Is Christmas When Jesus Was Born?

When Was Jesus Really Born?

• The Christmas narrative has become linked with the date of December 25, which is a historical fact.
• The concept that Christmas is His birthday is everywhere, whether you’re listening to songs or looking at images of the nativity scene.
• However, what has become public belief is not entirely accurate in terms of historical fact.
• The Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke are the only two versions of Jesus’ birth in the New Testament, and both gospels present the tale from a somewhat different perspective than one another.

In contrast to Luke, who begins in Nazareth, Matthew concentrates primarily on events in Bethlehem.Due to the fact that neither is especially specific in terms of a calendar date, identifying Jesus’ birthdate is a difficult endeavor.The writers of the gospels rarely include details on when events took place or what time of year they occurred.″The Bible does not indicate a specific day or month when Jesus was born,″ says the author.

• The Bible does not give a specific date or month for the birth of Jesus.
• Christmas is celebrated on December 25th, according to a variety of various hypotheses.
• Early Christian tradition held that the day on which Mary was informed that she would be the mother of a highly unique baby, Jesus (known as the Annunciation), occurred on March 25, and this tradition is still observed on that date.
• The 25th of December is nine months following that day.

Others say Christmas is celebrated on this day because it was already well-known in ancient religious ceremonies as the birthday of the sun, which led to its adoption as the official holiday.It was about this time in December that the Winter Solstice, as well as the ancient festival days commemorating the return of the sun known as ‘Saturnalia’ and ‘Dies Natalis Solis Invicti,’ occurred.While the date of December 25 has been widely accepted as the day of Christmas, this was not the case because Jesus was born on that day.The Bible makes it clear that this is an implausible date for Christ’s birth, and this is supported by historical evidence.Although it is not impossible, it is doubtful that Jesus was indeed born on December 25, as some have speculated.Here are a few of the most important reasons.

We Know That Shepherds Were in the Fields Watching Their Flocks at the Time of Jesus’ Birth

• ‘She gave birth to her firstborn son,’ according to the Bible’s account.
• She wrapped Him in cloths and laid Him in a manger because they were unable to get a guest room for the duration of their stay.
• In addition, there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping an eye on their flocks at night″ (Luke 2:7-8).
• Shepherds, on the other hand, were not out in the fields in December.

According to Luke’s narrative, Jesus’ birth may have occurred around the summer or early fall.Because Judea is chilly and wet in December, it is likely that the shepherds sought cover for their sheep throughout the night.Shepherds would not have been able to keep an eye on their flocks in the field at night due to the weather conditions.

Jesus’ Parents Came to Bethlehem to Register in a Roman Census

• The census or enrollment, which, according to Luke 2:1, served as the impetus for Joseph and Mary’s travel to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, is associated with a decree issued by Augustus that applied to the whole Greek-Roman world at the time.
• Luke makes a point of distinguishing the census taken at the time of Jesus’ birth as the ″first″ in a series of enrollments associated with either Quirinius or the imperial policy established by the edict of Augustus, and he does so with care.
• In winter, the census was not conducted due to the low temperatures that frequently fell below freezing and terrible road conditions that existed.
• It was not possible at this time of year.

Winter Would Be a Difficult Time for Mary to Travel

• In order to go from Nazareth to Bethlehem, Mary had to travel a considerable journey of around 70 miles.
• Traveling such a vast distance during the winter would most likely be particularly tough for Mary, who is expecting her first child.
• The world in which Mary and Joseph lived was a terrible and dangerous one, one whose severe conditions were not completely documented in the Gospel stories of their trials and tribulations, which are available online.
• According to James F.

Strange, a New Testament and biblical archaeology professor at the University of South Florida in Tampa, the writers of the gospels of Matthew and Luke ″are so laconic about the event because they presume the reader would know what it was like.″ ″We have no concept how difficult it was.″ says the author.Because of Mary’s approaching birth, Strange believes that Joseph and Mary would have journeyed no more than 10 kilometers each day.The time of year in which Jesus was born, and more specifically the month in which Jesus was born, continues to be a great source of controversy.Many biblical experts feel that the Bible indicates that Jesus’ birth occurred around the fall of the year as the most plausible timeframe.

• Astronomer Dave Reneke proposed in 2008 that Jesus was born during the summer months.
• According to Reneke, the Star of Bethlehem may have been formed by the conjunction of Venus and Jupiter, which resulted in a dazzling light in the night sky.
• Reneke discovered that this very unusual occurrence occurred on June 17, the year 2 B.C., by using computer simulations.
• Other experts have asserted that a similar conjunction, this time between Saturn and Jupiter, happened in October of the year 7 B.C., therefore designating Jesus as an autumn child.

The biblical account that shepherds were looking over their flocks in the pastures on the night of Jesus’ birth – something that would have been more appropriate for them to perform in the spring rather than the winter – has also led some theologians to speculate that Jesus was born in the spring.The Bible makes no mention of Jesus being born in the middle of winter.Unfortunately, no one is certain of the precise date of Jesus’ birth.The New Testament writers are not very concerned with the date of Jesus’ birth, but rather with the fact that God the Father has sent His son at precisely the proper time in all of history in order to achieve His rescuing intentions and therefore fulfill His promise.″When the appointed time had fully arrived, God sent His son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so we may be adopted into sonship,″ the apostle Paul declared (Galatians 4:4-5).The Gospel of Mark tells us that Jesus traveled into Galilee, announcing the good news of God to the people.

1. ‘The moment has arrived,’ he stated emphatically.
2. It has been brought nearer to the kingdom of God.
3. ″Repent and put your faith in the good news!″ 14-15) (Matthew 1:14-15) While it is interesting to learn about Jesus’ birth from a historical perspective, it is theologically irrelevant and has very little significance when looking at the big picture of the Christian faith.
4. When it comes to knowing when something happened, it is less critical than knowing that something happened and why it happened.
5. The Bible is unequivocal on this point.

When Jesus Was Really Born, According to the Bible

• The birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is celebrated internationally on December 25, with Christians all around the world joining together to commemorate his birth.
• Many Christians and historical researchers feel that this is not the date of Jesus’ birth, based on their research into the dates, times, and historical sources.
• Another pagan holiday commemorating the winter solstice is being replaced or replaced with this one as a substitute or alternative.
• People celebrated the winter solstice with a feast known as Saturnalia, during which it was customary to present gifts and adorn their homes to commemorate the occasion.

