Dr. Craig Mobey
Let me repeat: Jesus is not pagan. I am not pagan. Christmas is not pagan. Christmas is about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and as with everything, we want to see Jesus in all things and see all things in light of Jesus.
We can agree that the events surrounding Jesus’ birth were remarkable and called out to the whole world that our Saviour has come. The symbols of Christmas on the one hand point us toward Jesus and on the other hand, echo to a broken 2022 world that remarkable call out of 2000 years ago.
This message will touch on the presence of sheep at the first Christmas and then discuss some symbols.
Scripture Reading: Luke 2:8-14 (NIV)
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.
9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.
11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
The Sheep
Luke 2:8 reads, “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.”
The argument is that Jesus couldn’t have been born in December because the shepherds were out in their fields, and it would’ve been too cold for the sheep to be there.
The average winter temperature in Israel is about 13 degrees, which I am sure that you will agree, is not too cold for sheep. The shepherds would have been with their sheep in the fields because the Awassi sheep in Israel give birth over December and January.
About Symbols in General
Symbols both remind us of meaning and add meaning. At the outset, with this in mind, we can ask ourselves if the symbols of Christmas remind us of His birth and add meaning to our 2022 celebration of His birth.
My dictionary[1] says the following about a symbol, “something used for or regarded as representing something else; a material object representing something, often something immaterial; emblem, token, or sign.”
Whether we consult Jung, the Daily Herald, or other reputable sources, a few things stand out:
- Symbols mean different things to different people.
- A symbol can have more than 1 meaning.
- The meaning of a symbol is best determined by its present use.
A swastika, for example, can symbolize both good fortune and Nazism. A six-sided star is known by the Jews as the Star of David while in Hinduism it represents unity between man and God or between man and woman. A cross has an obvious Christian use, but in an ancient Chinese tradition, it represented perfection.[2]
In other words, if you use or put up a symbol, it is because it has a present meaning to you. You are therefore able to answer the question, “what does this mean to me?” And your answer will be in the present tense where you are using the symbol, and not in the past tense.
It is true that some Christian symbols are or were used in paganism, but this is certainly not the association a practising Christian has got to have with the symbol, and, as we said earlier, it is certainly not the only meaningthat can be applied to a symbol.
Christmas Trees
Have you ever heard that Christmas trees are evil or forbidden or idolatrous based on Jeremiah 10:3-4, “This is what the LORD says: ‘For the practices of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter.’”
If ever, there was a candidate for the Scripture most quoted out of context, then this one must be on the short-list. Jeremiah is referring to the creation of an idol, not a Christmas tree.
Someone once said to me that when we bend forward to pick up a gift from under a Christmas tree, we bow to an idol. My answer was simple, “This morning I bent forward in to put my shopping in the car’s boot, and I am pretty sure that I was not worshipping transport or vehicle storage places.”
The Christmas tree originated from two Christian symbols found in homes at Christmas time. The first was a “paradise tree,” an evergreen tree on which apples were hung. This symbolized the tree of life in the Garden of Eden. The second symbol was a “Christmas pyramid,” a shelf holding Christmas figurines and decorated with a star. By about the 16th century these two symbols had been combined into the Christmas tree we know today. Some missionaries used a pine tree because it is evergreen and the triangular shape represented for them, the Trinity.
At the same time though, we must also acknowledge that an evergreen tree is a long-held symbol of beauty, life, and growth, for example:
- Psalm 1:3, “That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither– whatever they do prospers.”
- Isaiah 60:13, “The glory of Lebanon will come to you, the juniper, the fir and the cypress together, to adorn my sanctuary; and I will glorify the place for my feet.”
Trees are not evil. They can’t be. It’s a tree…part of God’s creation. The problem lay in what the tree represents to someone and by extension, what the tree is made into, for example, an idol. If we read Jeremiah 10:3-4, we understand that if an idol is made from a tree, then the idol, idol maker, false gods etc. are problematic, not the tree.
Nativity Symbols
Stars. Luke 8:8 reads, “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.” In Matthew 2:1-2 we read of the wise men who came to worship Jesus, “…We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” I am reminded of Matthew 2:2, “…‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’”
Angels. The first part of Luke 8:9 reads, “An angel of the Lord appeared to them” and Luke 2:13, “Suddenly many other angels came down from heaven and joined in praising God” (CEV). The first angel announced the good news and all the angels praised God.
