Was Jesus Born On December 25
“Was Jesus born on December 25? Is December 25 Jesus’ birthday?”The tradition of December 25 was developed long after the New Testament period. It’s the day Christians have agreed to celebrate the birth of Jesus, but the exact day of His birth is unknown.What is known is that biblical and historical details point to an approximate year of birth. Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea approximately 6-4 B.C. to Mary, His mother. His birth changed history forever, along with the lives of countless people around the world.Speculation as to the time of Jesus’ birth dates back to the 3rd century, when Hyppolytus (ca. 170-236) claimed that Jesus was born on December 25. The earliest mention of some sort of observance on that date is in the Philoclian Calendar, representing Roman practice, of the year 336. Later, John Chrysostom favored the same date of birth. Cyril of Jerusalem (348-386) had access to the original Roman birth census, which also documented that Jesus was born on the 25th of December. The date eventually became the officially recognized date for Christmas in part because it coincided with the pagan festivals celebrating Saturnalia and the winter solstice. (The two occasions each year when the position of the sun at a given time of day does not seem to change direction.)The church thereby offered people a Christian alternative to the pagan festivities and eventually reinterpreted many of their symbols and actions in ways acceptable to Christian faith and practice.December 25 has become more and more acceptable as the birth date of Jesus. However, some argue that the birth occurred in some other season, such as in Autumn. Followers of this theory claim that the Judean winters were too cold for shepherds to be watching their flocks by night. History proves otherwise, however, and we have historical evidence that unblemished lambs for the Temple sacrifice were in fact kept in the fields near Bethlehem during the winter months. Having said that, it is impossible to prove whether or not Jesus was born on December 25.And, ultimately, it does not matter.The truth is we simply don’t know the exact date of our Savior’s birth. In fact, we don’t even know for sure the year in which He was born. Bible Scholars believe it was somewhere between 6 B.C. and 4 B.C. One thing is clear: if God felt it was important for us to know the exact date of the Savior’s birth, He certainly would have told us in His Word. The Gospel of Luke gives very specific details about the event, even down to what the baby was wearing – “swaddling clothes”—and where he slept—“in a manger” Luke 2:1212 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” These details are important because they speak of His nature and character, meek and lowly. But the exact date of His birth has no significance whatsoever, which may be why God chose not to mention it.The fact is that He was born, that He came into the world to atone for our sins, that He was resurrected to eternal life, and that He’s alive today. This is what we should celebrate, as we are told in the Old Testament in such passages as Zechariah 2:10:10 The Lord says, “Shout and rejoice, O beautiful Jerusalem,[a] for I am coming to live among you.Further, the angel that announced the birth to the shepherds brought “good news of great joy that will be for all the people”Luke 2:10Surely here is the cause for celebration every day, not just once a year. “What year was Jesus Christ born? When was Jesus born?”The Bible does not provide the exact day or even the exact year in which Jesus was born in Bethlehem. But a close examination of the chronological details of history narrows the possibilities to a reasonable window of time.The biblical details of Jesus’ birth are found in the Gospels. Matthew 2:1 states that Jesus was born during the days of Herod the king. Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men[a] from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose,[] and we have come to worship him.”Since Herod died in 4 B.C., we have a parameter to work with. Further, after Joseph and Mary fled Bethlehem with Jesus, Herod ordered all the boys 2 years old and younger in that vicinity killed. This indicates that Jesus could have been as old as 2 before Herod’s death. This places the date of His birth between 6 and 4 B.C.Luke 2:1-2 notes several other facts to think about:
At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.)
We know that Caesar Augustus reigned from 27 B.C. to A.D. 14.Quirinius governed Syria during this same time period, with records of a census that included Judea in approximately 6 B.C. Some scholars debate whether this is the census mentioned by Luke, but it does appear to be the same event.Based on these historical details, the most likely time of Christ’s birth in Bethlehem is 6-5 B.C.Luke mentions another detail concerning our timeline: Luke 3:2323 Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his public ministry.Jesus was known as the son of Joseph.Joseph was the son of Heli.
Jesus began His ministry during the time John the Baptist ministered in the wilderness, and John’s ministry started according to Luke Luke 3:1-2It was now the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius, the Roman emperor. Pontius Pilate was governor over Judea; Herod Antipas was ruler[a] over Galilee(Herod Antipas was a son of King Herod.); his brother Philip was ruler over Iturea and TraconitisLysanias was ruler over Abilene. 2 Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests. At this time a message from God came to John son of Zechariah, who was living in the wilderness.The only time period that fits all of these facts is A.D. 27-29. If Jesus was “about thirty years of age” by A.D. 27, a birth sometime between 6 and 4 B.C. would fit the chronology. More specifically, Jesus would have been approximately 32 years old at the time He began His ministry (still “about thirty years of age”).