could that possibly refer to?

Here is another place where knowing the historical-cultural Jewish background of the Scriptures really helps understand what is going on. I suggest in Christmas Redemption that the “tent” refers to the temporary structures erected by Jewish people during the Feast of Tabernacles. Jewish men were supposed to travel to Jerusalem for this feast, and since Bethlehem was only a few miles away from Jerusalem, many people stayed in Bethlehem during this festival. But the little make-shift structure in which they were to sleep and eat their meals was so cramped, Mary could not gift birth inside. So instead, she had to find somewhere else.

But where?

Jesus in the lower part of the house — This picture actually shows Mary, Joseph, and Jesus in the lower part of a structure.

Well, she probably went into the house, right next door to the makeshift tabernacle, and gave birth there. After all, it was now empty since everyone was outside in the sukkoth, the booth or tabernacle.

But what is a manger (an animal feeding trough) doing inside a house? Well, archaeologists say that many homes at this time had two levels. The upper level was for the family, and the lower level was for the animals. This helped keep the animals safe at night from wandering off, getting eaten by predators, or from getting stolen, and also helped keep the family in the upper room above (If memory serves me right, Kenneth Bailey writes about this in Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels).

Whether Mary gave birth in the upper part of the house or the lower, we don’t know, but apparently she used the manger from the lower part of the house as a place to lay Jesus after He was born. (My wife, Wendy, likes to emphasize that Mary probably held Jesus in her arms most of the time. What mother wouldn’t?)

So if Mary gave birth in the lower part of the house, which effectively was a barn, then I guess we could say that Jesus was born in a barn after all.

But What about the Census?

One objection to this whole idea is that Luke 2:1-7 says that Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem for the census. Except for the possible reference in Luke 2:7, nothing is mentioned about the Feast of Tabernacles. The solution seems to lie in Luke 2:6. It says that “while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.”

Again, while many Christmas carols and stories seem to indicate that Joseph and Mary entered Bethlehem late at night while she is in the middle of birth pains, and he frantically knocks on doors seeking a place to stay, the text says nothing like this. It makes for a great story, but is not exactly drawn from the text.

Instead, it seems likely that the census of Caesar Augustus caused Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem to be registered. Once there, and with the Feast of Tabernacles approaching quickly, they probably decided to remain in Bethlehem for a few more days (or maybe weeks) until the days were completed for her to give birth.

With her pregnant, it made no sense to travel to Bethlehem for the census, then travel back to Nazareth, only to turn around and travel to Jerusalem for the Feast. So they stayed! It is not as if Joseph had a job to get back to. Following Jewish law, it is certain that he was taking a year off from work so he could take care of his new wife (cf. Deut 24:5).

So the picture that emerges from Luke 2:7 is a bit different than tradition tells. Jesus was born in humble conditions, but it was probably inside a house, and if it was in the lower part of the house, then there may have been a few goats around and maybe a donkey or a cow. The reason they were there was because there was no room for them outside in the tent.

One other objection to this idea is that the Feast of Tabernacles is typically in late September. Wasn’t Jesus born on December 25th? Ah, well, maybe we have given Jesus the wrong birthday! But for more on that, you will have to read Christmas Redemption. Among other things, It shows when Jesus was likely born and also why the Feast of Tabernacles is significant for our celebration of Christmas today.

If you want a copy of this book for your e-reader, it is available on Amazon, or through the publisher, at RedeemingPress.com

I Am an Idol-Worshiping Pagan Heretic

By Jeremy Myers

16 Comments

So someone left a one-star review of Christmas Redemption on Amazon.

My books certainly seem to attract negative reviews. Someone left a one-star review of Finding Church before they had even read the book! She claims she doesn’t need to read it, because the title tells her everything she needed to know. So her one-star review was because she didn’t like the title… sigh.

Anyway, regarding the one-star review of Christmas Redemption, the man said that with this book, I am leading people into idol worship. He equated me with Aaron building a Golden Calf for the Israelites and telling them that it was their God. He says he is writing a full-length rebuttal, but wanted to put a short warning up on Amazon.

I appreciate his honesty, and look forward to reading his rebuttal, if he sends me a copy.

But here is the thing, Aaron and the Israelites did the exact opposite of what I am encouraging Christians to do. God led the Israelites out of Egypt, and delivered them through the Red Sea, and then at the foot of Mount Sinai, Aaron built a golden calf and called it Yahweh, and said that this was the god that rescued and delivered them from Egypt. When Moses found out, he became enraged, destroyed the calf, and called people back to giving glory to God alone for what He had done.

