The birth of Christ

Jesus was not born in December, and His traditional Jewish mother did not lay Him in a shitty cattle tray.

Chapters

1. Whats up with the 25th of december?
2. Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles)
3. Jesus birthday; arguments for Sukkot
4. A clear problem with the word "manger"
5. Mistranslated? But my Bible is Holy!
6. Antisemitism

Whats up with the 25th of december?

Here a list of "gods" (not Jesus) all said to have been born by a virgin, on December 25th:

• Horus: An Ethiopian-Sudanese god, around 3,000 before Jesus.
• Buddha: A Nepal god, around 563 before Jesus.
• Krishna: An Indian god, around 900 before Jesus.
• Zarathustra: An Indian god, around 1,000 before Jesus.
• Hercules: A Greek god, around 800 before Jesus.
• Mithras: A Persian god, around 600 before Jesus.
• Dionysus: A Greek god, around 500 before Jesus.
• Thamuz: A Babylonian god, around 400 before Jesus.
• Hermes: A Greek god, around 200 before Jesus.
• Adonis: A Phoenician god, around 200 before Jesus.

What a ridiculous list of freak occurrences. Apparently gods had a thing for virgin moms and this specific date. The wide range of countries and timespans make it impossible to call this list a coincidence. Its almost as if there was a plan to cause confusion around something important. It’s a deliberate attempt to blend Jesus into a list of gods, to make Him appear less significant. A wild claim out of my bias for Jesus, yes I realize that.

In AD 313 Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, this legalized Christianity and allowed for freedom of worship in the Roman empire. Christianity became the main religion, this was good for the unity and centralization of the empire, there are never no political motives.

The list of gods tells there were lots of different pagan celebrations, and they all happen to be around the same date. Church leaders provided an alternative to these celebrations by celebrating the birth of Jesus also on December 25. This helped people transfer over to Christianity.

This was the O.G. "Coexist" movement. 

Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles)

Sukkot means “booths” or “tabernacles”. Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, is a festival dedicated to the Jewish people by God. During Sukkot they leave their comfortable houses and spend a week in a shabby hut, named a sukkah. Its a flimsy hut as a reminder that the Jewish people have followed God for forty years in the desert on their way to the Promised Land.

In Jesus, God tabernacled among us. He chose to be born into a not so glorious space, a place where stars peeked through the roof, and where the cold of night wasn't fully kept out. In that lowly place dwelt the glorious presence of God.

When Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem the city was full. Bethlehem was full because the feast of Sukkot was ongoing. The only place they could find was not a stable, it was a traditional sukkah. 

Jesus birthday; arguments for Sukkot

First of all, God ordered His people to celebrate lots of feasts, but Jesus birthday wasn't one of them. Celebrating birthdays is a pagan tradition. I'm not saying its bad, its just not biblical per se. The Bible teaches no importance on actual dates on which people were born.

John's birthday

Luke 1:19-20 - The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel ... until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time

Gods Feasts are also called: "The appointed times".

Matthew 11:13-14 - For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.

John was “the Elijah who is to come”, so its save to say that his birth took place at the “appointed time” of Passover.

Luke 1:26 - In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth...

Sukkot is six months after Passover.

To tabernacle among us

John 1:1 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 - The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us

In other words; God became a Man and he dwelled among us, and I'd like to argue, He did so in a literal tabernacle.

In the account that’s known as the Transfiguration, Jesus appeared in glory and was talking with Moses and Elijah. Peter’s immediate response was to suggest that they quickly construct three tabernacles. He seemed to understand the important symbolism of tabernacles and the future age of God’s Kingdom.

Jesus does what His Father does

John 5:19 - ... he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

In Exodus we read how God the Father came down:

Exodus 40:34 - Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 

Could this be an event that Jesus took example of, a classic Old Testament foreshadowing?

A theme of joy

Leviticus 23:40 - ...and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days

Luke 2:10-11 – … I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people...

Sukkot is also known as the Feast of Joy. What would be more appropriate than for the One who brings great Joy, to arrive on the Feast of Joy?

The bread of life

Leviticus 23:6 - ...for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast

The sukkah had to be able to accommodate a person who could then sit at a small table to eat, the Talmud specifically instructs one to eat bread. Newborn Jesus was clothed in wraps just like they always do with bread. He then slept on the small table specifically meant for bread.

Later in life Jesus said He is the Bread of life. This whole scene around His birth is the perfect picture, as if God already prepared this event centuries earlier.

A clear problem with the word "manger"

Note that the word "stable" isn't used at all, in Matthew or Luke. A stable is only implied because of the word "manger".

Mary was a Jewish woman, she was fully aware of all the Biblical rules regarding hygiene, human waste, polluted water, contaminated food, disease etc. That Mary would uphold these rules is self-evident. 

While the people in Europe died of plaques because they threw their feces out of the windows and onto the streets, the Jewish people had strict God-given laws, and a culture, that dictated hygiene.

A Jewish mother would never put her baby down in a filthy farming stable. That Jesus ever laid in a manger surrounded by farm animals is insulting, and childishly silly.

The words "stable" and "manger" make zero sense. The only explanation is that these words were mistranslated at some point, and yes: mistranslations did happen, even in your Bible.

Mistranslated? But my Bible is Holy!

Yes, Gods Word is Holy, and He preserved His Word.

But a Bible is also a paper bound book. Please don't think that typings on paper aren't easily rearranged, if someone puts his evil mind to it.

The Bible has been translated into around 690 languages. And there are around 450 English translations. Loosing meaning or context when translating is unavoidable, even if someone has the best intentions. 

Deuteronomy 4:2 - You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you.

Every commandment in the Bible is there because God accurately predicted that man, who is evil by nature, will do just that. People murder, adulterate, lie, steel, and some also do their best to corrupt Gods Word. Some bible translations are plain evil (Book of Mormon) and will keep you away from God instead of drawing you near.

Don't start doubting your faith because of a mistranslation though, God does indeed preserve His word. Everything you need to know is there for you to read. Details may have gotten vague or twisted, just study, look, and compare harder.

When you die, Jesus is not going to ask you His birthday to make you prove you're worthy of Heaven... details like this aren't essential for your salvation.

Antisemitism

The early Church blamed the Jews for killing Jesus, they said that being a Jew was the worst you could be. If a Jew wanted to become a Christian you had to denounce everything Jewish. These are the roots of current day antisemitism. Because everything Jewish was bad, the Jewish traditions in the Bible were twisted, replaced, and forgotten, as if we don't need them. 

By Gods grace everything in our bible that is really important is well preserved; That Jesus came down to be with us, that He died for our sins, and that we need to accept Him as our savior. But (huge) details like this have been completely butchered, prophecies, and commonsensical insights have been clouded ever since.

The feast of Sukkot has always been the event God had prepared for this moment, every time the Jewish people celebrated it, it was a foreshadowing of things to come.

I believe God still has a plan for His Feasts, and it will be good for everyone to rediscover them.

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