Ironies of the First Christmas

I know Christmas is over, with all the feasting, excitement, and wonderful anticipation, but I say it's not, and I'm counting down the days, and come up with 78 days remaining until the revealed birth date of our Savior. At the organization of the Church in this dispensation, the Lord revealed,

"The rise of the Church of Christ in these last days, being one thousand eight hundred and thirty years since the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the flesh, it being regularly organized and established agreeable to the laws of our country, by the will and commandments of God, in the fourth month, and on the sixth day of the month which is called April" (D&C 20:1).

Is It Easter or Christmas?

So this brings to mind irony number one. Easter falls on April 5 this year (in 78 days), so why aren't we celebrating Christmas in April rather than the traditional December? This year we could have a holiday on Sunday and Monday. 

It reminds us of President Hinckley's statement that there would be no Christmas without Easter. And there is ample evidence in the true Christmas story that this sacred event took place in early April during Passover, which normally occurs the same time as Easter.

Luke records, "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night" (Luke 2:8). Were these shepherds simply bored and out wandering the fields on a cold December night? No, they were watching over the paschal lambs between the tenth and fourteenth days of Abib, preceding Passover when the paschal lambs would be carefully inspected and guarded to prevent any blemish (see Exodus 12:2-6). Ironically, at the end of Jesus' mortal life, he will be examined, questioned, and cross-examined as the true Paschal Lamb on these same calendar days of Abib 10 to 13 preceding His crucifixion (see Matthew 21-22).

No Room at the Inns

There were only three required feasts when Israel gathered to the temple. They were at Passover, Feast of Weeks, and Sukkot, or Feast of Tabernacles (see Exodus 23:14-17). Besides this being a taxation, or census count, there would have been a great gathering for Passover, and thus the inns were full. The Joseph Smith Translation changes inn to inns.

How ironic is it that He who stands at the door, knocks, and waits for each of us to let Him in, is denied entrance! (see Rev. 3:20). He who would offer the sacrament as a communion with Him, and would say to His disciples, "And as oft as ye do this ordinance, ye will remember me in this hour that I was with you and drank with you of this cup, even the last time in my ministry" (JST, Mark 14:24). And yet there was no room for Him.

A Stone Manger?

At Christmas we see manger scenes. And a feeding trough for animals, filled with hay, surrounded by domestic animals, may look picturesque and even comfy for sleeping. But was it really so? Due to a lack of lumber, a limestone feeding trough was more likely. 

You can click here to see pictures of possible stone mangers and an article explaining the likelihood of a stone versus a wooden manger for baby Jesus.

How ironic is it that He who was "the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning" is placed at birth in something that could have been as rudimentary as a hole carved in a rock!

The Davidic King Born in Poverty

Elder Russell M. Nelson once spoke of the significance of the swaddling bands mentioned twice in the Nativity. The swaddling bands were not just a receiving blanket, but had special markings identifying the Christ child. Elder Nelson observes, "The cloth would probably bear unique family identification. That procedure was especially applicable to the birth of a firstborn son." It would show Jesus to be of Davidic descent, and His right to be king in Israel. Elder Nelson compares this with the coat of many colors given to Joseph of Egypt. He said,

"I think that such a concept of a cloth with family markings might also have been relevant when Joseph, son of Israel, became the birthright son and received the unique cloth coat of many colors—a fabric symbolic of the birthright."

I have provided a link to this great speech given at BYU.

Click here.

The Lukan account tells us that an offering was made at the temple after Mary's purification days, which would be 40 days. The offering was according to the "law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons" (Luke 2:24). The Leviticus passage gives this as an alternate sacrifice. The first choice would be a lamb of the first year. The law of Moses states,

"And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean" (Leviticus 12:8).

It's interesting that the real Atonement would be made 33 years later, and that a sin offering needed to be made for Him who was without sin.

But a couple who was too poor to offer a lamb, would present the Lamb of God at the temple.

Are We Dumber than Animals?

The stone manger where Jesus was likely placed as a newborn, would have been the feeding trough for animals. Isaiah observes, "The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider" (Isaiah 1:3).

Manger scenes usually involve animals, and rightly so. But when animals appeared on the scene for morning breakfast and found a little baby lying in their feeding place, they must have instinctively known that this tiny infant was Someone special. The donkey recognizes his Master's crib.

Do we ever forget that "there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise"? (2 Nephi 2:8).

I pray that we might always remember Him and make room for Him at all times during the year.