Many Jamaicans delight in Christmas thinking it is in honour of Jesus Christ
That Jamaicans are feverishly caught up in preparation for the celebration of Christmas it seems sacrilegious to state categorically that the birth of the Christ-child is of least salvific value in the whole life of this Anointed One. New Testament Scriptures make relatively little of the facts of His birth save to announcement that God has indeed come to dwell among men.
All the embellishments surrounding Jesus’ birth, including the date, are borrowed from European, non-Christian culture, and, in fact, grotesque non-Christian culture.
Scriptures contains little of the life of Jesus between the reality of His birth and age 30. Consequently, the wise men from the east arrived when the child was nearing 2 years old (not at the stable), there was an incident of him going to the temple in Jerusalem at age 12 and nothing more until 18 years hence when he was baptized by His cousin John.
Jesus’ Ministry which lasted 3½ years includes selecting of the 12 students, preaching, healing, teaching about the Father who sent Him, and preaching the gospel of the coming Kingdom of God to be established here on earth. Far more important than celebrating the birth of Jesus is the observance of His death, burial and resurrection of which Scriptures gives an exact date to be commemorated.
Jesus’ earthly, human life was cut off at age 33½ in April 31 AD. His ascension, according to the bible, took place 40 days after and, as a Spirit being, He sits “at the right hand of the God, the Father” awaiting His return in what is referred to as the Second Coming. This is the Jesus that is of greatest significance now and on December 25, that Jesus that can forgive sins, the One that can save us, and the One who said “I Shall Return”.
The erecting of Christmas, tree, Santa Claus, eggnog, mistletoe, exchanging of gifts, and the attending stress of the season did not come from the Bible but from a bizarre culture of worshiping of the false gods, including the sun, of European culture. Unwittingly, Jamaicans delight in Christmas thinking it is in honour of Jesus Christ. The rush in the street, the accidents, the office parties and, not to be left off the list, the thieves and the robberies seeking their goodwill that the season misleadingly offers.
The actual beneficiaries of Christmas is not Jesus or Christianity but instead it favours the business people who are Hindus, Moslems and other religions who make their biggest sale and profit at this time of the year.
This European made pageantry of the birth of Jesus tells nothing of who He was and is, the reason He came and how we can be saved from the wrath, man-made or the judgment, to come.
Christmas is not truly of the culture of people of African descent neither is it the religious culture of true Christianity. This is a borrowed European custom that mentions the name of Christ, that vastly increases our spending and leaves us in a financial bind come January.
It serves no real and genuine purpose in the call to salvation.
So true Claude. Every January me bruk.