Was Jesus Really Born on December 25?

I was recently asked this question: "I have always believed that December 25 was Jesus’ birthday. But a person recently told me that it was originally a pagan holiday. And that when Christians celebrate Jesus’ birthday on December 25, they are actually participating in a pagan ritual.  How should I respond to this person? Should we be celebrating Jesus’ birthday on December 25?"

The exact date of Jesus' birth, no one can say for sure, because the Bible does not tell us.  For the first 200 years, the early church did not celebrate Jesus' birth.  But they did celebrate the resurrection because Jesus’ death and resurrection is the most important part of the Gospel.  That is also the main focus in our church.  The Bible does say that Jesus came out of the tomb the first day of the week after the Sabbath (Matthew 28:1).  That is Sunday.  That is why we worship on Sunday and that is why we celebrate Easter on Sunday.  There is a debate as to when Jesus died.  Traditionally it has been said that he died on Friday.  That is why we call it Good Friday.  But if there was a special Sabbath that year, Jesus could have died on Thursday.  This is typically what I believe.  This would give you the three days that Jesus was in the tomb. Does the actual day Jesus died really matter that much?  No, because it was not the main emphasis of the Gospel story.  The main point is that he died for our sins.  The day that Jesus was raised from the dead apparently was very important for us to understand because all the Gospels tell us that it happened on Sunday or the first day of the week.

As for the day Jesus was born, we celebrate it on December 25, but no one knows for sure.  That is a day that the early church decided to celebrate Jesus’ birth.  Was that day chosen because it was the day that the pagans used to celebrate the birth of the sun god?  Possibly.  But does this mean that if we celebrate Jesus’ birth on that day, we are actually celebrating the sun god? Of course not.  The Scriptures do not specifically tell us when Jesus was actually born, so the day was chosen by the early church.  When we teach on the birth of Jesus Christ, never is my focus on the actual day December 25.  That is not the focus of Scripture.  We focus on the Scriptures and the story itself and not the day.

Let’s take Thanksgiving as an example. We celebrate Thanksgiving, but does the Bible tell us a day to celebrate Thanksgiving?  No.  Is it wrong to celebrate a day of thanksgiving to God for all his blessings on the fourth Thursday of November? Of course not.  It's just a day that helps us remember to focus on something very important.  It is the same way with Christmas.  The day itself is meaningless, but celebrating and worshiping God for what he did for us is important.  If it was not important for us to focus on Christ coming to earth, then it would not have been recorded for us in Matthew or Luke.

Let me explain how the early Catholic Church came up with their religious holidays.  They would come into a pagan area where people worship many gods.  The missionaries would tell them about Jesus.  These people would then turn from their pagan idols and turned to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  Those missionaries would then look at their culture and their celebrations.  They would then tell them that they should no longer worship these pagan gods, but instead focus on the true God.  One group of Greeks used to worship the sun god on December 25.  So, they turned away from the sun god and repented of that pagan lifestyle.  The missionary said, in place of the sun god we will celebrate the birth of Jesus instead. So they worshipped Jesus instead of the sun god.

Another missionary went into Germany.  Here they would worship trees.  That missionary cut down their pagan tree that they worshipped.  He told them that rather than worshiping a pagan tree, we are going to worship Christ and his eternal life.  And to illustrate Jesus’ eternal life, we will place candles on an evergreen tree, representing the eternal life of Jesus Christ.  Eventually that led to the Christmas trees that we have today.  So, were celebrating the birth of Jesus on December 25 and having a Christmas tree pagan rituals?  Absolutely not.  They represented just the opposite. This was their way of repenting and turning away from the pagan ritual.  These holidays started as a sign of a new beginning of their new life in Christ.

The missionaries were not always successful at totally transforming a day into a Christian day.  Halloween has always been a pagan holiday.  The church tried to turn it into All Saints Day, when we remember the departed saints.  But that did not work.  The pagan tradition of Halloween continues to this day.  But we as a church continue trying to transform this holiday.  We do not celebrate Halloween, but we do have a fall festival and dress up and give away candy.  People could say that it is a pagan holiday that we are celebrating.  But we say that we are just taking a holiday of our culture and trying to use it for the glory of God to reach people in our neighborhood for Christ.  Do you see the difference?

