Christ in Christmas

Blog #48 December 14, 2022

The Christmas season is upon us and once again we are faced with everyone around us threatening our belief in the reason for the season. The world threatens it by the making the season no more than an obligation. We are obliged to throw out our credit cards and "buy-buy-buy" for anyone and everyone from our spouse, to our family, to the neighbor, and even deliverymen. What used to be generosity has now become a responsibility, that threatens us with heavy burden of guilt, and the threat doesn't end there. We also have a duty to society as a whole, because Lord knows that stretching our household budget to the breaking point is the only way to save the economy. Retail business depends on our lust for the biggest, newest, and the best to survive. But these are problems that are at least as old as I am, and I think they will last far beyond the day when I am successfully transformed back into the dust I came from. 

What scares me worst is that even within the Christian community we threaten the very ability for us to focus on the season and allow it to teach the truth it is supposed to bring us. I am filled with dismay at how often I hear from my siblings in Christ the words, "Well it has been proved that Christ was not born on Christmas". For years my first thought was always what difference does that make, but Brothers and Sisters, tragically enough it does make a difference. This year I started keeping track of who made the comment and found out that the majority of them are former believers. Apparently they have discovered an untruth in a God and a belief system that was supposed to be free of lies, and it drove them away. The preachers and the scriptures told them that God was perfect, and the world was right there to prove them wrong.

Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect; for all his ways are judgment; a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

This is becoming a disaster, because the natural man is way ahead of the righteous believers in using this season for the furthering of their own belief system. It's well past time we got involved.

The naysayers use man's logic to prove their point that Christ was not born in the or near the Winter Solstice (December 21st). Naturally the first observation was the lack of snow. I discounted this as good evidence because of the Israel being on Mediterranean Sea and subject to a winter not at all comparable to the Kansas City area. I was wrong in my assumption. 

Jerusalem is on a plateau right between the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Due to its diverse topography, Israel has a wide array of climatic conditions. Israel has two distinct seasons: the hot, dry summer and the rainy, cold winter. Snowfall is quite common in certain parts of Israel including in Jerusalem. (From the website worldatlas.com)
 
Another point was brought to my attention is voiced by the good doctor Luke:

Luke 2:8 And there were in the same country, shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night.

This would never have happened. Any good shepherd knows that to go into the high pastures in the winter is nothing but foolishness. There were questions about the census that demanded Joseph and Mary to be in Bethlehem instead of home in Nazareth. According to history both Jewish and Roman, a census would never have taken place in the winter. History tells us that a census occurred either in the early spring before the planting or right after Harvest. The fact is I found many ways to verify that 25th of December was not Christ's birthday. But I was looking for the proper date and was having little success. 

Then I came across a thread of verifiable dates in the first chapter of Luke that might actually lead me to the answer I sought. The answer is all predicated on the relationship of Christ's birth to that of His cousin John (known as John the Baptist). Here is the thread as presented to me.

Note: In this thread I will use quotes from the book by Joseph Lenard entitled Mysteries of Jesus’ Life Revealed. I will denote each quote by offering them in bold font.

Luke 1: 5-7 
1:5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abijah; and his wife being of the daughters of Aaron, and her name Elizabeth,
1:6 Were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless;
1:7 And they had no child. Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well stricken in years.

This Priest is the father of John and his wife is a cousin to Mary, Christ Mother. You will note that Zacharias is a Priest of the course of Abijah. 

"This is an important clue, as the priestly division of Abijah was the eighth of the 24 divisions of priesthood, which King David, on God’s instructions, had set up to service the Temple (1 Chronicles 24:1-19; 28:12-13)."
 
Much like Abraham's son Isaac, John was born to elderly parents and his birth was preceded by a vision from God given to Zacharias. Zacharias questioned the vision and the angel delivering it. As proof of the presence of God in the situation Zacharias was stricken dumb and was not able to speak a word till the baby was born.

Luke 1:18-20
1:18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife is well stricken in years.
1:19 And the angel answering, said unto him, I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God, and am sent to speak unto thee, and to show thee these glad tidings.
1:20 And behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believedst not my words which shall be fulfilled in their season.

