The
Bible tells of the birth of Yahshua – Jesus Christ and of the story of those
who celebrated when He was born, and of those who awaited it. Christmas,
therefore should be the celebration that God became man, was born to show us
His great love for us and died for our sins granting us eternal life through
faith in His grace. Is there greater love than this, that God himself has
done this for us? “For so God loved the world, that He gave his only
begotten Son that who shall believe in Him shall not perish but have
everlasting life.” John 3:16. That love of God in Jesus Christ transforms us
and makes us love one another. “This is my command: That you love one
another, as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, that a man
lays down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do as I
command you. John 15:12-14. That is Christmas. I think fewer things are more
Biblical. But, was the 25th of December the date? One of the
theories comes from Judaism, what came to be known as “Integral Age” of the
great prophets, according to an ancient Jewish tradition inherited by the
Talmud and that we will comment further. Whichever may be the correct date
of the birth of the Messiah Yahshua – Jesus Christ, He was the one born, and
died, raised, ascended and will return “…and every eye shall see Him…” Do we
see that Christmas today is the celebration of His live and work for His
glory? Continue reading…
Christmas is Biblical if we read the Gospels of Matthew and Luke which tell
the birth of Jesus of Nazareth and His live, His work, His death and
resurrection, and connect with Acts of the Apostles, also written by Luke,
which continues with the recent life of the Messiah and His ascension. The
Epistles that follow are centred in evangelizing, the birth of the Church,
the second coming of Christ, and the last book, in the prophecies, until the
end of the world and the coming of Jesus to establish the Kingdom of God.
Two centuries after, Christianity begins to collect and unify all the
inspired books that form the canon of the New Testament, and certain
traditions begin to be established and councils to take place to unify
doctrine, and avoid heresy. Already in these first centuries, churches use
to remember the birth of Jesus Christ and the adoration of the magi the 6th of
January, but Christmas still was not celebrated.
The council of Nicaea, 325 A.D. it is decided that the Church will celebrate
Christmas on the 25th of December. In the first two centuries, a
majority of eastern churches “Orthodox” use to do so on the 6th of
January, and still do it. The different arguments of why this date, refer to
whether it substitutes pagan celebrations about the sun, or if they follow
Jewish traditions. The Talmud has inherited what is known as “Integral Age”
of the great prophets. That age is the life between the date of birth or
conception and of death of a prophet that should coincide. Therefore if
Christ died on the 25th of March –Passover, 14 Nisan- he must
have also been born or conceived then. The second option, 9 months later,
takes us to the 25th of December. This is the argument of John
Chrysostom and Saint Agustin. We cannot guarantee the date, but the purpose
we can for the glory of God.
Within the Christianity of all centuries A.D. there have been groups that
have debated whether to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ or Christmas,
arguing that it has no relation with the wrong or pagan date, and
concentrate on dates and not on deeds. But, following the good and
trustworthy custom of always go to what the Bible tells us, we can read what
it tells about the celebration of the birth of our Lord, who was born to die
and overcome for us with His resurrection and His return to establish the
Kingdom of God for eternity. Let us see who celebrated the birth of Yahshua
– Jesus Christ, in the Bible.
IN THE BIBLE: WHO CELEBRATED THE BIRTH OF YAHSHUA – JESUS CHRIST?
Everyone who received the information or announcement of the birth of the
Messiah, and awaited for Him with sincere heart and with faith, did
celebrate; others did not. The Biblical story of the Gospels tell us of the
people to whom it was announced and lived that event that would change
history for ever, and of the prophets who rejoiced the prophetic message and
of writing it.
Joseph and Mary obviously celebrated the birth of that Child Jesus:
“Now
in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee
named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the
house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the
angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with
you; blessed are you among women!” But when she saw him, she
was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.
Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have
found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring
forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.
He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord
God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the
house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”... ...Then
Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to
your word.” And the angel departed from her.” Luke
1:26-38.
The angels celebrated the birth of that Child Jesus:
“And
suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising
God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill
toward men!”
Luke 2:13-14.
The shepherds who were keeping the vigils of the night over their flock
celebrated the birth of that Child Jesus:
“Now
there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping
watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood
before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were
greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold,
I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there
is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the
Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped
in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the
angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to
God in the highest,
and
on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
Luke 2:8-14.
The magi celebrated the birth of that Child Jesus:
“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the
king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He
who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East
and have come to worship Him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was
troubled, and all Jerusalem with him... ...When they heard the king, they
departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before
them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw
the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come
into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down
and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented
gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Matthew 2:1,
Luke 2:4.
The prophets that where waiting for the coming of the Messiah, in the
temple, like Shimon and Ana celebrated the birth of that Child Jesus:
“And
behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this
man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and
the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy
Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. So
he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the
Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him
up in his arms and blessed God and said: “Lord, now You are letting Your
servant depart in peace, according to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your
salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light
to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people
Israel.” And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were
spoken of Him. Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother,
“Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in
Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will
pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be
revealed.”
