In the last post, we discussed the gifts the Magi gave to Jesus. But when were these gifts actually given? Even though most Christmas stories have the Magi arriving with the shepherds to view the baby Jesus, we find from Scripture that the Magi actually came much later (Mt 2:11). We also know that the early Catholic Church recognized this distinction by celebrating Epiphany (the arrival of the Magi, the three kings) in January. How much later did they actually arrive? Well, let’s see if we can piece all the clues together.

Many say that Christmas was created to provide a Christian alternative for a pagan holiday, but is that the whole story? Maybe. Maybe not. Let’s investigate.

Frederick Larsen (1) has given a lot of evidence on specific dates for the events of Jesus’ early life. I won’t go into all that he has done. It’s fascinating, so I hope you check it out in more detail.

Based upon several Biblical passages, (Gn 49:9; Rv 12:1-5) and the conjunction of specific planets or stars (Jupiter, Regulus, and Venus), it is likely that Jesus’ conception was in September of 3 BC. This puts the event around Rosh Hashanah of that year. Very apropos, don’t you think? This holiday is also called Feast of Trumpets in Scripture (Lv 23:24-15) and was a memorial feast of the blowing of trumpets to ask God to remember His covenant with Israel.2 The conception of the Messiah would indeed represent God remembering his people after the 400 years of prophetic silence.

If this is true, it would put his birth nine months later in June of 2 BC. This also coincides with a triple conjunction of Jupiter with Regulus, and Jupiter then continuing its journey for a rendezvous with Venus, noted as the Mother planet. With the naked eye, these stars would appear as one star – one very bright star. In addition, this would put Christ’s birth near the Jewish holiday of Shavuot (or Pentecost). This holiday has marked many paradigm shifts in scripture: (2) e.g. giving of the Law, and the beginning of the church. And now, we see this fits with his birth as it was certainly a paradigm shift for Israel. We don’t have time to get into all of that here, but look at his teachings and the Jewish leaders’ response as well as his initial gospel to Israel.

Now, if we follow Larsen’s logic of when the star was over Bethlehem and appeared to “stay” (i.e., as Jupiter entered retrograde motion), it would put their visit at Bethlehem on December 25, 2 BC. Isn’t that interesting? The first gifts were given when we actually give gifts to each other. Somewhat serendipitous? Maybe.

This also helps us understand why Herod killed everyone in Bethlehem two years old and younger. While the above information would show that Jesus was only six months old at this time, we need to realize the signs in the stars occurred nine months earlier which would make the total time to be slightly under two years. Herod, and the wise men, may have been unsure if the initial signs were of conception or of birth. Herod was making sure of either in case it was the later.

I find it interesting and awesome that all that happened in the birth of Christ match the meaning of the different Jewish festivals upon which they occurred around, and although December was chosen to celebrate his birth as an alternative to a pagan holiday, it still has a Biblical significance showing us when those first gifts were actually given. Sometime serendipity isn’t serendipity at all.

Have a joyous New Year.

1Frederick A. Larsen, “The Star of Bethlehem.” Sound Enterprises, Inc., http://www.bethlehemstar.net/

2Robert R. Congdon, An Appointment with God: The Feasts of the Lord (Bloomington, IN: CrossBooks, 2009).

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

This is the monologue that I wrote and then gave tonight at our Christmas Eve service at our church. I thought I would share it with you. I hope you are blessed by it.

Can you believe that? Almost being fired for delivering news we have all waited for for centuries. I mean, who else should be more excited than me about this, but them? I thought that was why my great grandfather, by grandfather, my father, and I have worked as shepherds for the temple.

My father taught me it was an honor to watch over the sheep that produce lambs for temple sacrifice. We have always taken great pride in ensuring the animals are without any blemish because we want only the best to be offered to Yahweh. The Torah commands it. We obey. That’s what the priests teach us and repeat to us almost every time we bring them the lambs.

“We can’t afford to offer anything with any hint of sickness, deformity, or blemish,” they say. “It’s your job to ensure that,” they drill into us.

And we do! I can’t remember a single time I had to be reprimanded for bringing in a bad lamb or goat.

I learned from my father and grandfather what to do. And I was determined to do it even better. I was going to be known for the quality of my work. I would watch each ewe carefully for when they showed signs of being ready to deliver. I would bring them to Migdal Eder, our watchtower for the flock just outside Bethlehem, when they got near their time for delivery so I could watch them closely. As soon as the lamb was born, I would grab it, wrap, and swaddle it so neither the mother could accidently kick or step on it nor the lamb somehow injure itself. The swaddling cloths would cause the lamb to calm. After it calmed down, I would place it in the stone manger and examine every square inch of its body to ensure it was a lamb worthy of temple sacrifice: free from any blemish or malady. I had to watch all the lambs born for an entire year to ensure they fed properly, didn’t become too rambunctious, or do anything that could potentially harm or mar them in any way. Even if I do say so myself, that’s a lot of hard work. And I take great pride in it. Doing otherwise yielded harsh consequences.

