God’s Word Is Alive

Jesus Christ​—Little Baby or Reigning King?

DURING the Christmas season many persons think of Jesus simply as a little baby in a manger. Scenes are displayed of “wise men” bringing gifts to a newborn babe. People say that it was at this season of the year that Jesus was born. Is this what the Bible says?

Why not open your Bible and see what it actually does say. Read carefully Luke 2:1-20 and Matthew 2:1-16. Now, does the Bible not say that shepherds were in the fields taking care of their flocks when Jesus was born? Since December in Palestine was the rainy, cold season, it is not likely that shepherds would be out-of-doors with their flocks at that time of year.

Notice, too, that this was the time of the registration when the people were required to travel to their home city to register. It certainly is not likely that the Roman rulers would require a people that were already inclined to revolt against them to make that trip to register in the dead of winter. Other evidence, too, proves that Jesus was not born at Christmastime. (See page 10.)

Did you also note that when the so-called wise men brought him gifts, Jesus no longer was a babe in a manger? The Bible says that “when they went into the house they saw the young child with Mary its mother.” (Matthew 2:11) Who really were these “wise men” that were guided, not by the instructions of an angel, but by a star? They were Magi, or astrologers. And although astrology is popular among many people, God condemns it.​—Isaiah 47:12-15.

As the Bible record shows, those astrologers were not at first directed by the star to Jesus in Bethlehem but to murderous King Herod in Jerusalem. Now, if God had used the star to guide the astrologers, would he have directed them first to Jerusalem so that they would come in contact with that dangerous king? Obviously not!

When the star finally led the astrologers to Jesus, God stepped in and warned those men in a dream not to go back to Herod. God thereby saved the life of Jesus. How do we know? Because when Herod learned that the astrologers had fled without reporting to him, he sought to kill Jesus. But by then God had provided for Jesus’ escape. So that star was actually a scheme of Satan the Devil to have Jesus killed!

It is also a scheme of the Devil today to try to make people think of Jesus only as a helpless baby. But he is not! Before Jesus was born, the angel Gabriel told his mother regarding him: “He will rule as king . . . and there will be no end of his kingdom.” (Luke 1:33) Jesus Christ is now ruling as a mighty king in heaven, and if we are to receive life under his Kingdom rule it is vital that we recognize this fact.​—Isaiah 9:6, 7.

[Picture on page 8]

What is there about this scene that is not accurate?

[Pictures on page 9]

The “wise men” followed a star​—where did it come from?

In what way do you view Jesus?

Was Jesus Born on December 25?

Probably most people believe that he was. What does the evidence show?

Why not examine the subject of “Christmas” in an encyclopedia? It likely will show the origin of Christmas, and how the date December 25 was chosen as Jesus’ birthday. Each year many publications are presenting this information. The following comments are from magazines published just last December.

Frontier, a publication of Frontier Airlines, observed: “To the early Christians, birthdays were a pagan custom. It was unthinkable to celebrate one’s own birthday, much less the birthday of Christ. It was sacrilege to even suggest that a Divine Being had a birthday.

“In the next 300 years this attitude began to change, and in 354 A.D., the Bishop of Rome declared December 25 to be the anniversary of the birth of Christ.”

These Times, an Adventist publication, noted: “For some time before the coming of Christianity, December 25 was a time of pagan celebration . . . Emperor Aurelian (A.D. 270-275) quickly capitalized upon the heathen worship of the sun and, in the year A.D. 274, officially declared December 25 as the birthday of the Unconquered Sun . . . In A.D. 354, two years following the end of Saint Julius’ reign, the new Roman bishop, Liberius, ordered all his people to celebrate December 25 as the correct day of Christ’s birth.”

Yes, December 25 was adopted as Jesus’ birthday from pagan celebrations, as U.S. Catholic explains: “The Romans’ favorite festival was Saturnalia, which began on December 17 and ended with the ‘birthday of the unconquered sun’ (Natalis solis invicti) on December 25. Somewhere in the second quarter of the fourth century, savvy officials of the church of Rome decided December 25 would make a dandy day to celebrate the birthday of the ‘sun of righteousness.’ Christmas was born.” The article continues: “It is impossible to separate Christmas from its pagan origins.”

When learning these facts about Christmas, how have some been affected? The World Book Encyclopedia observed under “Christmas”: “During the 1600’s, because of these feelings, Christmas was outlawed in England and in parts of the English colonies in America.”

It should not be surprising, therefore, that informed Christians today do not celebrate Christmas.