Virgin Birth – TGN

Five Interesting Facts About Christmas

Ebenezer Foster-Nyarko — Tue, 25 Dec 2018 13:02:10 +0000

Congratulations—the long wait is over. Christmas is finally here, hurray!

As a Christmas present to you, here are five interesting facts about Christmas that may come in handy in your various conversations around Christmas.

Interesting Fact #1: On Baby Angels and Scripture

Angels have played a key role in redemptive history, and no less during the first nativity. The Bible makes us know the angels were quite busy around the time of Jesus’ birth! We read that an angel,

announced to Mary that she will be the mother of the Messiah (Luke 1:26-28).
announced the birth of Christ to the Shepherds (Luke 2: 8-12). Following this, we are told that multitudes of angels joined the angel to praise God for His glory in the highest and the proclamation of His peace on those who please Him on earth (Luke 2:13).
appeared to Joseph in a dream, when he contemplated ditching Mary, after he found out he was pregnant with baby Jesus by the Holy Spirit before they had wed (Matt. 1:20).
warned him to flee to Egypt with the baby Jesus, and subsequently aided their return to Israel.

Most Christmas cards and nativity scenes depict angels as little chubby children with wings and a halo around their heads, hovering above a baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. The interesting fact about angels, however, is that whenever they appeared to humans in the Bible, they took on the form of an adult male (Gen. 18:1-21, 19:1-22; Judges 13: 1-22; Acts 1:10-11). We have no record of angels as women or children, whenever their appearances were recorded in such detail. Here’s where depictions of angels in works of art, movies etc. have sometimes led us astray.

The significance of this fact is that angels are messengers of God who do His bidding—they point to God in each instance they have featured in redemptive history. And at the climax of history at the Lord’s birth, they rejoiced to see the dawn of the salvation of mankind. The God of angel armies Himself had come down to earth to make His dwelling with us!

Interesting Fact #2: On How Many Wise Men Came to Visit the Baby Jesus

The traditional Christmas favourite, “We Three Kings” presents the idea that three Wise Men (or Magi) visited the baby Jesus as His birth. However, the Bible does not explicitly tell us they were three in number. The narrative simply says,

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 saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1-2).

The number three has arisen largely from the fact there were three gifts presented to the Christ child; gold, frankincense and myrrh. We are also not told their names; although some traditions include their names as Gaspar, Melchoir and Balthazar.

An interesting fact about the time the Magi visited is that Matthew tells us Jesus and His parents were living in a house by then; no longer in the Manger.

When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. ¹¹On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. (Matthew 2: 10-11a).

Some have suggested it took them two years to get to Bethlehem, deduced from the fact that Herod in a jealous fit ordered all children aged two years and below to be slaughtered, based on the time the Wise Men indicated they saw the star which guided them.

The significance of Wise Men from the East visiting the Lord at His birth, is that He is the Saviour of all; for both the Jew and the Gentile. This is a major theme throughout Luke’s gospel in particular.

Interesting Fact #3: On the Virgin Birth vs a Non-virgin Birth

Some higher critics, in an attempt to discredit the credence of the virgin birth, have argued that the root word translated “virgin’” in Isaiah 7:14 could as well be translated “woman” or “a young maiden who has not given birth”.

The interesting fact about the nativity is that a non-virgin birth does not quite cut Isaiah’s prophecy right. The root Hebrew word, “almah”, which most translations render virgin (except for RSV, for example), means “veiled” or “hidden”—which was the typical way in which unmarried women dressed up during Bible times. Culturally, a woman was expected to be celibate before marriage; and a woman found to have lost her virginity before marriage would be stoned to death. Although “young woman” is one possible way to interpret the text, the original recipients of the gospels would have naturally translated this to mean a virgin.

The context provides further support for this. The birth that is announced in Isaiah’s prophecy was to be a sign, in other words, something spectacular. There is nothing special or amazing about a married woman having a child, therefore any interpretation of “almah” as a married woman or non-virgin would quite plainly not fit the context.

Another interesting contemporary fact about this is the fact that the Fante word for a young lady, “Akatasia” would support a virgin interpretation of “almah”. Akatasia literally means, “covered up and hidden from sight”. To wit, a young unmarried woman in typical Ghanaian culture dressed up in such a way as to conceal her beauty until she unveiled this to her future husband. In short, the term for a young woman inherently carried the idea of celibacy and decency in the historical-cultural context, not only in Israel but across several cultures going well past the time the prophecy was written.

