Who were the “Wise Men” who visited baby Jesus?

In Matthew’s account of the life of Jesus we read the familiar account of wise men or magi visiting Jesus and his parents in a home in Bethlehem. After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one […]

Was Jesus really born in a stable?

The Bible describes a place where animals were kept as the birthplace of Jesus, God’s son, who was the long-awaited messiah. Though a stable seems like a strange place for the birth of a king, this humble beginning marks a turning point in human history. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth […]

Should the birth of Jesus be celebrated in December?

The winter celebration of the birth of Christ dates first appears on a Roman calendar in 336 AD, centuries after the event took place. Scholars believe that there may have been an attempt to co-opt an existing pagan festival that marked the coming of the light after the shortest day of the year. Clues in […]

Why was Jesus born out of wedlock?

The Bible explains what is known as the “virgin birth”. Mary, the mother of Jesus, became pregnant not through a man, but through a supernatural act of God. The story is related in the account of the life of Jesus written by Matthew, one of his disciples. Matthew’s book is written specifically to tell the […]