Many Christians are familiar with those who object strongly to Christmas. The concern is often
sincere and rooted in a desire for faithfulness. “Christmas is a pagan holiday,” they say. Some point
to Jeremiah 10, describing the cutting of a tree, decorating it with silver and gold, and conclude,
“There you have it — the Christmas tree.”
But this objection rests on a misunderstanding of both Scripture and Christian practice.
Christians do not worship trees. We do not bow before decorations. We worship Jesus Christ — the
Son of God, the King of kings and Lord of lords. The Christmas tree, like church buildings, music, or
candles, is not an object of worship but a symbol that can be used meaningfully or misused.
Scripture condemns idolatry, not celebration.
What is central to Christmas is the incarnation: God becoming flesh. When Jesus was born, heaven
itself rejoiced. Shepherds left their flocks in wonder. Angels announced “good news of great joy for
all people.” If heaven celebrated, why should the church be silent?
A common objection follows: “Why celebrate Jesus’ birth around the time when pagans celebrated
the return of the sun?”
That question actually reveals something profound about the wisdom of the early church.
The first Christians lived in cultures already filled with festivals, symbols, and rhythms of life. When
people turned to Christ, the gospel did not require them to erase every cultural marker, but to
redeem their meaning. The sun was no longer celebrated — the Son was. Light was no longer
worshipped — the Light of the world was proclaimed.
Scripture shows this pattern repeatedly. Gentile believers were not required to adopt Jewish
customs such as circumcision. Why? Because God is not interested in external conformity, but
internal transformation. As Scripture reminds us, “The Lord looks at the heart.”
Yes, it is true: we do not know the exact date of Jesus’ birth. Shepherds were unlikely to be in open
fields in the depths of winter. Most Christians acknowledge this openly. But the power of Christmas
does not lie in chronological precision — it lies in the truth it proclaims: “The Word became flesh and
dwelt among us.”
Christmas is not about defending a date; it is about declaring a reality. The Truth of a statement or
symbol is not in the statement or the symbol, but in the reality to which it refers.
Even today, the fruit of the season speaks for itself. In the retirement village where I live, the
Christmas season brings a visible surge of kindness, generosity, and care. People visit the frail and
lonely. Carols are sung for those who cannot be with family. Community replaces isolation. Love
becomes tangible. These are not pagan outcomes — they are gospel-shaped ones. Everyone around
the world knows that Christmas is about Jesus, whether they are Christian or not. Nobody today
associates Christmas with a pagan practice. So, is Christmas “kosher” for Christians?
Yes — when Christ is at the centre.
Christmas is not the worship of pagan symbols; it is the proclamation of the greatest truth
Christianity holds: God entered human history to redeem it. Far from compromising the faith,
Christmas offers the church a powerful opportunity to rejoice, to witness, and to remind the world
that light has come into the darkness — and the darkness did not overcome it.
“But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you
will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.” (Mal. 4:2 NLT)