What is Christmas

It's not his true birthday - it's like a king or queen having an 'official birthday' which isn't the actually date they were born on.

This Jewish man was Jesus of Nazareth, born about 7 - 4 years BC. (A monk tried to work out when Jesus was born to make the year date to be set at his birth, but he miscalculated by several years!)

He lived for about 30 years as a carpenter and then he started his public ministry of teaching about God and healing people of their diseases and illnesses. He did this for only three years and then he was crucified like a common criminal.

He then rose back to life and returned to heaven, after teaching more things about the Kingdom of God.[1]

In the first half of the Bible (known as the Old Testament) God speaks through his prophets about a Messiah who will come to save his people. The word 'Messiah' is the Hebrew word that is used. But later the common language of many countries was Greek. When 'Messiah' is translated into the Greek it becomes 'Christ'.

Jesus of Nazareth became known as Jesus Christ, not because his surname was Christ, but because people believed that he was the promised Messiah / Christ.

The old English word 'Christmas' means: "the Mass of Christ." Mass means Holy Communion, which is a Christian church service that celebrates the last meal that Jesus' followers had with him, the night before he was betrayed, crucified and buried. Three days later he rose up from the dead and appeared to his closest followers and others (about 500 people), and then he returned to heaven. [2]

The small nation of Israel didn't have it's own government, because their country had been invaded by the Romans. The Romans then set up their own leaders.

One of these was a very cruel man known as Herod the Great who reigned from 40 to 4 BC. He was very suspicious of everyone who might take his position of power - he even had his brother killed and a couple of his sons!

Many people in Israel used to go to their local synagogue to pray and to listen to the Scriptures - which was the Old Testament of the Bible. These Scriptures tell of a King who would save them. But he was to be more than an earthly king, he was to have an eternal Kingdom and he was to be God. [3]

There had been an incredibly long period of 400 years where God had not sent any prophets to speak to the people. Then there was suddenly an unusual event that shook the people up:

An old priest called Zechariah had been mute - he was unable to talk at all - for one year. A miracle had happened that his elderly wife had given birth to a boy and now it was time for the child to be named. So Zechariah wrote: 'His name is John'. (He was known later as John the Baptist). Suddenly Zechariah was able to speak and he praised God and he said that this child was going to prepare the way for the Lord (ie the Messiah), etc. [4]

This must have made the people more hopeful that the Messiah / Christ was soon going to come. They also knew that this King was to be born in Bethlehem:

"But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

But things didn't work out as planned, because God spoke to her through an angel and told her that she was to have a baby who was to be the Son of God. This was possible because God's Spirit would form a baby within her and he was to be called Jesus. [6]

God also told her that Elizabeth, her elderly relative, was going to have a son even though she was barren.

So Mary went to visit her and the baby within Elizabeth (who was later to be known as John the Baptist) leapt at the sound of Mary's voice and Elizabeth was filled with God's Spirit. [7]

[2] Joseph took the news very badly when Mary told him that she was pregnant, considering that they had never slept together! But an angel told him:

"do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

[3] Caesar Augustus ordered a census of the whole Roman world, so everyone had to go back to their original home town. So Joseph and Mary had to go to Bethlehem to register. Many other people also had to go and register there, so all the guest houses were full. The only thing the Inn keeper could offer Joseph and a very pregnant Mary was a stable and that was where Jesus was born. [9]

[4] God spoke through angels to a group of shepherds nearby. He told them that the Messiah / Christ had been born in Bethlehem, that he was going to be a Saviour. They would know which baby it was because he would be lying in an animal feeding trough - a manger!

So they went and found the baby. They told Mary and Joseph what had happened and they all worshipped God. [10]

[5] Mary and Joseph moved from the stable to a house and they stayed in Bethlehem for a year or two.

Wise men probably living in Babylon, known as Magi, witnessed a special event in the night sky, which they interpreted as an important King of the Jews being born. This seemed so important to them that they travelled the 750 miles to Jerusalem to try and find him.

They went to see Herod the Great to ask him. Herod was furious that a king had been born, but he pretended to help them so that they could tell him where the child was. He was able to say that the Messiah King was to be born at Bethlehem.

The star appeared again and they were able to find Jesus, Mary and Joseph. They gave gifts of gold, incense and myrrh. God then warned them not to return to Herod, but to go back by a different route. Herod became impatient and because he was extremely jealous of any rivals, he ordered all the boys of two and under to be killed.

But Joseph was warned in a dream, so they left in the middle of the night and went to Egypt until Herod had died. Then they went to live back in Nazareth in Galilee. [11]