So, when exactly did Jesus come into the world?There is a considerable deal of controversy over the exact date of Christ’s birth.Because of the constant shifting of calendars, shoddy record-keeping, and the loss of documents, it is difficult to establish particular dates.Some have relied on Scripture to guide them, while others have relied on historical documents paired with Biblical stories and cultural customs to restrict the search.

• According to most sources, September is the most frequently recognized month (the usual belief being that it is somewhere in the middle of September), and the year is most commonly considered to be around 3 BCE.
• Because B.C.
• (Before Christ or Before Common Era) counts backward and A.D.
• (Anno Domini, created by a monk named Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century) counts forward, the calendar may make computations more difficult.

Despite this, there is no year zero, which can cause calculations to become erroneous.

What does the Bible say about Jesus’ birth?

• There are various things spelled out in Scripture that must have occurred in order for the story to be true.
• Herod had to have been the ruler.
• Caesar Agustus, Julius Caesar’s nephew and adoptive heir, must have ordered a census, which would have taken place in the city of Rome.
• Luke 2:8 indicates that shepherds would have been out with their flocks in the pastures at night, which is impossible in the winter because of the freezing temperatures.

Elizabeth must have been six months pregnant with John the Baptist and in her sixth month of pregnancy when Mary got pregnant with John the Baptist.In his visit to Mary, the angel Gabriel revealed that Elizabeth was expecting a child, which he described as ″evidence of miracles″ because of her age.As a priest, Zechariah served his term (Luke 1:5) and belonged to the priestly division of Abijah (Luke 1:5).We know when this division served from (1 Chronicles 24:7–19), thus we may assume that Zechariah served throughout that time period.

• In light of this timetable and the tale of John the Baptist’s conception recorded in Luke 1, we can estimate that he was born in June or the second part of Sivan, according to the Jewish calendar, or anywhere in between (Julian calendar, lunar calendar).
• The Messiah’s conception and birth must have taken place in a virgin, according to the Messiah’s birth criterion (Isaiah 7:14).
• He must be born in the city of Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).
• When Herod ordered the execution of all male newborns under the age of two, Jesus was less than two years old (Matthew 2:16-18).

In accordance with more current studies and knowledge, Herod died in the year 1 BCE (before Christ).Josephus, Herod’s official record keeper, was notoriously inaccurate, often by several years (he was not good at his job).Prior to this, it was believed and is still debated that Herod died in the year 4 BCE.In accordance with the reports of the Magi and other biblical texts, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph escaped from Bethlehem and traveled to Egypt when He was less than two years old (Matthew 2:13-23).The prophet Hosea predicted that Jesus would be expelled from Egypt.According to Luke 3:23, Jesus was roughly 30 years old when he began His mission in the wilderness.

1. During Jesus’ career, according to the Gospel of John, three Passovers were observed, which indicates that His ministry lasted three years.
2. According to research, Jesus’ crucifixion took place on April 3, 33 A.D., around the period of the Passover festival.
3. We may pretty confidently state that Jesus was born in the middle of September in the year 3 B.C., based on all of the Scriptures and historical evidence available.

Why do we celebrate Christmas on December 25?

• In part, it is thought that this is the day on which the Magi visited the newborn Jesus and presented him with the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and some support for this assumption may be provided by Rick Larson’s Star of Bethlehem.
• However, there is no evidence to support this assumption.
• However, in the year 336, the Roman emperor Constantine designated December 25 as the day for commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, replacing Mithra, the Indo-European deity of light, as the day for honoring the birth of Jesus Christ.
• It was the latter who was gaining popularity among Roman troops at the time.

It is unclear whether or not Constantine was aware of the possible importance of the date between that of the Magi’s visit to the newborn Jesus and their presentation of good gifts, or whether we were merely competing with pagan holidays at the time.Before December 25, 336 A.D., there was no widespread celebration of Jesus’ birth (Anno Domini).The Roman Emperor Constantine is therefore formally accountable for the way and why we commemorate Christ’s birth on Christmas Day, as well as the reason why it is a Christian holiday.

Why is the date of Herod’s death necessary?

• When attempting to determine the date of Jesus’ birth, knowing the date of King Herod’s death is critical because of all of the events that took place during that time period, including what Luke reported as the age at which Jesus began his ministry and the date at which Jesus died.
• According to this scenario, if Herod died in 4 BC, Jesus would have been born at the very least in 5 or 6 BC, possibly even 7 BC, in order to correspond with the information the Magi provided to Herod and his decree to kill all male babies under the age of two in order to ensure the Messiah was killed.
• Massacre of the Innocents was the name given to this tragic event.
• It is thought that between 12 and 20 infant boys were slain on that particular day, but Josephus did not record it because, according to legend, ″so few perished″ that it was not worth mentioning.

This provides you an idea of just how evil Herod ″the Great″ was, and how much the Roman world detested the Jewish people, in comparison to other nations.With a feast named Holy Innocents Day, some Orthodox Christians observe the day on December 28 for Western churches and December 29 for Eastern churches on December 28 and 29, respectively.As a result, the assumption that we commemorate the birth of Christ on December 25 is more credible, maybe because the Magi presented presents to Jesus only a few days before the massacre is given more credence as well.Apparently, after Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and his family once again, telling them that it was safe to return home since ″those who were attempting to kill him are now dead.″ This is according to the Gospel of Matthew.

• It is thought that this time period ranged from a few months to as much as two years in length.
• If we go up to the 2-year threshold, this would have placed Jesus between 3 and 5 years after the birth of Christ in 4 B.C.
• As a result of this time, Jesus would have been about 40 years old when he was killed, which would throw Luke’s account of Christ Jesus’ age when he began his ministry completely out of whack.

Why is the age of Christ when he started his ministry important?

• It’s significant because it corresponds to what was written down in the Bible.
• According to Numbers 4:3, a priest must be at least 30 years old in order to assume the senior position of priest.
• In addition, it is frequently stated in the Code of Jewish Law that leaders should be at least 30 years old before taking on their positions.
• Furthermore, according to Luke 3:23, Jesus was around 30 years old.

