17 It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”, [See Malachi 4:5-6  5 “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord.

The Christmas Story -The True Story About Jesus Christ – (With scriptures given in chronological order with companion scriptures). 38And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. I have included in italics companion scriptures and scriptures that show fulfilled prophecy that complement Matthew and Luke’s account of the Christmas Story (these are not exhaustive, but are some of the companion scriptures that exist). Is there any truth in it? It is true there is no corroborating evidence for the finer details of the Christmas story but it is wrong, and wrong-headed, to turn this into evidence that they are untrue. Explore the true story of Mary and Joseph, Jesus's miraculous conception, the birth of John the Baptist, the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, the Star of Bethlehem, and the birth of Jesus. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering. [See Psalm 103:17 But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children]. Will and Guy dedicate this page to the remembrance of the true Christmas story.

The Birth of Christ; the Visit of the Shepherds (Luke 2:1-20): 1 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. But, if we are really telling the true Christmas story it has nothing to do with all the traditional trappings we wrap around this time of year! Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. The curiosity for the historian is that, in a culture comfortable with the idea of ‘sacred seed’, the Gospels say Jesus was born without it. 21 She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”, [See Romans 5:19  19 For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.

His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.”], 2“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? 3And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. These companion scriptures and the Christmas Story as recorded by Matthew and Luke illustrate how the entire Bible fits together like a jigsaw puzzle to explain humanity’s need for a Savior and God’s provision of His Son Jesus Christ as the only Savior for all who will believe. Nothing is too difficult for You.]. 51 “He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”, [See Genesis 18:14 14 Is anything too difficult for the Lord? The year of Jesus' birth is a little more complicated but no more suspicious. 43And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? After all, there is a larger point which seems to be lost on some sceptics. ], 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”  35The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. As is explained in the Christmas Story, Jesus Christ is fully God and fully human. This one involves philosophical assumptions. Join top scholars, inspirational speakers, and popular authors as they explain the story behind the stor... We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. 6 They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. 4 For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian. But this fast-paced, thought-provoking look at the true story of the Nativity clears away widespread misunderstandings of Jesus' origin. For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”, [See Jeremiah 23:5 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land.]. But scholars of antiquity often note we probably have in our possession less than 1 per cent of the literary works that existed in the first century. Ninety-nine per cent of our evidence is lost. 17 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child.

[See Psalm 107:9  For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.]. If you would like me to email you a pdf version of this document, please be in touch. Adrian Holloway examines the question of how sure we can be that Jesus really rose from the dead. © 2010 Centre for Public Christianity. It is true December 25 marked the recovery of the Invincible Sun for ancient pagans, and about AD 330 this date was adopted by the Roman church as a celebration of Christ's nativity. 11 And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. But this fast-paced, thought-provoking look at the true story of the Nativity clears away widespread misunderstandings of Jesus' origin. (Inman commentary.). It will continue to be a source of wonder and hope for millions of believers and curious alike. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” 9 After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. Revelation 11:15  “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.”. 56  And Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home. 16 And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. Christianity was fast becoming the dominant faith in this period and so, rather than cancel a happy festival, Christians decided to transpose it into a more appropriate religious key. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. People are free not to trust what the Gospels report, but this is a choice based on a preference, not an argument arising from evidence. 36 And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. 45And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”.

The Promise of John the Baptist’s Birth (Luke 1:5-25): 5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Join top scholars, inspirational speakers, and popular authors as they explain the story behind the story of the birth of Jesus. [See Psalm 98:1  Oh sing to the Lord a new song, For He has done wonderful things, His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him; Psalm 118:15  The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous; The right hand of the Lord does valiantly.]. Death of Herod; return from Egypt to Nazareth (Matthew 2:19-23; Luke 2:39-40): Matthew 2:19 19But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said, 20 “Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.” 21 So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed—, [See 1 Peter 2:7 7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “The stone which the builders rejected, This became the very corner stone”; Psalm 118:22 The stone which the builders rejected