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Merry Christmas, Tradition, Part 2

Posted in Christmas, Gospel with tags , , , , , , , , on December 21, 2014 by paulthepoke

Luke 2:1-3 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city.

December 25 is the day we culturally celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The Catholic Church declared December 25 as the day of the birth of Christ. This declaration occurred in 336 AD. It was an attempt to replace the Roman holiday Saturnalia, a week long holiday of every imaginable debauchery. December 25 was the birthday of the sun. In the interest of getting along with the culture, the Catholic Church replaced the birthday of the sun with the birthday of the Son. Today in the 21st century, we have returned to the roots of Saturnalia. The “Christmas” celebration through New Year’s has become a week long party. There is nothing new under the sun…

http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/Christmas/christmas.html

There is no Biblical evidence for a specific December 25 date for the birth of Jesus. If you find it, let me know. Christmas, December 25 is not a God Appointed Feast/Holiday, plain and simple.

This is the context of the birth of Jesus. Joseph and Mary were on their way to pay taxes.

Now, say you are a money grubbing emperor or a king or a politician. Let’s say you want to collect tax revenue from your subjects. When would you do this? For maximum collection of funds, travel conditions and weather would need to be at their best. People are going to have to travel to register.  Would you pick late December? I don’t think so. Greed dictates a different season of the year to allow for the best possible participation and revenue.

There are many factors that point toward Jesus being born in the early fall. Some of these include: the timing and relationship to the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1), shepherding habits and timing (Luke 2), Biblical patterning of God’s appointed Fall Feasts, and Zechariah’s appointed priestly Temple service.

Excellent arguments are made for Jesus being born in the Spring. Rabbi Jonathan Cahn makes an articulate case.

The bottom line is this. The Bible does not say specifically when Jesus was born. When He was born is not the issue.

But, what is of the utmost importance is stated by the Apostle Paul. This is the priority. As believers in Jesus Christ we should draw a line in the sand and stick a flag in the ground over this issue.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.  For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…

He was born.

It is not about when He was born…He died, was buried, and was raised.

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Merry Christmas, Tradition, Part 1

Posted in Christmas, Gospel, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , on December 18, 2014 by paulthepoke

December 25 is the day we culturally celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. He was born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1, Luke 2:3). The point Christ was born in Bethlehem is also confirmed twice by an enemy of Jesus, King Herod. In Matthew 2:8 Herod sent the Magi to Bethlehem to look for the child. In Matthew 2:16, Herod had all boy children two and under killed in the town of Bethlehem. Christ’s birth in the town of Bethlehem fulfilled the prophecy of Micah 5:2 But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.

Where is the Biblical evidence for celebrating the birth of Christ on December 25th? Is this the day on the calendar when Jesus was born? Does the Bible support the date of this celebration? The answer is no. Look all you want, you are not going to find it. The date of Christ’s December birth is a man made tradition unfounded in the Bible.

Christmas, December 25 is not a God Appointed Holiday.

What evidence is in the Bible for when Christ may have been born? There are some clues, but there is no definitive statement. Evidence is circumstantial.

Luke 2:8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.

The grammar of the sentence states the shepherds were living in the fields as a lifestyle. They were sleeping out in the open fields. This was not a one night campout. The word “staying” is agrauleo in the original Greek text. The verb is present tense in the Greek meaning continual action. It is defined as: to live in the fields, be under the open sky, even at night (Strong’s Concordance). If they were doing this in late December, they would have been pretty miserable.

Historically, shepherds are out of the fields past October. Grass does not grow in the winter. There is no pasture available for sheep to feed in late December. Shepherds are not in the field in late December. In the winter, shepherds are responsible for provision and feeding the animals. Often times in bad weather, sheep and shepherds would retreat to caves for protection. Sheepfolds or small buildings would also be built. These structures would keep sheep out of the wind and cold elements (Manners and Customs of Bible Lands).

Matthew 24:20 But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath…-Jesus The context of Jesus’ comments is the Olivet Discourse. He is talking about leaving Jerusalem immediately when the antichrist defiles the Temple and claims to be God. His concern is traveling conditions that are noted in the region during winter. These areas are often impassible during the winter.

Christmas celebrated on December 25th.

Accurate birthday for Jesus???? I don’t think so, but do your own homework.

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Isaiah 7:14 Born of a Virgin

Posted in Christmas, Isaiah with tags , , , , , , , , , , on December 16, 2012 by paulthepoke

Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.

The message is straight forward and not confusing in the original Hebrew… the Lord Himself will give you a sign. The Hebrew word for “sign” is ‘owth. According to Strong’s Concordance the word means:  sign, signal, a distinguishing mark, banner, remembrance, miraculous sign, omen, warning, token, ensign, standard, miracle, or proof.

Virgin, this is the word where the debate is taking place. According To Strong’s Concordance the word means the following: virgin, young woman, of marriageable age, maid or newly married. The Hebrew word is almah. The word is generally translated as young woman or maiden.

The critic would argue that since this word is not translated “virgin” elsewhere and it does not literally mean “virgin”, that it is a reach to translate the word “virgin”.

70 Jewish translators and scholars of the Bible in the 3rd century B.C. translated the word “virgin” in Isaiah 7:14. This was before the birth of Jesus. One cannot accuse the scholars of translating to fit an agenda. The concept of a “virgin” conception/birth was made at least 200 years before the world even knew of Christ.

In Matthew 1:23, the apostle quotes Isaiah 7:14. He uses the word “virgin”. The fact that Mary is a “virgin” is restated in Matthew 1:25 but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus. The grammar of verse 25 in the Greek is indicative that Joseph did not have sex with Mary until after she gave birth to Jesus.

Previously in verses 18, 20, Matthew spells out that Joseph was aware Mary was pregnant prior to their marriage and she was a virgin.

Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.

In Matthew 1:20, an angel communicates to Joseph that Mary has conceived from the Holy Spirit. Translation, she physically did not have sex and had not had sex prior to this event of conception.  But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

The name Immanuel means “God with us” or “with us is God” in the Hebrew.

In the final analysis, it does not matter what I think. It does not what anybody else thinks. What matters is what you think. Do you believe the Bible? Was a man, Jesus, who claimed to be God, born of a virgin?

Merry Christmas!

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