The Real Christmas Story

Christmas is not just a time to celebrate Santa Claus and presents, family and friends, lights and Christmas trees, but its a time to celebrate the real meaning of Christmas which is the birth of Jesus Christ. The Christmas story is told in the book of Luke in the Bible. I have copied and pasted the following verses from BibleGateway from the book of Luke. Read the TRUE Christmas story and then my commentary will follow. The actual verses are in bold form and my commentary is in the regular font.

Luke 2:1-20

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

Caesar Augustus was the emperor of the Roman Empire from 31 BC to 14 AD.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 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 room for them in the inn.

The decree issued was for every man to go back to their homeland to register for a census, or just an approx. number of people living in one area. While they were in the town of Bethlehem, just 5 miles from Israel, Joseph and Mary gave birth to a Son. An angel had appeared to Mary before this and had revealed to Mary she would have a son and would name him Jesus. Mary, a virgin, had never conceived a child before; in her culture, to be a virgin and to be pregnant was very embarassing and appalling.

But the angel appeared and said she would have a Son. And she did when she went with Joseph to register for his census. When it came time for the baby to be born, Mary and Joseph came upon an inn which would be a good place to stop and have the baby. However, the inn had no vacancy. Mary and Joseph were forced to shelter in an outside barn (or a cave/dwelling for animals). While in the shelter Mary gave birth to Jesus, the Savior of all the nations. She placed Jesus in a manger.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Finally, the three sheperds were told by an angel of Jesus' birth. The sheperds, although most would argue that they were not sheperds but astrologers from the East, made their way to the manager where Jesus was born by the bright Bethlehem Star. Much has been researched about the Bethlehem Star, one questioning stating how could a star remain still over the town of Bethlehem so the sheperds could make their way to the manager? Much study has been done by a lawyer named Fred Larson. He has researched for years this subject of the Bethlehem Star. His research concludes that Jupiter and Venus came amazingly close to each other right at the time of Jesus birth. By this doesn't explain how the stars stopped? Yes it does by the fact that Jupiter was in it's circular motion stage. In this stage a planet makes a circle, looking like a very thin halo. As Jupiter did this motion, when the planet turned a corner of the halo, it briefly stopped. We can draw a picture of this in our head. Picture it. Jupiter rounding a corner and appearing to stop or slow down durastically. Well Venus just happen to be at this point causing Jupiter and Venus to almost touch, but instead, making it one of the brightest stars ever. Do you see the symbolism God paints in the sky on this night? Venus, the mother planet, joining with Jupiter, the King Planet. Fred Larson has made some every interesting points from the Bible and the Bethlehem Star on his website, I invite you to look it. Its fascinating!

So that is the REAL meaning of Christmas. Although all the other add-ons such as Santa Claus and everything are very fun and enjoyable, we must never forget that the true meaning of Christmas is the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and God Bless you and your family as you enter the holiday season!

Jesus is the Reason for the Season!

Thanks for reading an Merry Christmas!

JohnB0127

My website: www.NorthTexasLuxury.com
Twitter: @JIBurg4