Biblical Places Spiritual Spaces Nazareth & Bethlehem

 

Stained Glass Window at the Church of Nativity Bet Le Hem

 

The Real Christmas Story

Christmas is the most celebrated holiday in the Christian world, and each culture has its own traditions of this celebration. These cultural expressions usually involve evergreen trees, wreaths, holly, mistletoe, eggnog, gifts, processions, and carols.  Christians celebrate the arrival of the Savior in many ways, some of which would really surprise Mary, Joseph, and others from that era.

For many, an important part of this holiday is a special time of reading the Biblical narrative of Jesus’ birth gathered around the Christmas tree with cookies and hot chocolate.  Listening to the story from the gospels of Luke and Matthew, we each have our own images of what was actually happening.

Many of us see the crowded streets of Bethlehem teeming with activity. A very pregnant Mary sitting on a donkey is led through the streets by her husband, Joseph, toward the Bet Lehem Holiday Inn.  Arriving there they discover all the rooms are full, as are the other hotels in town.  As a despondent Joseph consoles his getting-more-uncomfortable-by-the-moment bride, the wife of an innkeeper notices them and has pity.  She motions them to follow her, and leads them to a stable behind the hotel, where they make themselves comfortable. In a few hours, The Baby is born amid cows, sheep, horses, and chickens.  The shepherds arrive, followed by the Three Wise Men.  They all admire The Baby, say some interesting things, leave gifts, and then move on.

That’s usually the cue for us to open our own gifts, which are waiting under the tree. A flurry of frantic activity develops, and the floor is quickly covered with discarded wrapping paper, boxes, and freshly opened gifts.

But what is the purpose of the Christmas story?

 Surely Luke and Matthew had an objective in writing this history of the birth of Jesus other than to entertain us on Christmas Eve.

How are we to interpret and understand the message of Christmas?

It is easy to get lost and miss out on the Real Christmas Story.

 

 

The intersection of the road to the Shepherds Field and the street up to the Church of the Nativity in Manger Square.

 

What is the Gospel Christmas Story? Is there any connections to our cultural expression in the 21^st Century?

Here is the most succinct Gospel Christmas Story

But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Galatians 4:4-5

In the fulness of time:

• God brought His People, the Hebrews, from Egypt to the land bridge between Africa, Europe and Asia.
• Alexander brought the Greek language to all the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern world.
• Roman Conquest of the Mediterranean world brought ‘peace’ and safe travel.
• They built roads connecting all parts of the Empire.
• There was a Greek Translation of the Hebrew Scriptures – the Septuagint- done in the 2^Nd and 3^rd Century B.C.

 

With all these conditions in place, John describes the coming of God to the Earth.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.   He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.  He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,  who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

 And the Word became flesh, and  dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.  No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.                                                                      John 1

What Happened in the Beginning that resulted in God coming to Earth in the form of a human?

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was  formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Genesis 1:1-2

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Genesis 1:26

God creates man and woman and gives them authority to rule over the Earth.

 ​¹ The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”

² “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. ³ “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”
⁴ “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. ⁵ “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
⁶ The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. ⁷ At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. Genesis 3:1-7

Man does not trust God and eats the forbidden fruit, and sin enters into the DNA of mankind.

 The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go,

And dust you will eat all the days of your life; And I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head,  And you shall bruise him on the heel.”                                                                      Genesis 3:14-15

 God tells the serpent that He will resolve the sin issue between mankind and God.

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,  “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘If a person sins unintentionally in any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and commits any of them,  if the anointed priest sins so as to bring guilt on the people, then let him offer to the LORD a bull without defect as a sin offering for the sin he has committed.              Leviticus 4:1-3

Mankind’s sin against God will require a blood sacrifice, which the Hebrews are instructed to do until God sends the ultimate sacrifice.

 

 

The Wilderness Tabernacle Study Center, near Jericho Israel 

 

God describes His Solution to the Sin issue that will restore the relationship between God and Mankind.