I know that some people are so legalistic that they never see the good that has been done by converting a pagan day to a holy day.  But what I have observed is that these people are often full of pride and arrogance.  They portray themselves as the true spiritual Christians and everyone else is more carnal than they are.   All they can think about is that it had some kind of pagan roots, and therefore, it is all bad.  Paul speaks about folks like these in Colossians 2:16, “Let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day.”  Don’t let these people judge you on something that you do out of sincerity and true worship of Christ.  I am glad that for one month our entire culture focuses on the birth of Christ.  I don't like the materialism of our culture, but at least there is some good that comes out of this day and celebration of Christmas.

Let me give you another illustration.  Many of the old hymns that the church has sung in worship were originally bar tunes that people play at bars.  People came to Christ and then changed the lyrics of those songs to transform them into worship songs.  Because people already knew the tune, they could now sing the song with the new lyrics about Christ.  A legalistic person might hear of this and say, this song is a pagan song.  Yet most people today sing these old hymns and have no idea that they were once bar tunes. Today, they are used by God in deep worship.  So are they pagan songs or worship songs?  I believe that since the meaning and lyrics of the songs have been changed, they are no longer pagan.  They are now worship songs used to lift up Christ in worship.  That is how I look at December 25.  Is it the actual day of Jesus’ birth?  I doubt it.  The Bible does not specifically say the actual day of Jesus’ birth.  But if this day can be converted and removed as a day that was set aside to worship a pagan god and can now be redeemed as a day of celebrating the coming of our Lord to save us, then I don't have a problem at all celebrating Jesus’ birth on December 25.  The day is no longer a pagan day.  It is a day that has been redeemed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I wish to God that we could redeem every day of the year in the same way.     

Pastor Tony

Education Building Construction

Construction on our new education building is in full swing!  Interior walls should begin going up in the next week or two.  Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this project already - those who are praying faithfully, those who are giving financially, and the teams who are working daily to make this building safe and accessible as soon as possible.  We appreciate each person!  If you would like to contribute to our Epicenter campaign which is funding this project, visit our website.  Enjoy the pictures below of the progress that's been made so far!

 

 

View from parking lot (near Shepherd's House)

View from across the creek near Student Ministry Building

View from lower Breezeway

View from lower Breezeway

View from upper Breezeway

A Prayer for Our Nation

Lord, give us ears to hear.  This is God’s Word to us…
Isaiah 26:1-2: "We have a strong city; God makes salvation its wall and ramparts. Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith. You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You.”
 
May we make this declaration…

Micah 4:5: “All the nations may walk in the name of their gods; we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.”

Joel 2:12-14: “’Even now’,” declares the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.  Rend your heart and not your garments.’  Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity.  Who knows?  He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing…”

Lord, we lift up our nation, a nation that has in many ways turned its back on You.  We stand in now for our nation, asking for Your forgiveness.  Father bring our nation back to You that we may enjoy the blessings that come from being one nation following You.

                
Father, We pray for our nation.  We have lost sight of what is good and pleasant in Your eyes.  Bring us back to a people who live to please and glorify You, first.  Help us live in obedience to Your commandments as a people and a nation.  Enable us to recognize the signs and warnings You have given us when we, as a nation, have headed away from You with our sinful ways.  As a nation, we have…

·         obliterated Your place as the God of our nation and spurned Your promise in Psalm 33:12 that “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD.”

·         removed the recognition of the National Day of Prayer to You and instead given support of prayer rallies to false gods because as You say in Romans 3:18, “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

·         changed Your definition of marriage in Genesis 2:24 that “a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.”

·         approved that which You call an abomination in Leviticus 18:22 “You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.”

·         redetermined when life begins by rejecting what You say in Psalm 139:13 that “You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb” and certainly any 15 year-old boy who’s ever bought a condom knows when life begins.

·        approved the slaughter of preborn children, totally disregarding that which You say You hate in Proverbs 6:16-17, “hands that shed innocent blood.”

