Jesus Christ’s Birth!Av 2000 years ago God sent an angel to Israel, toa virgin iamed Mary. She was engaged to Joseph, a carpenter. The angel told Mary that by God's power, she would conceive and bearason, When Joseph learned that she was pregnant, an angel instructed him to marry her. Joseph took her to Bethlehem to register for a census, While there, Mary gave birth to Jesus. She Jaid him in a manger because there was no room at the inn. Shepherds visited Jesusin Bethlehem, Later, wise men brought gifts to Jesus. They told Herod the Great, awicked king, that Jesus would rule Israel. So Herod sent soldiers to kill the children in Bethlehem. Warned by an angel, Joseph took his family to Egypt. After Herod died, they returned tolsraeland raised Jesusin town called Nazareth. Dear Brethren in Christ, the above narration gives us the very good exhortation about our Savior's birth & reason to rejoi ‘but whereas, to be more precise on the month & date of His birth, most of our Christian brethren have been mislead by irrelevant proofs by the scholars. Here, we are making ahumble attempt to overcome these misconceptions about our Savior's birth with the relevant Bible proof for more & clear enlightenment; so that we must not be deceived by pagan’ celebration, As scripture clearly said, Let your light shine upon the world! Most biblical scholars and preachers readily admit that they know Christ was not born on December 25th. There is no evidence for this date. So then, who decided that Jesus’ birth ‘would be celebrated on that date? The carly Christian church did not eclebrate Jesus’ birth. It wasn't until A.D. 440 that the church officially proclaimed December 25 as the birth of Christ. This was not based on any religious evidence but on a pagan feast. Saturnalia was a tradition inherited by the Roman pagans from an earlier Babylonian priesthood. December 25 was used asa celebration of the birthday of the sun god. It was observed near the winter solstice Palestine is very cold in December. Tt was much too cold to ask everyone to travel to the city of their fathers to register fortaxes. Also the shepherds were inthe fields (Luke 2:8-12). Shepherds were not in the fields in the winter time. Let us verify these facts. with the guidance of Holy spirit for furtherclarifications, of Jesus: A Study www.reasonedtruth.com ‘September/October 2010 Brother: Serspeclive Verification One: Other evidence that December 25 is the wrong date for the birth of Jesus comes from early writings. Iranaeus, born about a century after Jesus, notes that Jesus ‘was born in the 4ist year of the reign of Augustus. Since Augustus began his reign in the autumn of 43 B.C., this appears to substantiate the birth of Jesus as the autumn of 2 B.C. Eusebius (A.D. 264-340), the "Father of Church History,” ascribes it to the 42nd year of the reign of Augustus and the 28th from the subjection of Egypt on the death of Anthony and Cleopatra, The 42nd year of Augustus ran from the autumn of 2 B.C. to the autumn of 1 B.C. The subjugation of Egypt into the Roman Empire occurred in the autumn of 30 B.C. The 28th year extended from the autumn of 3 B.C. to the autumn of 2 B.C. The only date that would meet both of these constraints would be the autumn of 2 B.C. (Note: Irenaeus 2nd century AD ~e, 202) wes a Catholic Bishop of Tugdumum in Gaul then a partofthe Roman Empire now Tyons, France). He was anearly church father and apologist, and his writings were formative in the early developments Christian theology.) Verification Two: John the Baptist also helps us determine that December 25 is not the birth of Jesus. Elizabeth, John's mother, wasa cousin of Mary. John began his, ministry in the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar. The minimum age for the ministry was 30. As Augustus died on August 19, A.D. 14, that was the accession year for Tiberius. IfJohn wasbornon April 19-20, 2 B.C., his goth birthday would have been April 19- 20, A.D. 29, or the 15th year of ‘Tiberius. ‘This seems to-confirm the 2 B.C. Gate, and, since John was 5/6 months older, this also confirmsan autumn birth date for Jesus LUKE 1:5 Therewas in the daysof Herod, the king of Judea, certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah... (NKJV) First, we need to understand "the division of Abijah.” We find in 1 Chronicles 24:1-19 that the descendants of Aaron's 24 grandsons (the sons of Eleazer and Ithamar) were divided into 24 divisions or courses for the purpose of serving at the Temple. 