The most central event in all of history is the birth of the Messiah (the Anointed One) the Lord Jesus Christ.  Every generation in ancient Israel longed for His arrival - and after His coming all subsequent history gains meaning from it.  Yet the exact date of Jesus’ birth is unknown.

After the Great Fire of Rome in 64 A.D. when the wicked Roman Emperor Nero was in power, the persecution of Christians became wide spread.  Because of this believers did not celebrate the birth of Jesus until the 3rd century when four events changed how they were treated.

First, Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in 312 A.D.  The next year he made it the official religion of the Roman Empire.

Second, in 327 A.D. Constantine built the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, above the cave thought to be the site of Jesus’ birth.

Third, in 338 A.D. Pope Julius I, the Bishop of Rome, officially declared December 25 as the birthdate of Jesus.

Fourth, to keep Jesus the central focus, church leaders set aside the four weeks before Christmas for believers to contemplate what the coming of the Messiah meant, not only to the world but to every soul.  They called it Advent - a Latin Word meaning “the coming.”

After these events the celebration of Christmas became a time of joyous anticipation!

This December our preaching theme is: Christmas According to Matthew.  Each week we will look at Matthew 1:18-25 to discover the wonder and the meaning of the advent of the One “...they called Immanuel – which means, God with us.” (Matthew 1:23)