Dear Sincere Christian,

I remember well how my family celebrated Christmas when I was young. All my siblings would sleep in their sleeping bags downstairs, and we would all rise together at the crack of dawn to open presents from our sweet parents. Before we were allowed to go upstairs and open our presents, we took a picture on the stairs in age order (I have 8 siblings). We then ran upstairs and preceded to open our gifts while our loving parents watched us and, no doubt, took pleasure in it all. We then spent the remainder of the day, traveling to both sides of my parent’s family, seeing grandparents and cousins, opening gifts, eating tasty foods, and fellowshipping with holiday “Christmas” cheer. Santa Claus never was a big deal for us. We kept Jesus as the reason for the season. The days and weeks leading up to December 25th, we held family worship at the dinner table and observed the advent calendar. We had the wreath, the candles, and devotional meditations on the nativity story. The highlight every year was when my father dressed up as a Shepherd and told us what he saw under the starry sky. When I was a pre-teen, I played Joseph in the Christmas play and my church always held a Christmas eve service, observed communion, and some really good vocalists always sang “O Holy Night”! The scene was always very majestic and awe-inspiring. 

However, in 2014, as a young man with young kids, I put that all away. No more Christmas trees, no more Christmas gifts, no more “Merry Christmas!” greetings and special Christmas plays. We began to treat that day (and the days leading up to it) just like any other day. It is nice to be off from work and school and perhaps to see family, but it no longer is treated as a holy day in my home. It wasn’t because we were turned off by the pagan connections of Christmas, nor was it because I liked being the Grinch. It was due to a realization that Christmas was not pleasing to God and detrimental to our spiritual well-being. And it is my sincere desire to help God’s people realize the same now. It is not about winning a theological debate (although it is theological). As far as I know my own motives, I want to help God’s people grow in Christ. So please, read the rest of my letter with an open mind. It is written from a person who understands the emotional connections, the traditions, the smells, and the bells. It is written from a person who sees the Bible as the only rule of faith and practice. It is written with the good of the Church and God’s glory in mind.

Why did Jesus not wash his hands according to the tradition of the elders (Mark 7:5-7)? After all, what is wrong with washing hands? Don’t we do that all the time? One may retort also, “What is wrong with having a tree in your house, lights on your house or giving gifts?” And I would respond, “Nothing is wrong with those things in themselves.” However, the reason why Jesus did not wash hands according to the tradition of the elders was not only because it was a man-made tradition. Not all man-made tradition is wrong. The crux of the reason why Jesus did not observe hand washing according to the tradition of the elders was because, in addition to being a man-made tradition, it was also a religious ceremony. This rite was part of the ceremonial law of the Pharisees which was not commanded by God through Moses. It was a tradition of men but was presented as a commandment from God. Jesus was simply applying the second commandment to His life. In the same way, when someone adds the descriptor “Christmas” to something (Christmas lights, Christmas tree etc.), they now make something common to be religious. But let’s go back to Jesus and the second commandment. What is wrong with a graven image (Exodus 20:4)? After all, the tabernacle and temple worship legislation of the Old Testament included all kinds of images and physical things used in worship, right? Certainly, golden man-made images were not wrong in themselves, were they? No. But the issue is when man decides he is going to make an image of their own devising for worship. 

If you go through the history of the bible, this principle explains why God was so mad in Exodus 32 with the golden calf. They worshiped the true God (the God who brought them out of Egypt – It was a feast to the Lord), but according to their own way and not God’s command. This was why Nadab and Abihu were destroyed (Lev 10:1-2), why Uzzah was struck dead (2 Sam 6), and the main reason why Paul is so upset with the Corinthian church regarding the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor 11). This is what Paul condemns in Col 2:23 and he calls it ‘will worship’ – worship that is according to the will of man and not God. At the end of the day, God is not pleased that we simply worship Him only, but we must worship Him only according to His appointment. Yes my friend, we can sin even while we worship God. Worship is not just a matter of the heart; it is a matter of the form also. If we can dictate how we worship God, then we can control God. But he is a jealous God and has reserved that part of our human experience to his sole prerogative. Right now, I am wearing an orange sweatshirt and black sweatpants. I am sitting in a black chair and drinking a decaffeinated hot tea. None of these things are commanded in the bible. But neither am I worshiping God through these means. I am talking about when and how we approach God in worship. We must do it according to His express appointment. 

It is hardly worth mentioning that Christmas is not in the bible nor commanded by God. Sure, angels and kings celebrated the birth of Christ. But that was the actual birth of our Lord and not an annual holy day. The apostles never suggested nor commanded that the church honor Christ every year with a holy day commemorating His resurrection or His birth. It simply is not in the bible. The bible only speaks to a weekly holy day (Exodus 20:8; Lev 23:3; John 20:1,19,26; Rev 1:10) wherein God’s people worship Him and commemorate and honor all His mighty deeds in creation, providence, and redemption. This is what God’s people are repeatedly exhorted to keep (Heb 10:25, 1 Cor 11:20, James 2:2), not an annual celebration of the birth of Christ. The incarnation is certainly an essential doctrine of the Christian faith. But if God wanted us to celebrate it every year, He would have told us.

No doubt this teaching has massive practical implications. It is my opinion that some sincere Christians stop considering these matters because of pressure from their parents, their kids, or even their spouse. But we must fear God more than man and in our own station (according to the fifth commandment) do all that we can to prohibit sin in our life. The cessation of Christmas will very likely stir up the family life and bring on many awkward conversations. But we must seek to please God first before man. We must be willing to suffer for righteousness sake. 

But beyond this, it also is for your own good. The weekly holy day is the only holy day that God has blessed (Exodus 20:11, Isaiah 58:14). This is the day wherein, by God’s spirit, He comes down and blesses those who seek Him by faith in the worship ordinances which He has appointed. Christmas will always disappoint you and never satisfy, but the weekly holy day, by God’s grace, will bring spiritual food to your soul that will last. You want to grow in Christ? Keep the holy day He has appointed and see what happens to your soul.

So, my dear Christian friend, here is why I do not celebrate Christmas and why you also ought not to celebrate it. Please consider these words and may the Lord be gracious to us.

Sincerely your friend,
Samuel Ketcham
December 23, 2023