My text this Lord's Day is from Jeremiah chapter 10 verse 2 Thus saith the Lord, learn not the way of the heathen. Last Lord's Day. We asked a question. And we continue with the answer to that question, is Christmas Christian? Is the celebration of Christmas pleasing to the Lord Jesus Christ? Dear ones, what can we say about the origin of the celebration of Christmas? Well, first, we can say there is absolutely no evidence that Christ or the apostles celebrated or authorized the celebration of Christmas. Secondly, we can say there is no evidence for the celebration of Christmas for the first 300 years after the resurrection of Christ. The earliest evidence for the celebration of Christmas coming in the year 354 A.D. We can say that the universal testimony of both Christian and non-Christian scholars is that both the date, that is December 25th, and the practices associated with Christmas originate either in paganism or in the Romish church. How was December 25th determined to be the day in which Christmas should be celebrated? It was certainly not chosen due to any biblical reference. As we've already noted, there is no reference to either the celebration of Christmas, nor is there a reference to the date, the specific date of Christ's birth. However, any date associated with winter, a winter celebration of Christmas, would seem to be the most unlikely time of Christ's birth. For according to Luke 2, verse 8, it says, And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. Matthew Poole, in his commentary on this passage, notes that some consider this date most unlikely because, quote, it is hardly probable that our Savior was born in December in the midst of winter, that being no time when shepherds use in the night to be keeping their flocks in the field. At least we may ask if the celebration of Christ's birth was a day which the Lord wanted us to remember, and to remember every year, why did he not record that date for us? The fact that it is nowhere mentioned in scripture provides a strong presumption that Christ did not want his birth celebrated each and every year as a part of a religious calendar. Moreover, there is abundant testimony, dear ones, associating the time chosen for the celebration of Christmas with the pagan feast of Saturnalia. First, the testimony of Christian scholarship as to the association of this pagan feast with the date December 25th. This is taken from Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Volume 1, pages 804 and 805. Therein we find these words, the feast of Saturnalia in early Rome was celebrated for seven days from the 17th to the 24th of December and was marked by a spirit of merriment, gift giving to children and other forms of entertainment. Gradually, early Christians replaced the pagan feast with the celebration of Christmas. But many of the traditions of this observance, that is the observance of the pagan feast of Saturnalia, were assimilated and remain to this day a part of the observance of Christmas. Next, the testimony of non-Christian scholarship likewise confirms the pagan association with Christmas as to the date chosen for its celebration. From U.S. News, the article entitled, In Search of Christmas, by Jeffrey Sheeler. He says, in A.D. 274, Aurelian, I should say Emperor Aurelian, decreed December 25, the solstice on the Julian calendar as Natalis Solis Invicti, that is, birth of the invincible sun. A festival honoring the sun god, Mithras. It shows December the 25th. Also from the New Book of Knowledge, Volume 3, page 290, it says, It is believed that the efforts of the early Christians in Rome to change pagan customs into Christian rites led, in the 4th century AD, to the adoption of December 25 as the date of the Christ Mass, or Feast, in honor of the birth of Christ. This day was probably chosen because, according to the calendar then in use, December 25 was the winter solstice, the time when days began to grow longer in the northern hemisphere. The sun-worshipping pagans had celebrated this day as the promise of spring. So much to do with the date, December 25th. What about the origin of various practices and customs associated with Christmas, like the Christmas tree, the lights, the gift-giving, the holly and the mistletoe? From the World Book Encyclopedia, Volume 3, page 1425, we find these words. When the pagans of northern Europe became Christians, they made their sacred evergreen trees part of the Christian festival and decorated the trees with gilded nuts, candles, a carryover from sun worship, and apples to stand for the stars, moon, and sun. Likewise, we find in Encyclopedia Britannica, Volume 5, page 643, the Romans ornamented their temples and homes with green boughs and flowers for the Saturnalia, their season of merrymaking and the giving of presents. The Druids gathered mistletoe with great ceremony and hung it in their homes. The Saxons used holly, ivy, and bay. but may honestly be asked, why did the Church of Rome assimilate the date and practices of the pagans into its celebration of Christmas? I think the answer