The Truth about Jesus- Myth versus Fact

Belief: Jesus was born on December 25. Myth or fact?

Stutus: It is a Myth.

There is no direct statement in the bible concerning the month or day of Jesus' birth. Where, then, did the date of December come from? According to The Encyclopaedia Britannica, some who called themselves christians "wished the date to coincide with the pagan Roman festival marking the winter solstice, when the days again begin to lengthen and the sun begins to climb higher in the sky." That same reference work notes that many chrismas customs originated with "pagan agricultural and solar observances at midwinter." The day of Jesus' birth is unknown. Nowhere do the sriptures direct us to celebrate that birth, nor is there any evidence that early christians did so. In contrast, the Bible provides the exact day of Jesus' death, and he commanded his followers to observe that day. Clearly, Jesus wanted emphasis to be placed , not on his birth, but on the value of his sacricial death.

Belief: Three wise men (or kings in some traditions) visited jesus at the time of his birth. Myth or fact?

Status: It is a Myth.

perhaps you have seen paintings or nativity scenes that depict the infant Jesus lying in a manger, surrounded by three wise men bearing gifts. This image, however, is fiction, not fact.

It is true that a delegation from the east paid homage to young Jesus. These visitors, though, were really astrologers. And do they find Jesus nestled in a manger? No; they visited him in a house. Evidently, they arrived some months after Jesus' birth.- Mathew 2: 9-11

The Bible does not say anything as to the number of visitors that were there. As one Gospel commentary notes, this particular myth is the product of " an eighth-century historian with a vivid imagination."

Belief: Jesus was an only child. Myth or fact?

Status: It is a Myth.

That Jesus had siblings is clearly indicated in the Gospels. Luke's Gospel refers to Jesus as Mary's " firstborn," implying that she later bore other children. ( Luke 2:7). Mark's Gospel reports that some in the city of Nazareth equated Jesus with his siblings, regarding him as nothing special. They asked: "Aren't James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon his brothers? Don't his sisters still live here in our town?"- Mark 6:3

Despite what the Gospel say, many theologians maintain that Jesus was an only child. Some suggest that the brothers and sisters in question were actually Jesus'cousins. Others speculate that these siblings were Mary's stepchildren. But consider: If Jesus were Mary's only child, would those Nazarenes have said what they did? On the contrary, some of them likely witnessed Mary's pregnancies with their own eyes. They knew firsthand that Jesus was one of many children born to Mary.

There is nothing harmful to uncover any fact about Jesus. It is both enjoyable and rewarding. After all, Jesus himself said that learning the truth about him and his father " means everlasting life."-John 17:3