The Birth of Christ - December 22, 2014

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.