Bob Josey - Truths and Misconceptions about the Christmas Story - Dec 19, 2021

SLIDES

Truths and Misconceptions about Christmas

All of us have experienced the story of Jesus’s birth in a variety of ways throughout the Christmas season. The story is presented through nativity scenes, TV shows, story books, paintings, and Christmas pageants.

In fact, we encounter the Christmas story so often we’re convinced we know the details of what happened that night. But many of the things we think we “know” about the Christmas story turn out to be incorrect. So today we are going to discuss the truths and misconceptions about Christmas.

Here are 13 common topics about Christmas that we are going to discuss.

1. Mary Was in Her 20’s When She Gave Birth to Jesus

As we discuss this, please remember that we have lived in the 20^th and 21^st centuries in American culture. Our culture and traditions today are much different than in the middle east 2000 years ago in Isarel. Matthew 1:18 says,

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.

Jewish marriages had two stages; The first stage was betrothal. Betrothal is a stage of engagement that involved a formal witnessed agreement to marry and a financial exchange of the bride’s price commonly called a dowery. At this point the couple is legally married. The woman belongs to the man and is referred to as his wife. About a year after the betrothal, the second state of the marriage ceremony would occur and the husband would take the wife to his home. There are several reasons for the one-year betrothal period. One, it would given the man time to add a home to his parents’ house for them to live or build or find a house for them to live in. Second, it would provide time to determine if the woman was pregnant by another man.

None of the Gospel writers give the age of Mary when she gave birth to Jesus. In the customs of the day, females would consider adults and could be betrothed to a husband as early as age 12 whereas males were considered adults at the age of 13 but usually waited until their 20’s to marry. Mary was probably around 12 when she was betrothed to Joseph and probably gave birth to Jesus at age 13 or 14.

I want to make a comment about Mary pregnancy. We see this initial stage of marriage, the betrothal, as early as around 1500 BC with the giving of the Law of Moses to Israel found in Deuteronomy 22:23-24.

23 If there is a girl who is a virgin engaged (betrothed) to a man, and another man finds her in the city and lies with her, 24 then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city and you shall stone them to death; the girl, because she did not cry out in the city, and the man, because he has violated his neighbor’s wife. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you.

So, Mary tells Joseph during the betrothal period that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Joseph says to Mary, “Yeah, right. Sure, you are.” Until the angel told Joseph about Mary, he assumed that she had become pregnant by another man. If this was the case, both Mary and the man could be stoned to death. But Joseph was a righteous man and wanted to divorce her but not disgrace her, he was going to send her to another town or city.

Think about this. Unless an angel told Mary and Joseph’s mother and father what was going on, they too would probably not have believed Mary’s story. The people of Nazareth would not have believed her story and the news would have spread like wildfire in the city of Nazareth. I’m sure some of the religious leaders of Nazareth would have tried to find the person they thought got Mary pregnant and would have wanted to stone both of them. Mary and Joseph would have been the elephants in the room where ever they went.

Let read what Mary said about all of this Luke 1:46-55 called the Magnificat.

46And Mary said:

“My soul exalts the Lord,

47And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

48“For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave;

For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.

49“For the Mighty One has done great things for me;

And holy is His name.

50“And His mercy is upon generation after generation

Toward those who fear Him.

51“He has done mighty deeds with His arm;

He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.

52“He has brought down rulers from their thrones,

And has exalted those who were humble.

53“He has filled the hungry with good things;

And sent away the rich empty-handed.

54“He has given help to Israel His servant,

In remembrance of His mercy,

55As He spoke to our fathers,

To Abraham and his descendants forever.”

56And Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home.

Fron this we see that Mary was very mature, a woman of faith, and was very knowledge about Scripture. She was going to give birth to the Promised Messiah!

2. Was There a Star the Night Jesus was Born?

It’s difficult to find a nativity scene (or Christmas play for that matter) without a star over the manger. Indeed, this might be the quintessential symbol of the birth of Jesus.

The problem is there’s no indication the star hovered over the manger on the night Jesus was born. On the contrary, when the angels announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds watching their flocks by night (Luke 2:8–11), they weren’t told to look for a star. They were told to look for something else: “And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12).

The star was given not to the shepherds but to the Magi who appear to be visiting Jesus at a later time period. (Matthew 2:1-2)

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, wise men (magi) from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,

2 Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.

3. Who were the Magi?

The Magi were not Jewish. The Greek word μάγοι (magoi) found in Matthew 2:1 translated magi and is the origin of the English word “magic. However, the magi should not be considered magicians in the modern sense. The ancient Greek historian Herodotus used magoi to describe a class of priests among the ancient Medes and Persians, later associated with Zoroastrianism. Matthew is probably using the word in a more general sense for the learned court advisers of Mesopotamia or Persian whose work involved studying ancient and sacred texts, as well as watching for movements of planets and stars that might be interpreted as divine messages.

4. The Magi Were Present on the Night of Jesus’ Birth

Scripture implies something much different. Let’s read Matthew 2:7-12.

7Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared.

8And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.”

9After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was.

10When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

11After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

12And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.

We are told by Matthew the wise men arrived in Bethlehem and went into the house where Mary and the young child were. The Greek word for young child, “paidion” can be translated “infant” but more often is correctly translated “toddler” or “young child” in this verse because Jesus was about two years old when Herod made the command to kill all children 2 and under.

