Nativity Myths

We are all familiar with the nativity scenes displaying the familiar picture of the three wise men and the shepherds gazing with adoration at the Christ child in the manger, with his loving parents Joseph and Mary and a menagerie of domestic animals looking on.

Have you ever wondered what’s wrong with the picture?

The Bible merely says that the baby Jesus was laid in a manger. A manger is a feeding trough for domestic animals. Luke 2.7, 12, 16 It says nothing about any animals being present. What about the three wise men or Magi gazing at the baby in the manger when the Bible clearly says that the Magi entered a house to see Jesus (Matthew 2.11)

Much of the world, and even many Christians, have been confused by a series of tradition that have managed to pass as legitimate Bible facts in churches around the world.

The purpose of this is to let the Bible speak for itself—to defend the faith it was designed to convey.

Birth of ‘Yeshua Meschiach’

The birth of Jesus or ‘Yeshua Meschiach’ and associated events are described in the Gospels according to Luke and Matthew.

Luke 2. 6- 24 speaks of Jesus’ birth in a manger in Bethlehem, the shepherds’ visit and his circumcision on the eight day. It also records Jesus’ presentation in the Temple at Jerusalem.

Luke 2. 8-20 Shepherds living out in the fields nearby were told the good news of Jesus’ birth by angels. They were given a sign, ‘a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger’. The shepherds went to see this baby and ‘returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told’ Vs 20.

From the above verses, it is clear that the shepherds saw the baby Jesus soon after he was born, probably the very same night.

Luke 2. 21 On the eight day of his birth, Jesus was circumcised according to the Law Lev 12.3

Luke 2. 22 -23 When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord as commanded in Exodus 13.2, 12

Luke 2. 24 ‘to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons." Leviticus 12 says ‘a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a dove for a sin offering’…..’ If she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering’. Lev 12.1-8.

Thus, Luke chapter 2 makes it clear that,
1. The shepherds saw the baby Jesus soon after he was born, probably the very same night.
2. He was circumcised on the eight day of his birth.
3. After the days of purification were over (8+33=41 days), Jesus parents took him to Jerusalem to offer the customary sacrifice prescribed by the Law. They were so poor that they could only offer the poor man’s burnt and sin offering. (two doves or two young pigeons)

Matthew 2:1-12 speaks of the Magi from the east coming to Jerusalem in search of ‘one who has been born king of the Jews’ Vs 2.

Matthew 2:2 the Magi saw the star of Jesus Christ ‘in the east’ and traveled far to ‘worship him’. In the days of camel and caravan travels, it is unconceivable that they reached Bethlehem any time soon.

Matthew 2:7 Herod finds from the Magi the exact time the star had appeared. Later when Herod realized that the Magi had outwitted him, he gave order for all boys who were two and under in Bethlehem and its vicinity, to be killed based on the time he had determined by minutely questioning the Magi. Matthew 2:16 Herod knew the exact time the star appeared so he limited his killing to boys who were two years and below.

Matthew 2:9-11 The Magi followed the star and reached a house above which the star stopped. They entered the house and saw the child. This verse makes it clear that the Magi did not visit Jesus at the manger but at a house. The baby is now a child, a toddler and they worshiped him.

Luke chapter 2, verses 12 & 16 makes it clear that the Christ the shepherds went to see and saw was just a newborn baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in the manger. A baby lying thus was to be a sign unto the shepherds. However, Matthew 2.11 clearly states “And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him”. The Magi saw a child, not a newborn baby. This is true irrespective of the Bible version you read.

In fact, it may have been over a year after the birth of Jesus before the wise men even arrived! This theory is supported well when we read that King Herod commands his soldiers to kill all the infants in Bethlehem two years old and under (Matthew 2:16).

Matthew 2: 11b They opened their treasures and presented Jesus with costly gifts of gold incense and myrrh. They gave three types of gifts that represented His royalty, priesthood and prophetic role. On a more practical level, these gifts turned the fortune of the poor Jewish family, enabling them to travel far to Egypt to escape the anger of Herod. When Joseph and Mary took baby Jesus to the Temple, they were still poor which is why they offered the poor man’s burnt and sin offering. If they had gold or any of the other gifts, they would not have withheld it. This too proves that the Magi visited afterwards.

Likewise nowhere in the Gospel is the number of the Magi who worshiped Jesus mentioned. It is clear from verses that there were more than one Magi, but we cannot be sure about the exact number. (Matthew 2.2, 9-12) Traditionally the number of gifts may have determined the number of Magi too.

Christmas Celebration

The traditional date of celebrating the birth of Jesus has been challenged by scholars who point out that when Jesus was born, shepherds were watching their sheep in the hills around Bethlehem. Luke tells us that an angel appeared to "some shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. (Luke 2:8).

Some scholars feel that the sheep were usually brought under cover from November to March; as well, they were not normally in the field at night. But, early Jewish sources suggest that the sheep around Bethlehem were outside year-round. The surrounding region of Bethlehem was good grazing land and the hillsides contained numerous caves which could be used by shepherds for shelter. The sheep around Bethlehem were no ordinary sheep. Bethlehem was located 4 miles south of the Jerusalem Temple, and many of Bethlehem's sheep were raised for sacrifice at the Temple. During the special feast days in Israel's religious calendar, thousands of Jews would come to their holy city from all over the Roman Empire to offer sacrifices. Rather than transport their sacrificial lambs from distant homes, they would buy them in Jerusalem. By law, the sheep slated for sacrifice had to be without blemish or defect. (Exodus 12:5; Leviticus 22-23; Numbers 28-29.) Thus, the shepherds in the region of Bethlehem kept close watch over their special sheep.

God first revealed the Messiah's birth to the shepherds who protected the lambs which would soon die on behalf of sinful men. The ‘Lamb of God’ was placed on a manger – a feeding trough, where other sacrificial lambs were penned. When the shepherds saw the baby, could they have understood the significance? Is that why they returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told [by the angels]’ Luke 2.20.

Despite much research and expert opinions there are still differing opinions regarding the actual day of Christ’s birth. The first century church did not celebrate Christ's birth. They were far more concerned and occupied with his death and resurrection. But modern man is preoccupied with celebrating a birthday. A baby lying in a manger is harmless and non-threatening but, a man who claims to be God dying on a cross--that man is a threat! He demands our allegiance! We cannot ignore him. We must either accept him or reject him. He leaves us no middle ground.

This Christmas season, when you see the Babe that was laid in the manger, remember - He was born to die . . . that all who believe in him might live.

Link to a realChristmas quiz
http://www.biblequizzes.org.uk/quiz.php?therealchristmasquiz