Intentional Discipleship, Renewed Daily
Christians are called to be intentional disciples who make a conscious decision ...
Christians are called to be intentional disciples who make a conscious decision ...
Dr. Italy, in this 14 minute podcast, discusses the central and constant role pi...
The Solemnity of the Ascension celebrates many things, among them hope, charity, and the Great Commission to preach the gospel to all nations. Thus,...
6 minute podcast on the Ascension of Jesus Christ as the illustration of Jesus’ words – he who exalts himself shall be humbled and he who ...
Without Pentecost, the Gospel is not truly Good News. For the Pentecostal gifts and charisms given by the Holy Spirit on this birthday celebration of...
Isn’t Advent great? Welcome to the season where the only song we sing for four weeks is O Come, O Come, Emmanuel! It’s the best! Advent is...
28 November, 2016Most Americans tend to think of religion as something rather fluid. It’s very common for us to say things like “all religions are basicall...
12 February, 2016Where did December 25 come from as the celebration of Christmas, the birthday of Jesus? What are the origins of the feast of Christ’s Navity?
None knows for sure when Christians began celebrating the birth of Jesus on December 25. But it appears that by the fourth century, at least in the western part of the Christian world, that this date for Christmas was firmly established (January 6 was the date for Christmas at this time in the east).
It is true that we really don’t know the month or even the year he was born. None of the four gospels gives us any information on what time of year his birth occurred. The end of December was a logical time to celebrate his birth, though, at least in the Northern Hemisphere. After six months of daylight getting shorter and shorter and the sun getting lower and lower in the sky, the sun finally begins to make a come-back! Especially before the days of Thomas Edison, people naturally breathed a sigh of relief and wanted to celebrate this victory over encroaching darkness.
Thus, on Dec. 25 a wide-spread religious group in the late Roman Empire celebrated “the birthday of Sol Invictus” or the Unconquerable Sun. Christians, in celebrating Jesus’ birth at this time instead, were proclaiming their faith that he is the true “dawn from on high” (Luke 1: 78) and “the sun of righteousness” (Malachi 4:2). For Christians, all the candles and lights of Christmas are ways of reminding themselves that Jesus is the light of the world.
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For more great resources for Christmas, visit the CHRISTMAS INCARNATION section of the Crossroads Initiative Library.
Banner/featured image by Joshua Caswell on Scopio. Used with permission.
From a colorful and varied background as a professor of theology, a father of five, business owner, and professional performer Marcellino D’Ambrosio (aka “Dr. Italy”) crafts talks, blog posts, books, and videos that are always fascinating, practical, and easy to understand. He is a popular speaker, TV and radio personality, New York Times best-selling author, and pilgrimage host who has been leading people on a journey of discovery for over thirty years. For a fuller bio and video, visit the Dr. Italy page.
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