Oh, I saw how these “benevolent” priests could get so riled when things didn’t go their way. I was determined not to go through their scolding. They can be brutal. After all, wasn’t it only a couple months ago they were commending me on the quality of sheep they got from me for Passover? Now, today, they tell me I must be drunk because I saw hallucinations, and if I don’t stop spreading these false rumors, they will not only fire me but excommunicate me. And maybe even my entire family from the temple! I can’t bring such a disgrace to my family.

But I can’t deny what happened and what I saw either.

There we all were, sitting around the campfire as the sheep had finally settled down. All of a sudden, the dark, night sky burst into glorious light. It was a light almost like that of the sun, but different somehow. I was able to look at it. The light began to move, and I realized it wasn’t light after all, but an angel! I didn’t know what was happening and wanted to run, but my feet wouldn’t move. I was terrified, I tell you. But the angel spoke. Such a calming tone yet commanding somehow.

“Don’t be afraid,” the angel said. “I bring you good news of great joy which is for all people. Born to you, even today, in the City of David is a Savior, the Christ, the Messiah you have been waiting for. Here is a sign for you: you will find him as a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in the manger.”

Then, suddenly, the night sky exploded with light. Many, many angels seemed to be everywhere around us! Each shining like a glorious star—and singing. I can still hear them:

“Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men.”

We all were stunned, standing there looking into the sky with mouths partially open. I don’t know how long it lasted. It seemed like an eternity and like a split second at the same time. Then, just as suddenly as they appeared, they vanished.

The darkness enveloped us once again.

We all just stared at each other for several seconds.

Benjamin broke the silence and said, “What just happened?”

“A miracle,” Elimelech added.

I then chimed in, “Let’s go see.”

“See what?” Benjamin asked. Benjamin has always been a little slow on the uptake, granted, but I just couldn’t believe him.

“See what? The baby, the Messiah, of course.”

“Let’s do it,” Eldad replied, “but where?”

Maybe they were still too stunned, but I know they heard the same words as I did.

“Why, Midgal Eder, of course. Where else has a manger we know about?”

So, we left Simon and Jesse with the sheep as the rest of us headed to the watchtower.

As we approached Migdal Eder, we saw a small fire going, so we knew someone was using the watchtower. The timing for birthing of the lambs was practically over so we only had some supplies and a few animals there at the time. When we poked our heads in, a woman and man looked at us, at first startled, but the mother then smiled at us—almost like she knew we would be coming. She was somewhat rocking the baby as it lay in the stone manger; she waved for us to come closer.

The man spoke first. “I am Joseph. This is my wife, Mary. And this . . .”

Mary picked up the infant so I could see his face, “is our son.”

I think I gasped. It was such a special moment.

Now any baby is cute, but this one—well, he was different. His eyes were so mesmerizing. Looking into his eyes was like looking into eternity. I can’t really explain it, but I just knew he was special—he was the One Israel had been waiting for. With eyes like that, yes, he was the One.

“What is his name?” I asked.

The mother smiled and said, “Jesus.”

I grinned. “The Lord Saves.”

Mary nodded. “He will save his people from their sins.”

My eyes began to water. “My name is Joshua,” I said.

Mary smiled again. “Then you both have something in common already. Your names are similar to each other,” she said as she placed her son back in the manger.

I nodded again—overcome with emotion.

I looked down at the infant in the stone manger, and I gasped again. He looked just like a newborn lamb I would wrap in swaddling cloths inspecting it for blemishes to ensure it would be suitable for sacrifice. It hit me like a ton of bricks. This is the One who would save his people from their sins. Sin requires sacrifice. This meant he would, somehow, become the sacrifice for Israel. How he would do that I had no idea but knew he would. This One had come to be born to die.

My eyes watered again, and I looked at Mary who seemed to know what I was thinking. She gave a slight nod as her eyes watered as well.

It then struck me what Joseph had said. “If you are married, how can you be the virgin to give birth to our promised Messiah as prophesied by the great prophet Isaiah?”

Mary touched my shoulder and looked into my eyes. “I assure you; the Holy Spirit has conceived this child. Joseph and I have not yet been together.”

When I looked at Joseph, he nodded. “I took her as my wife to protect her.”

I nodded as I knew immediately what he meant. Knowing the wrath the priests could bring upon someone, I knew he had likely saved her from being stoned to death. But I just knew the high priest would welcome this one with open arms. After all, this baby was fulfilling prophecy, several in fact, and the Sanhedrin certainly believed in prophecy, or so I thought.

