Fact or fiction?

 by David Long

Well it’s that time of year when we see nativity scenes and church pageants about the birth of Christ or what the world refers to as “Christmas.” When it comes to Christmas what is fact and what is fiction? (1) Was Jesus really born on December 25^th? “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Lk. 2:11). What day was “this day?” The Bible does not give the month or the day. It just gives us the event. The truth is, we don’t know. We do know it was during the time of year when Rome did a taxing of its citizens (Lk. 2:1-5). The problem is we don’t know the exact time of year that was. We do know it was a time of year when shepherds stayed with their sheep out in the fields (Lk. 2:8). It is a fact that Jesus was born. It is fiction that He was born on December 25^th. 

(2) Was there really three wise men who came to see Jesus? The Bible doesn’t tell us how many wise men came to see Jesus. The Bible tells us that there were three kinds of gifts presented (Matt. 2:11). It is a fact that wise men came to see Jesus. It is fiction that there were three of them. All we know for sure is that there was more than one. 

(3) Were the wise men kings from the orient? The Bible doesn’t say they were kings. The Bible just says, “There came wise men from the east” (Matt. 2:1). 

(4) Did the wise men visit Jesus in the manger? The Bible says they visited Jesus in a house (Matt. 2:9-11). By the time the wise men arrived in Bethlehem Joseph and Mary had moved out of the barn and into a house. In fact, by the time the wise men arrived Jesus was possibly two years old (Matt. 2:16). The only ones to visit Jesus as a babe in the manger were the shepherds (Lk. 2:8-20). 

(5) Did Mary ride a donkey from Nazareth to Bethlehem? The Bible doesn’t mention the mode of transportation. It just says they went. 

So, what do we believe about all this? First, we don’t believe or practice something just because the majority of people believe it or do it. God said to His people a long time ago, “Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil…” (Ex. 23:2). We want to believe and do it because the word of God teaches it. Second, we must beware of man-made religious traditions. “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ” (Col. 2:8). Third, we don’t want to add to or take away from the word of God (Rev. 22:18-19).  Just because man puts Jesus in something doesn’t mean that He is in it. Just because man connects Jesus to something doesn’t mean He is connected. The word of God must be our standard (Rom. 10:17). We must be sure to do our own Bible study. “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). The Bible says, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thess. 5:21). So, we must ask ourselves the question, “Is what I believe and practice really what the Bible teaches? Can I prove it from the word of God? Dear reader, are you a Christian? Have you done what the Bible teaches to become a Christian or have you accepted what the majority of the religious world teaches to become a Christian? Know what the Bible teaches for yourself!