WHEN WAS JESUS BORN?

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:8-11).

Today, we are living in the period called AD (ie, Anno Domini, “in the year of the Lord” ie Jesus Christ). The period before AD is called BC (“Before Christ”). On the basis of the terms BC and AD, people think that Christ must be born in AD 1. This is wrong. Christ could not have been born in AD 1. Matthew 2:1 tells us that Jesus was born at the time when Herod was king. But by AD 1, Herod the Great was no longer alive; he died in 4 BC. Moreover, Luke 2:2 tells us that Jesus was born at the time when a census was being conducted by Cyrenius. This census occurred in 5 BC. Jesus thus was not and could not be born in AD 1!

When was Jesus born then? Jesus was born in 5 BC, and not AD 1. How did this discrepancy come about? This discrepancy was due to Dionysius’ (a Scythian monk) miscalculation when he prepared a standard calendar for the Western Church. In Dionysius’ calendar, January 1, 754 AUC (Anno Urbis Conditae, ie, “from the foundation of the city of Rome”) became AD 1. This became a problem because later research showed that Herod the Great (cf Matt 2:1) died in 750 AUC, ie, 4 BC. How could Jesus be born at a time when Herod was already dead? This contradicts the historical records of Scripture which tell us that Jesus was born when Herod was still alive. Thus, Jesus could not have been born in AD 1 according to Dionysius, but sometime before Herod’s death (ie, 4 BC) according to the Scriptures.

Year of Birth

Now, exactly when was Jesus born? Jesus must have been born within 2 years prior to Herod’s death. This we gather from Matthew 2:7 which tells us that after Herod had ascertained the time of the star’s appearance, he commanded the execution of all the baby boys 2 years old and below (Matt 2:16). Thus, Jesus must have been born sometime between 6 and 4 BC. We know that John the Baptist was conceived in the womb of Elizabeth 6 months before Mary became pregnant with Jesus (Luke 1:36). The difference in age between John and Jesus was only 6 months. Luke 3:1 tells us that John began his ministry in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar. Tiberius became ruler in AD 11. The 15th year would bring us to AD 26 as the inaugural year of John’s baptismal ministry when he reached the age of 30. In keeping with Luke 3:23, Jesus would also be about 30 years old that year since he was only 6 months younger than John. This would thus make 5 BC the year of Christ’s birth (note: there is no BC or AD 0).

Place of Birth

Jesus was born in a little town called Bethlehem (cf Mic 5:2). He was born not in a palace but in a stable, and His bed was not a cradle of silk but a manger of straw. It was a very lowly and humble birth for One who is Himself the Son of God and King over all. The Apostle Paul drew from the incarnation of Christ an important lesson on humility: “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil 2:3-8). His lowly birth reveals the life He was going to live—the life of a lowly slave. Jesus Himself said, “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). He came not to be served, but to serve. For our sake He came. He was born to die, to save us from our sins.

Not by Chance

“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son …” (Gal 4:4a). The first advent of Christ did not happen by chance. Christ came at the Father’s appointed time. When the right time or the opportune time came, God sent forth His Son to become a man so that He could be man’s Representative and Substitute. John Calvin said that “the fulness of time” is that season which “is the most fit, and that mode of acting is the most proper, which the providence of God directs”.
In what way was the New Testament period providentially conducive for the ministry of Christ? It is significant to note that Christianity appeared in the world at about the same time as the Roman Empire. S Angus and A M Renwick observed, “Although on a superficial glance the Roman Empire may seem the greatest enemy of early Christianity, it was in some ways a grand preparation for, and in some ways the best ally of, Christianity. It ushered in politically ‘the fulness of time’.”

Divinely Prepared Time

The following are the reasons why the Roman period, prepared by God, was most conducive and convenient for the advent and mission of Christ:
(1) The Pax Romana brought about universal peace. The Roman Empire united Greeks, and Romans, and Jews under one government. This blending of the nations prepared for Christianity.
(2) The cosmopolitanism that resulted removed all national barriers. The Roman Empire became a melting pot of races, cultures, languages, philosophies, and religious ideas.
(3) The Jewish Diaspora led to the settlement of Jews in all the great cities of East and West. The decline of paganism led to the welcoming of spiritual monotheism. The translation of the Septuagint made the Old Testament available to the Greek populace. The synagogues which dotted the Roman Empire provided the initial meeting places for Christian evangelism.
(4) The intellectual life of Greece prevailed among the Romans. Education was prioritized. Many of the great leaders of the Church were highly educated men.
(5) The Greek language became the lingua franca of the Roman Empire. Greek was so widespread that there arose a group called the Hellenistic Jews. There soon evolved a popular Greek form called Koine which was used for the writing of the New Testament.
(6) The marvellous system of Roman roads, which knitted the civilised world together, not only served the legions but was of immense service to the early missionaries.
(7) The Roman authorities granted a large measure of freedom to the religions of all nations, greatly favouring the growth of infant Christianity which was initially viewed as part of Judaism.
(8) The Roman Empire, as a unified community, made it possible for Christianity to develop into a world religion within decades.
(9) The Roman laws were a great boon to the world. People were taught to obey and respect authority. The universal law of Rome helped prepare the way for the universal law of the gospel.
(10) The Romans could offer their subjects good laws, uniform government, and military protection, but could provide nothing at the spiritual level. Only Christianity could offer true spiritual solace.

It was in such a divinely appointed time as this that God “sent out” His Son. That Jesus had to be sent out tells us that He already existed before this time. Although it is a historical fact that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, it must be realised that His conception did not bring about His creation but incarnation. Jesus already existed in eternity past with the Father (John 1:1, 8:58; Rom 8:3; 2 Cor 8:9; Phil 2:6; Col 1:15; Heb 1:3). His preexistence necessitated a supernatural birth if He was to take on humanity (John 1:14 cf Matt 1:20-23, Luke 1:35). Thus, Jesus was born of a virgin. Mary was a virgin when Jesus was conceived in her womb and remained a virgin until the time of His birth (Matt 1:24-25). Jesus was therefore fully Man and fully God, and He had to be both God and Man in order to be our Saviour. JK