To most modern Western Christians, it might be a surprise to discover that Spurgeon did not celebrate Christmas with the lights, bells, wreaths, and festivities that many of us enjoy today. Newspapers in the late 1800s show that the Metropolitan Tabernacle had no Christmas decorations and showed no signs of the holiday. In contrast to the lack of merriment, a popular quote from Spurgeon says that he wished there were “ten or twelve Christmases,” which dispels the “Bah humbug” spirit that one might read into the lack of seasonal participation.
Was Spurgeon inconsistent then? Absolutely not. He saw the Christmas season as a time to reflect on the incarnation of Christ, spend time with family, and thank God for the wonderful gift of his Son. He did not care if you celebrated Christmas, but he did care why and what you focused on during the season. A curious reader of Spurgeon’s views on Christmas might ask: How would Spurgeon advise someone to spend Christmas day? Does he think Christmas is good, or rather, popish? What if someone struggles with or chooses not to celebrate Christmas, how should they spend the holiday? Here are three ways Spurgeon encouraged his congregants to celebrate Christmas Day.
Christmas can be used as a day for family and rest
First, Spurgeon assured his congregation that it is fine not to observe Christmas as a holiday because an argument can be made for its popish origin or superstition.
“I hold it to be one of the greatest absurdities under heaven to think that there is any religion in keeping Christmas-day. There are no probabilities whatever that our Savior Jesus Christ was born on that day and the observance of it is purely of Popish origin.”[1]
While this quote is quite opinionated and can be jarring to some, in the same sermon Spurgeon affirms that it is good to spend this day off with family and enjoy rest. He says:
“However, I wish there were ten or a dozen Christmas-days in the year; for there is work enough in the world, and a little more rest would not hurt laboring people. Christmas-day is really a boon to us, particularly as it enables us to assemble round the family hearth and meet our friends once more.”[2]
Spurgeon would rather there be ten or twelve (in a later sermon he increases this number to twenty) Christmas days if it meant that men were allowed more time to spend with their families.
But what if you do not celebrate Christmas? Can you feel right about setting this day aside as so many others around do? Is that not still effectually observing Christmas? Spurgeon has an answer for this.
“The old Puritans made a parade of work on Christmas-day, just to show that they protested against the observance of it. But we believe they entered that protest so completely, that we are willing, as their descendants, to take the good accidentally conferred by the day, and leave its superstitions to the superstitious.”[3]
Spurgeon urged his congregants that no matter their conviction on the holiday, they should use the time given to them as an opportunity to rest and enjoy being with family. Whether you partake in the festivities or not, God has gifted you a precious day to love and invest in your family and loved ones. This is always a gift from God, no matter what day it comes on. The following quote sums up Spurgeon’s views on Christmas Day quite well:
“For my part, I wish there were twenty Christmas days in the year. It is seldom that young men can meet with their friends; it is rarely they can all be united as happy families; and though I have no respect to the religious observance of the day, yet I love it as a family institution, as one of England’s brightest days, the great Sabbath of the year, when the plough rests in its furrow, when the din of business is hushed, when the mechanic and the working man go out to refresh themselves upon the green sward of the glad earth.”[4]
Christmas is a time to share the Gospel with others
Second, Spurgeon urged his congregation to share their gospel story with their loved ones.
“Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.” You are not to repair to your houses and forthwith begin to preach that you are not commanded to do. You are not to begin to take up doctrinal subjects and expatiate on them, and endeavor to bring persons to your peculiar views and sentiments. You are not to go home with sundry doctrines you have lately learned, and try to teach these. At least you are not commanded so to do; you may, if you please and none shall hinder you; but you are to go home and tell not what you have believed, but what you have felt — what you really know to be your own; not what great things you have read, but what great things the Lord hath done for you; not alone what you have seen done in the great congregation, and how great sinners have turned to God, but what the Lord has done for you.”[5]
Whether we have believing families or not, we should spend the holiday with our loved ones by talking about the goodness of God and the freedom we have through the death and resurrection of Christ. For those of us with unbelieving families, this will be an evangelistic effort. Others who find themselves surrounded by believers will be sharpened by the stories of God’s work of salvation in our lives. For all that we see, we want to show something of the grace we have received through our acts of love and generosity. After all, when it comes to the salvation story, Spurgeon reminds us:
“…it must be a story of free grace. It is not, “Tell thy friends how great things thou hast done thyself,” but “how great things the Lord hath done for thee.”[6]
Christmas should be spent with Christ first
Lastly, Spurgeon directed his congregation to spend Christmas by making Christ the first one who “saw” them that day.
“Do not try to tell your tale to man till you have told it first to God. When you are at home on Christmas-day, let no one see your face till God has seen it. Be up in the morning, wrestle with God; and if your friends are not converted, wrestle with God for them, and then you will find it easy work to wrestle with them for God.”[7]
Spurgeon made the point that we should wrestle over the salvation of our family and friends. As pointed out earlier, Christmas is an opportune time to share the gospel with our families and friends, but the battle for their souls starts in prayer. Ask God to rescue their souls because he is the only one who has the power and authority to do so.
Most importantly, Spurgeon urges us to start Christmas day by reflecting on who Christ is and why he came to us. On any other day of the year, we should reflect on the coming and incarnation of Christ, but Spurgeon saw no issue with a day that allows us to reflect specifically on the incarnation. Spurgeon once said regarding Christmas, “I see no harm in thinking of the incarnation and birth of the Lord Jesus.”[8] One can never dwell too much on the incarnation of Christ because it is a pillar of Christian doctrine. Spurgeon reminds us of the essential truth of the incarnation of the Son saying,
“But as Jesus Christ is God’s Son, he is not born; but given, begotten of his Father from before all worlds, begotten — not made, being of the same substance with the Father. The doctrine of the eternal affiliation of Christ is to be received as an undoubted truth of our holy religion.”[9]
Conclusion
Spurgeon helps us navigate the Christmas holiday, whether we choose to participate in the festivities or not, by encouraging us that there are various reasons to gather on this day outside of tradition or superstition. He urges us that while this day is set aside already, we should spend the free time by first thanking the Lord for sending His Son to be born as a baby, live a sinless life, take the punishment for our sins upon Himself, and rise again in victory for our salvation through faith. He also encourages us to spend this time in rest with those we love, sharing with them the good news about the Christ who came to offer us salvation so long ago.
[1] The Incarnation And Birth Of Christ No. 57
[2] The Incarnation And Birth Of Christ No. 57
[3] The Incarnation And Birth Of Christ No. 57
[4] Going Home – A Christmas Sermon. No. 109
[5] Going Home – A Christmas Sermon. No. 109
[6] Going Home – A Christmas Sermon. No. 109
[7] Going Home – A Christmas Sermon. No. 109
[8] The Incarnation And Birth Of Christ No. 57
[9] A Christmas Question. No. 291