The Day Jesus Was Born

The Day Jesus Was Born

Was Jesus really born on December 25th? Accounts in the New Testament books of Matthew and Luke were written several decades after the event and no dates were provided. Luke tells us that an angel appeared to "some shepherds staying out in the fields keeping watch over their flock by night". Early Jewish sources suggest that the sheep around Bethlehem were outside year round. The Bethlehem sheep were no ordinary sheep. They were sacrificial lambs which were slaughtered at Passover to atone for the sins of mankind. God revealed Jesus' birth to shepherds who protected these lambs. Would the shepherds remember this years later when John the Baptist would say of Jesus, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."?

The Jewish historian Josephus (37-100? A.D.) records an eclipse of the moon just before Herod died which occurred on March 12 or 13, 4 B.C. Josephus also tells us that Herod died just before Passover which took place on April 11, 4 B.C. From other details supplied by Josephus, Herod's demise happened between March 29 and April 4. Matthew tells us that Herod killed Bethlehem's babies two years old and under in an attempt to do away with Jesus. By that reckoning, the earliest Jesus could have been born is 6 B.C. Though by other time indicators, we can be relatively confident that Jesus was born in either late 5 or early 4 B.C.

It might sound strange to suggest that Jesus Christ was born no later than 4 B.C. since B.C. means 'Before Christ.' But the calendar which splits time between B.C. and A.D. (Anno Domini-Year of Our Lord) was not invented until 525 A.D. At that time, Pope John the First asked a monk named Dionysius to prepare a standardized calendar for the western Church. Unfortunately, Dionysius missed the real B.C./A.D. split by at least four years!

For several centuries, Christians paid little attention to the celebration of Jesus' birth. The major Christian festival was Easter, the day of His Resurrection. Only as the church developed a calendar to commemorate the major events of the life of Jesus, did it celebrate His birth. A date had to be selected.

The tradition for December 25th is actually quite ancient. Hippolytus, a Catholic Bishop from Sicily in the 2nd Century A.D., argued that December 25th was Christ's birthday. Meanwhile, the Eastern Church claimed January 6th was the date. That day was named Epiphany which means "appearance" for the day Jesus revealed Himself as God. The Eastern and Western churches adopted each other's festivals establishing the modern Christian 12-day celebration. In some places the 12th day is called the Festival of the Three Kings because it is believed that the Three Wise Men, or Magi, visited the infant Jesus on that day, bringing Him gifts.

In the 4th Century A.D., John Chrysostom, Patriach of Constantinople, decreed that December 25th was the correct date and from that day on, it was the official date for one and all. An ancient Roman almanac notes that Christmas was celebrated on December 25 in Rome on 336 AD (Anno Domini-Year of our Lord).

Today, the Christmas season varies from country to country. For example, in the United States, it begins just after Thanksgiving Day and ends on January 1. Hispanic countries follow the 12 Day tradition. Sweden starts its celebration on December 13, St. Lucia Day, with a special family breakfast served by the oldest daughter followed by community gatherings which feature parades and songs of praise. Festivities in all countries do not go past January 6.

The reason there is an extended holiday period is that Christmas is no longer only a Christian celebration. It is also the most popular holiday period for everyone in countries where Christianity has become the dominant religion. And in some, like Japan, where Christianity is a minority religion, Christmas has become a festive, gift-giving holiday time. But there is much more to it...