Remember Joe Friday from the popular radio and TV show, "Dragnet"? He had a knack for cutting through all the emotions and feelings and side issues. He always found out, "Just the facts, ma'am."
There are many things about Christmas that we celebrate as fact that simply are not. Now, I enjoy many of the customs of this season as much as anyone, but for a few minutes, let us strip away all the traditions and sentimental aspects of this season and see what the story really has to say.
The record is surprisingly short. The gospel of John does not even include an historical account of the birth, but talks in spiritual terms about the eternity and authority of Jesus.
Matthew, after giving us extended genealogical background, devotes just seven verses to the birth in chapter one of his record; and Matthew is the only gospel to tell us about the wise men.
The gospel of Mark skips the birth altogether and begins after Jesus had grown up - with the story of John baptizing in the river.
The most complete and familar record of the birth of Jesus is found in Luke 2.
The famous census and taxation ordered by Augustus Caesar, nephew and heir to Julius Caesar, is recorded for us in Luke 2 beginning with verse 1. We learn from other historical records that not everyone was happy with this new tax. There were scattered rebellions and protests throughout the Roman empire. Verse 2 indicates this was the first in a series of head counts that led to new taxes.
Before any taxation could take place, Rome had to know how many people there were to tax. Some say Caesar ordered this census because he did not trust Herod, who ruled Judea. He was afraid Herod might pocket some of the tax money himself.
Jewish custom for census-taking was to enroll by tribes and families. So Mary and Joseph, from David's line, went to the hometown of their most famous ancestor. Hundreds of other relatives flooded that small town as well, and there simply was not enough rooms available for everyone.
Being such a small town, Bethlehem probably only had the one inn mentioned by Luke and all the homes were full with various relatives. Joseph and Mary were not the only ones forced to find alternative arrangements: many probably ended up sleeping in the streets.
Luke tells us Jesus was placed in a manger. A manger is a feeding trough for animals. So from that, we infer he was born in a barn. There were basically two types of stables in that day: First, there was a cave or a hole of some type along the side of the hills to keep the smell of farm animals away from the homes. The second type of barn was a group barn, used by several families.
Let me suggest that what happened at the birth of Jesus is not so different from what happens today. In our busy lives, we have no room for people who put us out or are a burden or dependent on us. It is not so much a deliberate attempt to be mean to others as it is an ignoring of others' needs because of a desire to satisfy ourselves.
In our self-centered culture, we feel cheated if our children or aging parents or others keep us from doing what we want to do. So, we send them away, we let someone else take care of them, or we ignore their needs over ours. How different is that from those who would not share their room with the baby Jesus?
Herod planned to kill the Messiah, according to Matthew 2:16, because the baby might be inconvenient for him. So Herod arranged an across the board killing of all children two and under.
We shake our heads in disbelief at the cruelty of this man. Yet today, one out of every three babies conceived in America is killed, legally and on purpose. Each year, 1.6 million unborn children die by abortion because they are inconvenient or unwanted or not the woman's choice.
Let me hasten to say our job at church is not to condemn the women who have had an abortion. Our job is to reach out to them in love and compassion and show them a better way. That is the only way this nightmare will end. When we can find room in our hearts for the unborn children and the confused, hurt and angry young women who have had abortions, we can find room for Jesus.
Maybe we have never gone to the extreme length of an abortion, but what about our concern for others? Do we take people for granted? Do we ignore their needs? Do we use others for our ends or treat them in a mean or harsh way? Do we have any room?
The apperance by the angels to the shepherds in verses 8-15 is pretty exciting stuff. But other than that electrifying occurence, the day was probably like any other day. There were no trumpets playing at the stores, Mary was probably very tired after hours of labor, and newborns don't do any cute tricks. There was no halo around the child, no celestial lights, no "deck the halls," no colorful ornaments, no trees, no candy, no gifts. In fact, Jesus was probably not even born on December 25th in the year 0.
Through a mistake in our calendars, Jesus wasn't born 1,997 years ago but around 4 or 5 B.C. Judea in December is wet and cilly: shepherds were not usually out with their flocks all night in December. More likely, it was during the spring lambing season when shepherds would certainly spend the whole night "keeping watch over their sheep."
The birth of Jesus was not celebrated at all for the first 300 years of the church. Christmas was not established until 386 A.D. when church leaders organized a Christ Mass to be celebrated on December 25th to take the place of a popular pagan festival.
Eventually, the purpose of the pagan feast was forgotten and December 25th seems more fitting now than any other time to remember the birth of Jesus.
Today, at this season, the do trumpets sound loudly. All the songs, programs, specials, lights, commercials and stories surrounding this time of year clearly announce it is Christmas. Unfortunately, all the noise seems to raise expectations higher than they can ever be realized.
For centuries, Israel had been waiting for the Messiah, but when Jesus came, most people did not notice. You see, they were listening for trumpet calls announcing the King's arrival, but there were no trumpets. Very quietly and with great purpose, God revealed to the human race what was really important.
Can we find a quiet place in all this noise to remind ourselves what happened so long ago, or will we get so caught up in the trumpet sounds of this season that we miss the gift of God?
The shepherds found the baby just as the angel had said. After they left the manger scene, we do not know what happened to the shepherds. It appears that at some point they remembered all those sheep they had left in the fields and returned to their work. Maybe, after a while, someone convinced them it really wasn't the Messiah they saw. Maybe they died before Jesus grew up. Maybe, from a distance, they watched and followed the life of Christ. Maybe they became Christians. We simply do not know.
When Christmas is over, we will all go back to our jobs, our homes, our friends, our schools. What will we remember about this Christmas?
Christmas has a lot more to do with God's love than the misty-eyed, feel-good sentiments we see all around us now. Christmas is more than being with family and friends; more than an appeal for world peace; more than a break from work or school. Christmas is about God coming to earth to bring salvation. All else is just glitter and tinsel.
Look around at all the confused and competing Christmas stories we have. From Santa Claus and Rudolph to miracles and family restorations. Although they might make good stories, they are not the facts of Christmas. We have the facts. We know what really happened.
On December 25th this year, angels might not burst through the skies, a revelation might not suddenly change your life, it might not snow and you might not get the gift you really wanted. But when you have the facts, you can really have a merry Christmas!
A form of this story was originally written by John McArthur and published in the December, 1994 issue of "The Restoration Herald."
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