"Christmas Without Jesus”

“Christmas Without Jesus”

By Rev. Saumiman Saud

(Luke 2:8–14; John 21:25)

When we are invited to a birthday party, it is natural that all attention focuses on the person whose birthday it is. The celebrant is greeted, given gifts, hugged, spoken to, photographed—everything centers on that person. How strange it would be if the person whose birthday is being celebrated were absent! Guests would be disappointed, confused, and the celebration would lose its meaning.

The same absurdity sometimes happens at Christmas. People become so busy preparing programs, decorations, and food that Jesus, the one whose birth is being remembered, is left out completely. Some organizing committees even claim that there’s no need to include the preaching of God’s Word in a Christmas service. But if Christ is removed, what meaning does Christmas have left?

The term Christmas comes from the old English Cristes Maesse—the “Mass of Christ.” From the earliest church, believers sometimes abbreviated it Xmas, using the Greek letter Chi (?), the first letter in Christos. Christmas, then, is a holy day established to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. Although Scripture does not record the exact day of His birth, Christians have long observed it on December 25. Yet many modern celebrations have become merely feasts of food, laughter, and even drunkenness—losing touch with the truth that the birth of Christ is the arrival of the King who brings peace to the world.

His birth was a miracle foretold by the prophets. The Messiah, called Emmanuel—“God with us”—was prophesied in Micah 5:2 to be born in Bethlehem. Genesis 49:10 and Daniel 9:25 also foretell His coming and mission. From the Old Testament onward, the details of His birth, lineage, and redemptive purpose were already revealed. To celebrate Christmas without Jesus, then, is to hold an empty, secular feast.

The difference between a worldly Christmas and a Christian Christmas is Jesus Himself. For the world, it may be a time of profit, politics, or pleasure. For believers, it must be a proclamation that Jesus has come into the world to save humanity from sin.

Since Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden, humanity became separated from Him. Yet God’s loving nature would not allow Him to destroy His creation. Instead, in mercy, He devised a great plan of salvation—fulfilled through Jesus Christ, His only Son. As John 3:16 declares: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Therefore, any Christmas celebration that omits Jesus is meaningless—no better than a birthday party where the guest of honor doesn’t appear. True Christmas rejoices in the birth of Christ, the Savior of the world. Humanity, frail and sinful, desperately needs a Savior of infinite power and love. Life on earth is temporary; every person must one day leave this world, either for Heaven or Hell.

The author recalls a personal story: after returning to Indonesia from America in 2004, he planned to visit a church member’s husband who had been gravely ill for months, but the man died before he could visit. Yet the family could find comfort knowing he had professed faith in Christ as his personal Savior—so their farewell was only temporary, for believers shall meet again in Heaven.

The true issue, the author insists, is this: without Jesus, one’s life hits a dead end. Christ alone is the way to the Father, as He Himself said in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” That is why Christ’s presence must be central in every Christmas celebration.

The message of Christmas is one of joy—the angels themselves sang and glorified God. Jesus, once a baby in a manger, grew up, died on the cross, and rose on the third day. When believers celebrate Christmas, it should not be as a memorial of a baby, but as a renewal of faith—letting Christ be born in our hearts again, transforming our lives.

The author notes that some criticize Christians for celebrating Christmas because the Bible doesn’t record Jesus’ date of birth. Historically, the early church emphasized Easter more than Christmas. Around the third century, believers in Egypt began celebrating Christ’s birth, though not on December 25. The Roman Church adopted December 25 in the fourth century, and the date remained tradition ever since. Yet the exact date is not what matters most—what matters is remembering that Jesus truly came into the world, and that He must also be born within our hearts daily.

Jesus is no ordinary man—He is God made flesh. His purpose was to die on the cross for human sin, rise again, ascend to Heaven, and offer eternal life to all who believe. If God loved us enough to sacrifice His Son, then our lives are of immeasurable worth. How tragic that many still waste their lives through alcohol, sexual sin, gambling, and addictions—living in darkness yet still singing “Merry Christmas.” Such a Christmas is hollow without Christ.