1. Jesus Was Not Actually Born in December When We Celebrate
Although it is a wonderful time of the year to remember and honor the birth of our Savior, Jesus was in fact not even born in the month of December. His birthday is not specified in Scripture, but there are clues based on the time of year and the connection with the birth of John the Baptist as to when he was likely born.
In the 6th month of Elizabeth’s miracle pregnancy, Mary found out that she was pregnant with Jesus (Luke 1). Mary stayed with Elizabeth for around three months (Luke 1:56). By looking at when Elizabeth conceived, we can conclude when Jesus was born. Bible Info tells us, “The start of the 10th week coincided with the second Sabbath in the month of Sivan, which runs approximately from mid-May to mid-June. Soon after Zechariah returned from his priestly duties, Elizabeth became pregnant with John the Baptist.”
Based on all of this, it is estimated that Jesus was born in the month of Tishrei because John the Baptist was conceived in Sivan. (Since Jesus was 6 months younger than John the Baptist.)
The Jewish Months (and When They Usually Fall)
Shevat (January-February)
Adar (February-March)
Nisan (March-April)
Iyyar (April-May)
Sivan (May-June)
Tammuz (June-July)
Av (July-August)
Elul (August-September)
Tishrei (September-October)
Heshvan (October-November)
Kislev (November-December)
Tevet (December-January)
2. Bethlehem Literally Means "House of Bread”
This is such a fun fact in knowing John 6:35 says, “Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’”
In Hebrew, the meaning of Bethlehem literally translates house of bread. It is amazing to ponder how our Savior Jesus, the Bread of Life started his life here on earth in a small town with this meaning. He was establishing a new house, a new covenant by being the fulfillment of the law and the eternal satisfaction which we were all longing for.
3. The Wise Men Were Not at the Birth of Jesus
Matthew 2 tells the encounter of the Magi. They first traveled all the way from the East to King Herod in Jerusalem. Based on their calculations, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and along the way, the king tried to learn about the Savior. The star stopped over a house, so we know they were not still in the manager.
In Matthew 2:11, Jesus is referred to as a child, not a baby. Also, Joseph and Mary were warned by an angel to flee to Egypt because Herod was angry and wanting to kill the Messiah. He gave orders to kill all Jewish boys under the age of 2 (Matthew 2:16). So we do have clarity that Jesus was under the age of two when visited by the Magi, but unlike our Nativity sets for decoration, the wise men were not present at the birth.
Alyssa Roat shares that, “Contrary to traditional nativity scenes and Christmas pageants, the wise men most likely did not arrive to see Jesus in the manger. Most scholars believe Jesus was a year or two old by the time the wise men visited.”
4. It Was a Big Deal That Jesus Was Revealed to Shepherds First
In Jewish culture, shepherds were considered unclean because of their jobs. However, God reveals His good news to shepherds first and invites them to come and see Jesus. Although they were not clean enough to worship the Lord according to the law, the Savior had now come, and they were welcomed and invited to worship Him.
Jesus’ new covenant was coming, and He was showing that even the most unclean were about to be reconciled to the Father through His life, death, and resurrection. In other words, Jesus came into our mess and led us out of it (Luke 2:8-21).
5. It Makes Sense That There Was No Room in the Inn
In the time when Jesus would have been born, a decree was sent out by Caesar Augustus to register in everyone’s hometowns. Imagine all of the people who went back to their hometowns to be legally registered, and how many of them had likely moved away to new places and needed somewhere to stay. This seeming detour was actually part of God’s intended plan from the beginning.
Luke 2:6-7 says, “And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”
6. The Christmas Story Is Told in All of the Four Gospels Differently
The story of Jesus is told in each of the four gospels, but in very different ways.
Matthew tells the genealogical account and history (Matthew 1-2).
Mark shares the message of repentance and is heavier on John the Baptist (Mark 1).
Luke gives the most details of the actual story (Luke 1).
John ties in the reconciliation from the beginning with God (John 1).
7. Jesus Is Referred to by 16 Titles within the Story of His Birth in Matthew and Luke
Jesus is identified in many ways throughout the Scriptures surrounding His birth. In fact, there are 16 names that we can learn about according to Mike Nappa from Crosswalk.
1. Messiah/Christ
2. Jesus
3. Immanuel
4. King of the Jews
5. Ruler
6. Shepherd
7. Nazarene
8. Son of the Most High/Son of God
9. Holy One
10. Lord
11. Savior
12. Consolation of Israel
13. Salvation
14. Light for Revelation to the Gentiles
15. Glory of Israel
16. Sing that will be spoken against
Just the sheer awe that the awaited Messiah had finally arrived led people into worship of Him. Jesus was simply a baby, and yet so many people were amazed at His glory. We serve such a big God and He is worthy. As we learn fun facts about His birth story, may we be more prone to press into the worship and honor of Him this Christmas season.
More from this author
Why Are We Called to Stewardship?
Am I Bugging God When I Continue to Pray about the Same Thing?
What We Can Learn from Nehemiah’s Approach in Returning to God
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/jchizhe
