WHAT ABOUT CHRISTMAS TREES?  SHOULD WE HAVE THEM?  ARE THEY PAGAN?

This is another division that I believe Satan has come up with to divide and cause problems among believers.  While many of the things associated with the modern celebration of Christmas clearly have a pagan connection with their origin, I believe the Christmas tree is different. 

There are many different accounts of the supposed origin of the Christmas Tree and each one of them have their supporters.  All of them cannot be true.  In my personal research, I believe the following is the most accurate:

In the seventh century a missionary to the Germans came across a group of pagans who worshiped the Oak tree as a god.  He suggested they were foolish to worship something that died every year and lost its beauty.  He went on to use the evergreen tree to teach them that the Living God is the same yesterday, today and forever, and provides eternal life for His children. 

He said the triangular shape symbolizes the trinity.  The evergreen tree quickly became a symbol of the Gospel message to those living in Northern Germany.  Ironically the Roman Catholic Church denounced the use of the tree claiming those who failed to trust in the Roman Church alone for salvation were heretics. 

The symbol of the division became so great, that after Martin Luther left the Catholic Church he went on to use the evergreen tree as an illustration in the Gospel message in defiance of Rome.  Expanding the illustration, he placed candles on the tree to show how it was Jesus and not Rome that was the light of the world. 

By the twelfth century the common practice was to hang the tree upside down from the ceiling.  It was considered a symbol of those who rejected the Catholic Church for salvation.  Rome countered declaring all those who placed a tree in their home or place of worship were incapable of earning salvation. 

The first claim to the use of a Christmas tree in America is much debated.  A city in Connecticut claims a foreign soldier put up a Christmas Tree in 1777. 

A city in Pennsylvania said a German immigrant was the first to erect a Christmas tree in 1816.  The German reportedly used it in teaching fellow believers about Christ, eternal salvation, and the Trinity.

You may have heard or read another account of Christmas Trees and you have a different view or opinion than this Preacher.  That does not make you my enemy and I will respect your view.  All I am trying to do is keep our opinions from producing discord and doing harm to the sweet fellowship of God’s people, especially during the Christmas season.

Some Christians feel the practice of having a Christmas tree is prohibited in Jeremiah 10:3-4

For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.

They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good. 

Jeremiah 10:3-5

A careful reading will help us understand this has nothing to do with the use of a Christmas tree.  The trees of Jeremiah had no connection with the birth of Christ, the story of salvation or Christmas.  The trees or idols made from the trees were worshiped as gods having supernatural power.  I have never known anyone today to pray to a Christmas tree, believing it could hear and answer or had any God-like powers.

Many modern Catholics are seeing Mary in everything from French Toast to windowpanes.  If someone would see Mary or Jesus in a tree and worship it, all true Christians would know that this is a pagan practice and is against everything that the Bible teaches.

Regardless of the origin of the Christmas tree, there is no doubt that the world has secularized it.  It no longer represents to the average person the spiritual teachings of Christians from an earlier time when it was used for good nor is it used to teach the false teachings of the prophets of the groves or those from Jeremiah’s day. 

For most the tree is simply a part of the Christmas tradition.  A tradition that has forgotten the Christmas message delivered on the first Christmas Eve to the shepherds:

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 

Luke 2:10-11

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Trees have always played an important part for good and bad in the Scriptures.  Like every other spiritual symbol, Satan loves to counterfeit and corrupt. 

Trees are mentioned 287 times in the Bible.  It is first mentioned in Genesis.  They played an important part in the Garden story.

And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 

Genesis 1:11-12

And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 

Genesis 2:9

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. 

Genesis 2:16-17

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 

Genesis 3:6

Trees played other important roles in the Bible: 

They were used in construction of the Temple. 

Moses placed a branch of a tree in the bitter waters to make them sweet. 

False prophets often used trees to carve idols and to hide in tree groves when performing their wicked deeds.  

God compared the well-grounded Christian to a tree:

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 

Psalms 1:3

The most important reference to a tree is the one in I Peter 2:24:

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 

1Peter 2:24

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Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 

Galatians 3:13

Whether we choose to have a Christmas tree in our home or not is a personal decision.  Whether we see it as a symbol of God’s Son, salvation and sovereignty or another invasion of the world into spiritual things and a commercialization of that which is spiritual is left for each to decide. 

What is important however is that we understand the real Christmas tree and the gift associated with it was given to us when Jesus hung on the wooden cross and gave his life that we might have eternal life.

There are those of us who enjoy a Christmas Tree, the lights, and many other things associated with Christmas today.  You may not enjoy that, but does that mean you need to go on a personal mission to destroy the joy of others, when they are not worshiping a tree or participating in any pagan activity.  They are just enjoying Christmas differently than you do.

It seems to me that during the time that we have set aside to celebrate the birth of the Saviour, we could at least act like Christians.

 Merry Christmas and May God Bless You!

Thank You for visiting this site. If we can be of help in any way, please do not hesitate to ask. Much Blessings on you and yours, Dr. Joseph A.Carson Northland Baptist Ministries