Moses declared

The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him. Deuteronomy 18:15

Jesus references this declaration:

Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. ⁴⁶ For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. John 5:45-46

God tells David that one of his descendants will be established as the eternal king.

When your days are fulfilled that you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up one of your descendants after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. ¹He shall build for Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever.            Chronicles 17:11-12                                                                     

Isaiah declares that this coming king will be born of a virgin.

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.  Isaiah 7:14  

 In Hebrew theology, it is the man who carries the sin gene.

Isaiah describes this coming King.

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness, from then on and forevermore.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.  Isaiah 9:6-7 

 

​¹ Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit.

² The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength,
The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. ³ And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear; ⁴ But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth;                     Isaiah 11:1-4

 

This coming King will be the one to resolve the sin issue between God and all mankind,

 Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?  

For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.

 He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;   And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.

But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him

 But the LORD was pleased To crush Him,  putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. ¹¹ As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.              Isaiah 52:13 - 53:1-6, 11

 

The price to pay for resolving the sin issue would be the life of this King, and death in a most horrible manner.

My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?  Far from my deliverance are the words of my  groaning..

¹⁴ I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax;
It is melted within me. ¹⁵ My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And my tongue cleaves to my jaws; And You lay me in the dust of death.

¹⁶ For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet.  ¹⁷ I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; ¹⁸ They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots.              Psalms 22:1-18

The King will be Born in Bethlehem

But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.”   Micah 5:2

 

He will be given the entire world as His dominion and be known as The Son of Man

“I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming,
And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. ¹⁴ “And to Him was given dominion,
Glory and  a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed. Daniel 7:13-14

 

Jesus often referred to himself as this “Son of Man”.

And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.” ³ And some of the scribes said to themselves, “This fellow blasphemes.”  And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts?  Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk’? ⁶ But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.” ⁷ And he got up and went home. But when the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men. Matthew 9:2-8

 

The King would ride into Jerusalem on a colt.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!  Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you; He is  just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey,
Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.                                                               Zechariah 9:9

 

The Last Words of the Hebrew Scriptures point us all to this coming King.

“Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will  clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; Malachi 3:1

Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. He will  restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.” Malachi 4:5-6

 

The Continuation of the Christmas Story in the Christian Scriptures

In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. ⁶ They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. ⁷ But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.

 

Zechariah and Elizabeth were godly people who had been praying for children, but now due to their advanced age, it was improbable that that prayer would receive a positive answer. Having children was an essential part of Hebrew life.

⁸ Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division, ⁹ according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. ¹⁰ And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering.

 ¹¹ And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. ¹² Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. ¹³ But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John.

Amazingly, Gabriel announces that Zechariah and Elizabeth’s prayers have been positively answered! In addition, it will be a son who will be named John. Gabriel describes the specific mission that this son named John will have.

 ¹⁴ You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. ¹⁵ For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb. ¹⁶ And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Zechariah, who has studied Scripture all his life, must have recognized the reference to the prophetic words of Malachi, the connect to the prophet Elijah and the coming Christ, His astonishment at the news of his coming son overwhelms him, causing his to vocalize his years of frustration, instead of focusing on this extraordinary event.

 Principle: We are often triggered into ungodly words and behavior by past disappointments and unmet expectations.

¹⁸ Zacharias said to the angel, “How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.”

 ¹⁹ The angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. ²⁰ And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”

Why do you think Gabriel silenced Zechariah?

Obviously Zechariah needed some time to consider his words to the angel messenger as Gabriel demonstrated his ability to alter human physiology. This seems like a common technique on the part of God to get our attention.

²¹ Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary, wondering why he was taking so long. ²² When he finally did come out, he couldn’t speak to them. Then they realized from his gestures and his silence that he must have seen a vision in the sanctuary.
²³ When Zechariah’s week of service in the Temple was over, he returned home. ²⁴ Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months. ²⁵ “How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.” Luke 1:5-25

 

 

Nazareth

 

 

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸

Gabriel comes to a virgin woman who lives in Nazareth and proclaims that she will give birth to the “Son of God”, as prophesied in Isaiah 7:14.

