Amazing Fulfillment of Biblical Prophecies on the Execution and Death of Jesus Christ

 

Christians' Bible is divided between the Old and the New Testament. The Old 

Testament deals with books written by Moses, history of Ancient Israel, poems and prophecies of the future. The New Testament deals mainly on the life, ministry and teaching of Jesus who Christians believe as God's promised Messiah. Prophet Isaiah who lived about 700 years before Jesus Christ was one of the Old Testament prophets. He prophesied on the coming of God's Messiah among other things. Among them was the manner of how the Messiah would die. Below are selected chapters and verses of the Old Testament in the Book of Psalms and Isaiah which are related to the life of Jesus.

From The Book of Psalms, Chapter 22

1 My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art though so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shout out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

8 He trusted in the Lord that he would deliver him; let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him,

14 I am poured like a water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax, it is melted in the midst of my bowels. 

15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou has brought me into the dust of death.

16 For dogs have compassed me; the assemble of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

18. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

From the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, Chapter 53

4 Surely he had born our griefs, and carried out our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, het he opened not his mouth; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and a sheep before his shearer is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment; and shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it pleased the lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief; when thou shalt make his soul and offering of sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

Christians believe that above prophecies are fulfilled according the accounts in the New Testament . during Jesus lifetime. Jesus activities and his claim to be the Son of God caused grave concerns among the Jewish religious leaders so that they plotted against him. He was tried by the Jewish and Roman authorities (Psalm 22: 16). During those trials he did not make rebuttals of the accusations against him (Isaiah 53:7). Consequently, he was sentence to be executed through crucifixion (Isaiah 53:8, Psalm 22:16). Before the execution he went through severe forms of punishments and beatings (Psalms 22:14-15). Nailed on the cross, Jesus uttered these words: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Psalm 22:1). As Jesus agonized on the Cross some people mocked him saying, "If he is indeed the Son of God, why shouldn't he ask God to help him!" (Psalm 22:7-8). Roman soldiers took off Jesus garment and divided it and cast lot to decide what each should take (Psalm 22:18). Jesus was crucified together with two criminals, and entered in the tomb of a rich person named Joseph of Arimathea (Isaiah 53:9). Jesus went through pain and death because of our iniquities and transgressions (Isaiah 53:4-6). What Jesus went through was the will of God (Isaiah 53:10). 

Christianity and Islam, the Religions that Shaped the Course of World History

 

A Catholic cathedral in the Philippines

A son of a carpenter, Jesus was born at about 4 or 6 BC during the reign of Roman emperor Augustus Caesar. He assembled twelve disciples to represent the twelve tribes of Israel and started his ministry at about the age of 30. He preached about Jewish laws and religion and the eminent coming of the kingdom of God. His activities were not seen favorably by the Jewish religious leaders who considered him as a threat to the stability to the community. His claim as a son of God was deem unacceptable and highly blasphemous. The high priests plotted against him and succeeded in making Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea order Jesus’ crucifixion.

                              Jesus and Thomas after the Resurrection by Caravaggio (a public domain image)

Jewish and Roman authorities thought the death of Jesus would put an end to his following. But his disciples and his followers even became more devoted and firmer believer of him after his death. Jesus followers claimed that they saw him resurrected as he had said and promised. And they were willing to suffer or die for what they believed in. With their preaching and healing of the people, the early Christians were able to gain adherents, and soon they moved into the realm of the Roman Empire amid hardships and persecutions armed only with their willingness to sacrifice and the strength of their conviction. The promise of salvation, an eternal life for everyone and the reported miracles and healing convinced people that the one Christian God is superior to the pagans’ many gods which drove them to accept the new faith. And soon Christianity became the wave of belief whose rise in momentum could not be contained by the Roman Empire, the mightiest power on earth at that time.

Roman Emperor Constantine the Great who along with his forces saw a sign in the sky before the battle at Milvian Bridge against Maxentius on October AD 312 and attributed that vision for his victory in the battle. He adopted to the new faith and became the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. In AD 313 he issued an edict permitting Christians and people of other faith to profess their belief without fear of persecution. In AD 380 Emperor Theodosius made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire, and this made the religion spread massively across the Middle East and much of Europe.

