[Darris McNeely] Was Jesus born on Christmas
Day? Can we even know when He was born? And most importantly, does it really matter? December 25th is universally celebrated as
Jesus Christ's birthday. Around the world Christians celebrate the
season and the day by giving gifts, being with family and friends. Even for those who aren't Christian it's a
season of joyous celebration. So when was Jesus born? Let's find out. And join us on Beyond Today as we explore
the many issues surrounding the question: "When Was Jesus Born?" [Announcer] Join our host Darris McNeely and
his guests, as they help you understand your future on Beyond Today! [Darris] When was Jesus Christ of Nazareth
born? Every year, we hear Christmas carols all about
the baby Jesus in the manger and the winter wonderland associated with His birth. If we look at our calendar, chances are, right
there on December 25th, it says Christmas Day. The birth of Jesus Christ is said to be the
reason behind the season. But of course every year people worry about
the fact that Christ is not in the season. But was Christ actually born on Christmas
Day - on December 25th? It's not as clear and simple as our calendars
would suggest. If we look into it, we find that December
25th wasn't always considered Jesus' birth date. Joseph L. Sheler of U.S. News & World Report,
wrote in an article entitled, "In Search of Christmas": "Lacking any scriptural pointers to Jesus'
birthday, early Christian teachers suggested dates all over the calendar...Clement who
was an early church father, he picked November 18th...A man named Hippolytus, another early
father, he "figured Christ must have been born on a Wednesday...And then there is an
anonymous document believed to have been written in North Africa around the year 243 A.D. which
placed Jesus' birth on March 28th." (Joseph L. Sheler, U.S. News & World Report
, "In Search of Christmas," Dec. 23, 1996, p. 58). Although it is difficult to determine the
first time anyone celebrated December 25th as Christmas Day, historians are in general
agreement that it was sometime during the fourth century. Now this is an amazingly late date. Think about it! What this means is that Christmas - which
most consider Jesus' birthday - wasn't observed by the Roman church until about 300 years
after Christ's death. Christmas cannot be traced back to either
the teachings or the practices of the earliest Christians. That sounds almost impossible, doesn't it? But it's true. So why did the Roman church adopt Christmas
Day as the time to celebrate Jesus' birth? The reason His birthday is celebrated now,
at that time, is because religious leaders of the day wanted to give a pagan festival
a name change and to make it easier for pagans to convert over to Christianity. Listen to this quote from the Encyclopedia
Americana which makes it very clear: "In the fifth century, the Western Church
ordered it [speaking of Christ's birth] to be observed forever on the day of the old
Roman feast of the birth of Sol [who is the sun god], as no certain knowledge of the day
of Christ's birth existed" (1944 edition, "Christmas"). The reason for this confusion is not surprising. The Bible doesn't actually tell us the exact
date of Jesus Christ's birth. There is no specific date given. What's more, there aren't any mentions of
any celebrations being held honoring Christ's birth date by the early church. And by the early church we mean the church
that we read about in the book of Acts. These people followed Jesus Christ's example
and teaching to the letter. And none of that included celebrating the
day of His birth. There is no command to celebrate Christ's
birthday found in all of Scripture, certainly not in Christ's teachings, nor in the letters
of the apostles who founded the church. As Christians, you and I should desire to
follow Christ's example and His teaching and that of His church. And nowhere do we find in Scripture that Jesus
instructed us to celebrate His birthday - its just not there. And the apostles to whom the faith delivered,
was given and who translated that and transferred it to the church, they followed Christ's example
in everything they did. Again, there is no record of the early church
celebrating Christmas or for that matter, the birth of Jesus Christ in any way shape
or form. Even so, it is possible that we can generally
know the time or the season of the birth of Christ. Because there are distinct clues that give
us an idea about the time of year that He was born. So what about December 25th? Is it possible the Roman church accidentally
adopted the correct date for Jesus' birth? Well, a careful Bible study shows that the
middle of winter was absolutely not the time Christ was born. There are two big reasons why Christmas or
December 25th can't be the time of Christ's birth. Let's look at the first one. We know from the Gospel accounts that the
shepherds were in the fields watching their flocks at the time of the birth of Jesus. Luke's account of the birth of Jesus found
in chapter 2 of the Gospel of Luke tells us a great deal of the details of many of the
facts surrounding that birth. Here is what it says: "And she brought forth her firstborn Son"
- speaking of Christ's mother, Mary - "and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid
Him in a manger, because there was no room for them at the inn. Now there were in the same country shepherds
living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night" (Luke 2:7-8). Listen to what Adam Clarke's Commentary mentions
about the significance of what we just read here in Luke's account. It says: "... Shepherds were not in the fields during
December. According to [a book entitled] Celebrations:
The Complete Book of American Holidays, Luke's account 'suggests that Jesus may have been
born in summer or early fall. Since December is cold and rainy in Judea,