 

 

 

Nazareth as seen from Mt Carmel

 

The street leading up to the Church of Annunciation

 

 

This church was designed by Giovani Muzio and built during 1960-69

 

 

The Four Gospels Represented

 

The Bronze Door tells the story of Jesus' life

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bagby Family Nazareth  2000

 

And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” ²⁹ But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.

Favored: charitóō; To grace, highly honor or greatly favor. In the NT spoken only of the divine favor, as to the virgin Mary in Luke 1:28. In charitóō there is not only the impartation of God's grace, but also the adoption into God's family in imparting special favor

Perplexed: diatarássō: to agitate, trouble. To stir up throughout.

Pondering: dialogízomai: to reckon, reason. To reckon through, to settle an account.

This declaration confused and agitated Mary, since she was aware that she had done nothing to deserve such high honor and favor. She was trying to logically figure out why she was called this by the angel.

  

³⁰ The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. ³¹ And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; ³³  and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”

This was an even more amazing statement than what Gabriel said to Zechariah, even more miraculous. Notice the difference between Mary and Zechariah response.

 ³⁴ Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”

This is a logical question for a woman who had never had sex with a man, and was already trying to understand the situation.

³⁵ The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.

Gabriel gives an astonishing explanation that the Holy Spirit would impregnate Mary and she would conceive a child that was both man and God. In Hebrew theology, the sin gene was carried by the man. Thus there could be born a child without the sin gene that could live a sinless life.

Mediate on that concept and its ramifications for all mankind for a moment.

Gabriel offers her a word of encouragement to this forthcoming miracle to help her faith.

 ³⁶ And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. ³⁷ For  nothing will be impossible with God.”

Mary must have known of the years that Elizabeth had prayed for a child and the dishonor she felt being barren and having no heir. This was some concrete evidence that she was not imagining this event, but that it was really happening. It was the tipping point for Mary’s faith and obedience.

³⁸ And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:26-38

Mary was a woman of faith, and she knew that allowing this event to take place would have consequences, especially when she tried to explain to her betrothed Joseph that she was pregnant.  Imagine Joseph’s reaction.

Matthew helps us with how Jospeh got onboard with this miracle.

¹⁸ Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly.

Although there is no specific punishment for this in the Laws given through Moses, pre-marital pregnancy was considered dishonorable and abhorrent, and Joseph had the right to dissolve the engagement.  

 

²⁰ But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

The common understanding of the Christ, the Messiah, was one who would come to oust the Romans and reestablish the Jewish Kingdom. He was a military and political leader, akin the Maccabee brothers who had ousted the Greeks a few centuries earlier. Here Joseph is one of the first in his generation to know that this child would ‘save people from their sins’. 

Jesus: ‘God Saves’

 

²² Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ²³ “BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,” which translated means, “GOD WITH US.”  ²⁴ And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, ²⁵  but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus. Matthew 1:18-25

Dreams are often used by God to convey messages to mankind. This was a powerful encounter that Joseph experienced, and it convinced him to continue to be part of God’s miracle plan for Humanity’s redemption.

Later, Mary had her encounter and become pregnant with the child of the Holy Spirit. She leaves Nazareth and travels for about 5 days to En Kerem, a village just west of Jerusalem.

 

³⁹ Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, ⁴⁰ and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴² And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! ⁴³ And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? ⁴⁴ For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. ⁴⁵ And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”

 

An extraordinary event occurred as Mary entered Elizabeth’s home. As prophesied by Gabriel, the Holy Spirit immediately fills both Elizabeth and her child, imparting at word of knowledge (1 Corinthians 12:8) to each that they are in the presence of the Christ. In addition, Elizabeth is also aware of the encounter between Mary and Gabriel that occurred in Nazareth and the words spoken to her.

