The First Christmas – Luke 1:1-7

It is now December and during this month, many celebrate the Advent season. Advent: derived from Latin means ‘coming’. Lately, Christmas, as a holiday celebrations, has had some controversies. As a reminder, as Christians we don’t worship Christmas but we worship Christ.

Two Christmas Controversies
Mainly there are two issues that have come up about Christmas. First people claim it’s a pagan holiday. They say that the first century Christians were influenced by a winter Roman holiday celebrating a pagan god. Now there’s wreaths and Christmas trees. Also there’s the fact that Christmas is not a biblical mandate, although there are a few recordings of the early churches celebrating Christ’s birth, but it wasn’t many.

Second issue is that Jesus was not born on December 25. Jews had their own calendars. Following the timeline in Luke, Jesus could be born in May or June. Based in the Rosh Hashanah then it could be around December. Ultimately no one knows the exact day Jesus was born since the Bible doesn’t say. But it’s irrelevant what day Jesus was born. It doesn’t even matter if it’s on the same day as a pagan holiday. What matters is that we remember Christ and celebrate why Jesus came. We worship God, not the event.

How do we celebrate Christmas without bias?
What is fact and the fact that matters is, Jesus was here. The account in Luke was historically exact. It has been attacked but Luke is accurate and the Biblical account is totally true. Unfortunately, Christmas has been hijacked. It has been commercialized and transformed into a sentiment. How do we get back the truth of Christmas, the truth that Jesus came to deliver us from our sins? We turn to the Bible and its reality. It is the Holy Spirit who will show us the true Christmas.

Historical Study
One way to establish the veracity of the Bible is historical study. Back then all the actions of the rulers were written down by historians. Luke is also historian. Luke’s purpose told in Luke 1:1-4 shows that he investigates thoroughly and accurately. He states, ‘so that you may know the exact truth’. Luke wants to set the record straight historically. Jesus is not a fairytale or legend.

Caesar Augustus decreed a census.  Augustus was the most powerful Roman emperor. In verse 3, everyone had to go back to their city. This is an example of God working sovereignly for the sake of the believer, so that Jesus could be born in Bethlehem. The census was very well documented. It occurred every 14 years.

Attacks from critics about the historical accuracy of Luke start happening at verse 2. The NASB translation says ‘first census’  so the word first is an adjective, while the NKJV uses the word first as an adverb. When first is an adjective, it means the earlier one, which implies there might have been a later census. This is important in relation to the following statement, that Quirinius was governor. Many historians not Quirinius was not a governor, but a procurator of the Roman government.  This is explained, during the first census Quirinius was not the governor. During the second census Quirinius was governor. Show the importance of the word first as an adjective vs the adverb. Luke’s attention to detail in telling the timeline shows the Bible is accurate, infallible and inerrant.

God’s Christmas
It is important to look at the first Christmas because Christmas has been hijacked. Men have tried to make Christmas their own holiday, while God is the one who started it. Christmas is a historical event, God planned it and it has a purpose. He is behind the events that happened. God even used the emperor and governor to accomplish His plan. It is definitely not man’s but God’s.

The Bible says, ‘it came to pass’ (Luke 2:1 KJV), meaning the time has come. God was now involved in the unfolding of the events. Zacharias had quoted Jeremiah, that the Sunrise will visit (Luke 1:78, Jeremiah 23:5).  The ‘decree went out’. This was God’s decree through Emperor Augustus. ‘Went out’ is a phrase associated with God sending out people for the sake of missions. God knows all things and is all powerful. He is transcendent (above everything) and immanent (in everything). The events of Christmas were not by chance or human planning, it’s not a pagan holiday, it is the sovereign God’s good and perfect plan.

Why did God make Christmas?
Because of sin (Romans 5:12). Everyone is a sinner, even before they were born because we bear Adam’s sin. The history of sin goes all the way back. So God has to be involved. Jesus became like us, He came to earth, became a man but without sin (Hebrews 2:14-17). This is God’s plan of salvation. We can believe the Bible’s telling of Christ’s birth because of Luke’s historical accuracy. We love Christmas because it is made by God for the salvation of sinners. That’s why we celebrate and share with those around us the wonderful news of Christ’s coming.