5. There Were Three Magi

Speaking of the wise men, in both art and in song (“We Three Kings”) we get the undeniable impression there were three of them (also called “Magi”). The problem, however, is that this number is found nowhere in the biblical accounts.

Matthew 2:1 simply tells us, Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men (Magi) from the east came to Jerusalem.

The idea of three wise men likely came from the fact that Matthew mentions three gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matt. 2:11).

6. There Was No Room for Them in the Inn

Another modern tradition in nativity plays is the scene at the inn. Joseph and his wife, Mary—who is on the verge of giving birth—are cruelly turned away by the innkeeper who shows them no compassion.

Let’s read Luke 2:7 again.

And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Does anyone see the word innkeeper in that verse. It’s probable there was not a formal inn like today’s hotel or motel. The Greek word translated inn means a public gathering place where people would gather at night under one roof like when people have to leave their homes to a safe shelter in a school gym during a hurricane or after a natural disaster.

7. Was Jesus Born in a Barn or Stable

Since there was not room in the shelter for them, they sought another place. It is possible that there was a room next to the public shelter where people in the shelter would keep their animals. The Text says that Mary “laid in him in a manger” (Luke 2:7). A manger was a feed trough for animals. It’s also possible that Jesus was born in a cave. Ancient tradition associates Jesus’ birth with a cave where it was common for animals to be kept. For those of you who have been to Bethlehem, you visited a basilica that was built over a cave where tradition say Jesus was born.

8. Mary went into labor upon entering Bethlehem

This makes for a great scene in movies as Joseph frantically looks for a shelter that can substitute as a labor and delivery room. However, the Bible never says this happened. Luke 2:6 tells us, “While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth.” The phrase “while they were there” could mean “once they arrived at Bethlehem” or it could mean “after a month.” We simply don’t know. They were there for the census. We don’t know how long it took for everyone to register for the census.

9. Jesus Was Born on December 25

Since we celebrate Jesus’s birthday on December 25, many think this was the day on which he was born. But the precise date of Jesus’s birth is uncertain. A variety of options have been suggested. One is that He was born in the Spring of the year. Other Messianic Jewish scholars suggest he was born during Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles during the Fall of the year.

So how did December 25 become the date? There are many theories from the Roman Catholics taking over the pagan holiday of Sol Invictus (“Unconquered Son”), which was on December 25 to early Christians may have reasoned from the supposed date of Mary’s conception, which was thought to be March 25—the same day Jesus was thought to be crucified. Fast forward nine months and you land on December 25 for his birth. Also, the shepherds would not have been out in the cold weather at night.

There is no consensus and really no evidence to demonstrate when it occurred.

10. Jesus was born in the year 1 A.D.

Your calendar says it has been 2,021 years since Jesus was born. However, Jesus was probably born 3-7 years before the selected year of 1 A.D. Scholars usually think it was about 4 BC. The Gregorian calendar was set by intelligent men roughly 1,500 years after the event. They made an educated guess using all available data back then, but some of it was wrong. For example, it is believed now that King Herod died around 4-1 B.C. and the Bible is clear that Jesus was born during the reign of King Herod. So, Jesus had to be born before 1 B.C.

11. Christmas is the most important Christian holiday.

Is there anyone who disagrees? I think Resurrection Day is the most important holiday.

12. The X in Xmas Stands for Christ

We’ve all seen the signs wishing people a Merry Xmas. What does the X stand for in Xmas? How can some claim that the X stands for Christ, while others say that this is another attempt at removing Christ from the culture or that Xmas is a sacrilegious abbreviation. Which view is correct?

Messiah is Hebrew and Christ is Greek. Messiah or Christ is a title given to the Jesus to signify that the anointed One from God. In Greek, this word is Christos (Χριστός). Since the first Greek letter of this title (the letter chi) looks like an x in English, some have used it as an abbreviation for Christ. Many have claimed that this practice dates back to the first century, and there is solid evidence that shows this was practiced in the sixteenth century, perhaps as a cost-saving measure for those using the printing press. However, those using the abbreviation would still pronounce the X as Christ and certainly is not a sacrilegious abbreviation or used as an effort to remove Christ from our culture.

13. Jeremiah 10 Forbids the Use of Christmas Trees

Some Christians have cited the tenth chapter of Jeremiah as evidence that we should not use trees in our Christmas celebrations. Let’s read Jeremiah 10:1–5 to if that is true.

Hear the word which the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel. Thus says the Lord: Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the Gentiles are dismayed at them. For the customs of the peoples are futile; for one cuts a tree from the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with nails and hammers so that it will not topple. They are upright, like a palm tree, and they cannot speak; they must be carried, because they cannot go by themselves. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, nor can they do any good.

There seems to be some similarities to a Christmas tree in this passage. How the first reason that this cannot refer to Christmas trees is that we as believers are under the New Covenant not the Old Covenant. Second, the context reveals that there is really nothing here that forbids their usage. The first 16 verses of this chapter are all about how idols are completely worthless compared to God.

These are instructions to the Israelites that they should not adopt the idolatrous ways of the Gentiles who often carved idols out of the trees they had cut down. Now, if a Christmas tree is ever elevated to the point where it becomes an idol or a stumbling block to worshiping the Lord, then it would be wrong. However, many people choose to use an evergreen tree as a reminder of the eternal life offered by Jesus Christ to all who will receive Him as their Lord and Savior.