Meaning of Christmas

The meaning
of
Christmas

CSR: Culture, Science and Religion Christmas.ppt pagina 1 date: 19 December 2010

Content
advent: the preparation
the Bible (Old Testament)

Nazareth
the home of Mary
the annunciation
the Bible (New Testament)

Bethlehem
the birth of Jesus
the shepherds
the Bible (New Testament)

Grünewald
Isenheimer altaar

Mayné, 1975, retabel Torreciudad

Advent: the preparation I
Genesis 3:14-15 (circa 900 b.c)
(14) And the Lord God said to the serpent: Because thou hast done
this thing, thou art cursed among all cattle, and beasts of the earth:
upon thy breast shalt thou go, and earth shalt thou eat all the days
of thy life.
(15) I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed
and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for
her heel.


Advent: the preparation II
Samuel 7:12-14 (7th century b.c.)
(12) And when thy days shall be
fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with
thy fathers, I will raise up thy seed
after thee, which shall proceed
out of the bowels, and I will
establish his kingdom.
(13) He shall build a house to my
name, and I will establish the
throne of his kingdom fore ever.
(14) I will be to him a father, and
he shall be to me a son: and if he
commit any iniquity, I will correct
him with the rod of men, and with
the stripes of the children of men.


Advent; the preparation III

Isaiah 7:13-14 (8th century b.c)
(13) And he said: Hear ye
therefore, O house of David: Is it a
small thing for you to be grievous
to men, that you are grievous to
my God also?
(14) Therefore the Lord himself
shall give you a sign. Behold a
virgin shall conceive, and bear a
son and his name shall be called
Emmanuel.


The archangel Gabriel and the virgin Mary I
Luke 1:26-28(1st century)
(26) And in the sixth
month, the angel Gabriel
was sent from God into a
city of Galilee, called
Nazareth,
(27) To a virgin espoused
to a man whose name was
Joseph, of the house of
David: and the virgin's
name was Mary.
(28) And the angel being
come in, said unto her: Hail,
full of grace, the Lord is
with thee: blessed art thou
among women.

The church on top of the house of Mary in Nazareth


Nazareth: The Church with the house of Mary


The archangel Gabriel and the virgin Mary II
Luke 1:31-33 (1st century)
(31) Behold thou shalt
conceive in thy womb and
shalt bring forth a son: and
thou shalt call his name
Jesus.
(32) He shall be great and
shall be called the Son of
the Most High. And the Lord
God shall give unto him the
throne of David his father:
and he shall reign in the
house of Jacob for ever.
(33) And of his kingdom
there shall be no end.

The church with the house of Mary


The archangel Gabriel and the virgin Mary III
Luke 1:35+38 (1st century)
(35) And the angel
answering, said to her: The
Holy Ghost shall come upon
thee and the power of the
Most High shall overshadow
thee. And therefore also the
Holy which shall be born of
thee shall be called the Son
of God.
(38) And Mary said: Behold
the handmaid of the Lord: be
it done to me according to thy
word. And the angel departed
from her.

The house of Mary in Nazareth


The archangel Gabriel and the virgin Mary IV
John 1:14 (1st century)
(14) And the Word was
made flesh and dwelt
among us (and we saw his
glory, the glory as it were of
the only begotten of the
Father), full of grace and
truth.

VERBUM CARO HIC
FACTUM EST

The Word became
flesh here


The Church above the cave of Bethlehem


The nativity of Christ in Bethlehem I
Luke 2:1+4-5 (1st century)
(1) And it came to pass that in
those days there went out a
decree from Caesar Augustus
that the whole world should be
enrolled.

(4) And Joseph also went up
from Galilee, out of the city of
Nazareth, into Judea, to the
city of David, which is called
Bethlehem: because he was of
the house and family of David.
(5) To be enrolled with Mary
his espoused wife, who was
with child.
The entrance to the cave of Bethlehem


The nativity of Christ in Bethlehem II
Luke 2: 6-7 (1st century)
(6) And it came to pass
that when they were
there, her days were
accomplished that she
should be delivered.
(7) And she brought
forth her first born son
and wrapped him up in
swaddling clothes and
laid him in a manger:
because there was no
room for them in the inn.

