Shepherds would not have been in the field in December. Sheep were tended in the open between April and November. We do not know, therefore, exactly when Jesus was born. December 25 was adopted as the date to celebrate his birth in the fourth century by Christians in the West. The reading of the KJV for verse 14 is not supported by the best manuscripts. The better text is “on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased.” The Gospel does not promise the cessation of war and strife upon the earth