Christmas Mythbusters

Reading a couple of blogs and watching five YouTube videos does not make you an expert on the subject provided I'm talking to the young untargeted millennial's in an generation disease just because he wants for videos on YouTube does not make you an expert. You don't have the whole truth on the map. In fact, you may have job you deserve portion of the upcoming sermon titled Christmas MythBusters by Dr. out onto your Clearview church Clearview article is to make Christ visible in the way that we worship in the way we serve others.

Would love to see you at one of our services here at 3485 Oxford Rd.

For more information on our church is a Clearview BC.org for now, let's listen to this week's couple weeks ago I had was in a used bookstore in Raleigh and I was towards the front side of the store so I can help but see these two ladies walk in and they walked in and started talking real loudly you're been around people like that. They don't care anybody else in the store. They were loud and obnoxious really but but anyways so I was listening and then one of them.

I guess they knew the cashier that been to this bookstore before one of them belted out the cashier.

Hey, did you know that December 25 could not be the day Jesus was born as I'm standing there immediately. My ears perked up some listening by lessee what's about to come is a note I just read that that day was actually a Roman holiday celebrating the Greek God Saturn when I heard that everything inside of me was saying say something say something I want to reach to the side as I hey that's baloney. By the way, and go back to my shopping but I you know that it was not the time or the place, but this morning we can answer that statement is that really true, is it really true that we have or are church leaders in the beginning decided to Christianize these pagan festivals and to keep a control on the masses well and you hear me very carefully because you going to hear it. Throughout this message the church or the leaders did not create Christmas from some pagan holiday December 25 did not become the birthday of Jesus because I'm some church Council decision is not because Constantine converted and he decided to Christianize these pagan festivals that we have December 25 instead. It was passed down through the earliest tradition that this was the day the Savior of the world was born. In fact, ever since the beginning of time. It was the most important event on God's calendar and listen carefully. The coming of Jesus Christ was not an afterthought, is not that he came in the people settle less, how can we appropriate him and how can we make him the Messiah now, ever since the beginning of time prophecy after prophecy was given that he was coming in in the fullness of time he came, Jesus is the culmination of history and the future and his coming was not an accident. Today's message is going to be different for becoming out of the parable series. We really enjoyed the parable series.

This one is going to be different but it's a message that we need to hear time to time, especially our children and our grandchildren because they are being bombarded with anti-Christmas statements and they need to hear the truth in this morning.

This is one of those kinds of messages. So if you're visiting with us to come back will do something we always do okay. The mess is called Christmas MythBusters.

You have your Bibles with you, turn to Galatians chapter 4 starting in verse three and let's all stand together once again for the reading of God's word. Galatians chapter 4 starting in verse three Paul says even so we when we were children under the bucket in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the time had come. That's were picking out of this verse the fullness of the time had come. Jesus is not an accident of history. Everything happened. Everything lined up and he came God sinful to son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Jesus came 2020 years or so ago to reverse what took place in the Garden of Eden in fact much more than that, he came to adopt us.

Have you received the adoption. Are you his son or a daughter of the King of Kings. If not, would you pray with me right now. This message will have so much more meaning Christmas will have so much more meaning if you actually have Christ in your life to pray this way. Jesus, I don't know everything about the Bible out even know what it means to be say, but I know this much. I don't have you in my life to the best I can.

I invite you to come into my life. Forgive me of my sins and take over, and I believe that you are the son of God the best. I cannot believe that you came you died and you rose again not help me to live free were living in what is known as the information age. Ever since our history people have classified different periods by certain titles were living in the information age. Some people have called it the computer age or the digital age. Never before in history have so many people have so much access to so much information.

Never before been in the past if you wanted to know something is going to figure out a person who they were or some event that happen you have to go to the library nowadays. If you need some information.

All you have to do is pull out your phone and there you go to sleep. I only had to put my password and it recognize my face. It is very open and type in what you need, just like that Wikipedia will pop-up you can figure out whatever you need. I mean never before.

