Hi First Presbyterian,
Even though the liturgical season of Christmas doesn’t begin until December 25th, the Christmas music has been playing in my house. At bedtime, my kids like to hear Laura and I sing “In the Bleak Midwinter” to them, and so I’ve been reflecting on that song. My kids love the part of the song that goes: “Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow, in the bleak midwinter, long ago.” I like that part of the song, too, because it causes me to reflect on the reality that it almost definitely didn’t snow on the night Jesus was born. There are two reasons for that. One, it rarely snows in Bethlehem at any time of the year. Two, while it’s possible for it to snow in Bethlehem in December, Jesus was almost certainly not born in December. So… why do we celebrate his birth in December?
To answer that question, we have to look back in history. First of all, December 25th isn’t the date that all Christians recognize as Christmas Day. For centuries, the Armenian Church has recognized the day of Jesus’ birth on January 6th. Second, Western Christians (where the Presbyterian tradition emerges from) haven’t always recognized December 25th as Christmas Day. The earliest historical reference to the observance of Jesus’ birth on a particular day comes from around 200 AD, when an African theologian named Clement of Alexandria mentions that some Christians were observing Christmas on May 20th. It wasn’t until the fourth century AD that historical records show Western Christians officially recognizing Christmas Day on December 25th. Why did they choose that date?
To answer that question, we have to look to Easter. Early Christians recognized March 25th as the date of Jesus’ crucifixion and death. This is a historical plausible date for his death, given what we know about the timing of Passover that year. Around the fourth century AD, the African theologian Augustine of Hippo tells us that Christians were also recognizing March 25th as the date of Jesus’ conception by Mary. It’s unlikely that Christians knew the actual date of Jesus’ conception, so why would they say that he was conceived on March 25th? Christians found great meaning in seeing March 25th as both the date Jesus was conceived and as the date he died. Here’s what Augustine wrote: “For [Jesus] is believed to have been conceived on the 25th of March, upon which day also he suffered; so the womb of the Virgin, in which he was conceived, where no one of mortals was begotten, corresponds to the new grave in which he was buried.” In other words, early Christians liked to imagine that Jesus entered the enclosure of Mary’s womb and the enclosure of his tomb on the same day of the year. Jesus entered this life (through his conception) and left this life (through his death) on the same day of the year. For early Christians, there was a sense of completion and fulfillment in thinking of things this way. It showed God’s perfect planning and timing. Jesus was right on schedule. He didn’t finish his work too soon or need any extra days. He was right on time.
What does that have to do with the date of Christmas? Well, count 9 months (a gestational period) from the supposed date of Jesus' conception on March 25th, and where do you end up? You end up on December 25th. Celebrating Christmas on December 25th is less about historical accuracy and more about theological significance. Jesus was likely born sometime in the Spring, but we celebrate Christmas in December, in part, to continue the ancient tradition of recognizing God’s perfect timing. God always shows up right on time.
Friends, whatever you’re experience today, remember that nothing slips past God. God sees you and knows what you’re going through. God’s timing is perfect and is motivated by love. Trust that you are in God’s hands and that God will act right when you need God. That’s the message of Christ’s birth, which we await during Advent.
Peace to you,
Pastor Neff