From the Classroom: Christ Birth a Hoax?
Its that time of the year when churches bring out the garland and perform big Christmas events in hopes that the masses come in. We begin to see the sermon titles about Christ and the meaning of Christmas. It is also at this time we begin to see the challenge against Christ and his birth. A little over a year ago I was listening to the radio and an evangelist was sharing the Christmas story. This is a story that I have heard a hundred times over, yet this time I listened from a skeptic’s point of view. I will admit, the story sounded crazy! A virgin birth? An angel proclaiming the birth? So I began ask myself the very same questions a skeptic would ask. How can we know that it’s true? Could it be a myth? Did the authors of the Gospels get it wrong? Where’s the proof? How would I answer someone if asked the questions of doubt? I never was challenged as a child, teenager or adult to rethink the possibility that it was a fraud. I could give a good church answer, but what about critically thinking it through? Please do not get me wrong, my faith was not in question. The story of Christ birth was never in jeopardy, I just wanted to put on the shoes of a skeptic and see how I would answer the challenge. If I had these questions in my mind come up, I am sure others in the church did as well. I am sure my students did! The Apostle Paul was effective in his culture because he had answers to the skeptics of his day. If we as a body of believers are going to be effective in our culture, it’s going to take more than a Christmas event and sermons to reach those who doubt. As Paul challenged Timothy, we need to be ready in season and out of season to have an answer (2 Timothy 4:2-4). Peter challenged the church to be prepared to have an answer for the hope that we have (1Peter 3:15). When my children were younger I would read to them the Christmas story every year. I wanted them to know what the Scriptures said about the birth of Christ. My wife and I wanted them to know that it was more than all the gifts and traditions. It was about Christ.
Now that they are older, my children understand the meaning of Christmas, yet my challenge is different, why celebrate Christmas? How can we be sure what is read in the Scriptures is true? I want them to have an answer for their faith, not some “Sunday school” answer. That same feeling carries into my classroom. I challenge my students to not have a “Sunday school” answer for their faith. So, during the last term I had my students read three books, The Case for a Creator and The Case for the Real Jesus, both by Lee Strobel. The first two books were to challenge and stretch the mind of my students, giving them answers through science, historical documentation and critical thinking. It helped them to have an answer for their faith. The third book, The Forgotten God by Frances Chan, was about the heart. If you ever are looking for a book to challenge your worldview, check out the Lee Strobel books! The Case for the Real Jesus answers six tough questions that my students may face on a college campus, and if not a college campus I am sure at one time or another. As we come to celebrate the birth of Christ at Christmas, we are continually bombarded by the “Let’s change Christmas to Holiday” crowd and the historians/documentaries that try to explain the birth of Christ as some mythical or Jewish copycat story from pagan literature. I took my students through Challenge #4, “Christianity’s Beliefs about Jesus Were Copied from Pagan Religions”. I showed them videos of those who claimed that Christ birth was copied from mythical figures throughout history, that also claimed virgin births and who supposedly was born on December 25th. Each parallel claim made great points and yes, even seemed possible that Christ birth was copied from these past pagan religions. Yet my faith was strengthened!
One of the main arguments was that the story of Christ was copied from other pagan stories, my response….so what! The real question that should be asked is, which one of these stories came true? Which of these stories provide answers to their claim? Another argument that arises is that the story of Christ was based on astrological stories/myths. Once again…so what? Could not God, the creator of the stars, provided a birth similar to the stories of their day, a story that would replicate the myths of the time, yet point to the true salvation of mankind? This event was more than a story that looked like the myths of the time. Could it be a story that the people of the time could relate to, yet, it was a story that differentiates from all the rest! Could it be possible that God intervened in history to have a birth similar to the myths of the time to say, “HEY! Look here! Compare the stories! Here is a story that is not made up by man!” Remember we are dealing with a God that stated 700 years earlier in the book of Isaiah,
Another claim that is made refers to the date of Christ birth, December 25. It is true that other pagan gods are worshiped on the 25th. There were huge celebrations in honor of these gods. No doubt there. Yet when we look at the birth of Christ and the celebration of his birth, we must ask ourselves how do we know Christ was born on the 25th? The answer is simple…we don’t! The official tradition of celebrating Christ birth came around 336 AD during the reign of Constantine and has stuck with us throughout history. It is very possible that this date was also celebrated by the early church due to the pagan events of their day. A celebration and worship to the sun god was practiced on December 25th. Could the early church have said, “You may worship the sun god, but we will worship the true Son of God, Jesus.”, it’s possible. Yet once again we do not know the date of Christ birth. By reading Scripture we are given the details of the shepherds who were watching the flock by night. Shepherds did not come out to the fields with their flocks until the spring time when the grasses would have been green. Thus giving the probability that Jesus was born between the current months of March and May. So for one to make the claim that Jesus birth is like all the other pagan religions, is false!