I told Joseph and Mary all that had happened: about the angel and what he said, about the angels singing, and the bright star I had noticed.

“Oh,” she said, “I don’t think many even look up to notice the star. How did you notice it?”

I laughed. “A shepherd has two things to do,” I said. “Tend sheep during the day and look at the stars at night. And I’m certainly not going to count sheep at night to go to sleep. I spend all day counting sheep. I’d rather just look at the stars until I fall asleep.”

Both Mary and Joseph thought that a little funny.

We stayed a little longer and then left the couple there with their infant so they could have privacy and get some sleep themselves.

I had a hard time sleeping that night, though. What would the priests say? Would we still have a job if the true sacrifice was already with us?

But I learned something. Greed trumps prophecy. I overhead some of the priests say that if the people heard what I had just told them, then they may stop buying sheep for sacrifice. They definitely didn’t want that to happen. Then, as I said earlier, they threatened me to remain silent. I eventually told them what they wanted to hear: I would not spread false rumors.

But what I saw and heard was not false. No! It was truth!

Truth is something to be shared. And that is what I will do! I will share the truth because it is the truth that will set one free. So, I will go and spread truth. After what you’ve heard from me, I hope you will do the same. Until we meet again. Shalom.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

For about three centuries after the birth of Jesus Christ, his birthday was not celebrated. The early church focused more on Christ’s crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection as that was considered more important because believing this act of Christ was payment for mankind’s sin, for any individual’s sin, and was how one was able to have eternal life. That was certainly more important than when Christ was physically born. One can’t argue with that point.

However, as the early church became more organized and developed into what became the Catholic Church, church leaders looked for ways to turn people toward Christian ways and away from pagan ways. However, this had both positive and negative consequences. The pro of this was that it gave a positive slant to a pagan holiday and allowed traditions to become more Christianized. However, the negative is that this was an attempt to force people to accept Christianity by changing their traditions rather than reaching the hearts of people to change their internal focus which would then affect their outward actions. So what resulted was a blend of Christian customs and traditions with and pagan customs and traditions into the same holiday.

The first claim that Christ’s birthday was on December 25th seems to have occurred in 221 AD. Yet, there was still no real celebration. The first recorded celebration of December 25th as Christ’s birthday was in the Calendar of Filocalus in 354 AD. Furius Dionysius Filocalus was the leading scribe or calligrapher during this period—just after the reign of Constantine. Another date celebrated by some was January 6th, called Epiphany, meaning the manifestation of God to man. Eastern orthodox Christians said this was proven at his baptism and western Christians said this was proven at the visit of the Magi. The time between December 25th and January 6th became known as the 12 days of Christmas.

Although church officials knew that Jesus was not born in winter, why did they choose December 25th as the day to celebrate Christ’s birth? Well, most cultures had a pagan celebration of the winter solstice. The early celebrations, like Saturnalia, also had human sacrifice, licentious rites, drunkenness, and all sorts of abbreviate behavior. Therefore, it is not far reaching to understand why the church officials wanted to turn this type of celebration around. However, as usual, many of the pagan rituals became part of the Christian celebration, although they usually became tamer and over time lost their original intent and meaning.

So, if Christ was not born in December, when was he born? Scripture tells us that the angel Gabriel appeared to a young Jewish girl named Mary who was betrothed to Joseph, but they were not yet married (Lk 1:26-27). However, it was Jewish custom for the official marriage to occur sometime later but even at this stage even though there was no cohabitation they were considered legally married and a formal divorce was necessary to break the marriage covenant. Gabriel told Mary she would bear a son with the help of the Holy Spirit (Lk 1:35) and her son would be the Messiah, she should name him Jesus, and he would be equal in state to God, would one day sit on the throne of David (Lk 1:30-33), and would save his people from their sins (Mt 1:21). Jesus being equal with God is a fulfillment of many Old Testament scriptures (2Sa 7:8-16; 1Ki 2:24-25; Ps 2:1-12; Ps 89:14, 19-29, 35-37; Ps 110:1-7; Ps 132:11-12; Is 9:6-7; Is 11:1-5, 10; Jr 23:5-6).

Isaiah had prophesied the Messiah would be born to a virgin (Mt 1:23; Is 7:14). In Isaiah, the word “almah” which is the more precise and accurate Hebrew word for virgin and Matthew uses the Greek word “parthenos” which is always interpreted “virgin.” Although this did fulfill prophecy and people were expectant of a coming true Messiah, having a child without a man would seem physically impossible and so God appeared to Joseph in a dream to let him know of Mary’s truthfulness (Mt 1:18-25). Because Christ had no human father, he became the word of God to mankind and was equal to God (Jn 1:1). Joseph therefore claimed the pregnancy as his own, initiated cohabitation, but did not have intercourse with Mary until after Jesus’ birth (Mt 1:24-25).

