25 Christmas Myths and What the Bible Says (Myths 5 & 6)

Many of the Bible stories and verses we think we know, we don't, when we understand the text is an online

Bible ministry committed to teaching sound doctrine and exposing the faulty. From now through Christmas, Pastor Gabriel Hughes will be introducing chapters from his latest book, 25

Christmas Myths and What the Bible Says. Coming this month through our website www .tt

.com in print, e -book and audio formats. With another Christmas myth, here's

Pastor Gabe. Christmas Myth number 5.

Jesus was born in a barn. Whether acted out by children in church, cast in small figurines in a home, or set up as a life -sized spectacle out on the front lawn, the nativity scene has become a

Christmas staple. The word nativity comes from the

Latin nativitas, meaning arisen by birth. Legend has it that 13th century friar

St. Francis of Assisi introduced the first nativity scene which he set up with living animals and an empty manger as a visual while he preached the gospel.

The traditional nativity contains figurines of Mary and Joseph kneeling beside baby

Jesus in a manger. There may also be a couple of shepherds with expressions of wonder on their faces, animals like sheep, cattle or a donkey, three kings carrying their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, and maybe an angel standing nearby or suspended over the scene.

All of this is set under a cutaway stable with grass and hay inside. After all, as everyone knows,

Jesus was born in a barn. Not true. Contrary to popular belief,

Jesus was not born in a stable. Part of our misunderstanding is due to living in a different time and a different culture, but mostly it's because the scripture has been misinterpreted.

That error has been repeated over and over again for so long we think that's how the story goes.

But just as the gospel of Luke never mentions an innkeeper, there's no stable in the

Christmas story either. Returning again to Luke 2, 6 -7 we read, And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.

And she gave birth to her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling -claws, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

It's this word manger, translated from the Greek word fatini, that has led many to conclude the setting of the birth of Christ was in a stable, or a structure in which livestock are kept.

A manger is an animal's feed trough, hence why we also depict the birth of Christ surrounded by sheep, cattle, and donkeys.

The word is used again in Luke 2, 12 when the angels told shepherds they would find the Savior wrapped in swaddling -claws and lying in a manger.

So if baby Jesus was placed in a manger, why is it unreasonable to assume he was born in a barn?

Because we're imagining with Western world minds in the 21st century rather than thinking of a 1st century

Middle Eastern setting. The common dwelling in 1st century Palestine, referring to the historic region, not the modern state, was comprised of two levels.

The upper room was for dining and sleeping, the lower level for work and fellowship. At night, the angels would be brought inside the home to ensure they wouldn't run away or be stolen.

Obviously, the animals would remain on the lower level while the occupants remained upstairs. The heat generated by the animals also helped to keep the home warm.

Remember that Joseph and Mary had been in Bethlehem for at least several weeks by the time Jesus was born.

They didn't arrive with Mary in the throes of labor pains. Because they returned to the place of their lineage, they would have been staying with family.

The house was full of people who had returned to register for the census. The upper room or inn of the house was occupied.

Therefore, Jesus was born downstairs and a manger was made his crib. Mary probably preferred to have her baby downstairs instead of surrounded by a bunch of people.

Downstairs certainly would have been more private. Now, just because Jesus was born in the place where the animals are kept, that doesn't mean animals were present.

Joseph and Mary weren't staying with a bunch of heartless aunts and uncles who told her to grin and bear it, forcing her to give birth under the rear end of a cow.

The animals would have stayed outside. Keep in mind that Luke is telling a story.

And all of these elements are important to the story. The baby Jesus was wrapped in swaddling cloths and laid in a manger because there was no room upstairs.

These are not just stand -alone facts. It was customary to wrap babies in swaddling cloths, but it wasn't customary to lay them in mangers.

Why did Mary do that? Because there was no room for them in the inn, or the upper room of the house where everyone slept.

This is significant for what Luke is conveying. He is showing that there were many witnesses to these events.

First, there was an entire household of family members. Second, he is also setting up the next part of the story, where he introduces yet another group of witnesses to the birth of Christ.

That's right, shepherds out in the field, to whom the angel said, the

Messiah had come. I'll give you the announcement once again. Fear not, for behold,

I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a

Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you. You will find a baby, wrapped in swaddling cloths, and lying in a manger.

See, it was necessary for Luke to say earlier in his narrative that Jesus was wrapped in swaddling cloths and placed in a manger, because it was part of the angels' announcement to the shepherds.

The sign of Jesus' birth is understood in two ways. First, the angels were announcing that the birth of Jesus was the fulfillment of the sign that God had promised through the prophet

Isaiah. Isaiah 7 .14, Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

The angels said, whether or not the shepherds understood it, that this baby born in Bethlehem was the

Messiah who had been foretold. The second way this sign is understood is in how the shepherds would find the

Christ child, wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. Wrapped in swaddling cloths indicated to the shepherds that this miracle baby was a newborn.

Bethlehem was a small town with no more than a few hundred people. Still, there may have been a few babies. The shepherds were looking for the baby who had just been born.

In a manger told the shepherds where the baby was. The angel didn't exactly set the shepherds up with a street address, but in a manger was enough.

Since animals were outside during the day and inside at night, their feed troughs were likely built into the wall, half outside and half inside.

This meant the shepherds could find the baby without knocking on doors or tromping through someone's home. The shepherds found the baby just as the angel had said, wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger, having been born in a home, not in a barn.

If that ruins your perspective of Jesus' lowly beginnings, it shouldn't. Instead of being born in the palace, which would have been visible from Bethlehem, the

King of Kings was born in a peasant's home, in the part where the animals sleep.

We read in 2 Corinthians 8 -9, For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

Jesus Christ left his throne in heaven, took on human flesh, and became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

He became nothing, so that through him we might have everything. Therefore, let us also have this mind that is in Christ Jesus.

