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Birth
of Jesus
1)
Testimony of Mary:
a)
Luke 1: 26 Now in the sixth month
the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a
virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The
virgin's name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her,
"Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among
women!" 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and
considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then 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 bring forth a Son, and shall call His name
Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; 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 of His kingdom there will be no end." 34
Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a
man?" 35 And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will
come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore,
also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a
son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called
barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible." 38 Then Mary said,
"Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your
word." And the angel departed from her.39 Now Mary arose in those days and
went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the
house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And it happened, when Elizabeth
heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was
filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said,
"Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 But
why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For
indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe
leaped in my womb for joy. 45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a
fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord." 46 And Mary
said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my
Savior. 48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold,
henceforth all generations will call me blessed. 49 For He who is mighty has
done great things for me, And holy is His name. 50 And His mercy is on those who
fear Him From generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He has put
down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. 53 He has filled the
hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. 54 He has helped
His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, 55 As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever." 56 And Mary remained with her about
three months, and returned to her house.
2)
Testimony of Joseph:
a)
Matthew 1: 18 Now the birth of
Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then
Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public
example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about
these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying,
"Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for
that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring
forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from
their sins." 22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was
spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 "Behold, the virgin
shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name
Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." 24 Then Joseph,
being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to
him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn
Son. And he called His name Jesus.
b) Matthew 2: 13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him." 14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called My Son."
i) Hosea 11: 1 "When Israel was a child, I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son.
3)
Testimony of Shepards:
a)
Luke 2:8
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping
watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before
them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you
good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to
you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this
will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, 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, goodwill toward men!" 15 So it was, when the angels had
gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another,
"Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which
the Lord has made known to us." 16 And they came with haste and found Mary
and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they
made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And
all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the
shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20
Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that
they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
i) Sketches of Jewish Social Life, pgs. 80-81 But these are not ordinary shepherds. According to Alfred Edersheim, these men tended a special flock of sheep at - "Migdal Eder, the watch tower of the flock. For here was the station where shepherds watched the flocks destined for sacrifices in the Temple...It seems of deepest significance, almost like the fulfillment of type, that those shepherds who first heard tidings of the Savior's birth, who listened to angels' praises, were watching flocks destined to be offered as sacrifice in the Temple... "We can understand the wonderful impression made on those in the courts of the Temple, as, while they selected their sacrifices, the shepherds told the devout of the speedy fulfillment of all these types in what they had themselves seen...Thus the shepherds would be the most effectual heralds of the Messiah in the Temple, and both Simeon and Anna be prepared for the time when the infant Savior would be presented in the sanctuary" (Sketches of Jewish Social Life, pgs. 80-81).
4)
Testimony of Simeon:
a)
Luke 2:
21 And when eight days were
completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Jesus, the name
given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. 22 Now when the days of
her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him
to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the law of the
Lord, "Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the
Lord"), 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of
the Lord, "A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."
25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: 29 "Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation 31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, 32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel." 33 And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."
5)
Testimony of Anna:
a)
Luke 2:36
Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of
Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her
virginity; 37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not
depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to
all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. 39 So when they had performed
all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their
own city, Nazareth. 40 And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled
with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.
6)
Testimony of Magi
a) Matthew 2: 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 have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." …
9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: *gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.
i)
*Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.
(1) Gold Very little gold can be found in Israel itself but it was imported from Eastern Egypt, Western Arabia, Armenia and Persia. Any king would have quantites of personal gold to send with his magi so it mustn't be supposed that the Wise Men must have come from that area. Gold was often shaped into objects or coins. It is not known in what form the gold took when it was given to Mary. Neither do we know how much gold was given to her nor what happened to the gold afterwards.
(2)
Frankincense
(Isaiah 60:6
- "A multitude of camels will cover
you, The young camels of Midian and Ephah; All those from Sheba will come; They
will bring gold and frankincense, And will bear good news of the praises of the
Lord). This
yellow gum is collected by peeling back the bark of the frankincense-tree. The
local source of this was from the plant boswellia sacra, found in in S. Arabia.
When the wood is cut it oozes a yellow drop which hardens. These are then pulled
off the wood. The resulting resin gives off a sweet scent when warmed or burned.