it is likely the shepherds would have sought shelter for their flocks at night' (p. 309)." Now, what do we have here? We have a recording. A historical fact about shepherds and the
flocks in the cold, wet winter. They just weren't there in the fields. The conditions were not appropriate for that
to be taking place. Now let's look at what another source says. The Interpreter's One-Volume Commentary says
this passage argues "against the birth [of Christ] occurring on December 25th since the
weather would not have permitted shepherds watching over their flocks in the fields at
night." So the first reason we know He wasn't born
in December was that there were shepherds in the fields tending their flocks, something
that wouldn't have been happening in the cold Judean winter. The second reason we know Jesus wasn't born
in December is that His parents traveled to Bethlehem to register in a Roman census (Luke
2:1-4). Such censuses were not taken in winter, when
the temperatures often dropped below freezing and the roads were in poor condition thus
inhibiting travel. Taking a census under such conditions would
have been self-defeating, since it would have been too difficult for Judean residents to
travel and to be counted. Travel back then wasn't as easy as it is today. We live in an age of heated vehicles and snow
plowed roads. We have to understand what it was like in
the culture and the setting of that time in the first century. Now based on these two facts alone, we see
that it's impossible that the biblical account of Jesus' birth happened in the winter, let
alone on the specific date of December 25th. More than being a simple incorrect guess,
the December 25th date was really an attempt to synthesize pagan worship into Christian
worship. So when was Jesus born? Well, we've proven that He wasn't born on
Christmas day or December 25th. Stay tuned, and next we'll examine the biblical
evidence that we do have that can tell us when He was born and why that matters. But first, let me briefly tell you about our
free Bible study aid that we're offering on this program, the one, Jesus Christ: The Real
Story. You can order your own, personal free copy
of this booklet by calling: 1-888-886-8632. Again, that's 1-888-886-8632. Or you can go online to BeyondToday.tv and
download and begin reading immediately a copy of this booklet. This study aid can help you understand the
truth behind the birth of Jesus Christ and His significance in your life today. So be sure to request your free copy by calling:
1-888-886-8632. 1-888-886-8632 to request Jesus Christ: The
Real Story. Or go online to BeyondToday.tv. And if you live outside of North America,
please write to us at the address shown on your screen throughout today's program [Beyond
Today, PO Box 541027, Cincinnati, OH 45254]. We've explained how the Bible shows us that
Jesus wasn't born on Christmas, in December, or even in the winter of the year. So when was He born? We find the important clues about the real
time of Jesus' birth in what the Bible tells us about His cousin, John the Baptist. Maybe you've read the Gospel of Luke and thought
it was strange that the book and the story begins not with the story of the conception
of Jesus, but with the story of the conception of John the Baptist. There's a very good reason for this. Luke was sure to tell us in very specific
detail when John the Baptist was conceived and born. In Luke 1, it tells us that John's mother,
Elizabeth was six months pregnant when Jesus was conceived. "In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy,
God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be
married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary..." (Luke 1:24-27). Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist,
and Mary, the mother of Jesus, were cousins. That means that from this verse, we know that
John was six months older than Jesus. So we can discover the approximate time of
year Jesus was born if we know when John was born. Now let's look at what the Bible tells us
about the time of John's birth. John's father, Zacharias, was a priest serving
in the Temple at Jerusalem. The Bible tells us that he and his wife were
both righteous people who put their hearts into serving God. Zacharias, we're told, was a priest who served
in "the division of Abijah" (Luke 1:5). At this time, the Temple priests in Jerusalem
were divided into several different "divisions" or what were called "courses" - or groups
of priests that would take turns performing Temple service during the year. It's like a yearly schedule for those serving
at the Temple. There were so many priests at the time that
they had to be set up on a schedule to have their time to serve in the Temple. Now, here's what's important. Historians calculate that the course of Abijah
mentioned by Luke, during which Zacharias served, happened from June 13-19 in that year
(The Companion Bible , 1974, Appendix 179, p. 200). The announcement therefore to Zacharias in
the Temple as to the conception of John the Baptist took place between June 13-19 as our
calendar has it today in that year. During his Temple service, the angel Gabriel
appeared to Zacharias and announced to him that he and his wife Elizabeth would have
a child (Luke 1:8-13). After he completed his service and traveled
home, Elizabeth conceived the cousin of Jesus; the child that would one day become John the
Baptist (Luke 1:23-24). It seems that John's conception took place
near the end of June which was after the division of Abijah and Zecharias completed his Temple
service, adding nine months brings us to the end of March the next year as the most likely
time for John's birth. Adding another six months - the difference
between the ages of John and Jesus (Luke 1:35-36) - brings us to the end of September as the
likely time of Jesus' birth. Now, when we look back and we look at this
timeframe, we learn some interesting facts. Zacharias, remember, was serving during the