Mary already has the Holy Spirit inside her! She now expresses a prophetic word regarding her child.

⁴⁶ And Mary said:
“My soul  exalts the Lord, ⁴⁷ and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
⁴⁸ “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave;
For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.
⁴⁹ “For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
And holy is His name.
⁵⁰ “AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION
TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM.
⁵¹ “He has done mighty deeds with His arm;
He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.
⁵² “He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
And has exalted those who were humble.
⁵³ “HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS;
And sent away the rich empty-handed.
⁵⁴ “He has given help to Israel His servant,
In remembrance of His mercy,
⁵⁵  As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and his descendants forever.”

 

This is indeed a description of the ministry of the Christ on Earth, as well as a fulfillment to the prophetic words spoken to Abraham, Moses, David, and many others in the centuries before.

⁵⁶ And Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home. Luke 1:39-56

 

There was much to discuss between these two women who were experiencing unusual miracles in their life. Imagine being in that home in those weeks.

John is born. 

⁵⁷ Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son. ⁵⁸ Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had  displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her.
⁵⁹ And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zacharias, after his father. ⁶⁰ But his mother answered and said, “No indeed; but he shall be called John.” ⁶¹ And they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name.” ⁶² And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. ⁶³ And he asked for a tablet and wrote as follows, “His name is John.” And they were all astonished. ⁶⁴  And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God. ⁶⁵ Fear came on all those living around them; and all these matters were being talked about in all the hill country of Judea. ⁶⁶ All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, “What then will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was certainly with him.

In a miraculous display, the baby is named John, and Zechariah's ability to speak is restored.

Zacharias’s Prophecy
And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
 He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people,
 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us
In the house of David His servant—
 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old—
  Salvation FROM OUR ENEMIES,
And FROM THE HAND OF ALL WHO HATE US;
To show mercy toward our fathers,
And to remember His holy covenant,
The oath which He swore to Abraham our father,
To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies,
Might serve Him without fear,
 In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.

 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
For you will go on BEFORE THE LORD TO PREPARE HIS WAYS;

To give to His people the knowledge of salvation
By the forgiveness of their sins,

 Because of the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us,
 TO SHINE UPON THOSE WHO SIT IN DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
 And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.  Luke 1:57-80

 

Bethlehem

It was then that Caesar Augustus issued a decree that all the residents of Israel should travel to their hometowns to register. This is consistent with historical records that indicate censuses were taken in 14 year intervals in Egypt as well as at different places throughout the Empire. Some actual census records from that time have been discovered. The census was usually for taxation purposes. This was not a happy time! It was understood that Roman law instructed property owners to register for taxation in the district where they owned land. Joseph’s ancestral home was Bethlehem, where his family had their land.

 

 

 Manger Square Beth Le Hem

 

Panorama Manger Square to the Door of the Church of the Nativity

 

 

 

Craig Englert contemplating The Event

 

 

The Church of the Nativity Bethlehem

 

 

Juliana and Laura at the Door 

And Moselle

 

 

 

 

 

Panorama of the Church of the Nativity

 

 

5th Century Baptismal 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Luke records:

 

​¹ In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³ And all went to be registered, each to his own town. ⁴ And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. ⁶ And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. ⁷ And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Luke 2:1-7

 

Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem, a journey of at least seven days. Imagine walking or riding a donkey while pregnant! When they arrived, they probably stayed with extended family or friends, as archeologists say that it is unlikely that Bethlehem had hotels or inns. Ground penetrating radar has detected over 60 cave home in the Bethlehem ridge, which is so steep in places that I often had to downshift the Mitsubishi van I was driving in 1999-2000 into first gear when going up the street into Manger Square!

Most of the cave homes in Bethlehem had three principal chambers. The outmost room what where everyone ate and slept. The middle room- the kataluma- was a storage room, that was often used as a guest room for visiting travelers. Finally the innermost room what the place where the sheep and goats stayed. Why would you keep animals in the back of your cave home? Cheap heating in the winter!