·        abandoned our responsibility to be the fathers You have called us to be to our children in Deuteronomy 6:7 to “teach them diligently” Your Word.

·        been overcome by greed and accumulated incomprehensible debt because we have forsaken Your truth in Luke 12:15 to “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

·       turned to the idols of the American dream, materialism, sports, shopping, TV, pornography, substance abuse, and the like in substitute of the greatest commandment in Matthew 22:37 to “to love the LORD your GOD with all your heart.”

Lord, please forgive us.  Help us to understand what You are calling our nation to do and put that understanding into obedient action.  Let us heed Your call of repentance, knowing that our obedience will be greatly rewarded.  Help us to learn from our disobedience.  May we surrender to Your Holy Spirit, to remain vigilant in keeping Your laws and truth for our nation.  Holy Spirit, empower us even in the face of persecution to be courageous in taking a stand and sharing the Gospel and the truth in love that will engage the culture and set the people free. 

 Lord, we pray:

*For our nation's leaders and advisors-those in power and those to come- that they would surrender to Jesus Christ as Lord

*For our nation's judges and people involved in courts of law

*For our nation's military - protection, strength, and guidance

*For our nation's protection - violence, crime, terrorism

*For our nation's financial stability - freedom from debt and to prosper

*For the needs of our nation's people - spiritual, physical, financial

*For our nation's unity with each other and with the world

*For our enemies - we release their offenses into Your hands

*For the nations of the world - to live in peace with each other

*For the nation of Israel and for the peace of Jerusalem

Lord, You are our only hope!  We have strayed so far from You and Your ways.  But we know You have promised that if we repent that You will heal our land.  Would you please give us Your mercy and spare your judgment upon us?  Lord, we humbly ask in the powerful name of Jesus to bring our nation back to You.  Amen.

 

 

Silverdale Baptist Church and the Prosperity Gospel

            Most Christians have heard some of the following: "The reason you haven't been healed is that you don't have enough faith," "God wants you rich and healthy," "What is the desire of your heart? Name it, claim it by faith, and it is yours! Your heavenly Father has promised it. It's right there in the Bible."

Such statements reflect what is known as the “Health and Wealth Gospel.”  It is a teaching that permeates most Christian media and originates from the Word of Faith movement. This movement defines faith as making a “positive confession” or thought-actualization, which stresses the inherent power of your words and thoughts.

 

The Gospel of Health

"I am fully convinced that it is the plan of Our Father God, in His great love and in His great mercy, that no believer should ever be sick" (Hagin, Kenneth E., 1976, Seven Things You Should Know about Divine Healing, Faith Library Publications Tulsa, p. 21).

“I refuse to create a theology that allows for sickness … it is a false gospel” (Johnson, Bill - 2010 August. Sermon presented at Bethel Church, Redding CA.).  (To hear an excerpt from this sermon, click here.)

Most Christians will readily agree on certain things in regard to healing. First of all, people who are morally conscientious and who recognize that the physical body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16) may generally have better health, because they take care of their bodies. Secondly, the healing of the body is part of the redemptive work of God. The Bible does teach healing. It was part of Jesus'and the apostles' ministries. There were gifts of healing in the church's charismata,and in James 5:14-15, Christians are specifically encouraged to pray for the sick with the promise of answered prayer.

However, most Christians depart from the Faith Movement on healing when it says that healing is for everyone and God always wants everyone to be healed. This philosophy comes from the understanding of Isaiah 53:5. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed (Isaiah 53:5, NIV). The Faith Movement interprets this to mean that healing is in the atonement and, just like you were forgiven of your sins, all you have to do is by faith claim it and you will be healed.  But this passage never promises healing for everyone in this life. In fact, Peter quotes this passage as a basis for living righteously, not physical healing (1 Peter 2:25).

Millions of faithful Christians throughout the ages have suffered and their prayers for physical deliverance have gone unanswered. There can only be three possible reasons: 1) God does not love these people, but we know that He does (Mt. 6:26); 2) God wants to heal them but they have sin in their life (Psalm 66:18) or they are not praying with enough faith (James 5:15), both of these could be true and could block a healing; 3) Sometimes it is not God’s plan to heal everyone exactly when we want that person to be healed (Ex 4:11; Job 2:10; John 9:1-3; Heb. 11:35-39).

