Rick Green [00:00:07] Welcome to the intersection of faith and culture. It's The WallBuilders Show, taking on the hot topics of the day from a biblical, historical and constitutional perspective. And of course, the hot topic today is have you been naughty or nice? You know, are you going to get a lump of coal in the stocking tonight? What are you going to do? It's Christmas Eve. Hey, everybody. What a wonderful, wonderful time to celebrate the birth of Christ tomorrow and obviously to get some time with your family, to have hearts of gratitude. There's so many ways to approach this today. I'm Rick Green here with David and Tim Barton. Merry Christmas, guys. I am. We said this already, but I think last Thursday or Friday, I can't remember the least amount of Christmas music on WallBuilders in the history of The WallBuilders Show. David What's the deal, man? You really are pushing that on us all year. 

David Barton [00:00:51] And the lump of coal, you know, we may have a new Christmas tradition coming here because the Biden administration has ordered all coal plants to phase out so we may not be able to get coal anymore. So maybe everybody's going to be really good and there's not going to be any bad stuff because, you know, with climate change, coal is out the door now. That's just exactly what we're going to do with Christmas. 

Tim Barton [00:01:11] Although coal might be the president some people want, at some point, they're like, I could use some coal power, this plant, fireplace, whatever it is. Yeah. Might not have the same negative connotation necessarily going forward. Well. 

David Barton [00:01:25] Maybe that said too, because if you're really bad all year long at Christmas, you'll get a lot of coal and that'll power your house and whatever you need if you go to a coal plant. So maybe that's how you get coal for free is get people. Okay, so that wasn't what we were talking about. 

Rick Green [00:01:37] But anyway, I'm going to beat it to death. One more. I'm going to beat it to death one more time. It's because Biden was so bad that no one has a way to heat their homes. And so there's going to be coal because Biden was okay in anyway. All right. Well, first of all, I got to tell you guys, y'all started something years ago on on this program of the year on Christmas around Christmas time, you started talking about something that you as a family did. We got excited about it. We did it with our family. And a lot of our listeners did the same thing. And, you know, it's not necessarily too late if people are listening to this early in the day on Christmas Eve, or they could go do it tomorrow on Christmas Day. But visiting nursing homes and finding the people in those nursing homes that don't have family come in and bringing them anything and they have no visitors and even just getting little things for them like, you know, coffee mugs and, you know, notepads and socks and and all of those things. I just want to thank y'all for four, you know, I can't remember if y'all just thought of it one day or somebody asked you about it and you kind of grew into it, or if that was a traditional did forever, but you blessed. So not just the people that y'all went and blessed at the nursing homes you have visited over the years and the WallBuilders people have gone and done, but our listeners and all over the country, people have done it. So thank you all for starting that tradition. 

Tim Barton [00:02:51] Well, Dad, I remember exactly how it started. Do you remember those details? 

David Barton [00:02:55] How do I. 

Tim Barton [00:02:56] Tell that story? It's worth reminding people because, Rick, you're right. That's it's a good it's a good admonishment that there's some very basic Christian principles in the midst of this. But before we get there, Dad, So what was that tradition and why did you impose this on our family? 

Rick Green [00:03:12] Yeah. 

David Barton [00:03:13]  it was Coming up to Christmas time as out at the ranch, there was a local station as part of a national network back when people actually listened to radio and you actually connected to a radio. And so I was listening and there on the program the host said, Hey, if you've got a traditional Christmas tradition, call in and tell me what it is. I wanna hear what your Christmas tradition is. And on one of the calls that this lady called in said it, well, it's not a tradition, only started last year, she said, but I work in a nursing home. And as I was watching Christmas last year with all the the patients there in the nursing home, the citizens there in a nursing home, I saw a guy who was in a wheelchair and he was watching everybody else and he got a gift and he took the gift and sat in his lap as a small box. And he just didn't open it. But he kept watching everybody else. He was enjoying seeing them open their gifts. And and she said, I finally went over to him, said, Hey, do you want me to help you open that gift? He said, Nah. He said, I know what it is, is I get the same thing every year. And she said, What is it? He said, It's a tie. They send me a tie every year, but nobody ever comes. And so he was there alone. Nobody ever came see him. And they would send them the same gift every year. And that was his Christmas. And she looked at him and said, Well, what what would you like? He said, I wish I had my own can of shaving cream. And she said, What? And she started asking others and found out that there were so many people there at the nursing home that families never came to see them at Christmas time. And they wanted just really simple gifts. And so the next morning I called the office and told our executive director there, who's kind of helping run things, to say, Hey, I want you to call around. I want you to find nursing homes all around us and call and ask if they have people nursing home. The families never come say they've been abandoned, nursing home. And so she called and found I think we chose six nursing homes that were close to us and there were dozens of people who never got family, never had Christmas gifts. And we found one nursing home that was. Was four. It was owned by the state of Texas. It was for the wards of the state. These are people who have absolutely been abandoned. There is no living relative left at all. And there are about 93, 95 of them, and nearly three fourths of them were all veterans. And so in looking at that nursing home, they did not even have a Christmas tree or Christmas decorations or anything. And so we just took it out of the office and made that a project. And we went to each of those nursing homes and said, Hey, tell us. So you've got that that has no family. They're abandoned here and ask them what they want for Christmas. And it was I mean, it was something like, I want to a new pair of socks. I want a blanket, I want a crossword puzzle book, etc.. And so we started that and have done that now for a number of years. And we've been able to pass on some of those nursing homes to other people who want to do the same thing. So we've got one nursing home real close to the ranch that we still do here, and I think we're out in the country. So it's not real big. But there were 26 people. There are 28 people who get no visits now, No people come to see them at all. And so it was fun gathering stuff for them and getting stuff to them and and them getting open their own gift and have their own presents. Just a lot of fun. But that's how it all started. 

