Myths of the Birth of Jesus: He was not born on December 25th. Wise men were not there for the birth We see no animals in the birth narrative There was no drummer boy The night was not silent. The baby did cry. We assume there were three wise men because of 3 gifts, but there could have been more. Mary knew; did I mention that last week? 3 Truths From The Birth Of Jesus Luke 2:1-3  1. Jesus Was Set In History According to Luke, all that follows must be understood as falling under God’s sovereign rule. The date is imprecise, probably due to Luke’s ignorance of the exact date. This census was for taxes and not military service since Jews were exempted from the latter. Jesus was born at least by 4 B.C. The reign of Quirinius was 6 B.C. to 4 B.C. Joseph’s hometown is called Nazareth and is described as where he and Mary lived. As a result, Luke did not see any conflict in calling Bethlehem and Nazareth the hometown of Joseph. “Everyone” is another example of Lukan hyperbole. God was using the Roman governance to set Jesus into history. No matter what you hear Jesus was a real person that changed human history for us all. So why do we make this season about a man in a red suite, than the one that changed history. If Jesus can transform all of human history, don’t you think he can transform your life? Luke 2:4-5  2. His Birth Details Were Foretold Taxation followed his lineage, so he obediently traveled the ninety miles to Bethlehem, David’s home, where the Scriptures said Messiah would be born (Mic. 5:2) Jesus fulfilled more than 324 Messianic prophecies.  A statistician once claimed that the likelihood of any individual fulfilling just 8 of the 61 major messianic prophecies was incredibly small—about 1 in 10 raised to the 17th power (one hundred quadrillion)! Yet, Jesus did this and far beyond, showing that He was not just a man but the Messiah prophesied throughout history. This profound truth invites us to trust not only in the story of Jesus but in the One who wrote it. There is no further proof that we need, that Jesus was really who he said he was: God in the flesh. Do you need to make Jesus all the more real in your heart this Christmas season? There is no doubt of the mighty power of God. He had a plan with Jesus and even prepared the way for him. Why do we think he cannot handle our struggles? Luke 2:6-7  3. He Had Humble Beginnings  Christ was born in a stable—probably a cave—where animals were kept. The manger was a feeding trough for animals.  The only available space for the child was in the animal trough attached to the wall their room shared with the animals’ quarters. The promised king came to his people but did not have enough power to secure a resting place for his birth.  The descendants of David descended to a stable to find a place to lay the head of the King of kings. This is how God used the earth’s lowest to bring salvation from heaven’s highest. The point of his humble birth is to prove that Jesus can use anyone to do anything. Jesus was born in a barn, and he changed the world. Imagine what he can do through you? Jesus can take the messiness of our lives and use us to change the world! What are our transformational moments? Does Jesus have a place in your Christmas celebration? Do you need to give your struggles to Him? Are you ready to change the world for Him?