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THE CHRISTMAS STORY

13/12/2018 02:54:00 The Editor

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Sir,

Luke Chapter 2 gives us part of the circumstances that surrounded the birth of Christ. “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night,” Luke 2:8. Studies have established that the climate in Palestine both today and at the time of Jesus is usually wet, rainy or snowing from the middle of October to the middle of April; with certain higher altitudes near Jerusalem and Bethlehem likely to see snow more than the other areas.

It has also been well established that the shepherds of Judea did not abide, or keep their flocks in the open fields any later than October 15 due to the unfavorable weather conditions. The shepherds always brought their flocks in from the mountain slopes and fields no later than the mentioned date.
In the same chapter, the Bible also records that at the time of the Messiah’s birth, Caesar Augustus had decreed that ‘all the world should be taxed . . . and all went to be taxed, everyone into his own city’ (Luke 2:1, 3).

It was because of this tax that Joseph travelled to Bethlehem; “To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being with child,” vs. 5. While in Bethlehem, unable to secure a room in which to lodge, Mary delivered her child in a stable. History records that these taxations always took place at the end of harvest, which was sometime in September or October, a much more logical time for taxation and travel.

Travel was so bitterly hard and hazardous during the winter season; as a result, Caesar would not have ordered such a taxation then since it would have been virtually impossible for everyone to comply.
Jesus himself told the people to pray that their flight at the end of this age would not be in winter (Matthew 24:20). Therefore, it becomes obvious that the Messiah was not born in December or at any time during the winter season. His birth date was probably sometime in September or October, but no exact day can be determined.

Observe

Although many Christians everywhere observe December 25 as the birth date of the Messiah, the Bible is totally silent. There is not one single reference in all the 66 books of the Bible that pinpoints the date of Christ’s birth.

If our blessed Lord had wanted us to celebrate His birthday, I believe He would have told us when to celebrate it, and how to celebrate it. But Christ never told anyone to celebrate His birthday. Furthermore, we know from the Bible that the apostles never celebrated Christ’s birthday.

The Bible does not contain a command to keep Christmas a sacred day. There is no scripture which says; “Thou shalt keep the 25th of December holy.” While it might be a public holiday, it is not a biblical holy day.

If the whole world was really celebrating the birth of Christ, wouldn’t Christmas be a time of holiness and repentance, of drawing closer to God and turning from sin.

Wouldn’t it be a time when true spirituality and godliness abounded, but instead the opposite is true. Christmas is the most drunken, immoral time of the whole year.
It is a time of covering up all our ungodliness with Christmas carols which will be played in every shop, every sporting house, every gambling hall, and every beer hall the world over.

Business is also transacted at this time of the year more than any other time, so you know why even non-Christian businessmen love Christmas. Any liquor salesman can tell you that more alcoholic beverages are bought, sold, given and consumed at Christmas than at any other time of the year.

Thousands of church members will get drunk at Christmas when they would not get drunk at any other time. This is all done under the guise that they are celebrating the birthday of Christ.

Dear reader, I believe if Christmas was really of God, the world would hate it! But the same people who hate Christ love Christmas.
They love the parties, the carols and the feasting but they hate everything that is truly spiritual.

Bopoto Gwinyai