Ludhiana: Worldwide a much awaited occasion of joy, Christmas is of no interest for many Christians in Punjab, the north-western state of India bordering Pakistan.
They do take pride in their Christian identity, zealously more than their co-religionists belonging to other church denominations, but don’t believe in December 25 as the birthday of Jesus Christ. So, no celebrations…!
Notably, nearly all these followers have been with other mainstream churches before turning their faith-switch within the community.
This day prayers are held in their churches across the state but to convey a unique message through their church ministry called End-Time Message. “We believe that Jesus was born for our salvation but not on December 25. Of course, we hold prayers this day to convey our message but without any celebrations,” tells Ludhiana-based Pastor Peter Jarnail Masih through whose father late Pastor Jarnail Masih this message (biblical interpretation) reached Punjab in early 70s. He had parted ways with his original church denomination and preached this amongst the larger Christian community.
These believers hold that during the reign of Emperor Constantine in the 4th century, the Roman Empire sought to unify its citizens under one religion. To make Christianity more appealing to pagan converts, Roman leaders strategically merged Christian observances with popular pagan festivals.
Moreover, the Bible offers no definitive date for the birth of Jesus, but its descriptions point away from the cold winter month of December. In the book of Luke Chapter 2 verses 8-12, the shepherds, who saw the celestial signs of Jesus’s birth, are described as keeping watch over their flocks by night, an activity typically associated with warmer seasons.
“This blending of traditions was formalized by Pope Julius I, who declared December 25 as the official date to commemorate Jesus’ birth but this lacks historical and biblical support,” asserts Amandeep Hans, a devout believer.
“For the End-Time Message believers, rejection of this date is a stand for biblical truth and a refusal to compromise with traditions rooted in falsehood. True worship transcends rituals, focusing instead on honoring Christ through obedience to His Word and anticipation of His return,” adds Hans.
Starting with a handful followers converging at Pastor Jarnail Masih’s Ludhiana home for the customary Sunday prayer meetings, the number has since increased substantially with believers setting up fellowships in their own areas. Though no confirmed current number is available yet it is estimated this could be between 10,000 to 15,000 followers across the state.
Their major concentration is in Gurdaspur district followed by Ludhiana, Ferozepur, Bhatinda and the union territory of Chandigarh. Besides cities, their fellowships have presence in villages and towns where they mostly meet for prayers in homes. However, church buildings too have come up in some places.
