Article - Birth of Christ and Scriptural Accuracy
The following are some of the scriptural facts about Jesus’ birth. First, the Bible does not reveal the birth date of Jesus. The many man-made views of when Jesus was born [December 25 (most Catholics & Protestants), Jan. 6 (Eastern Orthodox), Jan. 19 (Armenians)] are unlikely because at the time of Jesus’ birth, shepherds were living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night (Luke 2:8). It is doubtful that the shepherds would live out in the fields during such a cold and rainy season (Song of Solomon 2:11; Ezra 10:9, 13). Second, the “wise men” were actually “Magi” (Eastern Gentile astrologers; no reference to how many there were, Matthew 2:1). Third, the star “went” before the Magi until it came and stood over where the young Child was (Matthew 2:9). Fourth, by the time the Magi arrived, Joseph, Mary and Jesus were already living in a house and Jesus was over 40 days old (Matthew 2:11; Luke 2:21-22; Leviticus 12:2-8). This explains why there was much talk in Jerusalem and why Herod commanded that all male children be put to death from two years old and under (Matthew 2:16-17). Fifth, the Bible does not mention/authorize the celebration of Jesus’ birth as a religious holiday. Christians have no more right to celebrate the birth of Christ religiously than they do the baptism of Christ (Galatians 4:9-11). The fact that God specified the first day of the week as the day to observe His Son’s death in the Lord’s Supper indicates that God wants us to emphasize Jesus’ death and not His birth (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26). Sixth, it is optional to spend time with family and exchange gifts on a day set aside by our nation as a secular holiday, but we are not authorized by God to observe “Christmas” as the actual birth of Jesus or as a religious holiday (Romans 14:6).
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