Luke 2:11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
The birth date of Jesus is one of the most argued and deliberated topics. The record of the date of birth of Jesus is not in the Bible. We know that He was born when Caesar Augustus ruled over Israel but we don’t know the exact date on which He was born. During the reign of the emperor Constantine, in 336 AD, the church in Rome formalized the 25th of December as Christmas. Hence Christmas celebrations were instituted only three centuries after the death and resurrection of Jesus. In ancient Rome, December 25th was the time to celebrate Sol Invictus, the Unconquered Sun. Most scholars believe that Constantine and the church in Rome picked this date to weaken the pagan celebrations of the unconquerable sun.
Based on Biblical facts, it is very unlikely that 25th of December is the birthday of Jesus. The birth of Jesus was first announced to the shepherds. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them (Luke 2:8-9a). Winter in Israel and the Middle East is very severe. There would be no grass on the mountains and it would have been too cold for shepherds and their flock to be out in the field. Hence, it must have been either spring or autumn for the shepherds to be out in the open fields. Further, the Romans would not have sent a census decree for people to travel to their own town in the middle of harsh weather. They travelled by foot and on donkeys not in air-conditioned four-wheel trucks and campervans! The third and more irrefutable argument is by calculating the birth-date of Jesus backwards from His death-date. Jesus died in spring during the Passover and He was 33 ½ years old. Hence, Jesus must have been born in autumn. Conclusively, Jesus was not born on the 25th of December. However, it is a date to commemorate and celebrate the arrival of the King of Kings into this world to redeem us.
Significance of Christmas:
1. When: The significance of Christmas is not in the date. The significance is in the reason. Hence it is important not to overemphasize the traditions around Christmas but to accentuate the reason for the fiesta.
2. Where: Jesus chose one of the most insignificant little towns in Israel to be born just to reiterate a deep truth. It was not where He was born; it was all about why He was born. The meager manger that He chose was an epitome of meekness.
3. What: The Bible does not tell us when Jesus was born but reiterates over and over again why He came into this earth. Hence, Christmas is not about food or fiesta but about the King Jesus who came into this world to redeem us.
Christmas is about the redemption and restoration we have in Christ Jesus.
Luke 2:10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.
Prayer: Sweet Jesus, may I never get too busy with the festive fiesta and forget the reason for the celebration. Amen
Leave a Reply