We've had so much access so quickly. In some ways it's a blessing all over the world people have access to knowledge. It's a blessing, but at the same time. It's also a curse. People, even Christians read something on the Internet and immediately they think that they are getting the truth. Something else reading a couple of blogs and watching five YouTube videos does not make you an expert on the subject right now talking to the young untargeted millennial's in an generation disease just because you watch for videos on YouTube does not make you an expert.

You don't have the whole truth on the matter. In fact, you may have junk in this morning were going to deal with one of those myths that have been on the Internet but much more did it. It has been around for a much longer time and it submits that claims the December 25 was actually a pagan holiday that the church adopted as the birthday of Jesus. And this all happened under Constantine member Constantine converted to Christianity and when he became a Christian. He said all what will I do will be have these pagan holidays. What we can have that. Why don't we convert those pagan holidays into Christian holidays. In that way, Christians will not go out in the world and go back to their old ways we can make them celebrate, but do it in the church. This is a myth that has been around for some time, but especially now through the Internet in the past in 20 years is a true or is it falls is false, and sometimes even Christians say this without realizing the inherent danger in saying I believe Jesus came up 25th I think it was a pagan holiday that Christians adopted the unrealized would be say that the logical questions that follow are this is anything else about Jesus. Also a myth this morning. Again, it's a different kind of message but it's one we need to hear time to time and we got a handle dismissed there to different lines of arguments supporting this idea that December 25 was a pagan holiday. The first one is known as the history of religions view history of religions view goes back to the 1600s member Renaissance, Reformation and then 1600s is that time.

According to this theory in 8274, the Roman Emperor are rarely in built a temple to the sun God's soul in Victor's we have historical proved that he does and 8274 and he even instituted some games and special fees for this day. But here's the thing.

Guess what day he picked December 25. He paid the same day that were talking about the pit. This very day, December 25 something else. Around the same time. Already before or rarely and made this soul in Victor's temple and everything. This was also the time of Saturnalia. Saturnalia was an old festival a Greek festival, which ran from December 17 to the 23rd in honor of the God of wealth and agriculture. Saturnalia was a if festival a time of great feasting and parties as they're celebrating this god Saturn all business and all this was based around the winter solstice so the whole idea of the ancients had was.

That's the day, the sun dies SU and son dies and it's reborn. This is the whole idea of the solstice. The man says. Christian leaders simply hijacked soul in Victor's Saturnalia winter solstice festival and made it into the Christmas, the day Jesus was born, there is zero evidence zero historical documents among the pagan riders or the Christian riders. Nobody says anything like this is that this happened. Instead, what we have are historical documents stating that according to tradition, Christmas was celebrated in Rome from the very beginning. This is not in the first century of the fourth century, the people said it while we take the pagan festival and turn over. No going back to the very time of the apostles after the time. December 25 began to be celebrated and commemorated as the day the Savior was born. We do have historical documents supporting that something else in parts of the world where Rome was not even in control. Christmas was already being celebrated on December 25. You see this horn myth is based on role is based on a Roman god and is being replaced by the Christian God in other parts of the world.

Nobody was telling them but they were already celebrating on December 25, so that is the history of religions view that does not stand in the face of historical evidence.

It does not stand. There are no historical documents supporting the view that this happened. Something else is the second view. This is known as the calculation view.

This view goes back to the late 1800s, not as old just to the late 1800s. According to this theory by the way, this one is a little complicated.

According to this theory, the December 25 day was calculated by the church leaders from the date of the Annunciation, which is when the angel Gabriel came to Mary. It is calculated from that day in the conception of Jesus based on when Jesus died.

We know that dates orders are based on that in the Annunciation and end in conception and the terseness it had there you go, I think is December 25 what you guys think it works out great.

