Why Christmas?

Thinking Men and Women ask why the whole world should celebrate Christmas.

Men and women of superior intelligence ask why the Church should have a monopoly on one season. After all, what is this Christ of whom they speak? Wasn't he just a symbol of hope, a religious teacher who was made into something far more than what he claimed to be? And aren't all religions equal?

Perhaps we could look at the life and words of this great teacher.

First, His birth was claimed to be miraculous, unlike any other birth

Matthew 1: 18-23 (NIV) records:

18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married

to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.

19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public

disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,

"Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is

conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him

the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet (Isaiah 7:14 ) :

23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"

--which means, "God with us."

(Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua, which means the LORD saves.

Second, the gospel writer Matthew claimed that the place of birth of this great man was foretold in the Hebrew Scriptures (Matthew 2:4-6 (NIV)):

4 When he (Herod) had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law,

he asked them where the Christ was to be born.

5 "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied,

"for this is what the prophet has written (see Micah 5:2):

6" 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for out of you will come a ruler

who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.' "

Third, His disciples claimed that He was the Messiah or Christ. "The Christ" (Greek) and "the Messiah" (Hebrew) both mean "the Anointed One" (footnote to Matthew chapter 1 in the New International Version). Matthew 16:13-16 (NIV) notes this dialogue with the disciples:

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people

say the Son of Man is?"

14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of

the prophets."

15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"

16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ,[2] the Son of the living God."

Fourth, Jesus himself did not try and deny what Peter said, but instead encourages him (Matt 16:17).

17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man,

but by my Father in heaven.

There are many more verses where Jesus claims a special relationship with God the heavenly father. He says " I and the Father are one," and "No man comes to the Father but by me," and other things that would cause thinking people to pause and consider whether this man was really just a good man.

And that is why Christians do not want to rename Christmas. After all, do we ask that Jews refer to Hanukkah as the festival of light, or that Moslems refer to Ramadam as the season of devotion? So why should Christians be asked to refer to Christmas as "Happy Holidays" or "Season's Greetings" Thinking people realize that if Jesus is who he claims to be, then they have only one real option: To worship Him.