And before you know it, it’s that season again. Once again we’re ready to celebrate the greatest birthday celebration in history. It’s time for Decorations, Carols, Santa, Lit Trees and more importantly a full dinner table.
Christmas didn’t start in the recent times. It had its origin centuries ago. And this Christmas let’s take some time to understand the true meaning of Christmas. What did Christmas mean to the people in these centuries. What was the meaning of Christmas over the centuries?
It definitely has a meaning and let’s find out what it meant for the people in those eras. This season let’s take some time to really ask the question, ‘What Are You Christmas?’
It’s time for a little history lesson, beginning from the 2nd Century.
A 2nd Century Christmas is not what it is like you would imagine. No colour, no lights, no celebrations, nothing. ‘Christmas’ didn’t exist at that time. But they celebrated the birth of Christ, they celebrated the life of Christ, and more importantly they celebrated the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Though they did it differently, they celebrated the essence. For a Christian in the 2nd Century, it was difficult to be a Christian, it was a time when persecution was at its pinnacle and to be a Christian was to have a death warrant against you. So no, they didn’t have time for a pompous celebration or tradition.
Each time they gathered, they celebrated “Christmas”. They celebrated the birth and the life of Christ. Because that is what bought them together, that is what gave them a reason to live. Each time one of their fathers or brothers were abducted and killed, they didn’t waver from their faith, each time one of their daughters or sisters were kidnapped and brutally raped by the cruel authorities, they didn’t go back, because the birth of the savior gave them purpose. The baby lying in that manger was not just a holiday novelty, it was their life. They endured hardships because they believed in that child. Why would a group of people, risk everything they have, live in fear, with nowhere else to go, still keep believing? That’s the power of Jesus and his love. And they celebrated that God. They didn’t do it because it was a season, they did it because that’s what they believed in. That was the whole purpose of their lives. That child is what they lived for and that child is what they died for. When gathering in dark, damp rooms, each knock on the door could mean death, but that didn’t stop them from coming together and celebrating that child in the manger.
For the second century Christians, Christmas was Purpose.