The birth of Jesus has permanently altered the course of history in many ways, including how dates are recorded.
The current global standard for the measurement of dates is known as the Gregorian calendar, named after Pope Gregory XIII, under whose tenure it was instituted. Both the Gregorian calendar, and its predecessor – the Julian calendar – are based on the supposed birth date of Jesus Christ.
It was Dionysius Exiguus, a Christian monk, who first proposed in the year 525 that dates be recorded in reference to the birth of Jesus Christ, hence the invention of the acronyms BC (“Before Christ”) and AD (“Anno Domini” – Latin for “In the year of the Lord”).
In relatively recent times, some have tried to change this with the excuse that it is not fair to other religious faiths. But no matter who likes it or not, the birth of Jesus has become a globally accepted reference point for the reckoning of dates. Hence, by accepting today’s date, you have implicitly accepted the historical fact of the birth of Jesus.
The most important point, however, is that when Jesus is born in the personal lives of people – whenever people encounter Him personally – He permanently alters their lives. Jesus makes so much difference in us such that our lives can be clearly split into two periods: the BC (before Christ) period and AD (in the year of the Lord) period.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
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