Christian Quest
Lesson 1-2

The Birth of "Christ the Lord"

Many of the details about Jesus' birth and his youth are lost in hidden pages of antiquity. The writers in only two of the Gospels, Matthew and Luke, tell anything about it, Luke being the most detailed. The other Gospel books, Mark and John, are silent about Jesus' life prior to his baptism when he was a grown man age 30 when he began his ministry. It cannot even be determined in what year he was born, though it is thought to be somewhere between 4 and 7 years BC because Herod the Great died in 4 BC. According to Matthew's account, Jesus would have been a very young child in Egypt at that time. This lesson will study comparatively Matthew's and Luke's accounts about the birth of Jesus.

The first 17 versus of Matthew give the genealogy of Jesus. These need not be read aloud in group study, they are for reference to show Jesus' lineage from King David, although the lineage is shown all the way back to Abraham. Luke also gives a genealogy of Jesus (in Luke 3). The lineage reported by Matthew from Abraham to Joseph is somewhat different than that in Luke's account. Scholars have offered a number of possibilities for this variance, but the actual facts are not known, so we won't offer speculation. That might be studied optionally for any who are interested. The main fact for our consideration is that both Gospels show a direct lineage from King David to Jesus, and that if the throne of David still ruled in Israel, Jesus would be the rightful heir to that throne. The Jews were waiting for the promised Messiah to re-establish that earthly monarchy.

Reading:
Matthew 1:18 through chapter 2:23
Luke 2:1-52

Synopsis

Though both Matthew and Luke tell the story of Jesus' birth, each of them provides some different details about that pivotal event in the world's history. The Bible is silent about Jesus boyhood with the exception of one brief glimpse from Luke about the 12-year-old boy Jesus with teachers of the Law at the temple in Jerusalem. Both Gospels do tell of Jesus' mother being a virgin, that she was betrothed to Joseph, and that Joseph was a descendent from King David. Both reveal that Jesus was born in Bethlehem and that his birth fulfilled prophecies.

Only Matthew tells of Joseph's intention to divorce Mary when he found out she was pregnant until an angel revealed to him that her conception was by the holy Spirit. She would give birth to the son of God, and Joseph was to name him Jesus. Matthew is also the one who tells about the mysterious wise men who journeyed from the east to find the newborn Messiah by following a star. And it is Matthew who tells us how Joseph was compelled to flee to Egypt because Herod the Great, fearing a Jewish King had been born, began killing all the children under 2 years of age in an effort to thwart any notion of a reestablishing Israel's Davidic monarchy.

Luke is the one who tells about the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary before she became pregnant and explained to her what was going to occur. It is Luke who gives political details around events in the style of a true historian, such as the fact of Caesar Augustus' decree for a census that required Joseph to travel to Bethlehem when Jesus was born. And it is Luke who tells the endearing story about the shepherds when the Christ child was born. So if we consider both accounts together, Matthew and Luke, and see the events in their given sequence, a summary of the story would flow something like this:

Beginning with the first event (which was covered in the first lesson):

Luke 1:26-56:

The angel Gabriel was sent by God to visit a Jewish priest named Zechariah. Even though Zechariah's wife Elizabeth had been barren and was well past child-bearing age, Gabriel revealed to him that Elizabeth would indeed bear him a son and they must name him John. Six months later, the angel Gabriel appeared to a relative of Elizabeth, a young Jewish virgin named Mary in the little town of Nazareth in the upper Galilee. Mary was betrothed to a man named Joseph. The Angel told her she would conceive by means of the Holy Spirit and give birth to a son. He would be given the throne of David and his Kingdom would be forever. Gabriel also told Mary that Elizabeth was six months pregnant with a son. Upon hearing this, Mary journeyed to see Elizabeth. When Elizabeth saw Mary, she realized immediately that Mary was blessed in a special way by Holy Spirit, for the babe in her womb "leaped" when Mary entered their place. Then Mary sang a beautiful hymn of praise. She stayed with Elizabeth about three months, when it was time for John to be born, and then she returned to Nazareth.

Matthew1:18-25:

When Joseph discovered that his betrothed, Mary, was pregnant, he assumed she had been an adulterous, so he made plans to divorce her.

In their time, being engaged was as binding as being married is in our time. So to break an engagement required getting a divorce, even though a marriage had not been consumated. An engagement became a marriage following a festive occasion at which time the bride moved into the groom's home.

An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him that Mary's child was by the Holy Spirit. She was to give birth to the son of God, and when he would be born, Joseph must name him Jesus, for he would save the people from their sins.

So Joseph heeded the voice of the angel and took Mary as his wife although he did not consummate their marriage until after Jesus was born, so the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14 might be fulfilled, "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Immanuel."

