When Was Jesus Born?
Let me begin by saying right up front that no one knows exactly when Jesus was born because the Bible does not clearly answer this question. That doesn’t mean the question is unimportant, only that it is not essential to our Christian faith. As we approach Christmas this year, it is good to remind ourselves that nowhere does the Bible command us to celebrate Jesus’ birth. If the first Christians knew the precise year and day when our Lord was born in Bethlehem, they didn’t make an issue of it. Yet it was inevitable that his birth would be remembered. Two of the gospels contain detailed information about the events surrounding the birth of our Lord. And since his birth happened in a very unusual fashion, it is not surprising that Christians for 2000 years have done what Mary did as she considered all that happened to her. Luke 2:20 says she treasured up all the events and pondered them in her heart. It is a useful spiritual exercise to think about the how and when and why of the events surrounding our Lord’s birth.
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