Luke tells us more about the night of the birth:

 

 

⁸ And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. ¹⁰ And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
¹⁵ When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. ¹⁷ And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. ¹⁸ And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. ²⁰ And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. Luke 2:8-20

 

 

 

Bet Sahour Shepherds Fields

 

 

We learn much about the circumstances of Jesus’ birth in this passage.

Since the shepherds had their flocks out in the fields, it was probably spring or summer when the birth occurred. Shepherds traditionally take their sheep out into the fields in the spring and summer. Bethlehem residents planted a winter wheat crop, and still do. So, we know that the Birth probably did not occur during winter.

Mary and Jospeh are probably staying with family in their cave home with other visiting family members. Mary was pregnant. The home was crowded. The sheep and goats were not in the innermost room of the cave home, so when it became time for Mary to give birth, that was the logical place for the event, and the feeding trough – the manger- was a convenient place to lay the baby.

Actually, the Greek word that Luke uses that is translated into English as ‘inn’ is ‘kataluma’, which refers to the middle ‘guest room’ of the cave home. Quite the humble circumstances for the Messiah to enter the world!

 

Shepherds were not considered to be ‘polite company’ as they were smelly, dirty and ragged, (as you would probably be if you slept in the fields with goats and sheep!). They were on the low end of the Hebrew social structure (just above prostitutes and tax collectors). Yet these are the ones to whom angels were sent to announce the birth of the Messiah. Angels were not sent to the High Priest in Jerusalem, or to other members of the Sanhedrin. No angels were sent to King Herod or even to Caesar Augustus.  Instead, they appeared to the lowly shepherds.

 

 Principle: God chose the humblest setting for His arrival on Earth and sent angels to announce the Birth to the humblest members of Hebrew society. He did this so that all would know that He came to invite everyone into His Family, from all levels of society, starting from the bottom.

 

 

Meanwhile there was drama on the horizon.

 

​¹ Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, ² saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” ³ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;

 

Astrologers, who were probably from Babylon, where the most prominent rabbinical schools were in the First Century, and where the prophecies about the Christ were well known, saw a light in the southern sky and connected it to the prophecies. It is recorded that there was a triple conjunction of Mars, Jupiter and Saturn in 6 B.C. that may have been this light.

 

Why was Herod troubled and all Jerusalem with him?

 

Herod was a paranoid king who killed anyone who threatened his rule, including family members. He executed his second (and favorite) wife Mariamne in 29 BC. because of an alleged plot against him. Years later He drowned two sons Alexander and his brother Aristobulus, in the pool below his fortress palace at the Herodian who were allegedly conspiring against him because of their mother’s death (7 BC).

Octavian, who later became Caesar Augustus, was Herod’s class mate at a school in Rome. He knew of Herod’s violent manner and reportedly said “It is better to be Herod’s pig than an family member.” When Herod knew that his death was near due to his health issues, he ordered his soldiers to round up all the leading citizens of Israel and take them to the chariot track in Jericho, upon news of his death, they were to kill the all so that, as Herod said, “There would be true morning” in Israel. Fortunately they did not follow through with those orders.

 

If these astrologers had arrive searching for ‘the King of the Jews’, Herod’s court knew there was going to be blood spilled as a result, and it might be theirs.

 

 

 ⁴ and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. ⁵ They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
⁶ “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” (Micah 5:2)

The chief priest and scribes knew the prophecies about the Messiah, and pinpointed the place of birth- Bethlehem, only seven miles south of the Temple. There is no record of any of these religious leaders coming to Bethlehem to visit the Baby Jesus.

 

⁷ Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. ⁸ And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.”

 

Herod had a plan for this Baby, but it was not to worship him.

 

 ⁹ After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. ¹¹ And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. ¹² And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

Why did these astrologers bring gifts of gold and expensive spices?

