Topical Sermons - Executable Outlines

The Celebration Of Christmas
Should It Be The Work Of The Church?
Mark A. Copeland
INTRODUCTION
1. “Christmas” is an annual holiday celebrated by many...
a. Millions commemorate the birth of Jesus on this day
b. Many consider it as one of “the most holy” of religious holidays
c. For some, it marks one of the few times they attend church services (along with Easter and
Mother’s Day)
2. But were you aware that...?
a. Christians in the NT did not celebrate the birth of Jesus as an annual observance?
b. Most Protestant churches did not begin celebrating Christmas until the 19 th century?
c. Most churches of Christ still do not have annual observances of Christ’s birth
3. This may prompt questions in the minds of some...
a. How did the yearly observance of Jesus’ birth get started?
b. Should not the Lord’s church involve herself in such a holiday?
c. How about observing certain elements of it as individuals?
[Focusing on the observance of Christmas in connection with the birth of Christ, let’s start with...]
I. THE BIRTH OF JESUS
A. IN THE BIBLE...
1. “The New Testament provides no clues in this regard.” - Encyclopedia Britannica
2. The NT simply states that it happened in the days of Caesar Augustus and while Quirinius
was governing Syria - Lk 2:1-2
3. Most scholars place the year of Jesus’ birth between 4-6 B.C.
-- The actual year is uncertain, let alone the month and day
B. IN HISTORY...
1. Sextus Julius Africanus popularized the idea that Jesus was born on December 25 in his
Chronographiai, a reference book...written in 221 AD. - Wikipedia, “Christmas”
a. Based on the assumption that Jesus died on March 25
b. Based on a Jewish belief that prophets died on the same date as their conception
c. Thus if Jesus was conceived on March 25, then He was born nine months later (assuming
a gestation period lasting exactly nine months)
2. However, Orthodox churches celebrate the birth of Jesus on Jan 6 th or 7 th
-- The fact is that no really knows what day, month, or year Jesus was born
[If we don’t know exactly when Jesus was born, then how did the annual celebration of His birth begin?
For that, let’s review the history of...]
II. THE CELEBRATION OF CHRISTMAS
Topical Sermons 59