Nativity Myths

We are all familiar with the nativity scenes displaying the familiar picture of the three wise men and the shepherds gazing with adoration at the Christ child in the manger, with his loving parents Joseph and Mary and a menagerie of domestic animals looking on.

Have you ever wondered what’s wrong with the picture?

The Bible merely says that the baby Jesus was laid in a manger. A manger is a feeding trough for domestic animals. Luke 2.7, 12, 16 It says nothing about any animals being present. What about the three wise men or Magi gazing at the baby in the manger when the Bible clearly says that the Magi entered a house to see Jesus (Matthew 2.11)

Much of the world, and even many Christians, have been confused by a series of tradition that have managed to pass as legitimate Bible facts in churches around the world.

The purpose of this is to let the Bible speak for itself—to defend the faith it was designed to convey.

Birth of ‘Yeshua Meschiach’

The birth of Jesus or ‘Yeshua Meschiach’ and associated events are described in the Gospels according to Luke and Matthew.

Luke 2. 6- 24 speaks of Jesus’ birth in a manger in Bethlehem, the shepherds’ visit and his circumcision on the eight day. It also records Jesus’ presentation in the Temple at Jerusalem.

Luke 2. 8-20 Shepherds living out in the fields nearby were told the good news of Jesus’ birth by angels. They were given a sign, ‘a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger’. The shepherds went to see this baby and ‘returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told’ Vs 20.

From the above verses, it is clear that the shepherds saw the baby Jesus soon after he was born, probably the very same night.

Luke 2. 21 On the eight day of his birth, Jesus was circumcised according to the Law Lev 12.3

Luke 2. 22 -23 When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord as commanded in Exodus 13.2, 12

Luke 2. 24 ‘to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.” Leviticus 12 says ‘a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a dove for a sin offering’…..’ If she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering’. Lev 12.1-8.

Thus, Luke chapter 2 makes it clear that,
1. The shepherds saw the baby Jesus soon after he was born, probably the very same night.
2. He was circumcised on the eight day of his birth.
3. After the days of purification were over (8+33=41 days), Jesus parents took him to Jerusalem to offer the customary sacrifice prescribed by the Law. They were so poor that they could only offer the poor man’s burnt and sin offering. (two doves or two young pigeons)

Matthew 2:1-12 speaks of the Magi from the east coming to Jerusalem in search of ‘one who has been born king of the Jews’ Vs 2.

Matthew 2:2 the Magi saw the star of Jesus Christ ‘in the east’ and traveled far to ‘worship him’. In the days of camel and caravan travels, it is unconceivable that they reached Bethlehem any time soon.

Matthew 2:7 Herod finds from the Magi the exact time the star had appeared. Later when Herod realized that the Magi had outwitted him, he gave order for all boys who were two and under in Bethlehem and its vicinity, to be killed based on the time he had determined by minutely questioning the Magi. Matthew 2:16 Herod knew the exact time the star appeared so he limited his killing to boys who were two years and below.

Matthew 2:9-11 The Magi followed the star and reached a house above which the star stopped. They entered the house and saw the child. This verse makes it clear that the Magi did not visit Jesus at the manger but at a house. The baby is now a child, a toddler and they worshiped him.

Luke chapter 2, verses 12 & 16 makes it clear that the Christ the shepherds went to see and saw was just a newborn baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in the manger. A baby lying thus was to be a sign unto the shepherds. However, Matthew 2.11 clearly states “And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him”. The Magi saw a child, not a newborn baby. This is true irrespective of the Bible version you read.

In fact, it may have been over a year after the birth of Jesus before the wise men even arrived! This theory is supported well when we read that King Herod commands his soldiers to kill all the infants in Bethlehem two years old and under (Matthew 2:16).

Matthew 2: 11b They opened their treasures and presented Jesus with costly gifts of gold incense and myrrh. They gave three types of gifts that represented His royalty, priesthood and prophetic role. On a more practical level, these gifts turned the fortune of the poor Jewish family, enabling them to travel far to Egypt to escape the anger of Herod. When Joseph and Mary took baby Jesus to the Temple, they were still poor which is why they offered the poor man’s burnt and sin offering. If they had gold or any of the other gifts, they would not have withheld it. This too proves that the Magi visited afterwards.

