O Christmas tree

Holiday Theme

Most of our homes are probably decked with Christmas adornments. There is just something intangible about sitting in a dark living room or den with only the soft glow of the Christmas lights illuminating the night. All the ribbons and bows and snowy globes contribute to the cozy Christmas feeling that surrounds us. These decorations seem to transform our common dwellings into special places ready for fellowship with family and celebration of Christ our King!

Humbug

However, not everyone enjoys all the frills and festivities. Many well meaning and serious believers consider Christmas a downgrade of theological convictions and compromise with the secular worldly culture. The approach of the puritans was that Christmas was not a Christian holiday at all, but rather a bold example of the blending of compromised, apostate Catholicism with pagan nature cults. The Puritans understood Christmas to be a blatant example of papist excess and frivolity. In many ways that was true. Even the name Christmas does come from Catholic origins referring to the 'Christ mass' that was probably done in the winter to coincide with the winter solstice celebrations of the pagans. 

There are also many people who are deeply disturbed over the materialism and commercialization of the holiday. Clearly Jesus isn't being honored by the family racking up huge credit card balances to make sure that they are keeping up with the other families on their street or even in their church. 

So, if there is so much that was historically troubling about Christmas and so much that could be currently concerning, why should Christians bother with it at all?

Christmas Tree Lights

Among the things that get attacked as pagan and even sinful among most Christmas celebrations is the sinister Christmas tree. This pagan symbol of fertility amongst the death of the dark winter season is considered to be such a clear example of pagan appropriation. However, even if all these historic and cultural assertions are true (which I'm not sure that they are) as Christians we must remember that Jesus is the reigning King. The Lord Jesus came to establish His eternal kingdom for the glory of the one true triune God! So if Jesus is the rightful recipient of all Glory, then that includes the glory of Christmas!

So what does this have to do with the Christmas tree? Well the Bible is full of important trees. You will surely remember the forbidden tree (knowledge of good & evil) and the protected tree (life) that we find in the opening chapters of Genesis. The tree of life shows up other times as well in Proverbs but most conspicuously at the end of the Bible in the book of Revelation. But when we look at the Christmas tree maybe as genuine believers we should be reminded of the most important tree, the cross. On this tree Jesus bore the curse for us so that we could enjoy the blessing of His life! So let us rejoice this Christmas because Christ is our King and when we look at that illuminated tree we may be reminded it's about the cross.