In His Dust – The Nativity Festival

In His Dust 
The Nativity Festival
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These facts and suggestions were gleaned and condensed from Dwight Pryor’s message called The Christmas Controversy. I have included a few of my own conclusions, as well. I share it because it is fun to explore the events of Yeshua’s life starting with His birth!

Facts about The Nativity Festival

• Just because Christmas is not mentioned in the Bible, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t celebrate Messiah Yeshua’s (Jesus) birth. Post-biblical does not mean anti-biblical. Matthew and Luke both share this story that changed history forever! Another example of a post-biblical celebration is Hanukkah. Yeshua went up to the Temple in Jerusalem for this Feast of Dedication (John 10:22-23). If the events that this holiday celebrates had not happened, the Jews would have been annihilated, and Yeshua would not have been born.

• The date of Yeshua’s birth is unknown. Scholars agree that He was born between 6 and 4 BC because King Herod the Great was alive when Yeshua was born, and he died in 4 BC. [For a fun exploration of when Yeshua might have been born, please see my writing The Birth of Messiah here. You may print the free PDF to read it with your family.]

•  It is likely that Yeshua was born in the springtime. We know from Jewish literature that shepherds in ancient Judea brought their flocks in from the pastures in early November and did not take them out until early spring, probably March or April. [Also, Passover is celebrated in the spring when one-year-old lambs were slaughtered for sacrifice.]

•  Under the influence of the syncretistic Church at Rome, the Nativity celebration on December 25 became a tradition that spread to the West at the end of the fourth century. This tradition started partly from the Christians’ need to combat paganism as well as great heresy.
  Their celebration of the nativity pushed back against the following evils and reinforced truth in the minds of the people:

• Evil – The pagan celebration of the winter solstice and Natalis Solis Invicti—the Birth of the Invincible Sun. Christians celebrated the Son of Righteousness who arose with healing in His wings (Malachi 4:2).
  
  
• Evil – The heresy of Arianism that attacked Yeshua’s divinity.
  The Incarnation (the eternal Word in-fleshed in Yeshua) was a distinct doctrine of the New Testament. Christians celebrated the Festival of the Nativity to declare the Incarnation.
  
  
• Evil – The heresy of the Gnostics that attacked Yeshua’s humanity.
  Christians celebrated the Festival of the Nativity to declare Yeshua’s humanity.

How to Celebrate His Birth

• Buy less and give more. Give to the poor. Celebrate!
  
  
• Rejoice with the angels! Reflect on the profound significance of the Incarnation!
  
  
• Let your home be known for the sweet spirit of Messiah permeating the festivities.
  
  
• Bear witness of Him to everyone!
  
  
• Be respectful of differing points of view. Listen to one another’s concerns.
  
  
• Remember that symbols are powerful and convey truth. Christmas trees are not pagan. Jeremiah 10:1-4 refers to idolatry, not to decorations used to celebrate events. The Bible is full of symbols.

On a personal note… through all the struggles associated with growing up and finding my way, Christmas was a warm memory that always highlighted the year. The glowing orange candles in my bedroom window as I drifted off to sleep made me feel safe. The lights on the tree represented memories and… light. Dressing up on Christmas Eve instilled in me that this was a truly special event… the Spirit of which I would later fully understand and be filled. I remember the special, awkward stockings I would wear as we walked into the crimson-carpeted sanctuary with white pews… and the velvet dresses with lace collars my sister and I wore. That night after the service, my father drove through the neighborhood for a while so we could look at the lights on the homes. Finally, the crowning event came that made the others difficult to focus on – eating my mother's homemade cookies for the first time! – the snowballs, pfeffernüssens, spritz, and Grandma’s notable chocolate cookies with nuts.

However you celebrate this season and whatever you are enduring, I pray the miracle of His joy is made tangible to you. May blessing fill your home and shalom cover your gatherings as you celebrate Him!

To read a color-coded story of Jesus’ birth from Scripture, please see A Chronology of Jesus’ Birth – A Family Reading and A Fun Quiz at ShaleFragments.com - click here to see and print the free PDF to enjoy it with your friends and family.

Shale Fragments™ - devotionals by Beth Ann Phifer is a division of Flower Girl Greetings, LLC. ©2020, All Rights Reserved.
Blessings and love in Him,
Beth Ann