Interesting Fact #4: On Which Year Jesus Was Likely Born

On the year of Jesus’ birth, the editors of the ESV Stydy Bible write:

“According to Josephus, Quirinius was governor of Syria A.D. 6-7 and conducted a census in A.D 6 (which Luke is aware of and mentions in Acts 5:37). But this cannot be the census Luke is referencing here, since it occurred after the death of Herod the Great in 4B.C., and it is known that Jesus was born during Herod’s reign (cf Matt. 2:1; Luke 1:5). Various plausible solutions have been proposed. Some interpreters believe that because “governor” (participle of Gk “hegemonuo”) was a very general term for “ruler”, it may be that Quirinius was the administrator of the census, but not the governor proper…Though the year cannot be determined with complete certainty, there are several reasonable possibilities which correspond to Luke’s carefully researched investigation (Luke 1:3-4) and to the historical and geographical accuracy evidenced throughout Luke and Acts. The most reasonable date is late in the year of 6 B.C. or early 5.”

Interesting Fact #5: On Whether December 25 Was Christ’s Actual Birthday

Christmas is celebrated on the 25^th of December; however, we have no proof from Scripture that this is the actual birthday of Jesus. Working backward from the angel’s announcement to Zechariah re the birth of John the Baptist (the time of Zechariah’s high priestly assignment), we can deduce a date of conception in December, and his delivery sometime around September instead.

David divided the priestly service into what is known as courses (or divisions); each course serving twice a year for a week at a time (from Sabbath to Sabbath) (1Chron. 9:22; 1Chron. 24; 2 Chron. 23:8; 35:4), except at the three major festivals when all the priestly divisions served together (2Chron. 5:11). Luke tells us Zechariah belonged to the eighth course, that of Abijah (Luke 1:5, 8). The first course served from the first day of the month of Nisan (March 29th), the beginning of the Jewish calendar.

The course of Abijah in 4-6 B.C. is worked out to have been around sometime in May. Following the angel’s visit and Zechariah’s dumbness, he would have likely been discharged from his duty for the week, according to Levitical laws (Leviticus 21:16–23). John the Baptist would have been conceived shortly after and is likely to have been born somewhere around March, placing Jesus’ birth six months later, likely in September.

This fits well with the fact that Shepherds were out in the fields when Jesus was born, although it is argued that winter in Palestine is mild and Shepherds could be about their duties even in mid-winter time.

An interesting fact about Christmas is that, it is a commemoration of our Lord’s birth, and what it means—He shall save His people from their sins—and the date on which this is done is really secondary.

On that note, we at TGN wish you a very happy Christmas and pray that the joy of knowing that our sins are forgiven will fill your hearts with peace this season and beyond!

Bibliography:

ESV Study Bible; Crossway, Wheaton, Illinois, 2001; ESV Text Edition: 2011; page 1947, Notes on Luke 2:2.

What’s the Big Deal About Christmas?

Kwesi Sena — Wed, 23 Dec 2015 15:10:20 +0000

Christmas is here with us again. It is a period of excitement and celebrations filled with decorations, lights, merry making, lots of food and drinks. Families are getting ready, setting up trees, decorating their homes and buying gifts just in time for the celebrations. There are those, who though, will not describe themselves as Christians are equally engaged in a feverish preparation towards the season.

In the midst of all these preparations and excitement, the obvious question any curious observer cannot avoid asking is what is the excitement all about? In our materialistic and consumption-driven society, it is possible to see Christmas as an end of year party; a time to indulge and be merry. It is therefore important to pause and reflect on the significance of Christmas.

Rather than taking our idea of Christmas from the “retail outlets”, “Hollywood” and “merry making”, we must as a matter of necessity turn to the Bible in search of understanding what Christmas is about. Paul, one of the prominent authors in the Bible gives us a clue on what Christmas is about. In his letter to the Galatians, he writes:

But when the fullness of time had come God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. (Galatians 4:4-5).

These two verses point us to three important truths about Christmas.

(I) The birth of Christ

(II) The Mission of Christ

(III) The implications for Man.