I am not calling people to take the things of God and then construct idols for our worship and call them “God.” That is what Aaron did, but not what I am doing. No, I am doing the exact opposite. I encourage people to take the things of the world, which used to give credit and glory to pagan idols, and calling on people to give the credit and glory to Whom it really belongs, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! It is He who is the light of the world, the giver of all good things, and the true Spirit of generosity and grace.

This is what Christianity has done with most of our history and traditions (church buildings, Easter, paid clergy, etc), and what Moses himself did with much of his writing. Many Christians do not realize it, but Genesis 1-2 is mostly borrowed from Egyptian Creation Myths. So also, the “contract” between God and the Israelites in Deuteronomy is based off a Mesopotamian Suzerain-Vassal treaty, which often used pagan deities to guarantee the terms of the treaties. But Moses, who was trained in the Egyptian courts, took these documents, and changed the names and a few of the details so that stories and treaties which used to give glory to pagan gods, now directed people’s worship, honor, and glory to the One True God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Even most (maybe all) of the Jewish holidays and festivals were borrowed in one way or another from Egyptian and Canaanite festivals at the time.

This does not mean that Genesis 1-2 is myth, or that God didn’t really say the things He said in Deuteronomy, or that the Jewish feasts have no significance or meaning.

Quite to the contrary! If anything, God told Moses to write these things, telling him that He was redeeming this stories and treaties and festivals to Himself. Though the Egyptian Creation Myths gave glory to pagan deities, Genesis 1-2 now gives glory to God alone. The redemption of the Suzerain-Vassal treaty shows how God behaves fairly with His people. The redemption of the festivals shows that God can redeem holidays and rituals for His own honor and glory, and that even as His people, He still wants us to enjoy life with parties, laughter, and celebrations. God is not a kill-joy; He’s a joy amplifier.

We could go on and on like through most of the Old Testament and find numerous other examples of writers taking pagan ideas, stories, practices, and customs, and reworking them so that they no longer give glory to idols, but bring honor and worship to the God of Israel. This is what redemption is all about!

And this is what I tried to show in Christmas Redemption. There are many pagan practices which used to give glory to pagan deities, but the church can take some of these practices and symbols and point them to the One who really deserves the glory and honor of bringing light into this dark world – not Saturn, but Jesus Christ. I am doing the exact opposite of what Aaron did. He took the things of God and gave credit to a golden calf. I am taking the things of Saturn and giving credit to Whom they really belong – Jesus Christ.

Anyway, I am not really trying to convince this person who left the one-star review. There are many Christians who will always see things differently. You don’t need to go argue with him. That is not why I am posting this. Of course, maybe you want to post a one-star review of your own… Ha!

As for me, I am convinced that redemption is a key theme in the Bible, and if we don’t really understand redemption, we will not understand Scripture, God, Jesus Christ, ourselves, or our task in this world as followers of Jesus Christ.

Christmas Redemption is not a Romance Novel

By Jeremy Myers

2 Comments

I probably should have done a little more research on book titles for my recent eBook, Christmas Redemption.

Apparently, there is another book with the same name on Amazon. But it is about a guy who gets out of prison after doing time for bank robbery, and falls in love with the daughter of a man who was accidentally killed in the bank robbery. …Or something like that. According to some reviews on Amazon, the couple goes to church and then engages in premarital sex.

So no, that is not the book you are looking for. Christmas Redemption is not a romance novel.

My version of Christmas Redemption is about how Christians can (and should) celebrate what used to be the pagan holiday of Saturnalia. It is no longer Saturnalia, however, because the holiday has been redeemed by Jesus Christ. So feel free to put up lights, give out gifts, decorate Christmas trees, and even teach your kids about Santa Claus.

If this idea sounds surprising, well, make sure you get and read the book. It is available on Amazon, so if you have not gotten a copy yet, don’t delay, go download it now!

And for those of you who have already downloaded Christmas Redemption, thank you! It was the Number 1 book on the Amazon “Christmas” list for a while:

If you have already read Christmas Redemption, let me know what you think by posting a review of the book on Amazon. Thanks!

Why Christians should not Celebrate Christmas or Easter, Drive a Mazda, or Use a Calendar

Are Christmas Trees Idols?

Christmas Tree Idolatry

Was Jesus Born in a Barn?

Jesus was Born in a House

But What about the Census?

I Am an Idol-Worshiping Pagan Heretic

Christmas Redemption is not a Romance Novel

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