All this "hubbub" caused John's birth to be both noteworthy and eventually a part of scriptures. For our purposes this is essential information because from year to year the dates of Priesthood service in the temple according to the Jewish calendar are a matter of record and can be translated to the Gregorian calendar we use.

The first month of the Hebrew civil calendar is Nisan. From there we can plot when each of the courses of Jewish Priest were in attendance in the temple. 

"The period of service for the 8th course of Abijah, to which Zechariah belonged, was from May 19 to May 26. It was most likely this late spring administration when Zechariah’s service was interrupted by the angel’s appearance to him, announcing his wife’s imminent pregnancy. Because of his unbelief, he was struck dumb during his service in the Temple, which immediately disqualified him from his priestly duties (Lev. 21:16-23). Therefore, he left for home." 

Luke 1:23-25
1:23 And as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.
1:24 And after those days, his wife Elizabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,
1:25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach from among men.

"Sometime between May 26 and June 1,Elizabeth would have conceived. She later gave birth to John the Baptist near March 10 in 3 BC (after the gestation period of 9 months and 10 days, a total of 280 days)." 

Gabriel the angle told Mary of John's impending birth at the time of her conception.

Luke 1:36 And behold, thy cousin Elizabeth, she hath also conceived a son, in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who is called barren.


"This would place the birth of Jesus six months later (Luke 1:36) in the first half of September, in 3 BC."

Theologians agreeing with Mr. Lenard's theory have chosen September 9 as an accurate date for Christ birth. This gives us a date that is verifiable and one that fits with the demands of both warmer weather and an acceptable time for a census to be carried out. Not only does this fit the fact, it also fulfills the pattern demanded by God. The Feast of Trumpets was held in the fall of the year and was considered a time for repentance. 

"Jewish tradition holds the original Feast of Trumpets was the birthday of the world, the day Adam’s sin was forgiven, and the plan of salvation was revealed. The feast is God’s call to repentance, to humble oneself, and to consider the sins of the past year. One is to prepare for and anticipate the coming of the Messiah." (From an article on medium.com by Debbie Walker of Middle Pause Pub.)

Well then, that should solve my problem rather nicely and if I stick to my guns I can maybe convince five or ten out of a hundred that this is the truth; maybe. As I looked back at all that I had compiled, one word came to my mind describing my evidence, and that word is flimsy. Remember, I told you that to date, this is the most verifiable evidence I have found for the true date of Christ birth. All other theories are less creditable that this. That puts all of them comparable to the theories on the Loch Ness monster and Big Foot. 

I felt like I was trying to run in the mud and getting nowhere fast. So I brought my theory to a friend and he listened and agreed with me that my theory was in fact no threat to the lies it was trying to combat. Then he took me another direction and brought me back to where I began (What difference does it make), but this time I was armed with the word of God to back me up.  

Romans 8:5-8 
8:5 One man esteemeth one day above another; another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
8:6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
8:7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
8:8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord; whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.

Share with me in the joy I find in this passage. December 25th is a wonderful day to celebrate Christ's birth, but so is February 8th, June 24th, or December 5th. I can use any day I wish to celebrate both the babe in Jerusalem and the martyr on Calvary. In fact, I can use every day if I wish and you can too, because God says so.

I will lay aside my child-like joy long enough to explain myself fully. The reason for the season more than just celebrating the birth of a savior, it is also for celebrating each other. It is a time for the communion of fellowship in God, of God, with God, and with each other. It includes the joy of giving, but it also allows us the chance to be thankful for what we receive. 

2 Corinthians 9:6-7 
9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver.
 
Matthew 13:10-11 
13:10For whosoever receiveth, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance;
13:11 But whosoever continueth not to receive, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

Yes to joyfully give and to humbly receive is also a reason for the season. Now I ask you, wouldn't every day be better if we lived them with this same attitude? Of course they would, and we are free to apply this joy to any and every day we choose. 

John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

My hope is that for all of us the season and its reason are both plain to understand and precious enough for us to share with one another for today and all of the tomorrows till the season returns next year.

Merry Christmas and may the day be joyful for whatever holy day you celebrate this time of year. 
FRED

PS. Thanks Jacob