Coloured balls. Fruit trees should grow fruit. Christians should evidence their salvation. Christians, according to John 15:16, have been chosen by Jesus to bear much-lasting fruit, in other words, the fruit of our salvation. There is, of course, the fruit of the Spirit that we should bear according to Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…” We would not bear fruit if Jesus did not come to us.
Bells. Church bells call worshippers to the church, announce the fixed times of daily Christian prayer, and are rung on special occasions such as a wedding, or funeral services. Bells make an announcement, even if to tell us it is 7 pm.
Lights and candles. We celebrate Christmas by stringing lights because the Light of the world has come to us (John 1:4; Isaiah 9:2). Jesus is the Light of the World (John 1:4-9).
Giving of gifts. This originated from both the gifts of the Magi of Matthew 2:11, “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh” and from Saint Nicholas.
I can understand that with the commercialization of Christmas, people can become “confused” with gifting. Sadly, in this scenario, gifting is usually coupled with one’s financial ability or lack thereof.
Here is an evangelical suggestion, if you give a gift, give it with the Gospel and remind the receiver of the greatest gift ever, God to man, 2 Corinthians 9:15, “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”
Snow and holly. We are in the Southern Hemisphere, so snow and holly are not really a reminder of the season for us. But I can grasp why snow and holly form part of the Northern Hemisphere – cold climate symbolism – their evergreen trees might be covered with snow at this time of the year.
Music. We celebrate Christmas with carols and choirs because they are expressive of joy and follow the examples of Mary and Zacharias and Simeon and the angels, all of whom exalted the Lord in poetry (Luke chapters 1–2).
Santa Claus. The is a meme doing the rounds where a young boy asks Santa Claus, which is a symbol of Christmas, “Where are you in the Bible?” Supposedly, because Santa Claus is not mentioned in the Bible, he is evil or can’t be used as a Christmas symbol or we can only use things mentioned in the Bible. I am not sure exactly what point is being made, but by extension of the logic behind the meme, the young boy might as well be asking Santa Claus, “Where are denim trousers mentioned in the Bible?” or, “Where are headphones mentioned in the Bible?”
Santa Claus is a “corruption” of “Saint Nicholas,” possibly because of the Dutch “Sinter Klaas.” He wasn’t pagan, but a real historical 4th-century Christian figure who was known for his generosity. Nicholas gave the three daughters of a poor man money by putting it in their stockings, which were drying by the fireplace. He was famous in his day for other acts of generosity – such as throwing bags of money into people’s homes (and sometimes down their chimneys) under the cover of night. He also very strongly defended the deity of Jesus.
Saint Nicholas was about giving gifts without expecting anything in return, a powerful reminder of the ultimate gift: God came to us who are completely undeserving of His boundless love, mercy, and grace.
Having said this, I am also aware that much mythology has, in time, surrounded the figure of Santa Claus and there are other associations too, such as Krampus.
My advice is to use wisdom and caution in deciding whether or not to include Santa Claus in your Christmas. Here are some things to keep in mind:
- Children who believe that the gifts they receive Christmas morning are from a magical man with unending resources might not appreciate the gift, or in time, understand the sacrifices their parents make in providing for them.
- There is always the possibility that Santa Claus can cloud the gift of Christ to us through greed and materialism.
- Children whose parents are on a tight budget may feel that they have been overlooked by Santa Claus or even worse end up believing that they were “bad.”
The symbolic use of Santa Claus, like all other symbols of Christmas, must point us toward Christ. To quote Saint Nicholas himself, “The giver of every good and perfect gift has called upon us to mimic His giving, by grace through faith, and this is not of ourselves.” Saint Nicholas is setting us a challenge. May the symbolic use of Santa Claus remind us of this challenge.
Conclusion
I have tried to show that the symbols of Christmas are not inherently evil and that they can be used as an evangelical statement to a broken 2022, that echoes the remarkable birth of Christ some 2000 years ago.
These same symbols remind us of our instruction to be His witnesses (e.g., Acts 1:8) and to bear Godly fruit.
God bless,
Amen.
[1] “Symbol.” Definition of a symbol. Dictionary.com. 2022. Accessed on 13 December 2022 from https://www.dictionary.com/browse/symbol.
[2] Gray RT. 2004. Symbols hold multiple meanings. Daily Herald. 2022. Accessed on 13 December from https://www.heraldextra.com/lifestyles/2004/apr/17/symbols-hold-multiple-meanings/