God doesn’t command us to observe a Christian calendar, but we have good reason to do so.

First and foremost, a biblical reason: Though there’s no list of holidays in the New Testament, Yahweh did give Israel a detailed calendar, which commemorated the exodus (Passover), Sinai (Pentecost), and the wilderness (Booths).

As the fulfilled Israel, it’s good for the church to follow the lead of our ancestors and mark the great works of God with festivals and special celebrations.

Second, a pastoral reason: When we follow the church calendar, we live through the life of Jesus every year. We hear similar Gospel readings again and again, and learn hymns and Psalms related to His life.

Since we follow the life of Jesus together, the calendar forms us as a company of disciples, who follow our Savior as a people.

Finally, a missional reason: Time is always shaped and punctuated by special days and seasons. The question is: Is our time shaped and formed by the gospel or by something else?

At the beginning, the church alone kept the Christian calendar. Today, Christian time is nearly universal. Most of the world counts the years since Jesus’ coming. Billions throughout the world celebrate His birth at Christmas and His resurrection at Easter.

Many keep the Christian calendar in ignorance, and we need to teach them why we organize time as we do. Yet, the Christianization of time is real. The nations have been, and are being discipled, to live each year as an Annus Domini, a year of the Lord Christ.

Blessings,
Pastor Leithart