Happy Birthday Jesus

[Ryan]

Jesus also said nothing about celebrating His day of birth, though he did say we are suppose to celebrate His day of death.

True, very true. Just don't be surprised though when your day comes along and there is no acknowledgement at all of your day. Imagine if your closest relatives/loved ones did not even acknowledge another year when more grey will appear on your head?

Jesus would of had a bar mitzvah which is a celebration of a boy becoming a man. Yes, celebrating birthdays is not a commandment, but if you knew the day when the King of the Universe came to dwell with man, would you not want to celebrate it and party???

Actually the celebration of birthdays in general is pagan. Ours or Gods. I agree that the death, burial, and resurrection are important.

I will not think twice about a pagan custom when I raise a glass, and pronounce L'chaim, and thank God for the blessings upon my life, and the blessings still to come while remembering the day he first dwelt with man in the flesh.

Interesting though that after his birth, there was no further mention of Jesus until his 12th year. Of which the Jewish custom, commonly known as the bar mitzvah, he would have participated in at that age. And then from the 12th year, there is nothing until he begins his ministry roughly 20 years later.

Many times throughout the bible we are told how old one lived to. I can just imagine Margaret telling Methusaleh that he was 900 years on such and such a date. What do you get a 900 year old?

 

[Ryan]

[MENTION=90220]JLB[/MENTION] Tishri 15. Today.

Is Tishri 15 the beginning of a feast?

Yes. Feast of Tabernacles, Feast of Booths, Sukkot, whatever name fits your fancy.

Is that feast always on the same day of the week every year?


JLB

No, the days during the week changes from year to year. Pentecost is the only Feast that will always fall on a Sunday.

 

[evenifigoalone]

As a kid it was common knowledge to me that Jesus' birthday was not Dec. 25th. (Although I have no problem celebrating it on that day, personally.) One of the reasons you mentioned about the shepherds was the reason my dad explained that to me a long time ago. Our church, too, I believe.

Interesting info in the OP, although I had a hard time following it for some reason. Exactly when do you think Jesus was born?

 

[King James]

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.

The pagan origins of the Christmas date, as well as pagan origins for many Christmas customs (gift-giving and merrymaking from Roman Saturnalia; greenery, lights, and charity from the Roman New Year; Yule logs and various foods from Teutonic feasts), have always fueled arguments against the holiday. "It's just paganism wrapped with a Christian bow," naysayers argue. But while kowtowing to worldliness must always be a concern for Christians, the church has generally viewed efforts to reshape culture—including holidays—positively. As a theologian asserted in 320, "We hold this day holy, not like the pagans because of the birth of the sun, but because of him who made it."

 

[Deborah13]

[MENTION=91415]Ryan[/MENTION]

I just want to thank you again for this post. It was a real blessing for my family.

I had posted that I had been reading up on this subject. My grandson, he's 8, and I had talked about Christmas not being Jesus real birth day then. And he had wanted to know when it really was. I wasn't sure until your post.

So last night I told him about your post and that it was today (yesterday) Tishi 15.
He was so excited. He yelled Happy Birthday Jesus!
We all prayed together. I started by thanking the Father for sending His Son to us...
Jake was excited to pray he said, "Happy birthday, Jesus. If I could give you a gift I would but I can't. So I will just say thank you for coming and being with us."

Your post answered a little boy's questions and blessed him very much.

Blessings

PS Then of coarse he had more questions, like what is Tishi mean? Why is God's calendar different? ......

 

[reba]

Deb Something we did for a while for the kids, years back.

A birthday cake for Jesus really brings home that He was born...

 

[Deborah13]

Deb Something we did for a while for the kids, years back.

A birthday cake for Jesus really brings home that He was born...

Oh that's a great idea, Jake would really like that!

 

[Ryan]

As a kid it was common knowledge to me that Jesus' birthday was not Dec. 25th. (Although I have no problem celebrating it on that day, personally.) One of the reasons you mentioned about the shepherds was the reason my dad explained that to me a long time ago. Our church, too, I believe.

Interesting info in the OP, although I had a hard time following it for some reason. Exactly when do you think Jesus was born?

Judging by the scriptures and the chronology of Luke 1, Jesus was born on Tishri 15, which is in the late summer/early fall.

One thing about John the Baptist, he was 6 months older then Jesus and it is very plausible that he was born on Nisan 15, or exactly on the day of Passover. If John was conceived after Pentecost, it would take us into Nisan, which is 9 months after Pentecost. Jewish tradition has a full cup specifically reserved for Elijah. Malachi 4:5-6 indicates that Elijah must come prior to the arrival of the Day of of the Lord. Matthew 11:11-14 John the Baptist is the Elijah who was to come. John came as the forerunner to Messiah's ministry; John prepared the hearts and minds of people for Messiah. John was the Elijah to come as prophesied by Malachi.

Traditionally, at every Passover Seder a place is set for Elijah, and a child will open the door to see if Elijah has come. If John the Baptist is the Elijah to come, and he was conceived sometime after Shavuot, then I believe that John may have been born on Passover (Nissan 15).

 

[Ryan]

[MENTION=91415]Ryan[/MENTION]

I just want to thank you again for this post. It was a real blessing for my family.

I had posted that I had been reading up on this subject. My grandson, he's 8, and I had talked about Christmas not being Jesus real birth day then. And he had wanted to know when it really was. I wasn't sure until your post.

So last night I told him about your post and that it was today (yesterday) Tishi 15.
He was so excited. He yelled Happy Birthday Jesus!
We all prayed together. I started by thanking the Father for sending His Son to us...
Jake was excited to pray he said, "Happy birthday, Jesus. If I could give you a gift I would but I can't. So I will just say thank you for coming and being with us."

Your post answered a little boy's questions and blessed him very much.

Blessings

PS Then of coarse he had more questions, like what is Tishi mean? Why is God's calendar different? ......

Very excited and happy to hear that. I have been hearing and reading so many epiphanies and revelations in God's Word, I have to share some of these "aahhh" moments. My kids were a bit confused by this as well as it is not December 25.

And sometimes the answers to questions just create 10 more questions that are hard to answer. I have an 8 year old son as well, and the old "where did God come from?" has been coming up a lot lately.

I pray many more of God's blessings upon your family.