christ’s enigmatic birthday

CHRIST’S ENIGMATIC BIRTHDAY

Matt 1:18-25

“If a man happens to meet in a town a virgin pledged to be married and he sleeps with her, you shall take both of them to the gate of that town and stone them to death – the girl because she was in a town and did not scream for help, and the man because he violated another man’s wife. You must purge the evil from among you.”

(Deut 22:23-24,New International Version)

This is how Jesus Christ was born. A

young woman named Mary was engaged

too Joseph from King David’s family. But before they were

married, she learned that she was going to have a baby by God’s

Holy Spirit

“Joseph was a good man and did not want to embarrass Mary in front of everyone. So he decided to quietly call off the wedding.”

(v. 19, CEV)

“While Joseph was thinking about this, an angel from the Lord came to him in a dream. The angel said ‘Joseph, the baby that Mary will have is from the Holy Spirit. Go ahead and marry her. Then after her baby is born, name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.’ ” (v. 20-21, CEV)

“Jehovah saves.”

“So the Lord’s promise came true, just as the prophet had said, ‘A virgin will have a baby, and he will be called Immanuel’ which means

‘God is with us.’

Hebrew language

“That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the

radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them.

They were terribly frightened, but the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news of great joy for everyone!

has been born tonight in

Bethlehem, the city of David! And this

is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying

in a manger, wrapped snugly in

strips of cloth!”

‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors.’

When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, ‘Come on, let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.

They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.”

(Luke 2: 8-16, New Living Translation)

Notice that the exact date of Christ’s birth is

not included in the narrative. It only says

“Christ was born.”

The birth of Jesus Christ is on may 20-

3rd century

Clement of Alexandria

IN 336 A.D. established Christ’s birth

on December 25

Western Church

(Roman Catholic)

chose January 6.

(Greek Orthodox) Eastern Church

Before the Christian religion was established, the followers of the faith celebrated Christ’s birth on December 25th, to coincide with the Roman celebration of their pagan god.

To the early Christians, Christ is the

“Son of Righteousness and Justice.”

The “sun” of the Romans became

the “Son of God.”

“Strange is our situation here on earth. Each of us

comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to

a divine purpose. From the standpoint of

daily life, however, there is one thing we do not know: that we are here for the sake

of others …

… for the countless

unknown souls with whose fate we are

connected by a bond of

sympathy. Many times a day, I realize how much my own outer and

inner life is built upon the

labors of people, both

living and dead, and

how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have

received.”

We remember Him because He was a Man for others. He died to save us from sin, in order that we may live righteous lives.

Jesus led a life for others.