MYTH #12: CHRISTMAS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT DAY OF THE YEAR
No, actually, it’s not. Let’s get our priorities straight in the new year.
Sure, Christmas is the time when many Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, and it’s of course, a very festive event.
Despite all the obstacles Mary and Joseph had to overcome in bringing the Son of God into the world—facing misunderstanding and derision, traveling to Bethlehem, being homeless during Jesus’ birth, conversely being honored by shepherds and wise men alike, and lastly being chased by Herod—Christmas is a great part of the story of Jesus.
So why did God not overtly state the exact date of the birth of Jesus? He definitely could have. He did elsewhere in the Bible, or at least told us the month and day in the Jewish calendar. There must, therefore, be a good reason.
Consider that God loves when His people seek Him, and His plans. Proverbs 25:2 explains it this way:
2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.
But like we explored in “The 12 Myths of Christmas #1”, careful study will reveal the month of Jesus’ birth as possibly being in September, but it takes some digging to get there. When you do, you relish an ah-ha moment.
Consider also that Christmas may not be the most important day of the year because the incident itself was no miracle.
The conception of Jesus was a supernatural miracle, granted, but His lowly birth, out of doors or in a place where sheep were swaddled and not even in an “upper room” as we looked at in “The 12 Myths of Christmas #4” was nothing special.
His birth was just done the regular way. EVERY birth is a mini miracle, yes, but this one was like all the others.
But the MOST important day of the calendar year, has to be Resurrection Day. That was when the real miracle occurred—when Jesus rose from the dead, and so therefore we will all too, one day.
In John 11 Jesus explains it this way:
21 Then Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. 22 Yet even now I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You.” 23 “Your brother will rise again,” Jesus told her. 24 Martha said, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. 26 Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die—ever. Do you believe this?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she told Him, “I believe You are the Messiah, the Son of God, who comes into the world.”
Since obviously, everyone’s body dies, Jesus is speaking of something other than physical death. He teaches here of spiritual death.
Easter is greatly celebrated around the world, and despite the modern calendar differences between the Eastern and Western church traditions, both agree that Easter happens after the Jewish Passover.
Therefore, for people that follow after Jesus, Easter is the most meaningful day of the year. Being born is wonderful but being born AGAIN with the gift of eternal life (in other words—born twice)—that’s ASTONISHING!
John 3:
3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
This Christmas and new year let’s celebrate the amazing, symbolic, astonishing message that the Messiah—the Son of God—was born for us. He died for us. He rose again, so that we could too. Make sure you have been Twice BORN!