The extent of the Roman Empire during the reign of Emperor Trajan. Photo credit: Tataryn at Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0Unported

In AD 570 in Mecca, in Arabia Muhammad the prophet of Islam was born. At age 25 he married a wealthy widow named Kadijah. In his retreats in a cave in Mount Hira he encountered a being who told him to recite words. Afraid and thinking that he was becoming mad, he told the matter to Kadijah who in turn took him to Nofil, her Christian cousin. Nofil reassured Muhammad that what he saw was Angel Gabriel and that what he told him was message from Allah or God. Her words convinced Muhammad that he was indeed a messenger of Allah and that he had a mission to spread Allah's words.

Muhammad started to establish his new religion called Islam at Mecca at first. But locals as well the rulers were not interested, and they were even hostile to him and his few followers so that they feared for their safety. Muhammad and his followers fled to Medina in what Muslims called the event as Hegira. In Medina he was able to convert people to Islam and soon he was able to gain many followers. From Medina he returned triumphantly to Mecca where people now accepted Islam as their faith. Muhammad died in AD 632, and at that time Islam had already widely spread in Arabia. His successors called the caliphs then took the task of spreading the message of Allah and Islam beyond the borders of the Arabian Peninsula.

The caliphs propagated Islam by persuasion or by the sword overrunning Christian territories in most of the Middle East. They also marched toward northern India, Africa and Anatolia in present day Turkey. Christian Europe would be a prize target for Islamic conquest.

Muslims under the Umayyad Caliphate composed of Moors, Berbers and Arabs led by Tariq Ibn Ziyad crossed the strait of Gibraltar at about AD 711. They then conquered the Visigothic Christian Kingdom of Spain and in series of military campaigns controlled a vast region which they called Al-Andalus or Andalusia. To spread Islam farther, the Muslim Moors advanced north but they were defeated by Charles Martel, the Frankish leader in the Battle of tours in France on October AD 732. Defeated, the Moors retreated to Spain where they ruled in large part of that country for almost 800 years.

To protect pilgrims in the holy lands, to stop Muslim incursions into Christian territories and to recover places conquered by the Muslims in the Middle East, Christian kingdoms in Europe with the blessing of the pope launched military expeditions or crusades to execute those missions. The crusades were conducted from 1095 until 1291. However, the effort failed and the Holy Land and the Middle East remained firmly under Muslim control.  

Over time, in Spain the Christian kingdoms slowly regained much of their lost territories from the Muslims in a crusade known as Reconquista. The last straw for the Moors came with the marriage of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castille. Their combined forces defeated Boabdil or Sultan Muhammad XII of Granada on January 2, 1492.  In the aftermath, the Moorish Sultan was sent back to Morocco and all Muslims and Jews who would not convert to Catholicism were expelled from Spain.

On May 29, 1453, Constantinople, Christendom’s second most important city after Rome and the seat of the eastern Roman Empire which was also known as the Byzantine Empire fell into the hands of the Muslim Ottoman Turks under the leadership of the 21-year-old Sultan Mehmed II.

A picture of the Hagia Sophia, a Christian Cathedral turned into a mosque after the fall of Constantinople in 1453. A photo by Dennis Jarvis at Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 20 Generic.

The event had a far-reaching impact to the world since Constantinople is situated strategically in the southeastern tip of Europe and beyond its coast not far away is the northern tip of Anatolia or Asia Minor. Both places are separated only by the narrow Strait of Bosporus which made that city an ideal transport point for goods and people coming from Europe to Asia or vice versa for military, commercial or other purposes. Muslim control of lands in the Middle East and the fall of Constantinople made it difficult for goods such as silks, porcelains and spices from India, China and the Far East to be transported to Europe via the traditional silk route. And those that made their way into Europe became expensive.

European kingdoms particularly Spain and Portugal looked for ways to get around the traditional but perilous routes to procure those desired goods coming from the east. And they came up with the idea of sea travels as the alternative. The execution of that concept ushered into the Age of Exploration or Age of Discovery.

