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Bible Questions Answered:
“...is
December 25th the actual date of Christ's birth?...”
Delmar/
San Francisco, California U.S.A.
Bible Answer:
Bible Texts:
We
simply do not know. December 25th was a pagan holiday. The
Roman holiday Saturnalia, honored the god of Saturn, an agricultural
deity. The holiday was celebrated from December 17th –
25th.
Christians, refused such a holiday by the Romans, but thought, rather
to celebrate the birth of
The
Savior instead.
Christmas
was not officially celebrated until under Roman Emperor Constantine
in 336 A.D.
Early
Christians, refused any celebration, thinking it too much akin to
pagan celebrations.
Fires
and food, and drink, merrymaking, gifts and decorations, all spoke
too much like heathen Roman holidays.
A
Promised Savior:
Isaiah
7:14 KJV
Therefore
The Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall
conceive, and bear A Son, and shall call His name Emmanuel.
Isaiah
9:6,7 KJV
6
For unto us A Child is born, unto us A Son is given: and the
government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called
Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The
Prince Of Peace.
7 Of
the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon
the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to
establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for
ever. The zeal of The Lord Of Hosts will perform this.
Isaiah
40:1-11 KJV
1
Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God.
2
Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare
is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received
of The Lord's hand double for all her sins.
3
The voice of Him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of
The Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4
Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be
made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough
places plain:
5
And the glory of The Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see
it together: for the mouth of The Lord hath spoken it.
6
The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is
grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
7
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because
The
Spirit Of The Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
8
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but The Word Of Our God shall
stand for ever.
9 O
Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain;
O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with
strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah,
Behold your God!
10
Behold, The Lord God will come with strong hand, and His arm shall
rule for Him: behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before
Him.
11
He shall feed His flock like A Shepherd: He shall gather the lambs
with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead
those that are with young.
Micah
5:2 KJV
But
thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands
of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be
Ruler In Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from
everlasting.
Matthew
1:18-25 KJV
18
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as His mother
Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found
with Child Of The Holy Ghost.
19
Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make
her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.
20
But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord
appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear
not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in
her is of The Holy Ghost.
21
And she shall bring forth A Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus:
for He shall save His people from their sins.
22
Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of
The Lord by the prophet, saying,
23
Behold, a virgin shall be with Child, and shall bring forth A Son,
and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is,
God with us.
24
Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had
bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
25
And knew her not till she had brought forth her Firstborn Son: and he
called his name Jesus.
Matthew
2:1-12 KJV
1
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod
the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2
Saying, Where is He that is born King Of The Jews? for we have seen
His star in the east, and are come to worship Him.
3
When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all
Jerusalem with him.
4
And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the
people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5
And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is
written by the prophet,
6
And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the
princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall
rule My people Israel.
7
Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them
diligently what time the star appeared.
8
And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for
The Young Child; and when ye have found Him, bring me word again,
that I may come and worship Him also.
9
When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which
they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over
where The Young Child was.
10
When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
11
And when they were come into the house, they saw
The
Young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshiped Him:
and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him
gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.
12
And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to
Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
Luke
1:26-38,39-45,46-55,67-79 KJV
26
And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a
city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27
To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of
David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
28
And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly
favored, The Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29
And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her
mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30
And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found
favor with God.
31
And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth A Son,
and shalt call His name Jesus.
32
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son Of The Highest: and
The Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David:
33
And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His
kingdom there shall be no end.
34
Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a
man?
35
And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come
upon thee, and the Power Of The Highest shall overshadow thee:
therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be
called The Son Of God.
36
And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in
her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called
barren.
37
For with God nothing shall be impossible.
38
And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of The Lord; be it unto me
according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
39
And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with
haste, into a city of Judea;
40
And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
41
And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of
Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with The
Holy Ghost:
42
And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among
women, and blessed is The Fruit Of thy womb.
43
And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to
me?
44
For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears,
the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45
And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of
those things which were told her from
The
Lord.
46
And Mary said, My soul doth magnify The Lord,
47
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
48
For He hath regarded the low estate of His handmaiden: for, behold,
from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49
For He that is Mighty hath done to me great things; and Holy is His
name.
50
And His mercy is on them that fear Him from generation to generation.
51
He hath shewed strength with His arm; He hath scattered the proud in
the imagination of their hearts.
52
He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low
degree.
53
He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich He hath sent
empty away.
54
He hath helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy;
55
As He spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to His seed for ever.
67
And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and
prophesied, saying,
68
Blessed be The Lord God Of Israel; for He hath visited and redeemed
His people,
69
And hath raised up an Horn Of Salvation for us in the house of His
servant David;
70
As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, which have been since
the world began:
71
That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all
that hate us;
72
To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember His
holy covenant;
73
The oath which He swear to our father Abraham,
74
That He would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand
of our enemies might serve Him without fear,
75
In holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life.
76
And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of The Highest: for thou
shalt go before the face of The Lord to prepare His ways;
77
To give knowledge of salvation unto His people by the remission of
their sins,
78
Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby The Day spring From On
High hath visited us,
79
To give Light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of
death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Luke
2:1-20 KJV
1
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from
Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
2
(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3
And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth,
into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem;
(because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5 To
be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were
accomplished that she should be delivered.
7
And she brought forth her Firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling
clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them
in the inn.
8
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field,
keeping watch over their flock by night.
9
And, lo, the angel of The Lord came upon them, and the glory of The
Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good
tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11
For unto you is born this day in the city of David
A
Savior, which is Christ The Lord.
12
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find The Babe wrapped in
swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly
host praising God, and saying,
14
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward
men.
15
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into
heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto
Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which The Lord
hath made known unto us.
16
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and The Babe
lying in a manger.
17
And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which
was told them concerning this Child.
18
And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told
them by the shepherds.
19
But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
20
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the
things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
John
1:14 KJV
And
The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His
glory, the glory as of The Only Begotten Of The Father,) full of
Grace and Truth.
John
3:16 KJV
For
God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting
Life.
Romans
6:23 KJV
For
the wages of sin is death; but The Gift Of God is eternal Life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Galatians
4:4,5 KJV
4
But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son,
made of a woman, made under the law,
5 To
redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the
adoption of sons.
I
Timothy 1:15-17 KJV
15
This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
16
Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus
Christ might shew forth all long suffering, for a pattern to them
which should hereafter believe on Him to Life everlasting.
17
Now unto The King Eternal, Immortal, Invisible, The Only Wise God, be
honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Prayer:
Romans
5:7,8 KJV
7 For scarcely for a
righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some
would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth
His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us.
Romans 6:23 KJV
“For the wages of sin
is death; but The Gift Of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ
our Lord.”
Hark!
The Herald Angels Sing
"Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!"
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"
Refrain
Hark!
the herald angels sing,
"Glory
to the newborn King!"
Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.
Refrain
Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Refrain
Words: Charles Wesley, Hymns and Sacred Poems
1739, alt.
Music: Mendelssohn
Hear the music, copy and paste this URL into your web
browser and hit enter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hRq3vy7I-4
