10 Things You Didn't Realise About Christmas
We all know the outline of the story. Right? We know about the shepherds, the angels, the 'Wise Men', the star, the innkeeper, the long journey of Mary and Joseph, the baby in the manger. How much of what we know is tradition and how much comes from the Bible?
Along with every Christmas season arrives the nativity plays, movies and songs as we remember that significant day in human history. We all know the outline of the story. Right? We know about the shepherds, the angels, the “Wise Men”, the star, the innkeeper, the long journey of Mary and Joseph, the baby in the manger, the gold, frankincense and the myrrh.
How much of what we know is tradition and how much comes from the Bible? How well do you know the Christmas story?
1. Did Joseph really walk while Mary rode a donkey?
Images in many children’s Bible and books show Mary on a donkey with Joseph beside her. They could have been on two different donkeys, they might have had a camel, they could have had horses or they could have even simply walked all the way. The Bible doesn’t say.
2. Jesus probably did not have animals surrounding Him.
I always got the image from drawing and cartoon that a manger was just another word for a stable or where animals were kept. It’s not. A manger is a feeding trough. It’s where the animals literally eat from. Most mangers in the New Testament times were made from stone. Probably not wood.
Surrounding the feeding trough, there might have been a stable or a barn. That’s our assumption but the Bible doesn’t mention it or the animals. It’s quite likely that the animals were kept in the stable or a barn and not near the feeding through.
From the Bible, we can only be definite on the fact that Jesus was surrounded by the environment built for feeding animals.
3. There was no snow in Bethlehem.
This was probably obvious. It was not snowing around Jesus. It was most likely not even winter. The next reason addresses why.
4. Jesus was not born on the 25th of December.
Sorry to break it to you, but Jesus was most likely not born on the 25th of December. Again, the Bible doesn’t say but we have good reasons to believe that Jesus was not born during winter:
- We know that shepherds were in the fields (outside) watching their flocks at the time of Jesus’ birth. Shepherds were not in the fields during December. Decembers are cold and rainy in Judea and the shepherds would have sought shelter for their flocks at night.
- Jesus’ parents came to Bethlehem to register in a Roman census. A census like this were not taken in winter when the temperature is below freezing with the roads in poor condition. It would have defeated the whole purpose of a census if it was difficult for people to get to their hometown.
25th of December was chosen as a date to celebrate the birth of Jesus. There are many reasons why this date is said to have been picked, but that’s a different story.
5. There were no three kings. They were astronomers & they were more than three.
The word “Magi” (in some Bibles translated as the “Wise men”) literally means “star-gazers”. There were probably more than three men. The Bible doesn’t mention the number three but most people assume there were three because of the three gifts. However, these men in ancient times usually traveled in caravans of 10-12, along with a full entourage for protection.
These “wise men” have no Biblical record of who they are or where exactly they started their journey from. However, there are some Bible scholars who believe that these were descendants of the “wise men” of Babylon. These wise men & the magi were professors, philosophers of their day trained in history, religion, prophecy, astronomy and astrology. God, in His great providence could have used Daniel (while he was in captivity there), to teach these men about future events – including the birth of the Messiah that the Jewish people were awaiting. Daniel was put in charge of the wise men in Babylon (Daniel 5:11) and of course he would have spoken to them about the “wise things to know”. They knew where the king would be born based on the prophecies of Micah. (Micah 5:2) A possibility.
6. The star moved ahead and stopped over the place Jesus was. The star also disappeared and reappeared.
It kind of makes sense why a star would be a sign for the magi. They studied the stars! Can you imagine a normal person seeing a bright star in the sky and thinking they should simply follow it?
When they saw the star in the East, from their prior study they knew that the king was to be born in Bethlehem and made the journey across the desert. They quote this to Herod saying that it was written by the prophet. (Matthew 2:5-6). Then in Matthew 2:9 we read that when the star rose again, the star did not stay stationary over the manger but moved ahead of them till it got to the house where they stayed. (Matthew 2:9).
And yes, I said a “house” and not a “manger”. Keep reading…
7. The magi saw Jesus in a house. Not at the manger.
The easiest way to prove this to you is if you read Matthew 2:11. The verse mentions a house. Not the manger.
On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Matthew 2:11
8. The magi and the shepherds never saw each other.
This was probably quite obvious now based on the previous fact. The shepherds went to the manger and the magi went to a house. They never got to see each other. I know, it’s sad. They always see each other in the nativity plays. Nice thought and it makes for a beautiful scene, but it didn’t happen that way.
Now you might be thinking; maybe, just maybe, Mary & Joseph moved to a house near the manger? So maybe the shepherds and the wise men did meet each other?
Well, no. Jesus had grown since the time the shepherds saw Him. Keep reading…
9. Jesus was a young child when the magi came to visit.
When the shepherds found Jesus (Luke 2), he was a “babe/baby” in a manger. By the time the magi got there in Matthew 2:11, Jesus has moved from the manger to a house. Apparently the Greek word used in that verse is for a “toddler or young child” (most English translations translate this as a child or young child as well). Jesus was probably somewhere between 12-24 months old.
Besides, the wise men had to travel from the East to get to Bethlehem. They were not there already like the shepherds who made a visit on the day of His birth.
I’ve also always wondered how it took Herod 2 years to realise that he was outwitted by the Magi. Surely he wasn’t that foolish. Now this explains it. Matthew 2:16 says that he slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.
10. Only two gospels tell the birth of Jesus.
Only Matthew and Luke tell us the story of Jesus’ birth. Here’s something that you probably didn’t realise:
Matthew was a tax collector. Luke was a physician. Matthew records the birth of Jesus with the genealogy which was used for taxation at that time. While Luke records the pregnancy and the birth of Jesus.
Isn’t it amazing how God used them both divinely to write His words using their interests and professions to recall different aspects of Jesus’ birth!
Mind. Blown.
And that is a wrap! What are your thoughts? Leave your comments below.
Wishing you & your family a Merry Christmas!
