City Life Starter

I. The Word

Galatians 3:13: Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”—

Matthew 13:31-32: He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

John 8:12: Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

II. Questions

1.What is the origin of the Christmas tree and why is it a Christian symbol?

2.Why is St. Nicholas a true Christian role model?

3.How will understanding the history of the Christmas tree and St. Nicholas change the way you approach Christmas?

The increasing secularization of Christmas in the United States is a disturbing trend. This trend can be resisted but only if Christians do their part to understand and be ready to explain to others the symbols and the meaning of Christmas. Today I want to give you the history of the Christmas tree and Saint Nicholas and hopefully a new perspective on both.

The Christmas Tree. St. Boniface was born in 672 A.D. in England, became a priest and ultimately a missionary to what is today Germany. The people living in that region were pagans, worshipping a fake-god named Thor, which is a great name for a god if you are making one up. One of their most sacred sites was an ancient oak tree dedicated to Thor.

In 723 A.D., in an attempt to prove Thor was no god, Boniface called on Thor to strike him dead if he cut the tree. Boniface gave the tree one mighty blow and, as he did, a great wind blew and the tree was felled. When Thor didn’t kill Boniface, the people there converted to Christianity.

After felling the tree, Boniface noticed a fir tree had begun growing in the roots of the old oak tree.  Seeing this as a symbol of the growth of Christianity in that region, Boniface encouraged the new believers to take the evergreen from the forest into their homes.

There are various explanations for the symbolism of the tree. I offer you one rooted in the Bible. The tree is a symbol of the cross (Gal. 3:13) and its branches the inevitable growth of the kingdom of God on earth. (Matt. 13:31-32). The ornaments we hang are symbolic of the fulfilled promise that the kingdom of God will fill the earth such that every person, place, and thing will nest in its branches or rest in its shade. (Matt. 13:31-32). The lights with which decorate the tree are symbolic of Truth. (John 8:12). And, whether topped with an angel heralding the birth of Christ (Luke 2:8-11), or a star marking for the magi the place of birth of the King of kings (Matt. 2:1-11), the Christmas tree is a Christian symbol through and through.

St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas was born in 270 A.D. in the city of Patara in Lycia (modern day Turkey). His parents died when he was a young man, leaving him a substantial inheritance, which he determined to devote to works of charity. Not long thereafter, Nicholas learned of a man in Patara who, because of his poverty, could neither support his three daughters nor find husbands for them.  As a result, this man was considering giving his daughters over to prostitution. When Nicholas heard of this, under cover of darkness, he went to the man’s house with a bag of gold, which he threw into an open window. Nicholas then slipped away undetected. Now having a dowry, the oldest daughter was soon married. Thereafter, Nicholas repeated his charitable act for the other two daughters, who also married.

Nicholas lived at one of the most fascinating times in the history of the Church. He eventually became bishop of Myra, and as bishop of Myra during the severe persecution perpetrated by Roman Emperor Diocletian, was arrested, tortured and thrown into prison. Nicholas, however, refused to renounce Jesus even under torture and threat of death.

On October 27, 312, the Roman emperor Constantine had his vision at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge and became a Christian. Constantine then released from prison Christians who had been arrested for their faith, had confiscated property returned to Christians and churches and began encouraging the growth of Christianity throughout the empire. Nicholas had a front row seat to witness this magnificent reversal of fortune and the triumph of Christianity over paganism in the Roman Empire. Tradition says Nicholas was also present at the Council of Nicea in 325, where Constantine presided to resolve the Arian heresy controversy. Nicholas died in 346 A.D. in the city of Myra, where he had served as bishop.

St. Nicholas and the Christmas tree are appropriate symbols for Christians. Secular culture and naked commercialism have morphed St. Nicholas into the corpulent, red-suited, reindeer chasing, a chimney-trespassing character we see today. But as you can see, the real St. Nicholas was no cartoon character. He was a courageous, charitable, Christ-follower who gave to others and even under torture and threat of death refused to renounce the Savior whose birth we celebrate at Christmas. Similarly, the Christmas tree is a reminder of the courage of one of Jesus’s followers to risk all to share the gospel; it is also a symbol of Jesus’s victory at the cross and the inevitable spread of Christianity throughout the earth.

I hope this new perspective on St. Nicholas and the Christmas tree helps bring back for you some of the true meaning of Christmas this year and for years to come. Merry Christmas!