Rick Larson in his DVD Star of Bethlehem gives compelling evidence to the date of Christ’s conception. At the time of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, in September of 3 BC, the planet Jupiter (known as the king planet) made a very close conjunction with the star Regulus (known as the king star), and over the next couple of months Jupiter actually made three conjunctions with Regulus. Not only that, but this occurred in the constellation of Leo which is the constellation representing a lion, both a symbol of Judah and of royalty as well as of the coming conquering Messiah; it would fulfill the prophecy of Isaac to Judah (Gn 49:9) as these three conjunctions would be occurring around the feet of Leo within this constellation. In addition, the constellation Virgo at the time of Rosh Hashanah in 3 BC would occur during the daytime, i.e., clothed in the sun, as described in Revelation, with the new moon at her feet (Rv 12:1-5). Rosh Hashanah was also known as the Feast of Trumpets (Lv 23:24-25) which was a memorial feast of the blowing of trumpets to ask God to remember His covenant with Israel.  Therefore, the conception of the Messiah would indeed represent God remembering His people after the 400 years of prophetic silence.

Therefore, if conception was in September of 3 BC, then Christ’s birth would occur around 9 months later: June 2 BC. There are two other events that also help us to see that this is likely the date of Christ’s birth. Again, the stars tell the story. After the triple conjunction of Jupiter with Regulus, Jupiter continued its journey for a rendezvous with Venus, the Mother planet. With the naked eye, they would appear as one star—one very bright star. This would have occurred on June 2 BC. This was also around the time of Shavuot which has been the festival around different paradigm shifts. It was this time that God made the covenant with Israel at Mt. Sinai (Ex 19) and the time the Holy Spirit was given to the first Christians (Ac 2)—both paradigm shifts of how God intervened with His relationship to mankind. Christ’s birth would certainly fit into this category as well.

Next time we will look further at how the star played a role in Christ’s birth and the place of Christ’s birth.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Why would I say salvation is a paradox? Well, God states that salvation is something He provided for us, and there is nothing we can do ourselves to earn it. Therefore, if we work toward our salvation, we cannot attain it; but if we don’t work for it, we attain it. See, doesn’t that sound like a paradox? However, there is a logical answer to this mysterious statement.

Adam’s act of disobedience—actually, rebellion (read chapter 4 of my book, Why is a Gentile World Tied to a Jewish Timeline?) forever separated mankind from God. This is a chasm that mankind cannot bridge. Our best is still counted as equivalent to a filthy rag to God (Is 64:6). Therefore, we were forever destined to be separated from God. However, God loved us so much that He decided to bridge this gap for us. The second person of the Godhead, who became Jesus Christ, became known as the Son of God, came, and died on the cross for the payment of all of mankind’s sin: past, present, and future. All of the work needed to restore us to God was done by God. This neither means our salvation is cheap nor is it automatic. Jesus Christ paid a huge price. Although he was God, he came in human flesh and sacrificed his life for us. This was a payment God required for sin. The past sacrifices had been done, and were required to be done, on a repeated basis. These sacrifices were instituted to show that mankind cannot get to God on works alone, and pointed toward the one Messiah who was to come to be the ultimate sacrifice, and pay the universal debt these animal sacrifices could not pay. Also, God is spirit and, therefore, each personality of the Godhead was spirit. By Jesus Christ coming in human form, he forever remained human so he will always identify with us—in human form when he was present on earth, and in glorified form in our eternal future. Jesus Christ paid the necessary price to restore our relationship with God; however, each individual must accept that offering. It is not granted automatically. God is not going to force this gift on us if we are not willing to accept it. Although the price was great, it’s acceptance is available to all just by the act of acceptance, with humility.

Faith is the element that is need for our salvation’s acceptance. To accept what has been done for us, we have to accept, by faith, that this is our only way for being accepted by God: not on our own merit but on the merit of Jesus Christ alone. There is no work, no act, no moral goodness that we can rely on for God’s acceptance of us. It must be on Jesus Christ alone. There is no other name on which we can be saved (Ac 4:12).

