The date of the birth of Jesus Christ cannot be determined precisely. Mathew says (2:1) that he was born ‘in the days of Herod’. Since Herod died in 4 BC this would suggest that Jesus birth occurred earlier than this. Luke says (3:1-2) that John the baptist began preaching in the fifteenth year of the Emperor Tiberius (26 or 27 AD) and that Jesus was baptized by him shortly afterward and was ‘about thirty years old’ when he began his own ministry.

When we work back in time, we are obliged to date Jesus birth four to six years before that hallowed by long use. It should be taken account that we possess no scriptural data for fixing the month and day of the birth. Both the Roman date of December 25th and the Armenian date of January 6th are of later origin and reflect the needs and decisions of post-New Testament times.

In another place Luke says (2:1-4) that Jesus was born during a census ordered by Augustus Caesar when Quirinius was Governor of Syria (6-9 AD). This shows some confusion on Luke's-part. However, if we accept the evidence that Quirinius was in the service of the legate to Syria sometime before his governorship, we can suppose, as some scholars do, that Luke was recalling a time when Quirinius was dispatched to Judea to conduct census ten or twelve years prior to his governorship.

As to the place of Jesus's birth, we again face uncertainty. Mathew and Luke are authorities for saying that he was born in Bethlehem, ‘the city of David’ but since these gospel writers were moved by early church's desire to make certain that Jesus was David's descendant and came from Bethlehem as Messianic prescribed, scholars are to raise questions.

Greater certainty attaches to an assertion in which all the evangelists agree, that the home of the family was in Nazareth of Galilee. It was there that Joseph pursued the trade of carpenter, and so far as we know, upto Jesus's thirthieth year all but a few weeks of Jesus; life spent there.

Although He seems to have been called ‘Jesus the Prophet of Nazareth of Galilee’ by his contemporaries (Mathew 21:11) suggesting that this His birth place, the two Gospels that speak of His birth are agreed that He was born in Bethlehem of Judea.

According to Luke, the reason he was born there was that ‘there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed......And all went to be taxed, everyone in to his own city. And Joseph also went up to Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem (because he was of the house and lineage of David) to be taxed with Marry his espoused wife, being great with child (Luke 2: 1-5).

Both Gospels agree that Mary's child has been conceived through the miraculous action of God the Holy Spirit, without a human father. The miracle was made known to Mary by angelic messenger, who informed her that her child shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest (Luke 1 :32).

History is full of men who have claimed that they came from God, or that they bore messages from god: Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius, Lao-tze, and thousands of others, right down to the person who founded a new religion this very day. Each of them has a right to be heard and considered. Jesus’s birth was surely pre-announced and predicted.

We may examine a few of these predictions. If we search out the various Messianic currents in the Old testament, and compares the resulting picture with the life and work of Christ, there is no doubt about His birth of pre-announcement.

God's promise to the Patriarchs that through them all the nations of the earth would be blessed with a son; one finds clearly predicted the virgin birth of the Messiah; prophecy of Isaiah reads:

For to us a child is born,
To us a Son is given,
And the Government will be upon His shoulder,
And His name will be called,
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God.
And everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.