Who is Jesus - Chapter 3

Click here for audio

Chapter Three – Birth Narrative

Read Matthew 1 & 2; Luke 1:1 – 2:40

First things first!

I had a professor in Seminary who started a New Testament class with this line, “Everything you have learned about Jesus healing and other miracles is a myth.” I remember many of the class got up and walked out at that point. The class was excellent for those of us that stayed. What he wanted us to understand is that we were not there at those events, so we simply have the accounts of those that were. And it is faith in the end that allows our unbelief because of the lack of materialistic tangible evidence to be overwhelmed by the accounts of witnesses who gave their very lives for that witness. I mean really, who would give their lives for a lie. Maybe one or two might do such an unthinkable thing, but thousands and thousands across the generations. Not likely and this strong testimony has brought many to Christ.

So to fully understand the birth narratives we have to understand that there is an audience for each of the Gospel writers and it affects the story they tell. All too often we have bought into the nativity scenes that I love so much and collect which include both shepherds and Magi together in a winter scene with snow on the ground. So let me be like the Professor I had so many years ago and work through some of the issues we have with birth narratives.

Is December 25^th the day?

Bible says in Luke 1: 24-36 that Jesus is conceived in the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy. Zacharias was a priest serving in the temple during the course of Abijah (shifts for serving, twice a year). Historically we place this around June, meaning John was conceived in June. Six months brings us to December which means John was born in March and Jesus likely around September. We have further evidence in Luke 2: 7-8, the shepherds were watching their fields by night. Shepherds typically would have taken their sheep into winter quarters in the late part of October since Israel is wet and cold in the December.

Why then December 25^th?

December 25^th was a holiday long before it became an official Christian holiday in the fourth century. The holiday was to celebrate the winter solstice and praise of the sun god across a number of civilizations and understandings. It was the practice of the early church to take these pagan holidays and make them Christian holidays. You may glean whatever you want from that, but suffice it to say that we celebrate the birth of the light of the world during the darkest time of the year for the Northern Hemisphere.

What year did it happen?

We are not certain of the date. The original Gregorian calendar is off anywhere from 4-10 years in its year 0. We know some facts that help us to pinpoint it a little better. Herod died in 4 BC. Herod was alive when Jesus was born in both the Matthew and Luke narratives. Herod’s decree to kill all the male children 2 and younger place the date of the Magi at the latest to be 4 BC and probably before that since some point to March of 4 BC for his death. Further confusion comes from the Luke story that Quinarius was Governor. Quinarius became the Governor almost 10 years after Herod’s death. Luke and Matthew both had agendas for their stories though they would have incorporated truth in them to validate the stories.

How many Magi?

In Matthew’s story (Matthew 2: 1-12) no number is given and it is likely that there were more than three. Three has been the traditional number because of the number of gifts but in truth, the Magi would have come with greater numbers to see this fulfillment of prophecy. We believe the Magi to be those who followed closely Astrology and were descendants likely of the Court of Daniel under Nebuchadnezzar. So they would have known the prophecies concerning the Messiah and would have been looking for signs in the heavens.

Was the Star real?

Certainly the Magi followed something. Over the centuries there has been much debate about what they saw. Unable to pinpoint an exact date creates some confusion among scientists as to exactly what they saw. Without holding out the possibility of some miraculous image that God put there, there are accounts of at least one super nova, a comet and a conjunction of the planets during the time period Jesus birth could have come.

Did they really bring gifts?

More than likely! They would have come expecting to find a King since the prophecy that they believed to be fulfilled would be the King of Israel in the same nature as David. The actual gifts listed in Luke have significant meaning to the life and death of Jesus. Gold represents the idea that He was King. Frankincense was a healing balm which could lead us to the miracles of His healing or His need for healing at the hands of the Romans and Jewish leadership at the end. Myrrh was also a healing balm but more importantly was used to disguise the stench of death in the tomb. We can glean the significance of this gift.

Interestingly enough gift giving was part of the pagan practice of winter solstice and praise to the appropriate sun god. Santa Clause was a take-off on a real saint. The true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara. At the time the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. Under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who ruthlessly persecuted Christians, Bishop Nicholas suffered for his faith, was exiled and imprisoned. The prisons were so full of bishops, priests, and deacons, there was no room for the real criminals—murderers, thieves and robbers. After his release, Nicholas attended the Council of Nicaea in AD 325. He died December 6, AD 343 in Myra and was buried in his cathedral church.

Was Jesus born in a stable?

Stables were not the norm in first century Israel with the exception of the Roman’s or the very affluent. Most people kept their animals in their homes, if they had a little money they might have multiple levels within their homes with the animals in the basement or in a cave adjacent to the home. More than likely Mary and Joseph’s situation would have found them in crowded quarters when her time comes due and she was probably moved to the basement or cave to get the birth away from others. Remember that 30 % of Hebrew children did not make it through birth. There were no drugs or medical procedures to make the process easier so it would have been painful and loud. Not to mention that a manger makes a perfect first crib.

Was Mary Pure from Birth?

This has long been a Catholic position that Jesus was born without sin because He was born to Mary who also was divinely born. There is no scriptural evidence of this and so most Protestant churches discount this stance. Mary is simply a young woman with whom God finds favor and she brings the burden of being the mother of the Son of God.

There is no record of the slaughter of the innocents, did it happen?

