Pastor's Message
December 2025
Christmas Day
The question sometimes comes up, “When was Jesus born?” which is quickly followed up by, “Why, then, do we celebrate Christmas on December 25?” Let’s take these questions in order.
When was Jesus born? There is no definitive passage in Scripture which tells us the exact day or year on which Jesus was born. There are clues, however. Let’s start with the year.
Both Matthew 2:1 and Luke 1:5 tell us that Jesus was born during the reign of King Herod. (According to the Jewish historian of the first century, Flavius Josephus, Herod died in 4 B.C.). Since, in Matthew 2:16, we are told that Herod killed all the baby boys two years and under, we usually say that Jesus was born between 6-4 B.C. (I’d favor closer to 4 than 6.) Note: This often causes confusion when you tell people that Jesus was born around 4 B.C. (four years “before Christ”). The truth is Dionysius Exiguus, the monk who calculated the birth of Jesus, made a mistake.
Furthermore, Luke 2:1-2 tells us, “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)” There is a well-known census of Quirinius that took place in A.D. 6, but that doesn’t fit with the rest of the Biblical timeline. Most scholars believe Luke is referring to an earlier administrative registration by Quirinius when he had an earlier role. There is evidence that such a census occurred in 6-4 B.C. If so, a better translation of the above verse is “before Quirinius was governor…” (which is certainly possible according to the Greek). In that case, the verse doesn’t contradict Matthew’s gospel.
One other clue might be found in the Bethlehem star of Matthew 2. Various astronomers and historians have proposed a three-time alignment of Jupiter and Saturn within Pisces which took place in 7 B.C. (Jupiter symbolized kingship and Pisces represented Israel.) Other think it may have been a comet recorded by Chinese astronomers in 5 B.C. The Chinese also recorded a nova (sudden brightening of a star) that lasted a few months in 5 B.C. It’s hard to say for sure what the celestial sign of the Magi was.
So, what date was Jesus’ born? This one is harder to answer. There are clues in Scripture. When Mary conceived, we are told in Luke 1:36 that Elizabeth was in her 6th month of pregnancy. She conceived shortly after Zechariah returned home from his service in the temple. Zechariah was of the priestly division of Abijah. There are those who have done the math. Jewish priests were divided into twenty-four courses that served the temple throughout the year. The order of Abijah was the eighth priestly course (1 Chronicles 24:6-19) which served the temple during the 10th week of the priestly cycle. The tenth week started on the second Sabbath in the month of Sivan, which would be mid-May to mid-June. Therefore, if Elizabeth conceived mid-June, that would put Jesus’ birth in late September of the following year. However, as the Jewish scholar Alfred Edersheim points out, out of the twenty-four divisions of the priesthood, only three or four returned from exile. This would throw that math all out of order. He was confident of the December 25th date.
Another clue has to do with the shepherds since they were out in the fields. Sheep typically be out in the pasture when the grass was growing and warm enough. This would happen after it rains, typically after either the fall rains or the spring rains. This would put the sheep in the fields either in October or March/April. It is unlikely they would have been in the fields during the cold winter months, but we can’t say for sure.
So, why did December 25 become the day we celebrate Christmas and the birth of Jesus? The first recorded celebration of Christmas on December 25 occurred in Rome around the 4th century AD, roughly 300 years after Jesus’ lifetime. So, why December 25?
When the Roman Emperor Constantine “converted” to Christianity in A.D. 312, church leaders looked for ways to replace popular pagan rituals with Christian festivals. One of those pagan rituals was Saturnalia, December 17-19, honoring Roman god Saturn. During this festival, participants feasted and exchanged gifts. Another was Sol Invictus (the Unconquered Sun) to celebrate the rebirth of the sun following the winter solstice. That was celebrated on December 25. So, what better way to replace the pagan “rebirth of the sun” than with the Christian “birth of the Son”?
Another intriguing theory proposes that December 25 was officially designated as Christmas Day by Sextus Julius Africanus in A.D. 221. This assertion is rooted in meticulous calculations that Africanus undertook, embarking on a historical journey that began with his estimation of the world's creation in 5499 BC. With an unwavering dedication to precision, Africanus meticulously traced the lineage of biblical figures and significant events, meticulously aligning them with historical and astronomical data. His goal was to pinpoint the most appropriate date for commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, a task that required an intricate web of chronology and celestial observations. Africanus's determination to find this date led him to December 25, marking it as the momentous day when Christians should celebrate the birth of their Savior. (from Christianity.com)
By the way, some Christian churches don’t celebrate Christ’s birth on December 25. The Easter Orthodox Church celebrates it on January 7, while the Armenian Church celebrates both Christmas and Epiphany on January 6.
In the end, the day and date doesn’t really matter. We get wrapped up in such things in our western thinking. What is really important is that it happened. God so love the world that he gave us Jesus, the Savior, that whoever believes in him not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16) Oh, come all ye faithful! Join us in our Christmas celebrations!
