There have been different schools of thought on whether it is appropriate to celebrate Christmas or not. Some have said that December 25 is not the actual birthday of Jesus Christ. Others say that Christmas day used to be a day dedicated to the celebration of a heathen god.

Irrespective of the biases we might have about the celebration of Christmas, the fact is that Christmas has come to stay among the majority of Christian folks around the world. While it is true that there is the tendency to celebrate Christ without Christ indulging in emotional blackmail and man-made traditions, it is also true that for most Christians, Christmas is a season to celebrate Jesus Christ. The word “Christmas” actually means the celebration of Christ and this should be our primary focus.

 “One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord.  Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.”  Romans 14:5-6

Here are some reasons Christians celebrate Christmas:

Christians celebrate Christmas because it reminds them of God’s unconditional love. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

There was nothing in us deserving love. We sinned against God, spat on his face and denied Him. We fail to live up to His expectations yet in our most deplorable state, He sent His Son to die for our sins. Christmas is a season that reminds and reveals to us the true definition of love unlike the worldly perspective of love which selfish, conditional and emotional.

“Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:7-8

We should never forget that without His birth, there would not be His death.

Christians celebrate Christmas because it reminds them of God’s sacrificial giving. It is a season to commemorate the greatest gift God ever gave to man – His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

This is actually the true essence of Christmas. We always think of giving when there is excess but God had only one Son yet He gave Him up for us. He sacrificed Him for our sake. He didn’t hold on to Him. This is why we must commit our own lives also to sacrificial giving; going out of our way to make others comfortable.

Christians celebrate Christmas because it commemorates the beginning of the end of the greatest problem of man – sin. The birth of Jesus brought the final solution to the issue of sin.

Matthew 1:21 says, “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name of Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.” Sin drove a wedge between us and God. We became separated. We lost the intimate fellowship we had with God but through the birth of Jesus, a solution came. Jesus removes and saves us from our sins.

Hence, we can go back to God like it used to be. In Christ, we are redeemed and reconciled back to God. This is the purpose of His coming to destroy the works of the devil which is sin. If we still live in sin then the purpose is not achieved and our celebration is in vain.

We should never be lost in the euphoria of celebration at the expense of the essence. Jesus Christ is the focus! Anything we do apart from Him is nothing.

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