Everything under the sun is trailed by controversy. Some engander discourse that enrich knowledge. Some though of worthless value gain public attention and push the frontiers of rumour and research. Mundane and non issues are often times thrown into the public space as a paradigm to gauge stand point, thought pattern, belief and behavior of individuals and insitutions.


Life would have been boring without activity. They are most often in remembrance of dated religious and cultural events, some have idiosnycratic undertones.


One of the celebration that has gained global acceptance is Christmas. Christ-mas is a Catholic configuration. Christmas is derived from the Old English Cristes Maesse which means the Mass of Christ.Christmas is a sober reflection of Christ's birth. Christmas has a long trajectory and has been impacted by cultures around the globe. Carrols, Christmas tree, fireworks, Santa Claus etc are elements of various cultures infused into Christmas to make it inviting.
Christmas is a holiday shared and celebrated by mankind, a holiday that unifies all, a day that has effect on the entire world.


To many people, it is the time of the year which involves gift giving and feasting. Some use the period to visit and feed the underprivilleged in prisons, orphanages, hospitals, remand homes and destitutes on the streets. Some have also given Christmas a personal meaning by
undertaking behaviors that are not in tandem with the Scripture. Armed robbery, prostitution, drunkenness and other anti- social behaviors are common place during Christmas. Avarice is also more manifest at a time mankind should be sober. The value and prices of goods and services are inflated. 60% of annual retail sales is said to be made in the month of December alone thus making Christmas to look more of a problem than a blessing. These negative aspects which by are no means is the reason for the season has thrown up arguments to challenge Christ's birthday.


The point of argument is the date of birth of Jesus and the origin of Christmas.The life and times of Jesus Christ our Savior was foretold: " For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this" Isaiah 9:6-7.


Isaiah 7:14. 53:10-12. Micah 5:2. Genesis 49:10.12:3. 17:19. Jeremiah 23:5. Matthew 1:18-23.2:1-6. 4:5-7. 21:8-11. 26:14-16. Numbers 24:17. Luke 2:1-7,15. 23:33. Psalms 16:10. 110:1. 1Peter 1:19-20. 2:21-22. Zecharia 9:9. Acts 3: 20-23. 1:9.2:25-32. Hebrew 1:3. John 1:1-3,10-11. 7:40-42. 1Cor 15:20. 1John 2:2, Rev 13:8.


Joseph and Mary were ordinary people yet the birth of their son attracted the attention of the three Wisemen (Balthazar, Gaspar and Melchior) who were the first to celebrate His birth. The three Wisemen brought Him gifts to show that Jesus deserves honour (Matt 2:11 ). King Herod also demaded to be informed of Christ's residence so as to worship Him but his was a ploy to eliminate Him (Matt 2:13). So Christmas started with the Wisemen-a divine and sober reflection of the first coming of the Savior of the world.


One would think that if anyone's date of birth were to be remembered, it would be that of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The Bible did not document the exact date of Christ's birth. The time of Jesus birth has been subjected to interpretations. For instance, the presence of Shepards and their sheep suggest Jesus was a spring baby (meteorologically the months of March, April and May in the Northern hemisphere and October and November in the Southern).


St. Mark said to be earlist gospel began with the baptism of Jesus, the reason is probably that the focus of the gospels is on redemption - crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the pre-Christian era years were counted from the founding of Rome. 1 AUC signified the year the city was founded. It is believed that Dionysius Exiguus a monk held that Emperor Augustus reigned for 43years and was succeed by Emperor Tiberius Caesar. The 30th birthday of Jesus coincided with the 15th year of Tiberius reign (Luke 3) meaning that Jesus was born in the 28th year reign of Emperor Augstus, who was said to have come to power in 727 AUC thus putting Jesus birth at 754 AUC.


However, Luke1:5 places Jesus birth in the days of King Herod in 750 AUC, four years before the years in which Exiguus placed Christ's birth.Christ birth was not
commonly celebrated till the 4th century because some early church leaders objected to it maintaining that the anniversary of Christ's birth should be a somber day and not secular festival as seen today. Early Christian leaders hoping to win the pagan population into their fold opted for the last day of Saturnalia to celebrate Christ's birth.


Saturnalia, a Roman festival predated Jesus by hundreds of years. Saturnalia which was a farmer’s festival to mark the end of planting season in honour of Saturn-the god of sowing was held between 17 to 25 December. This festival promoted indulgence. But was Jesus born on the 25th? The early Christians who observed Christ-Mas on 25th December didnt do so thinking that Christ was born on that day but because many festivals were observed in Rome and other cities around same time and were thus willing to have those festivals fused into Christ-Mas.


December 25th was significant for many reasons. The Babylonians believed the son of the queen of heaven was born on December 25th. The Egyptians celebrated the birth of the son of fertility goddess Isis on same date. December 25 was also regarded as the date of birth of the Persian god-Mithra, the sun of Righteousness. The Arabs contended that the moon as born on December 24th. While 21st was celebrated as the feast of Saturn, the god of sowing.


Methink December 25th was settled for, to coincide with existing festivals. That way it became easier to convince Rome's pagan population to acccept Christianity as the empire's official religion. What is seldom known however is that prior to that time Christ's birth was placed on Jan 6, March 25, April 19, May20, August 21 and Nov 17 indicating its non historicity. December 25th was a confluence of dates and of many factors.Today's Christians can't imagine Christmas on any day other than on 25th December. The conversion of Emperor Constantine to Christianity in 312 AD ended the persecution of Christians in Rome and began the patronage of the Church. Constantine legalized Christianity in 313 AD and officially post December 25th on the Roman calender as a holiday honoring Jesus birth. Emperor Justinian made Christmas a civic holiday and official state religion of the Roman Empire in 529 AD.


