And after seeing the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. “And after hearing the king, they departed and behold, the star that they had seen in the east went in front of them, until it came and stood over the house where the little Child was. But God intervened, through a dream to Joseph, to prevent Herod from harming the young Jesus: Upon learning that Christ was prophesied to be born in Bethlehem, Herod instructed the Magi to return and inform him after they had found Him. Intending to slay the infant king, Herod summoned the scribes and chief priests to Jerusalem to inquire where the Messiah would be born, according to the prophecies in the Old Testament. Matthew’s account follows: “Now after Jesus had been born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold, Magi from the east arrived at Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is the One Who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east, and have come to worship Him.’ But when Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him” (Matt. When Herod heard that the prophesied king of the Jews had been born, he feared that the Jews would begin to revolt against his rule. The Gospel of Matthew records that the birth of Jesus Christ occurred during the reign of Herod the Great. JESUS WAS BORN DURING THE REIGN OF HEROD THE GREAT These combined records clearly reveal the year, season and the approximate day of Jesus Christ’s birth. The scriptural and historical facts concerning the birth of Jesus Christ are readily available to all who are willing to examine them. A proper understanding of the true circumstances of His birth will provide deeper insight into the meaning of His life and the ultimate purpose of His coming. The birth of Jesus Christ fulfilled a number of significant prophecies that are recorded in the Old Testament. His birth is, in fact, the chief cornerstone and foundation of true Christianity. While supposedly honoring the birth of Jesus Christ, the traditional observance of Christmas actually distorts the scriptural story of His birth and ignores the revealed purpose of His coming to earth in the flesh. Most churches today encourage their members to freely participate in the popular customs of the Christmas season. Age-old customs of pagan origin entered the Christian churches many centuries ago and are now viewed as an essential part of Christian worship. Few realize that this observance is based on ancient pagan tradition that predates Jesus Christ’s birth by thousands of years. They reason that the date or season is not as important as remembering the event.Īlthough an abundance of scriptural and historical evidence proves Jesus was not born on December 25, the majority of professing Christians still observe this date as His birthday. While some theologians claim that it is not possible to know when Jesus was born, they readily accept December 25 as the day to celebrate His birth. Still others are inclined to shrug their shoulders, declaring that they don’t know and, it really doesn’t matter. Some claim that He was born in the spring, while others feel that He was born in the fall. As to the season of the year, most believe that He was born in the winter. Various theories place the year of His birth in a range from 6 BC to 1 AD. The date of Jesus Christ’s birth has been a topic of controversy for centuries. Book: A Harmony of the Gospels - In Modern English
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