Dating Christmas

When was Jesus born

Book of Luke

The Lexham English Bible Chapter 2

2 Now it happened that in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus to register all the empire. 2 (This first registration took place when* Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to be registered, each one to his own town. 4 So Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, 5 to be registered together with Mary, who was legally promised in marriage to him and* was pregnant. 6 And it happened that while they were there, ⌊the time came⌋ for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son, and wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Publius Sulpicius Quirinius (c. 51 BC – AD 21) was a Roman aristocrat. After the banishment of the ethnarch Herod Archelaus from the tetrarchy of Judea in AD 6, Quirinius was appointed legate governor of Syria, to which the province of Judaea had been added for the purpose of a census.

70 years That narrows it down

The Lexham English Bible Chapter 1

23 And it happened that when the days of his service came to an end, he went away to his home.

The Lexham English Bible Chapter 1

24 Now after these days, his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days in which he has concerned himself with me,* to take away my disgrace among people.”

The Prediction of Jesus’ Birth

26 Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee ⌊named⌋ Nazareth,

The Lexham English Bible Chapter 1

24 Now after these days, his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days in which he has concerned himself with me,* to take away my disgrace among people.”

The Prediction of Jesus’ Birth

26 Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee ⌊named⌋ Nazareth,

We know Luke was attempting to write an orderly account of our Lord’s life.

The Lexham English Bible Chapter 1

1 Since many have attempted to compile an account concerning the events that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as those who were eyewitnesses and servants of the word from the beginning passed on to us, 3 it seemed best to me also—because I* have followed all things carefully from the beginning—to write them* down in orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus,

Various opinions have been held about the way these dates were chosen. Occasionally it is suggested that December 25th is an adaptation of Jewish festival, but the 4C is too late for Jewish influence to be at all probable. In any case, the Jewish festival in question, the Rededication of the Temple by Judas Maccabaeus (Hanukkah), has quite a different meaning, lasts for eight days, and, through it begins on the 25th day of Chislev, Chislev is a lunar month corresponding only roughly to November or December.

Various opinions have been held about the way these dates were chosen. Occasionally it is suggested that December 25th is an adaptation of Jewish festival, but the 4C is too late for Jewish influence to be at all probable. In any case, the Jewish festival in question, the Rededication of the Temple by Judas Maccabaeus (Hanukkah), has quite a different meaning, lasts for eight days, and, through it begins on the 25th day of Chislev, Chislev is a lunar month corresponding only roughly to November or December.

The explanation most widespread today is quite different, namely, that December 25th and January 6th are derived from pagan sun-festivals. December 25th is a well-known date for the winter solstice, and, although sun-worship was not originally part of Roman religion, by the 3C it had become such, and a festival for the worship of the sun was established on December 25th by the emperor Aurelian in AD 274. January 6th, however, is only a very hypothetical day for the winter solstice, and no pagan festival on that day is recorded, except a festival of the goddess Core (Persephone) held at Alexandria, to celebrate her annual return from Hades; so the explanation is incomplete. One of the Greek festivals of Dionysus was in January (Lenaea, the “festival of the raving women”), but it was later in the month, and an orgy of this kind would be more likely to have given rise to a Christian fast than a Christian feast. The Western church may perhaps have reinterpreted the festival on December 25th as referring to Christ, the Sun of righteousness, so as to give the pagan observance an edifying new meaning, but what about the Eastern Church and January 6th?

Since January 6th can hardly have been the Christianization of a pagan festival, and was not a turning point in the astronomical year, it prompts a question whether the corresponding western date can have been merely that and no more. After all, December 25th as a date for Christ’s nativity is quite possibly older than the Christian or even the pagan festival on that date, since it occurs in Hippolytus’s Commentary on . The text of this passage is somewhat uncertain, it is true, and may be due to an early redactor rather than to Hippolytus himself. The other date for Christ’s nativity, however, can be traced back with greater certainty behind Hippolytus, to Clement of Alexandria, who before the year 200 dates Christ’s nativity on January 6th. This is over a century before any festival of the nativity on January 6th is recorded. Could Clement’s dating, then, be due to a historical tradition that the nativity took place at that time?

