For unto Us a  Child is Born

1.    Why Was Jesus Born?
2.    Observing Christmas - various views
3.    Dating the Birth of Jesus
4.    What was the Star of Bethlehem?
5.    So, How Does a Christian Parent Explain Santa Claus?

1.    Why Was Jesus Born?
Matthew 1:1-17 - Jesus, the Christ: Son of David, Son of Abraham
Matthew 1:18-25 -  Jesus’ Virgin Birth: According to Scripture
Matthew 2:1-12  -  Jesus born in Bethlehem: According to Scripture
Christmas Season Sermons

2.    Observing Christmas - various views
Traditional Reformed Perspective-nonobservers:
Is Christmas Christian?  Michael Schneider, Presbyterian Heritage Pub., C. 1995.
Christmas-Keeping and the Reformed Faith. David W. Carson, Presbyterian Heritage Pub., C. 1995.
Christmas: An Historical Survey Regarding Its Origins and Opposition to It.  Kevin Reed, Presbyterian Heritage Pub., C. 1995.
Xmas.  Arthur W. Pink
The Regulative Principle of Worship and Christmas.  Brian Schwertley
Christmas-Keeping and the Reformed Faith.  David W. Carson
Presbyterians Do Not Observe Holy Days.  Samuel Miller, D.D., 1835.
Christmas Observance.  Samuel Miller, D.D., Professor of Ecclesiastical History, Princeton Seminary, 1825.
A Christmas-Day Sermon.  Samuel Davies, 1758.
The Religious Observance of Christmas and Holy Days in American Presbyterianism  Chris Coldwell
Is Christmas Scriptural?  G. I. Williamson (OPC New Horizons)
The Regulatory Principle and Christmas.  C. Matthew McMahon
The Necessity of Reforming the Church  John Calvin  1543


Reformed who do/ or might observe Christmas:
The Observance of Christmas.  Stephen D. Doe  (OPC New Horizons)
Brad Winstead.   Brad Winstead  (OPC New Horizons)
Celebrating Christmas-Or Should We?  Lee Ferguson, PCA News   (appeals to Calvin)
Celebrating a Calvinist Christmas with a Clear Conscience.   Mark Horne (appeals to Bullinger, Dordt and Turretin)

Discussion
Why Do Presbyterians Observe Holy Days?   Andrew Webb
Presbyterians May Observe Holy Days If They Want To.   Bill Lamkin, PCA  News

Other Nonobservers:
Holy Days of Men and Holy Days of God  G.I. Williamson
Should a Christian Celebrate Christmas?  Rick Miesel
Should Christians Celebrate Christmas?      Charles Halff  (from a Jewish-Christian point of view)
 

Unbelievers:
The Christmas Story: What's Real and What's Not.  Bishop John Shelby Spong
The Christmas Story:  An Overview  (from RELIGIOUS_TOLERANCE.ORG) 
Why Christmas Should be More Commercial   (from Ayn Rand Institute)
What Does Christmas Mean to Muslims?  CBN News

3.    Dating the Birth of Jesus
Those proposing a date:
Biblical Dates for Messiah's Conception and Birth   David Hargis.  Imprimis, December 1996 (Succot)
On the Birth Date of Jesus of Nazareth.   Uri Marcus  (Succot, fall-September-October)
The Star of Bethlehem.  Craig Chester.  Monterey Institute of Astronomy  Imprimis, 1993 (Jesus 3-2 BC, Herod 1 BC)
When Was Jesus Born?  Imprimis, 1996.   (September, 5 BC)
The Times and Places of Jesus.  Paul Maier  (5 BC)
In What Year Was Christ Born?  (3 BC)
The Date of Herod's Death   Murrell Selden (1 BC)
The Star of Bethlehem.  Michael Molnar  (April 6 BC)

4.    What was the Star of Bethlehem?
The Star of Bethlehem. The Griffith Observatory.  Index of links.
The Star of Bethlehem.  Susan Carroll
The Star of Bethlehem.  Kenneth Collins
The Star of Bethlehem.  Ray Bohlin
The Star of Bethlehem.  Nick Strobel
The Star of Bethlehem.  Gerardus Bouw
The Star of Bethlehem.  Royal Observatory, England  (About what you would expect.)
The Star of Bethlehem.  U.S. Naval Observatory  (About what you would expect.)
Myrrh
Frankincense
Myrrh
Myrrh

5.    So, How Does a Christian Parent Explain Santa Claus?
The Santa Question.  Richard Patterson, Christianity Today, December 1999
The Santa Situation.  Becky Laedwig.  Light and Life Magazine
The Christian Kringle Crisis.  Suzanne M. Wolfe. Breakpoint Online (Prison Fellowship)
Sharing Jesus in a Santa Claus World.  Mary Simon.  On Mission, December 1998

What About the Mormon Jesus?
The Muslim Jesus
Watchman's Fellowship 2001 Index of Cults