As we come to the final days of the year 2018 we find the major observation of importance to those of us in the Christian family of believers, with Monday marking Christmas Eve. The event that has become, in my opinion, far too commercialized with emphasis on parties, gifts and other diversions from the true “reason for the season” – the birth of a baby known as “God with us,” “King of Kings” or “mankind’s personal savior” – among others. This was foretold beginning hundreds of years earlier by the prophets in the Jewish Scriptures we call the Old Testament.
Scripture tells that He was born of a virgin named Mary of the lineage of Aaron, brother of Moses and first high priest of the Jewish faith, who was betrothed to a man Joseph, a lineal descendent of the great King David.
These circumstances led to Him to be considered High Priest and King of Kings. Working in ways never considered by men, God caused this event to occur in the town of Bethlehem, known as the “City of David.” The couple were betrothed, to us engaged, living in a village called Nazareth.
Caesar Augustus had ordered a census of all those residing in the Roman-controlled world, with each male required to return to the ancestral home, with family, to be registered.
Mary, we read, had been visited nine months earlier by the angel Gabriel and told she would have a baby boy and to name him Jesus and that he would be the Son of God and the Savior of all mankind. She was also told that her kinswoman, Elisabeth, was in the sixth month of a pregnancy in her “old age.” Elisabeth was married to a priest who had earlier served as high priest in Jerusalem. No man could be a priest unless he was a direct male descendent of Aaron, brother of Moses of the tribe of Levi. No such man could marry outside of the mother, sister, widow or daughter of a priest. Thus the condition that Mary was a descendent of Aaron and Jesus would be born to be a priest.
We were taught as children that three wise men from the East came to offer gifts and to worship the Baby Jesus while in the stable, but my reading of the scriptures indicates that to be in error. It is written that they first went to King Herod to pay respects and he questioned them of the timing of the birth, sending them on their way and charging them to return to him with the location. They, warned by an angel, returned home by a different way. But, from the timing, Herod determined that Jesus would be about two years old and fearing Jesus would be a threat to his throne proceeded to order the execution of all male children 2-and-under in that district. That indicated that it took them months to travel to worship Jesus and the family were by then back in Nazareth. Joseph had already taken Mary and Jesus to Egypt, being warned of the event, to return after being assured that Herod and his lackeys were already dead.
It is written that Jesus began his ministry when he was about 30 years old. He made a promise to those who believe in Him that they would be forgiven all sins past and future and assured an eternal life with Him in Heaven. All that is necessary is to truly believe, ask His forgiveness and, as He assured the criminal crucified on his right who had just professed his belief, “this very day you will be with me in Paradise.”
Unfortunately, for those who refuse this promise the eternal life following this work on Earth, the outlook is not at all pleasant. We are taught that Hell is a real place, governed by “the evil one” Satan. To me, it is better to not take the chance. We are ALL terminal cases, but don’t know when that terminal is, so should make the best of each day we are left here.