Page 32 - 200912 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - December 2009

32 The Real Nativity Story 32 The Real Nativity Story The Real Nativity "And when he had gathered all the chief priests timing of when it really occurred. John the The Real Nativity Story: Surprising and scribes of the people together, he inquired Baptist was born in the spring. His cousin Jesus Story: Surprising of them where the Christ was to be born. So was born six months later—probably in late Truths You May Not they said to him, 'In Bethlehem of Judea'" September, possibly early October. The Truths You May Not shepherds visited immediately; the wise men— (verses 4-5). Know! King Herod carefully concealed his their number unknown—arrived much later. Know! murderous intentions. "Then Herod, when he It's tragic that the true story should have had secretly called the wise men, determined become so badly garbled by human traditions. The biblical accounts of Jesus from them what time the star appeared. And he It's also tragic that people ignore the Bible's Christ's birth present some sent them to Bethlehem and said, 'Go and search clear instructions and invent their own. Jesus surprising differences from carefully for the young Child, and when you Himself roundly condemned religious leaders have found Him, bring back word to me, that I of His day who were "making the word of God popular ideas and traditions. Do may come and worship Him also'" (verses 7-8). of no effect through your tradition" (Mark you know the facts from the Notice that now Herod referred to Jesus 7:13). fiction? not as a baby, but as "the young Child." He A strong and weighty biblical principle realized how long their travels would have is found in Deuteronomy 12. It tells us why we taken the wise men—possibly from as far away should observe the annual Holy Days and Continued from Page 31 as Parthia or the region around Babylon, where festivals God has revealed in His Word—not the Israelites and Jews had been exiled centuries traditional holidays borrowed from paganism: The shepherds come to see Jesus before. Herod knew from when the star had "You shall not worship the LORD your appeared that he was not seeking a newborn God in that way; for every abomination to the Continuing the story in Luke 2:10-17: " baby, but a boy by now considerably older. LORD which He hates have they done to their Then the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, And to remove any threat to his position, gods . . . whatever I command you, be careful to for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy Herod "put to death all the male children who observe it; you shall not add to it, nor take away which will be to all people. For there is born to were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from from it" (Deuteronomy 12:31-32). you this day in the city of David a Savior, who two years old and under, according to the time Have you ever thought it curious that is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to which he had determined from the wise men" although two of the Gospel writers describe the you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling (verse 16). Herod, covering all of his bases in circumstances surrounding Christ's birth (the cloths, lying in a manger.' protecting his throne, ordered the murderous other two don't even cover the event), neither of ". . . And they came with haste and slaughter of those 2 years old and under. them gives the date? Has it puzzled you that the found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a Bible never once mentions "Christmas"? And manger. Now when they had seen Him, they It wasn't the common nativity scene that none of the biblical writers says anything made widely known the saying which was told about commemorating that birth? them concerning this Child." The wise men were miraculously guided We do find, however, explicit We might notice that only the shepherds to the Christ child (verses 9-10). "And when commands to commemorate Jesus Christ's arrive in time to see Jesus in the manger. The they had come into the house, they saw the sacrifice and death on our behalf (1 Corinthians wise men, as we will see, didn't arrive on the young Child with Mary His mother" (verse 11). 11:23-26). We also find commands to observe scene until later. The typical nativity scene completely falls apart other biblical festivals, the same festivals Jesus " And when eight days were completed at this point. There is no mention of a manger and the New Testament Church celebrated. Isn't for the circumcision of the Child, His name was here. Rather Jesus was, as stated, in a house. it about time you looked into the Bible to see called Jesus, the name given by the angel before And Jesus was no longer an infant, He was a what God's Word says about them? [] He was conceived in the womb. Now when the young child. The wise men obviously visited days of her purification according to the law of Jesus long after the shepherds had come and More Christmas Factoids! Moses were completed, they brought Him to gone—perhaps a year or more later. Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is The typical manger scene includes three Cultured Christmas trees must be written in the law of the Lord, 'Every male who wise men. The Bible, however, nowhere says shaped as they grow to produce fuller foliage. opens the womb shall be called holy to the how many wise men there were. It does note, To slow the upward growth and to encourage Lord'), and to offer a sacrifice . . . a pair of however, that they presented three kinds of branching, they are hand-clipped in each spring. turtledoves or two young pigeons" (Luke 2:21- giftsto Him—gold, frankincense and myrrh. Trees grown in the wild have sparser branches, 24; compare Exodus 13:2). Why these three particular gifts? Their and are known in the industry as "Charlie This was called "redeeming the symbolism is striking when we understand it. Brown" trees. firstborn." Leviticus 12:2-3, 6 tells us that this Gold was a gift for royalty—in this case During the ancient 12-day Christmas ceremony occurred 40 days after the birth of a the chosen King of the Jews and ultimately the celebration, the log burned was called the "Yule son. So if Christ was born in late September, we "King of Kings and Lord of Lords" who will log." Sometimes a piece of the Yule log would are now into mid-November. rule over the entire earth (Revelation 19:16). be kept to kindle the fire the following winter, to Frankincense was an incense intimately ensure that the good luck carried on from year The wise men and Herod connected with the priesthood and temple to year. The Yule log custom was handed down sacrifices, foreshadowing the fact that Jesus from the Druids. We'll now continue the story flow in Christ would serve as our High Priest and give During the Christmas buying season, Matthew 2:1-3: "Now after Jesus was born in Himself as the perfect sacrifice to pay the Visa cards alone are used an average of 5,340 Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the penalty for the sins of all mankind (Hebrews times every minute in the United States. king, behold, wise men from the East came to 4:14-15; 9:11-14; 1 Peter 1:18-19). During the Christmas/Hanukkah season, Jerusalem, saying, 'Where is He who has been Myrrh had a much more sobering more than 1.76 billion candy canes will be born King of the Jews? For we have seen His symbolism. When a person died, this perfuming made. star in the East and have come to worship Him.' agent was wrapped with the body to help cover During World War II it was necessary When Herod the king heard this, he was up the stench of death. Jesus' own body would for Americans to mail Christmas gifts early for troubled, and all Jerusalem with him." be wrapped in linen with myrrh and aloes (John the troops in Europe to receive them in time. Why did this news disturb Herod? Other 19:39-40). Merchants joined in the effort to remind the historical accounts attest to Herod's paranoia public to shop and mail early and the protracted about being overthrown. The news that a new Why we should celebrate God's Holy Days shopping season was born. king of the Jews had been born threatened his instead For every real Christmas tree harvested, position. 2 to 3 seedlings are planted in its place. Herod obviously knew of the traditions Matthew and Luke reveal the true story and the prophecies relating to the Messiah. of the birth of Jesus Christ and the general MERRY CHRISTMAS ‘X’ ZONE NATION