WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME TO CELEBRATE CHRIST'S BIRTH?

Was Jesus born on the 25th of December?

For more than 300 years after Jesus' time,
Christians celebrated his resurrection but not his birth.

The observance of Christ-mass first began in fourth-century Rome,
timed to coincide with a midwinter pagan festival
honoring the imperial army's sun god, Mithras.

The December date was taken over to celebrate Jesus' birthday
to counteract the pagan festivals that proceeded it.




We do know it was not in the year 1 A.D.,
as the calendar's "Anno domini" (Year of the Lord) suggests.
Its dating system was derived from a calculation error
by a sixth-century monk in Rome, Dionysius Exigus,
in working out the starting point of the Christian era
based on Christ's birth.



There are records to show that King Herod died in 4 BC.
In the Bible we can learn that Jesus was born 3 years before King Herod died.
Therefore we can conclude that Jesus was born in 7 BC.



In what month the birth occurred, or on what day,
has been a matter of speculation for centuries.
Possible dates include:
January 6,
February 2,
March 25,
April 19,
May 20,
October 4,
September 17,
November 17.



A British physicist and astronomer, David Hughes,
has calculated that the date was September 17, 7 B.C., based
on various scientific evidence, including that of a conjunction of two planets,
Jupiter and Saturn, in the constellation Pisces on that date.
He concludes in a book that this extraordinary celestial
display was the "star" seen by the distant wise men.

The 17th century German astronomer, Johannes Kepler, similarly had
calculated a three-planet conjunction, including Venus
as well as Jupiter and Saturn, in the same constellation in 7 B.C.



Luke 2: 8:
"And there were shepherds living out in the fields near by,
keeping watch over their flocks at night."

In Palestine - as in the rest of the Middle East at the time -
it is said that shepherds stayed with their flocks in the fields
only from Spring to Autumn.
They brought their sheep indoors during the winter
to protect them from the cold and rain and so they were not out
in the fields during these colder wetter months.
It is therefore be sumized by some, very unlikely that the
shepherds went to Bethlehem in December


However,
it is also said by others that the winter season in that area of the world is
not as harsh as American winter conditions.
In the colder & wetter winter months,
shepherds would still be out in the fields
but at night they would heard their flocks into nearby caves
to keep them dry and warm and safe from predators.
The shepherds would then keep watch over their flocks
by situating themselves at the mouth of the cave.
There they could have seen the angel of the Lord
and all that is described in the Bible would fit accordingly.
So it is also possible that Christ could have been born in the month December.





Some Eastern Orthodox churches still celebrate Christ's birth on January 6.





Christmas was banned in 17th century England when Oliver Cromwell
and his puritan followers gained temporary rule, forbidding
what was called the "heathen celebration of Christmas."
The holiday similarly was banned in colonial New England.





Christmas wasn't made a legal holiday in the United States until 1856.

One can't help but notice,
if our Heavenly Father wanted us to know the exact day and time that
Our Lord was born - He would have provided this information in His Word.

Why didn't He provide this information?
This is not what He wanted us to focus on--the actual date is not important

BUT we ARE to focus on this:

That God has entered the human race in love for it
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the word was God... and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
full of grace and truth," the Bible says.


"Emmanuel... God with us," Scripture says. "The light of the world."

To celebrate Christmas....

It is about giving - it is about love - it is about Christ
We are celebrating THE MOST MIRACULOUS AND LOVING
event in all of history - when God himself became born of a man -
to fulfill all prophesy that He would provide a Savior and
a perfect sacrifice for all mankind:

"for God so loved the world
that He gave His only Begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him
shall not perish but have eternal life."

Christmas is a celebration of hope & new life in Christ.

It is not about presents,
It's not about who has the most Christmas lights on their house
It's not about shopping
It's not about who has the best Christmas parties
It is not about self-indulgence
It is not about conforming to the commercial worldly adoption of
this celebration for the sole purpose of making money.

Do you know Him of whom we celebrate?
Something we need to ask ourselves every year
"What am I celebrating and why?"

What does Christmas mean to you?