There are many times when a person is sick because of their sin (Psalm 119:67-68, 1 Cor. 11:30).  We are told that when we pray we are to ask in faith and with the proper motives (James 1:6-8). Even though God may not heal someone because of their rebellion or their lack of faith, we believe that there are times when God sovereignly chooses to not heal people in this lifetime. All healing is ultimately up to God. No amount of Bible claiming will force God, like a genie from a bottle, to do our bidding.

The best Biblical example of God not healing faithful Christians who pray in faith is the Apostle Paul. He had a thorn in the flesh that he prayed three times for God to remove, yet God said no. ⁷So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. ⁸Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. ⁹But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:7-9, ESV).

There were many occasions where God used the Apostle Paul to bring healing to people, and yet with his thorn in the flesh, God said no. Paul responded to God, not with disappointment, but with praise (2 Cor. 12:9-10). The fact is God does not heal in every occasion. If he did, then why didn’t Paul heal his fellow minister Trophimus? I left Trophimus sick in Miletus (2 Tim. 4:20, NIV). Or Timothy, who had obvious stomach problems and was not healed by prayer. Paul gave him another remedy. No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments. (1 Tim. 5:23, NASB) Why didn’t Paul just heal him? Because, contrary to the Prosperity Gospel, God does not always heal in this lifetime.

As Christians, we are to pray for healing, and we are to believe that God delights in healing His children (Mt. 7:7-8).  We should pray confidently, believing that God does heal in answer to our prayers.  Even if God chooses to not heal our body in this lifetime, we know that as Christians we will experience the ultimate healing during the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:53). Healing is not a divine obligation; it is a divine gift. As the receiver of this gift, we can make no demands of God. Like the old hymn, we must come to that place of dependency and trust in God: “Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, ‘It is well, It is well with my Soul.’”

 

The Gospel of Wealth

"It's a matter of your faith. You got one-dollar faith, and you ask for a ten thousand-dollar item, it ain't gonna work. It won't work. Jesus said, ‘According to your faith’, not ‘according to His will.’ He said, ‘according to your faith be it unto you.’ Now I may want a Rolls Royce and don't have but bicycle faith. Guess what I'm gonna get? A bicycle" (Dr. John MacArthur,“Charismatic Chaos,” page 349. [Quoting: Fred Price, “Praise The Lord,” TBN,21/09/1990]).

The cardinal fault with the prosperity gospel is one central tenet: God wills the financial prosperity of every Christian; therefore, for a believer to live in poverty is living outside God's intended will. Normally tucked away somewhere is another assertion: Since we are God's children, we should always go first class; we should have the biggest and the best. Only this brings glory to God!

To substantiate their teachings, proponents of the prosperity gospel distort the meaning of certain Bible passages. One such passage, frequently quoted, is 3 John 1:2. John began his letter with a friendly greeting, expressing his desire for Gaius. I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (3 John 1:2, NKJV) This verse is nothing more than John's personal wish for Gaius, and yet it is taken as a universal promise or guarantee of health and wealth.

Another popular text for the word-faith teachers, with regard to prosperity, is John 10:10. I have come that you might have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10, ESV)  This verse is referring mostly to our spiritual abundance, not some kind of material abundance (Eph. 1:3).

Many in the word-faith movement treat God as if He simply exists to cater to our every wish and to do our bidding. Charles Fillmore of Unity School of Christianity rewrote the 23^rd Psalm to reflect their understanding of God and their gospel. "The Lord is my banker; my credit is good. He makes me to lie down in the consciousness of omnipresent abundance; He gives me the key to His strong box; He restores my faith in His riches; He guides me in the paths of prosperity for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk in the very shadow of debt, I shall fear no evil, for You are with me; You prepare a way for me in the presence of the collector; You fill my wallet with plenty; my treasure runs over. Surely goodness and plenty will follow me all the days of my life, And I shall do business in the name of the Lord forever." (Pneuma: The Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies, Vol. 12, No. 1, Spring 1990, p. 45)

One cannot help but see that this kind of attitude is contrary to Scripture.  ⁶But godliness with contentment is great gain, ⁷for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. ⁸But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. ⁹But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs (1 Timothy 6:6-10, ESV).