Christmas is still my favorite time of the year. There are so many memories during this time. Yet, for me it is one of the most important times of the year when it comes to my faith. Since the fall of man, for the first time in history, God broke through time and allowed the angles to cry out….
Merry Christmas!
His call. His gift to you. Your purpose. Jesus.
Now that they are older, my children understand the meaning of Christmas, yet my challenge is different, why celebrate Christmas? How can we be sure what is read in the Scriptures is true? I want them to have an answer for their faith, not some “Sunday school” answer. That same feeling carries into my classroom. I challenge my students to not have a “Sunday school” answer for their faith. So, during the last term I had my students read three books, The Case for a Creator and The Case for the Real Jesus, both by Lee Strobel. The first two books were to challenge and stretch the mind of my students, giving them answers through science, historical documentation and critical thinking. It helped them to have an answer for their faith. The third book, The Forgotten God by Frances Chan, was about the heart. If you ever are looking for a book to challenge your worldview, check out the Lee Strobel books! The Case for the Real Jesus answers six tough questions that my students may face on a college campus, and if not a college campus I am sure at one time or another. As we come to celebrate the birth of Christ at Christmas, we are continually bombarded by the “Let’s change Christmas to Holiday” crowd and the historians/documentaries that try to explain the birth of Christ as some mythical or Jewish copycat story from pagan literature. I took my students through Challenge #4, “Christianity’s Beliefs about Jesus Were Copied from Pagan Religions”. I showed them videos of those who claimed that Christ birth was copied from mythical figures throughout history, that also claimed virgin births and who supposedly was born on December 25th. Each parallel claim made great points and yes, even seemed possible that Christ birth was copied from these past pagan religions. Yet my faith was strengthened!
One of the main arguments was that the story of Christ was copied from other pagan stories, my response….so what! The real question that should be asked is, which one of these stories came true? Which of these stories provide answers to their claim? Another argument that arises is that the story of Christ was based on astrological stories/myths. Once again…so what? Could not God, the creator of the stars, provided a birth similar to the stories of their day, a story that would replicate the myths of the time, yet point to the true salvation of mankind? This event was more than a story that looked like the myths of the time. Could it be a story that the people of the time could relate to, yet, it was a story that differentiates from all the rest! Could it be possible that God intervened in history to have a birth similar to the myths of the time to say, “HEY! Look here! Compare the stories! Here is a story that is not made up by man!” Remember we are dealing with a God that stated 700 years earlier in the book of Isaiah,
8 “Remember this, keep it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. 9 Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. 10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ 11 From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.”Let’s throw in another factor, the prophecies of a birth in the Old Testament that said salvation will come to mankind. I know, no big deal. Anyone could make that claim. I could sit here and write that one day salvation will come. Yet we are given details in the Old Testament.
“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD— 3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.” Isaiah 11:1-3Jesus lineage can be traced to the line of David, the son of Jesse. Matthew 1 takes a look at the legal genealogy of Christ where Luke’s genealogy, emphasizes the virgin birth. In the book of Micah chapter 5:2, he prophecies where the child would be born….
2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans[a] of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”This is also confirmed in Matthew when King Herod was visited by the magi, and the King referred to the chief priest to confirm where the “Christ” would be born, Matthew 2:1-8. And let me remind you, just these two prophecies alone were given 700 years prior to the birth of Christ! Not one mythical story of the births of so called pagan gods were ever prophesied about!
Another claim that is made refers to the date of Christ birth, December 25. It is true that other pagan gods are worshiped on the 25th. There were huge celebrations in honor of these gods. No doubt there. Yet when we look at the birth of Christ and the celebration of his birth, we must ask ourselves how do we know Christ was born on the 25th? The answer is simple…we don’t! The official tradition of celebrating Christ birth came around 336 AD during the reign of Constantine and has stuck with us throughout history. It is very possible that this date was also celebrated by the early church due to the pagan events of their day. A celebration and worship to the sun god was practiced on December 25th. Could the early church have said, “You may worship the sun god, but we will worship the true Son of God, Jesus.”, it’s possible. Yet once again we do not know the date of Christ birth. By reading Scripture we are given the details of the shepherds who were watching the flock by night. Shepherds did not come out to the fields with their flocks until the spring time when the grasses would have been green. Thus giving the probability that Jesus was born between the current months of March and May. So for one to make the claim that Jesus birth is like all the other pagan religions, is false!
Christmas is still my favorite time of the year. There are so many memories during this time. Yet, for me it is one of the most important times of the year when it comes to my faith. Since the fall of man, for the first time in history, God broke through time and allowed the angles to cry out….
“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”It is a time in history where God says, “Ed, I know that there are other ideas out there. I know what man has created other gods to fulfill their emptiness. Yet today, I give you this…my Son. Your salvation. To you a child was born to be your Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace! Here is My story. My love for you!”
Merry Christmas!
His call. His gift to you. Your purpose. Jesus.
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