The story of the nativity — it’s something that has been ferociously ingrained into all of our minds from the very first Christmas we spent in kindergarten. For many people it’s a quintessential part of Christmas, and the setting up of little figurines depicting a baby Jesus in a manger is a cherished tradition. However the festive, rejoicing smiles of the three wise men, shepherds and innkeeper hide a dastardly secret: the story we tell may be radically different to the one that actually happened.
Gospel?
The tale of the messiah born in a stable is so widespread in modern society one couldn’t be blamed for believing it to be (at least partially) true. However, little evidence exists of these stories being derived from real events, and for many years it has been suspected by scholars that many elements of them are in fact a work of fiction. Why on earth would anyone create such an intricate story?
The authors of the gospels of Matthew and Luke, from whom we get our story of the nativity, wrote it with the intention of establishing that Jesus was in fact a messiah sent by God, and thus they should follow his teachings. In the story they made Jesus’ birthplace the small town of Bethlehem, which was the birthplace of the revered King David to whom the gospels wanted Jesus to be compared. (In his adult life, Jesus was referred to as Jesus of Nazareth and most scholars believe he was born there, not Bethlehem.) David is seen as one of the most important messiahs of the Jewish people, and thus to make Jesus similar to him through his birthplace would help to increase his standing as a Jewish messiah.
So, if Jesus was not in fact born in Bethlehem, should we ignore the gospels? If they indeed fictitious elements it may seem comical to take them completely seriously, but I urge you to not write them off as simply stories. Works of myth can still have meaning attached to them, and the morals set out in the gospels certainly aren’t bad ones to follow. Furthermore, if studying the Bible or Christianity as a whole (whether for school or pleasure) is your goal then reading the gospels is a great place to start, and it’ll give you a great sense of how fascinating studying religion can be.