From my family, I would like to greet each one of you a blessed Christmas! In their December 13, 2004 issue, exactly 5 years ago, Newsweek came up with a cover story about “The Birth of Jesus.”[1] Its subtitle was “From Mary to the manger, how the Gospels mix faith and history to tell the Christmas story and make the case for Christ.” In that article, Newsweek’s managing editor and writer, John Meacham, wrote this: “Just how [Jesus] became flesh is the business of Christmas. If we dissect the stories with care, we can see that the Nativity saga is neither fully fanciful nor fully factual but a layered narrative of early tradition and enduring theology”. In other words, our Christmas story is an odd mix of fancy and facts. Though Newsweek did not say it is not entirely bizarre, it asserted that the story about the birth of Jesus was not entirely based on facts.
After Newsweek came out, that same month and year, on Christmas Eve 2004 Larry King in his TV program over CNN Larry King Live discussed “Who was Jesus?” John Meacham was one of the panelists. He made this startling statement: “I think there is a difference between history and theology… things don’t have to be accurate to be true.” I agree with the response of another guest, Pastor John MacArthur, Jr. “I think that’s a frightening statement, to say things don’t have to be accurate to be true. I mean, now you’ve just said there’s no such thing as truth, or that truth can’t be verified, or that truth isn’t absolute, or the truth isn’t historic.” How can something be true when it is not factual? How can it be true when it is not historical? When it did not happen at all? If it is true, it has to be factual. If it is true, it has to be historical. Faith has to be based on facts of history or it is not true faith at all. Yes, my belief does not make it true. But, it is true that’s why I believe it.
Let us look at the first Christmas as it is described in Luke 2:8-20, when the shepherds met the Shepherd. In verse 7 we see that Mary just gave birth to Jesus. “And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”[2] It was such a humble coming! Here’s the Lord wrapped in strips of rags to keep Him warm and He had a feeding box for animals as His crib. He was born in a lowly stable in an obscure town. The Lord’s HUMBLE COMING tells us more about His GLORY than any spectacle ever can.[3]
In questioning whether the account of the birth of Christ is historical or not, Newsweek quoted John Meier, a Catholic priest and professor at Notre Dame. In his book, “A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus,” Meier “points out that there is no convincing evidence Jesus himself ever spoke of his birth, and neither Mary nor Joseph (who is not a figure in the years of Jesus’ public life) appears to have been a direct source.” What Meier was saying is that the Gospels took the story of the birth of Jesus from second-hand sources and not from first-hand testimony. In other words, the Gospel nativity story was based on hearsay and not from history. I beg to disagree. Look at verse 19: “But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” If we go down to verse 51 we also read: “And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.” Why would Luke note that in his Gospel account? This is an indication that she was “a primary source for the writing of Luke”.[4] So, Newsweek was wrong. The story of the birth of Jesus is based on direct sources or testimonies. Luke did his research.
Verse 8 tells us: “And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.” There are people today who claim that we should not celebrate Christmas because they doubt whether it was really December 25. They argue that shepherds allegedly did not really go out during the winter. “Some scholars feel that the sheep were usually brought under cover from November to March; as well, they were not normally in the field at night.”[5] So, they do not want to observe Christmas. I just wonder why those who question Christmas still receive their Christmas bonuses. I mean the company gave those bonuses because of the season. So if they disagree with the reason for the season, they might as well refuse the expressions of the season.
Seriously, the claim that shepherds did not go out in the field at night has no basis at all. “There is no hard evidence for this. In fact, early Jewish sources suggest that the sheep around Bethlehem were outside year-round. So you can see, December 25th fits both tradition and the biblical narrative well. There is no sound objection to it.”[6] The fact that we cannot know exactly the date of Christmas does not in any way mean that we cannot celebrate Christmas.
My best friend thought all along that he was born August 22, 1967. That was what his adoptive parents told him. But when he was applying for his passport, he was surprised that he did not even have a birth certificate. The only document on record to prove his legal existence was a certificate of foundling. It was a good thing the Department of Foreign Affairs granted him a passport. But since the certificate only said that he was found “sometime in February 1967,” his passport says in his birthday, “February 1967.” His adoptive parents are both dead already. So, he cannot verify anymore. The fact that he cannot know exactly the date of his birthday does not in any way mean that he cannot celebrate it. By the way, he still holds his birthday party on August 22. It’s the same thing with Christmas.