Tim Barton [00:06:16] Well, and I would point out to them, this is really and this is like the essence and heart of of scripture in so many ways. Even what Jesus taught the disciples of Matthew 25, that whatever you do to the least of these, my brethren, you've done it on to me. And if you remember that, that the parable of the sheep and goats as he goes through this and they say, Lord, what are you talking about? When did we do something or not do something? And he said, Well, when I was I was thirsty. You gave me a drink. I was hungry. You gave me food, I was naked. You clothed me. I was sick. And and you covered to me. I was in prison. You visited me and they said, Lord, when do we do any of that? And he said, In as much as you've done it to the least of these, my brethren, you've done it unto me. And we can go through so many verses that support. This same basic thought is the way that we treat those in need, that those who are abandoned, those you don't have anybody. The way we treat them is a reflection of us showing love to God, to Jesus, kind of living out our faith in a practical way. And as you pointed out, I mean, it is Christmas Eve, but it's not too late for people to go, Hey, let me let me make a real quick phone call down to whatever local nursing home, whatever it is, and say, hey, are there any people there who don't have family? And a lot of times these nursing homes, there's really good hearted people that work there. And so they're going to work to get presents and do a Christmas. But sometimes, I mean, it could be really nice to have some help. One of the things that we did very often when I was growing up, the church that I was a part of, and even when I was a youth rector for a long time, we would take some of our youth kids and we would go and we would just walk up and down the halls of a nursing home singing Christmas carols. And of course, a lot of the really strong Christian carols that were Christmas related. But things to connect with people to love on people, especially this time of year as we talk about wanting to make sure we keep Jesus the center and the theme of Christmas, this is a really good way to do that, to posture our hearts, our minds, to thinking about loving and serving other people as we celebrate the reason for the season being Jesus. God so loved that he gave. And sometimes, especially in America, we get caught up in in giving gifts and and we can get pretty self absorbed and go in and loving on and serving other people is a great way to get outside of ourselves and, and to really remember part of the reason for the season and dad that that tradition I jokingly say you imposed it on us because really you didn't give us an option. You're like, Hey, we're doing this. And we were like, Yes, sir, that's we're all doing it. We're going to do it. But it's it it's something that certainly was impactful for everybody that's been a part of it. For these individuals who didn't have families that they have now, somebody loving and serving them. And one of the things that we were able to do, the reason that that WallBuilders is not doing that as much anymore, we really we're able to challenge and find some local churches and say, look, we're happy as a nonprofit. And really we didn't do it from WallBuilders. It wasn't like the donated money we were taking and buying presents. It was it was personal money. It was us as individuals. It wasn't the nonprofit money. Just to be clear, if you know somebody is listening. But it was something that we recognize, like we we are believers and we're the hands and feet of Jesus. But really, the local church should be doing a lot of this, too. And we've been able to really encourage and challenge local churches. So for those listening, if you and your family can do something awesome and I would even encourage you mean challenge your local church, let this be a ministry from your church to help reach out and help those people in need. And obviously, as we're at Christmas time, we have to navigate and I know people listening give me a lot of different thoughts and ideas about Santa Claus and family that Santa. Coming tonight. Is you not coming tonight? I don't want to be spoiler if there's families with kids listening. Right? I don't want to be that guy right now. But there's things that that Christian family we have to navigate of of what stories do we tell? What stories do we not tell? And I mean, even around Christmas, around like Santa Claus, Saint Nick, the Christmas tree, there's thoughts and questions of is this a pagan holiday? Is this something that, like Christians, should we totally stay away from this? Are there good things? Not good things. And and guys, one of the things that strikes me in the midst of a lot of these questions and conversations is like so many of the things we could point to a founding fathers or anybody else is because we don't know the story very well. We we are believing a lot of things that are not necessarily true. And I don't know of anybody better to give us a true history of Christmas than our good friend Bill Federer. 

