Well this weeks email is gonna be a little bit different. Being that it
is Christmas I want to change things up a little bit. Just know that I
had a good week and nothing crazy happened lol. I decided this year to
do some research on the birth of Jesus Christ and I´d like to share with
you guys what I learned. I got my information from Jesus the Christ, a
talk called The Spirit of Christmas by Howard W Hunter (I think), and an
article called the 12 witnesses of Christ birth (have no idea who wrote
it). Anyways here goes nothing. Please excuse any typos.
I´m
gonna start out with a lot of facts and details about Christ´s birth.
It may seem like I´m jumping all over the place but bare with me. I
promise that it will come together. Well I´m gonna try to make it come
together...
First I thought I would explain a
little bit of why we celebrate Christmas when we do. The actually date
of the birth of Christ held by the church is April 6th of the year BC 1.
So why then do we celebrate his birth on December 25th every year?
Here´s a bit of history for ya. The actual commencement of a celebration
during this time of year existed long before Christianity. The religion
Mithraism worshiped a god named Mithra who was the god of Heavenly
light and later in Roman times the god of the sun. This religion spread
all over India and Persia. They had a festive season that began right
after the the winter solstice which is the shortest day of the year.
It´s significance was that after this day began the rebirth of Mithra
(the sun). They celebrated this festival with big meals, gifts, gifts
given to friends, and decorating their homes with evergreens. Overtime
Rome took over these areas but Mithraism became very popular amongst the
Romans. In Roman society they celebrated this holiday the 25th of
December every year. Mithraism was the biggest rival of religion to
Christianity. As Christianity began to win out, these festivities
switched from a celebration of Mithra to the celebration of the birth of
Christ. Then down through the years this now Christian celebration
lasted the test of time to become one of the greatest Christian
Holidays.
Now that we have a little bit of
history, let´s switch our focus to the actual reason for the season.
That is the birth of Christ. What were some of the requirements, for the
coming of the Savior? Prophecies stated that Christ was to be born in
the tribe of Judah. He was to be of the lineage of King David and of
Abraham. He was to be born in the birthplace of David. It was told to
Moses that he would come in the meridian of time. Each of these
requirements that were prophecided of and held by the Jews as the
circumstances of the Christ´s birth were completed.
So
first, the lineage of Christ. Both of Christ´s earthly parents were
actually of the tribe of Judah and of the lineage of David. Mary and
Joseph were in fact cousins. In fact, had the Jews not fallen under
Roman rule, Joseph the carpenter would have been the rightful king of
Judah and Jesus of Nazareth his heir. We know that Joseph was not the
actual father of Jesus as Jesus was the only person every born of an
earthly mother begotten by an immortal father. However, this is not
important in this prophecy because Jesus received the blood of David
from Mary alone.
The Christ was to be born in
the birthplace of David. This is known as the City of David which is
Bethlehem. Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth which is actually quite far
from Bethlehem. At the time Christ birth there was a decree sent out by
the Romans that all the world should be taxed. It was a census of sorts
upon which the taxes of different people would be determined. The usual
Roman method was to have people registered at their city of residence.
However, Jewish tradition was to be registered in the city claimed by
your family to be your ancestral home. Miraculously the Roman law
respected this traditin and Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem. It
was there that christ was born. It was nothing short of a miracle to
complete this requirement. The timing was perfect.
Another
requirement was that Christ would come in the Meridian of time.
"Meridian as commonly used, conveys the thought of the principal
division of time or space" Ever day the hours before noon are A.M. for
ante-meridian. Ante meaning before. The hours after noon are P.M which
stands for post meridian. Post meaning after. Just like noon is the
meridian of every day, Christ birth has been used as the meridian for
all time. B.C. stands for before Christ. A.D. is latin for "Anno Domini"
which translate to "year of our lord." So all of the years after the
birth of Christ are referred to as a "certain year of our Lord."
Meridian also means the highest point or culminating point of anything.
All of history culminated to the birth and life of Christ. Christ wa
born in the meridian of time in either of those definitions.
For
thousands of years Prophets prophecied of the coming of Christ. Isaiah
prophecies specifically of the even of Christ birth two times (see Isa.
7:14 and Isa. 9:6). Both of these verses are quoted in the Isaiah
chapters quoted by Nephi (see 2 Nephi 17:14 and 2 Nephi 19:6). Nephi saw
the birth of Christ in a dream (1 Nephi 11:13-21). Lehi prophecies of
the birth of Christ in 1 Nephi 10. During the actual time of Christ´s
birth there were 12 who received a special witness of Christ´s birth.
They didn´t necessarily see the birth of Christ. some of the witnesses
received their witness a little before he was born and some a little
after. They are Zacharias, the angel Gabriel, Elizabeth, Mary, Joseph
the Carpenter, John the Baptist, Simeon, Anna, the shepherds, wisemen,
King Herod and a choir of angels. Being that you all understand how the
majority of these people are witnesses to Christ´s birth, I will just
explain a few that perhaps you aren´t familiar with or don´t see how
they are a witness of the actual event of Christ birth.
So
how was John The Baptist a witness of this event? We read in the
scriptures that John leapt from within his mother´s womb when Mary
talked with her cousin Elizabeth. Knowing yet within the womb that
Christ was soon to be born.
Perhaps you do not
know the story of Simeon. He was an older man who was promised that he
would not die until he had seen the Savior. One day he was moved upon by
the Spirit to go to the temple and there he beheld the Christ Child.
We
read of Anna also being in the temple at this time. This devout and
saintly woman also bore testimony of the Messiah when she approached the
family in the temple.
You´re probably
wondering how King Herod received a witness of the birth of Christ. I
was too. Herod is more of a reluctant witness. The wisemen testified of
the birth of Christ to King Herod. Being these were men of great wisdom,
Herod gave their testimony credence and sent out the decree that all
children under two years of age were to be killed. Doing so he thus
recognized that Christ had indeed been born.
Twelve
different miraculous witnesses divine and human alike! They were not
alone in the rejoicing of Christ´s birth. We read of the account of the
faithful Nephites who believed the prophecies of the signs of the birth
of Christ given by Samuel the Lamanite. They were threatened with death
if the signs of Christ´s birth did not come. A day was set apart to kill
the people who were believers. We rea in 3 Nephi 1:11-15, 21 that these
signs did come and the people were saved.
There
was so much conjecture, prophecy, and so many witnesses to this special
event of the birth of Christ. And yet in all the commotion, and despite
all of the excitement, and despite all of the events surrounding our
Saviors birth, he was born one "silent night." The Savior of the world
came into the world quietly in a remote stable that is believed to be in
a limestone cave in Bethlehem and was placed in a manger. It was the
start to the most important,,most amazing and most beautiful story ever
told. Our Savior was born into humble circumstances while the world
slept that silent night. His birth met every single one of those
prophecies. Even as a babe, Christ was already saving lives. This simple
quiety moment, that was currently unknown to the large majority of the
world, Saved the lives of those faithful Nephites. A beautiful
foreshadowing of what he would do for every single one of us.
I
testify that Jesus Christ did indeed come to this earth. He came for
everyone of us. He took upon the sins of the entire world, he died and
he was resurrected so that every single one of us can return to our
Heavenly Father and live with our families forever in eternal happiness.
Much like those Nephites of old if we are faithful, we will be saved. I
testify that he is our Savior and he is the reason for this season.
In
the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
