God s Christmas Gift Part 4

Transcription

1 God s Christmas Gift Part 4 Have you ever driven from downtown Chicago to Rockford, Illinois? It is a distance of some eighty-eight miles and it takes about an hour and forty-five minutes by car (driving at 65 MPH). Now we would like you to imagine that instead of driving, you would walk from Chicago to Rockford. No way you say. Well what would you do if cars had not been invented, nor trains, planes, or even bicycles? What would you do then if you absolutely had to go to Rockford or else be thrown into prison? In addition to not having any way to get there other than walking, you are so poor that you couldn t afford other means of transportation even if they were available. So you either walk or stay home. Well that is exactly the position Joseph and Mary found themselves in when Caesar Augustus called everyone to return to their hometowns so that a census could be taken for tax purposes. And unlike most of us, Mary was nine months pregnant. Luke 2:1-7 NAS: 1 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. 2 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. 4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, 5 in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. 6 While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Mary and Joseph s journey was a considerable undertaking, for they left Nazareth which was 1,200 feet above sea level, probably followed the normal route down the Jordan Valley to avoid Samaria, and descended to 800 feet below sea level at Jericho, a distance of some eighty miles. Then they would have climbed 3,600 feet to Jerusalem in fifteen miles, a difficult and tiring steep climb, and finally covered the last five miles to Bethlehem. The Bible presents Mary and Joseph as abjectly (no hope for improvement) poor. Consequently, it is highly unlikely that they owned a donkey. Mary, the mother of our Savior, made this journey, a distance of over one hundred miles, on foot. Consider this for a moment: a mother-to-be carrying her first child, late in her pregnancy, walking one hundred miles, and climbing 3,600 feet in fifteen miles. Jesus was born in Bethlehem at the expense of great personal hardship and sacrifice. Spare a thought, too, for Joseph, for how that righteous man must have grieved to see his beloved wife subjected to all this unnecessary pain, simply because of the decree of the despised foreign conqueror, Caesar Ron and Betty Teed 1

2 Have you ever realized that Scripture says very little about Jesus actual birth? Just two verses, Luke 2:6-7 cover this subject. One would think, particularly at Christmas time, that the Bible must have whole chapters on this event, yet there are only two verses. Why did God skim over one of the two most important events in the history of mankind (the resurrection being the other one)? Could it be that He gives us a minimum of information so that we are not encouraged to think of Jesus as a baby? We suspect there is something dangerous in the idea of reducing God to a baby, for then we are tempted to think of Him in a form that we can control and nurture, a form in which He is dependent on humanity, illogical as that is. Let us always remember that Mary s baby was God incarnate (contained in a human body), and then approach Him in awe. There are some interesting details regarding this narrative which are not often considered. First, Joseph may have been absent according to Luke 2:7. Or it could be that the narrative is just being silent about his role, which may have been minor. However, if he was absent it could be that he had gone to find a midwife or any other woman who might be able to help, and he certainly was with Mary by verse 16, as his presence is specifically stated. Second, Jesus was born in a manger which suggests a stable (though no animals are mentioned. Tradition places Jesus birth in a cave that was used as a stable. This must surely be as humble a birth as possible for a human. No man can claim to be more humble in his birth than was Jesus. He chose this humble family and this impoverished birth scene so that no human being could regard himself or herself as outside His care. The swaddling0f1 cloths also need some explanation, for this detail is rarely correctly understood. Ezekiel 16:4 establishes that the contemporary custom was to wrap a baby in cloths just after birth. The midwife normally did this, and its purpose was to protect the newborn baby from hypothermia (the rapid loss of body heat) to which a newborn baby is susceptible for the first three or four hours of its life. Two significant points arise: first, Mary wrapped Jesus in swaddling cloths herself, and this implies that she had no midwife or sympathetic bystander in attendance. It seems the Bible tells us the world was as indifferent to Jesus birth as it has been indifferent to Him ever since. Second, the angelic host was immediate in its praise, for they directed the shepherds to a baby who was still wrapped in swaddling cloths, cloths which would be removed a few hours after birth when they had served their purpose. This section impresses on us that humanity in general was completely disinterested in Mary and Joseph s predicament. However, it is probably fair to say that He was neglected because of the poverty of His chosen parents. This charge is a theme that became a refrain in Christ s ministry, for He repeatedly condemned mankind s sense of values. Here, people chose to be caught up in their business and personal interests rather than to 1 to wrap a baby tightly in soft material. Encarta World English Dictionary & (P) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved Ron and Betty Teed 2