The Birth of Christ

Christmas is the day Christians celebrate the birth of Christ. This does not mean Jesus was born on the 25th of December. In fact, the Bible doesn’t tell us the exact date Jesus was born, however early Christians adopted this date to celebrate the birth of Christ. Regardless of whether it is the exact date or not; what matters is that Jesus was a historic figure. He was born and once lived here on earth. The birth of Jesus was a long awaited event; the entire universe was in anticipation of His coming! The phrase “when the fullness of time had come” used by Paul in v 4 alludes to this fact. Prophet after prophet had prophesied about his coming long before his arrival, seven centuries before his arrival, the prophet Isaiah had this to say:

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this (Isaiah 9:2-7).

The same anticipation and longing is reflected in some of the most popular advent songs like these two:

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free

Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;

From depths of hell Thy people save,

And give them victory o’er the grave.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel

Come, Thou long-expected Jesus

Born to set Thy people free

From our fears and sins release us

Let us find our rest in Thee

Israel’s strength and consolation

Hope of all the earth Thou art

Dear Desire of every nation

Joy of every longing hear

The question is; why was the birth of Christ such an anticipated event? To be able to answer this question rightly, one must go back in time to the creation of the world. The Bible tells us that God created the entire universe with all its beauty. Then He said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (Gen. 1:26). With authority and dominion, also came responsibility and obedience towards God. “the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Gen. 2:16-17). The penalty of death spoken of wasn’t just a physical death, it was a separation from God the source of life for all eternity.

We read that the devil came to man questioning the intentions of God for instructing him not to eat from that particular tree. He rebutted, “For God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God”. The thought of becoming like God appealed to man, and sadly sided with the devil and disobeyed God’s command. That’s how sin entered the world. Sin is a rebellion against a holy God, it is treason and a rejection of God’s rightful rule. Ever since then, all of us who have descended from Adam and Eve have inherited an innate predisposition to reject God’s rightful rule over us. From the one day old baby to the 120 year old adult, we have all gone astray and chosen a position that is against God.

God’s words were very clear, “for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die”. From that time onward Adam and Eve were separated from God both physically and spiritually. Justice demanded that man be condemned. If God didn’t punish sin, he would not be God. Just as all who have descended from Adam inherited his sin, so have we all earned that condemnation from God. God put up Christ as a propitiation for our sins to reconcile humankind to Himself (1 John 2:2).

In the fullness of time, God through the Holy Spirit over-shadowed a virgin who was betrothed to be married to Joseph. When the circumstances were right, God sent his Son to be born of woman, born under the law. He took on the form of a man to identify with humanity, and was born under the same law that condemned man. He had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (Hebrews 2:17)

The Mission of Christ

The second thing we note about Christmas relates to the mission of Christ. Paul writes in Galatians 4:5, the reason Jesus was born was “to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” Jesus was born with a mission and that is why we can never talk about his birth without mentioning his mission. It wasn’t the case that Jesus was born and later discovered that he was the Messiah. No! Right from the beginning he was born to redeem his people from the judgement of God, which we had justly incurred upon ourselves.

Our predicament was twofold. We were supposed to live a perfect life, which we couldn’t. As a result, there was a death penalty hanging around our necks. Just like our twofold predicament, our need is also twofold. We need someone who could live our perfect life and someone who would die our death. There was no way we could make amends by ourselves. As Christians we are realistic about this; our problem rrequires an external intervention. Jesus the Son of God was able to fulfill both of these needs. He was the only one born of a woman who never sinned, and unlike Adam he obeyed the Father perfectly. And not only that, he was crucified for the punishment that he never deserved. God approved of his sacrifice by raising him from the dead on the third day and has given him a name above every other name (Philippians 2:9-11).

By these two acts, Jesus fulfilled the just demands of the Law and God has said “… if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” (Romans 10:9-10). Peter, echoing the same point says “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteousness, that he might bring us to God.” (1 Peter 3:18).

The Implications for Man

Is this the hope fueling your excitement about Christmas? If it is, then you can go on and set up your Christmas tree, buy your gifts and have yourself a merry Christmas. Get together with families and friends and recount the wonders of His love as you celebrate in excitement. If not, there is no reason to be excited because you are still in your sins and the judgement of God still hangs over your head. And just as in the fullness of time God was true to his promise in sending his only Son to come into the world, he has also appointed a time when Jesus will come back as a judge to execute judgement on all who have continued in their rebellion and not turned to Christ (Acts 17:31).

The message of Christmas is not just a story; it’s a message that demands a response! As you read about this news of great joy, what is your decision? Today is the day of salvation, repent and trust in Jesus for the redemption of your soul.

The eternal Son of God became man that we might become children of God. Merry Christmas!

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