None of the events described actually happened. They were made up many years after the cult was underway. "Matthew" or whomever read a Greek mistranslation of Isaiah that read "virgin shall conceive" rather than "girl shall conceive" and designed a story to match (though in reality, the event in Isaiah had "been fulfilled" some 700 years earlier).
Luke does the same contriving to show that Jesus, who was clearly from Nazareth (a cult leader of the sect of the Nazarenes, before he got promoted to "third person of the Trinity") was born in Bethlehem. His nose gets particularly long as well with making people all go back to their birth lands in order the get counted!
But yes, Jesus was clearly illegitimate (horrific term to apply to a child), since the texts work so hard to legitimize his birth.
Also, "Matthew" may want us to understand that God had sex with Mary and caused her to conceive, using euphemism by saying that "his breath came over her," and in this way he was the special son of God - the son of his love. (In the Bible, Yehovah is essentially a man who lives in the sky - not a great cosmic mind).
Note also the absurdity of the star travelling in front of the wise guys (astrologers), then parking over his birth place. "Matthew" writes this because he thinks stars are itty bitty lights placed in the sky ceiling that sustains the "waters above." We read elsewhere of the sky ceiling being shaken and the stars falling to the land. Cosmologically accurate? Hardly. Note also that Matthew considers the stars to be astrologically significant. He like many Jews believed in astrology. The stars accurately announce the birth of a great king. There are many appeals to astrology in the Bible.
Also note that "Christmas" is literally "Christ Mass." It was historically a lot like the modern "Harvest Festivals" that churches conduct at Halloween in order to draw people in from "pagan" celebrations. Only it was a mass. During the mass, the "priests" turn some bread and wine into the ACTUAL body and blood of Jesus and "sacrifice him" again to obtain "forgiveness."
All in all, the whole affair is a primitive bunch of foolishness with really good music, food and decorations. |