Covenanter Witness Vol. 53 - Rparchives.org

example"privily"sins."us."had done what an infinite sacrifice had to be madeHe was a disillusioned man when he found what anyDecember 8, 1954man would have considered to be evidence of infideli to save them !tyon the part of his future bride. Because he was But the Romans, their contemporaries in thata just man he was justifiably indignant. But because world, always had a gigantic celebration late in Dehe was a good man he didn't want "to make her a cember which they called "Saturnalia." It was apublic and was therefore "minded to put wild orgy of unbridled license and dissipation whichher away away from the censure of the was dedicated to their pagan god, Saturn, whom theylaw, away from the staring eyes of the curious, away worshiped as the god of seedtime and harvest, andfrom the whispered comments of the tale-bearers. to whom they gave thanks for teaching them theBut before he could carry out his plans he got the skills of agriculture. Once a year the Romans letanswer to his question. An angel came to him and themselves go completely in this festival of wickedsaid: "Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: ness. There were no limits to their immorality, forfor that which is conceived in her is of the Holy were they not paying homage to their god? It wasGhost. And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou religious, wasn't it? How could there be anythingshalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His wrong with it then?people from their That didn't put an end to In order to counteract these pagan customs thethe gossip of those who didn't know the secret, but bishop of Rome in the fourth century officially setit gave Joseph the truth about Christmas.December 25th as the date on which the birthdayAnd we have the answer to our question about of Christ would be commemorated. It was to be ait too. It may not be a scientific answer, but it is a season of deeply spiritual joy and gladness, in prodivine answer. It may not solve all the problems of test to the sinful pleasures of the Roman festival.our minds, but it does solve all the problems of our Christmas was intended as a sharp contrast and ahearts. For God tells us in Matthew 1 :22,23 : "Now severe rebuke to the Saturnalia, a means by whichall this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was the Church could raise up a witness against the evilsspoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold,of a pagan world. But today we can't help wonderinga virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a about the result. Obviously, the Saturnalia has notSon, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which been replaced by Christmas. On the contrary, it hasbeing interpreted is, God withinvaded Christmas, and in some respects, at least,That's why you can't put Christ back into it has conquered it. How much difference is there"Xmas."He simply doesn't fit anywhere in it. Santa really between the modern Christmas and the ancientClaus and drinking parties and commercialism andSaturnalia? No, we don't worship Saturn, but wesilly songs will have to get out if this truth believe incomesSanta; we don't have paganism, but weback into our celebration. You can't put the Incarna have commercialism ; we don't want davs of dissipation on store counters. You can't be in Bethlehem tion, but we have enough liquor to make them thatwhen you are in Babylon. You can't have Noel withand a great many people do. At any rate, therenoise. You can't sing Handel's Messiah to the tune ofisn't much more room in the modern ChristmasJingle Bells. In short, the truth about Christmas is than there was in the ancient Saturnalia for thefar too solemn and serious to have anything in comgreat and solemn truth of the holy Incarnation ofmon with the truth about "Xmas."the Son of God. We may give our celebration a religious appearance with music and pictures and naThe Origin of Christmastivity scenes, but the Romans did that too in otherways Anything can be done in the name of religionWhere did it come from this idea that Christ and especially today in the name of Christmas.mas should be celebrated with a spending spree and But the atmosphere of this annual season witha business boom, with drinking and debauchery, with its shopping and spending, its drinking and dissirioting and revelry, and with a legendary idol from pating, its rioting and reveling is hardly one whichthe north pole in the center of it all? Is there some leads men to exclaim in true faith; Behold, EmNew Testament teaching that gave birth to it? Is manuel. God with us !it something that arose in the early Church ? No, inThe Dangerous Counterfeitdeed. There is nothing in the whole Bible that condones it. And the early Church didn't celebrate Every year when I say these things on thisChristmas for over two hundred years after Christ. broadcast and, alas, they must be said every yearThose people were still under the impact of the people write me letters in which thev call me a killsacredness of the Incarnation. They were closer to joy, a wet-blanket, or something like that. Theythe mystery and the miracle of it all the virginask me: what's the matter with you? don't you havemother, the stable, the angels, the stars, the wise any children of your own? is that why you can'tmen, and the shepherds. They saw the wonder of see that you are spoiling this season for them ?it and stood in awe of it. And they knew the solemnpurpose behind it : that God had to humble HimselfYes, indeed, I do have children of my ownthree of them, thank God! And that is preciselyto become a man in order to atone for human sin. how I know something of the dangers to which manyThey understood that the manger in Bethlehem and children are exposed by foolish parents at this timethe Cross of Calvary were close together. They of the year. No, I am not condemning the joy anddidn't feel like saying "Merry Christmas !" the way gladness, the cheer and good will of the holidayso many people say it today, superficially and senti season, if it is t^e right kind. I only wish there werementally. Theycould not have tolerated our modern more of it, and that it would last longer. But I wantshopping season, and our Santa Claus, and our my children and yours and you to have a realsaloon parties. They were Christians who knew what Ohris+mas. Not one that teaches them to remakeChristmas meant what it meant for them, and God in the image of Santa Claus ; not one that leadswhat it meant for God! They saw what their sin them to look for the meaning of Christmas in store357