Page 31 - 200912 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - December 2009

31 The Real Nativity Story 31 The Real Nativity Story The Real Nativity dead of winter, as so many today mistakenly under these circumstances. The Real Nativity "And she brought forth her firstborn Story: Surprising assume. Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloth, and Story: Surprising Truths You May Not The evidence of the Roman census laid Him in a manger [margin, feed trough], Truths You May Not because there was no room for them in the inn" Know! Can we find other biblical evidence that (verse 7). Know! Jesus was born in the autumn rather than in But why was there no room for Joseph winter? Indeed we can. and Mary in Bethlehem? We learn a great deal The biblical accounts of Jesus Continuing in Luke's account: "And it from understanding the culture of the time. Christ's birth present some came to pass in those days that a decree went If we have judged the time frame surprising differences from out from Caesar Augustus that all the world correctly based on John being conceived shortly should be registered" (Luke 2:1). "All the after the time of the first term of Abijah around popular ideas and traditions. Do world" in this context would mean all the areas Pentecost, and his birth following nine months you know the facts from the under Roman rule. "This census took place later, followed by Jesus' birth six months after fiction? while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all that in late September or possibly early October, went to be registered, everyone to his own city" was something else happening at that particular (verses 2-3). time of the year that would've created crowded Continued from Page 29 What kind of people were the Romans conditions in Bethlehem? when it came to order and efficiency? They built Indeed there was. Late September and This account clearly shows that Mary bridges, roads and buildings that in some cases early October is the autumn festival season on was a remarkable young woman of faith. are still in use to this day, 2,000 years later. God's calendar, one of the three times in the Gabriel said to her, "And behold, you will Their roads were marvels of engineering. They year when families would travel to Jerusalem to conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, constructed great waterworks and sewage observe God's Holy Days (see Deuteronomy and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, systems. Even today, our city planning owes a 16:16). With the Jews of Israel still obeying this and will be called the Son of the Highest . . . great deal to the Romans. Even much of modern command, even today it is difficult to find a And He will reign over the house of Jacob government and military organization is copied hotel room in Jerusalem at this time of year! [Israel] forever" (verses 31-33). from the Romans. They were masters of The population of Jerusalem swelled Mary, since she was a virgin, then asked organization and structure. several times over to overflowing at this time. the obvious question. The answer came back: Would the Romans, then, have ordered a This affected nearby towns such as Bethlehem, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the census in the dead of winter? Of course not. a few miles south of Jerusalem. Because of this power of the Highest will overshadow you" This would have defeated the whole purpose! In huge influx of people, every house was filled. (verse 35). winter, temperatures drop below freezing Joseph and Mary did find a place in what was Gabriel emphasized God's miracle- around Jerusalem, and the roads would have normally used to shelter animals. It certainly working power: "Now indeed, Elizabeth, your been muddy and wet with cold rains and wouldn't have been first class, but likely they relative [ cousin, KJV] has also conceived a son occasional snow. It would've been a terrible were thankful to have even that. in her old age; and this is now the sixth month time to travel, especially for a wife nearing her for her who was called barren. For with God delivery. The shepherds and their flocks nothing will be impossible" (verses 36-37). One author states that this census "could hardly have been at that season [winter], Continuing in Luke's account, we find Mary and Elizabeth however, for such a time would surely not have further proof that Jesus wasn't born in winter. been chosen by the authorities for a public Verse 8 tells us, " Now there were in the same So a little more time has elapsed. It is enrollment, which necessitated the population's country shepherds living out in the fields, now Elizabeth's sixth month, perhaps late traveling from all parts to their natal districts, keeping watch over their flock by night." December or a little beyond. "Now Mary arose storms and rain making journeys both unsafe This likewise shows that these events in those days [the same basic time frame] and and unpleasant in winter, except in specially did not take place in winter. The common went into the hill country with haste, to a city of favorable years. Snow is not at all uncommon at practice of shepherds was to keep their flocks in Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and Jerusalem in the winter months, and I have the open fields from April to October, but in the greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when known it so deep that people lost their way cold and wet winter months they took their Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the outside the gates" (Cunningham Geikie, flocks back home and sheltered them. babe leaped in her womb" (verses 39-41). "Christmas at Bethlehem," Edward Deems, The Interpreter's One-Volume Elizabeth at this time was in her sixth editor, Holy-Days and Holidays, 1968, p. 405). Commentary (1971) says this passage argues month of pregnancy with John the Baptist. It No rational Roman official would have "against the birth [of Christ] occurring on Dec. would not be a stretch to understand from the scheduled a census in winter. For an agrarian 25 since the weather would not have permitted" previous passage that Mary was now also society such as that of first-century Judea, a shepherds watching over their flocks in the pregnant with Jesus. Elizabeth even speaks of census in the autumn, when the crops would've fields at night. Mary as though she knows Mary is an expectant been safely gathered in, would have made much Adam Clarke's Commentary explains mother: "But why is this granted to me, that the more sense. that, "as these shepherds had not yet brought mother of my Lord should come to me? For home their flocks, it is a presumptive argument indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting Why was there no room in Bethlehem? that October had not yet commenced, and that, sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my consequently, our Lord was not born on the 25th womb for joy" (verses 43-44). Picking up our story in Luke again, we of December, when no flocks were out in the Verse 56 says, "And Mary remained find other biblical evidence for the true timing fields; nor could He have been born later than with her about three months, and returned to her of Jesus Christ's birth. September, as the flocks were still in the fields house." Timewise it was now late March. Mary "Joseph also went up from Galilee, out by night. On this very ground the nativity in stayed with Elizabeth right to the birth of John of the city of Nazareth . . . because he was of the December should be given up. The feeding of the Baptist. "Now Elizabeth 's full time came for house and lineage of David, to be registered the flocks by night in the fields is a her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son" with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with chronological fact, which casts considerable (verse 57). child. So it was, that while they were there, the light upon this disputed point." We see, then, that Mary was probably days were completed for her to be delivered" Again, the evidence in Luke points to a three months pregnant when John was born. (verses 4-6). late September birth. John was probably born in late March or early We don't know how far ahead of time April. So when was Jesus Christ born? Six they traveled, nor how long they were there for (Continued on Page 32) months later would be late September or early the census. The essential point is that the most October—in the autumn of the year, not in the important human birth in all history took place Visit our portal - www.xzoneradiotv.com