Christmas Facts And Myths
By
Dave Winstead
| 2/5/2026 – Dave Winstead – The Christmas Story |
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| The Christmas Story Answers To Questions About Christmas Do the narratives of Jesus’ birth contradict each other? Debunking Five Christmas Myths AboutTheWord.org GotQuestions.org |
| 2/19/2026 – Dave Winstead – The Magi & The Star |
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| What was the star of Bethlehem? The star of Bethlehem in Matthew 2:1–12 was likely an angel or a manifestation of the Shekinah Glory. The Shekinah, which literally means “dwelling of God,” was the visible presence of the Lord. Prior to this, the most notable appearance of the Shekinah was the pillar of cloud that led the Israelites by day and the pillar of fire that led them by night (Exodus 13:21). The Shekinah can obviously lead people to specific locations, and it was seen later in connection with Christ’s ministry (e.g., Matthew 17:5; Acts 1:9). Either an angel or the Shekinah would fit the evidence. It shouldn’t surprise us that God would use a miraculous sign to signal the advent of His Son into the world. Those with eyes to see joyfully beheld His glory. What does the Bible say about the three wise men (Magi)? The Magi’s caravan was likely a massive, heavily guarded entourage of hundreds or even thousands of people rather than just three men, potentially including over 10,000 men and 1,000 camels according to some estimates. As high-ranking officials from the Parthian Empire, they traveled with soldiers, servants, and lavish supplies, making their arrival in Jerusalem a significant, disruptive event. Size Estimates: While tradition suggests three Magi, the caravan likely involved hundreds of attendants for three individuals, or up to 1,000+ if twelve Magi were involved. One estimate suggests a massive, royal, or diplomatic escort of over 10,000 men and 1,000 camels.Composition: The caravan was not just travelers but a security-conscious, wealthy entourage designed for long-distance, hazardous travel (roughly 800-1,000+ miles). It included soldiers, servants, bodyguards, and likely luxurious, covered coaches. Significance: Their arrival was significant enough to cause Herod and “all Jerusalem” to be troubled, implying a very large, impressive, and public, rather than a quiet or small, entrance. Duration: The journey from the East likely took months, or even up to two years, to travel from regions like Persia or Arabia. What does it mean that the magi saw His star in the east (Matthew 2:2)? Matthew does not make it clear whether the star the magi saw in the east is the same star predicted through Balaam, but there was a star predicted to rise in Israel, and that star would be associated with the King (Numbers 24:17). The magi rightly calculated that the particular star they saw from the east would lead them to the King of the Jews. Perhaps God communicated something directly to them (as He did in Matthew 2:12). Perhaps they also knew of Daniel’s prophecy concerning the timing of the King’s birth (Daniel 9:25). Perhaps they just recognized a connection to Balaam’s prophecy. In any case, the magi got it right: they were guided by “His star in the east,” and they arrived at the exact place where the newborn King of the Jews was staying. Why did the Magi bring gold, frankincense, and myrrh to Jesus? Gold is a precious metal and as such was a very valuable commodity. Its value could very well have financed Joseph and Mary’s trip to Egypt. The Bible does not tell us any other significance to these three gifts; however, tradition has it that there is a deeper meaning for each of the three. Gold is a symbol of divinity and is mentioned throughout the Bible. Pagan idols were often made from gold and the Ark of the Covenant was overlaid with gold (Exodus 25:10-17). The gift of gold to the Christ child was symbolic of His divinity—God in flesh. Frankincense is a white resin or gum. It is obtained from a tree by making incisions in the bark and allowing the gum to flow out. It is highly fragrant when burned and was therefore used in worship, where it was burned as a pleasant offering to God (Exodus 30:34). Frankincense is a symbol of holiness and righteousness. The gift of frankincense to the Christ child was symbolic of His willingness to become a sacrifice, wholly giving Himself up, analogous to a burnt offering. Myrrh, a product of Arabia, was obtained from a tree in the same manner as frankincense. It was a spice and was used in embalming. It was also sometimes mingled with wine to form an article of drink. Such a drink was given to our Savior when He was about to be crucified, as a stupefying potion (Mark 15:23). Matthew 27:34 refers to it as “gall.” Myrrh symbolizes bitterness, suffering, and affliction. The baby Jesus would grow to suffer greatly as a man and would pay the ultimate price when He gave His life on the cross for all who would believe in Him. What did Joseph and Mary do with the gifts the magi brought to Jesus? The Bible does not say what Mary and Joseph did with the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, but many scholars have remarked that these gifts would have likely helped finance the family’s material needs during their trip to Egypt and beyond. AboutTheWord.org GotQuestions.org |
