Council Grove Christian Church

12/10/25
Servants of God,
What shall we do about Christmas? The celebration of Christmas has enemies. This annual celebration of the incarnation of Christ (Messiah) has enemies outside and inside the church.
Secularism has done its damage, substituting the antics of a fat (all knowing) elf for the birth of  a savior who is the Son of God. In Europe, Islam is cowing communities who  dare to cling to the celebration of anything Christian. The famous Christmas markets across Europe are shrinking for fear of Islam. Extraordinary security costs associated with thwarting Islamic terrorism will eventually close these markets. Rather than fight the source of terror, Europe is slowly bending the knee. A once great Christian culture is evaporating.
The barbarians are not at the gate; they are running the village. Have you looked at New York City or the state of Minnesota lately? Have you noticed Islamic holidays preloaded on your phone’s calendar? Sharia Law is on the way to your town—wherever your town is. Islam is the enemy of Christianity. Christmas as the celebration of the incarnation of God is particularly offensive. Only the ignorant and the willingly deceived deny what is happening.
Outside opposition is one thing. Christian capitulation is another. It is a great danger that some Christians openly oppose Christmas. These folks—sincere but often ignorant of history and unwilling to differentiate between biblical heresy and an opportunity for Christian witness—look for almost anything that they can condemn about celebrating Christmas. They hate Christmas trees because they think they are idols. They nit pick at the giving of gifts or having a Christmas party and feel morally superior because they do not display Christmas lights or speak those awful words “Merry Christmas.”
We live in a fallen world. Every righteous attempt to exalt Christ is always somewhat flawed. We are not perfect—yet! But that does not mean we should throw out the Christmas baby (literally) with the cultural bathwater. Scrape the barnacles off the boat instead of sinking it.
American evangelical Christians need to grow up. We are at war! We do not need theological nit pickers; we need believers with theological bullhorns and swords of the Spirit. When a people lose the courage to speak the name of Christ (you have noticed it is in the word Christmas?) they lose something essential. When symbols like a nativity scene or a star of Bethlehem lose their power to motivate and encourage Christians, it signals spiritual atrophy. The Christian faith is to be passed on (in part) through symbols. Of course, we battle the perversions of the symbols of our faith. Fancy crosses can dim that symbol of capital punishment (Jesus died as a condemned criminal). Advent wreaths can become empty of the theology of hope, love, joy, peace, faith and light! That does not make them heresy. It simply means Christians must think biblically about everything—including which holidays we celebrate and why and how.
American Christianity, once evangelical and vigorous, has lost its nerve. When church worship gatherings become better known for a smoke and light show than for joyful, reverent worship and solid doctrinal teaching, we are in big trouble. But that does not mean that there are no faithful churches. It means things need to change. There are (at least) three things every mature Christian can do to properly represent Christ at Christmas. We can each become a REP (representative) of Jesus during the Christmas season:
R- Repent. Luther said that all the Christian life is repentance. We must turn from known sin. As Christians, if we have been celebrating Christmas with wrong motives or to the injury of the gospel, we must repent. That means turning from what we know is wrong and turning to Christ and what we know is right. If your Christmas celebration is not focused on the doctrine of the incarnation (God becoming a human being) you are wrong and you need to repent. Weed out the cultural glory thieves like Santa and Rudolph and get more baby Jesus into your celebration.
E- Evaluate. Pay attention to times and places and opportunities to witness in word and deed to Jesus as the Son of God who was born to be the savior of the world. If your Christmas tree is a problem burn it! If you use a Christmas tree to proclaim Jesus as the light of the world, then load it up with Christian symbols and talk about them with the children in your life. Make Christmas a giving time that honors God who loved the world by giving His Only Begotten Son! Have meals and parties with Christian music playing. Encourage Christian conversation about receiving the gospel with humble hearts like the shepherds. Talk about being like the Magi who came from afar to give significant gifts because they really believed Jesus is a King! Talk about the glory and majesty of an angel army’s praise! Think! How can I intentionally drop things that rob Christ of glory and add those that foster worship of Christ at Christmas time?
P- Participate. Do something to glorify God at Christmas time. If possible, give a gift to an unsuspecting person in Jesus’ name. Saying “Merry Christmas” can become an act of spiritual warfare. Put “Happy Holidays” on the shelf. Drag out your old friend “Merry Christmas” and set her loose in your conversations. Gather with family and friends in Jesus’ name and to his honor. Get happy when you think of God’s love in Christ. Eat a cookie shaped like a star! Take every thought captive to a savior who was born in fulfillment of God’s great promise to restore the entire universe for His glory and the good of humans from every tribe, tongue and nation.
If we want to be agents of the Prince of Peace, we must wage spiritual warfare. Think about it! Doesn’t it just make sense (biblically) to exalt Christ at Christmas? Be the best “REP” possible this Christmas season. Even a cup of cold water offered in Jesus’ name will have an impact.
Blessings,
Pastor John
Coram Deo