3 care for a poor young couple in dire need. In so doing the residents of Bethlehem missed a unique blessing. The concept of the kindly innkeeper has no sound scriptural base. Indeed, the whole direction of the narrative is one of bustle and involvement with the affairs of this life, to the extent that the birth of Jesus was ignored, that is until an angelic announcement stimulated interest. Can you imagine what the shepherds response would have been if only a passer-by had told them that the Messiah was born over on the south forty? They most likely would have not believed that the Messiah could be born in such an impoverished situation, and would simply have gone on with their business. But when a host of angels appear above you in blazing light on a dark night, it tends to get your attention. Our present system of calendar year numbering began in AD 525, when a pope ordered one of his scholars to compute the year of Christ s birth. Historians generally treat this calculation as in error and hold that Jesus was not born in 1 BC, as we would expect. Luke 1:1-2 seems to provide information to date Jesus birth: Caesar Augustus reigned from March 15, 44 BC to August 19, AD 14, so this fixes broad limits. Historians have yet to establish the year of the census that required Joseph and Mary s journey to Bethlehem as there is some question about when Quirinius was first governor of Syria, though some historians suggest 6 4 BC. Jesus was born before Herod died. It seems safe, therefore, in assuming that Jesus was born at least one year before Herod died. Herod s death is widely dated in the spring of 4 BC, based on the date of an eclipse reported by Josephus, the Jewish historian; so Jesus year of birth is generally placed as 6 or 5 BC. However, recent articles question the date of this eclipse on which all these dates pivot, arguing that it occurred on January 9, l BC.1F3 Thus some historians argue that dates for Herod s death and Quirinius governorship both be moved forward two or three years which, of course, moves the year of Jesus birth to somewhere between 4 and 2 BC. This date for Herod s death harmonizes better with a host of church fathers who dated our Lord s birth in either 3 or 2 BC men such as Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origen, Eusebius, John Chrysostom, Jerome, Epiphanius, and many others. It is interesting that if one starts with a birth date at the end of 3 BC or the beginning of 2 BC, then Jesus would have reached His thirtieth birthday just before or early in Tiberius Caesar s fifteenth year (Luke 3:1), which was AD 29. Augustus Caesar died on August 19, AD 142F4 ), and this harmonizes with Luke 3:23 which says Jesus was about thirty years old when He began to teach. This birth date of 3 or 2 BC is compatible with Scripture and with the year suggested by the church fathers. We could spend a lifetime 3 See Ernest L. Martin, The Celestial Pageantry dating Christ s birth, Christianity Today, December 3, Some scholars question this date, pointing out that Tiberius commenced reigning as co-regent with Augustus two years before the latter died. However, this overlooks the fact that dating referenced to the reigning monarch also had a primary function as a commercial calendar, just as we now use an AD datum as the basis of our legal and commercial contracts. So, the calendar datum would only change at the yearend following the death of the senior monarch, not from the year-end following his co-regent s investure (moreover this would be an insult to the man who graciously elevated him to the co-regency, and, indeed, would be impractical, as there was no guarantee he would outlive the senior monarch) Ron and Betty Teed 3

4 trying to find the exact date of Jesus birth, but we think enough information has been provided for our purposes. Our best guess would be around the beginning of 2 BC. Suffice it to say that Jesus was born before December 25th, 1 BC, which is the date our calendar presumes. The Angelic Chorus (Luke 2:8 20) There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God s angel stood among them and God s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, Luke 2:10-20 The Message: Don t be afraid. I m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger. At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God s praises: Glory to God in the heavenly heights, Peace to all men and women on earth who please him. As the angel choir withdrew into Heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. Let s get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us. They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed. Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. We have noted humanity s indifference to its Savior s birth. We will encounter this again, for Israel s leaders could not bother to travel the five miles which separate Jerusalem and Bethlehem to see the Messiah for whom they professed to have been waiting for two thousand years! Because of this indifference God honored some lowly shepherds with angelic notice of the Savior s birth. Shepherds were seen as a lowly class because their occupation made it difficult to maintain Jewish ceremonial purity. The shepherds were living outside Bethlehem and were guarding their flock. The Mishnah records a Jewish law that stipulates that all flocks be kept in the wilderness, except for the temple services3f6 when some were kept in Bethlehem. These shepherds, then, were probably guarding sacrificial lambs, many of which would become Passover lambs, at the same time the ultimate Passover Lamb was born. As there was but one flock, and, as it was night, only a few shepherds would have stood guard over that flock; so this angelic announcement was probably made to only a small band of 6 Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, I: Ron and Betty Teed 4

