Reason for the Christmas Season

While the chronological "Birth of Jesus" has been in debate for many years, the story of the "Nativity of Jesus" has basically remained the same. The Nativity refers to the accounts of Jesus' birth in the canonical gospels  of  Luke and Matthew, and secondarily on some apocryphal texts (such as the Gospel of James). Some Christian scholars refer to this as the "Christmas Story", while other theologians have openly stated that the birth of Jesus was not in December. And yet there are others who say there is no way of telling when the holy birth occurred, and that it really does not matter as long as the celebrations are done in the correct spirit for the right reason. Regardless of the actual date and correct time, this is the story of the Reason for the Christmas Season.

An Angel Visits Mary

Over 2,000 years ago the angel Gabriel came to a young woman named Mary and announced to her she was chosen (by the Creator) to give birth to the promised Messiah prophesied by the prophets of Judaic antiquity. She was a bit taken aback, as anyone would be, to learn such news. When Mary questioned the angel about how this could come about since she was a virgin, the angel replied, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you." Mary did not question the heavenly angel any further and accepted the will of the Great Creator. Both Christianity and Islam hold Mary in great esteem and the Qur'an has an entire section dedicated to her.  It is also commonly accepted by Christians and Muslims that the Creator implanted His seed in her supernaturally. (Luke 1:26-38)

An Angel Visits Joseph

During the same time Mary was visited by the angel Gabriel, an angel of the Lord made an appearance to Joseph (Mary's betrothed). It is not known if the angel of the Lord that visited Joseph was Gabriel or another heavenly host. When Joseph learned that Mary was with child, he had been contemplating quietly divorcing her after a length of time, as he sadly believed her to be unfaithful. But quickly changed his mind when the angel of the Lord told him, "Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit." Joseph, instantly relieved by the divine news, faithfully did as the angel had instructed and wed Mary. (Matthew 1:18-23)

The Marriage of Joseph & Mary

The biblical account of Joseph and Mary's marriage is very brief, if not a bit sketchy. Joseph took Mary as his wife and did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. This all happened to fulfill what the Lord said through his prophet Isaiah (7:14): "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son and they shall call his name Immanuel." Joseph faithfully obeyed the commandment of the Lord to marry the mother of His child and the rest of the story has been lost to ancient history. (Matthew 1:24-25)

The Journey To Bethlehem

According to the gospel of Luke, Joseph and Mary left the town of Nazareth and traveled to Bethlehem to be enumerated in the census that was issued by Caesar Augustus. The entire Roman empire had to be registered in their own town. Joseph, whose lineage was of King David, had to return to the land of his ancestors in Bethlehem [also known as the town of David.], which was in Judea.  Micah (5:2) foretold that the Messiah would  be  born  there. "But  you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”  (Luke 2:1-5)  The story is slightly different in the Gospel of James (an apocryphal text). He wrote that the Holy family did not make it to Bethlehem before Mary went into labor. Joseph had left her in a cave outside of Bethlehem and went for help. By the time he returned with a couple of  mid-wives, one whose name was Salome, Mary had already delivered the infant Jesus. (Gospel of James 17:10).

The Birth of Jesus

The most elusive part of the Nativity story is the birth of Jesus. It is recorded that Herod was king during those ancient years and that Jesus was born in a manger [possibly in a stable] because there was no more room at the Inn. Matthew 1:25 tells us Joseph gave Mary's son the name of Jesus [Immanuel] and Luke 2:6-7 states "While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them." The Gospel of James states that time momentarily  stood still  during the birth of Jesus (18:4). Where Mary actually gave birth is unknown to mankind, but according to mankind's belief, it well known that the location was in the Bethlehem vicinity.  

Heaven's Host Visit The Shepherds

The Nativity story intensifies when the Shepherds, who were keeping watch over their flocks by night, are visited by an angel of the Lord [whose light shone as bright as the glory of the Lord]. Being only human, the Shepherds were horribly terrified. However, the angel assured them not to be afraid for he was bringing 'good news'. "Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests." (Luke 2:13-14) This sudden appearance of more angels most likely startled the Shepherds even further, but they quickly hurried off and found the child. Not long after seeing the young Christ child, the Shepherds spread the word of Jesus' birth and all who heard it were amazed by the Shepherd's news.  (Luke 2: 8-20)

The Wise Men Visit, Baring Gifts

The Christmas Story reaches its climax when the Magi [Wise Men] from the East came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him." (Matthew 2:2) This news of the Magi disturbed not only King Herod, but all of Jerusalem. Herod then brought together all the chief priests and teacher's of the law to discover the location of the Savior's birthplace. Upon discovering Bethlehem was the chosen town for the holy birth, Herod coerced the Wise Men into revealing the time they saw the star appear and asked them to return with the location so that he may go worship the child, too. The Magi left Jerusalem and was overjoyed to find the bright star once more leading the way. When the star stopped over the place where the child was, the Wise Men found the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes; they bowed down and worshipped him.  Then they presented the newborn king with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Legend states that the Magi believed the infant born was to be a king, a priest or a prophet of great standing and the gifts reflected such a notion: gold for a king, frankincense for a priest and myrrh for a prophet. Soon after leaving, the Magi was warned in a dream not to return to Herod and, in compliance, they took a different route back to their countries.  (Matthew 2:1-12)

The Journey From Bethlehem Into Egypt

When the Wise Men did not return to give the king information he cunningly sought, Herod became furious and issued a decree to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity that were under two years old  [in accordance to the timeline the Magi had supplied the king] and thus fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah 31:15. This horrid episode of the Christmas Story is also known as "Slaughter of the Innocents".  Not long after the Wise Men had left, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and commanded him to leave and head into Egypt where Herod could not find them. This was another prophecy fulfilled, "Out of Egypt I called my son" (Hosea 11:1) Successfully escaping from the wrath of cruel king, Joseph, Mary and Jesus resided in Egypt until after the death of Herod. (Matthew 2: 13-18)

The Ministry and Mission of Jesus                       

The Christmas Story does not end with the birth of the infant king but is a continuation that spans throughout the lifetime of Jesus. His mission on Earth was a project pre-ordained by the Great Creator to save mankind from sin and death.  Jesus' parables, beatitudes and teachings held powerful messages and the miracles performed were intended to prove his worthy claims of being the Messiah to the skeptical society of ancient mankind.  While his chosen people turned their backs on him [save for a few worthy believers] his arrest, trial, execution and resurrection was all pre-designed by his Heavenly Father and was intended to become a road map to Salvation. Jesus' sacrifice on the cross can be considered a great gift, but his resurrection marks the ultimate fulfillment of God's formulated plan.

The Moral of the "Reason for the Christmas Season" Story

Jesus is one of the most well known figures throughout history. His story is somewhat elusive, but his mission to save a world full of sinners is inspiring.  The Shepherds came to adore him, the Wise men came to worship and present him with gifts and the angels proclaimed him to be a savior for all people. Mary and Joseph, through blind faith, believed the divine words given unto them by the Great Creator. Many would find this to be a time of spiritual cleansing, recollection and renewal, but the number one reason why Christians believe Jesus is the "reason for the season" is that Christmas is His story and He is the ultimate gift to the world. – Romans 5:15

~ WISHING ALL A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS ~