BIRTH OF JESUS ​​AND CHRISTMAS

Long before the birth of Jesus Christ was in fact planned by God from the first man's fall into sin. When Adam and Eve for the first time disobey God by eating the fruit of knowledge of good and evil. At that time God has designed a helper of the descendants of Adam and Eve as recorded in Genesis 1: 15 a case; God says "I will put enmity between thee (the serpent) and the woman, between thy seed and her seed; offspring will crush your head (snake) , and you (the serpent) shalt bruise his heel. " Word of this as proof that God really loves people, so that when mankind fell into sin God's immediate safety of human design creation, and also contains a promise from God to man and the devil. That God promised a savior of the human race. From the Old Testament we find out that God's promises are forwarded to the human generations for thousands of thousands of years old. Through the chosen people, He confirmed His promise to the descendants of Adam and Eve (mankind).

As written in Isaiah 2: 2-3: "It will be in the last days the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; every nation would flock to it , and many tribes would go and say: 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,to the house of the God of Jacob , and he will teach us his ways, his ways, and we will walk covered it; cause of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD of Jerusalem . "verse confirms that in the future there will be teaching the word in the city of David and Jerusalem. Teaching it will establish and uphold and glorify God's kingdom on earth.
Promises God is confirmed again and again to the Prophet Isaiah as Isaiah 7: 13, 14 : "Then said the prophet Isaiah:" Well listen, O house of David! yet exhausting enough that you people, so you're tiring of my God also? Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, men, and he will call his name Immanuel. " Isaiah's prophecy was received around 700-680 BC before the birth of Jesus. And affirmation of God is also communicated to other prophets like Micah (Micah 5: 1), to the Prophet Hosea (Hosea 11: 1), the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31: 15), the prophet Zechariah (Zechariah 9: 9) etc..

As we've posted before about the genealogy of Jesus is a descendant of Abraham - David, about 42 descendants as written in Matthew 1: 1-17; For further information please click here . The story of the birth of Jesus Christ recorded in the two canonical Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Both gospels wrote that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in Judea, to a virgin, Mary.

Each of the Gospels tell the same events with different perspectives. The Gospel of Matthew from the perspective of the apostle Matthew was a tax collector and a genuine Jew tells about the arrival of the wise men who seek and worship the "king" of the newborn, as well as presenting expensive gifts. While the Gospel of Luke from Luke's point of view that is a descendant of the Jewish Greek physician told this story in more detail, including the arrival of angels and shepherds who worshiped the baby Jesus in a manger, in a more chronological order. Luke did not record the wise men from the East, but recounts the birth of John the Baptist which occurred about 6 months before the birth of Jesus, including the appearance of the angel Gabrielyang notify in advance to Zechariah, father of John the Baptist.

Second Gospel also gives the genealogy of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Matthew, which the target audience is the Jewish nation, emphasizing the person of Jesus as the King, the Messiah of Israel royal eagerly awaited by the Jews, and therefore the genealogy begins with Abraham, the father of the Jews. Even his writings are full of symbols and the fulfillment of the prophecies of the prophets of old who said that the Messiah would rise from the line of David. Written in the genealogy of Jesus, there were 14 generations from Abraham to David, 14 from David to the exile to Babylon, 14 descendants of the exile to Jesus.

Gospel of Luke, whose target readers are Gentiles, emphasizing the person of Jesus as the Son of Man and Son of God, the God of all nations, not just for the Jews. Therefore genealogy begins with Adam, the father of all mankind, even God, the father of Adam, the creator of all mankind. As one of the followers of Paul, Luke is also possible at the time of writing this thought of Jesus as the new Adam / Adam both (cf. Romans 5:12)

Notification of the birth of
the Old Testament
Book of GenesisGenesis 12:3: [The LORD said to Abram (Abraham)]: "I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse thee, and in thee shall all families of the earth will blessed. " Fulfillment: Jesus Christ, ... son of Abraham. (Matthew 1:1)

Genesis 17:19: God said: "No, but your wife will give birth Saralah a boy for you, and you shall call his name Isaac, and I will make a covenant with him to everlasting covenant for his descendants." Fulfillment: Jesus Christ ... the descendants of Isaac. (Luke 3:34)

Genesis 49:10: Stick kingdom shall not depart from Judah, nor the government shall from between his feet, until he comes entitled to it, then it will defeat him nations. Fulfillment : Jesus Christ ... the son of Judah. (Luke 3:33)

