Why Is Christ's Birthday Celebrated On 25th December?

Any Encyclopaedia Will Tell You...

Statue of Constantine the Great, outside the York Minster in York England.

This is part six of the serialization of Celebration of the Birth of Christ, which is Chapter 7 of the book Friends With God.

25^th Dec Changes Everything!

If Jesus was born on the Feast of Tabernacles, (as explained the Third Post) how and why was the time of the commemoration of his birth altered?

In 274 AD the pagan Roman Emperor Aurelian established a feast for the birth of Sol Invictus (the Unconquered Sun) to be kept on the 25^th of December, near the Winter Solstice. A few years later Constantine, the next Roman Emperor, became a Christian in 312AD, however he was not baptized until just before his death in 327AD. He kept worshiping the Sun and also worshiped God.

On one side of his coins he had the symbol of the Cross, and on the other the symbol of the Sun. His was a classic case of Religious Syncretism. Which is also why the Catholic Church at the Council of Nicaea, directed and overseen by Constantine, in 325AD changed the day of worship from God’s Sabbath Day to Sunday, being the day of worship of the Sun.

Constantine also started the custom of celebrating the Birth of Christ on December 25^th, apparently to keep it in line with the pagan ceremonies of the Roman Sun worshippers. (see Britannica on line: Why is Christmas in December?) However, Sun worshippers actually kept four annual solar festivals, that occur three months apart:

·     The Summer and Winter Solstices, (when the sun is, respectively, the longest or shortest period of time in the sky) occur in the Northern Hemisphere about the 22^nd of June, and 22^nd of December respectively. They are six months apart.
·     The Spring and Autumn equinoxes (when there is equal amount of night and day) occur about the 22^nd of March and 22^nd of September respectively. These are also six months apart, and fall in-between the summer and winter solstices.

The 25^th of December was chosen by Aurelian to celebrate the Winter Solstice, as the change in daylight length is only clear after a few days past the actual solstice on the 22nd of December.

Interestingly, the feasts of Passover and Tabernacles often correspond with the Spring and Autumn equinox, which are the birthdays of Jesus and John. And, as each was conceived nine months earlier, then the conceptions of John and Jesus would also often correlate with the Summer and Winter solstices.

This coincidence with the two solstices and equinoxes was very convenient for the Sun worshipers, as we will see below.

As discussed in the Third Post, the actual conception of Christ was the 25th of December. Constantine knew of the proposed dates for the birth and conception of Christ. He decided to switch them around to make it more convenient for the pagans to worship the birth of the Son of God on the 25th of December, rather than the birth of the Sun God. (See Appendix 179 of The Companion Bible by E.W.Bullinger, 1922)

So, once Constantine became a Christian, in order to get the pagans worshipping the true God, he issued a decree to “switch around” the dates for the births and conceptions of Jesus and John. The pagans could then see in this new religion some Religious syncretism with their previous beliefs, as they could now worship the Son of God on the same day as they had previously worshipped the Sun God.

This of course meant that, in order to keep the celebrations in line with the scriptural record, the commemoration of the conception and birth of John the Baptist would also need to be brought back nine months. While the dates for some kind of celebration and festival remained almost the same, the actual events being commemorated were different. - as shown TABLE 1 below.

With the all-powerful newly converted Christian Emperor running the show there would be little that could be done about these changes as to when these conceptions and births were commemorated, particularly as the scriptures do not clearly spell out the birth date of Jesus.

• It needs to emphasised that the dates in this Table are according to the Solar based Roman calendar, which was later adopted by the Roman Catholic Church, and eventually by the entire world. However, the actual dates for the commemoration of Christ’s and John’s conception and birth should be calculated using the Hebrew Calendar, which is based on both the solar and lunar cycles. This calendar is the one that God accepted and used throughout scripture to time all the events that he has determined would happen in the past and the future. The solar based calendar is a calendar developed by Sun Worshipers, and was introduced to the Roman Empire by Julius Caesar in 46BC.
  The Hebrew Calendar is much older, and I consider more logical and natural than the modern Solar based calendar, because the months correspond directly to the phases of the moon, whereas the Solar calendar months have nothing to do with the moon cycles. Yet the word ‘month’ means moon- which comes from the time before the Sun Worshipers took over the calendar, and most ancient calendars were very similar to the Hebrew Calendar.
  

When we realize that God’s festivals point to various acts of Jesus, either historically or in the future, then their importance in teaching a Christian perspective of the plan of God can’t be overstated. To therefore alter the timing of them (including using a Sun Worshipers’ calendar to count the days) undermines their value and perverts the truth of God.

Ever since 336AD, most Christian churches have continued the custom of celebrating the birth of Christ on the 25^th of December, although various Churches (often branded as heretics) have been aware of the pagan association of December 25th, and refused to keep it. Also, some Christian governments, because they understood its pagan origins, have actually outlawed Christmas.

Today, there are a growing number of modern Christian Churches who do keep the commemoration of these births on their correct dates, according to the Hebrew calendar.

However, given all the confusion caused by Constantine, it seems that it will require the return of Christ, as the eternal World Emperor of his everlasting kingdom, to get everyone keeping these festivals at the same time. (Zec 14:16-19)

The Feast Of Tabernacles And The Millennium

The timing of Jesus’ birth at the Feast of Tabernacles is significant, as this festival represents to Christians the 1,000 year rule of the Kingdom of God on Earth after Jesus’ return. (Rev 20:4-6)

Prior to Jesus’ birth, the Angel Gabriel told Mary, that her expected son was to be the King of the Kingdom of God:

Fear not, Mary: for you have found favour with God. And, behold, you shall conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name Jesus. (meaning “the Lord saves”) He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. (Luke 1:30-33)

His birth was similarly foretold by Isaiah:

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. (Isa 9:6-7)

When it says “the government shall be upon his shoulder” and “Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end”, it seems to indicate that from the time of his birth “from henceforth even forever” the Kingdom of God had entered a new phase- starting in the form of this baby King.

