When was the actual birth date of Jesus?

• Who was the first to celebrate Jesus birth? - Heaven itself, “a multitude of the heavenly host praising God” (Luke 2:13-14). And it says in verse 11 of Luke 2, the angel brought the “good tidings of great joy” to the shepherds: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord”. This good news is not just for the shepherds but “which shall be to all people”. Christ is the Gospel, the good news is the Gospel, and that is what we desperately need to hear. What did the shepherds do? did they keep quiet? “they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child”. We are to declare to the world the good news that man now can have a right relationship with God. He has made it possible now for us to come from under His condemnation. Christ came into the world to share with mankind that there is a way of escape from hell itself. Christ came into the world — to bring the Gospel and to be the Gospel.

Luke 2:8-11 “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

Luke 2:13-14 “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

Luke 2:17 “And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.”

• Which year was Jesus born? - Historically the tradition of “Christmas”, commemorating the birth of Lord Jesus Christ, is fixed on December 25th, a pagan holiday, the time of the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere, when the day begins to become longer than the night. Roman calender made an error with the assumption that Jesus was born in year zero. In truth, the actual day is insignificant in the celebration of His birth, because we are not commanded to, nor are we commanded not to observe it. We can remember and celebrate the significance of Jesus' birth every day of the year. The year and date were not revealed in the Bible directly. But there is enough information in the Bible to come to the year of Jesus Birth, though we do not know with correct precision. Herod the Great, according to historical and secular evidence, reigned from 37–4 BC and died in 4 BC at the age of 70. So Jesus was definitely born before 4 B.C because Herod was still living in 4 B.C. The wise men found that a king would be born to be connected to the star through the prophesy of Balem in Num 24:17, and that Christ is going to come from the tribe of Judah, from Jacob's prophecy in Gen 49:10. And considering that two years passed after King Herod had inquired of the wise men (Matt 2:16), and before he had the Children of bethlehem killed, we can add at least another two years to the date (He obviously, was alive 2 years after he inquired of the wise men to make this proclamation). So it is clear Jesus must have been born 2 years before 4 BC, which would be sometime around or before 6 BC.

Matt 2:7 “Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared”

Matt 2:16 “Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying,...”

Matt 2:19-20 “But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.”

• Day of Atonement significance - What was the historical or ceremonial feast day connected to the proclamation of liberty in Leviticus 25? It is the Jubilee. Jesus is the very essence of the Jubilee, who came to proclaim the liberty (Luke 4:18). Jesus might have been born on the Day of atonement in the month of Tisri (Lev. 25:9), which was the ushering in of the Jubilee year of 7 B.C., or the feast of tabernacles. According to the Jewish calender, 7 B.C is the jubilee year. This of course would also explain why Mary and Joseph found no room in the Inn, as Jerusalem and the neighboring communities would have no doubt been inundated with Jews who would have come from all over Israel to celebrate the Jubilee and feast days of the seventh month. It not only fits with circumstantial evidence of Herod and the timing of the star, but also fits perfectly with Biblical teaching of unfolding of God's plan. Remember all the feast days and ceremonial laws are the shadows that point to Christ. For example, Jesus was crucified on the ceremonial feast day of the Passover. When Jews were observing Passover, Jesus hung on the cross as a God's Passover Lamb. Jesus was announced as the Lamb of God by John the Baptist on the first day of seventh month of AD 29, which also is a special feast day, also identified with Jubilee. The Holy Spirit is poured out in AD 33, when Jews were observing the Pentecost.

Lev 25:9-10 “Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. 10And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.”

Luke 4:17-19,21 “And there was delivered unto him [Lord Jesus] the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 18The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.”

• What date was Jesus born? - As far as the day Jesus was born, God has given us couple of clues. In connection with John's birth (6 months prior to our Lord's) and the Priestly office of Zecharias, there is also a great deal of evidence which would lead us to believe that the date is in October. First clue is in Luke 1:5, speaking of Zacharias, father of the John the Baptist, it is written that he is from course of Abia or in Hebrew called Abijah. We see in 1 Chronicles 24:10, in connection to the conduct of temple worship, King David established 24 courses. Eighth was the course of Abijah (1 Chr 24:10). Eighth is the end of 1/3 of all 24 courses, served over period of 12 months of the Biblical calender. That means, the priests are officiated in the temple in the 4 month after the first day of the year. Since we know, Jesus was born in 7 BC, the Priestly office of Zecharias was in a year before, that would be 8 BC. In 8 BC, the last day of the 4th month of the Biblical calender was in the first week of July, when he received angel visitation about the birth of John the Baptist and finished his course. So Elizabeth might have conceived in the month of July in 8 BC and John the Baptist might have been born in April the following year. The second clue is in Luke 1:36 “behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her”. So John the Baptist is about 51/2 months older than Jesus. So Jesus was born sometime between September and October. In the year 7 B.C., the day of Atonement is on October 2nd. Day of Atonement has everything to do with Jesus Birth. So we have every reason to believe that Lord Jesus Christ was born on October 2nd in 7 B.C.

