Christmas Day, December 25th, is the day that Christians celebrate the birthday of Jesus. In the Bible, the apostles Matthew and Luke provide information about the nativity but not the actual date. From the early 3rd century, his birth was an object of speculation.
Since the festivities were founded on pagan practices, December 25 was not accepted by the church that time, but may have been chosen to coincide with the winter solstice which the ancient Romans celebrated.
Who is Jesus?
Luke heralded the birth of Jesus: "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:11)
Jesus, the central figure of Christianity, was born at around 8–2 BC to 29–36 AD. He is also known as Jesus Christ, "Christ" being derived from the Greek christós, meaning the "Anointed One" which also corresponds to the Hebrew-derived "Messiah."
The name "Jesus" is an Anglicization of the Greek Iesous, itself believed to be a transliteration of the Hebrew Yehoshua or Aramaic Yeshua, which means "YHWH is salvation".
Most scholars of biblical studies and history agree to the following:
- Jesus was a Jewish teacher from Galilee
- Jesus was regarded as a healer, baptized by the evangelist John the Baptist
- Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem on orders of the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate under the accusation of sedition against the Roman Empire.
Account of Jesus's Birth
The main sources of information about Jesus' life and teachings are the first four Gospels of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
The most detailed story of Jesus' birth is contained in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Their accounts of the Nativity do not mention a date or time of year for the birth of Jesus. In Western Christianity, it has been traditionally celebrated in the liturgical season of Christmastide as Christmas on 25 December, a date that can be traced as early as 330 among Roman Christians.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea to Mary, a virgin by a miracle of the Holy Spirit. The angel Gabriel visited Mary to tell her that she was chosen to bear the Son of God (Luke 1:26–38). According to Luke, an order of Caesar Augustus forced Mary and Joseph to leave their homes in Nazareth and come to the home of Joseph's ancestors, the house of David, for the Census of Quirinius.
After Jesus was born, the couple was forced to use a manger because there was no room for them in the town's inn (Luke 2:1–7). The birth of Jesus was first announced by angels to shepherds who came to see the newborn child and subsequently publicized what they had witnessed throughout the area.
Matthew also tells of the "Wise Men" (Magi) who brought gifts to the baby Jesus after following a star which they believed was a sign that the Messiah, or King of the Jews, had been born (Matthew 2:1-12). King Herod was obviously unimpressed about the child being King of the Jews. After the birth of Jesus, the three kings trekked to Egypt through another route to escape Herod's Massacre of the innocent babies.
Christian View of Jesus
The Christian view of Jesus centers on the belief that Jesus is the Messiah as promised in the Old Testament, that he was resurrected after he died on a cross. Christians believe that Jesus is God, the Son, who became incarnate to provide salvation and to reconcile humanity with God by atoning sins by his death.
Some Christians who do not believe in the Trinity profess other interpretations regarding the divinity of Jesus. Other common Christian beliefs include his Virgin Birth, miracles, fulfilment of biblical prophecy, ascension into heaven, and the second coming.
Readers may also want to check out the articles Nativity Quotes from the Bible and History of Christmas Celebration
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