The reason why this prosperity gospel is so popular is because it feeds our fleshly desire for materialism and greed (2 Tim. 4:3). It justifies our covetousness. It exalts the idolatry of possessions. Yet we are told to be content with the basic things of life. We are told to be generous. If God does bless us, it is not so we can spend these blessings on ourselves, but so we can use them to help others and support the Kingdom of God. ¹⁷As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God … ¹⁸They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share (1 Timothy 6:17-18, ESV).

God blesses diligence, good work, honesty, integrity and generosity. When we give to his kingdom, He does promise to provide for our needs (Mal. 3:10-11; Phil. 4:19). This is a far cry from the prosperity gospel being promoted on many Christian networks today.

The root error of the gospel of health and wealth is that it seeks to apply a theology of future glory to the believer in the here and now. The Bible does the opposite. We are taught that because of our future glory with God, we can now endure and even find joy in Christ. Despite the heartache and trials of this life, we can experience God’s abundant presence and peace.

 In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world (John 16:33, ESV).

Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22, ESV).

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Rom. 8:18, ESV).

We do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day (2 Cor. 4:16, ESV).

 

Conclusion:

The health and wealth gospel is not the Gospel at all. It is a false gospel that needs to be condemned (Gal. 1:8). The disease of these false teachings is rampant in our culture and in the church. Christians have been inundated with messages that say our joy is inextricably bound up in our material prosperity, physical health, and all the comforts and conveniences of Western society. For most people, joy and suffering are incompatible.

Yet the true Gospel says that we are to find our joy in Christ alone. We, like Job, need to come to a place that says in the midst of suffering, The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord (Job 1:21, ESV). The true Gospel says that it is Christ and His presence that gives us joy. We are to love and worship God for Who He is and not just for the blessings that He gives us.

The error of the prosperity gospel is that it overlooks God’s purpose and plan for suffering. God uses hardship and tribulation to conform us into the image of Christ. We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Rom. 5:2-5, ESV).

Suffering exposes our idolatry and love of possessions. When these material props are removed and when our physical bodies are wasting away, we find that God is enough. In fact, joyfully, we say, God is more than enough. When we find that Christ is all we have, we discover that Christ is really all we need, because we have set our hearts on the exceeding treasure of God Himself and not on earthly prosperity.


Click here for John Piper's perspective on the Prosperity Gospel.

Student Building Opens Tomorrow!

After months of excitement, prayer, preparation, and a lot of hard work by many people, the new student ministry building is set to open tomorrow night!  Students and parents are welcome to come in starting at 5:00 PM, with Exit 7 beginning at 6:45 PM.  Come check out this incredible new building designed just for students!

Hallway in Atrium area (basketball court on the left, cafe/eating area and
lounge areas straight ahead, worship room on the right)

Cafe/eating area

Lounge area

Check-in/reception desk (basketball court behind)

Game room

The Post-It Note Project

This Sunday, September 2, members of Silverdale Baptist joined together to encourage our pastor in, well, a unique way: by covering his car with post-it notes, each with a handwritten message of encouragement.  To say he was surprised may be an understatement.  Thanks to everyone who contributed to the project (and kept it a secret)!  If you were unable to participate, it's never too late to send him a card or email with words of encouragement.

"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up..." 1 (Thessalonians 5:11)

Finishing Touches

The student ministry building is up, lights are hung, walls are being painted...it's time for the finishing touches!  We look forward to moving our students into the new building and seeing how God will use this space to influence the lives of teenagers, leaders, and our community.  Take a look at the pictures below to see exciting progress from the last few weeks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

















Worship Room in Student Building

View from upstairs offices in Student Building

Inside front entrance of Student Building



Preparing to repave parking area outside Choir Room Entrance