In Depth:  christmas

Chris Sinkinson

The gospel stands on historical credentials. David Jackman helpfully demonstrates this in his column this month.

Objections to the Christmas story come from many quarters. Sometimes these objections make fair points. Jesus was almost certainly not born in a barn on December 25, etc. These are objections to later traditions and not to the biblical account of the birth of Jesus at all. However, we do need to respond to objections made against the reliability of what we read in the Bible.

‘It was a privilege to speak at four packed carol services on December 11 [for Southampton Christian Union]’, commented Adrian Holloway, evangelist at Christ Church in London.

He continued: ‘As 550 people filed out of the first service through one door, another 550 entered through a different door for the second! The CU president had to interrupt the service to ask people to ‘budge up’ to create space for these folks to get seats.

Cribs, carols, cards, nativity plays and films — they all have something to say about the birth of Christ just over 2,000 years ago.

But sometimes the message they present is quite different from what really happened. Here we look at some of the most common myths and compare them with what the Bible tells us about Jesus’s birth.

If you think that writing about Christmas in October is a bit early, it’s even worse for me — I’m writing at the beginning of September, I’ve just dropped off Ollie for his first day at school, the sun’s still trying to shine and I’m still in shorts.

As musicians, Christmas can take us by surprise, despite all the early warning signals in Tesco’s. Writing this article has prompted me to look in my diary and I’ve noticed with horror that I’ve already got 13 carol services booked in for this December — six of them are over two days, so this term I’m determined that I’m going to be ready! Also, I know that at the end of a long term I’ve got to have enough energy in the tank to survive the Christmas season. The key? Be prepared! I was a cub scout with the 1st Hednesford Pack, and though I was never a sixer, or even a seconder, I remember the motto well, even if I haven’t always heeded it.

David Burrowes

‘Do turkeys vote for Christmas?’ A general election is not too far away and a letter in EN (August) asked provocatively whether we should vote for any political party if the result was Christians being marginalised and persecuted.

Well, as a Member of Parliament since 2005 and Parliamentary Chairman and co-founder of the Conservative Christian Fellowship, I was duly provoked to respond. Another time I would be pleased to answer specific concerns about party policy, and I am sure politicians from other parties will also have an opportunity in the run up to the general election to make their case if they want to in EN. For now, there is a question which goes deeper about why bother at all about party politics.

It has spawned a multitude of powerful sermons and a few carols. It is there in our English translations of the Bible and yet it has been long known that it is not a correct representation of the text. It is an interpretation based on English culture in the days of King James! Middle Eastern experts have known the truth (and written on it); archaeologists have exposed it by excavation of buildings from the time of our Lord; even Jeremy Bowen (of the BBC!) has got it right (mind you, he’s another Middle Eastern expert).

I refer to the clause, ‘because there was no room for them in the inn’ (Luke 2.7). We all know the imaginary scenario of them knocking on the door and ending up in a cave behind the inn. But this does not resemble the cultural and historical reality.

‘Describe Christmas in three words’.

That was the challenge put to various celebrities in a Marks & Spencer advert a few years ago.

‘Eating too much’, said the actress Honor Blackman.

The Bible emphasises that its truth is never readily accepted by the human heart.

It therefore prepares us not just for physical opposition but also for varying degrees of intellectual misunderstanding and even incredulity. When Paul addresses the Athenians, they object that he is bringing them ‘strange ideas’. The same would doubtless have been true had he been preaching in India or China, America or Egypt. Having said that, it is at least arguable that a new type of incomprehension has taken hold in Europe since the 18th century and that this new mindset is almost unique in history.

Christmas on campus

From November onwards, it’s really difficult to miss the fact that Christmas is on the way. Shopping centres become busier, the Christmas lights go up and there are lots of shiny decorations in shop windows. However, despite all the glitz, glamour and commercialism, Christmas also brings with it a wealth of opportunities for evangelism.

This Christmas saw literally thousands of students attending carol services across the UK — put on and hosted by evangelical CUs. For many non-believers this represented a significant opportunity to hear the gospel explained clearly and faithfully, often for the first time. Here’s just a glimpse of what was happening and where:

Christmas stocking

This article is going to be a bit like a Christmas stocking - a few things chucked in, some of them boring but useful; some interesting but useless; or a combination of the above.

EN asked around a few people as to what were the best books they had read in the past year. Some of these might make good Christmas presents for your friends or family.

WILD AT HEART: Discovering the secret of a man's heart

Here we go again. The adverts have been on telly since September and the shop windows are stuffed with lights and trees and enticing presents. We can't escape it. Christmas time is here again.

Christmas is coming. Are you looking forward to it? At least it will be a break from work. You can legitimately spend some of your hard-earned cash and have an excuse to indulge yourself just a little bit.

For many, Christmas is a time to have a few unhurried drinks with friends and catch up somewhat. For others, Christmas is primarily a family time and we enjoy buying each other presents and spoiling our children for a few days.

Ieuan Phillips was the older brother of Bethan Lloyd-Jones and a close friend of her husband Martyn.

They both began in the ministry in 1927 in pastorates in South Wales, Ieuan in the London Road Presbyterian Church, Neath, and Martyn in Sandfields, Aberavon. The hand of God was upon them both and the following is an account of what happened at Christmas 1930, written later by Ieuan himself.

One of the most striking scenes associated with Christmas is that of the Magi coming to Jerusalem asking: 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?'

The answer they got was that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem of Judea - the home town of Israel's most famous king - David.

What can you give as a Christmas present which will be both spiritual, encouraging and enjoyable?

Good question. Here are some suggestions from EN.

Operation World

Top of the list this year must come a copy of the new edition of Operation World, the comprehensive guide to global Christian mission. Picking up our news from British TV, fascinated by pictures of horror and working to a secular Western agenda, we very often have a highly distorted view of what is going on in the world.

As I considered serving the Lord abroad I had many doubts about whether he would really provide for my needs as a Christian worker on the field.

Yes, I had read missionary biographies, which spoke of God's wondrous provision for others, but would he really provide for me, a former telecom manager living in suburbia? Could I leave the comfort and security of home?

Ironically, as we approach the new millennium celebrating the 2000th anniversary of Christ's birth, we are coming under increasing pressure to have a secular Christmas. Though they've recently reversed their decision, it was Birmingham City Council who wanted to drop the very name 'Christmas' and rename the festive season 'Winterval'.

Some time ago now, the entertainer and comedian Stephen Fry wrote an article in the Christmas issue of The Listener, arguing in quite a bellicose fashion for doing away with the traditional Christmas. With the bit between his teeth, he lambasted what he saw as the hypocrisy of it all. Let me quote a few sentences.

The most surprising thing that has ever happened in this world is the coming of the Son of God into it. The most revolutionary thing in the world today is the Christian gospel. Why? Because it is almost the exact opposite of anything that you and I would ever have imagined . . .

The Virgin Mary used these remarkable words about God:

Christmas has become a commercial racket. Many people turn up their noses at the 'religious' aspect.

However, if 'Merry Xmas' is preferred to 'Happy Christmas', is the merriment quite what it was? Indeed, who looks forward to Christmas?