Furthermore, when Jesus performed his first miracle at the wedding of Cana, where he changed water into wine at his mother’s request, he hesitated to inform her that ″it was not yet time.″ Traditionally, Jewish weddings are done in the spring and summer months because they do not interfere with any important festivals and because flowers are in bloom at this time of year.The month of September is widely accepted as Jesus’ birth month.The fact that he hesitated may have been related to the timing of the situation.It’s possible that Jesus was 29 at the time.

• Despite the fact that there is no hard proof to support this assertion, it does make sense in light of the other information we have gathered.

Why doesn’t the Bible give the date of Jesus’ birth?

• Aside from the Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies, which are held at the ages of 13 for boys and 12 for girls, birthdays are a major occasion in Jewish culture.
• Because Jesus’ birthday was not a conventional celebration, it’s likely that he didn’t share much information with his disciples about it or have birthday parties.
• As a result of Luke’s mother’s death at the time of his hiring, the only person who would have known the date of his birth was the guy who recruited him when Luke was charged with interviewing eyewitness stories of his life for the man who had hired him.
• It is estimated that Luke’s narrative was written between 63 and 68 A.D., around 30 to 35 years after Christ’s crucifixion.

He had other firsthand experiences of other incidents in Christ’s life and teachings, which he shared with others.

Does the exact date of Christ’s birth matter?

• No.
• What counts is that He was born of a virgin, lived a flawless and sinless life, and then gave Himself up for us, dying on the cross and rising from the dead three days later, ensuring that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but will have eternal life with Him in paradise.
• The fact that we may have debates and do research is excellent, but we must never lose sight of what is actually essential, which is the cause for Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection.

Historical Clues About the Date of Jesus’ Birth

• Since our dating system is founded on the concept that Jesus was born between the centuries we refer to as B.C.
• and A.D., the question of when Jesus was born appears to have an apparent solution.
• Christians also commemorate the birth of Jesus at the time of the Winter Solstice, on Christmas, or on the Feast of the Three Kings (the Epiphany) (January 6).
• The Gospels, on the other hand, do not expressly establish the date of Jesus’ birth.

Taking the assumption that Jesus was a historical character, the Star of Bethlehem is one of the most important techniques for determining when he was born.

The Star of Bethlehem

• There are numerous confusing aspects regarding the birth of Jesus, including the season, the year, the Star of Bethlehem, and the census of Augustus, which are all mentioned in the Bible.
• When it comes to the birth of Jesus, the most often accepted dates are those between 7 and 4 B.C., however the birth might have occurred several years later or even earlier.
• The spectacular celestial phenomena shown in planetariums as the Star of Bethlehem might represent the conjunction of two planets, despite the fact that the Gospel of Matthew refers to a single star, not a conjunction, as the Star of Bethlehem.
• Now, when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Judea, during the reign of Herod the Great, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, proclaiming, ″The Christ has been born.″ ″What happened to the One who was born King of the Jews?

We have come to worship Him because we spotted His star in the east and have followed it.″ (Matt.2:11; Luke 2:12) A compelling argument may be made in favor of a comet.Choosing the appropriate one can reveal not only the year, but also the season in which Jesus was born if the proper one is chosen.

Winter Christmas

• History and theology were already celebrating a winter Christmas by the fourth century, but it wasn’t until 525 that the year of Jesus’ birth was definitively established.
• That’s when Dionysius Exiguus decided that Jesus was born eight days before New Year’s Day in the year 1 A.D., according to the calendar.
• The Gospels furnish us with evidence that Dionysius Exiguus was mistaken in his assumptions.

Star of Bethlehem as Comet

• In his article ″The Star of Bethlehem—a Comet in 5 BC—and the Date of the Birth of Christ,″ published in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society, Colin J.
• Humphreys claims that Jesus was most likely born in 5 BCE at the time of a major, new, slow-moving comet—a ″sui-hsing,″ or star with a sweeping tail—in the Capricorn region of the sky.
• This is the comet, according to Humphreys, that was known as the Star of Bethlehem.

The Three Magi

• A reference to the Star of Bethlehem was made for the first time in Matthew 2:1-12, which was most likely written about A.D.
• 80 and based on older sources.
• In response to the star, the magi go from the East, according to Matthew’s account.
• Although they were not known as kings until the 6th century, it is most likely that the magi came from Mesopotamia or Persia, where they were likely familiar with Jewish prophesy on the coming of the savior-king, owing to a large Jewish presence in those regions.

According to Humphreys, it was not commonplace for magi to pay royal visits.When King Tiridates of Armenia paid his tribute to Nero, the magi joined him, but for the magi to have visited Jesus, the astrological sign must have been extremely impressive.The conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in 7 B.C.is one of the reasons why planetariums highlight the event during their Christmas presentations.

• This, according to Humphreys, is a powerful astronomical indication, but it does not correspond to the Gospel depiction of the Star of Bethlehem as a single star or as a star hovering over the city, as recounted by contemporary historians.
• According to Humphreys, phrases such as ″hungover″ and ″comet-hungover″ appear to have been used exclusively to describe comets in ancient literature.
• If more evidence develops demonstrating that planetary conjunctions were characterized in this manner by the ancients, this argument would be rendered invalid.
• On June 17, 2 B.C., a rare conjunction of Venus and Jupiter was visible in the sky, according to a New York Times story (based on a National Geographic Channel film on the birth), ″What Jesus’ Birth May Have Looked Like.″ According to John Mosley of the Griffith Observatory, this was the case.

″As viewed from Persia, the two planets had combined into a single shining object in the sky, a single big star in the direction of Jerusalem.″ This celestial occurrence addresses the issue of the appearance of a single star, but it does not address the issue of the star floating in space.The first known explanation of the star of Bethlehem comes from the third-century Christian philosopher Origen, who believed it to be a comet.Some people who are opposed to the concept that it was a comet claim that comets are connected with natural disasters.Humphreys responds that when one side suffers tragedy in a conflict, the other side gains triumph.Comets, on the other hand, were regarded as heralds of a new era.

