Ian McNaughton from AIG considers the Christmas story

Ian McNaughton

There is always great joy at the birth of a child especially the first-born. In 2007 there were 1,587 births on Christmas day (Times Magazine, 20 Dec. 2008). That equals a lot of joy! So what about 25 December, is it really so special? In Luke's gospel chapter two we are given God's view of the events that make up the Incarnation. Luke's gospel says that nine months before Jesus was born the Holy Spirit planted the seed of life in Mary's womb (1:31). This is not normal as male sperm fertilises the female ova in the woman's fallopian tube before it moves to the womb but Jesus was conceived in the womb of Mary from the start. Every child's birth is wonderful: being a gift of God, a miracle of design and a precious moment for every parent but was there ever the birth of a child like the birth of Jesus Christ recorded in the Bible?

In recent years there has been an increase in media and academic attention about the origin of the Christmas story. For instance:

• On Christmas Eve, 2008 BBC2 broadcast a programme, "Star of Bethlehem". It reviewed the ideas/hypothesis of modern astronomers about the origin of the Christmas star that led the wise men to Bethlehem.


• On Christmas Day, 2008 Channel 4 put on a two hour documentary on the virgin birth called "The Nativity Decoded". However, it was the usual liberal hatchet job and turned out to be nothing but old hat! What was new was the presenter Robert Beckford and the production, but the content was old liberalism and theological modernism destroying the text and seeking to undermine its veracity under the pretext of seeking for the truth.

The Bible sets the incarnation event in an historical setting revealing the true uniqueness of the event we call the Incarnation. The main players were historical persons: Caesar Augustus is identified in history as the great grandnephew of Julius Caesar. He was known to secular historians as Octavian, he ruled the Roman Empire for nearly 42 years (27 BC-14 AD). Quirinius [or Cyrenius] was the governor of Syria. Josephus the Jewish historian records that he was governor in the year 6 BC. The British historian Sir William Ramsey agrees that Quirinius was alive at that time. The real date of Christmas is unknown because the Bible is silent about it and the best we can estimate is c. 6-4 BC. December is just guesswork so perhaps a more accurate time might be September or no later than the end of November, the traditional time of bringing the sheep inside for the winter. In spite of these unknowns the reality remains, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

The virgin birth of Jesus in the Christmas event is, for some, a stumbling block, but why should it be reckoned impossible for the Almighty to do this? After all he made the world in 6 days; parted the Red Sea and raised Christ from the dead on the third day. Those who do not believe these events are history will deny the miraculous in the Christmas story too. The first advent of Christ is the demonstration of God's love. Here again God intervenes into history to fulfil His plan of redemption. By this he demonstrates his willingness and power to save sinners.

Christmas is not a mishmash of stolen festivals nor is it largely a German import. The Roman Catholic Church did adapt the winter Pagan festivals like Yule or Yule-tide etc., and 'Christianised' them and the Victorians secularised the season, never-the-less, the virgin birth is a biblical event and an essential and important part of the historical account of the Gospel story. It is true that Christmas is not now an exclusively religious event in the UK calendar and that there are forces out there that want to change it even further into a secular winter holiday with no Christian content at all. In spite of all this hostility there is heartfelt joy in remembering the true reason for the season.

So what was God doing at Christmas? He was fulfilling the plan to send his only Son to die for sinners as a substitute in their place. Christmas is about the coming of the Saviour and the triumph of God over disobedience, unbelief and death in the human condition. The Bible (Old Testament) foretold that God would send the Prince of Peace to his people in their troubles (Isaiah 9). This was fulfilled at the Christmas event. It is narrated for us in the gospel of Luke, "And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!'"

Christmas speaks of "Joy to the world" but will the world believe?