Christmas is the time of year when we celebrate the birth of Christ. That's right, the conception is when one is truly born. I got this one article on the internet at (https://www.hbcusports.com/forums/threads/jesus-was-conceived-on-december-25-and-born-on-september-29.65588) but I can't locate the original source. If you can please do, I will give it its proper attribution.
God is about to make an announcement and give a message that the Prophecy of a coming Messiah is about to be fulfilled. So within this first chapter it is possible to fix the time of year that our Lord would be born. It is not up for argument as to that date, for it will be a set time that can be clearly traced, and this chapter will declare it exactly. This is why it is important to note "Of the course of Abia" [the eighth feast order], for this feast takes place during our June 13 through June 19 annually. This course was assigned to a Levitical priest, and that priest was Zacharias. Fix this date for we will find out that Zacharias was not at home but in the Temple far from home offering sacrifices during this time. So the angel came to Zacharias near the end of his time on duty at the Temple.
Remember that Zacharias was struck down and could no longer speak until after his son John the Baptist would be born. The reason that he was struck down was because he doubted that he and his wife could bear any child because of their age.
Luke 1:26 "And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,"
"Sixth month", now this marks another 30 days, and puts us at December 24th. Remember that the Jewish days starts at sundown the day prior, and runs to sundown the next day. So on the night of our 23rd, Gabriel was sent from God to Nazareth, of Galilee to the house of Mary. This visit was to inform Mary that she had been selected, special, a virgin to conceive and bear the coming Messiah. So it would be on December 25th [sundown of the 24th] that the Spirit would come and dwell with mankind. Our Lord Jesus Christ would be conceived.
The problem today is that mankind has become so twisted in thinking that many can't perceive the idea that the unborn is a human being, with soul and spirit, and thus by tradition that have tried to make the Scriptures fit to their traditions. However their traditions will make things happen that are completely out of season. So it was on this same day, December 25th that Mary conceives and runs to her cousin Elisabeth's home to tell her of what has just taken place. This is important to understand, and does not take away from the importance of Christmas, for this is the true time that God came to dwell with man, for the time of conception is the time the soul and spirit enters into the embryo within the womb.
By changing Christ's birth through man's tradition, he thinks that it makes abortion right, for he can then say, the soul and spirit enters the womb at birth. German law did all sorts of things with this tradition before the war, and in the end they eased their minds even to the killing of those born with physical problems, the mentally ill, the aged, and even to the point of genocide for the sake of a better life style. They were willing to give up the "sanctity of life" for the sake of their "quality of life" style. King Solomon said, "There is nothing new under the sun, that which has happened will happen again." And we see it coming true today in some of the laws in our land.
The birth of Christ was a perfect birth and would be nine month's to the day later, which would fall in September on the feast of Tabernacles.
Luke 1:36 "And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren."
Gabriel is still speaking to Mary, and notice that Elisabeth is the cousin of Mary. This is important to note that part of blood line is to the Levites, as Zacharias and Elisabeth were both of the lineage of Aaron. Mary had asked Gabriel how it would be possible for her to bear this child, and he is reminding her that Elisabeth is in the sixth months of Pregnancy with her child. Elisabeth was well known to be very old and far beyond child bearing years. This time of Mary's conception was six months after Elisabeth's conception with John, so this pinpoints the date of Christ's conception to be December 25th. This then would pinpoint Jesus actual birth to be in September on the feast of the tabernacles, as it was prophesied, and should be. This is pointed out in the Companion Bible in appendix 179.
So the other thing to think on, is how could Mary be a cousin to Elizabeth, a full blood Levite, and have her own parentage of the blood of Judah? We know that Mary's father was of the tribe of Judah, from the lineage given in Luke 3:23-38. However Mary's mother and Elizabeth's parent were both full blood Levites. So we see that Jesus lineage will be both of the lineage of Judah and David, as well as of Levi and Aaron. Paul even called our attention to Christ's lineage to the tribe of Aaron in Hebrews 5:6 when he said; "As He saith also in another place, "Thou art a Priest forever after the order of Melchisedec." Those with spiritual eyes can see how Jesus could be of both Levi and Judah; the priest line and the king line: Or the Aaron line and of the king line of David. "Melcha" means "king, and "sedec" [Zadok] the "Just"; even in the name brings the two tribes or lineages together.
So by the fact that these two were cousins tells us so much more than what appears on the surface.
Luke 1:39 "And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste into a city of Juda;"
Mary went the same day that the angel Gabriel approached her, for this would be the day of conception. She went to her cousin Elisabeth's house.
Luke 1:40 "And entered in the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth."
Upon arrival she greeted her cousin.
Luke 1:41 "And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:"
The moment that Mary greeted Elisabeth, Elisabeth knew instantly that Mary had conceived the holy Child. The Holy Spirit entered into Elisabeth, and into the babe John the Baptist that was six months along in Elisabeth's womb. So when does the Spirit of God enter the babe? The soul and spirit of a child enters the embryo at conception; of course. This is our documentation that the soul of a child enters at conception, as Mary has just conceived, while John the Baptist is six months along, yet unborn in the womb and can sense the Holy Spirit's presence in the Christ Child just conceived.
Luke 1:44 "For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy."
So ask yourself, When does intelligence come into a child's mind? When can an unborn sense feelings, good or bad, love and joy. This verse documents that even an unborn child can sense the joy of the filling of the Holy Spirit. The Christ child was within Mary, and the Holy Spirit also filled both Elisabeth and John the Baptist, six months mature within Elisabeth's womb.
Luke 2:8 "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night."
It is important to notice that at the time of the birth of Christ, the time of year was a time when shepherds could stay in the field with their flocks. The sheep were not in the field on December 25, nor were shepherds out there keeping watch over them. This verse tells us that Christ was born at a time when shepherds could be in the field. This did not take place in the winter months, but at harvest time. We went over this in the first chapter as to the exact time our Lord Jesus Christ was born. The Companion Bible details the time of birth in Appendix 179, and documents Jesus birth to be at the "feast of Trumpets or Tabernacles", at the end of September, and circumcised on "the day of Atonement".
