After a short discussion with an Indonesian tele-evangelist at a unique birthday fête, the thought provoking and elementary question was posed, ‘If Jesus were on earth today, how would he celebrate His birthday?’ It prompted me to search the Scriptures to see if there was any record in the Holy Chronicle of any kind of birthday celebration even slightly reminiscent of the annual festivity we enjoy in the modern day. The only records I could find referred to the Jewish traditions surrounding a boy’s passing into manhood and other celebrations relevant to various events in a person’s life. But throughout my entire search I located no Biblical record of a birthday observance held in honor of our Lord Jesus Christ, neither in his youth or adulthood. Does this mean that we, as His followers today, should not celebrate the traditional birthday?
My next port of call in my search for the truth were the ministers of God throughout the globe; Christ’s representatives the world over, who each, in their own particular, individual and unique ministries are called to do as Christ would do. I saw those who lavished themselves with exclusive parties inviting national dignitaries and people of influence to celebrate with public exuberance, followed by colorful magazine spreads showing the ‘minister of God’ to be a celebrity of sort. I saw those who seemed to make little or no mention of their birthday, preferring to keep a low profile and keeping celebrations completely private, if at all. Maybe they too have seen that Christ did not celebrate His birthday and believe it to be a requisite of spirituality. I then saw the way in which the man of God, TB Joshua chose to celebrate his own. Knowing it to be an event that attracts international attention and response, the service prior to his big day, he made an announcement publicly, not only to the present congregation but to the thousands of viewers joining him from around the world, that no gifts should be given to him, but rather they should be given to the poor. He joyfully told those who were willing to hear that this was a time to rededicate one’s self to the act of giving, seeing one’s life as a solution to others in need. He himself personally sent a delegation to a local destitute camp where he fed and clothed the thousands housed there. Once again, I saw an example of Christ’s ministry that is a challenge to believer everywhere. Is this how Jesus would have celebrated His own special day?
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