Was Christ Really Born on December 25th?
If society is no longer interested in Christ, then most would not care. Many would say that Christmas on any date would be a chance for extreme materialism and partying. The fastest growing segment in surveys of religion in America is not Islam –– it is the “Nones.” The “Nones” are those with NO religious beliefs at all. They have no church affiliation. But true believers should care very much about biblical truth!
The Roman Universal Church decided to place the date of Christ’s birth on the same day of PAGAN sun god worship as a method of converting the pagans in the Roman Empire to Christianity. This was the primary motive for the December 25th date. Could this possibly be the date of Jesus’ birth as well? No! Absolutely not! Evidence does exist regarding the birth of Christ and it PROVES otherwise. December 25th is the day of the pagan winter solstice celebration and is based on the primitive superstitious fear of losing sun light and sun worship.
Jeremiah 10:2, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, For the Gentiles are dismayed at them.’” (NKJV)
God said that His people were not to fear the sun, moon and stars of heaven, nor worship them as the pagan nations that do not know God. The early true church never made mention of Christmas. Centuries passed before the large apostate church ever so gradually began adapting and blending in pagan practices. Later, some writers began urging a celebration at the same time as the pagan winter solstice observances.
Deuteronomy 12:30-31, “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.’ 31 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.” (Note that the more progressive parts of America are eager to abort babies.)
Each year, articles appear at Christmas time cheerfully admitting that the true origins of the celebration are pagan. It is a tradition from the ancient past. Further, such articles also admit the pagan origin of the Christmas tree, “mistletoe, holly wreaths, yule logs.” The excessive “gift giving has become extensive and like extortion.” The commercialization of the season does not bring us closer to Christ.
Deuteronomy 12:32, “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.”
Of course, God is correct in having believers avoid all kinds of pagan additions to the true worship of Him.
The Priestly Divisions Provide Proof of the True Season of Christ’s Birth
There are some VITAL pieces of evidence we must understand. They begin with the miraculous birth of John the Baptist, who was Jesus’ second cousin and the “voice in the wilderness” who would announce the coming of the Messiah.
Luke 1:5-14, “There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah… 8 So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division…13 the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.’”
The events in the order of his course as priest at the Temple offer the best evidence of Jesus’ real birth date! As a good historian, Luke provides vital information and an orderly account of the time period surrounding Christ’s birth. First, in a long section from Luke 1:5-8 to 2:8, Zachariah the priest was of the priestly course of Abia or Abijah. (See 1 Chronicles 24:10.) This would be in the summer.
Luke 1:26-34, “Now in the sixth month [of Elizabeth’s pregnancy] the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary… 34 Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I do not know a man?’”
A second great miracle is about to begin. One miracle was for the elderly parents to have John the Baptist. The next is for Mary to have a son by immaculate conception.
Verse 35, “And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is NOW IN THE SIXTH MONTH for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.’”
After Zacharias returned home, his elderly wife Elizabeth became pregnant. His son John was born six months before Jesus. Note Luke 1:26-38. This means Jesus Christ would have been born in the Fall. The Bible has Fall and Spring Holy Days to celebrate Christ. The evidence is below:
1. The priestly course of Abijah ends in June/July. John the Baptist’s mother was impregnated then.
2. Wait nine months from summer and John is born in the springtime, around March/April.
3. John is six months older than Jesus Christ therefore add six months and Jesus is born in the Fall.
A second point is that the sheep were outside at night when Christ was born inside. It would be too cold to have sheep AND shepherds outside at night in the fields in the DEAD of winter.
Luke 2:8-11, “Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.”
Is Public Secularization of Christmas a Good Thing?
Most in academia have turned toward a winter solstice only and do not allow any biblical manger scenes. This move is toward a more pure, global, open paganism. Pagans worship nature and mother earth (i.e., GLOBAL WARMING) and sun worship fits into this system.
If America has true religious freedom, then people have a right to be wrong! We should especially not support the more recent push to celebrate the winter solstice holiday while forbidding any mention or depiction of baby Jesus in the public square. It is only a holiday season to them (similar to pagan Rome). It makes the “winter break,” as higher education labels it now, even more purely pagan by eliminating any thought of our newborn Savior and God.
It would be best as in colonial days, when Christmas was not a national holiday and it was illegal to eliminate it. However, the modern PC world’s push to eliminate the manger scene is worse. This will weaken society even further and make us even more aligned with paganism.
Jeremiah 7:6, “If you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, or walk after other gods to your hurt…”
Christ’s Followers Observed God’s Holy Days
Rejection of Christianity is one of the most negative trends in our society. The Bible emphatically supports the celebration of Christ’s death, and His resurrection.
Acts 18:21, “But took leave of them, saying, ‘I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; but I will return again to you, God willing.’”
Acts 20:6, “But we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days joined them at Troas, where we stayed seven days…”
Matthew 26:18, “And He said, ‘Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, “The Teacher says, ‘My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.’”’”
1 Corinthians 5:6-8, “Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
True believers should follow the biblical examples and celebrate Christ’s second coming in the Fall (Feast of Trumpets, Feast of Tabernacles) and His first coming as our sacrificial Lamb (New Testament Passover/Lord’s Supper & Unleavened Bread) during the spring Holy Days.