It was one of elements used in the holy anointing oil (Ex. 30:34), and was also
burnt with other substances during the cereal-offering (Lv. 6:15). Frankincense
was placed in purified form on the showbread in the tabernacle (Lv. 24:7). The
giving of this incense to Jesus has been interpreted as symbolizing his priestly
office. See also Exodus 30:34-38; Leviticus 2:1, 15-16; Matthew 2:11
(3) Myrrh Like frankinsence this is extracted by cutting and collecting the hardened sap. The stems and branches of the prickly shrub, Commiphora myrrha oozes an oily yellow/brown resin. This plant is native to S Arabia and adjacent parts of Africa. Myrrh was another ingredient of the holy anointing oil (Ex. 30:23-33). It was used basically as a deoderant, along with aloes, to anoint a dead body. See Also Ps. 45:8; Pr. 7:17; Mk. 15:23; Jn. 19:39
ii)
Who were the Magi:
(1) Along with the shepherds, another group of men bring the news of Jesus' birth, but in this instance to the courts of Judea. These men, known as the Magi, are high-level dignitaries from another land.
(2) Who were the Magi in Matthew? Where were they from? Matthew 2:1 tells us they came "from the east." Arabia? No, the Bible usually refers to this area as Arabia or the South. India? Sir William Jones in Asiatic Researches, Vol.10, pages 27-28, recounts that the "king of India, uneasy at the prophecy of a world ruler, and hearing a report about the Magi to the west, sent emissaries in 1 AD to find out whether the predicted royal child had actually appeared."
(3)
First biblical mention of Magi is in Jeremiah 39:3: Then all
the princes of the king of Babylon came in and sat in the Middle Gate:
Nergal-Sharezer, Samgar-Nebo, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergal-Sarezer, Rabmag,
with the rest of the princes of the king of Babylon.
(a) Rab-Mag actually refers to chief Magi, with the word Mag meaning priest in the old Persian language. We derive the English word “magic” from “Mag”.
(4) Babylon? Possibly. Daniel lived in Babylon and was a Magi there. Furthermore, there were still a great many Jews in that city.
(5) By the time of Jesus, there were many kinds of Magi, including pagan priests, physicians, learned men, and sorcerers. But there were obviously some God-fearing Magi as well. Daniel 2:48 Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.
(6) Were the the Magi following the star prophesied in Numbers 24:17 (" I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.") by none other than Balaam, a prophet of Midian?
(7) Possibly the people of Midian preserved this prophecy from the time of Joshua until the coming of Jesus? We know that Moses' father-in-law Jethro was a priest of Midian, which later was absorbed into the Medo-Persian empire. Lamentably, there are no direct historical links, but it is an interesting speculation.
(8) Parthia? Possibly. Magi may have come from the Parthian empire, which was second only to Rome in power and ruled parts of Persia and Babylon. It was the only empire Rome couldn't conquer and referring to things Parthian became a byword. A Parthian shot, even today, means the ultimate put down. The Parthian light cavalry shot from moving horses and devastated Roman foot soldiers in battle.
(a)
During the time of Herod, the king of Parthia invaded Judah, set free
the captive high priest of Judaism and gave him a habitation in Babylon. In Acts
2, we find that devout worshippers from throughout the Parthian empire were in
attendance for the day of Pentecost. These included Medes, Persians, Elamites,
Phrygians, Mesopotamians, and Cappadocians.
The king's council in Parthia consisted of two groups: his relatives and
the Magi. The Parthian senate was called the Megisthanes, which includes the
word Magi. In 66 A.D., secular historians record that the king of Armenia
arrived in Rome with the sons of three Parthian rulers to pay homage to Nero.
The Roman historian Pliny referred to them as Magi.
In early Christian art, the Magi are depicted in Parthian dress (belted
tunics, full sleeves, Phrygian cap, and trousers). Eastern traditions say that
12 Magi went to Judea to worship the Messiah. One of them was said to be Gaspar
or Gathaspar, a name which can be traced to Gundophar, a prince ascending the
Parthian throne around 19 A.D. An interesting story is told of the Basilica of
Bethlehem, originally built by Constantine. When the Persian armies swept
through the Holy Land, they spared this church because it had a mosaic
representing the Magi as Persians.
7)
The Star:
a) Back then almost anything was called a star: star, planet, comet, meteor. Astronomers have occasionally found candidates for this star:
i) There was a triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in 7 B.C. A conjunction is when two planets appear near each other in the sky. A triple conjuction (three conjunctions in relatively rapid succession) is very rare. Astrologers may have easily seen this, and even predicted it. A conjunction is not likely to be called a star, but Jupiter and Saturn were called stars.
· There was a conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars in 6 B.C.
· There were comets in 5 B.C. and 4 B.C.
· There was a nova (exploding star) in 5 B.C.
· Sometimes it is possible to see a very faint Uranus, which had not officially been discovered.
· There could have been meteors.
The astronomer Kepler noted in the early 17th century that every 805 years, Jupiter and Saturn come into conjunction, with Mars joining the configuration a year later. Since Kepler, astronomers have computed that for ten months in 7BC, Jupiter and Saturn travelled very close to each other in the night sky, and in May, September, and December of that year, they were conjoined. Mars joined the configuration in February of 6BC.
