Is it biblical to have a Christmas tree?
The Bible never tells Christians if they should have Christmas trees or not, but the Bible does tell Christians to reject any idols in their lives and worship Him alone. Christmas is about Jesus' birth and God's promise to save us, not about what we put on our Christmas trees.
Deuteronomy 16:21 says:
All in all, whether you put up a Christmas tree or not, the worship should always be about the Lord and nothing else. If that is your driving force, whether or not you put up a tree is solely up to you.
For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter.
"That became a symbol of Christ — being triangular in shape it represents the trinity — and from there came the idea that the tree should be a symbol of Christ and new life," Dr Wilson said. "That's one of the main origins of the Christmas tree and bringing it into the house."
Luke 2:8-12 (NIV)
I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
In Christianity, Christmas tree is symbolic of birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The tree's branches and shrubs are viewed as an emblem of immortality and are said to symbolize the crown of thorns worn by Christ on the cross.
Then Martin Luther put candles on the tree, saying, “The candles remind us of the star that led Wise Men to the Christ child.” That was probably the first decorated tree. When all was done, he sat his children down and taught them a new carol he had written. …
Though several ancient cultures symbolized home decoration with evergreens as a positive sign of productivity, It is not a religious symbol. Also, Bible doesn't say anything about Christmas trees; since Christmas celebrations gained popularity later years after the Bible.
He later wrote a sermon about the experience for his church, leading to the spread of people decorating the trees with candles as a symbol of letting Jesus into their homes. In modern terms, the meaning of a Christmas tree is that the Christmas tree represents Jesus and the light he brings to the world, for Christians.
Although the Christmas tree is full of symbolic meaning for the Christian tradition, there is no immediate connection between Jesus and this particular practice. In fact, the evergreen has a rich history of religious significance among pagan cultures, which is why some Christians have rejected the tradition outright.
When did Christians start putting up Christmas trees?
Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition as we now know it in the 16th century when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. Some built Christmas pyramids of wood and decorated them with evergreens and candles if wood was scarce.
Romans 12:6 reminds us that God, through Christ, has given each of us gifts to use for his glory. The holidays can be a great time to use your gifts for that purpose — to shine the light on Jesus while bringing joy to other people.
Millions of Christians do not observe Christmas. Among them are Quakers, Jehovah's Witnesses, and members of the Churches of Christ. Some of the half-dozen Christian faiths that do no celebrate Dec. 25 contend there is nothing in the Bible that says Christ was born on that day.
The modern Christmas tree originated in Germany, where families set up a paradise tree in their homes on December 24, the religious feast day of Adam and Eve. They hung wafers on it (symbolizing the Eucharistic host, the Christian sign of redemption).
In Northern Europe, the Germans tied fruit and attached candles to evergreen tree branches. This was done in honor of their god, Woden (Odin). The third day of the week, Wednesday, was named after this pagan god. These trees symbolized eternal life to them.
The crimson shade of red associated with Christmas symbolizes the blood that was shed by Jesus Christ during His crucifixion. The color green—the hue of evergreen plants like pine trees, holly and mistletoe that retain their leaves throughout the winter—represents Jesus Christ's everlasting life.
Because Christmas is about the birth of God's Son – Jesus. It is about how he came to give us love, hope and joy. That message doesn't change from year to year. When there is so much bad news and devastation in the world, this is good news worth celebrating!
Evergreens were also used as a sign of eternal life by early Christians in catacombs under Rome. But until the mid-19th century, Christians viewed the Christmas tree as a foreign pagan custom. Pagans would bring fir trees into their homes at Yuletide because it represented everlasting life and fertility.
Other than people and God, trees are the most mentioned living thing in the Bible. There are trees in the first chapter of Genesis (verses 11–12), in the first psalm (Psam 1:3), and on the last page of Revelation (22:2). As if to underscore all these trees, the Bible refers to wisdom as a tree (Proverbs 3:18).
The New Testament contains two Christmas stories, not one. They appear in Matthew 1–2 and Luke 1–2.
Is decorating a Christmas tree pagan?
Christmas trees did begin as a pagan tradition as early as the fourth century C.E., according to ABC News. European pagans were largely responsible for dressing their homes with the branches of evergreen fir trees in order to bring color and light into their dull winters. But pagans weren't the only people to do this.
Among them are Quakers, Jehovah's Witnesses, and members of the Churches of Christ.
WE EACH HAVE DIFFERENT GIFTS
Romans 12:6 reminds us that God, through Christ, has given each of us gifts to use for his glory. The holidays can be a great time to use your gifts for that purpose — to shine the light on Jesus while bringing joy to other people.
As legend has it, the cross on which Jesus was crucified was made from a dogwood tree. God decreed that the dogwood tree would from that day forth never grow large enough to be used to make a cross. Thus, the dogwood tree is a small, under story tree.
The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, along with the Tree of Life, clearly reveal our need for salvation! The “Forgotten Tree of Christmas” and the Olive Tree of Salvation wonderfully relate God's mercy and grace, and His unwillingness that anyone suffer throughout eternity!
“Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruits; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. “A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit; neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” (Matt.
Because Christmas is the holiday that celebrates the birth of Christ, as a light in the dark world, the lit tree was a reminder of that light. The Christmas tree also represents the Tree of Life, commonly recognized as the most important tree in the garden of Eden.
They saw Christmas as a wasteful festival that threatened Christian beliefs and encouraged immoral activities, to (in Stubbs' words) the 'great dishonour of God'.
The date of birth of Jesus is not stated in the gospels or in any historical sources, but most biblical scholars generally accept a date of birth between 6 BC and 4 BC, the year in which King Herod died.
Christmas is on Dec. 25, but it wasn't always. Dec. 25 is not the date mentioned in the Bible as the day of Jesus's birth; the Bible is actually silent on the day or the time of year when Mary was said to have given birth to him in Bethlehem.
What does Christmas mean to God?
It is a time of God showing His great love for us. It can be a time of healing and renewed strength. Sure, enjoy the season but remember to rejoice as well! After all, the true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of God's ultimate gift: the birth of Jesus, the Christ child.
Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basis of their religion.
This has helped me realize that Christmas is a time to remember others and recommit myself to their service. Christmas is not about me expecting something from somebody, but it is about me giving something to someone in need, as God demonstrated through the gift of his son Jesus Christ.