that is forthcoming is this, that they sought to replace pagan holy days with so-called Christian holy days, without removing all the pagan symbols. You see, it has always been the practice of the Roman Church to assimilate various customs and practices of pagan religions into its religious celebrations as a means of, quote-unquote, evangelism, so as to reach people and draw them in, retain some of their idolatry, retain some of their pagan practices, give it a Christian name. In fact, this was the stated policy of Pope Gregory I in a letter sent to Great Britain in 606 A.D., wherein he was addressing the assimilation of pagans and heathens into the Church. This comes from Bede's A History of English Church and People, and therein we find these words. And since they, that is the pagans, have a custom of sacrificing many oxen to demons, let some other solemnity be substituted in its place, such as a day of dedication or festivals of the holy martyrs whose relics are enshrined there. On such occasion, they might well construct shelters of bowels for themselves around the churches that were once pagan temples, and celebrate the solemnity with devout feasting. And dear ones, as if the pagan origins were not reason enough, to refrain from celebration of Christmas. I ask, why would we who proclaim ourselves to be Protestants, why would we want to celebrate a Romish holy day, the Mass of Christ? The Romanist church called the mother of harlots in Revelation 17.5 is not to be imitated, is not to be followed after in her idolatrous worship or in her multiplying of holy days. To the contrary, the scripture says we are to come out of her. We are to come out of her man-made innovations in worship. We are not to partake of her sins, whether we are a part of the church or whether we are outside of the church. We are not to partake of the idolatries and the harlotries of Rome. We find in Revelation 18.4 that God says, Come out of her, my people. that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. Beloved, you need look no further than Christmas to see the universal deception that the Roman Antichrist has worked even within professing Protestant and Reformed churches. It abounds, the deception. Having demonstrated both the pagan and popish origin of the religious celebration of Christmas, let us consider then, in the time remaining, the following points. Number one, what the Lord says about the assimilation of pagan practices into his worship and religious celebration. And second, what reasons are given by people for the celebration of Christmas. What does the Lord say about the assimilation of pagan practices into his worship and religious celebrations? What does the Lord say? He says in Jeremiah 10.2, Learn not the way of the heathen. Note first, in this particular phrase, this sentence, note first the divine prohibition. Learn not Whatever God here forbids, dear ones, it should be understood that he wants no toleration at all with it. There is to be no compromise, no mixture, no association and no assimilation with what is here forbidden by the Lord. As Matthew Henry has noted in his commentary on this verse, he says, Do not approve of it, nor think indifferently concerning it, much less imitate it or accustom yourselves to it. Thus, there is to imitate what is here forbidden, even with the best of intentions, with the greatest degree of sincerity, is to violate the express commandment of God. Sincerity or good intentions on our parts, beloved, are no warrant to make an exception to an express prohibition given to us by our God. Obedience to God's word is always better than the unwarranted sacrifices of good intentions. Secondly, we notice from our text, we observe what is expressly forbidden by the Lord. There is a prohibition. Now we want to consider what it is that is forbidden in the text. The Lord says, learn not the way of the heathen. What is the way of the heathen? Well, according to Jeremiah chapter 10, it is two things, as we shall see. It is the heathens' way of deriving truth, and it is the heathens' way of worshiping God. Do not learn their way in either of these respects. First of all, in Jeremiah chapter 10, verse 2, We note that the heathen seek God's revealed will through astrologers who look to the stars and constellations rather than to God through his word and through his prophets. The heathens look for God's revealed will, in other words, in persons, in places and in things which God has not authorized. whether, and we can certainly expand that, we can look as well for God's revealed will. We can look for God's revealed will in popes. We can look for God's revealed will in pastors. We can look for God's revealed will in philosophers. We can look for God's revealed will in ourselves. However, dear ones, God is ever so clear as to where the revealed will of God for faith and life is to be sought. And this is communicated to us through the prophet Isaiah, in Isaiah chapter 8, verses 19 and 20, when he says, And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep and that mutter. Should