AfterToday
12-12-2005, 09:21 AM
I know that we have already discussed the whole "will you tell your kids theres a santa" and the "cancelling of church services on Christmas day" but I thought this might be a new and interesting discussion.
What is your take on the timing of Christmas and Christs actual birth? Does it make a difference to you that it may or may not be around December 25th?
I have my 'romantic' ideas, and then my logical...so, I will share in hopes of getting other opinions!
In Leviticus 23 chapter 7 describes different feasts. It says that "The Lords Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month." The first month falls according to the new moon, over the last half of March and the first half of April. The timing is perfect for all of us who have carried children! In the Jewish calendar, the fourteenth day of the first month is called the day of conception. If our God whom is of perfect planning and gloriously significant order happened to overshadow Mary on the fourteenth day of the first month of His calendar, our Saviour would have been born toward the end of our December. Now, I know we have absolutely no way of knowing, but I think it would be beautiful (and not the least bit surprising) for God to have sparked His Son's human life on one Passover and ended it on another. So that is my romantisized idea.
Now I know that there is also the talk that the shephards would have been in the fields in the spring, thus putting Christs birth in the spring, not the winter. Some say it could have been fall as well, as early as September 29th...knowing that I will never really know for sure, I say that His birth is worthy of celebrating at some time during the year...and so until God calls down and makes it clear we are wrong...December 25th works for me!
(which I am sure will then lead into the discussion that 'our' Christmas is really a spawn of a pagan celebration and I am eager of everyones opinions on that as well!)
Hope to get some great conversation with this!
What is your take on the timing of Christmas and Christs actual birth? Does it make a difference to you that it may or may not be around December 25th?
I have my 'romantic' ideas, and then my logical...so, I will share in hopes of getting other opinions!
In Leviticus 23 chapter 7 describes different feasts. It says that "The Lords Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month." The first month falls according to the new moon, over the last half of March and the first half of April. The timing is perfect for all of us who have carried children! In the Jewish calendar, the fourteenth day of the first month is called the day of conception. If our God whom is of perfect planning and gloriously significant order happened to overshadow Mary on the fourteenth day of the first month of His calendar, our Saviour would have been born toward the end of our December. Now, I know we have absolutely no way of knowing, but I think it would be beautiful (and not the least bit surprising) for God to have sparked His Son's human life on one Passover and ended it on another. So that is my romantisized idea.
Now I know that there is also the talk that the shephards would have been in the fields in the spring, thus putting Christs birth in the spring, not the winter. Some say it could have been fall as well, as early as September 29th...knowing that I will never really know for sure, I say that His birth is worthy of celebrating at some time during the year...and so until God calls down and makes it clear we are wrong...December 25th works for me!
(which I am sure will then lead into the discussion that 'our' Christmas is really a spawn of a pagan celebration and I am eager of everyones opinions on that as well!)
Hope to get some great conversation with this!