When is Jesus’s real birthday?

When is Jesus Christ’s real birthday? As seekers of truth and accuracy it is an honor and gift to have many resources available to search for answers as to exactly when Jesus was born. Although many choose to celebrate His birthday yearly on December 25^th when we explore the breadcrumbs of evidence through scripture and known traditions of the day, we find a path to clarity. Contextual clues in Scripture can help us know not only when He was born, but to see the thread of how God’s intentionality is multilayered and multifaceted and has been road mapped since the beginning of time.

The Timing of John the Baptist  

Clues in scripture for dating of Jesus’s birth are assisted by the birth of His cousin, John the Baptist. We know that Mary’s cousin, Elizabeth, was in her sixth month of pregnancy with John when the Angel first came to Mary. According to Candice Lucey we can also look to traditional Hebrew laws and practices for priests to determine when John would have been conceived, thus telling us when Elizabeth would have been in her sixth month. Lucey shares, “To determine the approximate month of Jesus' birth, we can look at the birth of John the Baptist as described in Luke 1. Zacharias, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife Elizabeth, who was barren, became pregnant with John the Baptist after Zacharias' temple service. Gabriel visited Mary when Elizabeth was six months pregnant and announced that she would give birth to Jesus. By counting from the date of Zacharias' priestly service to the birth of Jesus, we can find additional clues to answer the question of when Jesus was really born.

In those times, Jewish priests were divided into 24 courses that served in the temple throughout the year. The order of Abijah was the eighth priestly course (1 Chronicles 24:6-19) which served in the temple during the 10th week of the priestly cycle. The 10th week started on the second Sabbath in the month of Sivan, which falls approximately from mid-May to mid-June. After Zechariah returned from his priestly duties, Elizabeth became pregnant with John the Baptist.” (Lucey, 1).  

From these helpful insights we can then determine that John the Baptist was likely born in the Spring, and then therefore Jesus would have been born six months after His beloved cousin. This is also significant as to the fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah and the call of John the Baptist’s life.

Mark 1:1-4 shares,

“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, Who will prepare Your way; The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight.’ ” John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”

To realize the significance of John being born ahead of Jesus we must realize that it was to be in accordance with what was prophesized hundreds of years prior to his birth. John played an important role in the later years of Jesus’s life, and he played an important role even before his birth. Elizabeth, John’s mother, also served as a great confidant, encouragement, and blessing to Mary as she carried the Savior in her womb. 

The Census and Trip to Bethlehem

Just as Scripture foretold, the Messiah was to be born in the town of Bethlehem (Micah 5:2-5). We are told of the call to the little town in Luke 2.

“Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.” Luke 2:1-5

These details of the census are very important, as they coincide with Jewish feasts and traditions. Although the Christian Church typically does not celebrate the festivals and holidays set forth first in Judaism, they are very important to the heart of the Lord. God set forth intentional times of year in which His people were to fast, mourn, celebrate, feast, or observe an aspect of their life with the Lord. According to the Eden to Eden study by The Rooted Truth, “There is good evidence and many reasons why some believe that Jesus was born on the Feast of Trumpets. God’s calendar is beautiful and specific, and as we’ll see, Jesus fulfills each one of the Lord’s Feasts on their specific day. We know that He wasn’t born on Passover/Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, or the Feast of Tabernacles because those are the feasts where all men were required by the law to be in Jerusalem. Joseph traveled with Mary to Bethlehem—where Jesus was born—for the census when “everyone went to his own city” (Luke 2:3). The Creator of the world, coming in human form with signs in the heavens (Revelation 12), was announced to the world by the Feast of Trumpets. This feast is also known as Rosh Hashanah and begins on Tishri 1. It starts a ten-day period of repentance as the Jews prepare for the Day of Atonement, which fittingly begins with trumpet blasts. There are many spiritual significances to the blowing of the shofar (trumpets) as well. In ancient Israel, they announced the coronation of a king with a blast of the shofar, so by sounding it, we ultimately recognize God as our Creator and King by Whom all things were made. Tishri 1 was also the day for many ancient kings to be inaugurated; however, this time, it was announcing the eternal King, just as it was prophesied. It is entirely fitting that Jesus would be born on this feast as well as return on this feast since He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. The Feast of Trumpets begins and ends with Him.”

