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This message will take the form of a simulated discussion between a Jehovah's Witness named Joe and a Christian named Chris.
Chris: Joe
in the last couple of weeks we have been discussing the
reasons why Jehovah's Witnesses don't celebrate Christmas.
When I read from a very old Watchtower magazine I was
surprised to see that originally the Watchtower taught that
Christmas was alright for Jehovah's Witnesses to celebrate
and that the date, although it wasn't important,
corresponded to his conception rather then his
birth.
Joe: I was
never told why the Watchtower celebrated Christmas in their
early years but I still believe that Christmas is a pagan
holiday and is condemned by the Bible. After all, Chris, did
Jehovah ever command Christians to celebrate the birth of
his son?
Chris:
There is no direct command but I believe that there is a
precedence in scripture that allows God's people to have the
freedom to chose their own holiday in order to celebrate
God's gift of life sent in the person of God's son.
Joe: I have
never seen any scripture like that.
Chris: Joe,
take a look at the Book of Esther. You remember the story -
God's people were faced with complete annihilation shortly
after Esther became Queen. Without regard for her life
Esther approached the king and plead for the life of her
people. But the law that called for the death of the Jews
had been signed with the king's name and signet ring and
could not be revoked. In order to save the Jews, Queen
Esther was given the king's signet ring and permission
granted for her to write a law that would protect them. The
new law allowed the Jews to gather together to protect their
lives. Joe, read what happed from Esther 9:1 from the New
World Translation.
Joe: "...on
the day for which the enemies of the Jews had waited to
domineer over them, there was even a turning to the
contrary, in that the Jews themselves domineered over those
hating them."
Chris: The Jews were so happy that they were saved from their enemies that they instituted their own holy day or holiday and called it Purim. In Esther 9:9-31 it says "Therefore the Jews...celebrated the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a day of gladness and feasting, as a holiday, and for sending presents to one another...And Mordecai wrote these things...to establish among them that they should celebrate yearly the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, as the days on which the Jews had rest from their enemies, as the month which was turned from sorrow to joy for them, and from mourning to a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and joy, of sending presents to one another and gifts to the poor. So the Jews accepted the custom which they had begun...they called these days Purim...the Jews established...that without fail they should celebrate these two days every year...they had decreed for themselves." Joe was it okay with Jehovah that the Jews created their own holiday, gave it a name and accepted the custom to celebrate Purim every year?
Joe: Well,
I guess it was alright with Jehovah. I know that the Jews
celebrated Purim in Jesus time and still do to this day.
Jesus never condemned the celebration.
Chris:
That's right Joe. You see Purim was instituted by the Jews
and the very day that Satan instituted as a day of death for
the Jews was turned around as a victorious
celebration for them. In the same way Christians
have the freedom to chose to celebrate the marvelous gift of
God's Son. The Christians who originally instituted the
celebration of the conception together with the birth of our
Savior believed that it was right to honor Jesus on any day,
and Christians throughout the centuries have agreed. As a
result December 25th the day that pagans
worshiped the sun in the sky, was victoriously taken back
for God in order to honor and adore God's gift of His Son.
The victory of light over darkness has been so outstanding
that the pagan worship of the sun on December
25th has long disappeared.
Joe: I've
never thought of it that way before. But, Chris, I could
never celebrate Christmas because if I did I would be
disfellowshipped. I would be kicked out of the kingdom.
Chris: That
is a very drastic action. Can we discuss next week the
reasons why the Watchtower kicks people out of the kingdom
for celebrating Christmas?
Joe:
Sure.
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Go to Part Four: Why does the Watchtower kick out Jehovah's Witnesses who celebrate Christmas? |
