Many non-Christians like to find anything they can to counter our belief in Jesus. One of the points they mention is that Jesus was not actually born on December 25. The point is not whether he was born on this exact day, the reason is to celebrate the fact that he was born and what his life means to us. If you think about it, many of us don't even celebrate our own birthdays on the true day of our birth. Celebrations are planned for weekends or even half birthdays if that is more "convenient." We should instead feel very blessed that a day was selected in which to honor and celebrate the birth of Jesus.

The first recorded celebration of Christmas on December 25 was in the year 336 AD when the first Christian Roman Emperor, Constantine, chose the day to celebrate the birth of Jesus. A few years later, Pope Julius I officially declared December 25 as the day to celebrate the birth of Jesus. While there is no official reason as to why that date was chosen, there are a number of reasons that make sense given what was happening in the world at that time. If you would like to read more about this topic, I encourage you to click here.

What we want to focus on is the importance of celebrating Jesus' birth and what this looks like in the 21st Century. To Christians, this date is one that brings great joy and occasional frustration. There is nothing better than having a date that reminds every one of Jesus and his sacrifice. At the same time, it can be frustrating to see all the commercialism that has become associated with this special day.

When we celebrate our own birthdays, we often look forward to receiving presents and spending time with loved ones. Somehow, the commercialism has led many to get excited about Christmas because they will receive presents. While this is fun, it is not our birthday, it is the celebration of Jesus' birthday. Therefore, our true joy should come from worshiping Him and helping those less fortunate than ourselves. As Jesus said in Matthew 25: 40, "And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."

By remembering that this is a celebration of Jesus' birth, let us all focus on helping others and giving back to those around us who need it more than we do. There are tangible gifts we can give to those less fortunate and we can give the gift of Jesus' love and story to everyone in our lives. Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday to our Savior!