For over a millennia God's creation have been swept away by the flood of celebration, very few ever consider the reason for Christ's first coming. Few understands that the journey which started with His birth was a signpost to redemption, a journey which eventually ended at Calvary. Of the truth, Christmas today, is celebrated most carelessly. Our conducts are most regretable Consumerism as seen in Christmas shopping contradicts the beauty of our Lords birth.


If we are truly celebrating the anniversary of Christ's first coming then we must BRING BACK CHRIST into Chrismas, because the original teachings of the Church has been subdued by syncretism. Our contemporary, semi-secular Christmas is a collection of the good, the bad and the ugly, a spin-off of profligacy and impurity. Just as same sex marriage cannot supplant the beauty of marriage between a man and a woman. Individual habits and sideline activities can not redefine the purpose for remembering Christ's birth. From a modest beginning, Christ-Mas has evolved into the single largest celebration on planet earth.



The time denominations devote to speak against Christmas, refering to it as paganism worry me. Some celebrate Christmas in October, others form reasons for their anti-Christmas posture. The first coming of Christ is to reconcile man to God - to lead man to life everlasting. Without birth there would be no death, so Christ's birth is as important as His death but the essence of His birth seem lost in secularism.


Much of the doctrine of our Churches are just aimed at regimentation and not for kingdom growth. The spirit of seperatism has eaten deep into the Church. It is common to hear 'our Church' is the best, the largest, the fastest growing, the most principled, the most properous etc. Churches are now branded like commercial products all targeting the wealth to be made from the people. A Church in my thinking is a gathering ordained by God but many are planting weeds amongst wheat.


Not all are part of the Church of Christ, some are business outfits interested in Naira and Kobo, some are sorcerers out to further the kingdom of darkness. Some are out to poision the word. Some tactically encourage nurdity in the name of new age fashion. Alcoholism to some is a social conduct. Some teachings discourage modesty and encourage greed. Adherents are cajoled to make vows or borrow to pay tithe so as to provoke God to provide. It is all about giving and giving, Mal 3:10 encourages giving but the first few verse if am correct admornish purity before giving but who cares. I was told of a Church goer who got a dress down on the day he attempted to dedicate his car. The Man of God ordered him to take back his ill gotten offering, instead of dedicating the car the man's life was dedicated to Christ but some of todays Clergy will collect it and damn the consequences. Some even steal public funds and style it breakthrough.


This looks like the era of merchandizing Christianity, era of preaching eternal security- (confess Christ and go on with live as usual- no sin), the era of commercialising miracles, era of cheap talk, the era of selling Church and not serving Christ in truth and spirit, the era of claiming the wealth of the gentiles. Era of prayer merchants. Its common to hear people say i prayed for that man, woman, family and business and he, she or they gave me this car, house, land etc. Material reward is the testimony now. What a shame!


Unfortunately, we dont care about the Scripture we care more about sports and entertainment personalities. We are a people who uphold cultural practices above the tenets of the Bible. A generation held hostage by false prophets, ethnicity, materialism, shortcut etc. A people who further the frontiers of identity and help promote the evils of Nigeria's mono-cultural rentier economy. A people who give and take bribe and wrongly quote Mark 12:7(...Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's). Cheats and liars!


As a child, Sunday service bored me because every Sunday the Pastor wept begging adherents to repent, preceding it was sermons centered on Eternal life, Salvation, being Born Again, second coming of Christ and alter call. The gospel was about getting people to Christ, personal witness was a routine but with heaven on earth theology the message changed from being ready for the bride groom to being properous.


Today Preachers, preach soft messages to pull crowd. The sheep is feed on motivational talk. In contemporary Nigeria, Christians are more moved by prophesy, the Word is secondary. A Church led by a Prophet or Prophetess is likely to attracts crowd but same cannot be said of Churches under Pastors.Tribal covens and Principalities now holds sway in the Church and Nation. A home for 'holy' Church goers, sorcerers, diabolist, seperatist etc. Schism and corruption is commonly associated with todays Church. It is common to find a leader of a movement enthroning his kinsmen above others, some plant their family members on the board of the Church.


In the midst of poverty and misery the Church is busy building castles all over the Nation. Ecclesiastical politicians divide and rule for personal benefits. Each time my Dad watched Christian sermons on Tv, he contends that this generation was striving hard to change the message from Eternal Life to materialism. Nigeria was a better place when the Church was up standing. Today, Pastors run after politicians for laptops, cars, houses, land, foreign trips especially pilgrimage, etc. They have deliberately refused to convey the plight of the poor to the leaders neither
do they tell them the gospel truth.


The church should look around and see the injustice and outright wickedness in the society and fight it. The Church can't continue to devote all her energy to merry and argue over 25th December. The Church must hold on to the message of reconcilling man back to God which is the reason for his first coming and the reason for His soon second coming. Nobody will celebrate Christmas ad-infinitum.



So Christmas is not for food, wine, wealth, women, orgies etc but about a NEW LIVING, its about reconcilliation. Christianity is not like the Christmas Tree which comes alive on 1st December and dies on 31st December, it stretches beyond mans comprehension. Where we are is just a lodging ground before the pass-over. Merry christmas and Joyous New Year.