Knowing that God is intentional and orderly and always keeps His Word we can conclude that it is very likely that Jesus was indeed born during this festival. This conclusion is also supported from the information gathered of the timing of the birth of John the Baptist as well, for he was born six months prior to Jesus. This would place the timing of the conception of Jesus to be around December and His birth in September, six months after John’s birth in the Spring. 

Jesus’s entrance into the world coming at the Jewish New Year, or Rosh Hashanah is also significant in that a new year marks a new start. The holiday is also typically one that celebrates God’s creation of the world and of Adam and Eve. Jesus in coming as the Second Adam, the One to redeem Adam’s sin cannot go unnoticed either. By entering the world at such a time, it was yet another marking that Jesus came for and with purpose. The Jewish New Year ends with the atonement of sin, and Jesus came to atone for our sins. This shows us that just as God breathed life into Adam and that act is celebrated at Rosh Hashanah Jesus fulfills and finishes the promise by taking His first breaths at such a holiday to one day redeem all that Adam lost.

The Shepherds

Another key factor in the specific dating of the true birth of Christ is the Shepherds. Luke 2:8-16 explains,

“In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger.” Luke 2:8-16

It is key that we take note that the Shepherds were staying out in the fields with their flocks as they were able to sleep in the fields. According to Logos, “Second, the shepherds must have been in the fields at a time when the fields were fallow—that is, after harvest and before plowing and planting.” This time would have been then after harvest which would have ended in September/ October and before the time of planting which would have been in November. This adds to the conclusion that Jesus was in fact born in the Autumn as well. What is key that we take note of with the Shepards as well is that the Angel appeared to them within the timing that Jesus was still in Bethlehem. Mary and Joseph resided primarily in Nazareth, so there was a small amount of time that the Shepherds would have been able to make it to Bethlehem to see the Savior the Angels had told them about. Because of the context clues we see of the abilities of the Shepherds to tend their flocks in the fields at night and see Jesus as a newborn we are itching closer to see that the Autumn is the proper fitting for the true time of His birth.

Dr. Michael Heiser actually makes the case that Jesus was born on September 11, 3 BC. Here is the link to his article and his YouTube video on it.

The Reason for the Season  

What is most important is that we not only celebrate the birth of Christ on one day of the year, but every single day of the year. A beautiful capturing of this is of Mary shortly after the birth of her Son in Luke 2:19-20, 

“But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.”

Mary witnessed the fulfillment of all that had been told to her by the Angel, all that had been told to the Shepherds watching their flocks, and all that had been told to her cousin, Elizabeth. Every single word that had come from the messengers of the Lord had come to pass, and it was a glory Mary pondered and treasured in her heart. We too have this opportunity, to witness and celebrate the fulfillment of the birth of Christ as well as the death and resurrection of Christ. Every single day can celebrate Christ’s birth, His sacrifice in dying for us on the Cross, and the kept promised of the Resurrection of Christ as we too ponder in our hearts our faithful Savior.

Let us stand in awe, wonder, and gratitude not just one day of the year, but every day at the goodness of our Savior. It is not a fairytale or a folklore, it is the most genuine story that the world has ever experienced. It is the day that began the life of the most important person to ever walk the planet, Jesus, and it is a day as Christians we ought to celebrate every single day in our hearts. As I Celebrate the Day beautifully paints lyrically, “And I, I celebrate the day that You were born to die so I could one day pray for You to save my life.” Let us celebrate the day He was born every day, for He was born to die and rise again that we may have the privilege and honor to accept Him as our Savior by grace that our lives may also begin, truly begin, in and through Him.

Listen to the latest members podcast episode on this very topic here. 

Sources:

https://www.christianity.com/wiki/jesus-christ/when-was-jesus-born.html#:~:text=Based%20on%20the%20Bible%20text,occurred%20in%20Sivan%20(June).

https://www.logos.com/grow/shepherds-jesus-birth/

https://drmsh.com/september-11-happy-birthday-to-jesus/ 

NASB Bible translation

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/4762/jewish/What-Is-Rosh-Hashanah.htm

Eden to Eden Study

I Celebrate the Day Written by Matthew Thiessen