Facts Concerning the Birth of Jesus

INTRODUCTION.

A.        The birth of Jesus is probably one of the best known stories. Every year, there are plays, re-enactments, books, songs, etc. telling about the birth of Jesus.

B.        You would think that with so much emphasis being placed on one event, there would be a proper understanding of the event. However, this is not the case. The religious world has taken the story of the birth of Jesus and altered it, even to the point of assigning a date not assigned by God.

C.        It is the purpose of this lesson to present the facts concerning the birth of Jesus.

I.         CAN WE ESTABLISH A DATE FOR THE BIRTH OF JESUS?

            A.        Establishing the year of Jesus’s birth.

                        1.         The death of Herod the great helps us establish the year Jesus was born.

                                    a.         Herod (the Great) the son of Antipater was king of Judea when Jesus was born. (Matthew 2:1)

                                    b.         Josephus, the historian, records, “But Herod deprived this Matthias of the high priesthood, and burnt the other Matthias, who had raised the sedition, with his companions, alive. And that very night there was an eclipse of the moon.” (Antiquities, Book 17, Chapter 6, Section 4, Josephus)

                                    c.         The lunar eclipse referred to by Josephus took place just prior to Herod's death as recorded in Antiquities, Book 17, Chapter 8, Section 1. This lunar eclipse, according to the rules of astronomy, took place on either March 12th or 13th, 4 B.C.

                                    d.         According to Josephus, Herod's death was before Passover, April 11, 4 B.C. (Antiquities, Book 17, Chapter 9, Section 1)

                                    e.         It is likely, from the given evidence, that Herod died sometime between the lunar eclipse (March 12 or 13^th, 4 B.C.) and April 11, 4 B.C.

                        2.         The visit of the wise men further points to the date of Jesus’s birth.

                                    a.         The wise men had traveled from the East to worship the Messiah. When the wise men disobeyed Herod's order to return and report to him, Herod became angry and ordered all babies, two years old and younger, to be put to death.

                                    b.         Based on Herod’s decree, we conclude that enough time had passed that Herod thought that this baby could have been as much as two years old. This being the case, we can suggest that Jesus was born in either 6 or 5 B.C. and was between one and two years old when Herod died.

                                    c.         To possibly narrow the year down even more, we must consider that some scholars say the Jews reckoned any child over 12 months to be two years old. With this in mind, Jesus could have been born in the first part of 5 B.C. This would have allowed Jesus to have been 12 months or older when Herod gave his decree and then later died. This would have also put Jesus’s flight to Egypt sometime in 4 B.C.

            B.        Establishing the month and day of Jesus’s birth.

                        1.         Unlike the above dating process, we have next to nothing that would point to either a month or a day that Jesus was born.

                        2.         What about December 25?

                                    a.         The religious world celebrates the birth of Jesus on December 25. The fact is that Jesus’ “birthday was not celebrated until more than 300 years had gone by, years in which accurate birth records (if there were any) had been lost. The early church remembered and celebrated Christ’s Resurrection from the dead, which was more important. But the church was slow in adding Christmas to its list of dates worthy of recognition.” (Illustrated Manners and Customs of the Bible, Nelson, 1980, pg 515)

                                    b.         Could Jesus have been born on what we know to be December 25? “Winter was wet and chilly in Judea. It is unlikely that shepherds would have spent a December night in an open field, subject to rain and wind. Christ’s birth was more likely during the spring lambing season, when nights would have been balmy and shepherds would have needed to be awake, tending the ewes.” (Illustrated Manners and Customs of the Bible, Nelson, 1980, pg 515)

                                    c.         Why is Jesus’ birth celebrated on December 25? “A pagan festival, Natalis Invicti, was a boisterous Roman affair celebrated on December 25, when the sun was in its winter solstice. Worshipers of the Roman sun god enthusiastically pulled their Christian friends into the partying. By A.D. 386, church leaders set up the celebration of ‘Christ Mass’ (‘Christ’s Coming’), so that Christians could join the festival activities without bending to paganism.” “After the Roman Empire dissolved, Christians continued the December 25 birthday custom. By that time, December 25 seemed more fitting than any other date.” (Illustrated Manners and Customs of the Bible, Nelson, 1980, pg 515)

                        3.         We cannot accurately establish the day that Jesus was born.

                        4.         Neither God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, nor the apostles ever taught or even hinted at the necessity to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The faith “which was once delivered unto the saints” says nothing about dating the birth of Jesus and the celebrating of His birth. (Jude 3) However, the Faith clearly teaches that we are to remember and celebrate the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This we do every first day of the week.