Rick Green [00:11:00] Yeah. Always good to have Bill on. And he's always got just this random stuff from history and these connections of of how things ended up. You know, it's just always really interesting to hear. And been a great friend of the program for many years and great friend of WallBuilders and just a fun guy. So we're going to we're going to learn what we can about the history of of some of the Christmas traditions that we have, not just here in the U.S., but around the world, and kind of how those stories came to be and and what those connections are. So I think this will be a really fun program for folks. We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back. You're listening to The WallBuilders. 

Rick Green [00:12:39] Welcome back to the WallBuilders Show. Thanks for staying with us. Our good friend Bill Federer with us. Going to get some history on Christmas. Hey, Bill. Merry Christmas, brother. 

Bill Federer [00:12:47] Hey, Rick. Great to be with you. 

Rick Green [00:12:48] Well, thank you, man. So this is a great time where you hear all kinds of things there. Some people say Christmas is purely pagan and secular. We don't do that. And others are, you know, really involved in celebrating Christmas. We have, you know, different views out there. So we're like, hey, let's get Bill on. He could tell us more of the history of Saint Nick and this whole thing. So man, thanks for coming on share today. 

Bill Federer [00:13:11] Yeah, yeah. I put together a book. It's called There Really is a Santa Claus The History of Saint Nicholas and Christmas Holiday Traditions. And of course, I start off talking about December 25th, and the Jews did not celebrate birthdays. Even Josephus said, We do not make a festival of our children's birth. Wasn't until Gentiles started converting to Christianity that they asked the question, when was he born? And so it's sort of a little detective project. So the clue is Zachariah is John the Baptist dad, and he's in the temple and he's of the division of A by Joe. And then, okay, what's this? David broke the Levites in the 24 priestly groups and but we don't know. We know their order, but we don't know when they start and how it worked. And so when the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947, it had the sacred Old Rota system. And it said that these 24 groups would serve two weeks, a year, six months apart. It's like, okay, we got another hint, but when did these weeks start? Well, then we piece and another piece. Josephus documents that when the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, the date in the Roman calendar was August 4th, 70 A.D. And he mentions that the priestly tribe of Joey Arab was on duty. Okay, there's the clue. Joey Arab was. 

Rick Green [00:14:27] At least a starting point where you can then clock everybody through and figure out when. Okay. Yeah. 

Bill Federer [00:14:33] So Joey Arab is of the first priestly division. And if that's the first week of August, now we can count off and abide year was on duty the last week of September and so that's important week it's the month the tissue re it's the day of atonement at the beginning of the week, Feast of Tabernacles, end of the week. And then Zachariah comes out and his wife gets pregnant. And then the Bible says that six months of Elizabeth's pregnancy is when the angel appeared to Mary and she wanted visited. So six months after the last week of September, the last week of March. And so March 25th is the traditional date of the Annunciation. When the angel announced to marry she was going to conceive. And then nine months after March 25th, this is December 25th. Right? So that's there. 

Rick Green [00:15:18] So it is December 26th. Was also always here around this time, right? That we have it all wrong on the date and is actually summary. So you're saying actually based on the only evidence we can find that that that we can nail down those dates that December 25th is accurate. 