Determining Which Comet

• According to the assumption that the Star of Bethlehem was a comet, there were three probable years: 12, 5, and 4 BCE (before Christ).
• By referring to the only significant and established date in the Gospels, the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar (A.D.
• 28/29), at which time Jesus is characterized as being ″around 30,″ we can exclude the possibility of error.
• The year 12 B.C.

is incorrect for the date of Jesus’ birth since he would have been 40 years old by the year A.D.28.However, Herod the Great was still alive when Jesus was born, which makes the year 4 B.C.implausible, if not impossible, for him to have died at that time period, as is often accepted today.

• In addition, the comet of 4 B.C.
• is not mentioned by the Chinese writers.
• This leaves the year 5 B.C., which is the year Humphreys favours.
• According to the Chinese, the comet came between March 9 and April 6, and it was visible for more than 70 days.

The Problematic Census

• Humphreys addresses the majority of the issues raised by the 5 B.C.
• dating method, including one that is not technically astronomical in nature.
• He claims that the most well-known censuses of Augustus took place in 28 and 8 B.C., as well as in A.D.
• 14.

These were solely available to Roman citizens.Another census, according to Josephus and Luke 2:2, would have taken place during which the Jews of the region would have been taxed.This census took place under the administration of Quirinius, the ruler of Syria, however it took place far later than the likely birth date of Jesus.He claims that assuming the census was not for taxing but rather for swearing allegiance to the Caesar, which Josephus (Ant.

• XVII.ii.4) places a year before the death of King Herod, the mystery may be solved, according to Humphreys’ theory.
• Furthermore, it is feasible to read the verse from Luke to indicate that it took place before the governor was Quirinius was appointed.

The Date of Jesus’ Birth

Humphreys deduces that Jesus was born sometime between March 9 and May 4, 5 B.C. based on all of these data. This period has the extra benefit of containing the Jewish holiday of Passover, which is a very auspicious time for the birth of a Messiah.

Was Jesus Born On Christmas Day?

• The birth of Jesus did not take place on December 25th.
• Who He was and why we commemorate His birth during the Christmas season in December are both fascinating questions.
• When it comes to the exact month or day on which Jesus was born, the Bible is silent.
• However, a thorough examination of the indirect (circumstantial) evidence in Scripture provides us with a realistic time range.

What we do know is as follows: The Birthday of Jesus is based on the Pattern of the Shepherds Shepherds were expected to herd their flocks onto the fields in the early spring, according to Jewish tradition (at about the time of the Passover).They didn’t bring these sheep home until the first rains came in early to mid-fall, when the weather began to cool.It was the shepherds’ responsibility throughout the day and night to keep an eye on the sheep to make sure they were secure until they returned the flock early in the month of ″Marh-esvan″ (sometime in October).The birth of Jesus is associated with this season of shepherding according to the New Testament: 2:8 (Luke 2:8) In the same location, there were some shepherds who stayed out in the fields during the night, keeping an eye on their flock.

• Clearly, the shepherds were living in the fields with their flocks of sheep at the time.
• The Greek term agraulountes, which means ″staying out,″ is employed in this context.
• In other words, the shepherds were camped out for the night; they were staying the night on the farm.
• After all, they were living with their flock of sheep!

Shepherds moved their sheep into the open pastures and lived with them from May to October, which was the time period in which Jesus was born.Based on the Pattern of the Priests, Jesus’ Birthday was celebrated.Accord to Luke, Zacharias was a priest of the order of Abijah, and he was the father of John the Baptist (Luke 1:5).As a result of the Israelites’ return from Babylonian captivity, and the reconstruction of the Temple, the priestly divisions were once again called upon to service.They were assigned to the Temple in a certain sequence, and Josephus recorded that the first division (Jehoiarib) was on duty when Jerusalem was assaulted during the first week of April in AD 70, according to the Jewish historian Josephus.In order to establish the months in which Zacharias served, researchers began at this point and worked their way backward.

1. Many believe that Zacharias was serving in the Temple between the months of June or December.
2. It was around this period that he was visited by an angel, whom he identified as: Luke 1:8-11 (KJV) After that, it so happened that, while he was performing his priestly duties before God in the prescribed order of his division, as was customary in the priestly office, he was selected by lot to enter and burn incense at the Temple of the Lord.
3. And, at the time of the incense offering, the entire congregation was gathered outside in prayer for the occasion.
4. And an angel of the Lord came to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense, and spoke to him in a strange language.
5. After Zacharias came home, Luke wrote that John the Baptist was conceived as follows: Luke 1:23-24 (KJV) His priestly service came to an end, and he returned to his family in his hometown.

1. Following these events, Elizabeth, his wife, became pregnant…
2. If the date of Zacharias’ service is true, then John the Baptist would have been born either in March or September in the year he was born.
3. According to the Gospel of Luke, Mary gave birth to Jesus six months after Elizabeth gave birth to John: Luke 1:26-27 (KJV) Now, in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was dispatched from God to a city in Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, and who was descended from David; and the virgin’s name was Mary; and the angel’s destination was Nazareth.
4. This would place Jesus’ birth in either September or March, depending on the calendar.
5. The Feast of the Nativity of Jesus According to the Census Pattern, Luke claims that Joseph and Mary were traveling from Nazareth to Bethlehem in order to register for the census: The book of Luke 2:1-5 In those days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree ordering a census of the entire world’s population, which was carried out over the entire globe.
6. This was the first census done in Syria when Quirinius was serving as governor.

• In the meantime, everyone was en route to their respective cities in order to register for the census.
• Joseph also traveled up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is known as Bethlehem because he was descended from the house and family of David, in order to register with Mary, who was betrothed to him and expecting a child at the time of the census.
• Everyone was on the move in order to comply with the census, and there are several instances in Scripture where the rainy season in this part of the world is described as being unbearably harsh, including the following: Ezra 10:9-13 is a biblical passage.
• As a result, all of the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered in Jerusalem within three days of each other.
• There were tremors in the air as everyone gathered in the open square before God’s home, shaking in response to the situation and the heavy rain.

It was the ninth month on the twentieth of the month.Afterwards, they were addressed by Ezra the priest, who stated that they had committed adultery and had married foreign spouses, adding to Israel’s sense of shame.Making confession to the LORD God of your fathers and doing His will now is the only way forward.

