40 Days With Jesus: Celebrating His Presence (Jesus Calling®)

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John 10:31 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders. See the notes on the phrases “Jewish people” in v. 19 and “Jewish leaders” in v. 24.

There are different hypotheses regarding the date of Jesus' birth and in the early fourth century, the church fixed the date as December 25. [b] [13] [14] [15] This corresponds to the traditional date of the winter solstice on the Roman calendar. [16] It is exactly nine months after Annunciation on March 25, also the date of the spring equinox. [17] Most Christians celebrate on December 25 in the Gregorian calendar, which has been adopted almost universally in the civil calendars used in countries throughout the world. However, part of the Eastern Christian Churches celebrate Christmas on December 25 of the older Julian calendar, which currently corresponds to January 7 in the Gregorian calendar. For Christians, believing that God came into the world in the form of man to atone for the sins of humanity, rather than knowing Jesus' exact birth date, is considered to be the primary purpose in celebrating Christmas. [18] [19] [20] Many popular customs associated with Christmas developed independently of the commemoration of Jesus' birth, with some claiming that certain elements are Christianized and have origins in pre-Christian festivals that were celebrated by pagan populations who were later converted to Christianity; other scholars reject these claims and affirm that Christmas customs largely developed in a Christian context. [87] [22] The prevailing atmosphere of Christmas has also continually evolved since the holiday's inception, ranging from a sometimes raucous, drunken, carnival-like state in the Middle Ages, [88] to a tamer family-oriented and children-centered theme introduced in a 19th-century transformation. [89] [90] The celebration of Christmas was banned on more than one occasion within certain groups, such as the Puritans and Jehovah's Witnesses (who do not celebrate birthdays in general), due to concerns that it was too unbiblical. [91] [92] [93]Yom Kippur (October 8th): Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish year. It is observed on the tenth day of the month of Tishrei and is a day of fasting, repentance and prayer for the forgiveness of sins. While Judas was a heroic military figure, he was merely a man. At the feast, Jesus declared himself to be both Messiah and Son of God. The Jews asked Jesus to tell them “plainly” if he was the Messiah (10:24). If they weren’t sure who Jesus believed himself to be, it was clear when he confessed, “I and the Father are one” (v. 30). Eid al-Fitr (May 12th): Eid al-Fitr is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. This is a time for celebration and feasting, as well as for giving thanks to Allah for granting strength and endurance during the month of fasting. While Judas lost many men in his battles with the Syrians, Jesus’s sheep are eternally secure. The sheep hear his voice and follow him (vv. 26–27). They remain in the twofold grip of the Son and the Father (vv. 28–29). Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29-34): The Day of Atonement is a Jewish holiday that marks the end of the High Holy Days. It is observed with fasting and prayer.

Under the state atheism of the Soviet Union, after its foundation in 1917, Christmas celebrations—along with other Christian holidays—were prohibited in public. [159] During the 1920s, '30s, and '40s, the League of Militant Atheists encouraged school pupils to campaign against Christmas traditions, such as the Christmas tree, as well as other Christian holidays, including Easter; the League established an antireligious holiday to be the 31st of each month as a replacement. [160] At the height of this persecution, in 1929, on Christmas Day, children in Moscow were encouraged to spit on crucifixes as a protest against the holiday. [161] Instead, the importance of the holiday and all its trappings, such as the Christmas tree and gift-giving, was transferred to the New Year. [162] It was not until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 that the persecution ended and Orthodox Christmas became a state holiday again for the first time in Russia after seven decades. [163] The Bible does not contain any explicit instructions or prohibitions regarding celebrating birthdays, though there are a few references to birthdays in the Bible. Prior to and through the early Christian centuries, winter festivals were the most popular of the year in many European pagan cultures. Reasons included the fact that less agricultural work needed to be done during the winter, as well as an expectation of better weather as spring approached. [94] Celtic winter herbs such as mistletoe and ivy, and the custom of kissing under a mistletoe, are common in modern Christmas celebrations in the English-speaking countries. [95]John 10:24 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders. The question they ask Jesus (“Are you the Christ?”) is the same one they sent and asked of John the Baptist in the desert (see John 1:19-34). See also the note on the phrase “the Jewish people” in v. 19. John 10:39 tc It is difficult to decide between ἐζήτουν οὖν ( ezētoun oun, “then they were seeking”; P 66 א A L W Ψ ƒ 1,13 33 pm lat), ἐζήτουν δέ ( ezētoun de, “now they were seeking”; P 45 and a few versional witnesses), καὶ ἐζήτουν ( kai ezētoun, “and they were seeking”; D), and ἐζήτουν ( P 75vid B Γ Θ 700 pm). Externally, the most viable readings are ἐζήτουν οὖν and ἐζήτουν. Transcriptionally, the οὖν could have dropped out via haplography since the verb ends in the same three letters. On the other hand, it is difficult to explain the readings with δέ or καί if ἐζήτουν οὖν is autographic; such readings would more likely have arisen from the simple ἐζήτουν. Intrinsically, John is fond of οὖν, using it some 200 times. Further, this Gospel begins relatively few sentences without some conjunction. The minimal support for the δέ and καί readings suggests that they arose either from the lone verb reading (which would thus be prior to their respective Vorlagen but not necessarily the earliest reading) or through carelessness on the part of the scribes. Indeed, the ancestors of P 45 and D may have committed haplography, leaving later scribes in the chain to guess at the conjunction needed. In sum, the best reading appears to be ἐζήτουν οὖν. The English word "Christmas" is a shortened form of "Christ's Mass". The word is recorded as Crīstesmæsse in 1038 and Cristes-messe in 1131. [24] Crīst ( genitive Crīstes) is from Greek Khrīstos (Χριστός), a translation of Hebrew Māšîaḥ (מָשִׁיחַ), " Messiah", meaning "anointed"; [25] [26] and mæsse is from Latin missa, the celebration of the Eucharist. [27] While the Bible (KJV) doesn’t give a definitive stance on celebrating birthdays, the idea of giving thanks for life and recognizing its seasons can be seen as in line with Christian values. Always remember to celebrate responsibly and in a way that honors your faith. 🎉✨ Final Thoughts – What Does the Bible say about Birthdays

While not explicitly called birthdays, these could be interpreted as similar celebratory occasions.God does not have an explicit opinion on birthdays. However, He does have a great deal to say about how we should approach our lives and our celebrations. He encourages us to be joyful and thankful for our blessings, to use our gifts and talents for good, and to honor and celebrate those around us. The Christian View of Birthdays