Book of Numbers
Numbers 24:17: "I saw him, but not now: I looked at him, but not close; rising star out of Jacob, a scepter arises from Israel" Fulfillment : Jesus Christ ... son Jacob. (Matthew 1:2). The genealogy of Jesus Christ, read here

Isaiah
Isaiah 7:14: Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a young woman (= unmarried), and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel he. Fulfillment: It's might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" - which means, God with us.(Matthew 1:22-23)

Isaiah 60:6: The multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Efa. They will all come from Sheba will bring gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the Lord illustrious deeds. Fulfillment: The arrival of the wise men from the East looking for the baby Jesus with the entourage of the camels and took the gold and frankincense. (Matthew 2:1-12)

Jeremiah
Jeremiah 31:15 Thus saith the LORD: Look! Heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping: Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children, because they are no longer. Fulfillment: Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: "A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning; Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more. " (Matthew 2:17-18) Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem first, Ephrath, Judea, territory Judah (Genesis 35:19; Genesis 48:7), south of Jerusalem. Because Rachel is the mother of Benjamin, then later his grave was moved to Rama, territory tribe of Benjamin, 7.5 miles north of Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 31:16 Thus saith the Lord: Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD: they shall come back from the land of the enemy. Fulfillment: Jesus, who survived the killings in Bethlehem, will return from Egypt, a foreign land.

Book of Micah
Micah 5:2-3: But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, O smallest among clans of Judah, out of you will stand up for me one who will be ruler in Israel, whose goings are from old, from ancient days. Therefore he will let them get a woman to give birth has given birth; then the rest of his brethren shall return to the Israel.Penggenapan: Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Judea. (Matthew 2:1, Luke 2:4), and child other children (brothers rest) will be killed. (Matthew 2:16) Micah 4:8: And thou, O tower Sheep Flock (Hebrew: Migdal-eder; language English: tower of the flock), O daughter of Bukit Zion, you will come back and be the first rule, the royal princess Yerusale Fulfillment: Jesus was born in Bethlehem of a sheep pen.(Luke 2:7,12) It is thought that the place is a herd of sheep in the Tower (Migdal Eder).

The news of the birth of Jesus Christ marked with signs such as mass murder baby Jesus during infancy were evacuated to Egypt, it is also a prophecy of all the Prophets. And when Jesus was born of the same event experienced by her family.

The removal to Egypt
after the wise men departed, nampaklah angel to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod will seek the young child to kill him. "

So Yusufpun up, took the child and his mother that evening, then fled to Egypt, and stay there until the death of Herod.That it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son." (Hosea 11:1, Matthew 2:13-15)

The killing of children in Bethlehem
when Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious. Then he gave orders to kill all the children in Bethlehem and its vicinity, that is, children who were two years old and under, according to the time that can be learned from the wise men. (Matthew 2:16)

Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: "A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning; Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more." (Jeremiah 31:15, Matthew 2:17-18)

NOTE About King Herod & Killing Infant
Government and the character of Herod the Great has had quite a lot of historical records, the son of a tribal Idumea or Edom, the king of Iudaea Province, Samaria and Galilee with the permission of the Emperor Augustus. Acts of cruelty in the Gospel of Matthew in the killing of infants in Bethlehem in accordance with the behavior to maintain power.

SejarahwanFlavius ​​Josephus wrote that Herod "never stop every day to take revenge and punish anyone it deems an enemy." Josephus records that Herod killed his sons and his wife, for allegedly trying to overthrow his throne. A Jewish apocryphal books in the first century "Assumption of Moses" noted one prophecy: A barbarian king who will replace the Hasmonean priests descent and he will slaughter all the children. A New Testament scholar and Anglican priest, RT France, argues that Josephus does not record the slaughter in Bethlehem because "killing a small number of infants in a small village not count murders the more spectacular recorded by Josephus"

Ambrosius Theodosius Macrobius (c. 395-423) wrote in the 4th century in bukunyaSaturnalia: "When he [emperor Augustus] heard about the massacre of children under the age of 2 years in Syria by Herod, King of the Jews, and which include Herod's own son, he [Caesar Augustus] said: better to be Herod's pig than to be his son. " So even though the actual author Macrobius about Roman religious rituals and not mention Christianity at all, the tradition of infanticide by Herod is something tangible to the general public at that time