not a people seek unto their God for the living to the dead?" Now, notice, here's the answer. "...to the law and to the testimony. If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Don't go seeking for God's revealed will simply in a person or in a place or in a thing. Go to the Word of God, to the law and to the testimony. See, that's to learn the way of the heathen, to seek for God's knowledge, to seek for God's truth in ways that he has not appointed in his Word. How many professing Christians I have talked to about the pagan and popish origins of Christmas have followed, and how they have followed the way of the heathen, seek to justify their celebration of Christmas. Since they cannot find warrant for the celebration of Christmas in the Word of God, They often simply fall back on their own human authority, ultimately. The authority of the creature. By saying, I celebrate Christmas because God has not expressly forbidden it, and because I sincerely celebrate it. And so, I offer it to God because I believe it's pleasing to God. I, I, throughout that answer. But when that person is asked, how do you know it pleases Christ since he has not told you it pleases him? They must ultimately fall back on their own desires and authority for celebrating Christmas since the Lord has indeed not authorized it. That's to learn the way of the heathen. I do so because, ultimately, I want to do so. The second way in which we are forbidden from learning the way of the heathen, from Jeremiah chapter 10, is by imitating his practices in worship or his celebration of holy days. In Jeremiah chapter 10, verse 3, the Lord declares, For the customs of the people are vain." That is, their customs are unprofitable to themselves, and they are worthless forms of worship before God, in spite of their sincerity or their good intentions. This is precisely what the Lord Jesus Christ said, you'll remember, in Mark chapter 7, verse 7. How be it, Jesus said, how be it in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men?" Do we want to offer to God a vain worship? Well, if we do, we offer to Him a worship that is based simply upon the commandments of men and the traditions of men. That is worthless in God's sight. You see, the Lord draws the attention of his people in Jeremiah 10, verses 3-5, to how the heathen make images out of wood and out of gold and out of silver for worship and religious celebrations. The Lord forbids his people from worshiping him by way of something they might introduce into worship, something that's man-made rather than specifically God-authorized. When they worship God by means of willed worship, it is forbidden, rather than worshiping God by means of divine worship, divinely appointed and instituted worship. I ask you, dear ones, is it not clear that the practices associated with Christmas have not been authorized by God, but rather have been learned from the pagans or from the harlot of Rome. But perhaps someone may respond by saying, what God forbids in Jeremiah chapter 10 verses 3 through 5 is not a Christmas tree, but the making of images and idols of the heathens. Now, although I do agree that Christmas trees are not explicitly referred to in Jeremiah 10, verses 2-5, nevertheless, since we can clearly substantiate that the origin of the Christmas tree And other customs and practices associated with Christmas were derived directly from pagan rites of worship and religious celebration. On that date of December 25th, does not Jeremiah 10, verses 2 and 3 yet condemn all these practices learned from the pagans, derived from the pagans? Dear ones, the customs of the people are vain and empty and worthless because, as Jesus said in Mark 7.7, they are not based upon the commandment of God, but rather upon human tradition and the commandments of men. Thus I would submit that even though we may not construct and erect an image of gold or silver and bow down to it on December the 25th, nevertheless we have learned the way of the heathen and adopted the vain customs of the heathen and thereby broken this commandment of the Lord our God by erecting the very symbols and activities of worship associated with pagan worship in the past on December the 25th. I would ask you, dear ones, where in all the scripture do we find God authorizing or the people of God replacing a heathen religious celebration with a divine religious celebration, and even assimilating some of the heathen symbols and practices into the newly appointed religious celebration. Where do we ever find anything of that nature happening, where God replaces a heathen practice with a divinely appointed practice on the same day, and assimilating those same practices into the new one. To the contrary, God clearly tells his people what they are to do with all such heathen symbols and practices used in the religious celebrations of the heathens. What are they to do with them? Are they to assimilate them into new holy days? In Deuteronomy 7, verses 25 and 26, God says to his people, The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire. Thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein, for it is an abomination to the Lord thy God. Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it. But thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it, for it is a cursed thing." You see, the Lord not only commands them to destroy all the symbols of idolatry and false worship associated with the pagans. But he says, don't even take the gold and burn off the gold off of those images and bring it into your house. Have nothing to do with it. Separate yourself from it, for you are a holy people separated under God. This was, in fact, what we have just read in Deuteronomy 7, verses 25 and 26. This was, in fact, the attitude of our Protestant forefathers in regard to the celebration of Christmas. Martin Luther wrote in his address to the German nobility in 1520, One should abolish all festivals, that is, all religious holy days. retaining only the Lord's Day. The pastors of Geneva in 1550, including John Calvin, stayed in their register of the Company of Pastors under the category of abrogation of festivals. On Sunday 16 November 1550, after the election of the lieutenant in the General Council, An edict was also announced respecting the abrogation of all festivals, that is, all religious holy days, with the exception of Sundays, which God had ordained. The Church of Scotland, in its first book of discipline, includes the following clear statement concerning the abrogation of Christmas. By the contrary doctrine, we understand whatsoever men, by laws, councils, or constitutions, have imposed upon the consciences of men, without the expressed commandment of God's word, such as the vows of chastity, forswearing of marriage, binding of men and women to several and disguised apparels, to the superstitious observation of fasting days, difference of meat for conscience sake, prayer for the dead, and keeping of holy days of certain saints commanded by man, such as be all those that the papists have invented, as the feast, as they termed them, of apostles, martyrs, virgins, of Christmas, circumcision, epiphany, purification, and other fond feasts of Our Lady. Which things, because in God's scriptures they neither have commandment nor assurance, we judge them utterly to be abolished from this realm. Affirming further that the obstinate maintainers and teachers of such abominations ought not to escape the punishment of the civil magistrate. Listen to the testimony of the Dutch Reformed Church in their Synod at Gose in the year 1620, cited from the Wonders of the Most High, page 134. The Synod of Gose said, The same emperor, that is Constantine, eliminated pagan feast days, although in many instances their place was taken by Roman feast days, Romish feast days. Senate judges that it would be edifying to take the remains of the latter, that is the Romish feast days, away from reformed nations. The United Provinces of Holland, this is the civil part of the government of Holland. The United Provinces of Holland enacted into law in 1625 the following, again from Wonders of the Most High, page 158. They said, Let us, like King Josiah, take away from among us all these great sins, among which sins that are seen in these lands the following are the most principal. The very first one they mention, it says, In the first place, the carnivals, that is, the festivals or religious celebrations, three kings and the St. Nicholas days. and other feast days which are held among us, not without a show of public idolatry. The prohibition, dear ones, of Christmas was not only limited to Europe, but also was in the same way restricted, forbidden in the colonies in America. The following was a public notice issued in Massachusetts, wherein it says in this public notice, the observation of Christmas having been deemed a sacrilege, the exchanging of gifts and greetings, dressing in fine clothing, feasting and similar satanical practices are hereby forbidden with the offender liable to a fine of five shillings. Finally, in an appendix to the Directory for the Public Worship of God, the following statement is made by the Westminster Assembly. There is no day commanded in Scripture to be kept under the gospel but the Lord's Day, which is the Christian Sabbath. Festival days, vulgarly called holy days, having no warrant in the word of God, are not to be continued. Thus I offer and submit to you, dear ones, the testimony of Protestants and Reformed churches as to what should be done with Christmas is evident. It should be torn down like the altars and the images of the heathens. But perhaps someone may respond. The Reformers were not opposed to the celebration of Christmas for any principal reason, they were opposed to it because of its abuses, because there was so much drunkenness and immorality associated with it. That is why they were opposed to it. Well, I would offer to you, if that were the only reason why the Reformed churches and the Reformed nations were opposed to the celebration of Christmas and other so-called holy days, then why did they forbid its celebration altogether? and