Mistakes, Misconceptions and Misuse of the Christmas Story that Misrepresent the Magnitude of its Message
By Don Boys, Ph.D.
A Man was born and lived in the Middle East many centuries ago who has vastly influenced my life. I cannot look at a sunset, watch hummingbirds hover at my kitchen window, observe the intricacies of a rose, or hear the lisping of a child singing, “Jesus Loves me this I know,” without thinking of that Man and His lasting impact upon the world.
When Christ was born in Bethlehem, God came to visit the earth with His plan for every person’s personal redemption.
However, Christ did not accomplish what is normally considered greatness during His more than three-year ministry. He did not raise or lead an army yet has more followers than any military leader; he never wrote a book, yet more books have been written about Him than any other person who has lived. He did not pass any laws yet his command to love those who hate you and love your neighbor turned a violent, vicious, and vile culture into a thriving civilization.
He was hated by Rome, the world’s mightiest power, but it now stands in ruins as revealed by a few destroyed buildings and a few ancient roads. His words have been used as the foundation for the founding of nations and famous historian Will Durant declared, “The triumph of Christ was the beginning of democracy.”
Christ’s command for sexual fidelity in the husband-wife relationship raised women from being without any rights as nonpersons to incredible love, respect, and almost worship status. His disciples built hospitals, schools, rest homes, etc., all over the world. The major universities in Europe and America were founded by His dedicated disciples. His Sermon on the Mount set a new standard for man’s treatment of his fellow men, the epitome of personal morality.
Slavery had always been an accepted and approved fact of life, yet His followers abolished it in England and America since He told His followers we should treat others the way we want to be treated. That forbids all slavery. When the famous agnostic and critic H. G. Wells was asked who had left the greatest legacy in history, he replied, “By this test Jesus stands first.”
Yale historian Jaroslav Pelikan wrote of him, “Regardless of what anyone may personally think or believe about him, Jesus of Nazareth has been the dominant figure in the history of Western culture for almost twenty centuries…It is from his birth that most of the human race dates its calendars, it is by his name that millions curse and in his name that millions pray.”
Christ was the motivation for the world’s famous paintings, sculptures, and architecture yet He was a simple carpenter.