Connected to this, and tied to this paradox, is the virgin birth of Christ. Without his virgin birth, there is no way Christ’s act of salvation could be possible for us. There is no human that can pay for the sin of even one person, much less that of all mankind. Without His virgin birth, there would be no salvation. Therefore, belief in Christ’s virgin birth is essential to our salvation. Just as faith is needed to trust in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection for our right standing with God, faith is also needed to believe in Christ’s virgin birth. Both are essential. The latter cannot be achieved without the former being true.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Many of the events around Christ’s birth have been verified historically. Although, for some, the dates don’t seem to jive, but evidence is not always the force that causes one to believe. There is evidence that Caesar Augustus had 3 censuses during his reign with one being in 8 BC. As we have learned previously, Christ was likely born in 2 BC. So, is this a discrepancy? Not really. Think about how long it would take to do a census in 8 BC. Just because Caesar said to “make it so” in 8 BC, would it occur everywhere at the same time? We are so used to internet and microwaves that we forget the time in which we are referring. Taking six years to reach Palestine and getting the framework set up to taking such a census in that region is doing pretty good. Others have criticized Luke stating that “this taxing was first made when Cyrenius [Quirnius] was governor of Syria” (Lk 2:2). History does show Quirnius to be in Syria during this time period but not as Governor. He was governor in 6-7 AD. Again, a blunder? Not really. Just as our American words can have different meanings so can Greek words. The word translated ‘first” (i.e., prote) can also mean “prior to.” Therefore, the statement could be that this is the census before Quirnius was Governor in Syria. The historical placement of the event can be considered accurate.

Joseph had to return to Bethlehem to get registered for the taxation which was being implemented (Lk 2:1-3). He was from the lineage of King David, and Bethlehem was David’s home town (Lk 2:4-5). With Mary being pregnant and on the journey with him, it took longer than normal to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Yet, there were so many people traveling for this same issue, the roads were likely safer than they ever were previously. Yet, it took a lot out on Mary.

Back in the first century, Bethlehem was not a booming town. Even when the prophecy was given by Micah (Mi 5:2), it was not a booming town. It is only about six miles south of Jerusalem and was not a city where many people traveled since it wasn’t on a major Roman road of the day. Besides, even if someone was on such a road, would they stay in Bethlehem when Jerusalem was so close? In addition, the custom of the day was for family to stay with family—not in an inn or other places of abode. Inns were more common in large cities, like Jerusalem, and perhaps on major thoroughfares, as travelers would not have close relatives nearby, because they had not arrived at their final destination where family likely were located. In addition, the word used here (kataluma) is the same word used more definitely for a spare room (Lk 22:11) rather than a separate lodging (pandokheion, Lk 10:34; 11:22) which uses a different word for such. The guest room was already full of additional relatives (Lk 2:7).

Also, Bethlehem was a shepherding community and not one where travelers would frequently travel through. For someone to go to a place like Bethlehem, they had to be wanting to go there—not passing through. Therefore, the need for an inn was very low, and the number of visitors an innkeeper would get would likely be too low to make it profitable. The fields around Bethlehem was where the flocks for temple worship were kept and raised. This is a critical point for us to consider later.

When did Mary and Joseph arrive in Bethlehem? Most movies and plays about this story have them arriving while Mary is delivering, and Joseph is desperate to find a place—any place—anywhere. But is that what scripture is really telling us? Luke tells us that Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem and “while they were there” she had her baby (Lk 2:6). This doesn’t sound like this was an immediate need or crisis. So, where were they? Well, since Joseph was of the lineage of David, he had to travel to his ancestor David’s birth place, i.e., Bethlehem. Therefore, he would have relatives there. As we just pointed out, relatives stayed with relatives. Let’s not put our social mores on this concept. Often, we would gladly stay in an inn than with relatives, but this was not the case in this culture. It was a privilege and honor, as well as a duty, to take care of visiting relatives, no matter the occasion. So, if they were with relatives, where did the stable, animals, shepherds, etc. come into the story? Let’s consider that.

Because of the need for so many people to come to Bethlehem because of the tax registration, Bethlehem became crowded—very crowded. Joseph and Mary were only one couple among hundreds to thousands who had to return. People’s homes were very crowded and filled to capacity. Mary and Joseph were very welcome to stay until she was ready to deliver. It may sound cold to us today, but Mary would not have been welcome to have her baby in a house filled with so many people. This is for two major reasons. One, there was no privacy. Second, she would be considered unclean for up to a week (Lv 15:19-23). But it is even more complicated as this passage tells us. Everything she touches, everyone she touches, become unclean. That is a problem in a house filled with so many people. The logistics to have Mary there as she gives birth and for the week after becomes untenable. Joseph has to find a solution. Where could Joseph take Mary where she could be taken care of in such a crowded place where there wasn’t an inn? Think about it, even if there was an inn, would an innkeeper want a delivery in his inn where his room, of which he would likely have few, would become unclean? It would be a big burden to get everything clean again. Certain things would have to be washed, some scrubbed, and some destroyed (Lv 15:12). So, as you can see, this was quite the dilemma for Joseph and Mary due to the customs and social mores of their day.