There we go. It is based on an idea that the Jewish people had that great leaders gain great patriarchs and profits were born and he died on the very same day. So what this theory says we also with me theory. I want a book y'all to get convinced by others. A deep message and and don't worry about taking those go to the blog site every bit of it is written out so you can read at home. This is just a theory based on owns a Jewish believe that that great leaders, Abraham, Moses, David, there born and died on the same days of the truck this and maybe the church leader said how can we get the date of Jesus's birth all on will be can do.

We can find of the day he was heat he died and then make it the day and then the settlement that could not be more social. Let's make it a conception day over there you go. From March to December.

There are nine months. Dress perfect. Again, please listen very carefully. There is no shred of evidence that the early church actually sat down and did this kind of math to figure out the birthday of Jesus. No evidence so the question is, should be believe December 25 is the actual date of Jesus's birth I don't have time to go into all the details is a very short time I have I have next 10 minutes I get to convince you to passages in the Bible help us in their coming from the Gospels. One is from the Gospel of Matthew and the other is from the Gospel of Luke Celeste of the gospel of Matthew. First, Matthew chapter 2 starting in verse one. Now, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judeo in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem and let me say something very quickly. About this time in Herod's life. He was very sick. He was dying, and at the same time. Because of this sickness. He was also very hard to say this, he was anxious he was anxious that people were trying to sabotage his throne. There were conspiracies going on behind his back. He was very paranoid, something happened. About this time the Josephus, the Jewish historian tells us he, unlike their theories. I have historical documents. Josephus tells us that in the Jewish historian that about this time, Herod had had put an eagle on the gate of the Jewish Temple not right then but he had done it already. Not so far the people were scared to take this off because if you know this was such a abomination for a Roman Eagle to be on the gate of the Jewish Temple learned what a horrible image, but they can do anything.

But now Herod was weak and sick and dying, so the rabbis came to the young man said hate one of you the brave one among you take that eagle down as of the young man said you know I'm in Herod is dying he is not a do anything. What can you do so they got up on top toward the eagle down but Herod knew about it and his Secret Service people were around there and they captured those young man and also arrested. The rabbis and then Herod gave the order take them to Jericho was good happen in Jericho burn them alive. And guess what, we have the date for that January 10 one BC. This is the day that this happens. Herod executes the rabbis and the young man for four. Taking down the Eagle at the temple gate but it gets worse. Herod is not doing well so he he he decides to go to the mineral Springs beyond the Jordan folks what I'm telling you is not myth. This is fact. This is historical documents so sometime in the middle of February. Also with me. There's a reason why I'm giving you these date January executes the rabbis and the young man middle of February. He decides to go to the mineral spring so he is can be gone for a little while, but prior to this something happens he has a visit begin to come to that. Some people come to visit him.

But before we do that on a read for US statement that is given by an ancient rider by the name of macro abuse. Maccabeus says something very interesting here on hearing that the son of Herod, king of the Jews had been slain when Harriet ordered that all the boys in Syria under the age of to be killed. Augustus said it's better to be Herod's. Then his son, folks, this happens somewhere in the first part of February before he went off to the mineral Springs. What I'm telling you takes time and effort to explain what I'm doing this because we need to we need to understand what happens somewhere before he goes off in the mineral Springs.

The wise men come to visit him in the semisolid starting these and have come to worship him. Where is the king of the Jews and Herod and all Jerusalem with him are troubled, and he calls ascribes and the religious leaders. The Pharisees is a tell me where is he in this it means right here in Bethlehem of Judea because the prophets have said this is what's going to happen and was a Herod duties that will Magi go find him. Once you found him let me know and I will come and worship him. Not Herod was in no shape of going anywhere to worship anybody in the starlets. The Magi had saw in the EU's led them to the Very Pl., Jesus was in the Magi came and worshiped him, and they open their gifts.