Fulfillment of the promise GOD
To Mary
in the sixth month of pregnancy of John the Baptist, the son of the priest Zacharias and his wife, Elizabeth, God sent the angel Gabriel to go to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph of the house of David; maiden name was Mary. (Luke 1:26)

• When the angels went into the house of Mary, he said: "Hail (Latin: Ave), O thou blessed, the Lord is with thee."
• Maria was surprised to hear these words, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this was.
• The angel said to her, "Fear not, Mary: for thou hath grace in the sight of God. Behold, thou shalt conceive and shall bear a son and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the High., and the Lord God will give Him the throne of David, his ancestor father, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will not be interminable. "
• Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?"
• Angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come down upon you and the power of the Most High God (Hebrew: El'elyon) shall overshadow thee: therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, sanakmu it, he also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. because with God nothing is impossible. "
• Mary said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord be to me according to your word." Then the angel left her. (Luke 1:26-38)

Elizabeth
Some time Mary arose and went into the hill country to a town of Judah. ​​(Luke 1:39-45)

Note: Obviously Maria wants to know whether the encounter with the angel and the conversation was truly unbelievable.The only person who can talk to is Elizabeth, since Elizabeth was also pregnant freak, so it will be able to understand the feelings of Mary at the time. The angel Gabriel told Mary that time Elizabeth was 6 months pregnant.

Where she entered Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth.

And when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, melonjaklah child in her womb and Elisabetpun filled with the Holy Spirit, and cried with a loud voice: "Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit womb. Who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold , when it shall turn to the ears, the child in my womb jumped for joy., and blessed it, who have believed, because what is said to him from the Lord, be done. "

Note: From the words of Elizabeth, Maria has received a number of certainty, namely:

• She would be the "mother of God"
• The words of God must be done.

Then Maria utter praise singing (Latin: Magnificat): "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has noticed lowliness of his servant. Indeed, from now on all the offspring will call me blessed ..." (More: Luke 1:46-56)

Mary stayed about 3 months old along with Elizabeth and then went back to his house.

Note: It appears that Mary was present at the time of John the Baptist was born to be circumcised on the 8th day. After delivery, the law Elizabeth considered unclean for 40 days, so it is not allowed to connect with many people, because it causes people it touches impure. [3] If Mary continues to live there certainly troublesome Elizabeth, besides the time Maria was 3 months contained and shall immediately notify Joseph about her pregnancy. Maria watched how Zechariah could speak again and remember singing praise that later recorded by Luke.

To Joseph
At the time of Mary, his mother, was betrothed to Joseph, turns out she conceived of the Holy Spirit, before they lived as husband and wife. Because Joseph her ​​husband, being a just man and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But when he considers that purpose, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream.
angel said: "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child in the womb is of the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a boy and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. "

Note: The name of Jesus is a transliteration of the Hebrew name "Joshua" means "YHWH saves" or Aramaic name Jeshua means "he saves" or "Savior".

After waking from sleep, Joseph did as the angel of the Lord commanded him. He took Mary as his wife, but did not have intercourse with her until she gave birth to his son, and Joseph named him Jesus. (Matthew 1:18-25)

To Simeon
To Simeon was declared by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Messiah, that He is the Lord's anointed. (Luke 2:26)

To the wise men from the East
come the wise men from the east to Jerusalem, and wondered: "Where is he, the king of the Jews who were born? We have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him." (Matthew 2:1-2)

To the Jews
not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was. (John 7:42)

The birth of JESUS ​​CHRIST Time

• In the days of Herod, king of Judea (Matthew 2:1, Luke 1:5) (born 73/74 BC, reigned from 37 BC, died 4 BCE (or 1 BC) in Jericho.
• In those days Caesar Augustus (Luke 2:1). Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born 23 September 63 BC, died August 19, 14 AD), the Roman king. Caesar Augustus issued a command, ordered to register all the people around the world each in his own town (Luke 2:1-3), in the year 2 BC.
• While Quirinius was governor in the Syrian (Luke 2:2). Publius Sulpicius Quirinius (Greek: Birth ~ 51 BCE, died 21 CE). There is a registration performed Quirinius in 6 AD, at the time of Archelaus became king (Greek: ethnarch) Judea. There is also a registration when it does while in the Syrian ruler in 11 BC - 7 BC.

