The Cross is God's Christmas Tree

By J. Vernon McGee

What is the origin of the modern Christmas tree? This question arises regularly with each return of the holiday season and just as regularly disappears into the silence of uncertainty at the close of the Christmas festivities. While there is no answer of a definite nature, one thing is sure: It has no biblical basis. How the decorated tree found its way into the Christmas celebration is a question which has no categorical conclusion whatsoever.

There are those who connect it with the Saturnalia of the ancient Romans and their use of evergreens over the door during the days of that pagan festival, a festival bitterly denounced by the early church. Tertullian wrote extensively against it.

Some find the origin of the Christmas tree among the Druids who were tree worshipers. And, if your ancestors came from northern Europe, as did mine, I suppose there were Druids among them. Still others find the origin of this custom in the superstition of a corrupt church, but the facts available do not seem to warrant such a conclusion. There is no scriptural basis, and thus far there seems to be no historical basis upon which the use of this merriest of Christmas ornaments rests.

William Muir Auld refers to the fact that Virgil casually alluded to a Roman custom of placing images on evergreens at certain times of the year. George Jacob, an Arabian geographer of the tenth century, related a legend about the night Christ was born in which the forest, despite ice and snow, burst into bloom. However, the first mention of the Christmas tree was made by an unknown citizen in Strassburg in 1604: "At Christmas they set up fir trees in the parlours in Strassburg and hang thereon roses cut out of many-colored paper, etc." (A. Tille, Yule and Christmas). The whole idea is doubtless of German origin and probably began in Protestantism. Some attribute its birth to Martin Luther, but in no way can this be substantiated. Dr. Johann Dannhauer of Germany made this interesting observation many years ago: "Whence comes the custom I know not. It is child's play. Far better were it to point the children to the spiritual cedar tree, Jesus Christ."

Actually the important consideration for us is not the origin of the Christmas tree but the present paganism which attends its use and the crass materialism which has been brought to surround it even in Christian homes and celebrations.

In spite of all this, God has His Christmas tree. It is not as pretty as the department store tree, I grant you. It is not filled with baubles of color and tinsel, nor is it bright with trinkets and lights. But God does have a Christmas tree -- it is the cross of Christ! In fact, the proper name for the cross is tree. You will remember that the early church spoke of it this way. In one of the first great sermons ever given in the church we find, "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree" (Acts 5:30). And Peter in his first epistle writes:

Who his own self bore 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. (1 Peter 2:24)

The Gifts Under God's Christmas Tree

Let us look underneath God's Christmas tree and discover some of the many gifts of His grace that are there for you today. You may not recognize these gifts at first because they are of a spiritual nature, and you are used to those things which come gift wrapped. Yet they are of infinite beauty, for they come out of the heavenlies. They have not been bought at an expansion sale or a pre-Christmas sale; they have been purchased with the precious blood of Christ.

Because they are spiritual, some may think that they are not practical for today. But, my friend, they are practical and relevant. In each there is something for you at this present hour.

We so often think of salvation as being something that is yet future, that it is a package labeled "Do not open until eternity." We think of salvation in terms of golden streets, crowns, white robes, and harps in our hands. But, my friend, the salvation that God gives is a salvation for right now, and it brings gifts to you. They are underneath God's Christmas tree, they have your name on them, and you can receive them now. You will not have to wait till Christmas.

These gifts come to us by faith. And that is the only way in the world in which you will receive any gift at this season of the year. When a package comes through the mail or someone brings a gift to you, it is by faith that your hand accepts the gift. You have confidence in the giver, and because you believe he wants you to have it, by faith you stretch forth your hand and accept it.

We are justified by faith. In fact, that is the only way in which God justifies anyone today. When He justifies, He is doing more than forgiving us.

Recently I acted in the capacity of a mediator between two men who had not been getting along too well. In my discussion with one of them about the matter, he said, "Yes, I will forgive him but I can never again have confidence in him." That was interesting -- he had forgiven him but he would not justify him.

There was a famous case in Alabama, years ago, in which a boy was brought before the judge who was his father. It is always the custom that when a judge has a relative come before him, he asks someone else to take the bench, but this judge did not. And when his son, obviously guilty, was brought before him, the boy cried out, "Can't you forgive me?" The judge said, "Yes, I can and do forgive you, but I cannot justify you. I cannot justify you before the law. I cannot even justify you before God. You will have to pay the penalty."

My friend, God justifies sinners; He takes those who are guilty and justifies them -- without a cause. This means that there is no cause in us whatsoever, but the explanation lies in God. And when God justifies, it is perfect and complete. We are justified from all things. It is not great faith that is so important, but the fact that God justifies; a little faith will save because God justifies in a perfect way. It is not only a perfect but a permanent justification; it is perpetuity -- from now on into eternity. God justifies sinners who do nothing more or less than simply trust in Jesus Christ, who come to His Christmas tree, the cross of Christ.

Let me repeat: God has placed at the foot of the cross many gifts for you, and I want to identify some of them here. You may have opened the packages already, and it is wonderful if you have. If you have not, may I urge you not to wait any longer to accept the gifts upon which He has put your name. Make them yours today. I find many gifts here for you and shall enumerate eight of them.

Peace

Underneath His Christmas tree, the first gift I see is peace.

Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1)

In fact, that is the Christmas message -- "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:14). But this thing of peace is an elusive and ethereal thing that seems impossible in this world in which we live. However, this is not really the Christmas message because a more accurate translation is "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will." The peace is to a certain class of people, peace with God for those who want that peace.

Today, the root of the trouble in this world is not racial, economic, political, or whatever the media is blaming currently. The root of the trouble is that the human family is at enmity with God. That is, they are God's enemy. "...There is none that seeketh after God....And the way of peace have they not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes" (Romans 3:11, 17, 18).

There is a remarkable verse in Colossians which has taken on new meaning for me:

And you, that were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled. (Colossians 1:21)

It is easy for us to relate this to the drunkard on skid row, but there is another enemy, and that enemy is found in the godless ideologies of our universities. Man at heart is an enemy of God. But God is not an enemy of man -- He is an enemy of sin. Notice that peace comes through Jesus Christ. By His death on the cross He made peace between a holy God and a lost sinner. Peace comes from the knowledge that sins have been forgiven.

There is the gift of peace for any sinner who will receive it, because underneath His Christmas tree lies the gift of eternal life which is in Christ Jesus.

In a bookstore recently I was almost startled to see an entire section given over to books that deal with peace of mind. There were twenty-five different titles. Peace, as presented in the popular writings of the day, lies largely in the realm of the psychological -- this I found in thumbing my way through many of the top offerings. Peace is the thing for which the human heart longs above all else. It is at the foot of the cross for you. Why don't you pick it up?

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