This is the congregational Sabbath message that accompanies this sermon.

True Worshipers in Spirit and Truth

How does the Father view the rationale for applying a celebration of remembering His Son’s physical date of birth to replace a pagan festivity?  Practically all Christian groups acknowledge the festivities at the end of December derive from pagan practices, and December 25th is not the birthday of Christ.   One example is from the Billygraham.org website.  

Q: Why do we celebrate Christmas on December 25 when the Bible doesn’t mention the date of Christ's birth?  

A: We understand your concern about our traditional celebration of Christmas. The exact date of Jesus’ birth is not recorded in the Scriptures.  

“The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology” explains that the earliest Christians did not have a time when they regularly observed Christ’s birth. However, by the late fourth century it was generally celebrated in churches. December 25 became recognized as Christmas day because it provided a Christian alternative to pagan festivals related to the Roman god Saturn and the winter solstice.  

Although the date of the Christmas celebration is not found in the Bible, it is not wrong for us to remember Christ’s birth during the Christmas season. It can be an opportunity for us to grow closer to Jesus and point others to faith in Him. (https://billygraham.org/answer/why-do-we-celebrate-christmas-on-december-25-when-the-bible-doesnt-mention-the-date-of-christs-birth/). 

To help us understand a core issue with the Christmas narrative, let’s look at Jesus's conversation with the Samaritan woman in John 4. This story gives us insight on how the Father looks at the topic of properly worshipping Him.     

A little background regarding this event will help us understand more about Jesus's conversation with the woman.  In 721 BCE, the Assyrians brought the people who were later known as Samaritans into the land of Israel to replace the peoples of the Northern Kingdom that the Assyrians had taken captive. This history is found in 2 Kings 17.  These Samaritans incorporated aspects of their former pagan worship into their worship of the God Israel.    

Hundreds of years later, Nehemiah had challenges with a Samaritan leader named Sanballat, whose daughter had married one of the high priest’s grandsons.  Nehemiah banished this grandson from Jerusalem. (Neh. 13:28, NKJV).  The historian Josephus relays that Sanballat, supporting his banished son-in-law, encouraged him to build a temple on Mt. Gerizim to rival God’s temple in Jerusalem. Over time, the Samaritans saw this mountain as their holy place. This helps us understand the conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman.  

Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:21-24, NKJV)  

The Samaritan ideas on holy places were not built on truth and neither is the concept of celebrating Christ’s birth with Christmas on December 25.  Jesus clearly stated that any worship of the Father must be based on truth.  The Father is seeking those who will worship Him in spirit and truth.  Additionally, Jesus prayed that the truth would set apart his disciples.    

Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. (John 17:19, NKJV)  

The truth is an important aspect of the appropriate worship of the Father. God’s word teaches us the truth and sets us apart in the eyes of the Father. This is why Christ explained the truth that Mt. Gerizim had nothing to do with the true worship of God. And this is why it’s not appropriate to worship God the Father and Jesus Christ on a repurposed pagan holiday that, in truth, has nothing to do with the birth of Christ.   

As Peter stated in 2 Peter 3:18, let’s grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as we spend time this Sabbath studying the truths found in God’s Word, and worship God in spirit and truth.