Calvary Church

Berean Class

Download for PDF version of the handout

Christmas According to Scripture

News of the Week

  1. Reminder: online class notes thanks to Joerg !!! https://www.sjcalvaryberean.com
  2. Understanding the Times: “The Game Changer” (Pete Garcia & Jan Markell)
    1. Today ay 1:00 on 88.1 FM or anytime at https://www.OliveTreeViews.org
    2. https://bit.ly/31WMM0s
  3. They no longer even try to hide their agenda … new UN statue “The Guardian of International Peace”
    1. End Time Headlines: https://bit.ly/3s87mq7
    2. CBN News: https://bit.ly/3rU7mK9
    3. Daniel 9:27 & Revelation 13:2
  4. One step closer to overturning Roe v. Wade?
    1. https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2021/december/supreme-court-denies-biden-attempt-to-stop-texas-abortion-law-leaves-in-place-as-case-goes-back-to-lower-court
    2. … or https://bit.ly/3oUUDoJ
    3. PRAY for God’s divine intercession \, the defeat of California’s “Sanctuary State for Abortion” strategy and funding of abortions, and for REAL OPTIONS!!!
  5. Update on County’s actions against Calvary (Charlie Kirk interviews Pastor Mike)
    1. https://youtu.be/WnQE47KzPD4
  6. Witnessing Tool to Chinese … “God in Ancient China”
    1. 25.6% of Santa Clara Co. & 25% of the world are ethnic Chinese
    2. YouTube message from Kong Hee, Founder & Sr. Pastor of City Harvest Church, Singapore
      1. https://youtu.be/DA-AkJzpKmg

An Introduction to The Book of Revelation by Chuck Missler (Part 9: Intro to Chapters 4-22)

It is not my intention to ‘trample’ on cherished traditions or childhood memories. There is nothing wrong with tradition. But, do we hold to ‘truths’ whose roots are in tradition rather than fact?
Can repeating ‘truths’ based on traditions impact the acceptance by seekers of the truths of Christ’s birth & His teachings?

  1. Did Mary ride a donkey to Bethlehem?
    1. _____ Luke 2:4-5
  2. Did Mary give birth the night she arrived in Bethlehem?
    1. _____________ Luke 2:6
  3. Did Joseph go from Inn to Inn seeking a room?
    1. _____ Luke 2:4-7
  4. Was Jesus born in a stable … or a barn … or a cave?
    1. Only mention was a _________
    2. … in Greek φατνη , pronounced phatnē
    3. The Greek word translated as ‘Inn’ in Luke 2:7 is katalumati (the singular form of kataluma), & means ‘guest chamber’, ‘lodging place’ or ‘inn’.
    4. The only other times this word is used are in Luke 22:11 and Mark 14:14, where it means a furnished, large, upper story room within a private house.
  5. What about the Church of the Nativity?
    1. Around A.D. 326-330, Empress Helena (Constantine’s wife) built a church over the cave traditionally thought to be Jesus’ birthplace.
    2. The church was rebuilt in the 6th century &pieces of the original building still remain.
    3. It’s said to be the oldest Christian church in existence and one of the most holy sites in the Holy Land.
  6. Why are there two different accounts of Christ’s genealogy in Matthew 1 and Luke 3?
    1. _____ different bloodlines are recorded
    2. Matthew meant for ____ audience
      1. (42 ancestors tracing Joseph’s lineage)
      2. King Jeconiah’s curse (Jeremiah 22:30)
    3. Luke meant for ____ Audience
      1. (76 ancestors tracing Mary’s lineage)
      2. No curse
    4. Joseph was Christ’s ‘legal’ father, but Joseph’s lineage would exclude Jesus from the royal Davidic line
    5. God will NEVER and CANNOT CONTRADICT HIMSELF
    6. Christ’s ‘bloodline’ is through Mary, a Davidic line without the curse of Jeremiah 22:30
    7. A GREAT STUDY: Bible.org study on Jesus’ genealogy https://bit.ly/3mAaK6z
  7. Did three Kings come to Jesus’ birth?
    1. The Bible doesn’t record __ kings (or camels) at Jesus’ birth. Matt 2:1
    2. Matt 2:11 says ““After coming into the house they saw the Child…”. The Greek ‘paidion’ means “a young child, a little child, an infant, a little one”.
    3. When Christ was around 2 years old, Magi came to honor Him, but the Bible doesn’t say how many. ‘Magi’ though is plural. In Eastern tradition, they believe it was 12 magi. 12 is also the number of government in scripture
    4. We get our notion of 3 Wise Men from the number of gifts mentioned
  8. Was Jesus born on December 25?
    1. Although it’s not impossible, it’s also unlikely. It would be unusual for shepherds to be “abiding in the field” at a cold time of year when fields were unproductive. The normal practice was to keep the flocks in the fields from Spring to Autumn. Winter would be a hard time for a pregnant Mary to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem (70 miles).
    2. A more probable time would be late September, the time of the Feast of Tabernacles, when such travel was commonly accepted. Thus, it is commonly believed (though not certain) that Jesus’ birth was around the last part of September, possibly on the Feast of the Tabernacle.
    3. Does this invalidate our celebrating Christmas on December 25?
    4. Mary may have been told she was pregnant in late December. So, our Christmas celebration could be observing the incarnation of ”THE WORD MADE FLESH” (John 1:14).
  9. If Christ were born on the Feast of Tabernacles, it would have been very appropriate, for it was at His birth that “the Word was made flesh and dwelt (literally ‘tabernacled’) among us” (John 1:14).
  10. How did Santa get interjected into Christmas?
    1. St Nicholas was an actual historic figure. He lived 270 AD – 6 December 343 AD. He was born to wealthy parents, but orphaned at an early age, and raised by the Church. Appointed as Bishop of Myra, participated in the Council of Nicaea, and gave away his wealth.