May I Preach About Jesus In December?

I noticed acrimonious exchanges on some preacher pages on Facebook last year on whether it’s a sin to mention the birth of Jesus near December 25. Some say it’s wrong to preach on the birth of Jesus on a Sunday in December. Some say it’s unwise not to because you miss an opportunity to connect with people where they are at this season.

The content is questionable in some groups, and the attitude and attacks are disappointing.

As I was running six miles one morning, these questions came to my mind:

• Is it a sin to mention Jesus during December because someone will think you are denominational?
• Will it be wrong to suggest that the first of the year is a good time to evaluate our lives and commit to ways to grow in the coming year?
• Would it be a sin to preach on the resurrection on Easter Sunday?
• Would it be better to preach on the resurrection on the Sunday closest to Christmas day and on the birth of Jesus on Easter Sunday? I was told of one preacher who did this often.
• Is it unwise to mention mothers in the Bible on Mother’s Day?
• Would it be wrong to encourage and thank good fathers on Father’s Day?
• How about speaking on our freedom in Christ near the fourth of July?
• Could we sing “We’ll Work Till Jesus Comes” on the Sunday before Labor Day?
• If there’s snow during the week, could discussing references to snow in the Bible be memorable?
• How many of these, if any, can I get wrong and not be labeled as a heretic, apostate, false teacher, and unsound preacher?
• Who decides this and compiles the list?
• Who is the pope in the Lord’s church?
• Or is it a group that decides?
• Who appoints the pope or the group?
• Does anyone in the group ever disagree with each other on one or more points?
• If so, do they mark each other?
• If they, he, or I ever change our minds on one of the critical topics, do we have to go back to every person who has ever heard us say one of these things and tell each one we have changed our mind?
• Did the pope or the official group in the church ever change their mind on one of these issues?
• How did they handle this?
• Is it possible that some or all of these issues and some other similar issues might be matters of opinion?
• Could we choose one approach for one year and another topic for another year?

I have no guilt about my choice last year because I didn’t preach on December 24. The preacher where we attended is safe. He followed the thoughts in the song “Tell Me the Story of Jesus.” He told about Jesus’ birth, life, teaching, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and second coming. Unless you take the position that it’s wrong to mention Jesus’s birth during December, he didn’t violate any of the above rules. We only sang one song that could be labeled a “Christmas song,” which we often sing throughout the year.

I’ve never believed we know December 25 is the exact date of Jesus’ birth, that there were exactly three wise men, or other inaccurate observations on the birth of Jesus.

I understand that attacking each other on these issues isn’t the best approach to evangelism or edification, and it certainly isn’t benevolent.