As soon as the “BER” months arrive, something unmistakable happens. The atmosphere changes. Radio stations begin playing Christmas songs as early as September, decorations slowly appear, and hearts seem a little more expectant. There’s warmth in the air: an anticipation that something meaningful is approaching.
But beneath the lights, music, and traditions lies an important question: What is the true meaning of Christmas, and why should Christians celebrate it at all?
Some believers hesitate to celebrate Christmas because Scripture does not specify December 25 as the actual birthdate of Jesus Christ. Historically and biblically, that concern is valid. The Bible does not give us an exact date.
Based on passages such as Luke 2:8, where shepherds were still tending their flocks at night, many historians and Bible scholars suggest that Jesus was likely born in late summer or early autumn, possibly around September. This aligns with the timeline of John the Baptist’s birth as well.
So if Jesus was not born on December 25, does that mean Christians should not celebrate Christmas?
Not at all.
The significance of Christmas has never been about the date; it has always been about the event.
A Powerful Illustration of the Gospel
Before going further, let me share a deeply moving story once told by Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias during a Christmas message.
A shepherd in New Zealand found himself facing a heartbreaking dilemma. Two mother sheep were about to give birth.
- One sheep delivered a healthy lamb but died shortly afterward due to complications.
- The other sheep survived childbirth, but her lamb died.
Suddenly, the shepherd was left with a motherless lamb and a lambless mother.
The solution seemed simple: place the living lamb with the grieving mother. But every time the shepherd tried, the mother rejected the lamb. She could tell by its scent that it was not her own.
Then the shepherd did something extraordinary.
He took the skin of the lamb that had died and wrapped it around the living lamb, forming a kind of coat. When he brought the lamb back to the mother, she recognized the familiar scent and began to nurse it.
Life was restored … because the lamb was covered by another.
The Meaning Behind the Story
This illustration beautifully mirrors the gospel message.
Because of sin, humanity is separated from God:
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God…” (Isaiah 59:2)
Left on our own, our destiny is spiritual death and eternal separation from Him (Luke 16:19–31). Yet God, in His love, does not desire that anyone should perish (1 Timothy 2:3–4; 2 Peter 3:9).
So, what did He do?
He sent His Son.
Jesus Christ took our place, bore our sin, and paid our debt:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” (John 3:16)
God is loving, but He is also holy and just. Sin must be judged. Scripture tells us:
“God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
This is known as the Doctrine of Justification.
Our sin was imputed to Christ, and His righteousness is imputed to us by faith.
Just as the lamb was accepted because it was covered, believers are accepted by God because we are covered in the righteousness of Christ.
The True Meaning of Christmas
So, what is Christmas truly about?
1️⃣ Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Sin separates humanity from God, but Christmas declares that reconciliation is possible.
“Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:22)
Jesus came to shed His blood so our sins could be forgiven and our relationship with God restored. Scripture is clear that God initiated this reconciliation, not us:
“All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ…” (2 Corinthians 5:18)
Christmas reminds us that forgiveness is available, and that reconciliation is God’s gracious work from start to finish.
As those reconciled to God, we are called to live holy lives, set apart for Him (1 Peter 1:16), loving the world without conforming to it (Romans 12:2).
2️⃣ Love Demonstrated Through Giving
True love always gives.
God demonstrated this when He gave His Son. Not because we asked, but because we needed a Savior:
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
Isaiah foretold this gift centuries before Christ’s birth:
“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given…” (Isaiah 9:6)
Jesus was born as a man, but He existed eternally as God. Christmas celebrates not only a birth, but a gift freely given.
Gift-giving during Christmas is not wrong, but it should point us back to the greatest gift ever given. The heart of Christmas is not about receiving more, but about loving more.
3️⃣ Life—Physical, Spiritual, and Eternal
Scripture consistently affirms that life apart from God is no life at all (John 15:5; John 1:3; Jeremiah 10:23).
Because of sin, we are spiritually dead:
“For the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23)
But Christmas announces life:
“…but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
We are familiar with the acronym CHRIST-IAN, which stands for “Without CHRIST in my life, I Am Nothing” (I-A-N). What about those who continuously reject Christ? Are they dead? Yes, they may be physically alive, but they are spiritually dead and do not possess eternal life.
When we receive Christ, we are made spiritually alive, born again, and given eternal life. Without Christ, there is no ultimate meaning, purpose, or hope. With Him, everything changes.