Note: there is a translate Luke 2:2 "... registration when Quirinius was first held ..." from the Greek as "... registration before Quirinius held ...", but this is not an acceptable part of the experts.

Placement in the womb of Mary occurs in the sixth month of pregnancy of John the Baptist (Luke 1:26). That means about a few months after the priest Zechariah of the group Abia, perform their duties in the temple. (Luke 1:5) Group of Abijah was the 8th of 24 groups of priests who take turns doing duty in the temple (1 Chronicles 24:7-18). There are experts who argue turn usually falls at the beginning of the month of Sivan in the Jewish calendar or the Gregorian calendar in June. Based on this information, fertilization (English: conception) of Jesus occurred around December.There are a number of ancient manuscripts record that Jesus was placed in the womb of Mary on 25 Desember.Hal is supported by the interpretation of Haggai 2:18-20: "Consider from this day and the next - from day nine of the twenty-four months . Starting from temple of the LORD laid foundation day notice if the seed still in the barn, and whether the vine and fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not been fruitful? Starting from today I will give thanks! "    

At a feast of the Jews, because there was no room for Joseph and Mary in the inn. (Luke 2:7)

Registration can be done anytime, but Joseph, as a pious Jew, chose came from Nazareth, Galilee, to coincide with the feast of importance that the law ordered every man to make pilgrimages to Jerusalem. Bethlehem is located only 10 kilometers (6.2 mi) south of Jerusalem. This is most likely close to the feast of the New Year (Rosh Hashanah) in Tisyri (or around September Gregorian calendar) or the feast of Sukkot which commemorates the tabernacle ("Feast of Tabernacles") where God dwelt among the people of Israel, as indicated in John 1: 14: "The Word was made ​​flesh, anddwelt among us , and we beheld His glory, the glory given to Him as begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth " 

When taken into account with the story of the massacre of the infants under 2 years old at the end of the reign of Herod (4 BC) or (1 BC), the birth of Jesus occurred after the year 6 BC. Indeed, there is currently no exact date Jesus Christ was born.

In November 2012 the shocking news emerged of the Vatican where Pope Benedict XVI in his recent book entitled "Jesus of Nazaretth; The Infancy Narratives" sued a trusted tradition of the Catholic Church and Christian churches in general. Pope Benedict XVI writes that the birth of Jesus around 6-7 BC coincided with the appearance of "Star of Bethlehem" which is none other than the planet planetary conjunctions. According to Gregorian calendar adopted today is because of counting errors Diyonisius Exiguous monk about 500 years after Christ. Analysis also look at the history that King Herod the Great of Judea died in 4 BC So if it is connected with the story of the Bible (Matthew 2:1, Luke 1:5) then at least Jesus was born before 4 BC.

Year Gregorian calendar was created in the 6th century by a monk named Dionysius Exignus. Year of our Lord that we use today is called the anno Domini (Year of the Lord). How could he know that the Lord Jesus was born in the year 1 BC? He took the data from the historical record which states that in 754 the Roman calendar it is year 15 of the reign of Emperor Tiberius as stated in Luke 3:1-2. This data was used as a benchmark to him to start the year 1 BC.

In addition, he also took data from Luke 2:1-2 which states that Quirinius (Governor of the Syrian) first run the census program.

Nevertheless, people still doubt it, because according to the Jewish historian Flavius ​​Josephus called, rajaHerodes died in 4 BC so consequently the date of birth of Jesus should be pushed back four years. But this theory was not true, because he analyzed year berdasaran a lunar eclipse in the year when Herod died that occurred in Jerusalem on March 13, 4 BC.

Events associated with the Star of Bethlehem that appear along with the birth of Jesus Christ is a mystery in itself. Is the Star of Bethlehem was a phenomenon of invisibility (Supra Natural) or natural phenomena. Astronomy experts try to find answers to the approach of science of Astronomy. After many years of research scientists is Professor David Hughes, an astronomer from the University of Sheffield review first published collection of theories about the Bethlehem star in the 1970s. By studying the movement of planets and other space objects and count down as well as by the literature concluded:

1. Events Star of Bethlehem is a natural event in which the Sun, the Earth, Jupiter and Saturn aligned, so it seemed a very bright star. This event could happen every 900 years.
2. A comet Halley; Note that the most reliable is the appearance of a comet in the constellation Capricorn in 5 BC, which is perpetuated by other astronomers Cina.Kandidat comet Halley is visible around 12 BC. Those who support this theory says that comets from the 5th century BC can be seen in the sky south of Jerusalem, with the head of the comet approaches the horizon and the vertical tail curved upwards.
3. Another theory is that the star is the light of the birth of a new star or nova.
   There are also records of the astronomers in the Far East on a new star in the small constellation in the north of the Aquila in 4 BC.

Birthplace of Jesus Christ

Sheep Flock Tower ( Migdal Eder ) in Bethlehem, Judea

• Bethlehem of Judea (Matthew 2:1, Luke 2:4) according prophecy prophet Micah (Micah 5:2-3).
• A sheepfold possibility Sheep Flock Tower (Hebrew: Migdal-Eder; English: Tower of the Flock) according to the prophecy of Micah (Micah 4:8).

The tower is a special place to incarcerate the sheep that will be chosen as the victim in the Temple in Jerusalem. Jerome noted located 1000 steps (1.6 kilometers or 1 mile) from Jerusalem. Eder is a multi-storey tower building. The priests of Jerusalem will come inspect sheep without blemish. Ram for a burnt offering for a sacrifice of atonement ewe .. Rabbi Yehuda said the ram was found 30 days sebelumPaskah Jews can be used as a "passover". In times of mourning meninggalnyaRahel, Jacob pitched his tent and maintain flocks beyond the tower of Eder. (Genesis 35:21). Later, the "Lamb of God" will be born as Jacob sin in this tower.

The shepherds

• In that area there were shepherds living in the fields keeping their flocks by night. (Luke 2:8)
• Suddenly An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
• Then the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold I proclaim to you a great joy for all the people: to you is born this day a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. And this is the sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. "
• And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: Glory to God in the most high and on earth peace among men is pleasing to Him.
• After the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another: "Let us go to Bethlehem to see what was going on there, like the Lord tell us."
• Then they quickly go and see Mary and Joseph and the baby, who was lying in the manger. And when they saw him, they told him what had been told them concerning the child. And all who heard it wondered what the shepherds said to them.
• After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and wondered: "Where is he, the king of the Jews who were born? We have seen his star in the East and we come to worship him. "(Matthew 2:1-2)
• When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem. He gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the Jews, then the information asked of them where the Messiah was to be born.
• They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: And thou Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall shepherd my people Israel. " (Micah 5:2-3)
• Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them carefully, when the star appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child-and when you have found him, bring me word so that I will come and worship him."
• After they had heard the king, they departed. And look, they see bintangyang east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were very glad.
• So they entered into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and worshiped him. And they opened the place of their possessions and present offerings to him, namely gold, frankincense and myrrh.
• And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. (Matthew 2:3-12)

BIRTH OF JESUS ​​AND CHRISTMAS DAY 
genesis Christmas warning
warning the birth of Jesus Christ was never a command to do. Stories from the New Testament never mentions the celebration of the birth of Jesus was done by the early church. Clement of Alexandria mocking those who try to calculate and determine the day of the birth of Jesus. In the first centuries, spiritual life of the congregation is more geared to the resurrection of Jesus. Christmas does not get attention. Birthday celebration is generally "especially by Origen" is regarded as a pagan custom: people like Pharaoh and Herod were celebrating their birthdays. Christians do not do this: Christians celebrate the day of his death as his birthday.

But in the East people have been thinking since the first appearance of the miracles of God in human form. According to old writings of a Christian sect in Egypt have been celebrating "party Epifania" (feast appearance of God) on January 4.But what is meant by this sect with Epifania party is the emergence of Jesus as the Son of God when He was baptized in the Jordan River. The Church as a whole and not only consider the baptism of Jesus as Epifania, but especially his birth in the world. In accordance with this assumption, the Eastern Church celebrated Epifania on January 6 as the party of Jesus birth and baptism parties.

The second celebration party was held on January 5 night (before the 6th of January) with a beautiful ritual, which consists of reading the Bible and praise praise. Ephraim of Syria Epifania regard as the most beautiful party. He said: "Tonight is the night's festivities Epifania bring peace in the world. Who is going to bed at night, when the whole world is just in case?" On the eve of the celebration of Epifania, all church buildings are decorated with garlands. This particular feast is celebrated with joy in the cave of Bethlehem, where Jesus was born.