1 Chronicles 24:10 tells us that the 8th division of service was assigned to Abijah's descendants. Each of these divisions served at the Temple for an eight-day period (1 Chr. 9:25). The service began and ended on the weekly Sabbath (2 Chr. 23:8). In addition to their normal service, all 24 courses served at the Temple during the three holy seasons, every year. The Jewish Mishnah indicates that each course served a week during the first half of the year, the three annual, festival weeks, and a week during the last half of the year, for a total of five weeks during a normal year. ‘Note: normal year onthe Hebrew calendar consistsof twelve lunar months of 290r 30 days, fora totalof 354 days. This is about 1 days less than a solar _yeur (965.24 ¢lays). During aregular Jewish year (whichoceurs 12timesina 19-year cyele), 1 weeks of coverage would be needed to ensure that the Temple was cared for every week throughout the year _24(frsthalfof the year) +3 festival weeks) +24 (second halfof the year) = 51 weeks Berween the ist and the oth week ofthe year, ro of the three festival times wikenall24 courses served occurred. Therefore, thecourseofAbijah, the 8th course, would serve its first regular week during the thor roth week ofthe year (depending on how the Feast af Weeks felon the calendar) With this little insight, I would urge upon the readers to reconsider the entire study for the better enlightenment as we ‘know there is always one or two years of difference would chronological aspect. In addition to this, emerge in all bibli ‘there are various articlesisalso included in this regard. May God Bless You All! Amen For any clarification and comments you may also write to, roii@reasonedtruth.com Fn Aaah 2Dé gnsla. This Publication isdedicated to mighty Jeherah and the Gerd Jebus Christ sigs a. The ivsnas Chatenget NS ie mes 0 ee ree aed erecta ee Mos OPN a crersno sgn ovgren a & tthe bete Page -6 9! rag, < ° = ‘a. What did you b. It's up to you «. Building your house! d. Is your hut burning? Page -7 , Lord? x Fin Calley o a. Tribute to Bro. John Colet Page - 8 = Blesseqy ond be Blesseay 8 Dear Brethren in Grit, we ae pleased 10th authors reathere ros wel, who sea Go's wisdom 1 shore ther views fh fallow servants www.reasonedin people ever meaning, history, or origins. be Christmas celebrates the birth of the ‘came to rescue mankind from the “curse of 24-hour declaration that Judaism is lie Christmas is a lie. There is no Chriliiveiirch with a tradition that Jesus was really born on December 25°. Ie December 25 is a day on which Jews have been shamed, tortured, and murdered. 7 fc Many of the most popular Christmas customs ~ including Christmas trees, mistletoe, Christmas presents, and Santa Claus ~ are modern incarnations of the most depraved pagan rituals ever practiced on earth. Many who are excitedly preparing for their Christmas celebrations would prefer not knowing about the holiday's real significanee. Ifthey do know the history, they often object that their celebration has nothing to do with the holiday's monstrous history and meaning. “We are just havingfun.” Imagine that between 1933-45, the Nazi regime celebrated Adolf Hitler's birthday — April 20 — asa holiday. Imagine that they named the day, “Hitlerday,” and observed the day with feasting, drunkenness, gift-giving, and various pagan practices. Imagine that on that day, Jews were historically subject to perverse tortures and abuse, and that this continued foreenturies. Now, imagine that your great-great-great-grandehildren were about to celebrate Hitlerday. April 20”arrived. They had long forgotten about Auschwitz and Bergen Belsen. They had never heard of gas chambers or death marches. They had purchased champagne and caviar, and were about to begin the party, when someone reminded them of the day's real history and their ancestors’ agony. Imagine that they initially objected, “We aren't celebrating the Holocaust; we're just having alittle Hitlerday party.” Ifyou could travel forward in time and mect them; if you could say a few words to them, what would you advise them todoon Hitlerday? On December 25, 1941, Julius Streicher, one of the most vicious of Hitler’s assistants, celebrated Christmas by penning, the following editorial in his rabidly Antisemitic newspaper, Der Stuermer: ‘Afone really wants to put an end to the continued prospering of this curse from heaven that is the.fewish Blood, there is only one way to do it: to eradicate this people, this Satan's son, root and branch. It was an appropriate thought for the day. This Christmas, howwillwe celebrate? Pro, Learato Tine