II.       BIBLE FACTS REGARDING THE BIRTH OF JESUS.

            A.        An angel told Mary about the upcoming conception of the baby Jesus.

                        1.         An angel told Mary that she would conceive and bring forth a Son who would be called Jesus.

                        2.         What made this promise so special is that Mary was not yet married; she was still a virgin. The conception would be miraculous; it would come by way of the Holy Spirit. (Luke 1:26-35)

            B.        An angel told Joseph about the upcoming conception of the baby Jesus.

                        1.         Since Joseph and Mary were not yet married, Joseph decided not to marry Mary after finding out that she was with child.

                        2.         However, an angel of the Lord told Joseph to take Mary as his wife. The angel explained to Joseph what had and was taking place. (Matthew 1:19-25)

            C.        Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

                        1.         Joseph and Mary had been summoned to Bethlehem by the decree of Caesar Augustus. (Luke 2:1) Incidentally, the birth of Jesus in the city of Bethlehem fulfilled a prophecy found in Micah 5:2.

                        2.         Because of the decree, many other people had also traveled to Bethlehem. Caesar Augustus had required all Jews to return to their ancestral cities to be registered so that they could be taxed. When Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem, there was no room or housing found for them, with the exception of a stable. It was in this stable that Jesus was born. (Luke 2:1-7)

            D.        Visitors came to see Jesus. On the day that Jesus was born, an angel of the Lord appeared before some shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks. The angel told the shepherds about the birth of Jesus. The angel even told the shepherds where to find this new baby. (Luke 2:8-20)

            E.        We know of four events in the early childhood of Jesus. They are as follows:

                        1.         Jesus was circumcised and named. (Luke 2:21)

                                    a.         The circumcision of Jesus took place eight days after His birth.

                                    b.         Leviticus 12:2 reads, “If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean.”

                                    c.         On the eighth day after the male child’s birth “the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.” (Leviticus 12:3)

                        2.         Jesus was presented at the temple. (Luke 2:22-24; cf. Exodus 13:2; Leviticus 12:8)

                                    a.         Mary had to “continue in the blood of her purifying” thirty three days. During this time, Mary was to “touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled.” (Leviticus 12:4)

                                    b.         Some forty days after the birth of Jesus, Joseph and Mary traveled to Jerusalem to present their baby to the Lord God.

                                    c.         During Joseph, Mary, and Jesus’s visit to the temple, two godly people, Simeon and Anna, spoke of the ultimate mission of Jesus. (Luke 2:25-38)

                                    d.         Note: While Luke records Joseph, Mary, and Jesus going on to Nazareth from Jerusalem, (Luke 2:39) we must remember that Luke does not record the visit from the wise men, Herod’s decree, or the flight to Egypt. It was after their return from Egypt that Joseph and his family lived in Nazareth.

                        3.         Jesus returns to Bethlehem and is visited by wise men. (Matthew 2:1-12) The following are two corrections to some common misconceptions regarding the wise men and their visit.

                                    a.         The wise men did not visit the baby Jesus on the night He was born. The wise men’s visit was at least 40 days after the birth of Jesus. You also have to allow extra time for the purification in Jerusalem. Also, had the wise men visited Jesus on the night of His birth, it is not likely that Mary and Jesus would have been able to have traveled to Jerusalem for the purification due to Herod’s order to kill all babies two years and under.

                                    b.         The Bible gives us no clue as to how many wise men came to visit the baby Jesus. While three gifts were presented to the baby, there could have been any number of wise men present. There is no way for us to know the number of wise men who visited Jesus.

                        4.         After the wise men left, God instructed Joseph to take his family to Egypt. (Matthew 2:13-15) On their return from Egypt, Joseph and his family returned to Nazareth. (Matthew 2:23)           

CONCLUSION.

A.        Why is a lesson like this needed?

1.         Within the religious world, there are examples of misinformation. As Christians, it is our responsibility to see to it that the truth is told. Peter says, “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God.”

2.         The Bible’s words and silence on the birth of Jesus is just as important as any other teaching. We must make certain that we believe the truth and understand why we believe what we believe.

B.        If you are not a Christian, then please give thought to the following point.

1.         While the birth of Jesus may seem special to you, it is His death and resurrection that should get your attention.

2.         Jesus died on the cross, paying the price so that you could be saved.

3.         Take advantage of the teachings and opportunities presented to you and become a child of God today.

C.        If you are a Christian, then take it upon yourself to teach others where their special attention should be focused. You should know the truth about the birth of Christ as well as His death. You should make the determination to place special emphasis where it is due, that is on the death and resurrection of Jesus.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Facts Concerning The Birth of Jesus -- December 21, 2003 -- File # 928

by John Duvall - Preached in Lawton, OK