not rather propose the bridling of the abuses. Yes, there were many abuses, as there are today associated with Christmas, but it is a fact that the Reformers did not seek to reform Christmas. They sought to abolish Christmas. Our second main point. what reasons are given by people for the celebration of Christmas. I'm going to extend the sermon one more week, and so I only have time to cover this Lord's Day one of those reasons. We'll go into more the next time. And this is the reason that some offer Although Christmas may be forbidden as a religious celebration within the church, it is not forbidden to a family to celebrate it in the privacy of their home. Now, I grant that the church has no authority from Christ to bring the celebration of Christmas into the church. and therefore is a grievous abuse of authority. It is tyranny upon the conscience for church officers to do so. You remember our text from the last Lord's Day, Matthew 28.20, teaching Jesus gave to his church officers, to his ministers, this was their commission. He told them, teaching them, that is the disciples who come to Christ through all the nations, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. That was their commission. They were not to enact things which Christ had not commanded. Where is it commanded? Where is it authorized to celebrate Christmas in the New Testament? That is an abuse of authority. That is merely will worship. This also violates Mark chapter seven, where again, you remember the words of the Lord Jesus, where he says, This people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. How be it in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups and many other such like things ye do. See, we don't have, as church officers, the authority to introduce new religious holy days and celebrations into the church. We can't simply bring in any practice because we like the practice, because we think it would be inspirational, edifying, or whatever reason. Fill the church with people. We can't do that. God does not authorize us to do so. That is tyranny on our parts if we do so. And in Colossians chapter 2 verse 23, there the Apostle Paul calls the introduction of such things into worship. He says, which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship. They appear to be wise according to worldly wisdom, but it's simply will worship. worshiping God according to our own desires and will, that too is tyranny. However, if it is true that various customs associated with Christmas are derived from pagan and popish practices, then we are likewise, dear ones, forbidden from the bringing of such things into our homes, so that those very pagan practices might be embraced by us and our children. Although it is a step, dear ones, in the right direction to keep Christmas out of the church, it is also required that we not imitate the ways of the heathen within our homes, that we not introduce pagan practices of religious worship into our homes. When Jacob left Laban's house, that Rachel brought along with her those household idols. They didn't set them up, apparently. And on the Lord's Day, on the Sabbath, they didn't bow down before them, but they were household idols. And yet God tells Jacob, and Jacob purges his house and they bury them and destroy these household items. They were not to be used in the corporate worship of God, but they were not to be brought into the house either. As I mentioned to you in Deuteronomy chapter 7, verses 25 and 26, not only were the images to be destroyed, but even the gold. off of those images was not to be taken and brought into the house. And finally, with regard to whether or not it's an acceptable practice to celebrate Christmas at home, remember that the practice which Christ condemned on the part of the Pharisees in Mark chapter seven, the ceremonial washing of their hands before eating was not something That was a part of the worship of God in the church. Jesus condemned it because it was adding to worship. It was adding to what God had commanded, even if they did so only in their own homes. They set up another standard. They instituted commandments of men. And so it is not only, dear ones, that which we bring into the house of God. but pagan practices associated with worship that we bring into our homes as well. Pagan ways of learning, ways of trying to find truth are all condemned, whether in the church or whether in the home. I close, dear ones, by saying our love For the Lord Jesus Christ must far excel any tradition we may have enjoyed in the past. Our devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ must outweigh any fond memory we might associate with Christmas of the past. I fear that all too often Christmas has become one of those most subtle idols that professing Christians embrace and refuse to let go of. And when you begin tampering so often with that particular issue, people react hostilely. They get angry and upset, even when they're confronted with the pagan origins. That there is no authority given by Christ to celebrate it. That Jesus himself