One day last week Al Mohler answered some listeners’ questions about Christmas. That inspired me to do the same in these last three weekdays leading up to Christmas, this coming Sunday. I’ll include some of Dr. Mohler’s answers, as well as offer some of my own thoughts.
Question Number Four: Seeing that Christmas Day is on Sunday this year, should churches hold worship services on Christmas Day, or cancel them so people can celebrate Christmas with family?
The first place to begin to answer this question is to draw our attention to Jesus’ words in Matthew 15:6 & Mark 7:13:
Matthew 15:6 …Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.
Mark 7:13 [You are] making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.
Celebrating Christmas is nowhere to be found in the Bible. I do not think it is wrong, but it is a tradition, though not biblical. In contrast, Christians gathering at least weekly, on the “Lord’s Day” (recognized by many believers as the Christian Sabbath) is biblical. I will not take the time here to argue that the Lord’s Day is a Christian Sabbath, except to say that I believe strongly that it is. As for believers gathering for corporate worship each Lord’s day, 1 Corinthians 16:1, refers to this practice as “a given” as well as a command.
Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week [the Lord’s Day] let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 (emphasis added)
So how on earth can we justify not gathering for corporate worship on the Lord’s Day (which is biblical) so that we can remain faithful to Christmas (which is only traditional)? My answer is obvious: We cannot.
We do not want to be self-righteous and “judgy” about Christians and churches who make this error. But let us humbly gather for corporate worship whenever Christmas falls on a Sunday—not because it is Christmas, but because it is the Lord’s Day.