5 men. Note how kind God is: first, He sent one angel, and only when the shepherds got over their fear and absorbed the message that the Messiah ( Christ is Greek for Messiah ) had been born in nearby Bethlehem did He send the dazzling host. The glory which shone around may well be the same glory which filled the tabernacle in the wilderness and Solomon s temple. The Jews call this the Shekinah glory. We will see it again on the Mount of Transfiguration. The angelic song was not for the benefit of the shepherds but was an act of praise for God (verse 13). The shepherds, witnessing it, could testify to mankind of Heaven s approval of the Messiah, which, of course, was irrefutable confirmation of Jesus being the Messiah. We need to consider this angelic announcement carefully, for a lot of wishful thinking has been superimposed on these verses with the result that they are poorly understood and badly misinterpreted. The earthly peace of verse 14 is prophesied in Isaiah 9:6, a passage with clear millennial overtones; so the angels were saying that the millennium is coming! Please note the final phrase of this angelic chorus: what they said, according to the Greek text, is, peace in men upon whom divine favor rests. In other words, God, through Christ, has brought peace to righteous men, the peace that is established between God and an individual through that person accepting Christ as Savior and thus being declared righteous by God. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1, NAS). This, too, will be the basis for the peace that will prevail between people during the millennium. The angels did not say God was pleased with all mankind. He can never be pleased with unrepentant sinners. This misunderstanding stems from the King James Version which has been translated, Peace on earth, good will toward men. This statement seems to suggest that with Christ s advent all mankind found peace, which badly misrepresents the true meaning of the phrase. The only time peace with all people will prevail on earth will be when Christ institutes His millennial reign. Contemporary Bible scholars pretty much agree that the original reading of the two variant Greek texts is best represented by the RSV, NASB and NIV. Biblically, the term, in whom He is pleased (RV, NASB) or in whom His favor rests (NIV), means that God s unmerited favor rests on those people who are in right relationship with Him. In other words those who accept His Son as their personal Savior. We need to be clear in our understanding of this angelic praise, for it all too frequently is badly misinterpreted as a doctrine of universalism (the misguided belief that God will save all mankind). In marked contrast to Bethlehem s inhabitants, the humble shepherds left their worldly commitment (shepherding the flock), recognizing the importance of the event which they were about to experience first-hand. The shepherds wasted no time in rushing to see the Messiah (verse 16) and in so doing responded in sharp contrast with the attitude which 2010 Ron and Betty Teed 5

