Lutheran Church Missouri Synod

Christmas is Gospel (Don’t Turn it into a New Commandment!)

By Dr. Richard P. Bucher

As I was making my rounds this past week I heard on the radio words that I often hear this time of year: "May the spirit of the holidays be yours." We are so used to hearing this kind of thing this time of year that we usually don't even intellectually process it -- it just gives us a warm feeling. But what does this statement mean?

First of all, this statement assumes that all of the December holidays are dealing with the same thing. But this is anything but true. Christmas celebrates something dramatically different than Hanukkah or Kwanza or Saturnalia. To assume that there is some sort of generic, universal "spirit" that is behind all of these holidays is an assumption that cannot be supported and one that I am not ready to make! It seems obvious to me that the slogan, "May the spirit of the holidays be yours," tries to appeal to everyone and offend no one this time of year. Well, it offended me.

However, I am somewhat indebted to this inexact slogan because it started me thinking again about what the real "spirit" of Christmas is. What is the spirit of Christmas? What is it really about? Just this. Christmas is Gospel, not Law. Christmas is about what God has done not about what we are supposed to do. Christmas is about what God has given not what about what we are giving. Christmas is Gospel. Please don't turn it into a burdensome commandment!

Christmas is Gospel, the Biblical word for good news. Isn't that exactly how God Himself described it through the angels? "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," said the angel to Joseph (Matthew 1:21). Notice there is not a word here about what Joseph should do or give. Rather it is all about what baby Jesus is going to do and give: He will save the people from their sins! Then there is the word of the angel to the shepherds in Luke 2: "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10-11). Notice that he said, "I bring you good news of a great joy"?

Throughout the Scriptures, the word Gospel means the good news that God gives us salvation and forgiveness as a free gift. You know you're reading Gospel in the Scriptures when God promises or offers something for free and makes no demands on you whatsoever. Moreover, the Gospel is the opposite of all laws and commandments. Both human and divine laws and commandments demand that we do or don't do something. The Law places demands and obligations on us and threatens us with punishment if we don't perform correctly. Thus, when we don't perform as we are commanded to, guilt and unhappiness follows.

Unfortunately many, even Christians, have turned Christmas into Law, into a new commandment. For these people Christmas becomes one huge obligation that God and men have commanded us to fulfill. Christmas becomes all about what I am doing and giving rather than about what God has done and is giving. Here follow some examples of ways where Christmas, which is Gospel, is turned into the Law, and ruined.

I. Thou shalt Imitate God's Example of Giving

The first way that Christmas is turned into Law is when it is turned into a commandment which says, "Thou shalt imitate God's Example of Giving." I think most people today would say that the "spirit of the holidays" or the "spirit of Christmas" is giving. This is exactly right but it is God's giving that we should be focusing on at Christmas time, not ours.

In other words, it is commonly thought that what Christmas is all about is God saying something like this: "My Son, Jesus has been born in Bethlehem. He is my gift to you. Now I expect you to imitate me. As I have given, now you must go and give." But no and a thousand times no! Not a word of this can be found in the Scriptures. God did not give Jesus as an example of what we should do, but as a Savior for us to receive and be saved by.

Not even we give gifts in this way. When we give gifts is the main point of our giving ever that the recipient of the gift would imitate our example? No! Our main hope and desire when we give a gift is that the recipient would joyfully receive it period! God is exactly the same way. He gave baby Jesus, the Savior so that all people would joyfully receive Him as their Savior. They receive Him through faith they receive Him when they believe in Him as their Savior.

I am not suggesting that the giving of gifts at Christmas time is wrong. It is a nice custom. But it is not a nice custom when we become so obsessed with it that our giving overshadows, obscures, and buries God's gift of His Son. Our gift giving, contrary to what the world would lead you to believe, is not the "spirit of Christmas." The point of Christmas, the point of God's gift of Christ to the world, is not that we should imitate God's giving but that we should receive God's giving. Christmas is not a new commandment for us to fulfill, but glorious good news for us to receive and enjoy! When the main point of our Christmas is our giving, we have turned Christmas into a new commandment. When the main point of our Christmas is our receiving of God's gift anew, then Christmas is what God intended it to be, "good news of a great joy," Gospel not Law. I believe that at Christmas time God wants nothing more than for us to receive anew His gift. We have the rest of the year to love and give and do.

II. Thou Shalt Not Transgress Thy Christmas Customs and Traditions

A second way that Christmas is turned into Law is when it becomes a new commandment which says, "Thou shalt not transgress Thy Christmas customs and traditions." Once upon a time, long ago, customs grew up around the celebration of Christ's birth, not to take the place of that birth, but to make it more tangible. Christmas customs were a fun and joyful way to remind us of Christ's birth through sight and sound and smell.

