If you encounter a Jehovah’s Witness and talk to them during the Christmas season, you may hear them mention that different elements of the holiday season are pagan or that no one knows the exact date on which Christ was born.
I have talked to Jehovah’s Witnesses, who focus so much on details like Christmas trees and Santa Claus, that they misunderstand the reason Christians celebrate the holiday.
Understandably, believers can become upset at these accusations and try to defend the celebration of Christmas. However, we should not focus too much on these statements because they clutter the conversation. We need to get to the heart of the matter — Jesus Christ, His identity, and why He came into the world.
Christians and Christmas
Jehovah’s Witnesses are opposed to celebrating holidays, including Christmas. They claim that “Christmas is a birthday celebration, and early Christians did not follow that pagan custom.”
They also believe that the various festive elements of Christmas are rooted in paganism, including Christmas trees, lights, gift-giving, and observing December 25 as the day of Christ’s birth.
A point of affirmation we can make when talking to a JW follower is that the secular world has turned Christmas into a holiday focused on consumerism. The emphasis on Santa Claus and receiving presents is overemphasized in our Western culture.
Thus, we can connect to their convictions to help them see that we do not agree with the commercialism or materialism of the holiday season.
In dealing with Jehovah’s Witnesses, though, we need to remember that they will focus on these details without consideration for why believers around the world celebrate Jesus’ first coming. Their choice of words can also be misleading and cause confusion.
We need to first recognize that not all Christians observe holidays. This is a matter of personal conscience, which we need to decide for ourselves based on our understanding of Scripture and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Nowhere in the Bible are we told to celebrate holidays. However, no specific command in Scripture forbids us from celebrating holidays or Christmas.
There is nothing wrong with celebrating Christmas or other holidays, especially since days like Christmas and Easter have biblical significance.
As Paul says in Romans 14:5, “In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable” (NLT).
Furthermore, the claim that believers who celebrate Christmas are participating in paganism is not true. We are not worshiping Roman gods or offering sacrifices to idols when we decorate a Christmas tree or exchange gifts. Instead, believers worship the one true God on Christmas, remembering the wonderful gift the Father gave us by sending His Son. He is the one we honor when we observe Christmas.
Responding to the Statement that Christians Celebrate His ‘Birthday’
Now that we have addressed the issue of holidays, we can focus on the real issue of Jehovah’s Witness doctrine. As I noted earlier, their word choice can cause confusion or misunderstanding.
They claim that “the Bible does not mention birthday celebrations for Jesus or any other faithful worshipper of God” (Ibid.). Based on this type of language, they are saying that Christmas is merely a birthday celebration.
Recognizing this detail is essential since Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe in the deity of Christ or the incarnation. In their belief system, Jesus is a created being.
They assert that God created him as a spirit being before the creation of the world, and then he became the man, Jesus, when He was born.
Thus, construing Christmas as a “birthday celebration” downplays the biblical significance of Jesus’ first coming.
In contrast to the false teaching of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Bible teaches the doctrine of the incarnation. The Gospel of John teaches that Jesus is God, and He took on human flesh (John 1:1,14; Colossians 2:9).
He entered the world by being born of a virgin, which means that He did not inherit a sin nature (Matthew 1:23; Hebrews 4:15). As the sinless Son of God, Jesus is both completely God and fully man.
Paul also discussed the truth of the incarnation in his letter to the Philippian church. As he wrote, “Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross” (Philippians 2:6-8, NLT).
Thus, Christmas is a time when we remember the birth of our Savior, Lord, and King. However, this does not mean that He was created. Jesus is the eternal God. Like the Father and Holy Spirit, Jesus has always existed (John 1:1; 8:58; Hebrews 13:8).
Christmas reminds us of the glorious scriptural teaching that God the Son took on human flesh by being born of a virgin and came to earth to save us from our sins. The holiday is so much more special than a mere “birthday.”
The Reason We Celebrate Christmas
Moving away from the Jehovah’s Witness’ statements about Christmas being a pagan holiday, we can start to see that the issue is really about Jesus. We need to gear the conversation toward talking about His identity as God the Son and then focusing on why He came to earth.
Doing so allows us to get the heart of the matter and evangelize to our Jehovah’s Witnesses friends, who need to hear the gospel message.
Christmas points us to the wonderful news that God the Father sent His Son into the world to bring us salvation (John 3:16).
Since Jesus is completely God and fully human, He was able to die in our place to pay for the punishment of our sins (Hebrews 2:17). A mere human could not die for the sins of the world, but Jesus could since He is both God and man.
Bearing our sins in His body, He paid the penalty so we would not have to suffer punishment (1 Peter 2:24). After dying on the cross, He was buried.
On the third day, He was physically and bodily resurrected, demonstrating his victory over death (Luke 24:39; 1 Corinthians 15:57). Because of His death and resurrection, anyone can receive salvation when they place their faith (or trust) in Him (John 11:25; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
Unlike the teaching of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Bible teaches that salvation is by grace through faith and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). No one could ever be good enough since we all fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
Once we are saved, God has good works prepared for us to do, which are a result of our faith (Ephesians 2:10). However, our deeds or works do nothing to save us or earn right standing before God.
The salvation that Jesus came to give us is why Christians celebrate Christmas. We cannot help but praise and worship Him. Our God and Savior has given us the most wonderful gift in the universe that no one can ever take away or destroy.
Like the angels, shepherds, and wise men who worshiped and glorified Jesus on that first Christmas, our hearts and voices cry out in praise of Christ (Matthew 2:11; Luke 2:8-20).
Let us share this love and passion for Jesus with others during Christmas, including those who are caught in the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. May we use the celebration of Jesus’ first coming to proclaim the good news to those in darkness.
Why Does This Matter?
During the holiday season, we may encounter Jehovah’s Witnesses at our doorstep, passing out pamphlets at a store or in our neighborhood.
Although they will likely talk to us, raising objections about Christmas and its “pagan” roots, we need to stay focused on the central issue.
Yes, people focus too much on Santa Claus and presents during Christmas, but that is not what Christmas is about.
When believers choose to observe the holiday, they are celebrating Jesus’ coming into the world to bring salvation.
We are not throwing a birthday party but reflecting on the special moment when God the Son stepped into history and identified with humanity to redeem us. Because of His grace and love, we worship and praise Him.
To our Jehovah’s Witness friends, we should seek to declutter the conversation and focus on the important matter of Jesus’ identity and reason for coming.
This Christmas, we can share the good news of the Savior who offers us the greatest gift. Like the angels, let us proclaim these “good tidings of great joy which will be to all people” (Luke 2:10, NKJV).
For further reading:
What Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Believe?
What Does it Mean That Jesus Is the Reason for the Season?
3 Ways to Keep Jesus at the Center of Your Christmas This Year
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Iuliia Zavalishina