The Kingdom of God Given To The Church

As an adult, Jesus, the King of the Kingdom of God, told the Jews:

The kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. (Matt 21:43)

Jesus was removing/transferring his Kingdom to another nation! That nation is the Church, as Jesus said:

I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matt 16:18)

As explained previously, the Kingdom of God was taken from Israel and given to the Church- and this Kingdom was then to endure forever: upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever.

However, God has not rejected Israel as his people, as is explained in the next and final chapter of Friends With God: God’s Friendship With Israel And The Church.

The Angels’ message to the shepherds is also relevant in the context of the Feast of Tabernacles:

“Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
(Luke 2:10)

The word here for “people” includes both Gentiles and Israelites. In the millennial rule of Christ, the entire world, not just Israel, shall be in the Kingdom of God, and shall worship him at The Feast of Tabernacles:

And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts,
and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.
(Zec 14:16-17)

When Christ rules the Earth, the Kingdoms of the world must come up to worship God at the Feast of Tabernacles, or God will not given them rain. The Feast of Tabernacles is therefore going to be very important during the 1,000 year reign of Christ on Earth. (Rev 20:4-6)

Christians today who celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles see it as a picture of the millennium, when Christ will return to the earth to rule for 1,000 years. And it is therefore appropriate that at the beginning of the Feast of Tabernacles in 4 BC, the Kingdom of God had physically come to Earth in the form of a baby King, who was to live forever.

When we view all these scriptures together, our appreciation of the meaning of the Feast of Tabernacles is enhanced to increase our celebration of the time of good tidings of great joy for all people.

To celebrate Christ’s birth at the Feast of Tabernacles, heralds a truly significant event in the process of the Kingdom of God being spread throughout all the Earth. (Isa 11:1-9)  

John The Baptist

The corresponding relationship between the birth of John the Baptist and the birth of Christ is undermined by Christmas celebrations. Yet the story of Christ’s birth is closely linked with the birth of John the Baptist.

As we have seen, John was miraculously conceived six months before Christ. (Luke 1:36-37) As discussed in the Third Post in this series, John’s birth would have been on the 14^th Day of the First Month, which is the Passover.

John therefore would have been circumcised eight days later. The circumcision of a male child was a very important event, accompanied by celebrations and feasting. It represents the covenant relationship that Abraham had with God, which covenant was then continued with Abraham’s descendants in Israel. (Gen 17:9-13)

We see that with both John and Jesus, that the day of their circumcision was also the day for the formal giving of their names. (Luke 1:59-63, 2:21) In the case of John, as he was born on Passover, he would have been named and circumcised eight days later, on another Holy Day- the last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

John’s name means “The Grace, or Mercy, of God”, which is appropriate as he was to proclaim the Messiah, through whom grace and mercy would come to the world.

Yet such grace and mercy come only on those who have repented, and John’s role was to preach repentance, to make ready a people for Christ:

And he shall turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. (which is repentance) And he (John) shall go before Him (Christ) in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. (Luke 1:12-17)

The words ‘turn’ and ‘repent’ have very similar meanings- being to turn from sin unto God’s way of righteousness.

John warned everyone to repent for the Kingdom of God was at hand. (Matt 3:1-3)  

John The Baptist was a bridge between the Old and New Testaments, as he was a priest within the law of the Old Covenant, who nonetheless pointed to Jesus as the harbinger of the New Covenant.

John introduced baptism as a ritual for those who followed his preaching.

When Jesus was baptised by John, a voice from God then proclaimed:

this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matt 3:13-17)

Jesus then took on the new ritual of baptism and actually baptised more people than John baptised. (John 4:1)

This ritual of baptism therefore provided another clear link between the Old and New Covenants through John. His birth at Passover, also provided continuity between the Old Covenant with Israel, and the New Covenant with all nations.

When we understand that Christ and John were born on these two festivals, then we see the Holy Days in a deeper and more transcendent way.

We can see that the physical harvests of grains and fruit in the land of Israel, parallel the spiritual fulfilment of reaping the fruit of the Spirit unto repentance- which provides not just mortal physical life, but eternal spiritual life! (John 4:35, Gal 5:22-25, Eph 5:9-10)

The spiritual meaning of these feasts is evident in the first letter to the Corinthian church. Paul tells them that the message of repentance and righteousness is what the Feast of Unleavened Bread is about:

Purge out therefore the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, as you are unleavened.
For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us:
Therefore let us keep the feast (of Unleavened Bread), not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
(1Cor 5:7-8)

The meaning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, from a New Covenant perspective, is to partake of sincerity and truth, obviously meaning to be in whole hearted devotion to God- forsaking malice and wickedness that is figuratively like leaven, which puffs us up with pride and foolishness.

By ensuring these births occurred on these festivals, God demonstrated the significance of his Festivals in spelling out the plan of God for all mankind.

It also demonstrates how important it is for us today, to commemorate these appointed times, so as to remember and reiterate all the events, both past and future, that have and will occur on these days.

The final post in this series will explore other important ramifications of the birth of Christ at the Feast of Tabernacles, including why the day Jesus was named and circumcised is so significant for us to celebrate today.