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 2, 3 -5. Christmas Myth Number 6.

Angels Sang to Shepherds One of the most famous Christmas carols is

Hark the Herald Angels Sing, written in 1739 by Charles Wesley, later to be fitted to a musical piece written separately by Felix Mendelssohn over a hundred years later.

The popularity of this hymn is largely the reason why we assume angels sang to shepherds on that first Christmas night.

After all, it's right there in the title, Hark the Herald Angels Sing. This is mentioned in many carols.

In O Come All Ye Faithful, one of the verses begins, Seeing choirs of angels sing in exultation.

In the first verse of the hymn, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, we sing, Peace on earth, good will to men, from heaven's all -gracious

King, The world in solemn stillness lay, to hear the angels sing.

However, the Bible doesn't say that angels sang. In fact, nowhere in the

Bible are angels depicted as singing ever, not on earth, nor in revelations of the future, nor in visions of heaven.

Now this is a particularly minor point. There's no reason to divide over whether angels sing.

If you want to imagine angels singing to shepherds, there's certainly nothing wrong with that. But marvel with me as we consider that God has given certain gifts and privileges to people, we who are made in His image, that He has not given even to His holy angels.

Look again at Luke 2, 8 -14. And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. And they were filled with great fear.

And the angel said to them, Fear not. For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you.

You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising

God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom

He is pleased. Notice that the text says, a multitude of the heavenly host was praising

God and saying, not singing. The Greek word is lego, which means to say.

The word is used again in Luke 21, 5, where we read that some were speaking in the temple.

Isaiah 44, 23 says, Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it.

Who else could sing from heaven but the angels, right? But when you look at the context, you'll see that Isaiah is being figurative by personifying creation.

Going on, we read, Shout, O depths of the earth, break forth into singing. O mountains,

O forest, and every tree in it. Also, in Isaiah 49, 13, we read,

Sing for joy, O heavens, and exalt, O earth. Break forth, O mountains, into singing.

Job 38, 7 says, The morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy.

But this is amidst very figurative language, where God also says that He laid the foundation of the earth.

Does the earth sit on a foundation? Of course not. Elsewhere in Job, we are told He hangs the earth on nothing.

Job 26, 7. In Jeremiah 51, 48, we read, Then the heavens and the earth and all that is in them shall sing for joy over Babylon.

For the destroyers shall come against them out of the north, declares the Lord. That's probably the closest we get to a picture of angels singing.

But as with Isaiah and Job, the language in this portion of Jeremiah is poetic and figurative.

In the last book of the Bible, we read about singing in heaven. Revelation 14, 2 -3 says,

And I heard a loud voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder.

The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders.

No one could learn that song except the ones who had been redeemed from the earth.

In the next chapter, John sees a multitude holding harps in their hands, and they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the

Lamb, saying, Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God, the Almighty.

Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations. Revelation 15, 3.

Music and song appear to be a gift that God has given exclusively to mankind to use for his glory.

When God rescued the Israelites from the hand of the Egyptians by drowning their enemies in the Red Sea, the people sang,

I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously. The horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.

Exodus 15, 1. Miriam, Moses' sister, led the women in singing. Verses 20 -21.

King David wrote many songs of praise unto God, which make up the Psalms. I will sing of the steadfast love of the

Lord forever. With my mouth, I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 89, 1. I will sing of the steadfast love and justice.

To you, O Lord, I will make music. Psalm 101, verse 1. My heart is steadfast,

O God. I will sing and make melody with all of my being. Psalm 108, 1.

The songs David wrote were not just when he was happy. Even in times of grief and lament,

David still sang unto God. Consider these words from Psalm 13. How long must

I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

But I have trusted in your steadfast love. My heart shall rejoice in your salvation.

I will sing to the Lord because he has dealt bountifully with me.

This is not merely a privilege that we sing unto God. Singing is commanded.

Sing to God. Sing praises to his name. Lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts.

His name is the Lord. Exalt before him. Psalm 68, 4. O sing to the

Lord a new song. Sing to the Lord all the earth. Sing to the Lord. Bless his name.

Tell of his salvation from day to day. Psalm 96, 1 and 2. Serve the

Lord with gladness. Come into his presence with singing. Psalm 100, verse 2.

The church is also called to sing together and lift our praises unto God through music.

Be filled with the Spirit. Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.

Singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart. Ephesians 5, 18 through 19.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. Teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom.

Singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Colossians 3, 16. Who knows if angels sing? But we know that God has given people the gift of song and we are to praise him with music.

The Lord has bestowed blessings upon his people even holy angels have not received. Namely, salvation.

God has no plan to redeem the angels. Those angels that are fallen, that were cast from heaven with Satan, they have no chance to be restored to their former dwelling place.

They will perish on the day of judgment in eternal fire, along with those who did not follow Christ.

Jesus died not to redeem angels, but to purify a people for his own possession.

Titus 2, 14. It is by the grace of God that we are saved from his judgment by the perfect sacrifice of Christ for all those who believe in him.

The apostle Peter wrote the following. Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours, searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and subsequent glories.

It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves, but you in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preach the good news to you by the

Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

Though the angels come and go from the very presence of God, they do not experience the redemptive grace of God.

That is a privilege God has given only to his elect people. We are justified by his grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom

God put forward as a propitiation by his blood to be received by faith.

Romans 3, 24 through 25. The promise of this coming grace was fulfilled on that first Christmas night in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago.

Angels delivered the good news to shepherds and they praised the Lord in their presence. Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.

A message that was spoken by angels for mankind.

That's worth singing about. This has been

When We Understand the Text with Pastor Gabriel Hughes. Find all our resources online at www .wutt

.com. On behalf of our church family, my name is Becky, thanking you for listening.