Luke 2:25-35.
“Now
there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of
Asher... ...And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and
spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.”
Luke 2:36.
All of them celebrated the birth of that Child Jesus, but not king Herod,
nor the priests and scribes who knew when and where, according to the
prophets of the Bible would the King of Israel be born, which makes them all
be even more guilty of rejecting the Messiah, as well as being the same that
crucified Him:
“When
Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with
him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the
people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So
they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the
prophet.”
Matthew 2:4-12.
IN THE BIBLE: THE BIRTH OF YAHSHUA – JESUS CHRIST PROPHESISED
“For
unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be
upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The
mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of
his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David,
and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and
with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of Yahweh of hosts will
perform this.”
9:6. 700 B.C.
“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of
Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in
Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”
Mica 5:2. 735 B.C.
“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall
conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
Isaiah 7:14. 700 B.C.
IN THE BIBLE: THE BIRTH OF YAHSHUA – JESUS CHRIST FULFILLED
“And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus,
for He will save His people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:21.
“For
there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ
the Lord.”
Luke 2:11.
“Now
the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was
betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of
the Holy Spirit.”
Matthew 1:18, Luke 1:26.
IN THE BIBLE: BORN TO DIE ON THE CROSS AND RESURRECT
“He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with
grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised,
and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our
sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But
He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our
iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His
stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep
have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has
laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a
sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.
Isaiah 53:3-7. 700 B.C.
“Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the
command to restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, there
shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built
again, and the wall, even in troublesome times. “And after the sixty-two
weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; and the people of the
prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of
it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are
determined.
Daniel 9:25-26. 535 B.C.
“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.
Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and
the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and
many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out
of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and
appeared to many.”
Matthew 27:50,51.
IN THE BIBLE: RESURRECT AND ASCEND TO THE THRONE OF GLORY
“After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up,
that we may live in His sight.”
Hosea 6:2. 750 B.C.
“He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was
still in Galilee.”
Luke 24:6.
“And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and
blessed them. Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted
from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped Him, and returned
to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and
blessing God. Amen.”
Luke 24:50-53.
IN THE BIBLE: AND RETURN FROM THE THRONE OF GLORY
“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have
fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe
that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who
sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who
are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means
precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven
with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.
And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the
air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one
another with these words.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-17.
“Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of
persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and
hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be
dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?
Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens
and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”
2 Peter 3:11-14.
Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who
pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even
so, Amen.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,”
says the Lord,“
who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Revelation 1:7-8.
CONCLUSION, IS CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION BIBLICAL?
Under the light of the Bible we see that the birth of Jesus –if that is what
we consider Christmas- it is totally Biblical, for all those who received
the news of His birth celebrated one way or another: the prophets waiting
with faith, those living, going and worshiping Him, and after commemorating,
celebrating Christmas from a Biblical point of view. On the other hand we
find that at the beginning, the Church did not have His date of birth
registered nor established as a traditional celebration, although as soon as
Christianity establishes in the first centuries, it begins celebrating it,
to our days.
If we talk about the 25th of December as a date, it does not seem
to be, but there are some who do believe so. If we talk about what it has
become in western culture from a worldly perspective, neither. But if we
limit ourselves to commemorate that Jesus came to this world by His own will
to show us how great His love is for us, and to give His life for our sins
to resurrect us and take us to the eternal Paradise, it is a great reason to
give Him our recognition and show Him our love, sharing the story of His
life with our neighbours and living a life that reflects His example, for
the glory of God. It would be good to know the exact day, and surely one day
we will know it, following dates, like the one of the census by which Joseph
and Mary went to Bethlehem to be inscribed, or through the archaeological,
cosmic or scientific, etc. Maybe if we intend to wait until we know the
exact date, scientifically, He may have returned and we would have not
celebrated it. You may read another Bible study that deals with the 25th
of December as the date for Christmas:
http://www.yahshua.net/christmas.htm
If that Child that was born to us had not been born, there would be no hope
for humanity, nobody could be saved and nobody could live in God’s paradise
for eternity, where there will be no suffering, no pain, but joy, happiness,
peace and the presence of God eternally.
That Child that was born to die deserves to be remembered celebrating His
birth, like the prophets did, like His contemporaries did, and like the
Church has done from the beginning. His birth, His live, His expiatory
death, His resurrection, His ascension and His return; Jesus is a constant
celebration of the truth, the life and the hope, and the love of God.
Christmas, nativity of the Son of God made man, a time, each year that takes
us to think about His life and the purpose of becoming man. About our life
and the purpose it has and the fruit it bears.
“Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men”,
Luke 2:14. Our saviour is born. Is He born in your heart? Do you know
Yahshua – Jesus Christ?
Let the life of That Child God be of example for us to imitate until He
returns for ever. “Merry Biblical Christmas” Amen!