In honor of the holiday season, we’re bringing back two of our most popular episodes from 2023! In the first Christmas-themed interview, Joshua Barnes, host of popular YouTube channel The Bible Explained, answers questions like:
• Does Christmas have pagan origins? • Does the date December 25th come from ancient holidays like Saturnalia or the Winter Solstice? • Are traditions like caroling and decorating trees borrowed from other religions? • Should Christians celebrate Christmas?
Joshua Barnes of the popular YouTube channel The Bible Explained is back! He demonstrates why Jesus’ birth is unique compared to the origin stories of ancient mythical gods. Josh also highlights intriguing prophesies that predicted the details of Jesus’ birth hundreds of years before it happened.
Is Jesus’ Birth Story Unique?
You may have heard claims that stories about Jesus’ birth and life are remarkably similar to other stories about ancient mythical gods, including Mithra, Horace, and Dionysus. Joshua explains key differences in these myths compared to the historical accounts of Jesus’ life in the New Testament Gospels. “If you look at any of those myths, you can’t find any evidence that any of these things were believed about these mythical gods before Jesus came on the scene,” Josh told Know Why.
“The intricate fulfillment of prophecy in the Christmas story is mind-blowing, and it should excite every Christian, because it shows that we’re not just closing our eyes and believing the things in the Bible—we actually have evidence.”
Joshua Barnes
Odd Details and Prophecy
“The cool thing that we often just forget is that the Gospel accounts are historical documentation,” Josh said. But why do many of the details recorded in the Gospels—from the Roman census that led Jesus’ mother to Bethlehem, to the fact that she was a virgin—really matter? Listen to the episode for a discussion of the religious and historical significance of these details, which were foretold by prophecy hundreds of years prior to the events.
“The intricate fulfillment of prophecy in the Christmas story is mind-blowing, and it should excite every Christian, because it shows that we’re not just closing our eyes and believing the things in the Bible—we actually have evidence,” Josh told Know Why.
Read the passages of Scripture Josh mentions in the episode by clicking below, and check out the previous episode recorded with Josh, “Does Christmas Have Pagan Origins?“
Have you ever heard that Christmas has pagan origins? Does the date we celebrate Christmas—December 25th—have anything to do with ancient holidays like Saturnalia, Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, or even the Winter Solstice? Are traditions like caroling and decorating trees borrowed from other religions? Find out in this interview with Joshua Barnes, creator of popular YouTube channel The Bible Explained.
Questions and Misconceptions
Did the Christian Roman emperor Constantine adapt pagan celebrations and attach them to Christmas?
Is Christmas celebrated on the same date as ancient pagan feasts that came before it?
Why did Christians choose December 25th to celebrate the birth of Jesus—and does it matter?
Is the tradition of decorating Christmas trees tied to the cult of Asherah (and forbidden in the Bible)?
Is decorating one’s home with mistletoe a Druid practice?
Should Christians celebrate holidays that aren’t mentioned in the Bible?
Did the Puritans ban Christmas in America, and if so, why?
Joshua answers these questions and more in this episode of the Know Why Podcast, citing primary historical documents that tell the true story. You’ll hear some myths busted and gain a clearer understanding of some similarities between Christmas and other celebrations that are often referenced by critics of Christianity.
“Singing, giving gifts, decorating…these are things that, in the ancient world, were part of every celebration. So the fact that they’re part of Christmas and other things is not evidential.”
Joshua Barnes
Learn more by listening to the episode and following the links below. Don’t miss next week’s episode for a discussion on whether Jesus’ birth story is unique compared to ancient mythology.
