IBhayibheli alilunikezi usuku oluqondile lokuzalwa kukaJesu Kristu, njengoba lezi zincwadi zibonisa:

• “Usuku lwangempela lokuzalwa kukaKristu alwaziwa.”—New Catholic Encyclopedia.

• “Usuku olunembile lokuzalwa kukaKristu alwaziwa.”—Encyclopedia of Early Christianity.

Nakuba iBhayibheli lingawuphenduli ngokuqondile umbuzo othi, ‘UJesu wazalwa nini?’ liyakhuluma ngezenzakalo ezimbili eziphathelene nokuzalwa kwakhe ezibangela ukuba abaningi baphethe ngokuthi akazalwanga ngo-December 25.

Akazalwanga ebusika

1. Ukubhaliswa. Ngaphambi nje kokuba uJesu azalwe, uKhesari Awugustu wakhipha umyalo “wokuba wonke umhlaba owakhiwe ubhaliswe.” Wonke umuntu kwakufanele abhalise “emzini wakubo,” okungenzeka kwakudinga ukuba kuthathwe uhambo lwesonto noma ngaphezulu ukuya khona. (Luka 2:1-3) Lesi siqondiso—okungenzeka sasenzelwe ukusekela ukuqoqwa kwentela nokubuthelwa kwabantu empini—sasingeke sithandeke kungakhathaliseki ukuthi sasikhishwe ngasiphi isikhathi sonyaka, ngakho u-Awugustu wayengeke acasule abantu nakakhulu ngokuphoqa iningi labo ukuba lithathe uhambo olude emakhazeni asebusika.

2. Izimvu. Abelusi babehlala “ngaphandle balinde imihlambi yabo ebusuku.” (Luka 2:8) Incwadi ethi Daily Life in the Time of Jesus ibonisa ukuthi imihlambi yayihlala endaweni evulekile kusukela “ngesonto elingaphambi kwePhasika [ngasekupheleni kuka-March]” kuze kube maphakathi no-November. Iyenezela: “Ebusika yayihlala ngaphansi kophahla; ngokwalokhu kwaziswa kuyabonakala ukuthi usuku lukaKhisimusi, olusebusika, oseluyisiko, akunakwenzeka ukuthi lunembile, njengoba iVangeli libonisa ukuthi abelusi babesemadlelweni.”

Wazalwa ekuqaleni kwekwindla

Singalinganisa ukuthi uJesu wazalwa nini ngokubala sihlehle kusukela ngosuku lokufa kwakhe ngePhasika, likaNisan 14 entwasahlobo ka-33 C.E. (Johane 19:14-16) UJesu wayeneminyaka engu-30 lapho eqala inkonzo yakhe yeminyaka emithathu nengxenye, ngakho wazalwa ekuqaleni kwekwindla lika-2 B.C.E.—Luka 3:23.

Njengoba bungekho ubufakazi bokuthi uJesu Kristu wazalwa nini, kungani uKhisimusi ugujwa ngo-December 25? I-Encyclopædia Britannica ithi kungenzeka ukuthi abaholi benkolo bakhetha lolu suku ukuze “luqondane nomkhosi wamaRoma wobuqaba ‘wosuku lokuzalwa kwelanga elingenakunqotshwa,’” ngesikhathi senjikalanga yasabusika. Ngokwe-Encyclopedia Americana, izazi eziningi zikholelwa ukuthi lokhu kwenzelwa ukuba “ubuKristu bubaluleke kumaqaba ayephendukele kubo.”