General News
22 December, 2024
In Good Faith
Since this will be my last letter to you before Christmas, I thought I might begin with a little trivia quiz.
1. The Bible says that Mary and Joseph travelled from Nazareth to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. What was the reason for this journey?
2. In the nearby fields, there were some shepherds tending to their sheep when the message of the birth of Jesus was delivered to them. Who delivered the message?
3. When the shepherds arrived, they found the baby Jesus laying in a manger. What is a manger?
4. It was some time later that Jesus was visited by the wise men from the East. How did the wise men find Jesus?
5. How many wise men were there?
As we once again celebrate Christmas, we will have visits from family, the feasting, the presents the vacation and all the trimmings.
So, as we enjoy the fellowship with family and friends, let us not forget the real reason why we celebrate Christmas. In the gospel of John, it says “for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”
The birth of Jesus began the fulfilling of God's plan to provide redemption for all who would accept Him and His gift of forgiveness of sin and everlasting life. Amidst all the presents that we may give and receive, let us never forget the gift from God, the most important and precious present that we could ever hope for.
And now the answers to the questions.
1. Mary and Joseph travelled to Bethlehem in response to a decree by Caesar Augustus that a
census was to be taken of the entire Roman world. This was almost certainly to facilitate the paying of
taxes to Rome.
2. The message to the shepherds was delivered by angels sent from the Lord. It would be the mission of those shepherds to become the very first eyewitnesses that would bear testimony to the world of the birth of Christ.
3. A manger is a stone stock-feed trough of a type that was commonly in use in the Middle East in those times.
4. The wise men, also known as the Magi, were almost certainly from the region of Persia. Such people at the time were highly skilled in the art of astronomy and would have recognized an abnormality in the heavens, which was the star that led them to Bethlehem. There are some astronomers today who identify that star as the planet Jupiter. It is possible that they may have been motivated by the prophecy of Number 24:17, “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel; ...” The visit by the wise men did not actually happen at Christ’s birth. It is thought that it may have in fact been up to two years later.
5. In short, we don't know. The well-known carol cites three wise men, but the Bible simply
doesn't tell us. Certainly, there were three gifts given, but the actual number of wise men remains a mystery.
May I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a happy new year.
Please stay safe over the holidays and I will see you all next year.
- DAVID YOUNG