Time with Jesus - 25 Dec 2013
Hi all,
Today is the day Christians
celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. 25th December. We have done
this for more years than we can tell. Indeed, the date goes back into
antiquity. It was the date on which pagans celebrated the winter solstice in
Europe. This year our summer solstice was on 22nd December, the day
corresponding with the winter solstice in Europe. It was the day in Europe in which
the sun was “reborn” and began the journey from winter to summer. It was a very
important pagan festival.
The conversion of Constantine to Christianity
is often celebrated as a great victory for Christianity over the pagans. In
some respects it was. However the down side was catastrophe for true
Christians. A few moments of thought should convince you why. Assume for a
moment you were a priest or priestess in one of the many pagan temples throughout
the Roman world. Yesterday you had a good “job”. The “deity” you served and
whom others worshipped in your temple provided you with a good living and security.
When you got up this morning, by Constantine’s decision, you were a priest no
longer. What were you to do? No prizes for saying you would immediately decide
that you would be a Christian priest. The fact that there were no Christian priests
and no Christian temples mattered little to you. So you would continue doing
more or less exactly what you had been doing.
“This temple is now a Christian temple”
you would say. You would call your congregation “Christians” and go on your way
rejoicing. There would be very few people who could gainsay you.
Let’s follow this scenario a little
further. In the past, your “deity” would have required that you and your people
celebrate the winter solstice. The date is more or less cast in concrete. To
solve your immediate problem, you would meet together with other former pagan
priests and work out a way whereby you could “Christianise” the winter solstice.
No doubt you would do the same sort of thing with the celebration of fertility
and other important events on your annual list of feasts and festivals. It
wouldn’t be very long before there were an overwhelming number of former pagan
priests doing much the same thing.
Your biggest challenge would be to
solve the problem associated with the celebration of the winter solstice. What
Christian celebration should be used to coincide with this “big day” in your religious
life? You would probably have scratched your head and said, ‘”It’s a “canackler”.
(Since my father wouldn’t be born for another ±1600 years, no one could tell
them what a canackler was) Anyway, since many important people and deities
celebrated their birthday annually, why not settle on a day to celebrate Jesus’
birthday. Now since your background was paganism, you would not have realised that
with a small bit of Biblical research, you could establish the approximate day
on which Jesus was born. Your “chommies” would have told you what a clever
fellow you are and in no time at all the Christian world would celebrate Jesus’
birthday on 25th December every year. Eventually the date would be
so entrenched into the Christian calendar; no one would even suspect that the
date was wrong. (You and I would not be on the scene for another ±1700 years so
why worry?)
Today, we are a wee bit wiser. Luke’s
birth narrative gives us the month of Jesus’ birth. We are told 5 When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the
priestly order of Abijah, and his wife,
Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron. Luke 1:5 NLT
Now this wouldn’t seem important if
it wasn’t for a passage of Scripture in 1 Chronicles 24. 3 With the help of Zadok, who was a descendant of Eleazar, and of Ahimelech, who was a descendant of Ithamar,
David divided Aaron's descendants into groups according to their various duties.
- 6 Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite,
acted as secretary and wrote down the names and assignments in the presence of
the king, the officials, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the
family leaders of the priests and Levites. The
descendants of Eleazar and Ithamar took turns casting lots. - 10 The seventh lot fell to Hakkoz. The eighth lot fell to Abijah. 1 Chronicles
24:3, 6 & 10 NLT
This means that Zechariah was in
the temple in the fourth month of the Jewish calendar. That was when Elizabeth conceived
John. 6 months later, Mary conceived Jesus. Thus Jesus was born 15 months after
John’s conception. This would have been at the time of the Jewish Feast of
Tabernacles. i.e. late September or early October according to our calendar. Incidentally,
to this day, the Jews expect their Messiah to come at the feast of Tabernacles.
Now that we all know when He was
born, should we refuse to celebrate Christmas on 25th December? I
can’t speak for you.
However, I do know British monarchs have an official birthday.
It doesn’t coincide with their actual birthday. So if we regard 25th
December as His official birthday, we are at liberty to celebrate His actual
birthday at the Feast of Tabernacles. That’s what Phyllida and I do. We also
know that the date more or less coincides with the European winter solstice. So
we let sleeping dogs lie. Of course if you don’t want to use 25th
December as His official birthday, do me a favour, tell me what you will say to
your children and grandchildren?
Today we meditate on the birth of
Jesus Christ. I’ve tried to brush aside all our commercial claptrap and present
the stark truth of what is likely to have happened. Pray God this “reality”
will never happen to your girlfriend, wife or daughters.
Shalom,
Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus – 25 December 2013
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
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©
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These
devotionals are the intellectual property of Jim Strickland and copyright
protected. You are welcome to copy and
distribute them to anyone provided it is for non-commercial Christian purposes |
©
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THE BIRTH OF JESUS
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6 For a Child is born to us, a Son is given
to us. The government will rest on His shoulders. And He will be called:
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
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Isaiah 9:6 NLT
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"We've got to go to Bethlehem", said Joseph
to his wife.
"But
it's so far to travel and there is brand new life
Developing
inside me. Please Joseph, can't I stay?
