Page 24 - Life of Christ - textbook (3)

one word after the encounter in the temple. Elizabeth was obviously beyond the age to bear a child.
The Bible says that all the neighbors and relatives rejoiced with the family upon the birth of John.

On the eight-day, John was not only circumcised, but was named by Elizabeth. Zacharias confirmed his
name to be “John”. Zacharias’ mouth was immediately released, and he praised God. News of this
event spread throughout the entire hill country of Judea.

It is significant that according to legend, Zacharias was slain by Herod the Great, forcing Elizabeth to flee
with her young son into the wilderness area of Judea. The wilderness was east of Jerusalem and was a
very remote and isolated place. According to Luke 1:80, John grew up in the wilderness until he began
his ministry in his late 20’s or early 30’s.

Birth of Christ Jesus of Nazareth (Matthew 1: 18-25, Luke 2: 1-7)

No one knows precisely when Jesus was born. Even the year of his birth is an educated guess based on
what extra-biblical information is available. The Jewish historian Josephus places the death of Herod the
Great in 4 BC and both Gospels say Herod was king at the time of Jesus’ birth and we do know that
Herod died shortly after Jesus’ birth. Herod became king of Palestine in 37 BC and died in 4 BC, but
maybe 1 BC. Josephus’s date is based on a lunar eclipse the year Herod died, but there also was a
significant lunar eclipse in 1 BC. Outside the book of Matthew, the slaughter of innocent babies is not
mentioned in any historical writings, but certainly is consistent with other atrocities that Herod
committed. Since Herod’s calculations led him to target boys under two years of age, Jesus was
probably born one to two years before Herod’s death or about 2 or 1 BC, probably 1 BC. By the way,
from 1 BC to 1 AD is one year.

We know that it was Elizabeth's sixth month, perhaps late December or a little beyond. “Now Mary
arose in those days [the same basic time frame] and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of
Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard
the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb” (verses 39-41).

Elizabeth at this time was in her sixth month of pregnancy with John the Baptist. It would not be a
stretch to understand from the previous passage that Mary was now also pregnant with Jesus. Elizabeth
even speaks of Mary as though she knows Mary is an expectant mother: “But why is this granted to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting
sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy” (verses 43-44).

Verse 56 says, “And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house”. Time wise
it was now late March. Mary stayed with Elizabeth right to the birth of John the Baptist. “Now
Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son” (verse 57).

We see, then, that Mary was probably three months pregnant when John was born. John was probably
born in late March or early April. So, when was Jesus Christ born? Six months later would be late
September or early October! He probably was born sometime around Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)
or Sukkot (Feast of Booths). It would be appropriate for the Lamb of God to come to earth on the Day of
Atonement!

We know that Jesus died on Passover. He was the lamb perhaps birthed on the Day of Atonement and
sacrificed on Passover…what a wondrous and amazing God we worship! On our calendar, we recognize

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