History of Christmas December 25
Christmas Eve started in about the year 200 AD in Alexandria (Egypt). Egyptian theologians appointed on May 20, but some are on 19 or 20 April. In other places the celebration made ​​on the date 5 or 6 January; others in December. The celebration begins on December 25 in the year 221 by Sextus Julius Africanus, and has been widely accepted in the 5th century. There are many religious celebrations in the non-Christian community in December. Nowadays generally accepted that the celebration of Christmas on December 25 is admission into the church tradition of non-Christian celebration of the (god) sun: Solar Invicti (Surya was Invincible), by asserting that Jesus Christ is the Sun Court was appropriate message of the Bible (see Malachi 4:2, Luke 1:78; Song of Solomon 6:10). Dec. 25 set as the day of birth of Jesus Christ more in favor of political interests and mission to spread Christianity throughout the hemisphere. At that time Christianity was a new school and in the community has no faith in the god of gods. So for the purpose of spreading Christianity fathers fathers when mothers think hard how can Christianity be accepted by society.

On the other hand the new religion is Roman oriented political interests, the interests of Rome at that time with the aim of eliminating the errors of Rome to the Jews of Jesus' death on the cross. So in order to be accepted into the Catholic religion Roman society was held syncretism (combination of agama-budaya/penyembahan idols), by bringing together the celebration of the birth of Sun of God (the Sun God) with the birth of Son of God (Son of God = Jesus).

Finally Roman society to adapt to the new religion to deify Jesus and make the Jews as scapegoats, so the spread of Orthodox Christianity is known now successfully grounded.

At the time, the events of Jesus' miraculous resurrection a myth used to defend the teachings of Jesus parallel to the great gods of other woods that formerly worshiped by the Romans, like Tammuz, Adonis, Osiris, Attis, etc. who died then rose again.

Then up to the time of Constantine. Konstantin often rewarded for its support of the Christians in Rome at that time so that the population is growing. But Constantine's actual role in the development of Christianity has been falsified.Constantine never moves (conversion) of the flow Pagan to Christianity, but the station still Pagan.

He gained experience Gallic Pagan holy temple yard Aplollo in Vosges or near Autum. According to witnesses at the time, sacred experience came in the form of the sun god named Sol Invictus (the invincible sun).

Worshiper of Sol Invictus was the original peoples of Syria and the Roman emperor Constantine a century before the government. Orthodox Christians have a lot in common with the cult of Sol Invictus. By a decree of the spread in 321 AD, Constantine ordered the law courts closed on the day of "sun worship", and decided the day was used as a day of rest (day off).

Previously, Christians celebrate the Jewish Sabbath - Saturday (Saturday) as a holy day. Now according to the decree of Constantine, the holy day was changed to Sunday (Day of the Sun, day of week). Thus, Christians change their rest day from Saturday to Sunday.

Until the 4th century, Jesus' birthday is celebrated on January 6. For the cult of Sol Invictus, they are important today December 25 which is the day of celebration of Natalis Invictus (the rebirth of the sun). Then Christianity to unite themselves with the government and to pass it as the state religion. That's what makes Constantine known as the king of Rome changed from a pagan Roman Empire became Christian kingdom.

Since then and until now, 2000 years later, on Sunday made a holiday to rest and Dec. 25 birth of Jesus serve as a warning.

Actually the analysis ditas connect with the movement of the earth around the sun. On March 21 to 22 the sun is at the Equator (Equator Line) - around 21 June the sun is in the northern hemisphere (23.5 o LU) - about 23 September sun was in Equator - around December 21 the sun is in the southern hemisphere (23.5o LS) and back to the sun is 21 to 22 March. So that in December the southern hemisphere experiencing summer and northern hemisphere in winter. So do not be surprised if every December the countries in the southern hemisphere celebrate summer.

There are opinions that say that December 25th is not the date of Jesus' birth. This opinion is reinforced by the fact that on the night the shepherds still keep sheep in a meadow. (Luke 2:8). In December, the shepherds might not be able to maintain the sheep in the pasture for the winter when it has arrived so there is no grass growing again. Supporters birth date in December found despite winter, the sheep remained in the cage in the grass and maintained by the pastor, and although there is no grass, meadow called prairie remains.