Victoria, Ferdinand Magellan’s ship from a map of Ortelius (a public domain image)

An Age of Exploration era ship from a public domain image titled “Half Moon in Hudson”

The Age of Exploration which began in the 1400’s paved the way for the transport of goods and people from erstwhile unexplored lands to Europe and vice versa. This interaction also brought with it the exchange of ideas and technology as well as the transmission of communicable diseases. The Portuguese and the Spanish also discovered vast tracts of lands that they colonized. They brought people from Europe and had them settle in discovered new lands, and also profited from the slave trade which forcibly brought people from Africa to work as slave labor in the new world. This situation displaced the indigenous people and in some cases they were decimated by diseases carried by the Europeans. The movement of peoples from one place to another changed the demographic landscape of a place. The Age of Exploration was an era when European maritime powers spread their language, culture and the religion of Christianity to many parts of the world. Other European countries such as England, France and Netherland later participated in the exploration of uncharted or undeveloped land in continents such as the Americas, Australia and South East Asia. The exploration made by the Europeans gave rise to the birth of new countries in the New World and some of these countries such as the United States and others have even become stronger than their former mother countries.

Slave Trade by Auguste Francois Biard (a public domain image)

Jesus is one of the greatest and most adored historical figures who ever lived. His teachings and deeds have profound influence in the lives and culture of billions of people. Christians believe that he is God’s fulfillment of the promised messiah in the Bible and the Son of God. On the contrary the Jews claim that he is not because he did not satisfy the criteria of being the Messiah. Muslims say that he is just a mere prophet. Others say that he is just a man like the rest of us. Divine or not, Jesus Christ is undeniably a figure who we can draw inspiration and emulation. He was a pacifist par excellence. His teaching of loving God, your neighbor including your enemies; the forgiveness of people who wronged us, not judging others for their fault and other teachings are acts of kindness that will bring good even to people with the hardest of heart. These teachings will always remain relevant and will stand to the test of time for many generations.

Christmas: a Season to Celebrate the Fulfillment of God's Promise

Photo by Dnalor_01 from Wikimedia Commons                 

All over the world Christmas is the most popular occasion of the year. Some Christians consider it a religious celebration while others shun it believing that it is replete with practices that are deemed to be pagan in origin. The popularity of Christmas has made it not only a religious but also a cultural tradition so that even non-Christians are influenced or affected with the merriment that goes with the celebration of that holiday.

To many people Christmas is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ who they believe is God’s promised Messiah. Indeed there are over 360 prophecies in the Old Testament on the Messiah.  And Biblical scholars believe that only the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ life could be related to many of them.  Jesus Christ was born during the reign of Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar or about 700 years after the prophecies were made.  

Isaiah’s Prophecy

One of the most notable prophecies about the Messiah was by Isaiah at around 712 B.C. Chapter 9, verse 6 in the Old Testament says, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.”

A birth by a virgin

Mankind inherited the sin committed by God’s original creations Adam and Eve who disobeyed Him in the Garden of Eden. God had to send His Son to the world to redeem mankind, and chose a virgin to beget His only Son. Isaiah 7:14 says, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and call His name Immanuel.” This prophecy was fulfilled in Luke1:34-35 “Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I do not know a man?’And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.’” The word “Immanuel” means God is with us. Man cannot reach God, but God came in the flesh to this world through his Son Jesus.

God has a Son    

                                                                                            

The Old Testament itself stated that God has a Son: Proverbs 30:4 (about 700 BC) says, “Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son’s name, if you know?”

Born in Bethlehem

The Old Testament also made mention of the place where mankind’s savior would be born.  Micah 5:2 (about 710 B.C.) says, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrata, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler of Israel, whose goings forth are from old, from everlasting.” This prophecy is fulfilled in Luke 2:4-6 which says, “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 lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife who was with a child. So it was that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.”

Confusion on the nature of Christ

Since the early Christian era the nature of Christ has been the cause of confusion and division among Christians and non-Christian who deny the Divinity of Christ. Roman Catholics believe that there is only one God in three persons- the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Non-Christians and even some Christian religious group question this concept of a monotheistic God. But adherents of trinity believe that trinity is one of the great mysteries of God as far as the Catholic and other Christian faith are concerned. Indeed, in Isaiah 9:6 the “Mighty God” is one of the names of the Messiah. Jesus himself said in John 10:30 “I and My Father are one.”

The greatest moral example of mankind

Jesus is one of the historical and religious figures that set good moral examples for mankind to follow. He was chaste and lived a sinless life. He helped the poor and healed the sick. He told his followers to love God and to love not only their neighbors but also their enemy. He also defied traditions that were unreasonable and even barbaric but were socially acceptable during His time. A case in point was the adulterous woman who was to be stoned to death. Jesus told her accusers to cast the first stone if they themselves had never sinned at all. There are many other good deeds by Jesus which are worth emulating. Love is one of Jesus’ central themes during his ministry. Laws and cultures of some western countries are founded in Judeo-Christian traditions and many of them are inspired by the teachings and examples set by Jesus.