Looking for a place proved more difficult than Joseph thought. Because all the houses were so crowded, most could not bring their animals into their home at night as normal. Therefore, even the outside areas for animals were full to capacity and some people had to stay all night outside with the animals to prevent robbers from taking them or them wandering off in the middle of the night. Finding a place to have a baby proved extremely difficult.

So, where could Joseph find a secluded place that would not be a burden to others, yet would be comfortable for Mary to have her child? Migdal Eder. You see, God knew this all those years ago and had Micah prophesy of this (Mi 4:8). Joseph likely didn’t even know he was fulfilling prophecy. He was just looking for a logical, viable, and satisfactory solution to their need. You see, because Bethlehem was not only a shepherding community, it was a special shepherding community. The shepherds here were not regular shepherds, but were trained for how to raise sheep for the purpose of them being used as a sacrifice at the temple. Not just any animal could become a sacrifice. It had to be without blemish. Do you realize how hard it is to have an unblemished animal in the wild? All sorts of things could happen to the animal. These shepherds had to ensure nothing happened to these animals. It wasn’t just taking care of them, mending their injuries, and making them acceptable for human use. No, it was raised to another whole level. If the animal was injured, they were no longer acceptable for sacrifice, even if the animal recovered. It was now considered blemished. So, in order to ensure things went well with the sheep birthing process, a special place was made for the sheep to have their lambs. This was at Midal Eder, the watchtower of the flock (Mi 4:8; Gn 35:21). They built a place here. Maybe it was a cave or some type of shelter for both the shepherds, their supplies, and likely other animals they would need to take supplies from Bethlehem or from Jerusalem to this shelter for them to use as they watched after the sheep. When the lambs were being prepared for sacrifice, they would swaddle them to prevent the lambs from hurting themselves. They would then place them in the manger there made especially for this purpose to calm the animal so it could more easily be inspected for any blemishes. Because of these lambs’ special religious nature, nothing was taken for chance. All was a very methodical process to ensure each and every animal was without blemish (Ex 12:5). They tried to remove all obstacles that would cause or induce injury.

Once the cramping started, Joseph led Mary out to Midgal Eder on their donkey. Likely a few of the women went with him. It was now June, the time of Shavuot—a Jewish holiday which represented paradigm shifts and the inclusion of non-Israelites. The time of birthing sheep had recently ended, so there was no competition for using the shelter at Migdal Eder (Mi 4:8). While not ideal by our standards, I’m sure Joseph considered it pretty ideal, and he likely felt fortunate. It was a place still in Bethlehem, so relatives were close by if needed. Likely some of them helped with the baby’s delivery. It was almost abandoned that time of year, although it likely contained supplies for the shepherds and likely a donkey or two for hauling supplies. It may have had other animals, like goats and oxen, for various needs: milk, carrying cargo, and maybe even food. It provided a quiet place for Mary to have her baby and would be a place to stay until her uncleanness was over. Afterward, she could be welcomed back into the crowded house. Then everyone would ooh and aah over the infant.

Joseph thought back on the things that Mary had told him. The angel Gabriel had appeared to her in the sixth month (Lk 1:26), just before Rosh Hashanah which occurred on the first day of the seventh month (Lv 23:23-25). He now understood this was the time of the baby’s conception by the Holy Spirit (Lk 1:35). Thanks to the Jewish leaders adding Adar II to their calendar, this Shavuot was now nine months later. The baby was conceived on Rosh Hashanah when all of Israel asked God to remember his covenant with his chosen nation. Now, the baby was being born on Shavuot when God instituted paradigm changes and when Gentiles were accepted. He was now being born at Midgal Eder where the sheep born to be temple sacrifices were born—where they were wrapped in swaddling cloths and placed in the manger for inspection. Joseph looked at this one born on this Jewish holiday. Did he recognize all the symbolism God had bestowed on this special day? Did the shepherds? They were the ones who provided lambs and goats for temple sacrifice. Now, this baby was lying in their special manager wrapped in cloths they used to swaddle newborn lambs so they could inspect them for any blemishes. Did they understand the significance?

After the baby was born, Joseph wanted to get back to Nazareth, but knew he needed to wait until the baby was older and stronger. His cousin insisted he stay with them a few months until the baby and mother could travel. When the time of purification was over, Joseph took Mary to the temple in Jerusalem to offer her offering of purification (Lk 2:22-24; Lv 12:6-7). This is where they met Simon and Anna who prophesied about Jesus (Lk 2:22-38). They then returned to the house in Bethlehem where they were staying. When Jesus was about six months old, they were visited by the Magi who gave the child gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Mt 2:1-12). These men told Mary and Joseph all they had seen and heard. An angel appeared to Joseph to have him take Mary and Jesus to Egypt (Mt 2:13) so he would not get killed by Herod’s order to kill all infants two years old and younger (Mt 2:16). Once Herod died, Joseph came back to Israel with Mary and Jesus, and took them to Nazareth (Mt 2:19-23).