course of Abijah which was in the middle part of June of that year when he heard the announcement
of his son's birth. He went home, his wife conceived John the
Baptist toward the end of June that year. Nine months later, John the Baptist was born
in the spring, probably during the month of March as we know it today. Six months later, Jesus Christ was born. Therefore, Christ is six months younger than
his cousin and was born most likely in the fall sometime in the timeframe of September
or October of that year. So, if it's provable using what we know from
the Bible and some historical research that Jesus was born in the autumn of the year instead
of the middle of winter in December, does that mean then we should keep Christmas or
Christ's birth and celebrate it in September instead of December? No it doesn't. For this reason: Nowhere in the Bible is there
any instruction or command to commemorate or in any way celebrate the day of Christ's
birth. The fact that so many specific dates are given
about other important and even less important events in the Bible, yet this exact date - the
date of Christ's birth - remains vague, that is significant. God didn't intend for this specific date,
the date of Christ's birth, to be celebrated. Now God does give us other specific days to
observe that honor Christ and the Father. We do not need to invent our own days and
times to do this. For those who love God and His Son, it is
only natural to desire to worship both of them. But it is far better to worship God and Jesus
Christ on the days and the times God has set. As for the celebration of Christmas in December:
Remember what we read earlier about the Roman church adopting pagan practices into the Christian
faith to create Christmas. Jesus wouldn't want us to celebrate pagan
days as a means of honoring His birth. Now how can I make such a statement? How do we know what Jesus would or would not
want us to do? God makes it very clear He does not like pagan
practices and He pretty well lays it out for us in one passage of the Bible that we should
take note about. It says this in the book of Deuteronomy. "When the LORD your God cuts off from before
you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land,
take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from
before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How did these nations
serve their gods? I also will do likewise.' You shall not worship the LORD your God in
that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods;
for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. 'Whatever I command you, be careful to observe
it; you shall not add to [it] nor take away from it'" (Deuteronomy 12:29-32 ,NKJV). We should be happy Jesus Christ was born on
the earth. It is a joyous event that brought us many
things. Through Christ's birth, we see how to have
a relationship with God the Father. We see His example of a perfect life, a perfect
sacrifice. We see Christ's death and His resurrection
back to spirit life as a means and a way for mankind to have a chance to share the glory
and live forever in the family of God. Christ came to form a new relationship with
man that through His blood extends into all nations, to all peoples. He came to become our High Priest and to intercede
before God's throne for us. Because of His birth we have the wonderful
hope of a future as a Son of God in His family. Through Him we have hope to have an authentic
relationship with God the Father based on truth and love. And if we truly love Him, we will love Him
the way that He wants to be loved. And to love God, we should do what He asks. John was inspired to write this, "But whoever
keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him" (1 John
2:5, NKJV). Any relationship involves mutual kindness
and respect. If a friend gave you a gift that you didn't
like, you'd probably forgive them. But if they gave it to you every year even
when you asked them not to, eventually you might start to wonder: "Are they doing this
for me or for themselves?", "Is this person really a friend?" By not obeying God, we are missing out on
a closer relationship with Him. During today's program, I've shown you why
Jesus was not born on December 25th. We've offered biblical evidence as to when
He was born and we've explained how the Bible nowhere tells us to observe the day of His
birth. So to help you gain more understanding on
this subject, we're going to ask you to request this free Bible study aid, Jesus Christ: The
Real Story. This is an important study aid that can provide
you with many more details that we have not had time to cover in today's program. Please order your own, personal printed copy
of Jesus Christ: The Real Story. You can call us today at the number: 1-888-886-8632. That's 1-888-886-8632. And when you order this study aid we're also
going to send you a free subscription to Beyond Today magazine. Each bi-monthly issue of Beyond Today magazine
is filled with practical articles to help you better understand the Bible, strengthen
your family, and show you what's ahead for our world and the awesome purpose God has
for you ahead. So please, don't wait! Call us now - toll free at: 1-888-886-8632. That's 1-888-886-8632. Or, write to us at the address shown on your
screen throughout the program. You can also read Jesus Christ: The Real Story
and Beyond Today magazine online at BeyondToday.tv [Beyond Today, PO Box 541027, Cincinnati,
OH 45254]. I'm joined now by Steve Myers, one of my fellow
Beyond Today hosts. Steve, we have taken on quite a subject today
by exposing that Christ was not born on December 25th and are saying to our audience that they
should not be doing that but worshipping God in spirit and in truth. That's an emotional law. That's a hard thing. [Steve Myers] It's a really hard thing, especially
when we have all these connections to Christmas time. [Darris] And you and I both being individuals
that have kept Christmas, we know exactly what the feelings are. [Steve] Absolutely, it's time for family's
