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W h e n i s C h r i s t m a s? It is often said December 25th is not really the date on which Christ was born, but that it is a day set aside for an observance of Christ's birth. Maybe you have wondered how trees and lights came to be associated with this holiday. Do Christmas and Hanukkah have anything in common? The possibilities are fascinating! Explore the possibilities below. |
When is Christmas? In 198 B.C. Judaea was conquered by Antiochus the Great and annexed to Syria. The land was divided into provinces: Galilee, Samaria, Judaea (collectively called Judaea), Trachhonitis, and Perea. Approximately 180 B.C. the land became the dowry of the Syrian princess Cleopatra, but was reclaimed by Antiochus Epiphanes upon Cleopatra's death. In 170 B.C. Antiochus plundered Jerusalem, profaned the temple, and enslaved many of the inhabitants. On December 25, 168 B.C. Antiochus offered a sow upon the ltar and erected an altar to Jupiter. This is the desolation of the temple prophecied in Daniel 8:13 and recalled in Matthew 24:15. Temple worship was forbidden to the Jews and they were made to eat swine's flesh. Judas Maccabaeus led a revolt in 165 B.C. in which the possession of Jerusalem was regained and the temple was purified and rededicated. On December 25, 164 B.C., on the anniversary of the temple defilement and rededication, Judas Maccabaeus instituted for the Jewish people the Festival of Lights which was observed for eight days to celebrate the rededication of the temple. The feast was also known as Hanukkah (Chanukah), or Feast of the Dedication. During the days of the celebration, the Israelites met in their synagogues carrying branches in their hands and held jubilant services. The Feast of the Dedication was a winter feast that Jesus observed. (John 10:22) Before the Jewish exodus from Egypt the Israelites were spared the death of the firstborn of each home by means of a passover (Exodus 11:&12) The Israelites were commanded to kill a lamb and put the blood on the doorposts of their homes. The Feast of Unleavened Bread was instituted to commorate the Passover. Some say Jesus could not have been born on December 25 or even in winter. God, for whom nothing is too hard (Luke 1:37), who offered Jesus as an eternal sacrifice at the time of Passover (John 13:1, John 1:29), would also logically send the Light of the World (Jesus) during the Festival of Lights (John 6:32, 8:12). The light that led the wise men to Behlehem at the birth of Christ has never really been fully explained by astronomers. Some believe that the Star of Bethlehem was Venus at its brightest. Venus does appear as a very bright object in the winter sky. The wise men would have been knowledgeable about the stars and their movements. They would have required something out of the ordinary to cause them to follow a particular star. For the faithful it is conceivable that a Heavenly Father created a special star to announce the birth of His son on Earth. The stars which were created by the Word, Jesus (John 1:1-4), may simply have been responding to the earthly birth of their Creator with spectacular, unusual displays. Perhaps that guiding light was a new creation at the time of Christ's birth or perhaps it was a unique occurence in an existing star. Matthew 2:2 describes the star specifically and simply as "his star". [Beth-le-hem or Arabic, Bayt Lahm, 5 miles S SW of Jerusalem, Israel, an area occupied by Israel in 1967; ancient town of Judaea, the early home of king David. Regarded by Christendom as the site of the Nativity; under Israeli-Palestinian self-rule agreement turned over to Palestine December 24, 1995.] There is one constellation that may have special meaning with regard to Christmas. Cygnus, the Flying Swan or Northern Cross is made up of six bright stars which form a Roman Cross about the size of the Big Dipper. Cygnus appears as a huge cross in the summer sky and sinks westward until during the Christmas season, it stands upright just above the horizon in the northwest. The star Deneb at the top of the cross signifying the head of Christ is a supergiant while the star at the bottom where Christ's feet were is a smaller star. Some say this constellation is a call to evening worship (Luke 21:28). God has promised stars as signs of the seasons (Genesis 1:14). It would be appropriate that He would announce and remember the earthly birth of His son in the stars. As God used the bow to remember a promise of what He would never do again (Genesis 9:13), it would be appropriate that He would also use the sky as a remembrance of what He had done eternally. After all, a rainbow and light always exist within each other. All things considered, it would be only appropriate for the Light of the World to have been born during the Festival of Lights. Jesus, the Light of the World, the Passover Lamb, became the cornerstone of the temple (Ephesians 2:19-22, John 2:19). While we celebrate Christ's birth as God's gift, reminded by a celestial constellation, Christmas is perhaps the time to reflect on the purification and rededication of the temple that occurred so long ago, and once again rededicate our lives and bodies as temples (1Corinthians 3:16, 6:19) to the service of the One who gave us this wonderful gift. This is perhaps the time to ask ourselves if tinsel and glitter have covered the altar of our hearts and are causing our light to grow dim. By Deborah Davis 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 Further Study: Isaiah 53 Isaiah 9 Isaiah 60:1-5 John 8:12 Micah 5:2 1Corinthians 5:7 Luke 2:1-21, 2:30-32, 1:78-79 John 3:19-20, 1:35-36, 12:46 John 4:12 John 1:36 References: The Thompson Chain Reference Bible, King James Version, B.B. Kirkbride Bible Co., Inc. 1964, page 46 of general index #1260 and scriptures referenced therein. The Scofield Reference Bible, King James Version, Oxford University Press, Inc. 1945, pages 985, 914-919 and scriptures referenced therein. The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionry, Zondervan Publishing House, 1967 pages 80, 280, 417, 498. David A. Dundee, Astronomer, Fernbank Science Center 156 Heaton Park Dr. , N.E., Atlanta, GA 30307-1398 (404) 378 4311 http://www.fernbank.edu/fsc/fsc.html ScienceNet Cygnus http://www.campus.bt.com/ http://www.dibonsmith.com/cyg_con.gif The Constellation of Cygnus http://users.aol.com/cygnus4216/cygnus.html http://seds.ipi.arizona.edu/messier/map/CYG Merriam Webster's geographical dictionary, 1997, page 139 The New Encyclopedia Britannica, Volume 6, 1995, page 422 Countries of the World and Their Leaders Yearbook, 1997 page 682 World Almanac Israel Touring Map, Survey of Israel, 1995, Published by Ministry of Tourism, Jerusalem, courtesy of Consulate General of Israel Atlanta, GA |
The Colors of Christmas by Deborah Davis Life given by Christ's birth is shown by a tree of green. His precious, life-giving blood in bows of red is seen. Purity of His life is shown by sparkling lights of white. Gold and silver wise men brought to the Son of God that night. All the colors that we see, yes-- each and every hue, Remind us a gift was sent for all--even me, even you! |
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