does not want us to do so. He is not pleased with it. They continue to embrace that idol. It is so subtle. And that is why I say, in this one respect and in many others like it, we see the deception of Rome. The Antichrist has deceived so many people today, not saying they're not Christians, because they may celebrate Christmas, that's not the point I'm making, but they have been deceived in this respect, and they are being led astray from the truth, from Jesus Christ. You are, according to Colossians chapter 2, verse 10, dear ones, you are complete in Christ. You are made full in Christ. Jesus Christ, dear ones, is your life. He is your all and your all. You need nothing else but Jesus Christ and what he has authorized in his word. In fact, Paul says in Colossians 2.8 that if you want to be misled, this is what he says, beware, lest any man rob you through philosophy and vain deceit after the traditions of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Beware. God, help us to draw from Jesus Christ his strength to stand for the truth, courage to stand in a time where it seems like we are swimming against the current to such a strong degree, where people do not want to hear the truth. God, help us to be faithful. God, help us to pity those and to proclaim the truth to them, and to pray for them, to be gracious in the way we present the truth. For we were in that position, all of us probably, at one time. And God have mercy upon us. May God have mercy upon us as we continue to reach family members and friends with the truth. that Jesus is our hope, and we are complete in Christ, not in the vain philosophies of men. Please stand with me in prayer. Our gracious God and Father, Thou hast spoken to us this day from Mount Zion. Thou hast opened thy word to us and taught us how we are not to learn the way of the heathen. We ask our God that thou would not only help us to make the appropriate application in regard to Christmas and other holy days, but help us, Father, to make the appropriate application in all other areas that we learn not the ways of the heathen and the pagans. We pray, Heavenly Father, that Thou would guide us and instruct us, that Thou would set before us Thy light and that, Father, we would walk in it. We thank Thee for our Savior. who is our prophet, priest, and king, who, Lord, is complete, who is a sufficient Savior, and we are complete in him. We come to him this day praying that he would have mercy upon us, that he would remember against us not the sins of our youth, and that he would have mercy and pity upon many family members, friends, many professing Christians with whom we have contact, that they may receive grace to see and understand how they are following the Lord and being deceived by the the popish Antichrist. We ask, Lord, that thou would lead thy church in the paths of righteousness and truth. For we ask these things in Christ's name. Amen. SWRB makes thousands of classic Reformation resources available, free and for sale, in audio, video, and printed formats. It is likely that the sermon or book that you just listened to is also available on cassette or video, or as a printed book or booklet. Our many free resources, as well as our complete mail-order catalog, containing thousands of classic and contemporary Puritan and Reform books, tapes, and videos, at great discounts, is on the web at www.swrb.com. We can also be reached by email at swrb at swrb.com, by phone at 780-450-3730, by fax at 780-468-1096 or by mail at 4710-37A Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6L 3T5. You may also request a free printed catalog. And remember that John Kelvin in defending the Reformation's regulative principle of worship, or what is sometimes called the scriptural law of worship, commenting on the words of God, which I commanded them not, neither came into my heart. From his commentary on Jeremiah 731, writes, God here cuts off from men every occasion for making evasions, since he condemns by this one phrase, I have not commanded them, whatever the Jews devised. There is then no other argument needed to condemn superstitions than that they are not commanded by God. For when men allow themselves to worship God according to their own fancies, and attend not to His commands, they pervert true religion. And if this principle was adopted by the Papists, all those fictitious modes of worship in which they absurdly exercise themselves would fall to the ground. It is indeed a horrible thing for the Papists to seek to discharge their duties towards God by performing their own superstitions. There is an immense number of them, as it is well known, and as it manifestly appears. Were they to admit this principle, that we cannot rightly worship God except by obeying His word, they would be delivered from their deep abyss of error. The prophet's words, then, are very important, when he says that God had commanded no such thing, and that it never came to his mind, as though he had said that men assume too much wisdom when they devise what he never required, nay, what he never knew.