God loves us

There are controversies regarding the month Christ was born. In most parts of the world Christmas is usually celebrated in December. Some biblical scholars say that December is not a likely month for Jesus’ birth because the Bible says that at that time shepherds were out in the field at night watching their flock. They probably would not do it in a harsh winter month. Jesus may have been born in months other than December. But should the month of celebration of Christmas really matter? The most important thing for us is to be grateful of God’s fulfillment of his promise which he did because of His love for us. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

The Divine Mercy Shrine of El Salvador, Misamis Oriental

The Divine Mercy Shrine of El Salvador, Misamis Oriental has become one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in the Philippines. Pilgrims come to the shrine to pray, attend masses, make confession, make spiritual retreat or healing petition, and attend important religious occasions such as the Holy Week, the Feast of the Divine Mercy and the birthday of Mama Mary or the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ.                                                                                                             

The shrine is situated on a 9-hectare Divine Mercy Hill in Barangay Ulaliman, El Salvador City. The main feature of the shrine is the statue of Jesus Christ. The statue was made in accordance with Mother Faustina  Kowalska’s  description of the Divine Mercy who is Jesus Christ who appeared to her in dreams. The 50-foot tall statue overlooks Macajalar Bay and awes visitors and pilgrims with its imposing size. Over the head of the statue is a halo. The right hand is raised in blessing while the left is placed on the breast which flows forth two rays. In the “rays” are stairs leading to the chamber of the Sacred Heart where devotees can make their petition to God. The ones in the right go up into the chamber while the others in the left descend into the ground. A well manicured garden adorns the sloping ground in front of the statue. And right below it is a huge lawn where devotees can gather to attend mass that is held in the open during special religious occasions. Devotees are required to dress modestly while inside the shrine premises. Female devotees are required to wear long skirt. Those without it are given one upon their entry into the shrine. Another important feature of the shrine is the almost completed church that is oval in shape and is spacious. On the outside at the edge of the roof is crown of thorns adornment that encircles the church.

Following pictures were taken during the birthday of Mama Mary on September 8, 2014 at Divine Mercy Shrine, El Salvador Misamis Oriental.

The 2014 Procession of the Black Nazarene in Cagayan de Oro

January 9, 2014, was the feast of the Black Nazarene. One of the activities for the occasion was a procession. Although it looked like rain, many devotees gathered at the road where the procession of the Black Nazarene would start. At about 3 pm as the carriage of the Black Nazarene was brought on the highway, police neophytes locked arms around it to prevent people from jostling into the Black Nazarene. There were police officers, village police and traffic administrators who accompanied the procession so that it would progress orderly and safely.  

There were already a large number of people who followed the Black Nazarene at the starting point of the procession. The mass of people swelled as other devotees who were waiting along the road for the carriage to pass by joined those who had already followed it. In the main thoroughfares the number of devotees increased even more so that it was difficult for one to get past other people in the midst of the multitude. The size of the crowd was overwhelming.   

                                                                                        

In the course of the procession, some devotees shouted “Viva Señor Jesus Nazareno”. Others were praying the rosary, and still others tossed small towels into the carriage. Towels were caught by the escorts by the hands and wiped them on the sculpture.  The escorts then tossed back the towels to their owners. Devotees believe that towels or other objects that are rubbed on the Black Nazarene would have healing or miraculous powers.    

                                                                      

It seemed that the weather cooperated with the devotees throughout the procession. The sky was cloudy when the procession was about to start. However, it never rained in the afternoon or in the evening and even until the procession reached and ended at the Jesus of Nazareth Parish Church at about 7 pm. 

In Cagayan de Oro it was estimated that the number of people who attended or witnessed the procession was about 100,000. This is a very small number compared to that of Manila whose number of attendance to the similar procession was estimated at about 3 million people.  

The number of people who voluntarily attended the religious procession is an indication of the strong devotion to the Roman Catholic faith by many Filipinos. Despite the challenges faced by the church, many Catholics remain loyal to their faith for good reasons. Roman Catholicism is one of the oldest and original Christian Churches that is founded by Saint Peter himself who was an apostle of Jesus Christ. 

Spirit Possession: Do Demons Exist?

