Christmas day marks the birthday of Jesus. As the angel told the shepherds: Christ the Lord, was born in Bethlehem.
Much has been written about the lofty birth of the infant placed in a manger, where at His birth, a star appeared in the sky, and all the heavenly hosts praised the God of Israel. Of course, this child called Jesus, was destined to be the redeemer of the world, His name is proclaimed everywhere to this day, and He is destined to return and rule as the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Christmas is celebrated all around the world. Jesus' birth is portrayed worldwide in various versions according to local cultures. However, beyond style, whether it's more Eastern European or Western, East Asian, African, or South American, the nativity scene mostly emphasizes the prominent details of the story – Mary and Joseph with Jesus in the manger, the angels, the star, the shepherds, and the wise men. To a certain extent, this is the image that emerges from the scriptures. Yet, seems to me that this specific portrayal of the nativity scene is due to the highlight on the birth itself. And while spiritually, indeed Christ was born in Bethlehem, physically, in earthly terms, a Jewish child was born in Bethlehem. And when a Jewish baby is born, especially when it is a first-born son, the joy may begin at his birth, but it is far from ending within 24 hours.
Christmas, a Jewish Boy is Born
So, what does it mean when a Jewish boy is born? Well, the birth moment is no different from any other birth in the world, especially for a firstborn! When Mary's time came to give birth, it's unlikely she was alone or in a cave. Joseph and Mary received support from close family, helping them prepare for the birth in the household area rather than the guest area. At the birth itself, a midwife surely assisted Mary with the delivery and helped clean the infant Jesus with saltwater and swaddle Him.
From that moment, the good news of Mary giving birth to her firstborn spread like wildfire in Bethlehem. For comparison, Luke described the birth of another Jewish child, John the Baptist. In Luke 1:58, he writes about the joy of family members and neighbors immediately after the birth. According to Luke's account, the angels revealed themselves to the shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem, informing them of the Messiah's birth. Why specifically to the shepherds? Well, from a spiritual perspective, various reasons can be raised, but realistically, seems like God sent His angels to shepherds outside the city because they hadn't yet heard the good news. Beside the shepherds, visitors would come and go congratulating for several days after the birth, bringing gifts, and sharing foods and drinks.
A Child of the Covenant
But the story doesn't end after birth because Jesus is not just any child; He's a Jewish child! Therefore, from the moment He was born, Joseph and Mary had to prepare for the next significant event: the circumcision ceremony. In Hebrew, the ceremony is called "Brit Mila" – The covenant of circumcision, referring to God's covenant with Abraham and the promise given to him, and it was given as a sign of the covenant between God and Abraham's seed, as described in Genesis 17:8-14. Circumcision is performed when the child is eight days old and healthy. The procedure is carried out by the infant's father, or a specialist called a Mohel performing the circumcision on behalf of the father. Hence, from Jesus' birth, the family needed to monitor His health status from day one until the eighth day, to be ready for the circumcision. Joseph had to prepare for this event. If he was the one to circumcise Jesus, he needed to learn how to do it, or if not, he had to ensure a mohel arrived on the appropriate date. Likewise, he had to inform family members and neighbors when to attend the event. This can be compared to the circumcision account of John in Luke 1:59-66, showing family members and neighbors present.
On the eighth day, Jesus was prepared for the circumcision, and as we read in Luke 2:21, after His circumcision, His name was announced. This naming after the circumcision is a tradition in Judaism held to this today, and Luke's description is the earliest record of this practice. There are several reasons for announcing the name after circumcision, as indicated by Jewish sources: it serves as a testimony before the congregation that the child is entering Abraham's covenant. It also signifies that he is part of the Jewish family, that his parents sought to keep the tradition of the Law and that he will grow as one among the children of Israel. Another spiritual reason is that circumcision symbolizes the child's completion, and announcing his name afterward is a sign that his birth has been fulfilled.
Christ's Redemption – Not What You May Think
While for many Jewish children circumcision on the eighth day would be sufficient, for Jesus the process wasn't complete yet because He is Mary's firstborn son. According to the Torah (Exodus 13:2; Numbers 18:15-16), firstborns are dedicated to God, and therefore, God commanded their redemption by paying a sum to the temple treasury. This payment is a one-time event, only for a firstborn male aged one month. According to Luke 2:22-23, Joseph and Mary went up to the temple with Jesus to fulfill this command. While the Torah doesn't mandate presenting the child in the temple, it seems it was an opportunity for them to directly contribute to the temple and pray for Jesus. There they met Simeon the Righteous and Anna, who prophesied about Jesus (Luke 2:25-38). In modern times, this practice still exists, but since there's no temple, the money goes to a person of the priestly family.
What's the value of the sum? According to the Torah, it's five Shekels of silver. The value is defined by fixed weight of silver. Today the value is equal to about $65. But at the time of Jesus, silver's value was much higher, so according to historical data on ancient economy, the value would be around $870 today. Given this significant amount, it's reasonable to assume that knowing Mary would give birth to a son, Joseph saved during her pregnancy to ensure he could pay the required sum when the time came.
She Gave Birth to Her Firstborn Son (Matthew 1:25)
What about Mary? She acted according to Leviticus 12. Immediately after birth, she was unclean for seven days. Therefore, the first week served for both her recovery and waiting for her purification days. By the eighth day, the day of Jesus' circumcision, she was already past her impurity days. However, she had to wait an additional 33 days since she gave birth to a male child to complete her purification days. On the twenty-third day of her purification, Jesus was one month old, and this is the time when Joseph paid for His redemption and possibly prepared a feast for the event. 10 days later, the family went to Jerusalem to offer a purification sacrifice for Mary and present Jesus in the temple. Luke mentions that Mary brought a pair of turtledoves or pigeons (Luke 2:24), indicating they were simple people, not affluent.
It's unfathomable that God chose a young mother who could only afford two birds for her purification, unaware that the child she was carrying would become the Lamb to purify all of humanity.
The Nativity Scene is a well-known image, emotional and packed with scripture-based symbols, celebrating the birth of Christ. Yet, let us keep in mind that Jesus was a Jewish child, born into a Jewish family in Bethlehem over two thousand years ago.
Now that Christmas is over, I invite you to discover how Jesus' birth was in fact a set of celebrations stemming from a specific cultural framework, continued for 40 days. You can do so by reading Luke, chapter 2, all the way to verse 39, where Jesus' birth celebrations were completed after the family performed all things according to the Torah.
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