~ Pastor Ben Golisch ~
Christmas Day
The question sometimes comes up, “When was Jesus born?” which is quickly followed up by, “Why, then, do we celebrate Christmas on December 25?” Let’s take these questions in order.
When was Jesus born? There is no definitive passage in Scripture which tells us the exact day or year on which Jesus was born. There are clues, however. Let’s start with the year.
Both Matthew 2:1 and Luke 1:5 tell us that Jesus was born during the reign of King Herod. (According to the Jewish historian of the first century, Flavius Josephus, Herod died in 4 B.C.). Since, in Matthew 2:16, we are told that Herod killed all the baby boys two years and under, we usually say that Jesus was born between 6-4 B.C. (I’d favor closer to 4 than 6.) Note: This often causes confusion when you tell people that Jesus was born around 4 B.C. (four years “before Christ”). The truth is Dionysius Exiguus, the monk who calculated the birth of Jesus, made a mistake.
Furthermore, Luke 2:1-2 tells us, “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)” There is a well-known census of Quirinius that took place in A.D. 6, but that doesn’t fit with the rest of the Biblical timeline. Most scholars believe Luke is referring to an earlier administrative registration by Quirinius when he had an earlier role. There is evidence that such a census occurred in 6-4 B.C. If so, a better translation of the above verse is “before Quirinius was governor…” (which is certainly possible according to the Greek). In that case, the verse doesn’t contradict Matthew’s gospel.
One other clue might be found in the Bethlehem star of Matthew 2. Various astronomers and historians have proposed a three-time alignment of Jupiter and Saturn within Pisces which took place in 7 B.C. (Jupiter symbolized kingship and Pisces represented Israel.) Other think it may have been a comet recorded by Chinese astronomers in 5 B.C. The Chinese also recorded a nova (sudden brightening of a star) that lasted a few months in 5 B.C. It’s hard to say for sure what the celestial sign of the Magi was.
So, what date was Jesus’ born? This one is harder to answer. There are clues in Scripture. When Mary conceived, we are told in Luke 1:36 that Elizabeth was in her 6th month of pregnancy. She conceived shortly after Zechariah returned home from his service in the temple. Zechariah was of the priestly division of Abijah. There are those who have done the math. Jewish priests were divided into twenty-four courses that served the temple throughout the year. The order of Abijah was the eighth priestly course (1 Chronicles 24:6-19) which served the temple during the 10th week of the priestly cycle. The tenth week started on the second Sabbath in the month of Sivan, which would be mid-May to mid-June. Therefore, if Elizabeth conceived mid-June, that would put Jesus’ birth in late September of the following year. However, as the Jewish scholar Alfred Edersheim points out, out of the twenty-four divisions of the priesthood, only three or four returned from exile. This would throw that math all out of order. He was confident of the December 25th date.
Another clue has to do with the shepherds since they were out in the fields. Sheep typically be out in the pasture when the grass was growing and warm enough. This would happen after it rains, typically after either the fall rains or the spring rains. This would put the sheep in the fields either in October or March/April. It is unlikely they would have been in the fields during the cold winter months, but we can’t say for sure.
So, why did December 25 become the day we celebrate Christmas and the birth of Jesus? The first recorded celebration of Christmas on December 25 occurred in Rome around the 4th century AD, roughly 300 years after Jesus’ lifetime. So, why December 25?
When the Roman Emperor Constantine “converted” to Christianity in A.D. 312, church leaders looked for ways to replace popular pagan rituals with Christian festivals. One of those pagan rituals was Saturnalia, December 17-19, honoring Roman god Saturn. During this festival, participants feasted and exchanged gifts. Another was Sol Invictus (the Unconquered Sun) to celebrate the rebirth of the sun following the winter solstice. That was celebrated on December 25. So, what better way to replace the pagan “rebirth of the sun” than with the Christian “birth of the Son”?
Another intriguing theory proposes that December 25 was officially designated as Christmas Day by Sextus Julius Africanus in A.D. 221. This assertion is rooted in meticulous calculations that Africanus undertook, embarking on a historical journey that began with his estimation of the world's creation in 5499 BC. With an unwavering dedication to precision, Africanus meticulously traced the lineage of biblical figures and significant events, meticulously aligning them with historical and astronomical data. His goal was to pinpoint the most appropriate date for commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, a task that required an intricate web of chronology and celestial observations. Africanus's determination to find this date led him to December 25, marking it as the momentous day when Christians should celebrate the birth of their Savior. (from Christianity.com)
By the way, some Christian churches don’t celebrate Christ’s birth on December 25. The Easter Orthodox Church celebrates it on January 7, while the Armenian Church celebrates both Christmas and Epiphany on January 6.
In the end, the day and date doesn’t really matter. We get wrapped up in such things in our western thinking. What is really important is that it happened. God so love the world that he gave us Jesus, the Savior, that whoever believes in him not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16) Oh, come all ye faithful! Join us in our Christmas celebrations!
~ Pastor Ben Golisch ~