84. Beginner Bible Course: The birth of Jesus

EPISODE 84  The simple Bible overview of…THE BIRTH OF JESUS

The birth of Jesus changed the calendar...

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...from BC to Ady BC, before Christ to Ady on O Domini the year of our Lord or from BCE before the common era to CE the common era in either case the pivot point is the birth of Jesus. Since we're talking about the calendar, I should note the calendar is off just a bit. The Gregorian calendar was developed in about five 25 and 500 years after Jesus' birth. They got at about five or six years wrong, I guess that's not bad, 500 years out. And they didn't have all the artifacts we've found. But since then, we've been able to nail down primarily through the rulers cited.

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The Jesus was born about six BC. We know this thanks to our gospel writer, Dr. Luke, the historian in naming Herod. The great is the ruler. When Jesus was born, he pinned it down no later than four BC. When Herod died, they say close counts in horseshoes. It should count in the estimation of the year Jesus was born and regardless, he still is the pivot point in our calendar. I should address one other difficulty that comes right up front in the story of the birth of Jesus. His genealogy cited by both Matthew and Luke, Matthew traces. Jesus' genealogy back to Abraham. Luke takes it all the way back to Adam.

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The first man, we're pretty sure Matthew took it to Abraham because his audience was Jewish people and he was tying it to the shim, EIT, the Jew, Abraham, and that through him, one would bless all nations. Luke was a Gentile and he's writing to Gentiles. And even though God's promise to Abraham made it clear, all nations will be blessed because of you. Luke probably wanted to go all the way back to the first man before the Jewish people and remind them God's concern for mankind. All man goes way back before Abraham, all the way back to the garden of Eden and his first promise to Eve the promise of the Stomper. The problem with the genealogy is they're the same up until David.

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And then they diverged. This is really troubled skeptics. I mean, if the gospel writers can't even get his family tree, right? Why would you believe anything else? They write about him? They clearly have put their finger on a Bible difficulty. If you haven't listened to episode five on Bible difficulties, sometimes dubbed by critics contradictions. Please do so. I'll ask you the same two questions. I asked my students from that episode. One could both these genealogies be accurate. If you research this question, you'll find people answering. One is the genealogy of Joseph and the other Ameri, or perhaps elaborate marriage occurred in the line of Joseph.

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So the one gospel writer is tracing the line of Joseph through the legal line and the other through the adoptive Leveritt line. I have no idea what it is. I'm not sure anybody does, but that leads to my second question. If this is such a difficulty on such a basic thing, why would both Matthew and Luke include different genealogies? They both had a copy of Mark and they certainly could have compared notes and down the road, as copyist were copying the documents, they clearly could have made some strategic edits to erase this difficulty. I'd leave it in there. If it's still really troubles, you do some research on it, but I certainly hope you'll keep reading the gospels.

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It's quite extraordinary. Let's get to that story. The story of the birth of Jesus Gabriel had a busy year and about six BC. He's already appeared to Zacharias about the birth of his son, John. Now he appears to marry the young Virgin from Nazareth. Having an angel show up, obviously troubles you, but his greeting is amazing. Hail favored. One, you are richly blessed. The Lord is with you. That would take away some of the anxiety. Then he says this, you will conceive embarrass son. He will be great. The son of the most high and God will give to him the throne of his father, David, he will rule over the house of Jacob.

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That's Israel forever. And there'll be no end to his kingdom. Mary is young, probably in her mid teens, but she's not naive. She asked the angel to explain how she could have this baby with no daddy. I bet there was some conversation not recorded in the loop text. Maybe Gabriel quoting the prophet, Isaiah, a Virgin shall conceive and bear a son. And you will call him Emmanuel God with us. I don't know. Maybe he didn't say that, but I do know he says this, your son will be Holy, the son of God. And then he gives Mary A. Little reassuring proof. Mary, if God does something small, you can see, you can believe him for this big thing.

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You cannot see, guess what, Elizabeth, your barren relative is pregnant right now to all this Mary responds. I'm your vessel. May the Lord do to me, as you've said, if you're a Catholic, you hold Mary in very high esteem, but I think we Protestants. Don't give Mary nearly enough love. She's likely a teenager for heaven sakes. She's willing to trust that God will do through her. Something that had been promised for thousands of years and something God had never done before conceive a human being by the Holy spirit, whether she had time to think about it in the moment or not. She's also subjecting herself to a lifetime of ridicule.

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You know, that whole unwed teenage pregnancy thing while I would never pray to, or through Mary personally, I can't wait to meet and thank her in the story of John Jesus boy, cousin, we hear what happens when Mary goes and visits her relative Elizabeth, the moment she walks in John, six month old fetus in Elizabeth's womb just goes crazy. Jumping up and down as if leaping in there. Then Mary here's Elizabeth cry out. You're the mother of my lowered at this. Mary is full of the spirit and she says this all generations will call me. Bless it. The Lord is great, powerful, merciful.

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He is keeping his promise to Abraham and to his offspring forever. Mary realizes is the promise made to Abraham. The one who had blessed all nations is inside of her as the popular Christmas song ask Mary, did you really know? Did you really know all the things that that boy was going to do? She could have said yes. The prophets had painted a very clear picture, but this is a teenage girl in something that's never been done before. A woman just dating the son of God. Matthew moves us to another matter. The issue of her fiance, Joseph Matthew tells us Joseph was adjust.