Gold, frankincense and myrrh, and in a dream. The angel warned them and said what don't go back to Herod go another way. And so the Magi went back to the other way and the word comes back to Herod. What, so he gives the order not just to kill every baby, but to kill every male child two years and younger Bethlehem and all Judeo listen, that's the same as Syria. This happens right around the time that he has his own son killed in a week later he dies, would you like to know the death day of Herod.

April 8 one BC, short of the second reference very quickly.

This one is Luke chapter 1 there was in the days of Herod the king of Judeo, a certain priest named Zacharias, anybody know who Zacharias was. He was going to be the future.

Father of John the Baptist, right right but now it is to focus on the last line of verse five. This is critical for us to understand the birthday of Jesus Christ is certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of obliging now what does that mean for us. You know this is referred to as the priestly course king David thousand years earlier from the time of Christ had divided the priests into 24 courses I have thousands of priests by giving listen by giving us the division in which Zacharias belong.

Guess what the Jewish people kept a calendar when the priest would come. Would you like to know the time. Would you like to know when Zechariah was actually sacrificing in the temple because he was in the division of a project. September 3 through the 11th third BC and according to tradition around September 22 heard BC John was conceived was that have to do with the birth of Jesus. Elizabeth and Mary were the cousins. There were cousins. So what happens listen to a Luke chapter 1 in verse 26 toward the screen it says now in the sixth month now six-month of what six months of Elizabeth's pregnancy. The whole context I don't have time to go into that in the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy. What happens is says the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin but strode to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. So now help me count six months from September. Are you ready for Donna September 3 BC may have to go backwards before before that time. To go from third BC, the second BC so September count six months for me ready. October November December January February yelled encounters much of March is the month of March when the angel comes to Mary and says you will be with child, the Holy Spirit will overshadow you means you will have this child through the Holy Spirit and what does Mary do you see how many of you already know your Bible, what is she do at that moment she makes a trip to where to Elizabeth. She comes to Elizabeth and Elizabeth sees her coming and she says when you walked in the baby inside of me leapt with joy. John the Baptist inside the month.

His mother's womb, recognize his cousin Jesus coming and he knew he is the reason why I'm here so six months. Elizabeth is pregnant Mary just gets conceived in the month is what March 2 BC. Now how many months is a take for a baby full-term nine months he help me count for March, April, May, June, July August September October November Charlie was about seven or eight motherly pretty bad leg. Well, wait, let's go back here again exactly how many months. December 25, folks, I did get time to go into every little nitty-gritty detail because there's no time in 30 minutes to do all this but I try to condense it to make it simple enough and it's on the blog. December 25 was traditionally to the earliest tradition passed down folks, it may be December 24 that may have been December 26 somewhere right there was a time Jesus was born. This was not an afterthought. This was not something the church created.

This was not because of Constantine. This is something that was happening already in the early church knew it in the past. It down and there are other silly argument is that I don't have time to get into except this one of the argument is where shepherds could not have been in the fields during December. It was so cold you go heard that argument. False next time when you're in your family get together in some and six, her head out and says that just slap her appropriately, appropriately and said that's not true. And why is it not true because according to the mission of which is a Jewish book the sheep around Bethlehem broadside all year, and specially if they happen to be Passover sheep listen Passover sheep had to come out of the pin in month before the sacrifice Passover was in March month before would be February the coldest in the wettest time in Israel, don't you thing in December. They could've been out using sometimes people make such argument because no one confronts them with the truth. Go back to Galatians chapter 4 verse three again, even so we when we were children were in bondage under the elements of the world, but when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law of the B might receive the adoption as sons.

Thank you so much for listening to the sermon so important that we realize the truth behind the traditions and the holidays that we celebrate.

For more information, check out Dr. Shah's blog out on child.com or to get plugged in here clearly check out our website. A clear view BC that orgy come up on January 10 and 11th from 12 to 12 were having our 24 hour prayer vigil. The 24 hour prayer vigil is a time of uninterrupted prayer we take time to pray for our church community or country and our world. Contact us in the church office at 24388433 to reserve your 30 minute window to see the