Luke 2:1-38:

When Mary's pregnancy was near full term, the Roman emperor Augustus decreed that a census should be taken which required every man to register in the town of his forefathers. This required Joseph to register in Bethlehem, the city of David, because Joseph was a descendent of King David. He brought Mary with him to Bethlehem to register with him. When they reached the city, Mary began labor to give birth. There was no room available at the inn, so Joseph and Mary had to take lodging in a stable. There Mary gave birth to her son. She wrapped him in cloth bands and laid him in a hay trough. Thus the prophecy was fulfilled as it was written that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. (Micah 5:1)

That night out in the fields some shepherds were tending their flock. They were startled and became frightened when an angel appeared. The angel said: "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and laying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." Luke 2:10-14 NIV

It is worth noting here that the angel called the newborn son "Christ the Lord." This tells us that it was not later when Jesus was 30 years of age that he became the Christ, when he was baptised. According to the angel, Jesus was born the Christ, the Son of God. And the angels did indeed celebrate his birth.

When the baby Jesus was 8 days old, it was time for him to be circumcised and given his name. Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem for the "purification" ceremony according to the Law of the Jews, and he was given the name Jesus as the angel had instructed to Joseph.

In the temple, an elderly man named Simeon approached them and took the baby Jesus into his arms. He had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would see the Messiah before he died. He held the infant and praised God for keeping this precious promise. (This is another testimony in the Bible of the baby Jesus being the Messiah.) And a prophet named Anna, from the tribe of Asher, was also present. After seeing Jesus, she gave praise to God and began to preach about Jesus to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Matthew 2:1-23:

Some astrologers (magicians; wise men) in a distant land to the east, saw a strange star in the sky which was to them a sign that a king had been born to the Jews. They journeyed to Jerusalem and inquired about where a child was born who was king of the Jews so they might pay him homage. When word of this got back to Herod the Great, who was appointed king of Judea by the Roman government, he became alarmed. He called all the priests and scribes and asked where the Messiah was supposed to be born. They replied that the prophecy said he would be born in Bethlehem. Then Herod called the astrologers who were seeking to find the new born king, and told them to please inform him when they found this child so he too might go and pay homage.

So the astrologers left, not having found the answer to their quest by asking in Jerusalem, and they continued to follow the star which finally brought them to the boy Jesus. They gave him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. When they left, an angel appeared to them and commanded them not to return to Herod, so they left the country by another route.

Then an angel appeared to Joseph with an urgent instruction that he should take Mary and Jesus to Egypt quickly because Herod was going to search for him to kill him. By the time Herod realized the astrologers had tricked him, Joseph with Mary and Jesus were gone. They stayed in Egypt until Joseph heard that Herod had died, and then he returned to Israel and settled in Nazareth and worked as a carpenter. And as far as is known, that is where they lived and Jesus grew up.

Luke 2:41-52:

It was the custom of Jews every year to journey to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. People came from every part of the country, evidently in caravan groups. When Jesus was 12 years of age, they made the usual pilgrimage with a group of travelers for this annual celebration. After the festival as they were on their way home to Nazareth, after a day traveling Mary and Joseph realized that Jesus was not among them. So Mary and Joseph returned to Jerusalem and searched for him three days before they found him. When they finally found him, he was at the Temple listening to the rabbis and asking them many questions. All of them were amazed at the knowledge and comprehension of this young boy. When Mary scolded him, Jesus asked why they had to search to find him; they should have realized where he would be, going about his Father's business. Jesus then returned home with his parents and was obedient. Privately, Mary was proud of her son and held these things as fond memories.

This brief summary is most of all we know from the Bible about Jesus' birth and childhood. The Bible is silent about his young adulthood before he reached the age of 30. At that time, he began a three-year ministry that would forever change the face of the world.

Reading:
Matthew 1:18 through chapter 2:23
Luke 2:1-52

Optional research:

• Why was it important that Jesus be a descendent of King David?
• Who were the "wise men" and from what land or region might they have travelled?
• What did the Jews believe the prophesied Messiah would do for Israel?
• How could the prophecy at Isaiah 7:14 be fulfilled in naming the Savior Jesus, since the prophet has said his name would be Immanuel?

Review questions:

• Which two Gospels record the birth of the Christ?
• Which Gospel writer tells about the Shepherds?
• Who was Anna?
• Which Gospel writer tells about the wise men and King Herod.
• Name some prophecies fulfilled in Jesus' birth.
• When did Jesus become the Christ and how do we know?
• What indicates that Mary and Joseph must have been travelling with a large group when they journeyed to Jerusalem for the annual Passover when Jesus was 12?

Optional discussion: Might it be that Mary was chosen to bear God's son because of the fact that she was betrothed to Joseph, whose lineage it was from David that would make his wife's Son the heir to David's throne in Israel?