 Strange incidents happened in some parts of the Philippines with teenage girls reportedly being possessed by  malevolent spirits. The phenomenon is difficult to understand considering that it happened in several places that are far apart and at different times with the victims displaying similar symptoms.

Sometime on the third week of August 2011, thirty-three students of Compostela National High School in Davao del Norte were reportedly possessed by evil spirits after they had played “Spirit of the Glass”. The students displayed unusual behavior such as speaking strange language in class, fainting, screaming and even hurting themselves. School authorities then provided religious and medical services to the victims and suspended classes.

“Spirit of the Glass” is a sort of dabbling with the occult where children innocently played it out of curiosity or fun. In the game, the light is turned off and a candle is lit on top of a glass that is turned upside down. The children then call the spirit of a departed one to get a clue or an answer to some questions.

On September 10, 2012, female students of Crossing Bayabas National High School in Davao City were reported to be possessed by demon spirits. The victims were said to be displaying odd actions such as writhing, screaming, swearing at classmates and fainting. They also displayed unusual strength when held or restrained by other people. The possession of the students happened after a Talisay tree was cut down to pave the way for the construction of a new building.

On October 7, 2012, seventeen female students of Jaclupan National High School in the hinterlands of Talisay, Cebu were reportedly possessed by evil spirits a day after an all night seminar over the weekend and after three Bagalnga trees were cut down to make way for the construction of new building. One of the victims was said to have seen a dark being that was glaring at her. The victims showed similar symptoms with those of the students of Davao City. The victims were brought to a chaplaincy which was located across the school, but the priest could not help with the situation so that they were brought to Mary’s Little Children Community to ask the assistance of Msgr. Frederick Kriekenbeck. One of the victims was said to levitate as the priest performed the exorcism rite for them.

The exorcism of the victims did not end the ordeal as their possession by the spirits continued the next day. On the morning of October 8, 2012, after the class prayed the rosary fourteen students were possessed. Msgr. Kriekenbeck went to the school to exorcise the victims and performed the rite of deliverance to rid the students and the school area of demon spirits. School authorities asked the assistance of government agencies such as the Department of Education and brought in medical personnel and psychologist to check the physical and psychological conditions of the victims.

Superstitious people said that the phenomenon was caused by nature spirits. The cutting down of trees in the school campus of Talisay, Cebu which were believed to be the abode of the malevolent spirits angered them. They got back at humans by possessing their bodies. Msgr. Kriekenbeck urged the people of the community especially the students to be more active in professing their faith to keep them from becoming easy prey of demon spirits.

If Christians and other religious groups are to be believed, the spirits that possessed people are those of demons. Demons are said to be once upon a time angels who were cast by God into earth for rebelling against Him. On earth, they try to tempt and mislead humans to keep them away from God. At times, demons cause harm to humans such as making them become sick or possessing their bodies. Humans who are mortal and physical being cannot fathom the nature of spirit because they are invisible and in other realm.

People have heard of stories through the ages of humans being possessed by demon spirits. Even the Bible contains many verses on Jesus casting away evil spirits from humans. An example of those verses is Mark 1:34: “And He healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He was not permitting the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.” 

The Feast Day of the Black Nazarene

It started to rain lightly early in the afternoon. It stopped but the sky was still cloudy and there was drizzle. A heavy rain might mar the celebration of the feast day of the Black Nazarene on January 9, 2013 in Cagayan de Oro City. Although the sky was cloudy, the rain did not fall from the start of the procession at about 3 p.m. until its conclusion at about 7 p.m. The procession started at Lapasan and went through the main thoroughfares of Cagayan de Oro City. Its final d destination was the Jesus Nazareno Parish Church at C.M. Avenue. Police authority estimated that there were about 50,000 people who attended the procession.

The occasion started with a mass at 6 a.m. Shortly thereafter, the statue of the Black Nazarene was brought to Lapasan where the procession started. On the road, the carriage carrying the Nazarene were surrounded by police neophytes who were locking arms  to prevent commotion that might happen as a result of people jostling into the carriage to touch the Nazarene.   

On the carriage was the statue of dark-skinned Jesus Christ on bended knee carrying a life size wooden cross with gold-plated brass ornamentation on its tips. He was clad in a maroon tunic with gold threads. On his forehead is a crown of thorn and over his head are three clusters of rays symbolizing the Holy Trinity. 