Bill Federer [00:15:34] Yeah. That's the evidence that I present in the book. And then you begin to have church leaders like Tell a Forest and all these different names high hypo light is and but we're beginning in 136 A.D. they begin to make statements that December 25th is the birth of Christ. And they also thought that that was also the date that he was crucified. So for these early centuries, even Saint Augustine said the savior was conceived on the same day and and then he died on the anniversary of his inception. So anyway, so 181 A.D., you got another church fathers saying we should celebrate Christmas on December 25th, no matter which day of the week it falls on him. And so we have these acknowledgments. Well, it was not until 274 A.D. that Roman Emperor, Araelian, instituted the Feast of Soul Invictus. The soul means sun, and Invictus means unconquerable or invincible. And so the thought is maybe Christians didn't pick the date of December 25th to overlap their pagan date. Maybe it was the Pagans picking the date to overlap the Christian date. Sort of like Kwanzaa. So, Ron, ever 1966, a woke California professor created Kwanzaa specifically to be an alternative to Christmas, Right? He specifically wanted to. And so the idea was that Christianity was spreading and there are ten major persecutions of Roman emperors trying to stamp out Christianity. And so it would only fall in line that here's a Roman emperor wanted to stamp it out by putting his so and then some say, well, it was the the winter solstice. Well no that's December 22nd if you're going to pick a date. The sole being sun's just means still towards the elliptical orbits the furthest away the sun. The earth is from the sun in the winter. But that's December 22nd, right opposite June 22nd, the longest day of the year. And then some say, well, there's sheep and there wouldn't be shepherds in the field in the wintertime. The climate of Bethlehem. Is the same as Dallas, Texas. Right. It gets cold, but it's not frigid. And besides, Bethlehem is near Jerusalem, about six miles away. And they needed lambs all year round for sacrifices. And then I even found some agricultural websites where they're saying lambing can begin as early as December and go on till June. And then another website says lambs gestate for 145 days and their late summer, what they call it, long day, short night breeders And so they they begin to mate late summer and then 145 days later is late December and into the spring. So and then I trace the the story of Santa Claus in the book. And so he's the most popular Greek Orthodox saint. He is to the Greek Orthodox what Saint Peter is to Roman Catholics. And he lived during Roman times and was persecuted. Now a movement was sweeping through Christianity in the third century when Nicholas lived called monasticism. And it was this concept that if you really become a Christian, you should follow Jesus's advice to the rich young ruler and give away all your money to the poor and come and follow me. And so you would have these people converting to Christianity, giving their money away and then joining monasteries. And so this is what Nicholas did. But he didn't want to give the money away and get the credit for it. So he would sneak into town at nighttime and throw money in the window of poor people. It's it's a hard sell to tell kids, Santa Satan. So you can change the letters around like, Yeah, but Santa Fe means holy faith in Santa Barbara. I mean, they're all saying Santa means sanctified holy. But and then the kids are like, yeah, but my my little neighbor boy, he's getting all these presents and I can't. And and we raised our daughter and we didn't. We told her. She goes, I felt like I got cheated, you know. And so, so the idea is let's see what we can redeem. Now Halloween, you can't redeem. It's pagan to the core. But the Christmas story, there's something there. So Saint Nicholas is the most popular Greek Orthodox saint. He lived during Roman times and he is to Greek Orthodox what Saint Peter is to Roman Catholics, sort of like a founding father of their Greek Orthodox church. And so a movement was sweeping through Christianity in this third century called monasticism. And it was not just, you know, emphasizing an experience with Jesus, you know, not just doctrine, but it was a consciousness that you want to strive to every, every moment, be conscious of the Lord. And anyway, the fact the Christians would get saved and they would want to follow the advice that Jesus gave to the rich young ruler. One thing he'll go and sell all give to the poor and come and follow me. And so you would have these Christians getting saved and giving away their money and joining monasteries or living as hermits in caves. And so Nicholas decided to give away his money, but he didn't want to do it publicly and get all the credit for it. So he would sneak into the town of poor people and throw money in the window. Supposedly, it would land in her shoe, in a shoe or a stocking that's drying by the fireplace. 

Rick Green [00:20:42] Okay. Yeah. 