4️⃣ Hope That Does Not Disappoint
Christmas also gives us hope, not wishful thinking, but confident assurance.
“Hope does not disappoint…” (Romans 5:5)
Biblical hope is grounded in the faithfulness of God. When God promises something, He keeps it:
“If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13)
The birth of Christ proves that God keeps His promises. Christmas assures us that our hope is secure, not because of our faithfulness, but because of His.
Conclusion: Why Christians Celebrate Christmas
So why should Christians celebrate Christmas?
Because a Savior was born:
“She will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)
Christmas celebrates God stepping into human history—taking on flesh in the person of Jesus Christ—to live in perfect obedience, suffer for our sins, die in our place, and rise again in victory over sin and death.
It marks the beginning of God’s redemptive mission that rescues us from judgment and offers eternal life through Christ alone.
If that is not a reason to celebrate, I don’t know what is.
So, let me ask you, do you celebrate Christmas?
And more importantly, do you celebrate it for the right reason?
Editor’s Note: This post has been updated on December 22, 2025, for clarity, depth, and SEO.
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Recommended Resource:
Hidden Christmas: The Surprising Truth Behind the Birth of Christ by Timothy Keller
From pastor and New York Times bestselling author Timothy Keller comes the perfect gift for the Christmas holiday—a profoundly moving and intellectually provocative examination of the nativity story
Even people who are not practicing Christians think they are familiar with the story of the nativity. Every Christmas, displays of Baby Jesus resting in a manger decorate lawns and churchyards, and songs about shepherds and angels fill the air.
Yet despite the abundance of these Christian references in popular culture, how many of us have examined the hard edges of this biblical story?
In his new book, Timothy Keller takes readers on an illuminating journey into the surprising background of the nativity.
By understanding the message of hope and salvation within the Bible’s account of Jesus’ birth, readers will experience the redeeming power of God’s grace in a deeper and more meaningful way.
I Love this topic about the Christmas holidays. I’m so blessed.
So Amazing Amen ? thank you.
Thank you, Pastor Joseph.
Have a blessed Christmas , you and your family.
We have no problem celebrating birthdays of family and friends. Our culture celebrates many people who made a difference in history. Why wouldn’t we celebrate Christ? His should be the grandest birthday celebration of all! Share the gift of Truth with those you love, this is the only gift that truly keeps on giving – for eternity.
You’re absolutely right, Sharyn.
Makes me wonder at times why there are Christians who refuse to do so. And not only that, they also criticize those of us who do.
Merry Christmas!
@ Sharyn Balogh
Because God did not tell us to celebrate His Son’s birthday.
Hi Maggie,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
It’s true that Jesus never mentioned celebrating His birthday, and as I noted, He was not born on December 25.
However, our celebration isn’t just about His birthday; it’s a recognition of His coming into this world, living as a man, suffering, and dying for our sins.
We rejoice in the gift of God’s only begotten Son, who came to save us from eternal destruction.
Hello I just want to stop by and share a little bit of my story.
I have/had been struggling with all this “religious” stuff regurgitated onto me through YouTube videos and people who in short come off as “true and faithful believers of Yahweh.” I felt like I was a traitor for allowing myself to celebrate birthdays, Christmas, anything “fun” because it was not commanded or because it had pagan roots.
Well I went down that road of condemnation and a religious spirit/bondage because I felt that was the “Christian” thing to do. BUT after finally taking it to Jesus and NOT YouTube or other believers I finally realized two things:
1. If you’re in the religious spirit you will be prideful and angry at others who celebrate it without any grace.
2. It truly is about your own conscience and being fully committed to it whether that’s to celebrate or not to.
I felt so HEAVY with the yoke of religious duties to NOT participate in things knowing that just like Jesus bringing me redemption through His blood we as Christians can also redeem this celebration for the glory of Jesus.
I heard people who don’t celebrate Christmas say that they instead do other things like celebrate the whole month with giving and honestly that’s the same thing. You are creating a holiday/celebration so you don’t have to celebrate Christmas BUT Christians celebrate Christmas as a NEW celebration not tied to those pagan practices/beliefs.
Anyways I hope I made sense.
Basically saying I’m not under the law I’m under Gods grace and if He has redeemed me then how could he not redeem a holiday. I’m sick of religion and I’m ready for relationship! ❤️
Blessings
Hi Esmeralda,
Thank you for taking time to read the article and sharing your experience. It saddens me that there are Christians today who despise others just because they celebrate Christmas. I’m sure most of us know that Jesus was not actually born on December 25 but we celebrate it anyway; we celebrate that Jesus came to save and redeem us.