                                                                     

Some of the devotees were carrying along with them statuettes of the infant Jesus as they followed the procession headed by the carriage of the Black Nazarene. People along the streets were tossing small face towels to the four escorts on the carriage where the Nazarene was on. The escorts then wiped those towels on the Nazarene, and after they did they tossed back the towels to return them to their owners. 

Occasionally, the carriage made brief stops so that the four escorts would be able catch towels. During those instances the devotees who were in the procession were shouting “Viva Señor Jesus Nazareno!” and waiving their small towels or banners. The faithful believes that the towels that are touched to the Black Nazarene will have miraculous healing power.

The number of people who attended the procession swelled as more and more people who were waiting along the street joined it as the carriage bearing the Black Nazarene made its way along its routes. In addition, many more devotees were waiting at the final destination of the Black Nazarene at the Jesus Nazareno Parish Church which was the terminal point of the procession. Monsignor Rey Monsanto announced that there was no more mass that evening, but the devotees would be allowed in the church and the statue would be available until early morning for those who wanted to touch it.

The festivity in Cagayan de Oro is similar to that in Quiapo, Manila, where it was originally held. The feast in the city started after the Archdiocese of Manila sent a replica of the statue of the Black Nazarene to the city. It is only Manila and Cagayan de Oro which celebrate this kind of occasion in the Philippines.

Many Catholic devotees from many parts of the Philippines go to Quiapo, Manila to attend the procession in honor of the Black Nazarene because they believe that being able to make a physical contact with it can make their wishes come true or have their prayers answered. Catholic devotees of Cagayan de Oro think that having a similar statue of the Nazarene in their city is a blessing because it will give them and the other people in the neighboring places the opportunity to celebrate the feast day without going all the way to Manila.

The original statue of the Nazarene is believed to have come from Mexico via the Galleon Trade during the Spanish colonial era. The original sculpture is said to have a fair complexion. But it was burned when the ship carrying it was in route to the Philippines; hence its black color. 

The Love of God, Our Greatest Gift on Christmas

Luke 2:8-14 says that when Jesus Christ was born an angel of Lord appeared before the shepherds who were watching over their flocks at night. They were at first terrified, but he assured them saying that he was bringing good news that will bring great joy to mankind. “Today, in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord,” he said. “This will be a sign to you: you will find the baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger,” he added. Suddenly, a large army of good angels joined him and praised God. “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests,” they said.                                                                                                                                               

Based on the account of Luke the birth of Christ is a reason of great joy to us according to an angel sent by God. Even a great company of the heavenly host joined the angel who had announced Jesus’ birth to the shepherds to praise God on the great event that took place on that very momentous evening. If the good angels did that to please God, why should not we be joyful and celebrate the occasion of Christmas?                                                                                                                                     

The Old Testament is replete with prophecies regarding the coming of the Messiah who is to be the savior of mankind. Christians believed that over 360 of those prophecies were fulfilled through Jesus Christ. Some of the significant prophesies that were fulfilled through him were: he was born of a virgin in Bethlehem, he would live a sinless life, he would be rejected by his own people, he would be called a King, he would be betrayed, he would be falsely accused, he would be hated without a cause, his hands and feet would be pierced, soldiers would gamble on his garment, his bones would not be broken and many others.                                                                                             

Christians viewed the birth of Jesus as fulfillment of God’s promise of sending a Messiah which he made through the Biblical prophets thousands of years before Christ was born. The act by the Heavenly Creator was a manifestation of his love to mankind despite their sinful ways. Because of his love God gave us a gift which the Apostle John wrote in his book in chapter 3, verse 16: “For God so love the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but will have an everlasting life.”

Some people would say that December, let alone December 25 is not the birthday of Jesus while other people would say that Christmas celebration is a form of paganism. However, based on available facts and evidences gathered by religious scholars the actual birth date of Jesus is difficult to ascertain. Some people would also argue that Christ never celebrated his birthday. But had Jesus told people not to celebrate his birthday? During the time of Jesus people probably could not celebrate their birthday as we do today because ancient calendar was not as accurate as the modern one that we know and use today.

Celebrating Christmas is a show of our gratitude to God for the opportunity he gave us to have spiritual salvation and to have everlasting life which we could attain through Jesus Christ. Without his birth there would have been no salvation for us. Indeed, Jesus Christ is our greatest gift from God on Christmas.