By customs I mean things like putting up Christmas trees, mistletoe, indoor and outdoor lights, nativity scenes, all the decorations we put up, all the Christmas baking we do, the sending of Christmas cards and letters, parties that we attend or host, special concerts that we attend, and the buying and giving of gifts (which I've already mentioned!), just to name a few.

Our Christmas customs are good when we do them sparingly, willingly and freely. But when we do our customs because we have to, because in our minds, it wouldn't be Christmas without them, then we have turned Christmas into a new Law which says, "Thou shalt not transgress Thy Christmas customs and traditions." Then we have turned Christmas into a long list of obligations that compound stress, rob us of joy, make us irritable, bleary-eyed beasts, who can't wait for Christmas to be over.

It's okay if we don't do our customs, some of them or all of them. It would still be Christmas without them. Even if the only thing we did at Christmas time was gather with God's people and quietly heard again the blessed good news of Christ's birth for us -- this would still be Christmas. Our customs can easily turn Christmas into Law not Gospel and we need to guard against it.

III. Thou Shalt be Joyful and Happy at Christmas

A third way that Christmas is turned into Law is when it becomes a new commandment which says, "Thou shalt be joyful and happy at Christmas." I think we all know this one. We all know that at Christmas time we are supposed to be joyful and happy. But let's get real and stop pretending. Many people and many of us right now are not happy and joyful at Christmas time.

We try hard to be happy. We go through a ritual to try to jump start our happiness. We do many things to try to get into the Christmas mood. We go to Advent services, hear and sing Christmas carols, do all our customs, gather with family or friends, and give and receive gifts. We go to church services and try to pretend that we're happy. But for many of us, the reality is that we are not.

And then we begin to feel guilty. "A fine Christian I am," we say. A woman once called struggling with this very thing. What I said to her was: God nowhere commands that we be joyful at Christmas. The angels announced that Christ's birth was "good news of a great joy." And sometimes we do feel joyful and happy about it. But God does not command us to be joyful at Christmas. And He understands that our spirit is willing but our flesh is weak. He understands that we are living in a fallen world and struggle with sin. He knows that there are many things that rob us of joy. He understands that many are dealing with loss this Christmas. Someone dear to you is no longer here this Christmas. Or perhaps you face a financial crisis. But Jesus was not born to come to us each Christmas and preside over us and say, "What's wrong with you. Not very joyful are you? Get with the program!"

That is turning Christmas into a Law. Christmas is about God giving salvation to us freely. Sometimes we are going to be joyful about that and sometimes we are not. And it's okay. So stop beating yourself up about that. The important thing is that you receive the gift of complete forgiveness through faith whether you feel glowingly happy about it or not.

IV. Thou Shalt Make Room in Your Life for Jesus

A fourth way that Christmas is turned into Law is when it becomes a new commandment which says, "Thou shalt make room in your life for Jesus." This abuse of Christmas comes from the well known passage in Luke 2:7, "And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn."

Many really bad sermons have been preached at Christmas time which are based on that last phrase of Luke 2:7, "because there was no room for them in the inn." The sermons usually go something like this: "There was no room for them in the inn and they were turned away. But have YOU made room in the inn of your heart for baby Jesus? Is there room in YOUR life for Jesus or have YOU turned him away, too?" This kind of sermon is really bad not merely because it might put some folk in a bad mood at Christmas. It is bad, because it turns Christmas, the consummate Gospel, into Law.

I understand why this kind of preaching is tempting. Each Christmas, congregations are filled to overflowing with "special occasion Christians." Those people who, year after year, only come to church on special occasions such as Christmas. The very fact that they come to public worship so seldom is proof that they do not understand Christianity at all and are living in a world of self-delusion. Like the innkeeper they have turned Jesus away from their lives. So it is quite tempting for Pastors to club them with the Law and point out their hypocrisy to them.

But while it is legitimate to preach this word of Law to them, it is a tragic mistake to do so at Christmas. Not because it might "turn them off," But because it contradicts the very heart and nature of Christmas, which is the consummate Gospel, good news! At Christmas time God is saying to all who have been drawn to the new born Babe in the manger, "I am glad you are here. For I have sent this Child, My Son, this Savior, Jesus, into the world for YOU, to save you from YOUR sins. You are not worthy of this. But, no matter what your sins, no matter how you've failed in your duty to God and man, in this baby Jesus, your Savior, there is HOPE. In Him there is complete forgiveness and newness of life. Repent and Receive Him! Believe that He came to be born, live, and die for YOU, and you will be forgiven of all and be given the gift of everlasting life."

May this Christmas be a Gospel Christmas for you. It will be if you remember that at Christmas, God is the giver and you are the receiver.

There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:9-13).

Merry Christmas!