Have you ever met a Christian who refused to display a Christmas tree in his house because he believed it to be a pagan tradition? I have. The use of the trees does have pagan roots, but Gary DeMar shares with us here why it is OK to display them:
Just because pagans might have used trees to worship their gods does not mean that we can’t use them to teach us something about God who has given us the “indescribable gift” of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 9:15). The Christmas tree is an evergreen that reminds us that we have “eternal life” in Jesus Christ (John 6:40). The shape of the tree reminds us that we are “born from above” (John 3:3). The needles on the branches remind us that Jesus was “pierced through for our transgression” (Isa. 53:5). The lights hung on the tree remind us that Jesus is “the light of the world” (John 8:12) and through Him we are to be “the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14). The objects we hang on the tree remind us that “every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow” (James 1:17).
Instead of condemning the setting up of the Christmas tree as some practice brought into our homes from the pagan cold, it should remind us that God promises us “the right to the tree of life” (Rev. 22:14). If the Bible tells us “to go to the ant . . . to observe her ways and be wise” (Proverbs 6:6), certainly we can learn similar things from God’s other good creations, even trees.
Article: http://samuelatgilgal.wordpress.com/2008/12/09/should-a-christian-put-up-a-christmas-tree/
No comments:
Post a Comment