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#2. WHEN WAS JESUS BORN?

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Introduction 2

Most Christians who have anything to do with Christmas probably do so believing that it was the birthday of Jesus. Nobody knows the birth date of Jesus exactly: it can only be estimated, but God knows when Jesus was born, and chose not to reveal it to us through his word. All attempts to pinpoint the date of Jesus' birth are mere speculation, and such things should be avoided by Christians:

(1 Timothy 1:4) "Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions rather than godly edifying which is in faith; so do."
(Titus 3:9) "But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain."

Moses told the children of Israel:

(Deuteronomy 29:29) "The secret things belong to the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law."

No doubt God has good reasons to keep Jesus' birth date from us:

(1) It will not help us to be obedient to God (Deuteronomy 29:29),
(2) It is unprofitable (Titus 3:9),
(3) It ministers questions rather than godly edifying (1 Timothy 1:4), such as, "How should we celebrate Jesus' birthday?"

#2. WHEN WAS JESUS BORN?

Jesus was born according to the Jewish calendar, and even if his birth date were known accurately, the date would vary from year to year on the Roman Gregorian calendar which we observe in the west. For example, on the lunar-Jewish calendar, the Jews celebrate "Hanukkah" on the 25th chizlev every year, but It begins at sundown on the following dates on the solar-Gregorian calendar:

2012 - 8th December, || 2013 - 27th November, || 2014 - 16th December,

2015 - 6th December, || 2016 - 24th December, || 2017 - 12th December,

2018 - 2nd December, || 2019 - 22nd December, || 2020 - 10th December.

Jesus' birth date would vary on the solar-Roman calendar in a similar manner, so trying to give a Roman calendar date for the birth of Jesus is nonsense. Christmas doesn't vary on the Roman calendar, so any predicted date like 25th December is false.

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