The Season of Love and the Christmas Story in the Bible

Christmas – the Season of Love

The Christmas season is commonly referred to as the Season of Love. Has it also felt like it to you? Does it all point back to the Christmas story in the Bible? For many, it is called a season of love because we spend more time with our families, and we are keen on blessing others. In other words, we shower our dear ones with love. But is that the reason why we call this holiday season – a season of love?

Christmas Time in Israel

Some visitors are surprised to learn that Christmas is not really “a thing” in Israel. The Jewish land today follows the Hebrew calendar and observes mostly Jewish holidays (or as we like to say, Biblical holidays). The few places that put up Christmas trees and hang up Christmas lights in Israel are churches (mostly Catholic and Eastern Orthodox) and the towns of Bethlehem and Nazareth. You may notice some Christmas trees here and there, but they are definitely a minority. And then, a lot Christians simply prefer not to draw attention to themselves. Nevertheless, December is often illuminated with twinkling lights in Israel. How so? Because of the Festival of Lights! Christmas and Hanukkah celebrations are not directly linked, but they have some things in common, for example, the theme of light. And love? Are both Hanukkah and Christmas part of the season of love? Let’s first revisit the miraculous story of Christmas in the Bible.

The Christmas Story in the Bible

The Christmas story in the Bible is primarily told in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke in the New Testament. While both accounts focus on the birth of Jesus, they offer different details and perspectives. The story begins with the announcement of the birth of Jesus. It is an important connection with the Old Testament prophecies. For hundreds of years, the prophets were saying that the Messiah will come. Now, an angel confirmed their exact words. The Angel Gabriel appeared to a young Jewish woman to announce that she would conceive a child. Miriam (also known as Mary) was engaged to Joseph. But Gabriel told her that her child would be the Son of God. Mary was understandably in shock but accepted God’s plan, saying, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:38) Joseph, her fiancé, initially planned to quietly divorce her to avoid public disgrace. However, an angel appeared to him as well and told him that the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit and would be the Messiah. The angel instructed Joseph to take Mary as his wife and name the baby Yeshua, meaning “God saves,” for He will save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:18-25).

Journey to Bethlehem

Meanwhile, the Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken, requiring everyone to return to their ancestral town. Since Joseph was from the lineage of King David, he and Mary traveled to Bethlehem, a town in Judea (Luke 2:1-7). While in Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to Jesus. Because there was no room for them in the inn, they found shelter in a stable, and Mary laid the baby in a manger. This humble setting is significant. It symbolizes the arrival of the King of Kings in the most modest of circumstances. It shows a foundation of love in the Christmas story. Nearby, some shepherds were watching over their flocks when an angel appeared to them, announcing the birth of the Savior. The angel told them that they would find the baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Then, a heavenly host (a choir of angels) appeared, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:8-20). The shepherds hurried to Bethlehem, found Mary, Joseph, and the baby, and shared the angel’s message. But they were not the only visitors of Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus that are mentioned in the Gospels.

The Favor and the Persecution

In the East, wise men, or Magi, saw a bright star in the sky and interpreted it as the sign of the birth of the King of the Jews. They followed the star to Jerusalem and inquired about the newborn king. However, their arrival maddened King Heron, who asked the Magi to find the child and report back to him (Matthew 2:1-12). The star eventually led the Magi to Bethlehem, where they found Yeshua. They presented gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Afterward, they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod and depart for their own country by a different route. After the wise men left, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream. This time, the angel warned him of Herod’s plan to kill the child. In result, Joseph took Mary and Jesus and fled to Egypt, where they stayed until Herod died. After Herod’s death, an angel appeared to Joseph yet again, telling him it was safe to return to the land of Israel. Finally, they were able to settle in the town of Nazareth in Galilee (Matthew 2:19-23).

The Message of the Christmas Story

You must think, wow, that was very eventful for a young family with a newborn! Often when we think of the Christmas story, we just focus on Mary welcoming a little baby into the world. We don’t always think of the hardships, the fears, and the dangers that awaited both Jesus and his earthly parents. If God knew what He was doing, then why did it happen this way? The shortest answer is, love did that. God allowed for Jesus to be born in a humble setting and not in a royal palace, to counter worldly understanding of power and status. God’s kingdom is upside-down from worldly undercurrents. He wanted His love to not be reserved for the powerful. God’s love was made available to the lowly, the poor, the sick, and the hungry… The birth of Jesus is a fulfillment of various Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah. But the essence of why He was born to us is encapsulated in the very first words of John 3:16: “For God so loved the world…”

Love Came Down at Christmas

Love did that. The Christmas story highlights divine intervention through angels and other visitors. It emphasizes the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. But it was all for love. Because God so loved the world — He so loved mankind. Christmas underscores the themes of hope, peace, and salvation brought through the birth of Jesus. But this hope is anchored in God’s love. The peace comes from love. And above all, salvation was made available to us because of love. The birth of Jesus is a manifestation of God’s presence on earth. It is encapsulated in the name Immanuel, which means “God with us”, as foretold in the Book of Isaiah. In the name of love, God wanted to be with His creation.

Yeshua, God with Us

Through the person of Jesus, God wanted to show us love in a very tangible way. Through the Christmas story in the Bible, He lowered Himself to literally put Himself in our shoes. God knows all things, so He was always able to understand our thoughts and feelings. But He met us where we are, so that we could see Him with us. So that we could see what love looks like, at Christmas and around the clock. The Gospels show a very vivid image of who Yeshua was and how He lived. He shared his day to day with His disciples and showed love to everyone who asked for it. And even to those who didn’t! Thus, celebrating Jesus meant celebrating God’s love. Today, it is a common practice to celebrate people’s birthdays as a way to express our love for those we are honoring. In part, this tradition is why many observe Christmas. But celebrating the anniversary of one’s birth was not practiced at all in Jesus’ day. So then, what would be something that Jesus and His disciples would celebrate? Well, in December it appears they all celebrated Hanukkah instead.

The Love of God at Hanukkah and Christmas

The Gospel of John says, Jesus and His disciples were in Jerusalem for the Feast of Dedication. Hanukkah is the celebration of the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and the miracle of the oil. Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights, and at Christmas, we celebrate that the greatest light came into the world in the person of Yeshua (John 3:19). We know God revealed His love for us through the person of Yeshua – Immanuel, God with us. And at Hanukkah? Remembering that the holiday is about the rededication of the Temple, we should also remember what makes the Temple significant in the first place. It was God’s dwelling place among people – where God was with us. In this special season of love, of Hanukkah and Christmas, let us not forget what is most important. God so loved the world, that He chose to be with us.