Paul Derengowski, ThM
Two thousand and sixteen years ago — add one year for each year this article remains posted after publication and another Christmas passes — Jesus Christ hung on a Roman cross to pay the sin debt owed to God.
The last thing Jesus said, before bowing his head and giving up his spirit, was, “Tetelestai” or “It is finished!” Mission accomplished!
The Law was fulfilled, payment was made, in full, and those coupled with his resurrection from the grave three days later would serve as the foundation of the Gospel.
But, every year, those hostile to the Gospel, as well as many well-meaning Christians, celebrate the holiday, which is not really holy whatsoever, by the name of “Christmas.”
Aside from being a mish-mash of pagan ideas sprinkled with Christian vocabulary, it is a Roman Catholic holy day designed to put Jesus back on the cross to sacrifice all over again.
As Roman Catholic priest John Anthony O’Brien points out in his book The Faith of Millions, written long ago, “When the priest announces the tremendous words of consecration [during the mass], he reaches up into heaven, brings Christ down from His throne, and places Him upon our altar to be offered up again as the Victim for the sins of man. It is a power greater than that of saints and angels, greater than that of Seraphim and Cherubim” (p. 255).
Such blasphemy is consistent with what a person is confronted with, should that person ever visit a Roman Catholic Church and upon entering the sanctuary he or she sees Jesus still hanging on the cross!
If the only time Jesus comes down from the cross is during the Roman Catholic mass, whereby the priest “reaches up into heaven” and “brings Christ down from his throne,” and that especially during the so-called Christ Mass, then (1) Christ’s throne is the cross; (2) the priest wields more power than does Jesus; (3) the sin debt was never fully paid on the cross the first time or any subsequent time the priest orders Jesus to be sacrificed again, ad infinitum; (4) Christians are still accountable to atone for their own sin via their works, which is impossible; (5) there is no one who will ever enjoy God’s forgiveness, as all will die in their sins; (6) God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit all lied through the Prophets and Apostles concerning the sacrificial system that appeased God’s righteousness and justice in the person of Jesus; (7) Jesus lied about anything being “finished,” when clearly it was not.
When all the distractions surrounding the Christmas holiday are added to the blasphemy, clearly the whole occasion has nothing to do with celebrating Jesus’ birth either.
Instead of celebrating the fact that Jesus has “finished” the work of atoning for mankind’s sins, that he is currently sitting at the right of God waiting to return to judge the earth as the “King of kings and Lords of lords,” many misguided Christians create their own fictive narrative about Jesus and place him back in the cradle, where he, like they, never really grows up.
All of this is passed on to the children, where Santa Claus becomes the new “savior,” whereby if they will only be more “nice” than “naughty,” a gift of their own dreams will be found lying beneath the Christmas tree.
Such an alternative gospel comes straight out of the works-based salvation of Roman Catholicism as well, since salvation is something to be merited through good works or something that is taught in all pagan religions.
Of course, many Christians put their own special spin on all the symbolism, none of which has anything to do with the Bible, and foster their own false gospel, because breaking from the past is just too much pressure to bear from the world.
After all, what would December 25th be without celebrating Jesus’ birthday without giving presents to each other, even though it is not our birthday, watching re-enactments of the manger seen where three wise men show up, even though the Bible makes it clear that they did not come along until at least two years after Jesus was born and living in a house?
Maybe, instead of making up excuses to act like the lost world that Jesus bought them out from with his blood, those same persons ought to start seeing Christmas for what it really is.
Because if Christmas and all the bogus that goes along with it are true, then Jesus lied. He accomplished nothing.
Nevertheless, the Bible makes it clear that Jesus did not lie and his mission was completed.
And if that is the case, then just which side of the Mass should you be on come the morning when Christ is crucified all over again?
