The 4 Persons brought you the case for Christmas

Two years ago, we made an entertaining 3-part video presentation making the case that Jesus Christ was born on December 25th, 2 BC. If you get a chance to watch part 1, part 2 and part 3, we hope you will and think you will enjoy them. However, many people do not have 90 minutes to hear the case and need a shorter summary to those who have questions. Here it is.

Step 1- The start of Jesus ministry determined.

Luke's gospel (chapter 3) tells us that Jesus ministry stated in the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar with Him being 30 years old. According to common Ascension dating, that count begins in the spring of 15 AD. At this time in His ministry, Jesus is confronted by the Pharisees that the Temple in Jerusalem had been under construction for 46 years (John 2). That construction began in 16 BC.

Both of these facts place Jesus age at 30 years old in the Spring of 30 AD.

Step 2- Confirm this by determining His death.

If Jesus was 30 years old in 30 AD, His death had to have occurred in 33 AD.

In order for this to fit, the day before Passover had to be a Friday (a 1 in 7 chance) and there must be independent historical and scientific evidence that an eclipse and an earthquake took place in Israel that day.

April 3rd, 33 AD is confirmed to fit all these requirements.

Step 3. Back date to determine the year of His birth.

There is no year 0 between 1 BC and 1 AD. Thus, Jesus birth had to have occurred either late 2 BC or early 1 BC for Him to be 30 years old in the spring of 30 AD.

Step 4- Zechariah in the Temple.

The Angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah 15 months before the birth of Jesus so that places this event sometime in 3 BC. The temple rotation began on the 9th of AV in commemoration of the Temple's destruction in 587 BC on that date. Ironically, it was destroyed in 70 AD on the same date.

Zechariah was of the priestly course of Abijah- the 8th course. This places him in the Temple between September 22nd-28th that year. He entered the sanctuary to offer incense with the city filled with people. (Luke 1). This meant that it was Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur fell that year on September 25th.

Step 5- Do the math

6 months later, the Angel appears to Mary (March 25th). 9 Months after that, Jesus is born on December 25th.

Step 6- Do all the other pieces fit?

Was there a census? Yes.

Historians confirm a census occurred under Augustus from the Spring of 3 BC to sometime in 1 BC.

Was Quirinius governing Syria?

Yes. The Governor, Varus was in Rome at this time and Quirinius was acting as governor.

What about the death of Herod the Great?

Josephus, the historian is pretty clear that Herod came to power in the sabbatical year 36 BC and that his death coincided with the eclipse of January 10th, 1 BC, 12 weeks to Passover.

How about the star?

Over 600 planetariums worldwide have confirmed that the planet Jupitar began rising in September of 3 BC (Zechariah in the Temple), converged with Venus in June of 2 BC (birth of John the Baptist) and stopped for 6 days over Bethlehem starting December 25th, 2 BC.

The case for December 25th, 2 BC is open and shut. It is not debatable.