Separate yourself from the peoples of the country and from foreign women is also the only way forward.″ Then everyone in the audience responded with a resounding ″Yes!That’s correct!″ As you have stated, it is our responsibility to carry out your wishes.However, there are a lot of people, and it is raining, so we are unable to stand out in the open.We will not be able to do the assignment in one or two days, either, because we have transgressed significantly in this subject.″ If possible, the Census should have been conducted during the non-rainy season, which would have been from May through October this year.It appears as though three different lines of argument all lead to the same conclusion.

Jesus was most likely born between the months of May and October, most likely in the month of September.But it won’t deter me from commemorating the birth of Jesus this year, even if we don’t have the celebration on the proper day (which is possible).Although our following human traditions about Jesus’ birth are not as historically accurate as the Gospel narratives, there is more than enough evidence to support the historical credibility of the Gospel accounts about Jesus’ birth.More information about the trustworthiness of the New Testament gospels and the case for Christianity may be found in Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels, which is available for purchase online.This book teaches readers the ten principles of cold-case investigations and then applies these concepts to the claims of the gospel authors in order to investigate them.

There is an accompanying Cold-Case Christianity DVD Set (with Participant’s Guide) that may be used to assist individuals or small groups in examining the facts and making the case for Christianity.J.Warner Wallace is a Cold-Case Detective who has appeared on Dateline.

He is also a Senior Fellow at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview and Adjunct Professor of Christian Apologetics at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University.He is the author of Cold-Case Christianity, God’s Crime Scene, and Forensic Faith, as well as the founder of the Case Makers Academy for children.Sign up for J.Warner’s Daily Email Updates.

Is Christmas Jesus’ Birthday?

Author: Michele at ScriptureStudy.Guide (original source). Posted on the 18th of December, 2021 Anyone who questions whether Jesus was born on December 25th will receive a loud ″no.″ This is the position of every biblical expert. In other words, when exactly was Jesus born, and why is He referred to as ″the reason for the season″?

The Actual Birth Date of Jesus Christ

• According to the majority of biblical scholars, Jesus was born sometime in September. If you’re interested in learning more, I discovered an article that can pinpoint the exact time of Jesus’ birth to within an 81-minute time frame on September 11, 3 B.C., sometime between 6:18pm and moonset at 7:39pm — for further study, the detailed explanation that ties scripture to God’s astronomical clock on that evening can be found here (link opens in a new tab — if the link goes down, email me and I will send you a Word copy of the In most cases, academics calculate the date of Jesus’ birth by calculating backward from his death on Passover, which took place on Nisan 14 (in the spring of the year 33 A.D.) and counting forward from that date (John 19:14-16). The fact that Jesus was ″approximately 30 years old″ when he began his three-and-a-half-year ministry places his birth in the early fall of 2 B.C., which corresponds to the beginning of the second century (Luke 3:23). According to the astronomical clock, Jesus was actually born in 3 B.C., not 2 B.C., as previously thought. My own opinion, based on the two estimates presented above, is as follows: Jesus was born on the Day of Trumpets, the 1st day of the 7th month of Tishri (mid-September on our Georgian calendar), in the year 3 B.C. He began his ministry on the Day of Trumpets, which is his 31st birthday (not ″around″ age 30), which is the Day of Trumpets. He died on the Day of Trumpets, which is the 1st day of the 7th month of Tishri (mid-September on our In Revelation 4:1, Jesus speaks with a trumpet-like voice
• Jesus died at the age of 34, not 33, as previously stated. 3 + 4 Equals 7, which is the number of completion and perfection in God’s eyes. (3) 3+3=6, which represents both the works of pagan man and the highest degree of pagan freemasonry (see the bottom of this article for links to additional information on how our worldly history is a fabrication)
• (3) 3+3=6, which represents both the works of pagan man and the highest degree of pagan freemasonry

Despite the fact that our bible does not specify the year, month, or day of Jesus’ birth, we can infer that it was not in winter (i.e. shepherds were living outside, Luke 2:8) and that it occurred approximately 34 1/2 (not 33 1/2) years before His death, based on scripture that refers to God’s astronomical clock at the time of His birth.

So Who is the Reason for the Season?

There is a spirit underlying the celebration of Christmas on the 25th of December, but it does not originate with God the Father or His Son, Jesus Christ. Consumerism and capitalism are the obvious explanations, but when we look further back in history, we discover six immensely dark motives behind the season:

1) Christmas is the Worship of Pagan Gods

• Not only is Christmas not Jesus’ birthday, but it also has absolutely nothing to do with Jesus – it is a pagan festival that originated around three months after Jesus’ birth in the year 3 B.C., and has no connection to Jesus at all.
• Early to late December has traditionally been a season of pagan celebrations, with the main event being Saturnalia, an ancient pagan Roman festival of 1-12 days of anarchy dedicated to the agricultural sun god Saturn, which takes place in late December (the length of the festival grew as time went on).
• Human sacrifice, drunkenness, rape, and walking from home to house while singing nude are all part of this festival’s festivities.
• It was customary during the winter planting season to make offerings to the gods in the form of sacrifices.

During the ancient Roman calendar, Saturnalia was the most frequently celebrated event, and sun god worship is still extensively practiced today (see the end of this page for references on how God’s people have been duped into sun god worship).

2)Christmas Disguises Paganism as a Holy Day

• Saturnalia, the festival dedicated to the worship of the sun and Saturn, came to a close on December 25th.
• The winter solstice occurred on December 25th according to the Julian calendar, which was adopted by the ancient Romans.
• ″To correspond with the pagan Roman celebration commemorating the ‘birthday of the unconquered sun,’″ church authorities picked December 25th, it is said.
• The date was chosen since it fell on December 25th during the winter solstice (source: Encyclopedia Britannica).

It is widely believed by many experts that this was done in order to ″give Christianity a more significant meaning to pagan converts″ (source:The Encyclopedia Americana).Of course, we are aware that these heretical church leaders are not representatives of our God, but rather are agents of the antichrist spirit.The mistletoe, the tree, the lights, the wreath, and Santa Claus are all derived from pagan traditions.Caroling was carried out in complete secrecy.