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Man, who'd been betrothed to Mary patrol is a fancy word for a teenage boy whose parents have arranged for him to marry someone to be betrothed. They're engaged was a binding agreement. It was as if you were married, but the ceremony hadn't happened yet. There was no consummation or sexual union until that ceremony happened in this engagement waiting period, Joseph somehow discovers Mary's pregnant. He was adjust young man probably also in his mid to late teens. I'm guessing he just couldn't believe it. She was wonderful and kind and devoted to him. And pure Matthew tells us he made a decision.

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He would quietly break the engagement, technically divorce her so that she wouldn't be publicly shamed. In fact, both of them would be publicly shamed. She would be a pregnant unwed teen and everyone would think her fiance was the baby daddy. But Joseph gets an angelic visit this time in his dreams. Doesn't tell us it's Gabriel, but you got to figure it was in the dream. Here's what the angel says. Joseph, don't be afraid to follow through with the marriage. The Holy spirit is that child's daddy. This time, we don't have to guess that the angel went to the prophecy of Isaiah about the Virgin conceiving and bearing a son.

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That's exactly what the angel tells Joseph in that prophecy. The one coming through the Virgin was to have the title, Emmanuel God with us. The angel gives Joseph his personal name. You shall name him Yeshua Jesus, which means the Lord is salvation. Why you Shoua Yeshua? Because he will save his people from their sins. Matthew tells us Joseph kept that engagement and did not sleep with Mary until after Jesus was born so that there would be no mistake who the daddy was. It wasn't. There were other prophecies about the birth of Jesus. Besides his conception, the place of birth, the prophet Micah had said that shepherd ruler, who would come, would come from Bethlehem.

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The hometown of David, but Mary and Joseph are in Nazareth. Caesar. Augustus takes care of that arrangement. He orders a census, of course, historian Luke pins down the exact date. Caesar Augustus ordered people to go to their home towns. The talons of their ancient ancestors, that hometown for Joseph happened to be Bethlehem. This was a very familiar track. They made this Trek once a year to Jerusalem, which is only five miles away from Bethlehem. They would do that for the Passover and the week celebration that followed. So while the trip was familiar, the timing was rather unfortunate.

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Mary was just about ready to deliver. Even if you're not very religious, you should know what happens next. At least from a Charlie Brown Christmas picture, Linus walking onto the bear stage. Hear him talk about the birth, the wrapping, and close the lying in a manger because there was no room in the end. Hear his voice. Talk about the shepherds in the fields. Angels announcing a savior, a heavenly choir, joining them, singing of glory, peace and Goodwill, coming to the stable to find Mary and Joseph and the baby. And that's the real meaning of Christmas. Charlie Brown, the writer Luke tells us what happened. Eight days later, Mary and Joseph make the five mile trip to Jerusalem, to the temple.

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They're there to dedicate their firstborn son, according to the law, to the Lord and make the necessary offerings. They also have Jesus circumcised in obedience to the command. God gave to Abraham the sign of his special covenant with his people. And they officially give him the name Yeshua Jesus. The Lord is salvation. Then the gospel writer, Luke reports to little people at the temple. None of the other gospel writers mentioned. The first one was Simeon. He was an old man who was righteous and devout there at the temple. He spots Mary and Joseph and especially their little baby filled with God's spirit. He approaches them, looks at the child, takes Jesus into his arms and says, now I can die for my eyes, have seen your salvation Lord, this little light to the Gentiles and the glory of Israel.

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This child will bless and burden many and through it all, Oh, how your soul will be pierced. Luke also tells us about Ana a temple widow. She'd been in the temple almost 60 years, spending her days praying and fasting for God's people. And for the coming of his anointed one, she sees Jesus and bursts into praise. Then they can't keep her mouth shut to any temple visitor who will listen. That the one who will redeem Israel from has arrived. We're not sure if Mary and Joseph stayed in Bethlehem, but we do know that after awhile Wiseman came from the East, it was at least a 900 mile trip from Babylon.

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And these guys were likely from further East than that from Persia, they were astrologers and they were following that new star that had appeared. I'm not sure how they put two and two together, a star and a promise King, but they did. And they came with gifts. They were asking around, where is he? That is born King of the Jews, the existing King Herod the great, heard this. He had killed three of his own sons, neurotically, jealous to protect his power. He intercepts the match. I puts on his Sunday religious face and urges them to find this new King and report back to him where he is so that he Herod to can come and worship this new King in the Christmas story or manger scenes you've heard of or seen the magic.

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I presenting their gifts, but Jesus likely wasn't a baby anymore. And he certainly wasn't in a manger. It's possible. He was toddling around. We know this because when the match, I refuse to report to Herot in escape, Herod orders, the death of all little babies in the Bethlehem area, two years and younger, I'm sure Herod stretched the limits to make sure he got them. But the match I could easily have been presenting gifts to a future little boy King who was walking around between them. Joseph has warned to flee immediately. And he, Mary and Jesus flee by cover of night, all the way to Egypt, Matthew sights for his Jewish audience to old Testament prophecies about this incident.

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The first from Jeremiah, about women around Bethlehem weeping, over their murdered children and refusing to be comforted in Hosea prophesizing, it would be out of Egypt. God would call his son. God's son is now growing up a toddler in Egypt in four BC, the neurotic murderous Herod dies and his son takes his place. Sometime after that, Joseph gets the news of this, but he's scared of arc Elias, Herod's son and God seconds. The matter in a dream telling him go back to Galilee. So Joseph returns to Nazareth the writer. Matthew can help it point out to his Jewish audience, the prophecy of Isaiah, the son of God, the savior King would be called a Nazarene.

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That's about the last place in Israel. People would think the promise savior King would ever grow up and where Jesus grew up is not the only surprising thing about this promise. Save your King. We'll look at some more surprising things about Jesus and growing up Jesus in our next word picture.