Christmas is the celebration of the birth of the son of the True & Living God “Yahweh”, into the world of mankind.
Jesus Christ was born unto Mary, a young Hebrew woman who was at the time of conception a virgin. This miracle of God was brought to pass so that God Himself could be among the human race as one of us in physical form for a set period of time.
The Biblical accounts speak to the important details and lessons that God has intended from eternity to reveal to men.
When exactly Jesus birth occurred is not easily researched. December 25th as human tradition holds this most important event to have occurred is definitely not the historically correct date.
The fact is Jesus birth is mark chronologically by certain historical events and seasons within human endeavors that lead to a different date than December 25th.
The most traceable research leads to the fall season as lining up with scriptural accuracy to the birth of Jesus. The account provided for us of angels drawing the shepherds to the site where Jesus had been born is one clear time stamp. Early to mid fall would be the time that shepherds would be moving their flocks into safer locations for the winter season. Please note that I am not going into a deep academic revelation of the original various events which have lead up to our present day celebration. Theologians that have researched these matters have done a very good job locating specific events within cultures that have lead to establishment of the modern holiday. Should you desire to vet out the facts about the history of Christmas there are many solid accounts of all of the aspects one could possible want to research. Please use caution and ask God for wisdom pertaining to these things. The record of history as maintained by scholarly people can often contradict Gods’ Biblical account; questioning Gods’ own historical account can lead to all kinds of unbelief!
Knowing clearly that God is in control provides comfort that; He can take an event or tradition of men and turn it into Glory for Himself.
Christmas is about Glorifying God!
Luke 2: 1 ~ 14 ESV
The Birth of Jesus Christ
2 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed,[b] who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.[c]
8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
The first Gospel account of the birth of Jesus documents his Holy origin; Born of the Holy Spirit of God through a human woman.
Matthew 1: 18 ~ 25 NRSV
The Birth of Jesus the Messiah
18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah[i] took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
23 “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means, “God is with us.”
24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, 25 but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; [j] and he named him Jesus.
The Gospel of John directly identifies Jesus as the eternal being who is of God, was with God, and IS GOD!
John 1: 1 ~ 18 NKJV
The Eternal Word
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend[a] it.
John’s Witness: The True Light
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.[b]
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own,[c] and His own[d] did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
The Word Becomes Flesh
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’”
16 And[e] of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son,[f] who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
The fact that Jesus birth date is not accurately documented in the human record does not in any way diminish the value and reverence of the Christian holiday for the birth of the son of the most high God! With God all things are possible and the birth of Jesus Christ requires the same faith (belief) which is needed to seek God Himself. When we allow God to reach our hearts and open our eyes the things that previously had us in unbelief no longer are in control and the son of God can now become our Lord and salvation.
Considering the magnitude of the grace of God coming to us in human form should shake us to our very core. It is all too amazing and incomprehensible that God would form us into living beings. It is all too great a blessing that God would create a beautiful home for us to live in, and give us dominion over the earth. It is all too humbling that God would send a son, pure and true (Holy), to save us from the sins which keep us separated from the God who loves us.
Our Christmas celebration was founded through a combination of the Biblical account of Jesus’ birth and traditions of humans within various societies and peoples.
His Birth in History! …that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Jesus Christ was born into this world, not from it. He did not emerge out of history; He came into history from the outside. Jesus Christ is not the best human being the human race can boast of— He is a Being for whom the human race can take no credit at all. He is not man becoming God, but God Incarnate— God coming into human flesh from outside it. His life is the highest and the holiest entering through the most humble of doors. Our Lord’s birth was an advent— the appearance of God in human form.
Oswald Chambers: My Utmost for His Highest
As I write this article I once again find myself in awe of Gods’ hand in seeking to restore our relationship with Himself. For many people the need to make all things relative to themselves has led to a kind apostasy pertaining to the holiday named for the birth of the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords. In his sovereign obedience Jesus has shown the path he has taken for our sakes and revealed the one thing that has been lacking since the beginning of this age. Loving God is trusting God, Trusting God is believing God, and believing God is the beginning of fellowship with God.
This day is all about the coming of Jesus the Messiah (Christ) into this world and in that event he has always been and continues to be all about us.
Jesus was manifest in the flesh to redeem us from this fallen sinful world.
He came to give himself as a life and death sacrifice on our behalf; one we are incapable of paying ourselves.
And all of this so the only true and living God may bring us into His own eternal family.
We should all humble ourselves on these Christmas days in honor and love for the one who has loved us and created us in His own image!
(December 24, 2016)