• Odin, the pagan god, is represented by Santa Claus.
• The word ″holiday″ literally translates as ″holy day,″ but it refers to a false holiness that is founded in pagan god worship and is not of Jesus and God the Father in the first place.
• Apparently, this author is not the only one who discovered, through a relative or a friend, that our parents had been lying to us about Santa being ″real″ our entire lives.
• Who cares about Santa Claus — it was my faith in my parents that was harmed because they made me seem foolish by leading me to believe in a lie; and, unfortunately, the majority of us went on to pass the lie down to our own children.

″….sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their share in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone: this is the second death,″ according to Revelation 21:8b.God considers a falsehood to be a lie.There are no such things as white lies, decent lies, little lies, or polite lies; there are only falsehoods that are sinful.God informs us in Proverbs 6:16-19 that there are seven things that are an abomination to Him, and two of those seven have to do with lying: ″a lying tongue″ and ″a false witness who speaketh falsehoods.″ Both of these things have to do with lying.

4)Santa was Given the Characteristics of God

• The following are the attributes that have been assigned to ″Saint″ Nick: He has a list of good and evil individuals
• he knows who has been good and who has been bad supernaturally
• he knows who has been good and who has been terrible
• Santa brings gifts to the good and coal to the naughty
• he knows when you’re sleeping and when you’re awake.
• He knows when you’re awake
• he knows when you’re asleep.
• Santa appears in the sky
• children are encouraged to sit on Santa’s knee (ugh) and tell him everything they want for Christmas
• Santa appears in the sky
• When Santa comes to town, he arrives like a thief in the night. Santa has the Christmas spirit. We look forward to Santa’s ″come-to-town.″

• Is it possible that all of these extremely particular qualities are simply coincidental?
• Only God has complete knowledge (Proverbs 15:3).
• Only God can see us all at all times and in all locations (Jeremiah 23:24).
• Only God can bestow eternal benefits on his people (Revelation 22:12).

Only God has a complete list of everyone’s names (Revelation 20:15).The only one who will come in the skies is Jesus (Mark 14:62).Only Jesus will appear supernaturally as a thief in the night, as prophesied by the prophets (Revelation 16:15).Only God can provide us with the one and only righteous Spirit, the Holy Spirit (Thessalonians 4:8).

• It is only God who should be privy to our innermost wishes; we should only come before His throne (Philippians 4:6; Hebrews 4:16).
• JESUS IS THE SAVIOR, AND WE ARE EXPECTING HIS ARRIVAL (Revelation 22:20).
• Santa is aware of something that those innocent, unfortunate babies and youngsters who scream and weep when they see him know that their illiterate worldly hive-mind parents are not aware of!

5)Christmas Exposes Satan

• The Evergreen Tree is a type of tree that grows year after year.
• Because the evergreen does not die in the winter, pagans began bringing the trees into their homes at the winter solstice as a sign of perpetual life.
• They revered and revered these trees, believing them to be sacred to them.
• God, too, has a particular tree: it’s called the Tree of Life.

Satan is unable to create; he can only replicate God’s actions.He resides in the northern hemisphere.Santa Claus resides at the North Pole.Because God has declared in his heart that he would rise into heaven and raise his throne above the stars of God, we may expect God to sit on the mound of the congregation, which is located on the northern hemisphere’s sides, according to Isaiah 14:13.

• Isaiah 14:13 (KJV) The Symbolism of the Name The letters in S A N T A combine to form the word S A T A N.
• Christmas was banned because of its association with Satanic practices.
• In 1659, the Massachusetts Bay Colony issued a law establishing the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
• ″Publick Announcement: The observance of Christmas having been judged a sacrilege, the exchanging of Gifts and Greetings, wearing in Fine Clothing, feasting, and other similar Satanical Practices are henceforth FORBIDDEN, with the offender subject to a fine of Five Shillings,″ according to the public notice.

6)Christmas is Not Biblical

• Christmas was not observed by any of the disciples.
• Christmas was not a holiday observed by Jesus.
• Christmas is not mentioned in the Bible at any point.
• The birthday of the unconquered sun is celebrated on December 25th.

Unless, of course, Jesus is the reason for the season.One verse in the Bible mentions ″heathens″ who decorate their Christmas trees with silver and gold ornaments — WE MUST LISTEN TO GOD’S WARNING HERE IF WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO ABIDE BY HIS LAW: 2 This is what the Lord says: Do not follow in the footsteps of the pagan, and do not be alarmed by the signs of the heavens, for the heathen are alarmed by them.3 Indeed, all the customs of the people are in vain, for with an axe, one may chop down a tree from its natural habitat, thereby doing the labor of the hands of a craftsman.4 They embellish it with silver and gold, and they secure it with nails and hammers so that it does not move.

• In Jeremiah 10:2-4, the Bible says Is it true that this passage does not applicable today?
• Is it possible that God said these things without a reason?
• In other words, did God anticipate that His elect would be fooled and act in a similar manner as the heathens who are adorning trees and building them as centerpieces in their houses during a pagan winter solstice celebration?
• Although it may appear otherwise, Jesus is not the cause for that season, therefore what message is the Lord trying to communicate to us here?

″COME OUT OF HER, MY PEOPLE, so that ye may not be a partaker of her iniquities, and so that ye may not be subjected to her plagues!″ Revelation 18:4 (KJV) There is a reason why the truth is unpopular.But when we know better, we can do better, and we may repent and turn back to our heavenly Father and His Son.Source: Videos obtained on the iConnectFX.com channel ″Followers of Christ777″ served as inspiration for portions of this essay.iConnectFX.com is a financial information exchange.The ″Biblical Seekers″ YouTube channel is credited with creating the video.Important Links to Consider (links open in a new tab): YouTube Video: Who They Are and Why They Lie: The Sun God Connections: Who They Are and Why They Lie The City of Rome Was Known as Washington DC Before It Was Known as Washington DC The Truths of the World Are Lies, according to a YouTube video You’ve Been Duped Into Honoring Their Sun Gods, According to This YouTube Video The Connection Between Lucifer and Lady Liberty, as seen on YouTube

When Was Jesus Really Born? Not Dec. 25

• Christians all around the world are looking forward to the approach of Christmas, a wonderful day in which to commemorate the birth of Jesus.
• Even Christians, however, are unable to agree on the date of Jesus’ birth, more than two millennia after his historic mission.
• Catholic and Protestant traditions celebrate Christmas on December 25, whereas Orthodox Christians in nations such as Russia, Greece, and Egypt celebrate Christmas on January 6 or 7, depending on the country.
• Nonetheless, historians and biblical scholars contend that even those accepted dates are up to debate.

