Questions of Christmas lesson 3

  1. The genealogy differences of Luke 3 and Matthew 1 how to reconcile them?
  2. The value of Christmas being celebrated by Christians today, does it matter?
  3. Virgin Birth of Jesus and the Biblical evidence of it, what impact does it have?
  4. Was the star in the east a miracle that the magi followed?
  5. What were the days, months and years of events of the Christmas in sequence?
  6. Should believers use the Nativity or other Christmas symbols like trees to celebrate?

 

  1. What were the days, months and years of events of the Christmas in sequence?
  2. When did the dates for Christmas get established and who set it in place?
  3. Is there Scripture support for honoring Christmas?

Answers:When did the dates for Christmas get established and who set it in place?. –There is no date given in Scripture however the taxing by Cyrene. “While the month and date of Jesus’ birth are unknown, by the early-to-mid 4th century, the Western Christian Church had placed Christmas on December 25, a date later adopted in the East, although some churches celebrate on the December 25 of the older Julian calendar, which, in the Gregorian calendar, currently corresponds to January 7, the day after the Western Christian Church celebrates the Epiphany. The date of Christmas may have initially been chosen to correspond with the day exactly nine months after the day on which early Christians believed that Jesus was conceived,[25][26] or with one or more ancient polytheistic festivals that occurred near southern solstice (i.e., the Roman winter solstice);[27][28] a further solar connection has been suggested because of a biblical verse[a] identifying Jesus as the “Sun of righteousness.”-Wikipedia –“There are Orthodox Churches in the United States that recognize the holiday dates according to the Julian calendar, for example the Russian, Ukrainian, and Serbian Orthodox Churches. Christmas is still on December 25 in the Julian calendar so the January 7 date is only valid between 1901 and 2100. The Gregorian date for Orthodox Christmas will be January 8 in 2101 if the Julian calendar is still used.

The Julian calendar was revised in 1923 and this version is more in line with the Gregorian calendar. Some Orthodox churches follow the revised Julian calendar but many Orthodox churches still follow the more traditional Julian calendar, which has the original dates for Christian observances prior to the Gregorian calendar’s introduction.

According to the Orthodox Church in America, many Americans of Orthodox Christian faith celebrate Christmas according to the revised Julian calendar.”-timeanddate.com

  1. Is there Scriptural support for honoring Christmas? For the Christians to have their faith established, the Father sent the Son. Those who would narrow Christmas to nothing more than a day not a time of reverence for the Lord are making the birth insignificant. “Christmas is a popular December holiday celebrated by large numbers of people all around the world. It has long been known as the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, which occurred over 2,000 years ago. However, not all who celebrate the holiday do so with Jesus’ birth in mind. In fact, there are many traditions associated with Christmas that actually began as a part of pagan culture.

The exact date of Jesus’ birth is unknown, as the Bible does not give specifics as to the dates of either His birth or conception. But in the second century A.D., a Roman Christian historian named Sextus Julius Africanus calculated Jesus’ birthdate to be December 25 (nine months after Africanus believed Jesus was conceived). In spite of the assumptions made in Africanus’s line of thinking, the date was widely accepted.

At that time, Roman culture already celebrated a holiday on December 25: Saturnalia, the winter solstice. This tradition honored Saturn, the god of agriculture, and was celebrated with merriment, feasting, and gift giving. When Rome eventually instituted Christianity as the state religion in the fourth century, the Roman church converted Saturnalia to a Christian holiday in order to commemorate Jesus’ birth. Christians have celebrated it as such ever since.

The question then becomes, “Since Christmas has its origins in pagan traditions, is it acceptable for Christians to celebrate it?” The fact remains that, although Christmas has some associations with a secular holiday, Christians still celebrate it to remember the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It may be a matter of conscience for some, for as Paul states in 1 Corinthians 10:23: “‘Everything is permissible’—but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible’—but not everything is constructive.” There are many others who believe the holiday has been redeemed due to the deeper meaning it has been given. These individuals continue to celebrate Christmas based on Paul’s words further on in the passage: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (verse 31).”

Recommended Resources: The Case for Christmas by Lee Strobel and Logos Bible Software

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