MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/29/2026
8:05 AM
My
Worship
Time Focus: PT-2 “Introduction to “Jesus’ Birth
in Bethlehem”
Bible
Reading &
Meditation Reference: Luke 2:1-7
Message
of the verses: “1 Now in those days a decree went out
from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the
inhabited earth. 2 This was the first census taken
while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And
all the people were on their way to register for the census,
each to his own city. 4 Now Joseph also went up from
Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is
called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, 5 in
order to register along with Mary, who was betrothed to him, and was
pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for
her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her
firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger,
because there was no [g]room for them in the inn.” (NASB 2:1-7)
I will pick up where I left off in last evening’s SD,
as I continue to quote from John MacArthur’s introduction to the verses above.
“For the first few centuries of its
existence, the church did not celebrate Christ’s birth. Some of the early fathers, most notably
Origen, even argued against celebrating the birthdays of saints and martyrs
(including Jesus). They reasoned that
such people should be honored instead on the day of their martyrdom. Noting that the only birthdays mentioned in
the Bible are those of Pharaoh (Gen. 40:20) and Herod (Matt. 14:6), they viewed
birthday celebrations as a pagan custom.
But the second century, the actual date of Christ’s birth had been
forgotten, as evidenced by the numerous dates proposed for it (e.g., January 2
6; March 21, 25; April 18, 19; May 20, 28; November 17, 20).
“Exactly when the early church
settled on December 25 is not known. The
first recorded reference to that date as the day of Christ’s birth is found in
the writings of Sextus Julius Africanus early in the third century. The earliest evidence of the church
celebrating Christmas on December 25 comes from the fourth-century manuscript
known as the Chronography or Calendar of 354.
According to that document Christmas was being celebrated on December 25
by the church at Rome no earlier than A. D. 336. That date was gradually adopted by the church
as a whole over the next several centuries.
“Why the church finally decided to
celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25 is also not known for certain. Some believe that it was to offer a Christian
alternative to the popular pagan holiday known as Dies Natalis Solis Invicti
(“the birthday of the unconquered sun”), which was celebrated on December 25. That festival was inaugurated late in the
third century to honor several sun gods, chief of which was Mithras, whose
worship (Mithraism) posed a serious threat to the Christian church. Others hold that the date was chosen because
it is nine months after March 25, the day that some in the early church
believed (without biblical warrant) was the date of Jesus’ conception.
“Over the centuries the trappings
now commonly associated with Christmas gradually seeped into the
celebration. Gift giving was an integral
part of the pagan winter festivals, and became firmly associated with Christmas
by the end of the eighteenth century. Mistletoe
was sacred to the ancient Druids, who attributed to it both magical and
medicinal powers. Kissing under the
mistletoe may derive from a Druid or Scandinavian custom that enemies who met
under mistletoe were to cease fighting and observe a truce. The creche, or manger scene, originated with
Sr. Francis of Assisi in the thirteenth century. The practice of singing carols also originated
in the Middle Ages. The city of Riga in
Latvia claims to be the home of the first Christmas tree, dating from the year
1510. Others legends attribute the first Christ mas tree to Martin Luther, who
allegedly brought an evergreen tree into his house and decorated it. There is, however, no contemporary record of
his having done so. Christmas trees
became popular in Germany in the seventeenth century, and first appeared in America
early in the nineteenth century. The
first commercial Christmas cards were
sold in London in 1843.”
Spiritual
Meaning for my life today. Ever since I have become a believer
my thoughts about Christmas have changed from what they were before I became a
believer, as I have always thought that if the Lord wanted us to know the date
of His birth He would have let us know.
My
Steps of Faith for Today: Be thankful for the birth, life, death, and
resurrection of Jesus Christ each and every day.
3/29/2026
8:37 AM
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