The word Christmas originated as a compound meaning "Christ's Mass". It is derived from the Middle English Christemasse and Old English Cristes mæsse, a phrase first recorded in 1038. "Cristes" is from Greek Christos and "mæsse" is from Latin missa (the holy mass). In Greek, the letter Χ (chi), is the first letter of Christ, and it, or the similar Roman letter X, has been used as an abbreviation for Christ since the mid-16th century. Hence, Xmas is often used as an abbreviation for Christmas.
The X is like a cross because it can be adjusted to look like a cross, and also because the two lines of the X cross. The X does stand for Christ . Maybe instead of abbreviating with an X we should abbreviate with a cross. Either way, I don't see that it disrespects Christ at all because we all know it’s a Christmas Season. We cannot rise in Christ to new life without first dying with Christ on the Cross. Everything Jesus gives to us is through the Cross. True, our Christian faith is in vain without the Resurrection of Jesus, (1Corinthians 15:17) but it was the CRUCIFIXION of Jesus that paid for our sins. We cannot preach Jesus' Resurrection without also preaching Jesus' Crucifixion.
Jesus also does not want us to look at His Crucifixion as only a past event. When He appeared to the apostles after His Resurrection and in His glorified risen Body He showed them His wounds from His Crucifixion. (Luke 24:39-40 & John 20:20) Why would Jesus keep those wounds from His Crucifixion if He didn't want us to remember His Crucifixion and everything He gives to us through His Cross such as His passionate and unconditional endless love and infinite mercy? What would some of Christians say to Jesus if Jesus appeared to them in His glorified risen body and showed them His wounds? Would they say, "Your Crucifixion is of the past, so why should we look at your wounds?" Crucifix to be reminded of Jesus' passionate love and self-giving sacrifice for me. Personally I wear a Crucifix to publicly preach Jesus' Crucified. The heart of the Gospel message is Jesus DIED for our sins and conquered death. St. Paul also says, "the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1Corinthians 1:1. God had always been invisible, but now he was made visible for the first time. What was not visible and therefore unreproduceable was now visible and made able to be reproduced. Thomas said, “Show us the Father” and Jesus responded, “Have I been with you so long and you still don’t know me” (Jn 14:9). Paul tells us that Jesus is the image of the invisible God (Col 1:15; 2:9). Therefore, that which earlier had had no image now had a visible appearance. Jesus could now be reproduced in art because He Himself had taken on flesh and was a visible image of the Father.
The true meaning of Christmas is love. John 3:16-17 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." The true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of this incredible act of love.
. During the 16th century, Europeans began using the first initial of Christ's name, "X" in place of the word Christ in Christmas as a shorthand form of the word. Although the early Christians understood that X stood for Christ's name, later Christians who did not understand the Greek language mistook "Xmas" as a sign of disrespect.
There are many people who argue against Xmas as an insult to the 'true meaning of Christmas', namely the birth of Christ. This argument actually is not even half right and shows a misunderstanding of the nature of Biblical writing over the centuries. Substituting an X for Christ is not, as some would suggest, an attempt to 'cross out Christ from Christmas'. The history behind Xmas was not a plot to take Christ out of Christmas, but was an abbreviation of Christ's name in the Greek language.Xmas has been used for hundreds of years in religious writing. In this use, it is parallel to other forms such as "Xtian"/Christian.
But people unaware of the Greek origin of this X often mistakenly interpret Xmas as an informal shortening. Many therefore frown upon the term Xmas (with the first syllable pronounced "eks") because it seems to them a commercial convenience that omits Christ from Christmas.
For a long time before the abbreviations surfaced in popular use, Greek philosophers understood what we are presently discovering, that Christmas and Xmas are one and the same.
As a "Christian" or "Xtian.X has been used as a substitution for Christ since at least the Fifteenth Century and came into more common usage with the arrival of the printing press. With each letter needing to be placed and set by hand, printing became more expensive when more letters were used. This meant that many abbreviations became more popular, including the replacement of Christ in church pamphlets and hymn books with 'C'.
The X variation dates back further and is related to Christian symbols scratched into Roman catacombs. X became a potent Christian symbol, in much the same way as the fish symbol does today. So when printers came into operation, the expensive Christmas was often written as the far cheaper Xmas, even though - and this is the important point - they are still pronounced the same.
That's right -- you should never say 'exmas'. Although the X symbol bears an uncanny likeness to our letter X and has therefore become synonymous with it, it actually is a different symbol and is pronounced 'Christ'.
So next time you are berated for writing the word Xmas, hold your head high in the knowledge that you are actually perpetuating an obscure character with ancient etymology.
Galatians 6:14
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
1 Corinthians 1:17
For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospelnot with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
Galatians 5:11
Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished.
Galatians 6:12
Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ.
Ephesians 2:16
and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
Philippians 3:18
For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Colossians 1:20
And through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Hebrews 12:2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Philippians 2:8
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!
Then again, if you utter the word 'exmas', Then it is seriously considered wrong!
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