Are you starting to see the symbolism here? Do you now see why swaddling was a significant sign? All babies were wrapped in swaddling clothes—that was their custom. Yet, only one was wrapped in swaddling cloth normally used for lambs born to become a sacrifice. And only one was wrapped in swaddling cloth, lying in the manger at Midgal Eder. The angel’s announcement was very specific and not vague at all. This was a significant sign, and one I am sure was not lost on these shepherds. This also explains why angels appeared to these shepherds—because they were not ordinary shepherds, but the ones taking care of sheep for sacrifice. The angels were basically stating that their jobs were now complete. The lamb they were waiting for had come. He was in their shelter, their stable, their manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes for special lambs born at Midgal Eder. This lamb was not just for a special sacrifice for someone’s sin debt, but for payment for the sins of the entire world.

While this is not the usual Christmas story, it seems to align more closely with scripture and with what the Jewish holidays represented. These Jewish holidays which God instituted with Israel back in Leviticus when he first formed their nation have many purposes. A significant purpose is their prophetic significance. Jesus’ conception and birth are two of them. Isn’t it interesting how God coordinates so much, and we take so much of it for granted? The Bible is full of such wonderment if we only look. May we be more attentive to what God is doing in our lives as we embark on the coming year.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Christians celebrate Christmas; Jews Shavuot; Both celebrate one of the same paradigm shifts. In our last post, we stated that Christ’s birth was likely on Shavuot, 2 BC. While most Jews don’t celebrate Christ’s birth, they do celebrate Shavuot. So, if Christ was indeed born on Shavuot, which would be in June; how do we get Christmas in December? I thought we should at least address this conundrum since we were dealing with the paradigm shifts correlated with the Jewish feast Shavuot. June vs. December. That’s not a small difference to overcome regarding the timing of the birth of Christ. Why did we get it so wrong? Is it wrong? Can both be true?

As usual, this is not a simple answer, and yet, it really is. But to make it simple we must tease apart some of our traditional thinking. When we see a nativity scene, what do we see? Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus, of course. But there are also shepherds, likely an angel or two, and let’s not forget the animals. Is something missing? Oh yes, the wise men, the Magi. Wise men? Surely, we need the wise men, don’t we? After all, they are mentioned in the Bible at the time of Christ’s birth. Let’s look at that more closely. There is a time gap we must take into account. How much time? About six months. Hey, isn’t that the gap we mentioned earlier: June vs December? That must be a significant point, right? Let’s explore.

So, if Christ was born in June, does that mean the wise men didn’t come on the scene until December? Is that really consistent with scripture? Well, scripture does state the wise men came after Jesus was born (Mt 2:1) to a house (Mt 2:11) where the child (Mt 2:11) lived with Mary his mother. It would seem Jesus was about six months old at this time. If true, that would explain the time gap and it does seem consistent with this passage in Matthew. It also seems consistent with Herod’s insane decree to kill all males in Bethlehem from two years and younger (Mt 2:16). If the wise men had come when Jesus was an infant, then he would not need such a decree. Yet, the wise men, when they met with Herod (Mt 2:1-2) knew of the sign of the star, but not if it represented his conception or birth. Since the wise men didn’t report back to Herod (Mt 2:12), Herod didn’t get an answer to this question.

We now know, based upon the work Rick Larson did, Christ’s conception occurred in September, 3 BC. The wise men told Herod when they first saw the star (Mt 2:2). If it has been representing his birth, this would mean the child was nearly one and a half years old. Therefore, to make sure, Herod used a cutoff of two years.

So, what does this have to do with Christmas? Well, what did the Magi (wise men) bring with them for the child Jesus? Presents: gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Mt 2:11). According to the work Larsson did, this visit of the Magi occurred on December 25th of 2 BC. Isn’t that apropos? Now, there are those who state that Christmas was made in December to take the place of the pagan festival Saturnalia. And that would be true. This festival was around the winter solstice (the shortest day of the year). Yet, isn’t it just like God to make something which looked serendipitous to actually be divine intervention on his part?

I find this so interesting, and very characteristic of God. Christ’s birth was definitely a paradigm shift and he used Shavuot, the paradigm shift festival, to bring it to fruition. Yet, he also knew Christians would one day in the future celebrate his birth in December and had the Magi to present their gifts to the Christ child at this time. Who else could have planned such a dual fulfillment? Then, his birth on Shavuot set the stage for the ultimate inclusion event. What is that event? We’ll discuss that next time.