Luke 1:5 “There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia [Abijah]: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.”


Luke 1:31,36 “31And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 36And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren”

Why does God Allow Man made Disasters?

• God's Compassions Fail NOT - Many people suffer because of the actions of others, whether it be at individual actions, or Government actions/laws or Nation's actions/laws. Be it genocide, mass starvation, disease, greed, or pollution, there are real consequences to sinful actions. Mankind has always been quick to blame others – even God – for his sins, failures, problems, sorrows, and frustrations. However, this blame is altogether misplaced, since the Bible clearly explains that our problems stem from us – from our own sins, pride, greed and lust. Pride is the root of all sin, and the one that God especially despises. Not only man, in his pride, is guilty of disobeying God's commands, but he is guilty of changing the commandments of God by putting himself over the authority of the Bible. Pro 14:12 says, “There is a way that seems right to man, but its end is the way of death”. We live in a universe of cause and effect that God has established by His Word. Not only is that true in a physical sense, its spiritual ramifications are devastating. The end result of sin, if left unchecked, leads to suffering, pain, death, and eventually complete destruction. The more the world isolates away from God and His Word, the more evil it will become and sin will multiply. There are two sides to sin, one we have to face the God's punishment for sin and the other we have to face the consequences of the sin. Everyone of us are equally guilty of sin before God, as Jesus reminds us in Luke 13:3. It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed (Lam 3:22). There is a way to live that leads to long lasting peace and happiness. However, to achieve such results, like the city of Nineveh, we must collectively turn to the God of the Bible and repent of breaking His laws. God’s compassion is accentuated in providing His Son Jesus Christ as a propitiation for our sins. Christ endured the wrath of God for His people, by making payment for their sins by shedding His own blood and made provision to the eternal life.

Rom 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”

Luke 13:1-5 “There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? 3I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. 4Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? 5I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

Lam 3:22-24 “It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not 23They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness”

Rom 3:23-25 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

• The God of All Comfort; Who Comforteth Us in ALL our Tribulation - The various evils affecting our planet today such as, murder, robbery, theft, kidnapping, rape, deceit, or any other sin, all have devastating effects not only on the ‘sinner’ but on society at large. God's Elect are also effected by the natural and man made disasters. God allows or disallows disasters according to his divine plan, and uses sinful intentions of men for the greater good of His Elect, as he works in their lives. The ultimate good God looks at is the eternal Glory He gives for His Children. In the process He draws them and molds them into likeness of Christ through various events and chastisements. For one thing, such events shake our confidence in this life and force us to think about eternity. They remind us how fragile and temporal this life is and drive us to God. They help us to set our eyes on things above. God’s mercy manifests itself along with the comfort< that God alone abundantly supplies to His children, in turn they can comfort others, as 2 Cor 1:3-4 affirms. And the means of mercy and comfort is found in the Scriptures as we learn from Rom 15:4. So the believer in Christ can have the utmost confidence and comfort on his death bed or in a death of a loved one, that they would be with the Lord the moment they close their eyes, as Php 1:20-21, 2 Cor 5:6-8 and 1 Pet 1:3 acknowledges. Only when Christ returns will the new heavens and the new earth be established (Rev 21:1). In this new earth and in the new heavens, “[God] will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Rev 21:4).

2 Cor 1:3-4 “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”

Rom 15:4 “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”

Job 2:9-10 “Then said his [Job] wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. 10But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.”

Php 1:20-21 “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

2 Cor 5:6-8 “Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7(For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”

1 Cor 15:16-22 “For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”

1 Pet 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively [or living] hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”

1 The 4:13-18 “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

Rom 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

1 Cor 2:9 “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”