The significance of December 25th

Time to celebrate like warriors

See Revelation 12

Hello my fellow warriors. I couldn't let this day go by without reaching out and communicating its importance. I've been around long enough to know there are mixed feelings about Christmas; the concerns around paganism; concerns the date was usurped from a Roman pagan holiday; the debate on the date of Jesus' birth; and its commercialization have always been issues to stir the pot. But what I want to do —very briefly— is help you see the importance of this day without the angst and instead with a renewed sense of vigor, for you are part of God's family and it is imperative that we stay united under this banner.

For starters, rest easy. I won't go into detail here for the sake of brevity, but scholars almost unanimously agree the birth of Jesus was September 11, 3 BC, between 6:18pm and 7:39pm. Yes, narrowed down to the hour; and yes, one can't help but wonder about the coincidence of this day when thinking about the worst terrorist attack on United States soil.

What I also want you to know is this day —the 25th— as the date of the Christ’s birth appears to owe nothing whatsoever to pagan influences upon the practice of the Church during or after Constantine’s time. It in fact arose from the efforts of early Latin Christians who were attempting to determine the historical date of Christ’s death. If you'd like to deep dive into how the 25th came about you can see this article by William J. Tighe to set your mind at ease. But know this day was held in importance long before any Roman influence on this date despite popular belief. It was in fact the Romans who usurped the date to unite pagan cults under Rome and simultaneously insult the Judeo-Christians.

Now that we have that out of the way, I want us to focus on the importance of this day. This day that is celebrated as the unfathomable earthly entry of the God over all things is like no other day. His arrival to a family steeped in poverty —to a woman who was a virgin— living on the run to avoid certain death should be seen for what it is. It was a covert mission instigated by the Creator to recapture the earthly kingdom from the enemies of darkness who held power over humanity. The entire mission of Jesus was shrouded and cloaked in mystery, deception and obscurity. This was purposely done in order to not tip off the enemies of darkness. Paul in 1 Corinthians makes this clear:

6 Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. 7 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. - 1 Corinthians 2:6–8 (ESV)

We also have it right from the mouths of demons who were clueless:

And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” - Mark 1:23–25

Not only did the spirits of darkness fail to understand why Jesus had come to earth, so did the ancient Jews to include the disciples:

21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” - Matthew 16:21-23 (ESV)

And for a bit of clarity, the term "Satan" in ancient Jewish context actually means "adversary". It is not a personal pronoun. Peter's rejection of death for the King placed him at odds with the King, hence the term "adversary" as Peter was acting adversarial to God’s plan.

What I want you to know is this day bears great significance as it relates to the story of humanity. There's a reason why this day has become watered down, commercialized and usurped by materialism. It marks the day that the savior of humanity arrived to our earthly domain and begun His operation to single-handedly trounce and embarrass the enemies of darkness. He did this for us all so that we may remember who we are and what ultimately belongs to us. This world is our home and it is our duty to fight for it and for the greater good of humanity. To do so, we must be able to see what many others fail to see —the evil behind the veil.

As you celebrate today, don't just celebrate a birth as a day for feasting and creating joy. Celebrate as victorious warriors who are led by an unstoppable King that kicked off the greatest campaigns of all campaigns. Celebrate as warriors who will chase down every single giant until the earth is completely ours. Celebrate as the kingdom is already here and we will continue to press on until our home is made right. Celebrate as those who have the strength to defeat giants!

Merry Christmas warriors. 🎄

-Terrence

P.S. New article arriving soon….

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