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29 The Real Nativity Story 29 The Real Nativity Story The Real Nativity The Real Nativity Story: Surprising Story: Surprising Truths You May Not Truths You May Not Know! Know! The biblical accounts of Jesus Christ's birth present some surprising differences from popular ideas and traditions. Do you know the facts from the fiction? by John Ross Schroeder and Doug Johnson Most of us have been brought up with the traditional Christmas story—you know, the one about Jesus being born on Christmas day in a stable in Bethlehem with the shepherds and three wise men looking on as depicted in countless manger scenes. But is that the way it really happened? Most people think so, but a careful look at what they were both well advanced in years" (verses What happened next would have been the Bible really says reveals some surprising 6-7). rather frightening to anyone. "Then an angel of differences. Let's examine what the Bible Zacharias' priestly assignment or the Lord appeared to him . . . And when actually does say about the circumstances "division" helps us to know and understand the Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear surrounding Christ's birth. general time frame of Christ's birth. His was fell upon him. But the angel said to him, 'Do not While the Gospel accounts of Matthew "the course of Abijah." But what does this be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and Luke describe the true story of Jesus' birth, mean? and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and we'll see that they assuredly do not describe the About a thousand years earlier, King you shall call his name John'" (verses 11-13). Christmas story so popular at this time of year. David had organized the Levitical priesthood Then the angel explained the mission of into 24 "courses" or "divisions." As explained in Zacharias' son-to-be, John the Baptist: "He will Luke's important background 1 Chronicles 24 and more specifically in verses also be filled with the Holy Spirit from his 3, 10 and 19, there was an abundance of priests mother's womb . . . He will also go before Him Consider first Luke, the Gospel writer to serve in the various temple functions. [Jesus Christ, the coming Messiah] in the spirit who had the detailed mind of a physician and a Not wanting any to be left out of and power of Elijah . . . to make ready a people historian. He wanted to make sure he presented serving, David's solution was to divide the prepared for the Lord" (verses 15-17). all the pertinent facts. priests into 24 courses. Each priest would then Although a righteous man, in this Notice his preface: " Since many have serve for a specified week-long term twice instance Zacharias was all too human and undertaken to set down an orderly account of during the year, plus the three festival seasons displayed a lack of faith in the angel Gabriel's the events that have been fulfilled among us, (Deuteronomy 16:16) when all the priests message. Because of his unbelief, he would not just as they were handed on to us by those who would serve. be able to speak again until his son John was from the beginning were eyewitnesses and The question is: Do we know at what born (verses 18-20). servants of the word, I too decided, after times of the year the course of Abijah served at investigating everything carefully from the very the temple? Yes, we do. The determination can Timing of Elizabeth's and Mary's first, to write an orderly account for you, most be made by combining the information in 1 conceptions excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the Chronicles 24 with a study into the traditions of truth concerning the things about which you Judaism regarding when the temple courses "So it was, as soon as the days of his service have been instructed" (Luke 1:1-4, New were carried out during the year. were completed, that he departed to his own Revised Standard Version, emphasis added The evidence points to Zacharias' week house. Now after those days his wife Elizabeth throughout). of service described by Luke being around conceived; and she hid herself five months" Luke, in other words, interviewed those Pentecost, which generally falls in late May to (Luke 1:23-24). Since Zacharias' temple course who had witnessed or were knowledgeable of mid-June on our calendar. Although they fall at was in mid-June, assuming she became the events of Christ's life, and that information specific times on God's sacred calendar, the pregnant within a couple of weeks, five months was the basis for his Gospel. After this dates of His annual Holy Days and festivals would put this into mid- to late November. important introduction, Luke begins the true vary up to several weeks on the Roman calendar The scene then shifts to the Messiah's story leading to Jesus' birth with an account of we use today. birth: "Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel God's dealings with Zacharias, the father of So it seems we can ascertain when was sent by God to a city of Galilee named John the Baptist: Zacharias was serving in the temple. One Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose "There was in the days of Herod, the resource, The Companion Bible, calculates it to name was Joseph . . . The angel said to her, king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, the week of June 13-19 in the determined year 'Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with of the division [or "course"] of Abijah. His wife (1974, Appendix 179, p. 200). you; blessed are you among women" (verses was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name 26-28). was Elizabeth " (verse 5). Later in the account it An unexpected angelic appearance tells us she was a cousin of Mary (verse 36, (Continued on Page 31) King James Version). Luke's account continues: "So it was, "And they were both righteous before that while he was serving as priest before God THE ‘X’ ZONE RADIO SHOW God, walking in all the commandments and in the order of his division, according to the IS AVAILABLE ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn FOR iPODS AT no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and incense when he went into the temple of the www.xzonepodcast.com Lord" (Luke 1:8-9).