Each year Believers in Messiah seeking to follow the Messiah "Spirit and in Truth" (John 4:24) find themselves invited to holiday get togethers which they must decline. Friends and families are often left saddened or frustrated, unable to understand how their loved one could deny the chance to honor the Messiah Whom they love so dearly and fellowship with other Believers.
As we approach the week of Christmas, and the pressure to convince your friend or family member to just "set aside their beliefs in order to have some fun with the family" becomes ever so tempting, first take a moment to consider their beliefs are not personal attacks on your own faith, but deeply held convictions Natsarym (Acts 24:5, Rev. 12:17) have which prevent them from enjoying or partaking in these "Christian" festivities. Chances are your loved one loves you regardless of your religious expression, but can not partake of the festivities and would prefer to decline the invitation than find themselves in an awfully uncomfortable situation.
Let us choose not to offend one another (Romans 12:18) or "cause each other to stumble" (Romans 14:13, 1 Corin. 10:32), but instead encourage one another for our conscience's sake. For even if you may disagree with their reasonings, to transgress their beliefs would still be sin unto them (Romans 14, 1 Corin. 8:12). So check out this list to better understand why your friend avoids the festivities.
1. Natsarym are Hebrew, so we follow Hebraic customs and commands found in the Hebrew Scriptures (Acts 24:5, 2 Corin. 11:22, Rev. 12:17, 1 John 5:3, 2 Tim. 3:16-17) which celebrate the Messiah in specified festivals called Sabbaths, New Moon Festivals and Annual Feast Days (Colossians 2:16-17, 1 Corin. 5:8, Hebrews 4:9).
2. Most Christian holidays are actually Egyptian, Babylonian and Roman (Gentile) in origin, including birthday parties and Christmas Festivals. Therefore because Christmas does not originate in the Hebraic culture, it is not customary for Natsarym to observe (Jeremiah 10:3-4; also see Jubilees and Leviticus.)
3. Natsarym count their ages, but avoid self-worship in the form of birthday parties due to birthday parties, cakes and candles originating in pagan culture (Jeremiah 7:17-18). Only four birthday parties were ever mentioned in the Scriptures, and they all are celebrated by unrighteous Gentiles and all end in disaster and death. In Genesis 40:1-23 the Egyptian King executes his baker to celebrate his birthday; In 2 Maccabees 6, the Hebrew people are forced by an evil dictator to observe his birthday every month and other Gentile holidays such as Mardi Gras (Festival of Bacchus) or be put to death; in Matthew 14:3-11, Herod beheads John the Baptist at his birthday party; and in Job 1:4, The Father allowed all of Job’s children to be killed by Satan after celebrating their birthdays although Job offered a sacrifice to plead for their sin to be forgiven.
4. The Christmas tree custom is referred to in Scripture as an idol which is forbidden for Natsarym to honor or bring into their homes (Jeremiah 10:1-5, Deuteronomy 7:25–26, Joshua 6:18-7:12).
5. Natsarym are forbidden from worshipping the Father and Son as Gentiles worship their deities (Jeremiah 10:2) and from following the pagan practices of surrounding nations (Deuteronomy 12:29–32, Deut. 18:9).
6. Natsarym try to avoid offending the Father and Son, so we abstain from observing Christmas because the Father says He abhors Gentile customs (Leviticus 20:22–23) and He expects us to abhor them as well (Deuteronomy 7:26).
7. Natsarym are not called to decorate Christmas trees, but to destroy them (Exodus 23:24).
8. Natsarym are forbid from participating in Gentile festivals (Ephesians 5:11).
9. Natsarym are called to repent from following previous generations' examples in worship, but to follow only the Messiah's example in "Spirit and in Truth" (Leviticus 18:2–4, 2 Kings 17:41, 1 Kings 18:21, Joshua 24:14–15, Matt 6:24, 1 Thess. 5:22, Matt. 15:9, Mark 5:5-9, Col. 2:8, Gal.4:8-11, John 4:23-25).
10. Natsarym believe we will be blessed if we observe the prescribed festivals in Scripture and cursed if we adopt or observe pagan festivals (Deuteronomy 11:26-28, Deut. 28:16-68, 1 Thess. 2:15-17).
Bonus: Research how William Bradford, the Separatists and Puritans fled Europe on the Mayflower to avoid being forced by the Church of England and Roman Catholic Church to observe Christmas and the like which led to the First Thanksgiving celebrated at Plymouth Plantation and forbidding the practice of Christmas in American Colonies until 1681.
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