6 the religious leaders were later to display. The Greek text of verse 16 makes it clear that the shepherds searched for Jesus before finding Him. These shepherds were the first human evangelists to proclaim the good news of the arrival of the Savior, so the gospel was first proclaimed to Israel as implied in the Old Testament prophecies. Through these humble shepherds God notified the human race, Israel in particular, that the long-awaited Messiah had come. The climate in which this news was broadcast was ripe, for even secular non-christian historians of that age comment on the fact there was widespread expectation in Palestine, Syria, and Babylon that the Messiah would be born near what we designate as the beginning of the first century.4f7 So mankind everywhere within the sphere of Jewish influence was expectant. The announcement was made, first by angels and then by shepherds, yet somehow it fell silent. It seems the interest in Jesus the Messiah was short-lived, does it not? The shepherds preaching had no farreaching effect (or maybe no long-term effect). This rather suggests a very short-term interest in the Messiah. Shocking, is it not, but then how well do we compare? From its inception mankind has been very lax in spreading the gospel. Unquestionably we, like these men of that first century, must grieve our Lord and Savior by our indifference. Matthew 1:25 and Luke 2:21 speak of Jesus circumcision It turned out exactly the way they had been told! When the eighth day arrived, the day of circumcision, the child was named Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived. The Jewish custom was for the boy s parents to name him at his circumcision. The rite of circumcision was instituted in Genesis 17:12 and Leviticus 12:3. It was part of the Abrahamic Covenant, particularly in relation to the land and national aspects (Genesis 17). So circumcision was an outward sign of faith in the Abrahamic Covenant, specifically in God s unconditional promise that all the land of Canaan would be an everlasting possession for Abraham s descendants (Genesis 17:8), a promise which will be fulfilled literally when Jesus sets up His Millennial Kingdom. So, in a unique sense, Christ s advent marks the end of circumcision as a sign of faith, for He is the fulfillment of the promise which circumcision anticipates. After Jesus birth, circumcision as a religious rite became a denial that He is the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant. Christ, too, is the One through whom this covenant s promise of blessing to Gentiles is fulfilled (Galatians 3:14). Circumcision sometimes needed to be done on the Sabbath, for no exception to the eight- 7 Suetonius, Vespasian, iv; Tacitus, Histories, v.13; Virgil, Eclogue, iv Ron and Betty Teed 6

7 day rule was allowed. Jesus would later use this fact in arguing with the Pharisees about His right to perform miracles on the Sabbath and say that circumcision was instituted and legislated this way so that His actions would be vindicated! As we saw earlier with John the Baptist, naming a child had great meaning. Matthew 1:25 makes it clear that Joseph gave Him his name. This is significant, for in so doing Joseph accepted Jesus as his son. Now, as Joseph had the legal right to David s throne, this meant that Jesus, now his adopted son, became heir to the Davidic throne! The whole sequence was complete. Jesus was born of the virgin Mary by act of the Holy Spirit, so Jesus is sinless. By virtue of this birth to Mary, He was of the house of David, though not the legal heir to David s throne. Through adoption by Joseph, however, He became the legal heir to the Davidic throne. His birthplace, dictated by Caesar s decree, affirms that He is of the house of David, and His circumcision confirms that He is a descendant of Abraham. So both great Old Testament covenants relating to the Messiah are confirmed in the circumstances surrounding His birth. The eight-day-old baby now fulfilled all the conditions which Scripture specified for the Messiah. Now that we have become familiar with the actual Christmas story, as distinct from the traditional one, we have seen a picture of a poor couple entirely alone, into whose home our Lord chose to come. He chose such a home so that all humanity could identify with Him. Just think of the sacrifice He made: the Creator and Ruler of the universe became the most humble of all His human creation. The wonder of this is discussed in Philippians 2:7 8: He emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (NASB). This is Scripture s comment on the Christmas story. It is simply Jesus first step on the road to the cross. We know this first step was lonely, for, as a race, we paid Him no attention, preferring the bustle of our own selfish affairs. We left His mother alone to protect Him from the cold, yet He had come to save us. To this day the human race rushes on its merry way paying no heed to the Savior s work. Yet now, like then, a small band of men and women, through the gracious provision of a merciful God, stoop in wonder before Him, sing His praises and go out to tell all around them of the wonderful find they have made. Do you follow the shepherds example, not only in praise, but in witness? The angels made it clear that the message of salvation is for all people (Luke 2:14). Those first men heard and obeyed. Can we do any less? The loneliness and neglect surrounding Jesus birth is carried over to our present day, for so many people to this day leave Him in the manger and do not take Him into their hearts. The shame of it is that too many Christians do likewise much of their lives. Christ is reserved for Sundays, Christmas, and Easter; He is compartmentalized rather than being made a vital part of daily life. It now remains to be seen how Jesus will be accepted in the future. We trust this message 2010 Ron and Betty Teed 7

8 challenges you to be devoted to Bible study, because probably there is no Scripture we think we know better than the Christmas story. Yet, on examination, we find we have misunderstood it and do not really know it accurately. We need to focus on what the Bible says, and not what we think it says, or would like it to say. The Bible is our only authority; let us know it well! Beyond that, let us live it well! 2010 Ron and Betty Teed 8