Christmas: What Would Jesus Do?

[cbayer]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-d-tabor/christmaswhat-would-jesus_b_4485768.html

James D. Tabor
Author, 'Paul and Jesus: How the Apostle Transformed Christianity'

Posted: 12/22/2013 4:21 pm



The well-worn admonition to "put Christ back into Christmas" raises some fascinating issues for those of us who study the origins and history of Christianity. Most know that Christmas as celebrated today has evolved over the centuries, drawing from a diverse and rich assortment of customs, none of which go back to Jesus. The season itself can be traced back to the Roman Saturnalia, which was the birthday of Saturn, celebrated at the end of December and corresponding to the Winter Solstice. Many ancient cultures celebrated the "return of the sun" and the sure promise of spring. Our most popular customs today such as gift giving, the decorated Christmas tree, Santa Claus, wreaths, and mistletoe can be traced back to various European cultural roots. But "Christmas" means the "Mass of Christ," and nativity scenes, Christmas carols, and church services mark the religious holiday today.

Is Christmas really the birthday of Christ? And is it a "Christian" holy day? Our best evidence indicates that Jesus was more likely born in September rather than December, so his birth has nothing to do with the later holiday as it developed. More important, Jesus was a Jew not a Christian. His Hebrew name was Yehoshua, a fairly common Jewish name of his time, born of his Jewish mother Miriam and his father Yehosef -- known to us, of course, as Mary and Joseph. Jesus would have grown up with Jewish holidays and customs -- including Passover, Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, and Hanukkah in late December. The gospel of John mentions all of these festivals, including Hanukkah, which Jesus celebrated in Jerusalem the last winter of his life.

As a Jew living in Roman-occupied Palestine he would have perhaps been familiar with the celebration of the Roman Saturnalia -- since Judea had a series of Roman governors during his lifetime and even in the Galilee, where he grew up, the sight of Roman troops was a familiar one. Both Herod the Great and his son Herod Antipas had built the thoroughly Roman cities of Caesarea, Tiberius, and Sepphoris in Jesus' lifetime. The archaeology of the period has amply demonstrated that Greco-Roman culture was widespread and influential. It is evident in the style of the buildings, the clothing, and many artifacts of daily living. The Jewish city of Sepphoris, only four miles north of Jesus' hometown Nazareth, was complete with theater, amphitheater, and Roman baths. The contemporary Jewish historian Josephus called it the "jewel of all Galilee." If Jesus knew anything about Roman festivals he would have surely considered the celebrations of the Winter Solstice to be alien and pagan.

But what about Christmas as it came to be understood -- the celebration of the incarnation of the virgin-born Son of God as Savior of the world? What would Jesus do -- or think -- about all that? Here we enter the complex area of what scholars call the "quest for the historical Jesus." In other words, how does one separate the Christ of Christian faith and tradition from the Jesus of history? Is there any evidence that Jesus as a Jew in his own time would have endorsed the later theological affirmations of Christianity, such as those found in the Apostles Creed?

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[edhopper]

1. That's a good historical overview.

Separating the possible historical Jesus with the one created in the Christian Texts.
Seems even handed.

[cbayer]

2. I thought so as well.

Glad you enjoyed it.

[meti57b]

3. Jesus would be saying, "oy veh!".