 

¹³ Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” ¹⁴ And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt ¹⁵ and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

The family is warned in a dream to flee from Bethlehem, and they depart for Egypt, where they remain for two years. How did they survive in Egypt? Probably the gifts of the astrologers provided enough money to purchase food and shelter.

 

Principle: God always provides what is needed for his people.

¹⁶ Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. ¹⁷ Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
¹⁸ “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

¹⁹ But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, ²⁰ saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead.” ²¹ And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. ²² But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. ²³ And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene. Matthew 2:1-23

 

 

Herod had four fortresses built to guard his escape route south in case of a rebellion. One was the famous mountaintop fortress at Masada. Another one was only three miles from that cave home in Bethlehem. It is a man-made pyramid shaped fortress that stands out in the landscape called the Herodian. It was here in the early 2000’s that archeologists discovered Herod’s tomb.

 

 

 

 

What is the Real Gospel Christmas Story?

 

Paul describes it well in his letter to his friends in Philippi:

 

Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:6-11

 

Jesus came to Earth to take care of the sin issue that has separated Mankind from God. He came as a man, in a very humble manner, living a life of poverty, working as a laborer, paying taxes to an oppressive government, being falsely accused, tried and condemned to death- death on a cross, so that He could pay the penalty for mankind’s turning their backs on their Creator.

Unlike all world religions which focus on mankind finding God, the God of the Bible is pursuing all mankind, inviting them to become part of his family. He enters this world at the very lowest level, born in a urine ridden cave home where sheep and goats slept. His arrival is announced to the lowest of society.

What is the message of the Gospel Christmas Story?

 

God is inviting everybody to be members of his family. Who is He reaching out to at the very beginning of His time on Earth? The dregs of society; the uninvited eating from the back of the kitchen; the uncultured and uncouth; the ones doing the dirty work of society.  He starts at the bottom of our social structure, to let us know that we are all, wherever we are, invited to come to His banquet.

Every good artist uses “contrast” to highlight the main subject, and Herod's opulent palace contrasts sharply with the humble cave home of Mary and Joseph.  What a backdrop to put the birth of Jesus in perspective!

Herod was a king who ruled by might.  He was a self-centered, ruthless, arrogant ruler who occupied the throne because of his political connections. He took from the poor and spent their money on his comfort and protection of his kingdom.  He was hated by his subjects and feared by all his family members.

A few miles away from this symbol of tyrannical rule, the King by Right entered His creation in a opposite manner. 

Matthew and Luke hope you notice the contrast between Herod and the Chief Priests and the Baby Jesus and the Shepherds.

When Herod was selfish, God shows Himself to be ‘others-centered;’ while Herod was ruthless, God proves over and over to be merciful;  where Herod was always taking, God is always giving; while Herod ruled by discrimination, favoritism, and prejudice, God rules with justice. 

The Chief Priests at the Temple were experts in their knowledge of God, but they showed no interest in meeting Him in person. They relied on their own righteousness to show themselves approved and qualified to enter Heaven. The shepherds, fishermen, tax collectors, prostitutes and other outcasts knew they could not live up to God’ standards, and they knew they needed a Savior.

The Chief Priest prided themselves on the keeping of the Law, the shepherd in the field knew they could not, and they received the Baby as their Savior.

 There could not be a more extreme comparison!

 

God placed Himself in a situation at birth that was more traumatic than most people experience.  He is one, who through His life circumstances can completely relate to most of us.  He proves Himself to be one who is willing to endure much to accomplish His plan to bring us all into His family for eternity.  The many qualities of God proclaimed in the pages of the Hebrew Scriptures are demonstrated through the life of Jesus recorded in the Christian Scriptures.  His birth is just the first in a series of life experiences that proclaim the love God has for His people, and His utmost desire to know us all. 

 

This is the message of Matthew and Luke’s Gospel Christmas Story ringing loud and clear as we understand the historical, cultural and geographical context of the birth of Jesus.