What year was Jesus Christ born?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Bible does not specify the exact year of Jesus’ birth, but historical clues in Matthew and Luke suggest it occurred between 6 and 4 BC, during the reign of Herod the Great. Old Testament prophecies like Micah 5:2 and Daniel 9:25–26 support this general time frame by predicting the Messiah's birthplace and arrival. The December 25 date was assigned later and is symbolic rather than factual. Attempts to pinpoint the date using priestly schedules, astronomical events, or census records offer theories but no certainty. What matters most is not the precise year but the truth that Jesus came to fulfill God’s redemptive plan—a reality worth celebrating every day.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The year Jesus Christ was born is not found in the Old Testament, but it lays a strong foundation for understanding the timing, place, and purpose of His birth.
• Genesis 49:10 foretells that the Messiah would come while Judah still had authority, which was true before Rome destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD.
• Isaiah 7:14 predicts a virgin will give birth to a son called Immanuel, pointing to the miraculous nature of Jesus’ conception.
• Isaiah 9:6–7 describes the birth of a divine child who would reign eternally, revealing the identity and kingship of Jesus.
• Isaiah 53 speaks of a suffering servant who would bear our sins. Although the Jews interpret this as referring to Israel, Christians see Jesus as the suffering servant, which shows that Jesus’ birth and death were part of God’s redemptive plan.
• Daniel 9:25–26 predicts the coming of the Messiah within a specific prophetic timeline, pointing to a period that fits Jesus’ birth around the first century BC/AD.
• Micah 5:2 prophesies that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, the very town where Jesus was born.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• The Bible does not explicitly teach the exact day or even the exact year in which Jesus was born. It does, however, provide many historical details that can help determine a specific time period during which He was born. Both Matthew and Luke describe the circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus. Matthew 2:1 states Jesus was born during the days of Herod the king. This Herod died in the spring of 4 BC, indicating the latest time at which Jesus could have been born on earth.
• Matthew 2:16 notes Herod commanded all male children two years old and younger to be put to death in his attempt to kill Jesus. This would further provide details that place the birth of Jesus to around 6-4 BC.
• Luke's account provides many additional details. Luke 2:1-2 states, "In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria." Caesar Augustus reigned from 27 BC to AD 14. Quirinius required one known census in AD 6-7, though the census mentioned in Luke seems to be unmentioned in existing literature. The use of the Greek term protos (translated "first") could also be translated "before" and may have referred to the time period before the census of Quirinius. Another option is that Quirinius served two times as leader in this area and ordered a census during his first reign. In either case, Jesus' birth between 6-4 BC still agrees.
• In Luke 3:23, we are also told Jesus began His public ministry at "about thirty years of age." The details provided in Luke 3:1-2 limit the start of His ministry to between about AD 27-29, also fitting a birth between 6-4 BC.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Although not much evidence exists to fully prove the year in which Jesus was born, there is still sufficient evidence to approximate it. Further defining it by time of year or a specific date is more difficult based on the available evidence. We cannot be dogmatic, but we can surmise when it was. Because Jews were required to travel to their ancestral towns for a census, it is unlikely that this census took place during the planting or harvest seasons (spring or fall). The most likely time period would have been following the harvest when residents had income to pay taxes and were not involved in the harvest, indicating a time period from late September to the end of the year, likely late 5 BC to early 4 BC.

The later connection of December 25 as the date of Christ's birth was developed long after the New Testament period. While it serves as the day Christians have chosen to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the exact date of His birth is unknown.

Others have attempted to use the priestly cycles of the Old Testament to date the birth of John the Baptist and therefore Jesus to the autumn of 5 BC. This is possible, but impossible to determine for certain. Others have focused on the "star" spotted by the wise men from the east in an attempt to more specifically date the birth of Christ. However, the fact that these men visited Jesus in a "house" rather than the manger and arrived days or weeks after His birth make any chronology impossible to determine with certainty. Others even seek to calculate the birth of Jesus based on the "70 Weeks" in Daniel 9, but a variety of factors make these findings uncertain. Still others argue a summer birth due to sheep in the field at night (Though sheep are actually outside year-round in the Middle East.).

While the birth of Christ in the last half of 5 BC is most likely, the evidence can only be given to support 6 to early 4 BC as the window of time for the birth of Christ. Yet the birth of Christ is of utmost importance and worthy of celebration on Christmas and every day. He came to live, die, and rise again to prove Himself as the Messiah, God's One and only Son (John 3:16).

UNDERSTAND

• Jesus was likely born between 6 and 4 BC during Herod’s reign.
• Old Testament prophecies align with Jesus being born between 6 and 4 BC.
• The exact year when Jesus was born is unknown, but His birth fulfills God’s redemptive plan.

REFLECT

• How does knowing that Jesus entered the world during a specific moment in history affect the way you see His life and mission?
• What does the uncertainty about Jesus’ exact birth year teach you about the nature of faith and the things that truly matter in your walk with God?
• How can you make the truth of Jesus' coming more central to your everyday life beyond just celebrating it once a year?

ENGAGE

• How do the historical and prophetic clues about Jesus’ birth enhance our understanding of God’s sovereign timing in fulfilling His promises?
• What does the early church’s lack of emphasis on the exact birth date of Jesus say about their priorities in following Him?
• How can we help each other focus more on the purpose and impact of Jesus' birth rather than the details we can’t fully know?