Hello Steve,

SA>I accept that Jesus was not born on or about the 25th December

There is no doubt that Jesus was born on the 25th of December.
According to our modern calendar, that would be December 25, 5 BC.
Given the error as to how AD was computed, it should be noted as
being December 25, 1 BC.

Date of Birth: December 25, 1 BC (there is no 0 BC or 0 AD) Mt 1:17
Purification: January 1, 1 AD (there is no 0 BC or 0 AD)    Lk 2:23

It's all in the Gospel According to Matthew.  And a tad in Luke.

Matthew 1:1-17 gives the geneaology.
Matthew 1:17 gives the number of generations.
Matthew is giving a mathematical hint as to
the true birthdate of Jesus.

Abraham to David (14 generations)
David to the deportation to Babylon (14 generations)
The deportation to Babylon to the Christ (14 generations)

That is 40 generations.
The Christ would be 41.

Julius Caesar started his calendar in 45 BC.

Each generation = 1 year

45 - 40 = 5

Birthday of Jesus would be December 25, 5 BC.
How do I know it is no other day but December 25?

The calendar starts on January 1.
January 1 is the beginning of something new.
A new year, in the case of calendars.

What happened on January 1?  Read Luke 2:21-22.

Which means Jesus had to have been born on Christmas Day.

January 1 is New Year's Day.
New Year's Day is the 8th day
following Christmas.

December 25, 5 BC (day 1) - Birth of the Christ
         26, 5 BC (day 2)
         27, 5 BC (day 3)
         28, 5 BC (day 4)
         29, 5 BC (day 5)
         30, 5 BC (day 6)
         31, 5 BC (day 7)
January   1, 4 BC (day 8) - Circumcision/Purification/Naming of Jesus

Note the error in the modern day calendar, AD being off by 4 years.
Which means the real date of Christ's birth being December 25, 1 BC,
and the real date of purification being January 1, 1 AD.

Luke 2:21 cicumcised (on day 8)
Luke 2:22 purification (on day 8)

SA>it is a holiday to honour His birth,

December 25 is His birthday.  His real birthday.

SA>in much the same way that Queen Elizabeth was not born in June,
SA>but we have a "Queen's Birthday" holiday in June.

Jesus' real birthday is December 25.
The only question that remains is what year
He was born in.  I am not absolutely certain
of the year.  Depends on how AD is computed.

SA>There are a number of steps here - one is to trivialise the message of
SA>Christ's birth by replacing it with Father Christmas, presents, sending
SA>cards and a "festive season" which includes Christmas and New Year.

The commercialization of Christmas takes away from what Christmas is
meant to be all about.  Same with Easter, as you mentioned.

--Lee


 * SLMR 2.1a * Why not whip the teacher when the pupil misbehaves?

--- Maximus 3.01