| 2/26/2026 – Dave Winstead – The Childhood |
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| Where & How Jesus Grew Up What happened during Jesus’ childhood? The Bible does not tell us anything about Jesus’ youth. From this incident we do know certain things about Jesus’ childhood. First, He was the son of parents* who were devout in their religious observances. As required in the law, Joseph and Mary made the yearly pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. When Jesus was 12 years old, they brought Him along on the trip to celebrate the Feast with them. Luke paints a picture of a typical boy in a typical family of that day. Why doesn’t the Bible say much about Jesus’ childhood? A timeline of Jesus’ life Any timeline of Jesus’ life is speculative to some degree. None of the gospels present the life of Christ in chronological order. Rather, most of the material in the gospels is arranged in topical order according to those things that each individual author wanted to emphasize. Luke speaks of the birth of Christ in Bethlehem and the visit of the shepherds that very night (chapter 2). Matthew 2 speaks of the visit of the wise men to the infant Jesus in Bethlehem. We assume that this visit was at a later time than the shepherds’ because, by the time they arrived, Mary and Joseph were living in a house. Matthew 2 also speaks of the rage of Herod and the escape of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus to Egypt where they stayed for an unspecified time. When the threat was over, they returned to Nazareth where Jesus grew up. There is only one incident mentioned from Jesus’ childhood—the trip to Jerusalem where Jesus’ parents lost track of Him. When they finally found Him, He was in the temple listening and asking questions to the amazement of those who heard Him (Luke 2:41–52). Basically, the gospels dedicate between one third and one half of their volume to the last week of Jesus’ earthly ministry. That final week can be outlined generally as follows: 1. The triumphal entry on “Palm Sunday.” 2. Extended teaching to the crowds and confrontation with the Jewish leadership, culminating in “cleansing the temple.” 3. Jesus observes a Passover meal with His disciples and institutes “the Lord’s Supper” followed by washing their feet. (Judas leaves during the meal to go tell the Jewish leadership where they can find Jesus in a secluded spot to arrest Him.) 4. Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane while His disciples sleep. 5. Judas leads a group of temple guards who arrest Jesus. 6. Jesus has an informal “trial” before the Jewish leaders who condemn Him and take Him to Pilate, who must ratify their decision since they do not have the authority to carry out the death penalty. 7. Pilate tries to find a way out, so He sends Jesus to Herod since Jesus was a Galilean and Galilee was in Herod’s territory. (Herod was in Jerusalem for Passover.) 8. Herod questions Jesus, has his soldiers torment and mock Him, and sends Him back to Pilate. 9. Pilate tries again to appease the mob by having Jesus flogged, but they still cry out for crucifixion. He then offers to release to them either Jesus or the convicted murderer Barabbas. They choose Barabbas to be set free, and Pilate sentences Jesus to be crucified. 10. Jesus is crucified on Friday, according to the consensus of scholars, but this is not clearly spelled out in the gospels, and some scholars think the crucifixion must have been on Wednesday or Thursday. 11. By all accounts, Jesus rose from the dead the following Sunday. Jesus appeared to various groups of disciples before finally ascending into heaven (Luke 24:50–51). Why did Jesus wait thirty years before He started His ministry? It would be reasonable to assume that Jesus began His public ministry at thirty years of age simply because this was God’s timing and purpose (and, certainly, it was). Everything Jesus did was in obedience to His Father’s will and plan (John 4:34; Hebrews 10:9). However, a practical explanation attributes our Lord’s delayed ministry start to His position as a Jewish rabbi. Thirty was also the age at which Jewish scribes and rabbis were regarded as mature enough to enter their office as teachers. AboutTheWord.org GotQuestions.org |
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