It’s the most wonderful time of the year,
With the kids jingle belling and everyone telling you be of good cheer
It’s the most wonderful time of the year
It’s the hap- happiest season of all, With those holiday greetings
And gay happy meetings when friends come to call
It’s the hap- happiest season of all
There’ll be parties for hosting, Marshmallows for toasting, And caroling out in the snow
There’ll be scary stories and tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago.
As we celebrate Christmas, Christians stop and remember the birth of the Savior of the world. We stop and sing with our kids, “Away In A Manger.” That song makes my heart leap! Jesus was more than a baby; He was a way in a manger. He was a way for us to be reconciled to God. He was a way for divine healing of our bodies and souls. He was a way to overcome life in a world filled with challenges. He was more than a babe. He was a way for me and you.
It is indeed the most wonderful time of the year!
What amazes me are the outbursts of arguing that happens on social media. It is like every detail of the Christmas story must line up with the person’s thought. Let me settle two of the arguments.
PEOPLE ARGUE WHETHER JESUS WAS BORN IN A STABLE OR A CAVE
It is more likely than not that Jesus was born in a cave, not a wooden stable. But does it really matter? We know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, there was no room “in the inn,” and that He was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. There are no pictures of the baby or of Mary or of Joseph. We don’t know exactly the scene.
Historically, many homes in the area would have built a dwelling with a cave underneath to house the most valuable animals. The top floor was the primary residence for the family and often included an upper room that would serve as a guest room for visitors.
When Luke 2:7 says, “there was no room for them in the inn,” the Greek word is the word for the guest room of the home, not for a hotel. (That word for a public room would be found in the story of the Good Samaritan.) Because of the census, the upper room was already taken, so Joseph and Mary stayed in the lower level where there was enough room for everything that goes into giving birth to a baby. It was not an ideal place to have a baby.
Here is my question. Does it matter? The Savior was born in less-than-ideal circumstances. What we celebrate is that He was born, not the spot where He was born. The place was not sterile, and it was not a beautiful birthing room with doctors and nurses. Perhaps God wanted to show us that He came for those in lowly places not just high places.
THE SECOND ARGUMENT IS OVER THE ACTUAL DATE OF THE BIRTH OF JESUS
The Bible does not give us the exact date. Some say it was actually October. A few say it was June. Again, my question is, “Does it matter?”
I remember meeting a woman from a foreign country. As a baby, she was brought to America by a family who adopted her. No one knew her exact birth, so a pediatrician examined the child and estimated when her birth took place. Her family then chose a date to celebrate her birth. They were not celebrating the date. They were celebrating the child.
For me, it is unimportant the exact date of the birth of Jesus. I celebrate the birth of the Savior, not the date of His entrance.
Can we just stop arguing about things that do not matter? If you are a believer, I suggest that social media posts and conversations celebrate Emmanuel, God with us. The fact is that He was born; He came into the world to atone for our sins; He was resurrected to eternal life, and He is alive today. As followers of Jesus, let us add to the joy of the most wonderful time of the year. Go tell it on the mountain that Christ the Savior was born.