For Nazareth
to Bethlehem's a hundred miles away!
I really
shouldn't travel. The birth's so very near!
How can I
walk or even ride?" "We have no choice my dear,
For Caesar
has commanded that taxes we must pay.
Those who
don't go to their towns, they've guaranteed to slay.
I know it
won't be easy, but if we take it slow
And, if I
take good care of you, we'll all be safe I know."
She carried
on protesting but still Joseph prepared
And very soon
they both set off, uncomfortable and scared.
The journey
was a nightmare for she could hardly ride.
The movement
of the donkey would jolt the child inside.
So, often she
dismounted and simply had to walk,
Which made
her so exhausted that she could hardly talk.
They
travelled in the mornings before the midday heat
Had scorched
the barren dusty road and burned her aching feet.
They rested
when the sun was high; somewhere in the shade,
And travelled
on at evening both desperately afraid
That she
would start with labour. At night they just lay down
And slept
upon the barren road which led toward their town.
Sometimes the
opportunity to ride on someone's cart
Gave a needed
respite. But then she'd have to start
And carry on
the journey in agony and pain,
Longing for
another chance for her to rest again.
For Joseph,
it was terrible, for what else could he do?
He had to
keep on hurrying to see the journey through.
Himself, he
was much older. She was so very young.
To keep her
going like this was something that just stung.
He also knew
that time was short and that her time was near,
So had to
keep on travelling in spite of all his fear.
Thus he was
in the middle and torn apart with pain;
The thought
of what might happen kept churning in his brain.
And though he
didn't show it, it cut him to the heart
Fearing with
each step she took her labour pains would start.
How long the
journey took them we cannot know for sure.
Perhaps it
took a fortnight. What woman can endure
The prospect
of a journey like this when great with child?
Perhaps it
was her tender age that helped her through the trial.
The distance
seemed forever. Each step a jarring jolt.
Be it on
foot, or on a cart, or riding on a colt,
The physical
exhaustion kept coming on in waves.
The rightful
Royal family kept moving on like slaves!
At last, there in the distance they sighted Bethlehem.
But then the
thing they greatly feared came up to smother them.
The shooting
pains of labour induced by what they'd done
Made them
both feel desperate. The birth had now begun.
"God
help us both!" said Joseph. "I'm going on ahead.
I've got to
find a place for you. Somewhere to lay your head."
He hurried
forward frantically. She plodded on behind.
"There
has to be a place for us. A spot where we can find
Somewhere for
the delivery. A house, a room, an Inn.
Anywhere
for privacy; Some spot to shelter in.
The first
place which he came to he knew would have to do.
Then just
around the corner an Inn came into view.
He rushed
into the courtyard to find to his dismay,
That all the
rooms were occupied. There didn't seem a way
For him to
find vacancy. "O God, where can I go?"
This added
complication was just another blow,
That jarred
him to the very core; and then he saw a place,
Among the
cattle droppings, which filled him with distaste.
The floor was
filthy dirty. It made him want to weep.
But naught
else was available and so he tried to sweep
The dung and
other droppings away so she could lie,
Upon a bed he
made for her for now her time was nigh.
She staggered
to the courtyard and fell upon the straw.
The pain of
the contractions enveloped her once more.
And then at
last it happened and she cried out with pain.
The time had
come... A mighty push... and then the baby came.
The moment
they'd been waiting for, at last it had arrived.
The miracle
to both of them was that they had survived.
Poor Joseph
looked so helpless. What was he now to do?
The birth was
in the courtyard for anyone to view.
He hovered in
embarrassment his countenance perplexed.
What was the
proper thing to do and what would happen next?
But Mary was
delivered. At last she seemed at peace.
It may have
been in public, but here was the release,
From all the
fearful struggling and all the pain and hurt.
She and the
babe seemed comfortable in spite of all the dirt.
He handed her
a swaddling cloth in which to wrap the child.
Then looked; He
saw a feeding trough, in which straw was piled.
The animals
had left it and though it seemed quite rough,
There wasn't
an alternative and there was room enough.
So there he
placed the infant upon that bed of straw;
A manger,
standing in the yard on that disgusting floor,
Is where he laid
the baby. That's how God's Son was born;
A probable
reflection of that first Christmas morn.
The agony and
heartbreak of what is written here,
Is truer than
the fairy tale so many hold so dear.
The
artificial Christmas cards so often we receive,
Are just a
vain concoction men want us to believe.
The truth is
far more painful and shows that God regards,
Our thinking
of what should be as broken, splintered shards.
So as you
come to Christmas with all the celebration,
Think about
the way it was. Use your imagination,
To understand
what happened. A little teenage girl
Was treated
like an outcast and not some tender pearl.
For as you
think about it, it's sure to change your mind,
About the
Christmas story and all the junk you find,
Described
upon your calendars your cards and at your feasts.
God chose as
his place of birth, a spot among the beasts,
To come and
bring salvation. Let this truth settle in.
For he came
here to save our world from wickedness and sin.
And as you
think about it, it ought to change your ways
For Christmas
to be meaningful, not just a holiday.
Jim Strickland – Written 1986
