Twinkling lights, Santa Claus, busy shoppers, holiday music – it’s all around us now.  But how well do you know the real Christmas story?  Which details of the following narration of the first Christmas are not confirmed by the Bible?

“When Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem, Joseph walked while Mary rode on a donkey.  They could not find a vacant room in the inn so the innkeeper directed them to a stable where Jesus was born.  Although no one except for Mary and Joseph were present, the cows and the sheep welcomed the newborn Savior into the world.  Angels hovered over the stable, casting a holy light that formed a halo around the Christ Child’s head.

“Shepherds on the hillsides outside of Jerusalem heard the angels singing and went to worship the newborn King.  Three wise men joined the shepherds at the manger bed.   On that first Christmas Day, Jesus had come down to earth to be our Savior.”

Did you spot any details that aren’t in the Bible?  The Bible gives no details of the trip to Bethlehem.  It doesn’t say if Mary rode a donkey, walked, or traveled some other way.  The innkeeper is not mentioned in the Bible.  Mary and Joseph may have found a place to stay on their own.  The Bible does say that Jesus was laid in a manger.  Since a manger is a feeding trough for animals, Jesus may have been born in a stable.  However, the Bible doesn’t say.  In Palestine many of the places where animals slept and ate were actually little caves carved out in the soft stone cliffs.  Therefore, Jesus may have been born in a small cave.

The Bible doesn’t specify whether or not other persons were present for Jesus’ birth.  Perhaps many other travelers were stranded in the same place along with Mary and Joseph.  Cows, sheep, or other animals are not mentioned.  Neither does it say that angels were present at the manger scene or that Jesus had a halo. 

Luke 2:13 says that the shepherds heard the angels praising God as they announced the birth of Jesus. It doesn’t say that they were singing.  While singing is certainly a popular way to praise God, we don’t know for sure how they expressed themselves.  Perhaps they rapped!

The Bible makes no mention of how many wise men there were.  Since it does record the giving of three gifts, many presume that there were three wise men as well.  The wise men did not visit the Baby while he lay in the manger.  They evidently arrived some time later.  Matthew 2:11 says that they found Jesus in a house. 

We may not know as many details as we would like about the first Christmas, but we do know the most important thing of all: that Jesus Christ, our Savior was born.  While we may enjoy the sparkling lights, the beautiful music, and delightful but make-believe stories of Santa, Rudolf, and Frosty, we miss the entire point if we leave out the Christ Child.  He is the reason for this wonderful holiday season.

This Christmas, before opening your gifts, why not read the Christmas story with your family?  You will find it in Matthew 1:18-2:12 and in Luke 2:1-20.  Your church will also be aglow with Christmas excitement.  What a wonderful time to worship Him!