Browne’s and Bainton’s articles ought to be much more widely read than they are, for there is still today a strong tendency to assume that a midwinter date for the nativity is not even one of the earliest surviving traditions, and that this date must be due either to the Christianization of a pagan festival at that time of year, or to the contemporary speculation about the “appropriate” length for Christ’s life and its “necessary” alignment with the seasons. If, however, the traditional eastern day of January 6th was known in the church of Alexandria in the last decade of the 2C, it is as old as any of these speculations, and older than any evidence linking the nativity with the pagan festival on the winter solstice. Moreover, if it was known in Alexandria in the last decade of the 2C, it was probably also known there half a century earlier. For in the same passage of Clement, after speaking of the dates for the Lord’s birth, he says, “And the followers of Basiledes hold the day of his baptism as a festival…”

Basiledes likewise belonged to Alexandria, where he taught in the second quarter of the 2C, and though he was a heretic, he would have known the traditions of the Alexandrian church…Tertullian’s knowledge of January 6th as the date of Christ’s birth is confirmed by his apparent knowledge of it as the day of Christ’s baptism, for we have seen that anciently the date commemorated both events.

R. Beckwith, Calendar & Chronology, Jewish and Christian (Brill, 1996), 71-75.

So Why December 25th

Can we confidently celebrate our Lords birth On December 25th?

The Lexham English Bible Chapter 1

5 It happened that in the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a certain priest, Zechariah by name, of the division of Abijah. And ⌊he had a wife⌋ from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous in the sight of God, living blamelessly in all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. 7 And ⌊they did not have⌋ a child, because Elizabeth was barren. And they were both advanced ⌊in years⌋.

8 And it happened that while* he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood he was chosen by lot to enter into the temple of the Lord to burn incense.

Let us do a little simple math.

According to the order of service for the division of Abijah Zechariah would have been serving October 3-10 using our calendar.

Zechariah then left and went to his home and his wife conceived a child. Please don’t miss the beauty of the barren woman conceiving. That’s a whole other sermon.

So in Oct Elizabeth conceived John the Baptist early Oct some time right after the 10th. She she kept herself in seclusion for five months. In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee ⌊named⌋ Nazareth. To a virgin legally promised in marriage to a man ⌊named⌋ Joseph of the house of David. And the name of the virgin was Mary.

Add 6 months to Oct, where does that leave us?

MARCH

Tradition of the early church which no way proves anything other than this is an Orthodox view is that Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit on March 25th

Add 9 months to March 25th

December 25th is 9 months from the end of March date held by the early church. March is 6 months after the Bible say Elizabeth conceived John the baptist.

How do we answer the critics

We don’t

This is not a hill to die on. This is not conclusive evidence for the date of December 25th. This is for the believer the one in submission to word of God.

The Lexham English Bible Chapter 26

4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly

There is no need to argue the date of the birth of our Lord. Christians and non Christians will make huge deals out of this subject. The non-believer will use it as a justification to reject the word of God. The believer will use dating the birth as a toll to feed his pride and his piety. Don’t do that.

This has simply been a fun and hopefully edifying exercise that is meant to strengthen your trust in the very word of God. Scholars can destroy arguments using these tools. You don’t need to. You can take this information and point it out. If challenged you can ask “When did Zechariah serve in the temple?” “When did Gabriel appear to Mary?” and point out that the answers they seek are contained in the word of God if they will humble themselves to the truth.

Let us not argue over dates instead let us focus on what really matters.

The Lexham English Bible Chapter 2

a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, was born for you in the city of David.

What’s most important to share?

The Gospel.

What is the Gospel?

The Lexham English Bible Chapter 3

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

The Lexham English Bible Chapter 6

23 For the compensation due sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

BUT

The Lexham English Bible Chapter 10

9 that if you confess with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, resulting in salvation.

The Lexham English Bible Chapter 2

a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, was born for you in the city of David.

The Lexham English Bible Chapter 2

for behold, I bring good news to you of great joy which will be for all the people: 11 that today a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, was born for you in the city of David