In Matthew’s account of the life of Jesus we read the familiar story 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 […]
According to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus was born in a manger because there was no room available in the inn. In the story, Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem for a census. They almost certainly traveled in a caravan with others, including members of their extended family. Travel on foot from Nazareth to Bethelem […]
In a world where daily headlines shout bad news 24/7, there remains one story that is not just good news, but the best news for all of mankind… for all time. That good news of Christmas dates back to the creation of the world by God and the creation of man, the only creature who […]
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 […]
The popular Christmas carol, “We Three Kings of Orient Are” is most likely inaccurate for two reasons: the visitors probably weren’t rulers of nations, nor are they likely to have come from what we think of as the Orient, western Asia. The Kings or “Magi” were most probably Zoroastrian astrologers who were advisers to the […]
Jesus was with God when the universe was created. He was the instrument of creation of everything, including mankind, with whom he wanted to have a relationship, and on whom he could bestow his love and affection. However, man abused the relationship and rebelled and in the process became lost to God’s companionship and his […]
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 […]
Advent is a time to reflect upon the birth of Jesus more than 2,000 years ago and to prepare for his return. It commemorates the eagerly anticipated arrival of a Messiah promised by God to Abraham, Moses and prophets of Israel for millennia. But it is also a time for Christians on the other side […]
Since the 4th-century Christian churches have been celebrating Epiphany. Derived from the Greek word, epiphaneia which means “manifestation”, the holy day remembers the first revealing of Jesus to the Gentiles–the Magi or wise men from the East. (see last week’s post, Who were the “Wise Men” who visited baby Jesus?Epiphany is commemorated 12 days after […]
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 […]
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