In our attempt to be faithful, do we accept lies? In our attempt to teach, do we retell the lies? Christians believe that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin woman and that is true. Do we also blindly believe that it is right to tell our children lies along with the story of the birth of Jesus? Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of giving, so why do to need to falsely create a character to teach giving. Christians believe that Jesus Christ died and was in the tomb for three days and three nights, and that is true. Do we need to say that the three days and three nights were from Friday night to Sunday morning?

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother was betrothed to Joseph, before the came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying “Joseph be not afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son and you shall call His name Jesus (Savior), for he will save His people from their sins.” Joseph being aroused from his sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.

There were shepherds in the field and an angel appeared to them and said, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a savior, who is Christ the Lord.” And a multitude of heavenly hosts joined the angel praising God. When the angels had gone away from the shepherds into heaven, the shepherds said,” Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing which has come to pass that the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the Babe lying in a manger.There were wise men from the east that followed a star to Bethlehem to see the Lord Jesus. There was a King Herod that inquired of the wise men to know where Jesus was. The wise men knowing that the kings planned to harm the Child, did not reveal Him to the king. But there was not nor has ever been a man with small helpers that travels the earth on a night, assumed by some to be the night before the anniversary of these events, delivering gifts. With all the marvelous things we can tell our children about the Lord Jesus, why do we tell them a fallacy? Jesus is a loving God that came and gave to us the gift of salvation. The Father gave to us the gift of Jesus. Why to we need a lie to teach giving to our children?

Believing the virgin birth of our Lord Jesus is an important part of our faith, and so is the death and resurrection. Jesus was betrayed, beaten and put on a cross to die. Jesus was placed into a tomb just before sunset on the day before a Sabbath. On the morning of the first day of week (Sunday) Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to the tomb. An angel told them that the Lord had risen and to come see where He lay. These things are true. Jesus Himself had prophesied that as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so would the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised on the third day.

It does at first appear to be a contradiction. Jesus died during the preparation day for a Sabbath and the weekly Sabbath is the seventh day (Saturday). But the weekly Sabbath is not the only Sabbath. On the fourteenth of the first month at twilight is the Lord’s Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it. The seventh day is also a holy convocation as is Pentecost, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles and the day following the Feast of Tabernacles (the Last Great Day).

Our Lord was betrayed and killed after eating the Passover meal with His disciples. He was placed into the tomb before the Sabbath that was the first day of the Lord’s Passover. He was in the tomb for three days and three nights. The tomb was found empty on Sunday morning. But Jesus was in the tomb three days and three nights, not three days and four nights; and not one day and two nights. Jesus was placed into the tomb in the evening before sunset. Jesus would not be in the tomb the forth night. It is by faith that we believe, but faith in the truth. Jesus said He would be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. What is our faith in, if not the words of our Lord?

There is so much truth to be taught and the Holy Spirit to give us remembrance of all things the Lord said. It is a Spirit of Truth to lead us into the things of Truth. Why must we then tell lies to have faith in the truth? Why must we teach of our Lord Jesus with lies? No one in all the earth has given us as much as our Lord Jesus and Jesus continues to give every minute of every hour of every day. No one in the universe has given us as much as our Father in Heaven and our Father continues to give every minute of every hour of every day. We live by faith. Speak with your mouth that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin woman, lived and died for our salvation and rose from the dead after three days and three nights.

© 2002 Tim D. Coulter Sr