The Birth of Christ

The Birth of Christ is related within two books of the Bible, the Gospel of Luke and the Gospel of Matthew; contrary to popular belief, the nativity of Jesus is shrouded in canonical and historical incongruities. As a result of this and the fact that two different authors have contributed separate accounts of the events preceded and followed the birth of Jesus, it is difficult to summarize the topic without venturing into too great of detail, but I will try my best...

The story begins when the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would soon conceive a child, the Son of God. Mary, stupefied by the angel's divine presence, asked Gabriel how it was possible that she could conceive a child, considering she was a virgin. To this, Gabriel replied that "nothing will be impossible with God." Meanwhile, Joseph, Mary's husband, was also visited by an angel. The angel told Joseph that Mary would soon become pregnant with the Son of God and that the child should be named Jesus. Just before Mary was expected to give birth to Jesus, she and Joseph departed for Bethlehem to register in the obligatory census of Quirinius mandated by Caesar Augustus. Unfortunately, when Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem, Mary began to undergo labor. They were dismayed to find that there were no more rooms available at the local inn. With their options limited, Mary and Joseph were forced to stay in a manger instead, where Mary gave birth to Jesus. Immediately after Jesus was born, an angel appeared before shepherds in a field and told them of the tremendous news: The Messiah had been born at last in Bethlehem. Overjoyed by the news, the shepherds hurried to Bethlehem to praise the newborn child, who would eventually save humankind from eternal damnation. Jesus was also visited by the Three Magi, or Three Wise Men, who came from somewhere in the East bearing gifts for the newborn child. Guided by the Star of Bethlehem, the Magi first to Jerusalem where they met with Herod the Great asked where they could find the "King of Jews." Herod did not know the answer the answer to this question, and he apparently also felt threatened by one who was viewed as a king for he subsequently ordered that all male children of Bethlehem under the age of two be killed. (Though he did not initially know of Jesus' whereabouts, I assume he later found out.) After visiting Herod, the Magi were able to find Jesus in the manger with Mary and Joseph and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Once the Magi departed, Mary and Joseph received divine warning of King Herod's intent to kill Jesus, so they fled with Jesus to Egypt. Later, they returned to Nazareth.

My best birthday thus far was my 18th birthday, which I celebrated only two months ago on November 8. Turning 18 just feels awesome; there is hardly any other better way to describe it. Although I still lack the freedom associated with turning 18, an age that has come to resemble a transitioning into adulthood for most Western nations, it was not this aspect of turning 18 that most excited me anyway. Rather, by turning 18 and crossing the widely accepted boundary into "adulthood," I finally felt empowered, or at least more so than before. While this feeling was (and continues to remain) entirely misplaced--I continue to rely on my parents for everything--I have finally accomplished this rite of passage that is so dar to our culture, and that made me happy. To be honest, I do not fancy the idea of growing older, for with age comes great responsibility, and I absolutely despise responsibility.