The Gospel of Luke has the most thorough account of Jesus’ birth in the Bible, yet even that ″orderly″ story — complete with extremely specific allusions to Roman emperors and a worldwide census – fails to provide a specific day, month, or even year for Jesus’ birth.When it comes to dates and chronological order, ″we have this modern fixation with them and with chronological order, but the gospel authors were far more concerned in theology than chronology,″ explains Ian Paul, a theologian, biblical historian, and author who writes at Psephizo.As a result of a complex set of calculations relating to the birth of John the Baptist, who is also recorded in Luke’s gospel, Paul’s best bet for Jesus’ actual birth date is sometime around September.When you consider that the shepherds were out in the fields tending their sheep, which was an indication of warm weather, the timing of Christmas in the autumn makes sense.

• According to Paul, by December, the Judean hillsides outside of Bethlehem are cold enough to receive snow on their summits.
• In the end, whether Jesus was born in December, September, or March has no effect on the actual meaning of Christmas; yet, the controversy about Jesus’ ″genuine″ birthday demonstrates how difficult it is to assign particular dates to historical events in the first century.

Jesus Wasn’t Born in ‘Year 1’

• First and first, historians largely agree that we have the wrong year for the birth of Jesus, even before we get into the month and day issue.
• How is this possible, though, given that ″year 1″ on the Gregorian calendar was based on the year in which Jesus was born?
• The simple explanation is that the individual who came up with the concept of anno Domini (abbreviated A.D.) for ″Year of Our Lord″ was wrong by many years when he came up with it.
• Even Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged in a 2012 book that Dionysius Exiguus, the sixth-century monk who initially computed the year of Jesus’ birth, had miscalculated and that Jesus was most likely born between 7 B.C.

and 2 B.C., depending on whose source you read.For religious neutrality, modern authors may prefer to use the abbreviations CE (for Christian era) and BC (for Biblical era) instead of A.D.and BC (for Biblical era).In addition, the Bible claims multiple times that Jesus was born while Herod the Great was reigning as King of Judea, which provides overwhelming evidence for an earlier birth year for the Savior of the world.

• According to Flavius Josephus, a famous Roman-Jewish historian who lived in the first century C.E., Herod the Great died in 4 B.C.E., although the exact date of his death remains unknown.
• If we believe Josephus’ account, Jesus must have been born at least four years earlier (and most likely far earlier) than our calendar indicates, according to Josephus.

How December and January Became the Traditional Dates for Christmas

• In fact, the widely held belief that Christians selected December 25 to co-opt the pagan solstice feast of Sol Invictus is not founded on solid evidence at all, but rather on the marginal notes of an unknown Syrian monk from the 12th century.
• His point was not to accuse Christians of stealing Christmas but to provide an explanation for why western churches ″shifted″ the festival from January to December.
• According to the Biblical Archaeology Society, the first mention of Christmas was around 200 C.E., and the earliest celebrations took place between 250 and 300 C.E., ″a period when Christians were not heavily borrowing heavily from pagan traditions of such an obvious character,″ as the Biblical Archaeology Society explains.
• In the years following Jesus’ death, early Christians didn’t pay much attention to the anniversary of his birth.

The persecution and even martyrdom of Christians during those times caused them to place a strong focus on the celebration of Easter, when Jesus himself was murdered on the cross, yet overcame death and was raised.It wasn’t until the third and fourth centuries C.E.that early Christian theologians began speculating about the date of Jesus’ birth, according to the Bible.And even then, those dates were associated with the celebration of Easter.

• It was formerly believed that the lives of great individuals were linked to particular periods of the year, according to Paul, who claims that this was the case in ancient times.
• Heroic personalities were frequently assassinated in the same month and on the same day as their birth (years apart of course).
• For example, it appears that ancient sources thought Jesus was either born or divinely conceived at Passover, the Jewish festival celebrated during which he was subsequently killed in the springtime.
• To determine Jesus’ birthday, Christians who thought that he was conceived around the time of Passover/Easter calculated nine months forward.

Passover in the year of Jesus’ death was projected to fall on March 25 in Rome and other western sites, according to tradition.Eastern Christian societies used the Greek calendar, which put the same Passover on April 6 as it did in the West.The addition of nine months resulted in the establishment of two traditional Christmas dates in Christianity: December 25 and January 6.

The September Theory of Christmas

How come biblical academics such as Ian Paul feel that the genuine date for Christmas should be around September, rather than December?In particular, it derives from a critical examination of the indications left behind in Luke, notably what the gospel’s authors have to say regarding the chronology of John the Baptist’s birth in connection to Jesus’ birth.Instead of Mary and Joseph, Luke’s version of the Christmas tale begins with another couple, Elizabeth and Zechariah, who were both elderly and childless when the story begins.Zechariah was a priest in the Temple, and one day the angel Gabriel appeared to him in the Temple and told him that his wife would bear a son named John who would prepare the world for the coming of the Lord.Zechariah was overjoyed, and the angel told him that his wife would bear a son named John who would prepare the world for the coming of the Lord.

Zechariah was dumbfounded by Gabriel’s word and remained so for the rest of his life.However, once his service in the Temple was over, Zechariah returned home, and Elizabeth got pregnant shortly after.What is the significance of this tale in relation to Jesus?Although Mary was a virgin at the time, the angel Gabriel came to her and told her that she would conceive and give birth to Jesus, the Son of God, despite the fact that she was a virgin.Mary received a second visit from the angel Gabriel ″during the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy,″ according to Luke.With this crucial evidence in hand, it is reasonable to determine that Jesus was conceived six months after John was conceived, as is often believed.

• However, we can only benefit from this information if we know when exactly John was born.
• And how would we be able to tell?
• More information may be found in the Bible once again.
• The author of Luke tells us that Zechariah ″belonged to the priestly division of Abijah,″ which means ″of Abijah the priest.″ It was customary for priests from each division to alternate in performing sacrifices and other Temple rites.
• Abijah is named as the eighth person in the rotation in 1 Chronicles 24, which describes the sequence of Temple worship as divided by divisions one through twenty-four.

