The Secrets of Christmas

Every year my family goes to Old Salem to experience some of the Moravian Christmas traditions presented in the annual Candle Tea. Many of these traditions go back two hundred fifty years or more. When we asked my four year-old which part was his favorite he said, in a rather hushed tone, "I like the room where they tell all the secrets of Christmas." I thought, how interesting! I think he was talking about the room where the story of Christmas is told from the time of Caesar's census to the time when the wise men and the shepherds visited the young Christ child.

What I find most interesting about his statement of the Secrets of Christmas is that there really are some secrets that many do not know. Even if you do know them, I am going to talk about some of the secrets that we do not think about much.

So I present to you The Secrets of Christmas Volume 1:

1. Jesus was probably not born on December 25th. Based on when John the Baptist was born, quite possibly in March on or around the Jewish Passover, Jesus would have been born about six months later. That would place the birth of Jesus more likely in September. This actually lines up to the story concerning the shepherds living in the fields with their flocks; an activity more associated with spring and fall. A September birth of the Messiah would make for some great poetry being that the Feast of Tabernacles would line up nearly perfectly with this timing. It is said that Jesus became flesh and tabernacled among us. We can learn a lot by studying the Messiah and the Jewish feasts.

2. There were probably more than three wise men. We lock on to the number of gifts and assume each wise man carried one. Some estimate there may have been as many as fifty of these wise men. They may have also been accompanied by a military outfit for protection. These wise men were not kings but, more accurately, King Makers. In reality this group of men probably were spiritual descendants of our friend Daniel who interpreted dreams and slept in the lion's den. These wise men, or magi, would have most likely come from east of Israel---modern day Iraq or Iran. These men likely studied the prophecies of Daniel---namely his Seventy Weeks prophecy. This prophecy, found in Daniel chapter nine, actually predicts---to the day---when Jesus would ride into Jerusalem proclaiming his right to the throne. We refer to this event as Palm Sunday. The gospels tell us the wise men knew it was getting close to the time when the King of the Jews would be born and so they journeyed to Jerusalem. When they inquired of Herod they insulted him by asking about the one born king of the Jews---as Herod had no hereditary right to the throne. Note that the wise men wanted to worship the Messiah. They knew He was God..

3. The shepherds and wise men did not cross paths. The shepherds came to see the Messiah the very night of His birth or not much after. It is possible that the wise men journeyed for about two years. Note that Joseph and Mary were no longer in the stable but in a house. Also, Herod called for all the boys who were about two years of age and younger to be killed. This was yet another failed attempt by Satan to thwart the plans of God---never a fruitful endeavor.

This list is not exhaustive but I figured it would be a good start The Secrets of Christmas.