22/12/2025
Everyone at Longshoot hopes that all our members, friends and followers have a peaceful Christmas and New Year.
May you feel the presence of Jesus.
There are a lot of debates surrounding when exactly Christ was born. Was it December? Spring? During a census? In the cooler months?
Scholars point to shepherds in the fields,
Roman records, Jewish calendars,
and astronomical theories.
The discussions are thoughtful
and sometimes even heated.
I somehow feel bad that of all things,
the birth of the epitome of love itself,
is sometimes causing division
and heated arguments.
But Scripture itself never tells us the date.
And that silence feels intentional.
The Gospels are remarkably detailed
when it comes to why Jesus was born,
but noticeably quiet about when.
Luke gives us names, places, rulers,
family lines, and social conditions.
Matthew traces genealogy and fulfillment.
John skips the manger entirely
and goes straight to meaning
“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
So I think, the Bible doesn’t invite us
to mark a birthday on a calendar.
It invites us to behold a Savior.
In the ancient world, birth dates
were usually reserved for kings,
emperors, and the powerful,
often celebrated to exalt their status.
But Jesus does not enter history demanding celebration.
He enters quietly. Vulnerable. Dependent.
Laid not in a palace, but in a feeding trough.
Not announced to kings first, but to shepherds.
That alone tells us something important about His mission.
We may not know exactly WHEN He was born,
but we are absolutely certain WHY He was born.
Jesus Christ was not born to give us a holiday.
He was born to give us salvation.
The angel’s words to Joseph
make this unmistakably clear,
“You shall call his name Jesus,
for he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:21
HE CAME TO SAVE.
This shifts the question, doesn’t it?
If the purpose of Christ’s coming
was rescue, redemption, and reconciliation with God,
do we really have to wait for a specific date to celebrate Him?
Do we need the correct month, the right season,
or historical certainty before we respond with worship?
The early Christians didn’t gather around a calendar,
they gathered around a confession,
that Jesus is Lord.
They remembered His coming not once a year,
but every time they broke bread,
shared the gospel, endured suffering,
and lived in hope.
Celebrating Christ is not about defending a date.
It is about declaring a truth of the Gospel.
That God stepped into human history.
That eternity entered time.
That light came into darkness,
not symbolically, but personally.
So whether it’s December, April,
or an ordinary weekday,
Christ is still worthy of celebration.
His incarnation is not confined to a season.
His saving work is not limited to a holiday.
Because the question that ultimately matters is not,
“When was He born?”
But, “What has His coming done to us?”
And the answer remains the same,
every day of the year,
HE WAS BORN TO SAVE US,
and He's deserving of being celebrated,
24/7, all year round.
