A Few Unanswerable Christmas Questions
By Russell McKinney
Mitchell County
Every Christmas I preach the familiar story of Christ’s birth. Over thirty years of doing that, I’ve come up with a list of questions the Bible simply doesn’t answer concerning the story. Here are seven of them:
Question #1: Exactly how did Joseph and the very pregnant Mary travel to Bethlehem? Other questions that can be filed under this one are: Did they walk? Did they both ride donkeys or camels? Did Joseph walk while Mary rode? Were they part of a caravan that was traveling that way?
Question #2: Was Jesus born during the day or at night? I know, I know, the shepherds were watching over their flocks by night. But that’s only when the angel appeared to them and announced the birth. The way the story reads Mary gave birth shortly after she and Joseph arrived in town and found the local inn full. Well, that being the case they certainly wouldn’t have been traveling at night, would they? As for me, I tend to think the couple arrived in town in the afternoon and she gave birth that night.
Question #3: How long was Mary in labor? Some births happen fairly quickly, but others drag on for hours. What was the case with Christ’s birth?
Question #4: Who delivered the baby Jesus? If we stay strictly with the Biblical account, the only candidate is Joseph. That would make him the very first person who ever saw God in human flesh, touched Him, and held Him. I like that idea. But did Joseph know anything about delivering babies and cutting umbilical cords? If he didn’t know anything about such matters, did someone (a doctor? a midwife? a woman?) from the crowded town of Bethlehem deliver the baby?
Question #5: Exactly where was Jesus born in Bethlehem? What we know for sure is that His first crib was a manger, and a manger is an animal’s feeding trough. Therefore, the birth must have taken place in some type of livestock pen. But what kind of pen was it? Was it really the famous cave in Bethlehem that purports to be the site? It could have been. But then again maybe it was some kind of building, one that housed the animals of the travelers who were staying overnight at the inn.
Question #6: When the shepherds made “widely known” what they had seen that night, did any of the listeners go to the site and see the baby? The Bible doesn’t mention anyone doing so, but I can imagine some of them going to the site out of sheer curiosity if nothing else.
Question #7: When did Jesus fully understand who He was and what He came to do? It’s hard to believe that He was lying there in that manger, looking around at Mary, Joseph, and those shepherds, and thinking to himself, “I came to die for you people.” What do little babies think about? I don’t know, I can’t remember. Some people point to the story from Luke 2:41-50 as conclusive proof that, at the very least, Jesus fully understood His mission by the time He was 12. I don’t disagree with that, but it still leaves the exact time of His realization open for debate.
Okay, all you Bible students can now mull these questions over for a while and see what answers you think best fit. Remember, there aren’t any confirmable “right” or “wrong” answers to these questions, at least not while we’re on this earth. I just want you to spend some time thinking afresh and anew about Christ’s birth and really pondering the reason for the season. Merry Christmas from the Mckinneys, and may we all give our lives unreservedly to that little baby who grew into adulthood, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for the sins of the human race, arose from the dead, ascended back to heaven, and now offers salvation to anyone who will believe in Him as Savior.
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Russell Mckinney lives in the English Woods area of Spruce Pine and serves as the pastor of Roan Mountain Baptist Church in Bakersville.
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