DiggingforTruth

For centuries, Christian writers accepted that Christmas was the actual date on which Jesus was born.  John Chrysostom preached a sermon in Antioch c. 386 which established the date of Christmas as December 25 on the Julian calendar since the conception of Jesus (Luke 1:26) had been announced during the sixth month of Elisabeth's pregnancy with John the Baptist (Luke 1:10-13) as dated from the duties Zacharias performed on the Day of Atonement during the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar Ethanim or Tishri (Lev. 16:29, 1 Kings 8:2) which falls in September–October. ( When was Christ Really Born? )

In the early 18th century, scholars began proposing alternative explanations. Isaac Newton argued that the date of Christmas was selected to correspond with the winter solstice, which the Romans called bruma and celebrated on December 25. In 1743, German Protestant Paul Ernst Jablonski argued Christmas was placed on December 25 to correspond with the Roman solar holiday Dies Natalis Solis Invicti and was therefore a "paganization" that debased the true church. In 1889, Louis Duchesne proposed that the date of Christmas was calculated as nine months after the Annunciation, the traditional date of the conception of Jesus, which itself was based on a traditional belief that he was conceived and crucified on the same date, 15 Nisan.

In the early 4th century, the church calendar contained Christmas on December 25 and other holidays placed on solar dates: "It is cosmic symbolism...which inspired the Church leadership in Rome to elect the winter solstice, December 25, as the birthday of Christ, and the summer solstice as that of John the Baptist, supplemented by the equinoxes as their respective dates of conception. While they were aware that pagans called this day the 'birthday' of Sol Invictus, this did not concern them and it did not play any role in their choice of date for Christmas," according to modern scholar S.E. Hijmans.

However, today, whether or not the birth date of Jesus is on December 25 is not considered to be an important issue among mainstream Christian denominations; rather, celebrating the coming of God into the world in the form of man to atone for the sins of humanity is considered to be the primary meaning of Christmas.

The Pen of Inspiration tells us that God withheld from us the true day of Christ's birth:

Christmas will soon be here.  It is supposed that Christ was born on the 25th day of December, and for that reason it is celebrated as His birthday.  But it is impossible for us to know upon what day He was born. You can know no more about that than the children of Israel could know where Moses was buried.  The reason God has not revealed that fact is because you would have worshiped that day, as they would have worshiped the grave of Moses had they found it, and this is just what they have done with the day they supposed was the one on which Christ was born.  –   Manuscript Releases Volume Twenty-one [Nos. 1501-1598], Page 223.

And Christ came as one of us – to set an example for a sinless life.

The story of Bethlehem is an exhaustless theme.  In it is hidden "the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God." Romans 11:33.  We marvel at the Saviour's sacrifice in exchanging the throne of heaven for the manger, and the companionship of adoring angels for the beasts of the stall. Human pride and self-sufficiency stand rebuked in His presence.  Yet this was but the beginning of His wonderful condescension.  It would have been an almost infinite humiliation for the Son of God to take man's nature, even when Adam stood in his innocence in Eden.  But Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by four thousand years of sin.  Like every child of Adam He accepted the results of the working of the great law of heredity.  What these results were is shown in the history of His earthly ancestors.  He came with such a heredity to share our sorrows and temptations, and to give us the example of a sinless life.

  The Desire of Ages, Pages 48-49.

Angels attend Joseph and Mary as they journey from their home in Nazareth to the city of David.  The decree of imperial Rome for the enrollment of the peoples of her vast dominion has extended to the dwellers among the hills of Galilee.  As in old time Cyrus was called to the throne of the world's empire that he might set free the captives of the Lord, so Caesar Augustus is made the agent for the fulfillment of God's purpose in bringing the mother of Jesus to Bethlehem.  She is of the lineage of David, and the Son of David must be born in David's city.  Out of Bethlehem, said the prophet, "shall He come forth . . . that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from the days of eternity."  Micah 5:2, margin. But in the city of their royal line, Joseph and Mary are unrecognized and unhonored.  Weary and homeless, they traverse the entire length of the narrow street, from the gate of the city to the eastern extremity of the town, vainly seeking a resting place for the night.  There is no room for them at the crowded inn.  In a rude building where the beasts are sheltered, they at last find refuge, and here the Redeemer of the world is born.

Men know it not, but the tidings fill heaven with rejoicing.  With a deeper and more tender interest the holy beings from the world of light are drawn to the earth.  The whole world is brighter for His presence.  Above the hills of Bethlehem are gathered an innumerable throng of angels.  They wait the signal to declare the glad news to the world. Had the leaders in Israel been true to their trust, they might have shared the joy of heralding the birth of Jesus.  But now they are passed by.
– The Desire of Ages, Pages 46-47.

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not the least among the princes of Judah:  for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.  Matthew 2:1-6

Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.
Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?
Hath not the Scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?
So there was a division among the people because of him.