BE KIND AND RELAXED AT X-MAS BY KNOWING THE REAL BIRTH DATE OF CHRIST
A true believer should relax and treat the day like any other day. No shopping frenzy is necessary. Why? Because the methodical historian Apostle leaves us evidence that X-mas is not a sacred day to God. As a good historian, Luke provides vital information and an orderly account of the time period surrounding Christ’s birth. First, in a long section from Luke 1:5 to 2:8, Zachariah, the priest was of the priestly course of Abia or Abijah which began June 18th and extended until July 1st. (See 1 Chronicles 24:10.) This eighth course takes us from Spring at the beginning of the year to summer.
Luke 1:13, “But the angel said unto him… ‘thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John…”
Verse 16, “And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.”
Verse 23, “And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house. 24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived…” (KJV)
Therefore Elisabeth conceived John the Baptist in July, and his birth would be in the following spring. John was six months older than Jesus, so Mary would give birth in the Fall. Note Luke 1:26-38. All this indicates that Jesus Christ would have been born in the Fall on or close to the Fall Holy Days – the days God has beforehand directed us to celebrate in the Bible!
Luke 1:35-36, “And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.” (NKJV)
Therefore John was born in the spring and so Jesus would be born in the Fall.
STRONG BELIEVERS CAN IGNORE PAGANISM, SAYS THE APOSTLE PAUL
Are there Biblical principles which can guide us in handling worldly religious pressure? Yes, Paul the Apostle to the gentiles faced these same issues. In a fully pagan world, some believers who were primarily new and weak feared the meat offered to pagan gods. The meat was in the butcher shops of the day unlabeled.
Romans 14:1-2, “Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. 2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.” (KJV)
1 Corinthians 8:1, “Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.”
Paul tells the experienced, strong believers who were able ignore whatever pagan contamination existed that they were correct in their knowledge but needed to be concerned for the weaker ones, many of whom had just come out of deep paganism; the idol was still emotionally real to them. They treated the pagan temples as just art or architecture and a cheap place for a meal, ignoring any religious impact. They knew the idols were nothing, but the weaker brethren could not ignore the memory of the pagan power over them.
1 Corinthians 8:9-11, “But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. 10 For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; 11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?”
Paul warns that those who are susceptible to worldly religions may get sucked back into it and lose their salvation. Most believers can ignore X-mas and all its traditions and take it as just another day, but for those who feel vulnerable and overly drawn to it should be cautious of such influences. Those of us who are strong know that worldly pagan things are nothing and can relax.
Romans 14:19-20, “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. 20 For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.”
Romans 15:1-2, “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.”
The choice of the X-mas date coinciding with the return of more sun light and pagan Sun worship is obvious.
FURTHER EVIDENCE OF JESUS' BIRTH DATE NOT BEING IN THE WINTER
Proofs of Jesus’ Fall birth from the book of Luke are a major revelation. A second point is that the sheep were outside the barns at night when Christ was born inside, in the manger. It would be too cold to have sheep outside in the fields at night in the winter. It is clear Christ was not born on December 25 on a cold winter night. That date choice was a pagan influenced political choice. Mangers were for keeping sheep inside on harsh winter nights.
Luke 2:7-8, “And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.”
Constantine said that Christ and Sol Invictus were one and the same. He merged the two religions together and made the new combination the official religion of the Holy Roman Empire to help him rule. In the process of helping the pagan Romans accept Christianity, he deemed December 25 a necessary observance. The day on which the pagan Romans had always worshiped the Sun god now became the “birthday” of Christ. This is why Christmas is on the day of the winter solstice, Saturnalia.
Deuteronomy 12:32, “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.”
God does not approve of us adding to His instructions on how to worship Him. If we really love Jesus Christ, let’s worship him as He commands in the spirit of truth.
The early Christian Church did not celebrate Christmas. The Bible does not mention Christmas. Early Christians did celebrate God’s Holy Days. God knew that Pagan compromises would be detrimental to any society. The American colonists, such as the Puritans, did not celebrate X-mas. The Puritans fought X-mas in England also. But Christmas was successfully outlawed in most of America for two centuries. That is why the book “Christmas Carol” was written in England. That is why George Washington was able to turn the war around with an X-mas day attack. The Christmas victory at Trenton, New Jersey, was a vital key to American Independence. He knew the other-side would be hungover. Not keeping Christmas may have saved the American Revolution. America clearly was blessed thereby and became the most powerful nation in the world under the very biblical oriented Puritans.
1 Timothy 3:3, “…not given to wine, not violent, not GREEDY for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;”
People are led to expect peace and family love and harmony with wonderful gifts during the celebration. But often what happens is conspicuous consumption and extreme materialism, which is so hyped during the season it is not good for people. It violates the principle behind the Tenth Commandment about coveting.
Christmas does not have a lot of spiritual depth for most. Appealing mainly to the greedy nature of man, X-mas usually brings more shoplifting, DRUNK DRIVING, scams, vehicle theft, robbery, rape, sexual assault, burglaries, identity theft, domestic violence than any other time of the year. Some fall into loneliness and seasonal depression as well.
Relax and do not get caught up in the X-mas fever.
ISSUES:
CAN FAMILY GATHERINGS BE HAPPIER WITHOUT THE PRESSURES OF GIFT GIVING AS PRACTICED ON CHRISTMAS ?
