The History of Christmas The Christmas Tree

The History of Christmas

The Christmas Tree

 

Have you ever thought about all the symbols of Christmas?

Have you ever asked what have they meant to others?

Christians for centuries have used the symbols

pagans used to worship their gods to point them to the true God.

What meaning do you give the symbols of Christmas?

Can they teach them about our Savior?

 December 25 has been celebrated

long before the birth of Jesus.

Its focus was on the darkest days of winter

and the hope of new life.

The Romans worshiped the sun god

and today we have Unitarians

and new age people worshipping solstice.

For those worshipers,

they continued in darkness.

It was when Christians started

celebrating the birth of Jesus,

on December 25^th,

that light started shinning into their dark world.

Christians used many of their practices

to reveal the message and truth of Christ.

One of the practices was in the Nirdic countries,

as fathers and sons went out

to cut down an evergreen tree

and bring it into the home.

  

The evergreen tree was brought into the home

on the darkest days of winter,  around December 21,

as a sign of new life and birth.

This was a time they called Yule.

  The Christians would hang apples on the tree

to teach the story of creation and the Garden of Eden.

 Later it is said a monk taught

from the triangle shape of the pine tree,

the message of God

as being Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Today, we have replaced the apples

with shinny glass ornaments.

Christians have worked hard to convert people to Christ

 and to convert them from pagan worship.

During the holidays,

we have a lot of customs.

Many of them we do without having

any understanding of why we do them.

We, as Christians, need to take a fresh look

at our Christmas traditions.

Do they tell the message of Christ

and worship Him?

Or, are we being converted to worldly ways?

God never told us to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

But He did tell us to make disciples.

So use the events of Christmas

to help others know the Savior.

Scripture Reading

Jeremiah 10:2-5 NIV

"Do not learn the ways of the nations

or be terrified by signs in the sky,

though the nations are terrified by them.

3 For the customs of the peoples are worthless;

they cut a tree out of the forest,

and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel.

4 They adorn it with silver and gold;

they fasten it with hammer and nails

so it will not totter.

5 Like a scarecrow in a melon patch,

their idols cannot speak;

they must be carried

because they cannot walk.

Do not fear them;

they can do no harm

nor can they do any good."

Matthew 28:18-20 NIV

"All authority in heaven

and on earth has been given to me.

19 Therefore go

and make disciples of all nations,

baptizing them in the name of

the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

 20 and teaching them to obey

everything I have commanded you.

And surely I am with you always,

to the very end of the age."