Well, today is Christmas Day, the day we celebrate the birth of Christ.

Every year we get a whole batch of Christmas questions.

The most asked for question about Christmas is by far about Santa.

And we address him on the podcast twice already back in 2016 and 2018 in episode 978 and

1288 and check those out, especially episode 978, which ends with one of the great paragraphs

I think in the EPJ archive.

But here is the second most asked about Christmas question represented by at least 35 emails

in the inbox that I can see.

Why did the church begin celebrating the birth of Christ on December 25th?

This date appears connected to a holiday with Germanic roots in the pagan celebration

of you or you will tide.

In those emails, commonly mentioned texts include those that forbid God's people from accommodating

or adopting the traditions and holidays and feasts of the nations, especially mentioned

our texts like 1 Kings 1233, Deuteronomy 1229-32, and Jesus' own words in Mark 7 verse

9.

The same is true of Jeremiah 10 verses 1-4, a text used to warn against Christmas trees

even.

So maybe this is a horrible question to address all in Christmas day, I don't know.

But from the emails here is a representative email from a listener named Michelle, Hello

Pastor John.

Why do Christians celebrate Jesus' birth on December 25th?

Before I was born again, I was a pagan and celebrated Yule.

...