When Was Jesus Christ Born?

"and the word was made flesh and Tabernacled amoung us" John 1:14

Luke tells us that John the Baptist’s earthly father Zachariah served in the course of Abijah or Abia. In 1st Chronicles 24 David divides the priest into 24 courses which were assigned to minister in the temple. Each course served in the temple for one week twice a year. These 24 courses served 2 weeks a year so 24 x 2 covers 48 weeks of the 51 week Jewish year. The remaining three weeks were during Feasts and all 24 courses were required to minister those 3 weeks. The 3 feast where all were required to minister were Pesach (Passover/Feast of unleavened bread), Shavuot (Pentecost) and Sukkot (Tabernacles). The courses began serving on Nisan 1 (Late March to Early April on our calendar) which is the Jewish religious New Year. So the first course, which we know from 1st Chron. 24 was the course of Jehoiarib, always served the first week of Nisan, the second course the 2nd week, all courses served the 3rd week for the Feast of Passover/The Feast of Unleavened Bread; Course 3 served the fourth week; Course 4 the fifth week; Course 5 the sixth week; Course 6 the seventh week; Course 7 the eighth week; Course 8, which is the course Zachariah belonged to (the course of Abijah) served the ninth week and all courses served the tenth week for the Feast of Pentecost. So every year Zachariah’s course served two weeks in a row in the first part of the year. The course of Abijah served their course in the 9th week and the Pentecost course in the 10th week. Pentecost always falls on Sivan 6th which is early to mid June on our calendar

The main point is that Zachariah was ministering in the temple in the 9th and 10th week (early to mid June) so it was during one of those two weeks in early June when he was visited by the angle and told that Elisabeth would conceive John. So if Elisabeth conceived as soon as Zechariah returned home, then John the Baptist was conceived in early to mid June. Luke 1:26 tells us that in the 6th month of Elisabeth’s pregnancy, Gabriel visits Mary and explains that she will conceive by way of the Holy Spirit. So if John was conceived in early to mid June and we assume that Mary conceived through the Holy Spirit while or shortly after Gabriel visited her then Christ would have been conceived in early to mid December near or most likely on what had become Chanukah the Fwatival of Lights.

So if Christ was conceived in early to mid December, then Christ would have been born 9 months later in what would be early to mid September which would coincide with the Jews Fall Feast. Most likely the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) celebrated on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Tishri. John suggests this in his gospel when he says that the Word became flesh and Tabernacled amongst us. During Tabernacles all Jewish people were required to leave their permanent dwellings and stay in a temporal dwelling known as a Sukkah (The plural is Sukkoth which is where the holiday gets its name). These dwellings were representative of the dwelling the Hebrews stayed in during their wilderness wanderings. I would not be surprised if Christ was actually born in a Sukkah or Tabernacle. How fitting that Christ would leave his permanent dwelling and be born in a temporal one since this was his temporal home. The Tabernacle in the wilderness was where Yahweh came to dwell amongst his people. How fitting would it be that Christ would come to dwell among his people on the very Feast which commemorated this very event. John 1:14 says that “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us”. The word dwelt here is skēnoō which literally means to abide or live in a tabernacle or tent.

Some other fun facts: The shepherds near Bethlehem tended to the temple flock and in turn watched over the sacrificial lambs. One night an angle appeared to them and instructed them to go watch over the ultimate sacrificial lamb, The Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

If Christ was indeed born on the feast of Tabernacles it is interesting to realize that the Feast of Tabernacles was a feast whose focus was rejoicing Deut 16:4 says “Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine: And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast.” During this feast the temple would be lit up by means of huge 75-foot candelabras, which stood upon the Temple Mount. These giant candlesticks held four huge bowls which were filled with oil. The priest would also dance around holding torches and the Temple musicians would sing and play music. Jewish sages are recorded as having said that “He who has not seen the rejoicing during the Feast of Sukkoth, has never seen rejoicing in all of his life.” Luke 2:10 says “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. Luke 2:13 says “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God” So if Christ was born on Tabernacles then here on the night of Christ birth we have Light Luke 2:9 and Joy Luke 2:10 and Praises being sung Luke 2:13 which is exactly what was going on in the Temple at that same time. The light emitted during these evenings the entire Temple Mount and the surrounding area so worshippers on their way up to Jerusalem could see these flames from miles around in every direction. During the Feast of Tabernacles in ancient times, the light from the temple lamps would be the only light visible in the darkness. John 1:4-5 tells us that “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” How fitting would it be that the Light of the World would be born during a feast in which the illumination of the temple played such an important role.

Another interesting aspect about these lamps is that the wicks which were used in the lamps were made of the priest’s old garments. The garments would be cut into strips to be used as wicks. Luke 2:7 tells us that Mary “brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes” It is interesting that the word in Luke translated as swaddling is sparganoō. Sparganoō is derived from sparganon which means strips. I would not be surprised if the strips used to wrap Christ came from the strips made from the old priestly garments.

There is another interesting aspect about the swaddling clothes. The Jews would take new born babies and wash them in salt water. This had a hygienic purpose since salt purifies, but it also had a symbolic purpose. The salted water was used to represent the hopes that as the child grew the child’s words would be salted and also that the child would be pure and also preserved since salt is also used as a preservative. After the child was washed they were wrapped in the swaddling clothes from head to toe. The swaddling clothes were strips of cloth wrapped tightly around the babies which caused their limbs to straighten. This symbolized the hope that the child would grow up straight and walk a straight path and not be crooked or wayward. This practice is confirmed in scripture by the Holy Spirit through Ezekiel when in chapter 16 verse 4 while speaking of Isreal he says “And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all.”

Sidenote: In Ezekiel 16:6 still speaking of Israel it says “And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live” notice who’s blood they are covered in, their own, not Christ’s. It goes on to say in 16:8-10 that “Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine. Then washed I thee with water; yea, I thoroughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil. I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers' skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk.” Notice it says He girded them about with fine linen. The word linen is the same word used in Exodus to describe the material out of which the priestly garments were to be made.

I could go on forever but I will end with one last thing, after the 7 day feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot, there was a solemn day known as Shemini Atzeret which means the eighth day of assembly Lev. 23:34. If Christ was indeed born on the first day of Tabernacles, then in accordance with Genesis 17:12 he would have been presented in the temple for his circumcision 8 days later on Shemini Atzerat.

Having said all of this we must rememeber that the most important thing is not WHEN He came, but THAT He came and for what purpose He came.