When looking at Matthew 1:1 - 3:17, I compared some of the Christian tradition that surrounds the birth of the Lord Jesus with what the Bible actually says happens. Since the Gospel of Luke also provides a detailed account of His incarnation, it would be profitable to do likewise.
And in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus for a census to be taken of all the inhabited earth.... And all went to be registered, each to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea, to David's city, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be registered with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant. And while they were there, the days were fulfilled for her to bear, And she ore her firstborn sonl and she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger because there was no place for them in the inn"
Luke 2:1, 3-7
These verses show us God's sovereignty in His arranging of the geopolitical sphere so that the many prophecies concerning the Lord's birth would be fulfilled. Every king, every kingdom is under His control; and the Roman empire was no different. According to His arrangement, the Roman empire controlled the whole area around the Mediterranean, bringing relative peace and prosperity. This made it possible and safe for people to travel the potentially long distances to be registered in the emperor Augutus's census; which, by no coincidence at all, brought Joseph and Mary out of Nazareth, a despised city in a despised region, to Bethlehem, the prophesied location of the Messiah's birth.
His life began in a manger in the lowest estate because the inn was occupied by fallen mankind with his busy activities. However, there were some whose activities were not so fallen, and who at that time were being diligent in their work:
And there were shepherds in the same region, spending their nights in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them...
Luke 2:8-9
Their work in shepherding the flock (which not only provided food for man, but also offerings to God) and their diligence in keeping the night watch qualified these lowly people to be the first to receive the good news of the birth of the Man-Saviour.
These verses should also make us reconsider the timeframe of the Lord's birth. Christianity celebrates Christmas on December 25th, the middle of winter in the northern hemisphere (and the middle of summer in the southern hemisphere, where I currently live). Yet the harsh conditions at that time of year would have meant two things: firstly, it would have been difficult and dangerous for travellers, and especially for pregnant women such as Mary, to be forced to travel for days or weeks at a time in the middle of winter. Jesus Himself would later testify concerning the danger of travel in winter in that region: "And pray that your flight may not be in winter, nor on a Sabbath" (Matthew 24:20). Secondly, the shepherds were in the fields taking care of their flocks. December is the middle of the rainy season in Israel, and the sheep were taken from the fields and corralled in winter accommodation by mid-October at the latest.
So December 25th could never have been even close to the date of His birth, which was most likely in early October. As many Christians realise, December 25th was actually brought in by the early Catholic church in the 5th century, largely as a way of encouraging the previously-pagan Roman subjects to convert to Christianity, while being close enough to the winter solstice with its heathen associations. Now a pagan feast celebrating the rebirth of the sun in the depths of winter was a feast celebrating the birth of Jesus.
Interestingly, though, there are only two occasions in the Bible where birthdays are mentioned, and both are connected with murder. In Genesis 40:22, Pharaoh had his chief baker on his birthday while the celebrations were going on; and Herod had John the Baptist beheaded at his birthday celebrations. So celebrating birthdays, and especially that of the Lord Jesus, are entirely unscriptural.
The Bible tells us many things: how to worship, how to deal with money, how to preach the gospel, how to observe the Lord's Table, and everything else pertaining to the Christian life. Yet not once are we told to celebrate Christmas. We're told to remember His death, and we do so every time we share the bread and the wine, but we're never told to remember His birth. Please remember that next time September comes round and the tinsel goes up in the supermarkets.
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