The Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus' Birthday?

It's time to celebrate! The holiday of booths or Sukkot has come and we get to party for a whole week in a little hut of tree branches. You know what's cool? I needed palm branches for my succah (my little shack) and guess why we couldn't park our cars on the street yesterday? Tree trimming! Oh yeah, 'I'm God's favorite!' (If you haven't read that post of mine...it's fun:) Oh and if you want to know more about this holiday check out my other blog, hebrewholidays.blogspot.com.

Gabriel and I were reading John 7 this morning... a whole chapter that happens during the Feast. There's a bunch in there about where Jesus came from. First his brothers kind of treat Him like crap because they think He's a big joke. Then people at the Feast in Jerusalem are wondering where He is and the Jewish leaders wonder how He could be so smart. Jesus tries to show them that love is more important than traditions and rules.

In verse 27, 41 and 42, there's confusion about where Jesus was born. It's so cool because He fulfills all these Old Testament prophecies about where Messiah would be from and they don't know it which also fulfills a prophecy. Born in Bethlehem, called out of Egypt, called a Nazarene...He fulfills them all. It's awesome.

Here's a little theory of mine. I think Jesus was probably born during the Feast of Tabernacles. The main theme of this holiday is that God is with us. He 'tabernacled' with us (John 1) and what better day for God to come as a Man.
John 7:28
Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, "You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. 29 But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me."

When Jesus' birthday is really isn't important in fact it wouldn't really be His birthday anyway because like He says in John 8:58, "Before Abraham was born, I AM!" Oh my, what He's claiming to be is obvious to those who heard Him say it, (they picked up rocks to stone Him) and it should be clear to us. He's claiming to be God. Not 'a God' like an extra God but 'I Am' the name God used to describe Himself to Moses. It's an awesome statement.

Once a heard a speaker teach that Jesus never said, "I am God."
That really disturbed me. I'm glad my son, Danny was with me or I would have stood up right then and corrected him. Later we spoke and it took awhile for me to get through to him but he did clarify his statement the next week.

Jesus didn't say the words, "I am God" for good reason. If He had it would be like claiming to be another God... like we worship more than one God. No Jesus used God's title for Himself. Those words that transcend time and matter...'I AM!'

So celebrate the feast with us, come by for some spice cake, and apples n honey, music and rejoicing! God is with us!