Bill Federer [00:20:44] He gives away his money, goes to the Holy Land. He's about to join this order. He does visit the Church of the Nativity, which is over where Jesus was born. So you. You could have the picture of, you know, Santa's kneeling at the at the at the manger there. But. But right before he takes his vows, somehow the Lord tells him not to hide his light under a bushel. In a sense, monasticism was their version of separation of church and state. Interesting. It was, okay, I'm just going to be me and God and I'm going to care about the world. Yeah. But he decides he's going to care about the world. And so he goes back to Asia. Minor, gets off at a big port city called Myra, and unbeknownst to him, the bishop had died. And the other they couldn't decide who the next bishop was going to be. And one had a dream. The first person to church the next day would be named Nicholas, and he was to be the bishop. Well, he was the first person to church. They asked him his name and he was not too thrilled because the Roman emperor Diocletian, was arresting bishops and killing them. So it was sort of like, you be the bishop. No, no, no. You first. No, no, seriously, You be you. And so he's arrested. He's put in jail. And then, lo and behold, Christians pray. And the Roman emperor Diocletian gets struck with an intestinal disease and abdicates the throne on May 1st, 305 A.D.. I mean, here's the emperor stepping down the next emperors Galerius he continues the persecution he struck with an intestinal disease and dies. Wow. Now you have a toss up between four generals. Constantine wins the Battle of the Milvian Bridge 312 A.D., Supposedly the day before the battle, he saw the sign of Christ in the sky and put it on all his shields. And the first? The sign was the first two Greek letters for the name Christ. So in Hebrew, it's Messiah. If you translate it into Greek, it's Christos or Christ. And the letter that makes the cause sound is written as an X. It's called Chi. And the letter that makes the Earth sound is written as a big P, and it's called the rho. So it's called the Cairo. And so you'll see this X and a. Over it. Well, those are the first two Greek letters for the name Christ. Interestingly, as the centuries went on, it got shortened just to the chi, the X, and it was called a Christ's cross or criss cross. And there's that where you get Xmas. So X is that crossing outcry? This is the Greek letter that stood for Christ and then it became part of written elsewhere. And tell the truth, cross my heart and you'd sign at the X at the Christ Cross. And then they'd kissin to show sincerity. And that's the X's and O's on the bottom of a Valentine. And anyway, so Constantine 313 Edict of Milan Christians are now legalized. Nicholas comes out of jail and he preaches against Diana worship right in Ephesus is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The temple to Diana twice as big as the as the Parthenon 127 huge pillars and temple prostitute. It was the Las Vegas of the Mediterranean. The Apostle Paul preached against Diana Worship and Acts Chapter 19. And so the people tear the temple to Diana down. He preaches against an exposure of unwanted infants. It's their version of abortion. They leave an unwanted child out to die. And and then he preached against the Olympics. And you think, why? Well, they ran him naked, right? They'd wrestle naked. The word gym for a gymnasium means naked. I won't get into it all, but he preaches against it. And. And then there's miracles attributed to him. And if you get into the Greek Orthodox history, they have lots and lots of stuff on Nicholas, but some are more believable than others. But one, there was a famine and ships would come from North Africa through Asia minor on their way to Rome. He talks some of the sailors into unloading their grain to feed his people and promises God will bless them. Well, on their return trip, they said the grain that was left had multiplied. They had more than enough. So like the Elijah story with a widow in the meal barrel that didn't run dry. Yeah. And then there was a storm and the sailors couldn't get back. They get Nicholas. He prays, the sea becomes calm. And then the what? 

Rick Green [00:24:43] And these. And these stories about Nicholas. Are they in your book as well? 

Bill Federer [00:24:46] Yeah. Yeah. So this corrupt governor was about to execute some soldiers to cover up his corruption, were familiar with politicians and body count lists and suicided and so forth. Nicholas hears about the execution, goes down to the square bus through the crowd, grabs the sword out of the executioner's hand, throws it down. And then, by the power of the Holy Spirit knowledge, given him, he tells everybody what the governor had done. The governor knows only God can know the details and he begs Nicholas to pray for him. Then there's the Aryan heresy. A bishop named Arius said Jesus was a little less than God who created being right to catchy song. The Visigoths start converting to Arianism and it splits the church and it splits the Roman Empire. Because Constantine had made Christianity the de facto religion of the empire. Yeah. And so Constantine says, Hey, guys, settle this. So he pays for all the bishops to come together. For the first time ever in Nicaea. They settle. It's called the Nicene Creed. And the tradition is that Nicholas slapped Arius for starting the Aryan Heresy. So jolly old Saint Nick had a temper. We'll see some old icon pictures on these Greek Orthodox. 

Rick Green [00:25:52] I remember the scene in Kirk Cameron's Christmas movie like 5 or 6 years ago. I can't remember what it was that he had it and it was and he did this. He reenacted this scene of Nicholas slapping this guy. So that's the back story of it right there. So it was I didn't realize it had split all the way up. And Constantine actually called the Nicene Council. I didn't realize that. Wow. 

Bill Federer [00:26:12] Yeah. Yeah. And so So he dies On December 6th, 343 A.D. Greeks would give presents the next Emperor or a couple of them. Justinian builds a big church, he builds the Hagia Sophia. It's still there. They just turned it into a mosque. But he builds a church in Myra, the city Nicholas was and named it for him. And that's still there. It's just in ruins. 

Rick Green [00:26:35] Alright  get to interrupt because we're out of time for today. So we're going to pick this up with Bill tomorrow on the WalBuilders Show. Check it out today at our Website, WallBuilders.show.