Likewise nowhere in the Gospel is the number of the Magi who worshiped Jesus mentioned. It is clear from verses that there were more than one Magi, but we cannot be sure about the exact number. (Matthew 2.2, 9-12) Traditionally the number of gifts may have determined the number of Magi too.

Christmas Celebration

The traditional date of celebrating the birth of Jesus has been challenged by scholars who point out that when Jesus was born, shepherds were watching their sheep in the hills around Bethlehem. Luke tells us that an angel appeared to “some shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. (Luke 2:8).

Some scholars feel that the sheep were usually brought under cover from November to March; as well, they were not normally in the field at night. But, early Jewish sources suggest that the sheep around Bethlehem were outside year-round. The surrounding region of Bethlehem was good grazing land and the hillsides contained numerous caves which could be used by shepherds for shelter. The sheep around Bethlehem were no ordinary sheep. Bethlehem was located 4 miles south of the Jerusalem Temple, and many of Bethlehem’s sheep were raised for sacrifice at the Temple. During the special feast days in Israel’s religious calendar, thousands of Jews would come to their holy city from all over the Roman Empire to offer sacrifices. Rather than transport their sacrificial lambs from distant homes, they would buy them in Jerusalem. By law, the sheep slated for sacrifice had to be without blemish or defect. (Exodus 12:5; Leviticus 22-23; Numbers 28-29.) Thus, the shepherds in the region of Bethlehem kept close watch over their special sheep.

God first revealed the Messiah’s birth to the shepherds who protected the lambs which would soon die on behalf of sinful men. The ‘Lamb of God’ was placed on a manger – a feeding trough, where other sacrificial lambs were penned. When the shepherds saw the baby, could they have understood the significance? Is that why they returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told [by the angels]’ Luke 2.20.

Despite much research and expert opinions there are still differing opinions regarding the actual day of Christ’s birth. The first century church did not celebrate Christ’s birth. They were far more concerned and occupied with his death and resurrection. But modern man is preoccupied with celebrating a birthday. A baby lying in a manger is harmless and non-threatening but, a man who claims to be God dying on a cross–that man is a threat! He demands our allegiance! We cannot ignore him. We must either accept him or reject him. He leaves us no middle ground.

This Christmas season, when you see the Babe that was laid in the manger, remember – He was born to die . . . that all who believe in him might live.

Link to a realChristmas quiz
http://www.biblequizzes.org.uk/quiz.php?therealchristmasquiz

A Matter of Heart

Have you observed how two people can hear the same gospel message and react in completely different ways. One person will be profoundly moved, while the other will become even more hardened in his or her sin.

We see this phenomena in the story of Cain and Abel. Both of these men were sons of Adam and Eve; raised in the same home and exposed to the same spiritual message. When we first read of their story in Genesis 4, it seems they were both believers. But time revealed that Cain was a jealous and embittered man that he murdered his brother Abel. The story of Cain and Abel ought to remind us there are those people who look like believers, but have no relationship with God. The Scripture says about such, “there are people who have a form of godliness but deny its power” (2 Timothy 3:5).

Such is the life story of far too many people. They are all show and no go. Their faith in God turns out to be a mere game or act.

Consider this. You can offer like Cain. You can weep like Esau. You can serve like Gehazi. You can be a disciple like Judas. You can recite long prayers like the Pharisees, be a seeking soul like the rich young ruler, and have lamps like the five foolish bridesmaids, and still be lost.

The real issue is not about enjoying the message or whether it moves you. The heart of the issue is whether you believe the message and take a stand for it.

More Than Crumbs

“God blesses everyone except me.” “Maybe I am more of a sinner than they are.” “They are the favoured ones. Who am I, just a nobody. Why should God consider me above others?” “Perhaps God is trying to teach me a lesson.” Sounds familiar? Have you or someone you know murmured like this against God when things did not go the way you thought they ought to? If you have ever wondered at such seeming injustice then this is for you, my friend.

The scripture passage in Matthew 15:21-28 and its parallel in Mark 7. 24-30 tells us how we also can be part of the in-group that receives the Kingdom gifts.

The incident these two passages portrays is a Greek- Syrian Phoenician woman’s indomitable faith in Jesus to heal her demon-possessed daughter.

