"Indeed His birth wasn't in December but observing the Tabernacle and Passover is ridiculous since the celebrating the birth of Jesus is a more important event. Their priorities are misguided. It makes more sense to celebrate His birth, smbolically than a celebrate Jewish Old Testament events when He changed everything for us by being born."
I was thinking yesterday, after I got off the computer, about the fact, or at least my understanding of the reading of Luke 2:21 to 2:22, that if my interpretation is correct, the reason Jesus was circumcised in Bethlehem may be that Jesus was fulfilling the old law ( Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Mat/5/17.html ), yet setting up the "new" one in Jerusalem, His EARTHLY Mt. Zion
[ which was not to remain 'Jerusalem" or Mt. Zion for long: see Galations 4:19-31
http://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/Gal/Gal004.html#19 ). This "new" law, however, was not really new, but was given them from the beginning, and circumcision of the flesh was symbolic and a shadow of the circumcision of the heart God was striving for:
Deu 30:6 And the LORD thy God will CIRCUMCISE THINE HEART, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.
***
http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Deu/30/6.html Gal 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, [even] in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Gal/5/14.html 1Jo 2:7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/1Jo/2/7.html (Note in particular Lev 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I [am] the LORD. and Deu 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. )
As Jesus, Himself said:
Mar 12:28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
Mar 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments [is], Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
Mar 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment.
Mar 12:31 And the second [is] like, [namely] this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Mar 12:32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
***** Mar 12:33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love [his] neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. ****
http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Mar/12/33.html Mar 12:34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him [any question].
It appears He was setting the stage for the New Covenant's fulfillment right from His birth:
Jer 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Jer/31/31.html Jer 31:32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day [that] I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Jer/31/32.html Jer 31:33 But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, *** I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Jer/31/33.html Jer 31:34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: *** for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Jer/31/34.html It is done, for all who believe on His name (c'mon world!):
Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Rev/21/2.html Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, BEHOLD, THE TABERNACLE OF GOD [IS] WITH MEN, [as it was in the beginning with Adam and Eve- "I AM with you alway"; "You are the Temple of the Living God"] and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Rev/21/3.html Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Rev 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
Rev 21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Rev/21/6.html Rev 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Rev/21/7.html Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Rev/21/8.html Since I don't want to let it end on that last note, lest those who don't quite understand should turn away:
Mar 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
Mar 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: REPENT YE, AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Mar/1/15.html Jhn 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Jhn/3/16.html Jhn 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Jhn 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Jhn 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Jhn 3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
Jhn 3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
I pray in my naivete, that this next year be the year that men come back to God.
Peace on earth.