If Jesus was born on the winter, how come the wise men traveled very long distance to present the gifts?

Question

or how came the sheep keepers were outside if Jesus was born during very cold weather on Dec. 25? or Wouldn't be difficult for the rulers to pass a law that each individual should sign up their name during cold weather? This is not only for the rulers but also for people who were at that time would have been so difficult to do the job done. Then if these were the cases, Why should we celebrate on Dec. 25? Something must be wrong!!

Answer 1

Where I come from we celebrate the 24th December as his birthday.
Sorry but the date in December is - whichever you choose- a hoax

Answer 2

Jesus was not born on December 25. This is a subject that has been brought up on this site about 100 times in the month of December. Look up some of the previous questions of the same subject.

Christmas on Dec. 25, was a pagan holiday. For the greeks it was Mithras, the celebration of the Sun God. The scandanavian pagans celebrated Yule. The Roman pagan celebration was 'Dies Natalis Solis Invicti' the birth of the unconquered sun. These celebrations, all around the time of winter solstice are the origins of Dec. 25 Christmas holiday. The early Christians did not know the correct date. The roman emporers who took control of the early Christians decided to adopt Dec. 25 as the official date, in attempt to unify the world, and convert pagans to Christianity.

The actual date is probably in the Spring. Many Historians have pointed to the date April 17th. In the year 5 or 6 BC (i forget which) there was a perfect aligning of the planets in the solar system on April 17th, that would have appeared to be a new bright star in the night sky. Also the Bible says that the Shepherds were watching their flocks by night. That only happens on a consistent basis around the spring birthing season so the shepherds can assist in the deliveries.

We do not know the exact date for sure. What is important is we celebrate the life of Christ, and his sacrifice for us. It should be everyday that we celebrate, not just one or two days.

God Bless.

Answer 3

Jesus was most likely born in the spring; the comment about the shepherds watching their flocks at night gives it away. The problem is that the first Christians didn't care about when He was born, His death and resurrection were their main focau, as it should be. The questions about His birth came along when a renegade sect of Christians started to say that Jesus had never really been born, his body was just a "spiritual body" and not of flesh. Then other people wanted to know about His birth, but it was a couple of hundred years later, and it's ot like they could go to the hospital and look it up. To be honest, they don't even know for sure WHERE He was born either. December 25th came along after the Romans converted to Christianity and wanted people to stop worshipping the pagan gods. There was a baby god called Mithros who was celebrated on December 25, so they substituted celebrating the birth of Christ to give people an alternative that would be easier to accept. You'd be surprised how many of or rituals were borrowed in an attempt to turn people away from pagan ways. So why do we go along with it? I do it because, to me, Jesus is worthy of any and every opportunity I can take to reverence Him; though it didn't start out right, I take this chance to express my gratitude for the gift He gave me, and I think that as long as my heart is in the right place, He is honored. Also, Jesus said that whatever we bind on earth, He would bind in Heaven, so if we agree that we are choosing this date to dedicate to Him, which is really as good as any other day since we don't know the real date, I think He is honored by it and accepts it in the spirit with which we offer it to Him.

Answer 4

Brkt,

Most likely Jesus was born in the fall, after the harvest was complete. Joseph was traveling to participate in the census of Quirinius - which means they were going to be taxed. In the agricultural societies of the day, farmers weren't taxed until after the harvest when they would have money.

Dec 25th became the day we celebrate due to two old pagan holidays which were held nearly two thousand years ago. One was held Dec 23rd, the other Dec 25th.

The trek the wise men took probably took 3-4 months, possibly close to two years since Herod had all the male children under two years old killed after the wise men departed.

I look at the situation this way: We aren't celebrating Jesus' birthday (exact day), we're celebrating the birth of Jesus.

Merry Christmas,

"Ranger"

Answer 5

Nobody knows when Jesus was born. December 25th was chosen around 273-336 AD....read on:

The eventual choice of December 25, made perhaps as early as 273, reflects a convergence of Origen's concern about pagan gods and the church's identification of God's son with the celestial sun. December 25 already hosted two other related festivals: natalis solis invicti (the Roman "birth of the unconquered sun"), and the birthday of Mithras, the Iranian "Sun of Righteousness" whose worship was popular with Roman soldiers. The winter solstice, another celebration of the sun, fell just a few days earlier. Seeing that pagans were already exalting deities with some parallels to the true deity, church leaders decided to commandeer the date and introduce a new festival.

It's all myth and legend anyway....

Answer 6

It is rainy in Bethlehem in December, not necessarily cold. The Shepard's were out tending their flocks by night and that did NOT happen in December in that region. So you are correct about the date being wrong. December, is not Christs actual birth.

The Catholic Church decided when they were in control in Rome that everyone had to become Catholic. Since many Pagans did not want to give up their festivals, the church took them and pasted Christian names on them. The Celebration to the sun god because the celebration to the Son of God.

There is no way to know exactly when Christ was born. Since God did not give us a chance to know the exact date, I don't imagine he wants us to celebrate it.

Also, be aware that the wise men did not come to the stable where Jesus was born. They came to a house that Jesus was in, much later. (That is another lie that the manger scene perpetuates)

Answer 7

Jesus wasn't born in the winter. Even in that part of the country my research says its cold in winter. Its wouldn't have been prudent to have people travel to their homeland to be taxed. The celebration of Christ's birth on December 25th was decided on something other than Biblical data. Its not in the Bible when Jesus was born, exactly.

Answer 8

You are asking the gospels, which predominantly wish to communicate a theological message, to function as a journalistic report, which wishes to communicate historical information.

Luke, from whom we get the story of the shepherds, is proclaiming a Christ who is humble and born into dire circumstances, hunted by the world's powers from his very birth. Matthew, who gives us the story of the Magi, wants to highlight Christ's manifestation to the gentiles. It's pointless to combine the two accounts to make conclusions about the time of year that Jesus was born.

As far as what rulers want, when did common sense come into the decrees of men who are bent on domination? To dominate is to inconvenience.

We celebrate Christ's birth on December 25 because the lives of great men were though begin and end on the same day. That is, they are conceived and die on the same calendar date. We know that Jesus was crucified in the spring, at Passover time. Add nine months to a late March conception date, and see where you end up!

Answer 9

Jesus was born and in a manger in the Gospel of Luke.
The angels and the shepherds is in Luke. The shepherds were in the field at night with their sheep, so it could not have been cold as winter time.

The wise men [ magi or astrologers ], of worldly kings are in the gospel of Matthew. They go to the house where Jesus is and Joseph has to take him into Egypt or he will be killed.
Matt.2:11,13,16;
So was it cold as winter time for the wise men and their travel, and for Mary, Joseph and Jesus to go to Egypt?
Jesus is born 1 B.C.E. and is 2 B.C.E. to go into Egypt, he is probably about age six [ 6 ], when they bring him back.
Then he will ascend 33 C. E.

Answer 10

Jesus was not born on Dec 25. The Bible does not teach this.

The Bible does teach that the "wise men" came and found Jesus as a young child not a baby. It is likely that Jesus was near the age of two when the they found Him.

Answer 11

Everyone including Christians know he was born in the spring. Look at their answers this time of year and you will see they don't even care that they celebrate a pagan holiday. They get angry when you point it out. They do not car what their bible says they want to worship God there way not his way. Makes me wonder if they think their God's way is boring and why they brag about hijacking our days. which they did not high jack anything December 25 was made a Christian Mass to make the pagans a little more happier about being forced into Christianity.

BB