Jesus leaves Gennesaret and enters the area near Tyre and Sidon, two gentile towns. He enters a house and remains there not wanting to publicise His whereabouts. He had recently fed over 5000 thousand miraculously and He knew people would follow Him where ever He went. Nevertheless, a gentile woman hears that He is in the vicinity and came to Him. Her persistent crying out disturbed the disciples and they asked Jesus to sent this woman away. What happened next is one of the two longest recorded conversations that Jesus had with a woman.

This Cannanite woman addressed Jesus as “Son 0f David”, one of His Jewish Messianic title. Despite her confidence that this Jewish person could heal her daughter, she approached Jesus as an outsider. Jesus’ says, “I was sent to the lost sheep of Israel”. Now interestingly the woman kneels (a word in the Bible that denotes the act of worship) and cries out, “Lord (Master – a word that denoted relationship), help me”.

In a matter of seconds she identifies herself as part of the ‘lost sheep of Israel’. She does this by changing her attitude (from supplicant to a worshiper) and in her relationship to Jesus from ‘Son of David’ to ‘Master’. The Jews understood the ‘lost sheep of Israel’ to be the exiled Jews but Jesus ministered to the despised, broken in spirit, tax collectors, prostitutes, sinners, Samaritans, poor, handicapped, the Temple outcasts, lepers – sheep without a shepherd.

This time Jesus replied a lot more harshly. He said, “First let the children eat all they want, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” In effect He says she has to wait her turn till the children had their fill (of Kingdom blessings which includes healing) and adds insult to injury by calling her a dog. (This was in concurrence with the then Jewish rational.)

Hmm.. So is Jesus – God incarnate- racist? Is not God Love? How can Love speak so harshly? Surely the woman despite her urgent need may be excused when she takes offence in Jesus words.

Let us take a moment here to study the word offence. Offense is the act of provoking, annoying, irritating, or causing pain or injury. It is also the feeling of resentment, anger, or indignation of the reaction the offense produces, which can lead to breach in a relationship. In short offense is a hurt held onto.

Those who remain offended at Jesus remain in their sin and will be lost. This is why Jesus said “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me (Jesus in Matt. 11:6).

It is interesting to note Jesus’ response regarding the Pharisees who were offended at his words in Matthew 15:12-13 ‘Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”
13He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots.”

So according to Jesus, one recognizes who belongs to God and who does not, by their reaction to the Word. Obviously this woman though a gentile ‘dog’ was a plant planted by the heavenly Father. So instead of taking offence at Jesus’ reply she answered Him, “ Yes Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”

Her answer was a classic example of faith that overcomes all obstacles. Her answer revealed her humility and her readiness to accept Jesus as her master. She was not offended by His words instead His words prompted her to scale greater heights of faith. The faith that says “though He slayeth me I will follow Him”. Jesus response is equally grand. This is one of the few instances Jesus lauds an individual’s great faith.

The gospel writer mentions the healing of the woman’s daughter as a mere after thought for the focus here is what this gentile woman needed to receive the blessing of the Kingdom of God in Jesus. In hindsight we can see that Jesus had a specific one woman mission for entering the gentile area. Soon after this incident the Bible tells us that He left and ‘went along the sea of Galilee’ and there He feeds the four thousand. This is so reminiscent of the ‘lost sheep’ parable of Jesus. We are not told why this woman of great faith could not go in search of Jesus to neighbouring towns but obviously she could not. So Jesus goes in search of this ‘lost sheep’. Like salvation that is freely available for anyone who asks, Jesus waits till the woman asks and receives her miracle and then moves on to resume his preaching ministry. (Revelations 3.20)

The Bible teaches us repeatedly that even in the OT times ‘when people lived under the supervision of the Law’, men and women were justified only by faith. The Law was ‘put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.’ The gentile woman in the incident above teaches us the same message of justification by faith.

Jesus died for the sins of ‘all men’, however, salvation is only for those who are willing to humble themselves before Jesus and receive it freely.

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,” and, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—(offended at the message) which is also what they were destined for. 1 Peter 2:7-8

My Brethren

 

JOINED TOGETHER: Judaism is linked to Christianity by the Star of David

This symbol, discovered in Jerusalem, shows how the beliefs of the first Christians were distinctly Jewish.