At the time I wrote this GemLight, the date many call "Christmas," December 25, was just under three months away. According to The New International Dictionary of the Christian Church (1974, Zondervan Publishing House) there is no authoritative evidence to point to the date of the birth of the Messiah.

The reference work continued to point out some Romans in the year 274 began to celebrate the birth of the unconquered sun on December 25, and that the Roman church, unable to overcome the pagan festival, began to observe the Nativity of the Sun of Righteousness (Malachi 4:2) on that date sometime before 336.

But a main point is that the Holy Scriptures are silent as to the exact date of His birth. To me, it is as if God really did not want us to know. God knows all things, and perhaps He purposely chose to keep that date secret. After all, look what the world has done to the recognition of the birth of Christ, commercializing it and having children focus upon a mythical elf that usurps the omniscience of God (He sees you when you're sleeping. ...knows when you're awake. ...knows if you've been bad or good...). So, I feel that special day is known only to Him.

Nonetheless, the Holy Bible does give us a hint at what time of the year Christ was born. By noting the probable time of the year that Elizabeth conceived John the Baptist, based upon when Zacharias completed his duties in the Temple, with the visitation of Gabriel to Mary there is a good possibility Christ was born at the end of what we call September or sometime in October. I like to think of it as having occurred during the Feast of the Tabernacles.

Regardless of when His birth actually occurred, of utmost importance is that He did veil Himself of our flesh to redeem us from our sins and to become true life for us. It is written in John 1:14a, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,..." There are a number of Greek words that may be translated as dwelt, but the one selected for the verse by the Holy Spirit can mean (from Strong's), "to fix one's tabernacle, have one's tabernacle, abide (or live) in a tabernacle (or tent), tabernacle."

It is so wonderful that the One True God personally provided for our salvation. While it is most likely the Messiah's birth did occur during the Feast of the Tabernacles, and despite the world's love affair with December 25, one should think of His nativity everyday, offering praise to our God Who loves us so much.