12/14/09

Should A Christian Put Up A Christmas Tree?



Have you ever met a Christian who refused to display a Christmas tree in his house because he believed it to be a pagan tradition? I have. The use of the trees does have pagan roots, but Gary DeMar shares with us here why it is OK to display them:

Just because pagans might have used trees to worship their gods does not mean that we can’t use them to teach us something about God who has given us the “indescribable gift” of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 9:15). The Christmas tree is an evergreen that reminds us that we have “eternal life” in Jesus Christ (John 6:40). The shape of the tree reminds us that we are “born from above” (John 3:3). The needles on the branches remind us that Jesus was “pierced through for our transgression” (Isa. 53:5). The lights hung on the tree remind us that Jesus is “the light of the world” (John 8:12) and through Him we are to be “the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14). The objects we hang on the tree remind us that “every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow” (James 1:17).

Instead of condemning the setting up of the Christmas tree as some practice brought into our homes from the pagan cold, it should remind us that God promises us “the right to the tree of life” (Rev. 22:14). If the Bible tells us “to go to the ant . . . to observe her ways and be wise” (Proverbs 6:6), certainly we can learn similar things from God’s other good creations, even trees.

Article: http://samuelatgilgal.wordpress.com/2008/12/09/should-a-christian-put-up-a-christmas-tree/

1 comment:

Anders Branderud said...

Hello!
You wrote: “ave you ever met a Christian who refused to display a Christmas tree in his house because he believed it to be a pagan tradition? I have. The use of the trees does have pagan roots, but Gary DeMar shares with us here why it is OK to display them:”

I want to comment on that. A logical analysis of the earliest MSS (based on the implications of Dead sea scroll 4Q MMT) of what was redacted to “Matthew” proves that the historical first century Ribi Yehoshua ha-Mashiakh (the Messiah) from Nazareth was a Torah-teacher.

It is written in Torah, Devarim (“Deuteronomy”) 13:1-6, that it is forbidden to add or remove mitzwot (commandments) from Torah. This is written in Torah: “"Do not do like the practice of the land… in which you dwelled, and do not do like the practice of the land… to which I bring you, and do not walk in their traditions. Do My mi•shәpât•im′ and watchguard My khuq•im′ to walk in them." (wa-Yi•qәr•â′ 18.3). [words found in the glossaries in Netzarim www.netzarim.co.il ]”

That quote has implications about Christmas.

Learn more about what Ribi Yehoshua from Nazareth (the Messiah) taught in the above website.

All the best, Anders Branderud