CHRISTMAS UNDERCOVER
by Chris Callahan

Special thanks to my Lord and Savior for His revelations of Truth and giving me the understanding and wisdom to write this book.

“I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.”  Jesus the Christ -Revelation 3:18

PREFACE   

There is currently a left wing agenda in the United States that is working to remove every mention of God and Jesus Christ from Christmas.  Nativity scenes, and gospel hymns about Christ’s birth have been attacked at all levels.  Those who desire to purge our schools, government buildings, and church lawns of all signs of Christianity are doing so not because of Christmas but because of their hostility toward anything that resembles or sounds like Christianity.  Their point is to eradicate any mention of Jesus Christ from public life.  This assault is a clear violation of the Constitutional rights Christians have to worship the way they desire.  It is a God given right and should be protected as such.  Those who decide to participate in the Christmas season should do so without animosity from those who choose not to participate.  The same should be said for those who practice Christmas as well.  Those who decide not to observe Christmas should not be persecuted by those who do.  Every Christian needs to respect the vast differences between the many different Christian faiths.  Jesus Christ will soon settle this matter for good at His glorious return.  And if discussed it should be done in gentleness and respect toward our fellow man whether Jew, Christian, Muslim or any other ethnic group. 

What many don’t realize is that the United States of America was founded upon Christianity by those who were escaping the persecution of the Roman Church in the Middle Ages.  Many of those who came to America were not celebrating a Christmas season.  In today’s Christian culture Christmas has surged to be the most influential Christian season of the year.  It provides an economic surge to our economy before the Roman New Year and brings joy to many people from cultures around the globe.  But there is a flip side to this.  The Christmas season brings many to depression, anxiety, hurt, suicide, loneliness, and the stress to conform to worldly standards.  But there is a better way that God provides for His people to rejoice in.  The Holy Days of Jesus Christ picture His redemptive work for the salvation of mankind and provides a festive atmosphere for those that choose to observe them in different locations around the world.  These Holy Days can be found in the 23^rd chapter of Leviticus and have a continuous flow throughout the tapestry of the Bible.  Jesus observed them because He created them for us to rejoice in.

Since Christmas will continue to be the choice for Christians worldwide to celebrate the birth of Christ this book will examine the true roots of the most celebrated Christian holiday of the year.  This book is not an attempt to take away Christmas, neither is it a book to endorse Christmas.  It was written to reveal the truth about Christmas and what the Word of God says about it.  In this book you will be challenged at many levels of your faith in Christmas.  I, the author, believe in absolute Truth.  My agenda is to shed light on what many Christians have been blinded to about the Christmas holiday.  The choice is still between the Christian and the Maker.  Did the apostles celebrate this holiday?  Is it commanded in the Bible?  Where did some of the popular traditions of Christmas come from?  What does the Word of God say about this tradition?  Is there an accurate date for the birth of Jesus?  In this study I provide variety of sources to give insight on the truth of the most popular Christian tradition in our modern world.  It is important that the reader prayerfully has an open mind and to verify the scriptures and the text of sources that are used in this book to ensure validity.  This study is based on allowing the Bible to speak and history to be revealed.  This book uses the King James Version Bible unless otherwise noted.  I pray that you will grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ as you endeavor “Christmas Undercover”. 

CHAPTER 1

What is Christmas?

What does “Christmas” mean to you?  For most of people in the western world it conjures up thoughts of snow covered fields, Old Saint Nick, beautiful lights, and neatly wrapped gifts under the tree, Nativity scenes, and beautiful hymns sung by heavenly choirs.  But just what does the word mean?  Does it supposedly encompass all the things that come to your mind?  Lets look at how the word “Christmas” came to be and what it means.

Christmas and its Cycle – The celebration of Christ’s birth on December 25.  The name is derived from the Old English Cristes Maesse or Cristes-messe, meaning the Mass of Christ.  New Catholic Encyclopedia, book #3, P.655

Christmas (from Old English Cristes maesse, “Christ’s mass”).  Christian festival celebrated on December 25, commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ and also a popular secular holiday.  Encyclopedia Britannica, P.283

The word Christmas entered the English language sometime around 1050 as the Old English phrase Christes maesse, meaning “festival of Christ.” Scholars believe the frequently used shortened form of Christmas—Xmas—may have come into use in the 13th century. The X stands for the Greek letter chi, an abbreviation of Khristos (Christ), and also represents the cross on which Jesus was crucified.  Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2000 – Christmas

Christmas, The Englsih name for the Feast of the Nativity (Middle English Cristes masse, ‘the festival mass of Christ’).  There is no scriptural warrant for the celebration of the birth of Jesus on 25 December, nor is there any precise indication of the day in the birth narratives in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew.  Dictionary of Christian Lore and Legend, by JCJ Metford, P. 67

From these resources we see that “Christmas” is a shortened word for the “Mass (or festival) of Christ”.  According to some sources it entered the English language around the year 1050.  The word “Christmas” cannot be found anywhere in the Bible.  So how did this “Mass (or festival) of Christ” become instituted as a celebration on December 25^th into our mainstream Christian world?  We will discover that in the proceeding chapters.