Inside of the cave of Bethlehem


The place of the nativity in Bethlehem I


The place of the nativity in Bethlehem II

Hic de Virgine Maria
Iesus Christus nascit

Here Jesus Christ was
born from the virgin
Mary


The shepherds field near Bethlehem I
(8) And there were in the
same country shepherds
watching and keeping the
night watches over their
flock.
(9) And behold an angel of
the Lord stood by them and
the brightness of God shone
round about them: and they
feared with a great fear.
(10) And the angel said to
them: Fear not; for, behold, I
bring you good tidings of
great joy that shall be to all
the people:

The shepherds field near Bethlehem


De nativity of Christ in Bethlehem III
Luke 2:11-12 (1st
century)
(11) For unto you is
born this day in the
city of David a
Saviour, which is
Christ the Lord.
(12) And this shall be
a sign unto you; Ye
shall find the babe
wrapped in
swaddling clothes,
lying in a manger.

The manger in the cave at Bethlehem


The fountain at the shepherds field in Bethlehem

Lucas, 2, 13-14 (1e eeuw)
[13] En plotseling voegde
zich bij de engel een groot
hemels leger dat God
prees met de woorden:[14]
Eer aan God in de hoogste
hemel en vrede op aarde
voor alle mensen die hij
liefheeft.

De omgeving van het herdersveld bij
Bethlehem


The shepherds field near Bethlehem II
(13) And suddenly there
was with the angel a
multitude of the heavenly
host praising God, and
saying,
(14) Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth
peace, good will toward
men.

The surroundings of the shepherds
field at Bethlehem (with fountain)


Grünewald (1470-1528): Isenheimer altar I


Grünewald: Isenheimer altar II
The annunciation of the angel to the virgin
Mary


Grünewald: Isenheimer altar III
Luke 1:35 + 38 (1st century)
(35) And the angel answered and
said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall
come upon thee, and the power of
the Highest shall overshadow thee.


Grünewald: the prophet Isaiah


Grünewald: Isenheimer altar IV
Isaiah 7:14 (8th century b.c.)
Ecce virgo concepiet. . . .
(14) Therefore the Lord himself shall
give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall
conceive, and bear a son, and shall call
his name Immanuel.


Grünewald: Isenheimer altar V


Grünewald: Isenheimer altar VI
John 1:14 (1st century)
[14] And the Word was made
flesh!

Paul’s letter to the Philippians 2:6-
8 (1st century)
(6) Who being in the form of God,
thought it not robbery to be equal
with God:
(7) But emptied himself, taking
the form of a servant, being made
in the likeness of men, and in
habit found as a man.
(8) He humbled himself,
becoming obedient unto death,
even to the death of the cross.


Grünewald: Isenheimer altar VII
Paul’s first letter to
Timothy 6:16 (1st century)
(16) Who only hath
immortality and
inhabiteth light
inaccessible: whom no
man hath seen, nor can
see: to whom be honour
and empire everlasting.
Amen.

The Nicene creed
God from God, light from
light, true God from true
God, begotten, not made,
of one Being with the
Father;


Grünewald: Isenheimer altar VIII

(8) And there were in the
same country shepherds
watching and keeping
the night watches over
their flock.
(9) And behold an angel
of the Lord stood by
them and the brightness
of God shone round
about them: and they
feared with a great fear.


Wrap-up
The quotes from holy scripture come
from the Douay–Rheims version of the
Bible: www.drbo.org/

The pictures from Nazareth and
Bethlehem have been taken during a
stay in Israel from the 25th of July until
the 16th of August 2009.
The English version has been made in
cooperation with Patrick Smink.

CSR: Culture, Science
and Religion

These and other presentations can be
found at:

http://www.slideshare.net/ADriessen
Icon in the Church of Bethlehem


Meaning of Christmas

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (19)

Similar to Meaning of Christmas

Similar to Meaning of Christmas (20)

More from Alfred Driessen

More from Alfred Driessen (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Meaning of Christmas