The Birth of Christ-the Lamb

Tradition teaches us that Jesus was born on December 25^th,

but did you know for the first three centuries Christians did not even celebrate Christ's birth? Then when they decided they needed to celebrate it there was a lot of debate on the date. After considering several dates the eventual choice of December 25th was made. 336 AD Constantine declared that Christianity was the state religion. Either as a means to unify his empire, or to make converting to Christianity easier for the pagans, Constantine sought to blend Christian and pagan traditions. At that time two prominent pagan winter festivals were celebrated in December. The first, honored Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture, and the second, starting on December 25th commemorated the birth of Mithras, the Persian god of light. Constantine merged many of the traditions from these two festivals with the Bible story of Christ's birth and Christmas was born. From its beginning, Christmas was a holiday (or holy day), and from the Roman and Persian traditions gifts were exchanged, families and friends gathered to feast, and a birth was celebrated as these traditions were merged with Christianity.

The Bible does give us a timetable for the birth of Jesus when you begin to dig and study the scriptures and study our Jewish roots. In order for us to find out when Jesus was born, we’ve got to go back to Zacharias, the husband of Elizabeth, who was a priest in the temple. King David started the rotation of the priests with 24 rotations with a priest from each house. These rotations are listed in 1 Chronicles 24. Zacharias according to Luke was from the lineage of Abijah and therefore according to 1 Chronicles 24:10 would serve in the eight rotation. Those who have researched this say the eight rotation, Zacharias' rotation, would have been during the time after Pentecost. This would have been in the Jewish month of Sivan and would have put him serving between May and June. The rotations usually lasted 6-12 weeks depending on which house you were from and what rotation you were in. That meant Zacharias completed his temple service on a Sabbath, he went home, and some time around the end of June-beginning of July- Elizabeth would have conceived John the Baptist. The reason why John’s conception and his birth is important is because it will give us the timetable for Jesus' birth. According to Luke 1:26 we know that it was six months after Elizabeth conceived that Mary conceived because it says, “Now in the sixth month”. Mary then with haste-no delay- according to vs. 39 went to visit Elizabeth. In verse 41 it says Elizabeth’s baby leaped within her. A baby has to be in the last trimester of development to be leaping in the womb. This gives us a timetable for when Mary conceived. Some scholars say that Mary conceived Jesus on Dec. 25th during Chanukah which is the Festival of Lights. It's interesting to think that the Light of the World was conceived during the Festival of Lights. Jesus said in John 8:12, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."

Working from when John was conceived, and then when Jesus was conceived, Scripture tells us Mary stayed with Elizabeth three months. If Elizabeth was already six months pregnant, then Mary stayed with her until the baby was born. That would mean that John the Baptist was born during Passover. Mary would have been three months pregnant so if you go from December 25^th and you count 40 weeks or nine months you come to the fifteenth day of the seventh month, Tishri, which is the Festival of Tabernacles. John 1:14 tells us, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, The English word translated as “dwelt” is the Greek word “eskenosen” which means, “to encamp”; “to pitch a tent”; “to tabernacle”. God came to earth and tabernacled among His people in the tent of a human body. In the Old Testament the Tabernacle or “The Tent” was the point of contact between God and man; but in the New Testament, Jesus of Nazareth—the incarnate Son of God—is the point of contact between God and man.

Don't just read God's Word, but study His word. Then having your eyes fixed on Jesus step out on the water.