I hope this helps you to see we serve a wonderful, awesome, God. He pays such attention to detail. Always remember, you’re part of the detail to which he pays attention. Trust him. You will never regret it.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

In previous posts we have talked about how the Jewish festival Shavuot marked major paradigm shifts and how God’s plan for inclusion expanded over time. We saw how the forming of the nation of Israel at Mt. Sinai was a major paradigm shift which occurred on the very first Shavuot (Ex 24). God started working through a nation to reach out to the world rather than continuing to work through specific families or patriarchs. We then saw how inclusion occurred on a national and individual level (Js 2-6; Ru 1-4).

As we approach the New Testament, we see God making another major paradigm shift. God was on the verge of setting a new pattern of inclusion: going from inclusion occurring through a nation to it occurring through individuals. To understand this one, we must understand another Jewish Festival: Rosh Hashanah. Today, we know this as the Jewish New Year. Yet, it wasn’t always known as that. When first instituted, it was known as the Feast of Trumpets (Lv 23:23-25) and was the fifth of seven festivals. While all the feasts were memorial, as they pointed to how God worked in their past, how he was working in their present, and how he would work in their future, this particular feast was a special type of memorial. This was a festival to request God to remember his covenant with Israel. Why? Shortly after this festival was Yom Kippur, or Day of Atonement (Lv 23:26-32). This was a day of reckoning. Israel knew they had no good on their own to stand before a holy God. Their only chance was for God to remember his covenant with them. Therefore, trumpet blasts were made to request God to remember. Does this imply God forgot? No, this was really for Israel to remember what God had done for them in making an everlasting covenant with them and to help them prepare for the upcoming Yom Kippur.

So, how is this tied to the New Testament. Well, how does the New Testament open? It opens with the announcement to Mary that she would bear a son, with the help of the Holy Spirit, and would call his name Jesus (Mt 1:18; Lk 1:26-31). This announcement occurred on Rosh Hashanah, Feast of Trumpets. Why? Because God was stating he was remembering his covenant. This marked the end of what had been termed the 400 years of God’s silence. Ever since Malachi, it seemed God was silent. It wasn’t that he was not working, but he sent no prophets after Malachi. His next voice came through the angel Gabriel to Mary(Lk 1:26). God remembered his covenant and Mary conceived a child through the Holy Spirit (Lk 1:35). Yes, this was to be a very special child. He was to save his people from their sins (Mt 1:21).

So, if Jesus Christ was conceived on Rosh Hashanah, when was he born? He was most likely born on Shavuot. Doesn’t it seem apropos that he would be born on the festival that marks paradigm changes? Can you say Christ’s birth was not a paradigm change? Yes, that makes sense, but something doesn’t seem quite right. For most years, the time between Rosh Hashanah and Shavuot isn’t long enough for a normal gestation period for an infant. Gestation is a very crucial period for a fetus, and every week is important for fetal development and especially for adequate lung formation in the third trimester. A normal gestation period is considered to be 40 weeks (a range of 37-42 weeks). Yet, normally, the time between Rosh Hashanah and Shavuot is just shy of 35 weeks. Not enough time for an adequate gestation period. Could we be mistaken?

As they say, timing is everything. And that is definitely true here. Rick Larson has done some astounding work on the timing of the birth of Christ and the events which occurred at this birth. According to his work, Christ’s conception occurred on Rosh Hashanah in 3 BC. Something very interesting occurs in that year. To keep Passover near the Spring Equinox, and because the Jewish calendar is a lunisolar calendar with only 29 or 30 days per month, an extra month is added every so often to make Passover and the Spring Equinox realign properly. And, lo and behold, this is the year this extra month is added to their calendar. Then, the period of time from Rosh Hashanah to Shavuot becomes a normal gestation period (39 weeks) and can support the fact that Christ was likely born on Shavuot in 2 BC.

Christ’s birth was definitely a paradigm change for Israel – and for the world. He brought the true meaning of Scripture back to life and his death was for all of mankind and not just for the Jews. Again, this is a message of inclusion. Jesus paved the way for inclusion to be very personal. Isn’t that just what we would expect from a God who values relationships?

Don’t you find it interesting that God keeps the meaning of these Jewish festivals and makes them happen at just the right time to keep all the full meaning he intended for each one. Why? Well, he is a God of order after all (1Co 14:33). Also, I think it is a way for him to get our attention. It shows he pays attention to detail. If he can do that, he can certain pay attention to us individually. You, and we all, are a detail that he definitely cares about. How will you respond?

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens