A Word About December 25th
The exact date of Jesus' birth is not specified in the Bible, and there is no historical evidence that definitively establishes December 25 as the day of his birth. In the 4th century, Pope Julius I chose December 25 as the date to celebrate the birth of Jesus, likely to coincide with existing Roman festivals like Saturnalia and Sol Invictus, which were celebrated around the same time.
Though December 25 has become the widely accepted date for Christmas, various Christian traditions and denominations celebrate Christmas on different dates. The Gregorian Calendar, introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, celebrates Christmas on December 25 and is followed by Western Christianity, including Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, and many other denominations.
The Julian Calendar, proposed by Julius Caesar in 46 BC, which is 13 days behind the Gregorian Calendar, celebrates Christmas on January 7. Many Eastern Orthodox churches, including the Russian Orthodox Church, celebrate Christmas on January 7. This date corresponds to December 25 on the Julian calendar.
Fortunately, the date does not matter. The day does not matter. What matters is that Jesus was born as a historical person. There is plenty of Biblical and Extrabiblical evidence regarding the historical existence of Jesus (See Evidence of Jesus Outside the Bible). These Readings will look at the plentiful Biblical evidence of his birth. Anyone is welcome to celebrate Christmas on any day. Since December 25th is the most commonly celebrated day, it gives us an opportunity to talk about Jesus. Any reason to talk about Jesus is a good reason and there is no better reason than on the most widely recognized day of his birth.
Contributors
The following people have graciously contributed to this project
David Bempong
Annapolis, Maryland, USA
David Bempong, the Lead Pastor at Downtown Hope Church in Annapolis, Maryland, USA, discovered the transformative power of the Gospel during his time as a student at the University of Maryland, igniting his passion for ministry. Alongside his wife Sandra and two daughters, David is dedicated to fostering spiritual growth and positively impacting the community.
Proud of his Ghanaian heritage, he also loves cooking (and eating) traditional Ghanaian foods.
Mathew D. George
Levittown, Pennsylvania, USA
Mathew George was born in Kerala, India, and moved to the US during his childhood. He graduated from Valley Forge Christian College with a Bachelor in Religious Education in 2000 and from Palmer Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity in 2004, with a major in pastoral ministry. He has served in full-time ministry since 2002 in various positions of leadership Currently, Pastor George is pursuing a Ph.D from Eastern University in Marriage and Family Therapy and is the lead pastor of Levittown Church. He is married to his beautiful bride, Jesly, and they are blessed with 4 miracles: Nathan, Eden, Elizabeth and Bethany.
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Anush A. John
Glen Arm, Maryland, USA
Anush John was born and raised in the cosmopolitan city of Bangalore, India. The second of three boys, he was born into a pastor’s home and grew up in a household devoted to ministry. At age 10, he gave his first sermon, and from that point he continued to pursue opportunities to teach and study the Bible. Anush completed his education and practiced in Bangalore, until he married and moved to the US in 2003. During these years he also worked at Christian Medical College and Hospital in Vellore, which shaped his future professional interests and obtained a Masters in Divinity from Asian Institute of Theology, which refined his spiritual interests.
Anand Mahadevan
Mumbai, India
Anand Mahadevan is the Founding Pastor at New City Church, Mumbai. His first book, Grace of God and Flaws of Men was published by Lifeway. He is also a founding council member at The Gospel Coalition India.
He is married to Ajitha and they have two children Varun and Varsha. You can follow his ministry-related updates on social media @enjoythegospel.
Drew Mathews
Central Asia
Drew and his family long to make the name of Christ known where it isn't known. For nearly a decade Drew has been a church-planter and pastor in Central Asia in the country with the lowest percentage of Christians in the world. He formerly pastored at a church in Kansas City, where he grew up. Drew's passions include dating his wife, wrestling with and discipling his children, reading and teaching the Bible, playing and coaching sports, and avidly supporting Chiefs football (American Football team).
Dallas McKinley
Pierre, South Dakota, USA
Dallas McKinley is a passionate disciple of Jesus, husband, and father of five boys. He has served as the lead pastor of River Center Church in Pierre, SD for more than two decades.
John Njoroge
Kenya, Africa
John Njoroge speaks frequently on university campuses, business and leadership forums, and conferences around the world. His passion is to help clear the fog between faith and culture by making the case for the credibility of the Christian faith in a way that people can understand.
John graduated with the highest honors from Talbot School of Theology, Biola University in California, where he earned a master’s degree in philosophy, a master’s degree in New Testament studies, and a Master of Theology (ThM). While at Talbot, he also served as a graduate teaching assistant and an adjunct faculty member. Dr. Njoroge also holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Georgia. John and his wife, Leah have three children and they also run a thriving orphanage in Kenya, which is home to 37 formally abandoned children.
Shea Strickland
Timonium, Maryland, USA
Shea Strickland is the senior pastor at Grace Fellowship Church in Timonium, Maryland, USA. He has worked in ministry and helped build local churches in various parts of the US for more than 20 years. He studied ministry at Lee University in Cleveland, TN, and grew up in Atlanta, GA.
Shea is married to his incredible wife Diane and they have two amazing kids, Kyndel and Chase.
Joey Tomassoni
Annapolis, Maryland, USA
Joey Tomassoni is a husband, father, painter, and pastor residing in Annapolis, MD. He planted and pastored Downtown Hope, a non-denominational Church from 2009-2022. He now serves as Pastor of Cultivation with Downtown Hope and as Team Leader for Estuary.
Joey holds an MFA from American University and is currently completing an MTh through the University of Oxford, with a focus on a Theology of Beauty and its implications for the Church. Joey has written for the Gospel Coalition and consults with organizations and churches to help them consider and cultivate beauty in their ecosystems.