Bethlehem was a small town and the number of young males under the age of two would likely have been so small that any record of such an event would have gone virtually unnoticed. The better question is could Herod have done such a thing. Herod was an evil person who had his wife and two sons killed just because he was concerned they wanted his throne. To have Magi come looking for the new King of Israel would undoubtedly have caused him to become angry enough to eradicate such a threat to his rule.

So what do the Gospels say and why do they say it?

Dr. Efird from Duke Seminary often says that we need to ask the right question when it comes to scripture. To understand the right question here we need to ask ourselves who the audience is for each Gospel author. Let’s start with those who have no birth narrative, Mark and John.

Mark is writing the Gentile world, specifically to the Roman world and where Jesus was born is insignificant to the idea that he was born. In fact, it serves Mark’s Gospel account better to leave this omission hanging out there because it doesn’t matter where God’s servant came from. That Jesus would come as both servant and Lord is a great paradox that Mark would want to be absorbed by the Roman reader. To come to know that God reaches out to the world, regardless of where you came from is further stated when we have no family status to bind us.

John is writing the intellect of his day. John’s focus in making a connection between Logos (Word) and the idea of logic used to support a claim and its authenticity. So John begins his narrative by indicating what Christian’s embrace, the idea that Jesus is part of the Trinity and has always been. That this birth is truly unique in the history of the world, that God had become flesh and lived among us. John has no desire to get bogged done in the controversy of a virgin birth that swelled around the early church so he simply doesn’t spend time there. He states what he knows to be truth.

Matthew is clearly writing to the Jew, the nation of Israel when he writes the birth narrative. Matthew believes that Jesus is the fulfillment of the plan that God put in place with Abraham for the nation of Israel. Interestingly he flows us through this elaborate genealogy that includes four women, five if you include Mary. Matthew may have had several things in mind in doing this. Tamar mothers an ancestor to David, Rahab assures the nation survives; Ruth’s son is David’s grandfather, and Bathsheba whose son is Solomon. Since Joseph is not the biological father to Jesus and lineage was traced in the ancient world through the male, maybe he was trying to proclaim Jesus rightful lineage through Mary. But maybe even more important two of the women were Gentiles. Matthew may well be trying to tie together the rightfulness of a Gentile/ Jewish Christian faith nation.

Matthew uses the Magi as proof that Jesus is who He is proclaimed to be, anointed by none other than the Magi who anoint those who are born to be Kings and Rulers. Jesus bloodline is pure and His right to rule the nation of Israel is secure. The further narration of Matthew will go further to establish that Jesus is pure, that He follows the Law of Moses, that He is obedient to God’s will and that what we will see at His death is the true culmination of what God had put in place through Abraham and Jacob. Jesus flight to Egypt remembers for us the story of Joseph and His return the story of Moses and the wilderness fulfilled completely when Jesus becomes the Lamb of God on the cross.  

Luke on the other hand is writing to the Gentile. Unlike John is focused most likely on the intellectual Greek, but Luke is writing to common folk like you and I who have not had the deep rich historical perspective of the Hebrew nation ingrained in us from birth. The census, even though it is clearly out of context, is probably in their to remind us that Rome has placed an unfair burden on the Hebrew people and Herod their puppet is enforcing it drawing resentment and anger. Luke may well have felt that Gentiles needed to understand Hebrew history and context to get what Jesus meant.

His use of Shepherds serves multiple purposes for Luke. Since they are considered the lowest class of people in Jesus day, that they would receive the message and be the first to see Baby Jesus indicates that Jesus has come for the world, not the elite, the religious special people or the affluent. Also we cannot help but make the comparison to David who was himself a Shepherd that God called to rule the nation of Israel. Luke also wants us to get this connection with prophecy that the Messiah would have one who comes before Him, proclaiming the way for Him. This could serve two purposes for Luke regarding John the Baptizer. John the Baptizer’s birth parallels well the story of Abraham and Sarah, barren and aged, who God brings to them a son. John then paves the way for the conclusion of the Israel story as he goes about baptizing a baptism of repentance and proclaiming that the Messiah will follow him. It also assures that John’s role in the story is subservient to Jesus who follows him. Luke is also concerned that we see that Jesus message is for the marginalized, the children, the sick, the poor and women.

Jesus Early Life

What we know about Jesus early life comes more from historical anthropology and archeology than from the Bible. We know that Joseph was a craftsman and his children would have been most likely to become craftsmen as well. So in all likelihood Jesus would have been raised learning Joseph’s craft. Jesus would have spent His early life studying the Torah. He would have learned to read and probably write so He would not have been illiterate. We know from scripture that His knowledge of the scriptures surprised the older, much more learned teachers. We can guess that Mary may well have spent time with Jesus telling Him the story of His birth. How much that would have influenced Him to spend more time in the scriptures is purely room for pondering. We know that He was a Jew, would have been circumcised no later than His eight day of life which (Luke 2: 20) gives us this splendid story of Simeon and Anna in the Temple. The true census which occurred ten to twelve years after His birth may well be what brings Him to Jerusalem or the observance of Passover which every family would have tried to come to the Temple each year to participate in.

Jesus would have grown up in a family with brothers and sisters (identified in Matthew and Mark) and would have had to do whatever the family was required to earn a living. That would mean working in the fields at harvest time. There He would likely have seen the unfairness of labor methods, the rich becoming richer over the efforts of those they hired and treated unfairly. He would have seen the taxation of families and the poverty that was all around him. This would likely have shaped His future and we see this in His teaching use of Vineyards and Laborers.