The First Christmas
“And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”
Recently, I watched the film, Mary Magdalene. I picked up the DVD because it featured two reasonably good and famous Hollywood actors. So, I thought that it should be worth watching. The set and location sceneries looked authentic. However, very quickly I realised that the story and how the leading characters interacted with one another did not seem right.
Many gospel-related films usually do not get the details right. The scriptwriters and directors have their own interpretation of the events and characters. It is unbearable to see Jesus with blue eyes and blond hair. Well, that is still acceptable if the storyline is fairly consistent with the biblical accounts. However, in this film, the portrayal of Jesus as a dreamy and flaky character, who does not seem to be sure of himself and his identity, is stretching its credibility too far. Mary Magdalene is also wrongly portrayed as more clued in concerning Jesus’ mission and the Kingdom of God than Peter and the other eleven apostles. Again, from a biblical standpoint, it is highly questionable.
After a while, it occurred to me that the film combined the accounts from the bible and gnostic texts like the Gospel of Mary. Add to that blend the artistic license of the scriptwriters and director, the story is anything but biblical. It is clearly a distortion of the Scripture. Most Christians would detect the distortion quite easily. You cannot be a serious Christian and endorse the film or recommend it to other Christians.
Distortions
Strange as it might sound, many Christians have no qualms putting up with distortion to Scriptural truths.
One of the obvious and startling examples is the celebration of Christmas. You cannot find Christmas trees and the tradition of exchanging gifts in the Gospel accounts surrounding the event of the birth of Christ. However, brightly lit trees decorate Christian homes and church premises. The practice of gift exchange is also common.
On the surface, associating Christmas with such activities and things like Santa Claus, snowman, winter wonderland, candy cane and reindeers seem harmless. Adults are happy and they make children laugh. It certainly creates a holiday mood.
Subtle Compromise
So, what is the problem?
The problem is that we believe in one thing, but we practise a totally different thing. We proclaim that Christmas is all about the birth of Christ, the Saviour of the world. We attend a Christmas service, listen to a sermon about the birth of Jesus and sing Christmas carols. But once outside of the church, our way of marking this day and season is no different from unbelievers. The centrepiece decor in our homes is the Christmas tree, and we attend Christmas parties wearing Santa caps and indulge in reveries. In doing so, we give the impression to our family and friends that Christmas is just another cultural holiday.
I may appear to sound rigid and talk like a spoilsport. But take a step back and consider the message that we are sending to our children. Unconsciously, we are teaching them that it is all right to believe in the Word, but in practice do something quite differently. May I suggest that this is a classic example of compromise and hypocrisy.
Soon, our children will learn and apply the lesson to other areas of life. When it is inconvenient or culturally challenging, they will compromise and take the easy way out. This is not the way of Christianity. The Christian faith is counter cultural, and believers are called to take a radical stand for biblical truths and values that are contrary to the world even when it looks stupid.
Syncretism, a mixture of beliefs and practices, are loathsome to God. It is the usual human response to avoid the challenge of taking sides in spiritual and cultural matters. But God demands our allegiance to Him without compromise. We, parents, have the responsibility to be godly examples and train our children to follow Christ in integrity to His Word.
The Truth about the First Christmas
Instead of celebrating Christmas as the world does, it would be a better idea to make use of this special season to share the good news about the birth of Christ. As the angel proclaimed to the shepherds, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). Explain the reason for the season. Jesus’ coming has nothing whatsoever to do with Santa Claus and the snowman, but everything to do with the salvation of mankind. Pray for the unbelievers and invite them to church. Teach your children to do the same. These should be our preoccupation during the Christmas season.
At home and in Christian gatherings, recount the Christmas stories and share the profound lessons of the first Christmas.
On the first Christmas, Jesus, the Saviour, was born. He did not just appear out of the blue. The prophecy of His coming was announced as soon as Adam and Eve sinned (Genesis 3:15). Abraham was called to birth forth a nation from whom Christ would come. More than seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, the prophet, Isaiah, prophesied that Christ would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14). He would rule as Mighty God and Prince of Peace and of His government there would be no end (Isaiah 9:6-7). The birth of Christ is the birth of the hope of a blissful eternity with Christ as King.
The first Christmas was tough for Mary. There was no room for her in any inn to give birth. The first Christmas was tough for the newly born baby Jesus. There was no place to put Him except in a manger, a trough from which cattle and horses fed. Salvation is free because Christ Jesus had paid the price.
The first Christmas is the story of Mary, the human mother of Jesus. It is a remarkable story of obedience, faith and courage. Mary was only a teenager, probably about fifteen years old. She did not say no to God when the angel, Gabriel, told her that she would be pregnant with the Son of God. She was betrothed, but not married. She was a virgin. So, how on earth was she going to conceive? It would be a miraculous conception by the power of the Holy Spirit. Nothing is impossible for God.
But more importantly for Mary was the question of how she was going to convince Joseph, her fiancé, that she was pregnant with the Son of God. How was she going to tell their parents, relatives and friends about her pregnancy? There was no easy answer. The birth of Christ is good news for the world, but very complicated for Mary. However, her faith was remarkably strong, and she was courageous enough to tell the angel, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).
The first Christmas is about the love of God and His Christ. For the sake of humanity, Jesus obeyed His Heavenly Father, left the glories of heaven above, took on flesh, and came to dwell among mankind. He was born to die. He was the Lamb of God, a sacrifice to atone for the sin of mankind. He is the scapegoat for our sin. He came to die so that we might live.
Christmas has so many wonderful stories about redemption, faith, courage and obedience. What do you want your loved ones and friends to get out of Christmas? What do you want your children to learn from stories of Christmas? Why would you waste it on inconsequential things like Santa hats, Christmas trees and meaningless parties?
Catch the true spirit of Christmas!
Pastors Leslie & Adeline Chua