• If each priestly division served for one week and the first week of the ecclesiastical calendar fell in late March, as Paul estimated, Zechariah would be in the Temple by early June, according to his blog.
• If Elizabeth became pregnant shortly after the angel appeared to Zechariah in the Temple, and Mary became pregnant six months later, then Jesus’ birth would have occurred in September of the following year.
• Paul is a fan of the September hypothesis of Christmas for a variety of reasons, one of which being the shepherd concept described above.

When was the last time Luke deployed shepherds in the fields?Was it in the midst of winter at the time?However, there are several flaws in this hypothesis as well.The most serious issue is that each priestly division was required to serve in the Temple more than once a year.Consider what might happen if Gabriel appeared to Zechariah six months later, on his second visit to the temple.As a result, the birth of Jesus would be around March, which Paul acknowledges as a viable possibility.

BYU professor of classical studies Thomas Wayment has written on the opposing views surrounding the time of Jesus’ birth, which may be seen in his book The Birth of Jesus: When Did He Come?The controversy over Jesus’ birthday, he believes, is academically intriguing and deserving of discussion, but he misses the point in terms of spirituality.Perhaps, he suggests, ″it’s preferable to leave things open in the sense of being flexible.″ In addition to December and January, he has discovered early Christian references to Jesus’ birth in the months of April and May.″We’re commemorating an occasion rather than a day.″

When Was Jesus Born?

Traditionally, Christmas is celebrated on December 25, but ″approximately 37 percent of Orthodox Christians, primarily in Egypt and Russia, celebrate Christmas on January 7,″ as a result of the way their calendars were created.(Source: Egypt Today.) Both dates are unlikely to be valid in light of various historical indicators as well as facts included within the Bible itself.The biblical story does not specify the year in which Jesus was born (Luke 2).What factors went into determining the date of Christmas, and when was Jesus actually born?

What Year Was Jesus Born?

Confusion in Historical Calendars

When determining the year of Christ’s birth, a number of elements must be considered.At the time of Julius Caesar, in 44 BC, there were two different dating methods in use.He used two calendars: one based on the Julian calendar he created, and the other based on the year Rome was founded, which was 753 BC.According to BibleStudyTools.com, Julius Caesar also decreed that a year would be counted from the day of ″the acquisition of total authority by the then emperor.″ This further complicated matters.Following that, ″a mathematically-minded monk…Dionysius Exiguus established the notion of AD,″ according to BibleStudyTools.com, which was founded in 2003.

In order to determine when Easter should be celebrated, he needed to go backwards through a sophisticated procedure that he devised on his own.He came at the conclusion that Christ was born in the year 1, and his system was eventually embraced by Europe roughly 200 years later.

Evidence in the Bible

Bible scholars base their conclusions on what the Bible says about the life and times of Jesus.The events took happened during the writers’ or their families’ lifetimes, such as the reign of Herod, during which Matthew tells us Christ was born, and were thus still fresh in their minds.We know there was a celestial occurrence that triggered the Magi’s attention, and we can also put a date on it.It was during ″the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius″ that John the Baptist delivered his message (Luke 3:1).In addition, the book of Luke provides an estimate of Jesus’ age at the beginning of His career (30), allowing us to conclude that Christ was most likely born in the year 2 or 3 BC.

When Is Jesus’ Birthday?

December 25 – Pagan or Christian Roots?

It is much more difficult to determine the exact day and month of Christ’s conception.Theologians generally believe that the date of December 25 is extremely unlikely.According to this Christianity.com article, some believe that the creation of ″the pagan celebration of the ‘Birth of the Unconquered Son’″ was ″an attempt to provide a pagan alternative to a date that was already of considerable significance to Roman Christians.″ Another point of view is that the opposite is true.It was simpler for the newly created church to reuse the pagan celebration of the winter solstice, which took place between December 17th and December 25th, when the Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity since inhabitants were already prepared to commemorate the day.″This holiday was a time of merriment, during which relatives and friends would exchange presents,″ according to the website History.com.

These customs would be carried out during the Christmas season.Another story holds that Sextus Julius Africanus, who reigned from AD 221 to AD 220, was the one who established December 25 as Christmas Day.BibleStudyTools.com reports that he established this date on detailed computations, beginning with the ″creation of the world, which he placed in 5499 BC,″ according to the website.

Evidence in the Bible

Shepherds, on the other hand, would not have been tending their flocks in December, when the weather was frigid; they would have stopped shepherding no later than October, if they had been shepherding at all.Bible scholars have also attempted to determine the date of Christ’s birth by comparing the birth of his cousin John to the limited information concerning Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Mary provided in the book of Luke.Elizabeth was six months pregnant when Mary came, and she gave birth to a child three months after Mary left.According to BibleInfo.com: ″We may roughly estimate the month of Jesus’ birth to be around the period of Tishri (September)″ (mid to late September).Begin with the conception of John the Baptist in Sivan (June), count forward six months to the announcement of Jesus’ conception by the archangel Gabriel in Kislev (December), then count forward nine more months, the length of a human pregnancy, to arrive at Tishri (September), the date of Jesus’ birth.

This is presuming that each mother’s pregnancy was completed to term.Other narratives use data regarding Zechariah’s temple responsibilities to arrive at the conclusion that Christ was born in the spring.There is no conclusive solution to this question.It is necessary to obtain the advice of the most respected academics on this subject.

Does the Date of Jesus’ Birth Matter?

• It would be quite difficult for the entire Christian community to come to a unanimous decision that Christ was born on a different day, and altering the date of Christmas throughout the world would create several difficulties. Selecting a new date for the celebration of Christ’s birth would need significant changes at the commercial and institutional levels, respectively. Calendars for schools and public holidays have been arranged to correspond with this period
• the economies of industrialized countries rely on the cash boost offered by the Christmas season
• churches conduct special activities around this time
• and families utilize this day as an excuse to be together.

Even though the date for Christmas day appears to be arbitrary, there is an advantage to deciding on one.With ″our fast-moving lifestyles having played havoc on our relationships,″ as Rick Warren put it, and with us feeling detached from one another, commemorating Jesus’ birth bring