to get together. It's time for warm feelings. It's time to put away our differences. We hear the songs about peace and good will
to all men and those kinds of things. And it has such a connection with people that
even those that aren't Christians keep Christmas and celebrate it because of those different
things. And it can be very difficult to separate yourself
from the truth of what God's Word is and those feelings because it's so over emotionalized
in many ways. I know for my family, as my parents began
to understand the truth and that God had something better in mind, it was pretty tough to give
it up. I think my dad came to it pretty quick but
my mom thought that well maybe she could kind of change it up a little bit and have it be
a little bit more Christlike. [Darris] She was one of those that tried to
put Christ into Christmas. [Steve] Definitely. She definitely did. She was a little apprehensive and thought
she could do that. So we went on a mission, I guess you could
say, to make it more Christlike. We lit candles during Advent and read scriptures. She had us read scriptures as kids. I remember sitting all in a row and going
through different passages. Which you know, it's not bad to read the Bible,
but to make it something that it wasn't. To keep those traditions that people have
rather than the truth of the Bible became a problem. So decorating our front door with crosses
and nativity scenes or taking us on a car excursion to see live nativity scenes to give
it a little bit more of a feeling of reality. She tried to do those things and yet even
in all that, she began to see that that really did fall short of what God has in mind. [Darris] Well, my mother was the same way. She was into it in a sincere effort to honor
God, to honor Jesus Christ and the Father. We had all the trappings of Christmas just
like everyone else. But she came to see that her traditions in
essence were false, and that she'd been lied to. She had enough wisdom to kind of wean my sister
and I off of the holiday. But, there came a day when there was no more
Christmas and she had the ability to understand what the Bible teaches about God's festivals,
God's Holy Days, there was really no hole that was created emotionally in our life. It was filled with the truth, but because
I can see both sides, I understand how difficult it is for a person to make that decision to
put God and His Word first as opposed to human tradition and ideas that just don't really
cut it biblically or to put into a relationship with God, truth. [Steve] Yeah, and to just have a day when
we put away our differences or we just try to get along while the family gets together
for our Christmas dinner. Boy it gets done and the kids open up all
the presents and then as soon as it's over with, it really leaves you with an emptiness. It kind of falls so far short of the idea
that God has to keep that peace and that confidence in God all the time. That's what God's way has in mind, that we
can have a fulfilling life and not just have it for a few moments on one day of the year. [Darris] You read in Scripture that the angel
said, peace on earth good will toward men. Which was a result of Christ's birth, and
everyone wants peace whether it's within the family or peace for all the world. It's not there. Now don't get us wrong by what we've talked
about today. We are not diminishing the birth of Jesus
Christ into this world. We have already covered that. It's a matter of worshipping God in spirit
and in truth and in the manner in which He says to do so. And it's when we get on track with God that
we can fully appreciate the complete life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ of
Nazareth. I'd like to remind you to order your own,
personal copy of our free study aid: Jesus Christ: The Real Story. This Bible study aid can help you understand
more about this important biblical subject. We encourage you to order your own personal
copy of this valuable, free publication and to get your own free subscription to our magazine,
Beyond Today. Request both, today's study aid and Beyond
Today magazine by calling: 1-888-886-8632. Again, that's 1-888-886-8632. Or you can go online to BeyondToday.tv right
now and begin reading. Additionally, while visiting our BeyondToday.tv
site we invite you to watch BT Daily. These are short daily videos on important
Bible topics and breaking news. Join us throughout the week on the Web for
BT Daily and get additional analysis on prophecy, God's great plan for your future and so much
more. You can watch Beyond Today and BT Daily anytime
on YouTube or on our dedicated Roku channel. Besides this, the United Church of God has
hundreds of Sabbath-keeping congregations meeting each Saturday across the United States
and around the world. Go to BeyondToday.tv to find a congregation
nearest you. Then, call one of our knowledgeable and caring
pastors to share your story with them. We are looking forward to hearing from you. Christ was not born on December 25th in the
dead of winter. And celebrating it as such doesn't change
this fact. And God never gave us instruction to observe
Christ's birth in any fashion. Instead of holding to a wrong day and a wrong
idea, isn't it time that you focus on why He was born? The idea of God coming to dwell among us in
the flesh holds more profound meaning to us than the vain celebrations of His birth. Isn't it time that you begin to focus on why
Jesus was born rather than when He was born. It will make a big difference. That's our program today. Thanks for joining us, and be sure to tell
your family and friends about Beyond Today. Tune in again next week and join us in praying,
"Thy Kingdom come." For Beyond Today, I'm Darris McNeely. Thanks for watching. [Announcer] For the free literature offered
on today's program, go online to BeyondToday.tv. Please join us again next week on Beyond Today!
