The Bible Book

THE GOSPELS 185

The traditional place of Christ’s

birth, Bethlehem’s Church of the

Nativity, is an important pilgrimage

site for Christians. A silver star marks

the supposed birthplace.

Celebrating Christmas

The Bible gives no indication

as to the year of Jesus’s birth,

and many leaders of the early

Church disapproved of marking

the event, preferring to honor

martyrs on the anniversary of

their martyrdom. In spite of

this, efforts were made to

assign a date to the Nativity,

using the seasons as a guide.

The spring equinox in

March was associated with

creation, the emergence of

new life. This seemed right for

the date of Jesus’s conception.

Nine months later came the

winter solstice—December 25,

in the Julian calendar of the

time. In Rome this was also

the feast of the invincible sun,

Sol Invictus, the turning point

at which light starts to drive

back darkness. Jesus had long

been identified as the “Sun of

righteousness”; the symbolism

was compelling and the date

gradually gained acceptance.

There is evidence that, by

336 ce, the feast of the Nativity—

Christmas—was already being

celebrated liturgically in Rome

on December 25. Within a

century, the holy festival had

become widespread.

are old, righteous, and devout,

belonging to a recognizable group

known in the Bible as the “faithful

remnant,” described by Zephaniah,

Malachi, and other prophets. They

care passionately about the

redemption of Jerusalem and Israel.

Simeon arrives first, divine

inspiration leading him to the

couple from provincial Galilee. He

takes the child Jesus in his arms

and utters the song, or canticle,

known by its first two words in

the Latin Bible, Nunc Dimittis.

Years earlier, God had revealed to

Simeon that he would not die until

he had seen the promised Messiah.

Now the old man declares that

promise has been fulfilled. He can

die peacefully, for in the child he

holds in his arms he sees God’s

salvation. This, he proclaims, is

for the whole world, not just Israel,

saying the child will be “a light for

revelation to the Gentiles” (Luke

2:32). This universalism is another

characteristic of the Gospel of Luke,

which was written chiefly for a

Christian audience from a Gentile,

rather than a Jewish, background.

Simeon then adds two warnings:

people’s responses to Jesus will be

mixed. Not all shall welcome Him;

many will reject Him. In an aside

to Mary, he tells her that a sword

will one day pierce her soul. This

may be a foretelling of Mary’s later

sufferings at the crucifixion, or it

may refer to her need, when the

adult Jesus embarks upon His

public ministry, to let go of her

son for the greater good.

Anna, an 84-year-old widow,

joins the group, also recognizing

that the child is the one promised

by God. She gives loud thanks for

what she is seeing. Having fulfilled

all that is required of them and

their baby by “the Law of the Lord”,

and marveling at what they have

seen and heard, Mary and Joseph

set off home to Nazareth. The child

Jesus grows and becomes strong,

“filled with wisdom, and the grace

of God was upon Him” (Luke 2:40). ■

This child is destined

to cause the falling and

rising of many in Israel,

and to be a sign that will

be spoken against, so that

the thoughts of many

hearts will be revealed.

Luke 2:34–35

US_180-185_Nativity.indd 185 25/09/17 11:19 am