There are also opinions that say that the celebration of Christmas comes from the pre-Christian Roman tradition, the god of agriculture Saturn warning falls on a weekend in December with peak warning on the winter solstice (the winter solstice), which falls on December 25 in the Julian calendar . Warning-called Saturnalia was a major social traditions for the Romans. In order for the Roman people can be Christians without abandoning their own traditions, at the instigation of the first Christian Roman emperor, Constantine I, Pope Julius I decided in the year 350 that the birth of Jesus is celebrated on the same date. But this view is disputed by the Eastern Rite Church, because the Church of the Eastern Rite is celebrating the birth of Jesus from the 2nd century, before the Church of Rome declared the celebration of Christmas on December 25.

Therefore, there are some Christian denominations who do not celebrate Christmas traditions because they are derived from Roman pagan traditions, namely the flow of the True Jesus Church, Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Seventh Day Baptist Church, the United Church of God, Messianic kaumYahudi and Global Church of God Church Indonesia.Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate Christmas.

There are a number of ancient manuscripts record that Jesus was placed in the womb of Mary on December 25.Interpretation of the Hagaimengindikasikan date is the date of the coming of Jesus into the womb of Mary, namely Haggai 2:18-20: "Consider from this day and the next - from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month. Starting today laid foundation of the temple of the LORD notice Is the seed yet in the barn, and whether the vine and fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not been fruitful? Starting from today I will give thanks! "

Tradition RELATED TO CHRISTMAS
According to the explanation on the Catholic Encyclopedia 1911 edition, entitled "Christmas", found the words, which reads as follows:

1. Christmas is not the first church ceremony, but he was believed to have come from Egypt. Celebrations organized by the pagans and fell in January, then made the birth of Jesus.
2. In the Scriptures, no one can hold or held a celebration ceremony to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Only unbelievers alone (like Pharaoh and Herod) who celebrate the feast day of his birth into this world.

Many Christmas traditions in the west which is a later development by absorbing elements of various cultures. Christmas trees in churches or in homes may be associated with the Egyptian tradition, or ancient Hebrew. There are also connecting it to the tree in the Garden of Eden (see Genesis 2:9). But in the life of pre-Christian Europe there is a tradition of decorating the tree and put the house on the celebrations. The tradition of the "Tree of Light" developing modern Germany in the 18th century.

There is also a tradition of sending Christmas cards, which was started in 1843 by John Callcott Horsley of England.Usually the images associated with the story of the birth of Jesus Christ and with the words: Merry Christmas and New Year. Nowadays people use information technology (email) send an electronic Christmas card.

Also in the framework of the celebration of Christmas is known in Indonesia Sinterklaas tradition, which originated from the Netherlands. The tradition is celebrated on the 6th of December, related to St. Claus (Santa Nikolas), a legend, who visited the children's home at night with a flying sleigh pulled some wildebeest tail divide the prize. In the modern world, a secular Christmas celebration emphasizes aspects of exchanging Christmas gifts, so some think Santa Nikolas increasingly more important than Jesus Christ. In the tradition of the Dutch Sinterklass "character portrayed by an American beverage ads since 1931 as an old fat, white bearded and dressed with red boots, black belt, and soft cowl is" being part of a family event (to discipline children children) to visit homes with black maid (Zwarte Pit) who carried sacks of gifts for good children: but the sack is also a naughty child entered to be taken away. We often see also Christmas celebrated with lots of twinkling lights. In addition to add a festive celebration, it also has an understanding of the existing light, that is Christ will drive away the darkness.

Unlike the Christmas traditions in the west, east Christmas rite contains many spiritual aspects of fasting, praise, Bible reading, and praise. In Arabic churches, arguably no Christmas celebrations without prior fasting. Syrian Orthodox Church Christmas preparation by fasting for 10 days. While in the Coptic Orthodox Church fasting longer, ie since the last week of November. So, about 40 days. Time iftar (breaking the fast) on January 7 in the morning. Pre-Christmas fasting is called small fasting (sawm el-Shagir). Although somewhat different in tradition, in principle, this method is not much different from how fast the other Orthodox Churches.

Regards, Dwi Hartoyo, SP

REFERENCES
1. http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelahiran_Yesus
2. http://misi.sabda.org/kelahiran_yesus_kristus
3.
http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natal
5. http:www.beritasatu.com/eropa/89238-menggugat-sejarah-natal.html