It’s also a great time to share God’s love that caused Him to give His only begotten Son.
Blessings indeed!
I read your story and I see what you are saying.
I am a Christian. I don’t celebrate Christmas because it is a pagan custom that was created by the Romans. It was known to be satanic. It’s true. Jesus’ birthdate is not mentioned in the Bible for a good reason.
We should be thankful for His birth, yes, but what matters most is His resurrection for dying for our sins. And see, God does talk about Christmas and speaks of it as futile custom of the gentiles. Check it out … Jeremiah 10:1-16
God bless you brothers and sisters!
Hi Daniel,
Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment.
I understand where you’re coming from. We often hear some Christians say that they don’t and shouldn’t celebrate Christmas since it is a pagan holiday. They often go as far as to say that it’s satanic and condemn others who choose to celebrate this season even if those who celebrate it do it with Jesus Christ as their one and only reason.
I wrote about it in this post: https://biblical-christianity.com/jesus-the-reason-for-the-christmas-season
In this article, I also address the verses you quoted. I hope you’ll come back and read it.
God bless you.
@Daniel
You sound like how I used to think brother; just know you have to be 100% in or out.
You can still have grace and love for those who celebrate even if you don’t do it yourself. I used to watch you tubers telling me I was not a true believer of YHWH if I celebrated knowing its roots, BUT if God can redeem me and love me EVEN WHEN I REJECTED HIM (Romans 5:8) how could He not redeem a celebration with pagan roots?
I was worse than a pagan celebration, I was a dead sinner yet now God made me a new creation so why can’t we make Christmas a new celebration for God’s glory? Anyways praying for you and if you’re 100 then that’s you brother but remember take it to the one who made you, He may tell you something new.
Very well said, Esmeralda. I pray that Daniel will be enlightened.
Thank you and may the Lord bless you more and more. Shalom!
Christmas is a pagan holiday.
Hi Martin, thanks for stopping by.
I am really hoping you read the article in its entirety before concluding that Christmas is a pagan holiday.
Nevertheless, I understand exactly where you’re coming from. Christmas has become so commercialized that the center of the celebration has totally drifted away from the real reason why Christians should rejoice and celebrate this meaningful season.
We also often read that Christmas is a pagan holiday and has nothing to do with Jesus because first and foremost, Jesus was not born on December 25; not even during the month of December. You can read more in this post:
https://biblical-christianity.com/jesus-the-reason-for-the-christmas-season
As I said towards the end of the article, Jesus may not have been born on Christmas day but I celebrate this season because a Savior has been born to save me from my sins.
Blessings …
Powerful story indeed! I can’t stop reflecting on the meaning of the story in relation to what the Son of God, Jesus did to take the world out of bondage. Thank you Jesus for making me worthy to be accepted by God.
You’ve provided a great information for believers to take a moment and commemorate on the birth of Jesus. Thank you. For me I remember Jesus Christ for the great work He came to do for me 2000 years ago. It’s worth to remember personally irrespective of the viewpoint of others.
Hi, thank you for stopping by!
When I came to realize for the first time how much our Lord has suffered and the sacrifice He had to make in order to reunite us with God, I couldn’t help but feel terrible. I mean, who am I that the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth, had to come down to be born of a woman, to suffer and die for my sins?
I am not worthy, you’re not worthy, no one is worthy. Nobody deserves the grace and mercy of God that was manifested in Christ. But because God is love and full of mercy and grace, He came to rescue us. What do we do now? Live a life that is pleasing to Him.
Merry Christmas!
Such a powerful article! I have always been a true believer in God and I know Jesus died for the sins of man. And these is one of the things I appreciate him for during Christmas with my family. I am Glad to know so many people out here feel the same way.
Thank you for this powerful sermon . It really made my day and Merry Christmas to you.
Thank you Solomon for your comment.
Praise God for sending His Son Jesus to die for our sins and save us from being eternally separated form God. And this is why we celebrate Christmas even though the Bible does not tell us to. We celebrate Christmas because God came down to meet us. God came in human flesh, born of a virgin, lived a life that is pleasing to God, suffered and died in order to redeem us.
Merry Christmas to you and a joyous new year.