Published by Christmas has become such an important holiday for so many people around the world that it has developed its own traditions far beyond its original scope. Unfortunately, this means that many people have several misconceptions about Christmas and the events of Christ’s birth. Here are three of the most common…
Christ Was Born in the Stable of an Inn
The only evidence that Christ was born in a stable is in Luke 2:7 where the Bible says that Mary laid Jesus in a manger. Since a manger is a feeding trough for animals, many over the years have assumed that Jesus was born in a type of barn. That is not necessarily the case, however.
That misconception has been aided by the end of that same verse where it says that there was no room for them in the inn. Many have inferred from this verse that while some kindly innkeeper had to turn them away, he offered them the use of his barn. The translation is a bit deceiving, however. The only other time that the Greek word used for in Luke 2:7 is used in the New Testament, it refers to a furnished guest room. Therefore, Mary and Joseph may have tried staying with relatives, and ended up sleeping outside their house. If they really had tried to stay at an inn, the manger may have been in a cave, rather than a stable.
Three Wise Men Came to See Christ at His Birth
Although most nativity scenes show the wise men present at the birth of Christ, this is inaccurate. Matthew 2:11 says that the Magi saw Jesus as a child in a house. He was not a baby in a manger when they finally found him. He may have been as much as two years old.
Further, there were not necessarily three Wise Men. Many have assumed that there were three because they came bearing three gifts. That does not mean that there were only three! We can assume that there were at least two because the Bible uses the plural, but there could just have easily been 30 as there could have been 3.
Christ Was Born on December 25th
There is no evidence that Christ was born on December 25th or in December at all. In fact, the evidence would seem to indicate that this was not the case. The scriptures say that the shepherds were in their fields, so that would restrict the time of Christ’s birth to the Spring, Summer, or Fall. Shepherds generally did not have their sheep in the fields during the winter. Many have suggested that Jesus was born during September during the Feast of Tabernacles. That would mean that, instead of celebrating Christ’s birth in December, we should celebrate the miraculous conception.
Why do we celebrate Christmas on December 25th? Because no one can say for sure on what day Christ was born. It could have been December 25th or it may have been April 28th. We cannot know for sure, so it seems reasonable to celebrate it on some arbitrary day. The Roman Catholic church chose December 25th soon after the Empire converted to Christianity as a way of replacing the festivals for the Winter Solstice.