God gave the lowly shepherds the great privilege to know about the birth of the Savior. During that time there was a worldwide event. Luke 2:1-2 tells us, “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.” Yet, the shepherds were just going about their usual business. I don’t think they did not know about the census. But people considered them so insignificant during those times that they did not bother to become part of the census. They didn’t matter at all. In “The Words and Works of Jesus Christ,” Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost wrote, “These were most unlikely recipient of such a revelation, for shepherds were despised as a class because they were unable to observe the customary laws of purification. They were considered unclean. They had not been schooled in the law and therefore were considered ignorant.”
The shepherds were about to settle for a simple evening. Suddenly, it was no longer a silent night. Verses 9-14 describe that awesome moment. “And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!’”
It became as bright as the noonday. It was such a spectacle. During those, whenever a ruler would celebrate his birthday, the people would also proclaim the benefits of his birth.[7] That’s what the angels declared: “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord… Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” They proclaimed the lasting benefits of the birth of the true Ruler.
Keep in mind that at that time the nation Israel was a conquered nation. Rome ruled it with an iron grip. There was much oppression. But the angels proclaimed the blessings of His coming. In a world that is uncertain then and now, He brought and will always bring peace. In a world that is so depressing, He brought and will always bring great joy. In a world where people seek their own glory, we ought to bring glory to God.
And the shepherds witnessed it first-hand. Verse 15 tells us, “When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.’” Note the supporting clause: “which the Lord has made known to us.” All over the empire, of all people, the Lord chose to make known this good news to this group of shepherds. God did not make known His coming to the emperor or the governor. The Great Shepherd chose the lowly shepherds. He did not choose to reveal His coming in the great halls of the empire. He chose to announce it to the shepherds somewhere out there in the field.
You may be asking, “Where were the wise men?” They weren’t even there that night. Though we usually see them in nativity scenes, but in reality they arrived about two years later. Only the shepherds were there to witness the coming of the Lord. Only the shepherds saw that glorious display. No media frenzy. Not even the high and mighty in Israel learned of his birth. They only knew it when the wise men visited about two years later.
What the world considered unimportant the Lord considered important. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 tell us, “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” In His humble coming, the Lord brought before Him a humble audience. His humble coming tells us more about His glory than any spectacle ever can.
Verse 16 notes that “they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.” They rushed to obey without question. We tend to question and not obey at all. Delayed obedience is disobedience. But the shepherds “went with haste” to meet the Shepherd. And then “when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them… And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.”[8] Note the words “they made known.” They did not just tell Joseph and Mary about it. They told anyone and everyone they met after that glorious event. In His humble coming, the Lord commissioned a humble group of messengers to deliver His great news. Just like Moses in the wilderness, the Lord made that field His holy ground and He chose the shepherds as His holy messengers. Someone wrote, “These shepherds, who belonged to a class of society banned from bearing testimony in the courtroom, were the ones God chose to bear witness to the birth of His Son.”[9] The ancient world would not even receive their testimony. But God chose them to testify about Him.
We may think we are just a bunch of “nobodies.” We may even think we are insignificant. But God can make us His messenger. This Christmas I pray that we will talk to people about the good news. We don’t need to impress people with our credentials. We just need to point them to our Christ. In the midst of this crisis, we can still proclaim, “Christ is!” It is because the Lord’s humble coming tells us more about His glory than any spectacle ever can.
Let us pray…
[1]http://www.newsweek.com/id/56062
[2]Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[3]Adapted from Inquirer Editorial, April 16, 2009. See also http://straightfrompastor.blogspot.com/2009/11/no-wang-wang.html
[4]Wayne Grudem, gen. ed., “ESV Study Bible” (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1952.
[5]Daniel Wallace, “The Birth of Jesus Christ: The Day Jesus Was Born.” Available from http://bible.org/
[6]Ibid.
[7]Robert Deffinbaugh, “Luke: The Gospel to the Gentiles.” Available from http://bible.org/
[8]Vv. 17-18, 20.
[9]Deffinbaugh.
