Exploits Ministry Christmas special: Christine Darg asks, “With the Second Coming near, shouldn’t we also be anticipating the Lord’s second advent?

Millions of Christians from one degree to another will celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25, while many other Orthodox Christians celebrate the Savior’s birth on or near January 7 based upon the Julian calendar which pre-dated the Gregorian calendar. But most scholars agree that Jesus wasn’t born on either of those dates. Researchers believe the Roman Catholic Church settled on December 25 to celebrate Jesus’s birth for several reasons. The winter solstice and a festival dedicated to the Roman god Saturn were celebrated at that time, so by selecting December 25, the Church conveniently coincided the celebration of Jesus’ birthday with the popular pagan festival Saturnalia, as well as other pagan winter celebrations.

But Bible scholars have, in fact, suggested that Jesus was born in the autumn, based partially on the biblical narrative that shepherds were watching over their flocks in the fields on the night of Jesus’ birth — something shepherds wouldn’t have done in the wintertime. Starting in November, with the arrival of the rainy season, shepherds stay in shelters in the Holy Land. Although the New Testament doesn’t record a specific date for the Lord’s birth, nevertheless, Christine say in this video that we can work it out almost to the day… if we study clues available in the Bible.