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A SCEPTICAL ATHEISTIC BIBLE READING O F THE GOSPELS – THE NATIVITY AND VIRGIN BIRTH OF JESUS.

Having addressed the immaculate conception of Jesus, I come now to one of the Bible’s best known stories – the Nativity, the foundation of Christmas – (The Christ – Mass), and a drama played out by 1,000’s of school children every year – for many, possibly the first ever opportunity to appear on the stage in public performance.

Surprisingly little of the Xmas we know and love exists in the Gospel accounts of the events. Only Matthew & Luke give the birth of Christ any significance at all.

The pregnant Mary is now carrying Jesus, also named Emmanuel by the Angel Gabriel, a title-name meaning God be with you. The name implies that Jesus is the God in question, walking among man (or crawling for the first year).

The versions of what happens next conflict somewhat. In Matthew, Jesus is already born in Bethlehem when the Magi seek him out. The Magi are astrologers and they have discovered the birth through their stargazing studies. (Christianity would later take a stand against astrology as new age superstition, despite its central use in their own founder’s origins).

The star, sometimes seen in films and videos as literally leading the Magi like a guiding light in the sky as they chase after it, does not give the Magi an exact address. It tells them the Messiah has been born in Bethlehem. In asking after the location, they unwittingly let King Herod know the ‘King Of The Jews’ has been born in his territories.

Herod’s own advisors know the prophesy that appears in Micah, stating the birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), quoted in Matthew 2; 6.

“But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah: for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.”

The problem with a prophesy declaring that a messiah will be born in a certain place is that any claimant to be said messiah has only got to be seen having been born in that place. That Jesus was a man of Nazareth means that the Gospel authors had to justify his birth occurring in Bethlehem, and the two authors addressing this issue come up with very different excuses for Jesus being born in Bethlehem.

In Matthew, Herod tries to pretend that he also wishes to worship the infant messiah, though he merely wishes to have him killed. The Magi now do literally follow a star to the ‘place’ where the infant Jesus is. We are not told whether it is a house, barn or stable. It is just a location. The gifts of Gold, Frankincense & Myrrh are presented to the child through his parents, the only clue that there are three Magi (the wise men of many Xmas stories and carols).

A divine dream warns the Magi to avoid further meetings with Herod so they go home. Joseph is also warned of Herod’s blood lust and advised by an angel to lead Mary & Jesus to safety in Egypt. Which Joseph does – other prophesies describe the Messiah as coming out of Egypt and it gives Jesus an association with the previously exiled Moses so this seems to be another way of contriving Jesus into the prophesies.

Matthew 2; 16 makes little sense. Herod learns that the Magi have not returned to tell him the location of the infant Messiah. He thereby commands every male child in Bethlehem under the age of two to be slaughtered. This massacre of the innocents is over the top and clearly a baby even six months old is not going to resemble a newborn.

Herod The Great was a real historic personage, and not at all like the insane despot depicted in the Gospels. . He was a great leader, responsible for construction of the prison at Masada, and instrumental in the rebuilding work on the Temple of Jerusalem. He seized authority from Antigonus 2csd, the previous ruler, undoubtedly with Roman financial, if not also Roman military backing. He was certainly ruthless in dealing with enemies. Even his wife and two sons were executed on his orders. A discreet murder would have been more practical. A despot like Herod needs respect – mass murder of children would have finished him.

The prophesies referred to weeping mothers at the time of Jesus’s birth, and it seems easy to make that happen by killing infant children.

Joseph & Mary planned to return to Israel with Jesus, when Herod died, but God warns them that his successor, Archelaus was just as corrupt and insane, so they chose to settle in Nazareth instead, yet another town prophesised as a messiah’s town of origin. Jesus is thus shoehorned into as many prophesy as possible.

Luke’s version of events is rather different. Herod is not depicted as a vengeful child murderer. Joseph and Mary are in Bethlehem because Augustus Caesar has called a population census, calling on all men to return to their hometown to register themselves. Joseph chooses to do so, taking his wife along, though she is close to labour. Censuses were not unknown though none would involve drawing migrated folk to return to their town of origin. The logistics would render the exercise impossible.

In Luke, Bethlehem is very crowded, presumably due to men pouring in for the bizarre census, and so Joseph & Mary find themselves having to stay in a farm manger rather than an inn. It is here that Jesus is born. Luke offers us no wise Magi or their gifts or guiding stars. Instead he has a host of angels visit local hill shepherds who rush to see the infant Jesus and spread the word of his arrival among men. Luke does not describe an escape to Egypt or any need for one. Herod seems unconcerned by Jesus’s presence or even aware of his messianic nature.

Next THE CHILDHOOD OF JESUS

. © Copyright. Arthur Chappell

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