The Chinese had more exact and more complete astronomical records than the astrologers of the Middle East, particularly in their tabulations of comets and novae. In 1871, astronomer John Williams published an authoritative list of comets derived from Chinese annuals. Over March and April 5BC, Comet No. 52 on the Williams list appeared for some 70 days near the constellation Capricorn, and would have been visible in both the Far and Middle East. As each night wore on, the comet would seem to have moved westward across the southern sky. This could have been the Magi's astral marker. Comet No. 53 on the Williams list is a tailless comet - which could have been a nova - that appeared over March and April in 4BC in constellation Aquila, which was also visible all over the East.
3)
The star that the Magi followed - the Star of Bethlehem - could be
any of the astral markers that appeared in 6, 5 and 4BC.
8)
Testimony of Herod:
a)
Matthew 2:3 When Herod the king
heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had
gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired
of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 So they said to him, "In
Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 6 'But you,
Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.' " 7
Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what
time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and
search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back
word to me, that I may come and worship Him also."
b) (Slaughter is male children in Bethlehem) 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: 18 "A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more."
(1) Jeremiah 31:15 - Thus says the Lord: "A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted for her children, Because they are no more."
(a) Genisis 35:19 - So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).
ii) King Herod can be seen that he was pathologically insecure. Any hint of a rival was met with extreme brutality and murder. This atrocity is therefore in keeping with our knowledge of him. The order to kill the boys of 2 years and under suggests that Jesus was born no earlier that 2 years ago. It maybe that Herod rounded up the figure. In which case Jesus was aged between 18 months and 2 years at that time. Bethlehem was a small village with a population anywhere between 300 and a 1000 people in the village and vicinity. In such a population it has been estimated that there would be approximately between 7 and 20 baby boys under the age of 2.
iii) Herod knew the Messiah was there or he would not have ordered the slaughter of all male children two years and under. The last thing he wanted was another legitimate descendant of David—and there were thousands at the time - laying claim to his throne.
iv) 30 years later, the ruling class of Judea acted as if they had never heard anything about a Messiah being born in Bethlehem. Perhaps they thought the holy Child had been massacred. Just like Herod, they did everything in their power to try to stop Jesus and to keep their own position.
9) Side Characters
a) Zacharias & Elizabeth
i)
Luke 1: 5 There was
in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of
the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was
Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the
commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 But they had no child,
because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years. 8 So it
was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his
division, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn
incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole multitude of
the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 Then an angel of the
Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And
when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the
angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard;
and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
14 And 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 shall drink neither wine nor
strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his
mother's womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord
their God. 17 He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to
turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' F2 and the disobedient to the
wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." 18 And
Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man,
and my wife is well advanced in years." 19 And the angel answered and said
to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to
speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. 20 But behold, you will be mute
and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not
believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time." 21 And the
people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the
temple. 22 But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived
that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained
speechless. 23 And so it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed,
that he departed to his own house. 24 Now after those days his wife Elizabeth
conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, 25 "Thus the Lord has
dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among
people."
10)
Announcement by the Angel,
his name, and message:
a) Matthew 1:20 - But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
b) Matthew 1:24 - Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife,
c) Matthew 2:13 - Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him."
d) Matthew 2:19 - But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child's life are dead."
e) Luke 1:11 - Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him (Zacharias), standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
f) Luke 1:13 - But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
g) Luke 1:18 - And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years." 19 And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.
h) Luke 1:26 - Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
i) Luke 1:28 - And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
j) Luke 1:34 - Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" 35 And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.
k) Luke 1:38 - Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
l) Luke 2:8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, 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, goodwill toward men!" 15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us."
m) Luke 2:21 - And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.
11)
Clues indicating the possible time:
a)
The dating of the founding of Rome
i)
In the 6th Century, the Roman monk-mathematician-astronomer named
Dionysis Exeguus (Dionysis the Little) reformed the calendar to pivot around the
birth of Christ. He dated the Nativity 753 years from the founding of Rome,
calculated to the date King Herod died. But Dionysis miscalculated, because
Herod died only 749 years after the founding of Rome, thus 4BC.
b)
Clues from Quirinius.
i) A known historical character mentioned in the Bible in association with Christ's birth is Quirinius.
ii)
Luke 2:2 This was the
first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.
(1)
Although not as well known as Herod the Great, the life of Publius
Sulpicius Quirinius is fairly well documented. In 12 BC he became consul in Rome
and shortly afterwards was given the task of bringing to order the rebelling
Homanadensians of Asia. In 3 BC he became proconsul of Asia and in AD 3 - 4 he
was advisor to Caligula during his campaigns. From AD 6 to AD 9 he was the
Imperial Legate of Syria-Cicilia. It is during this time that we know an
unpopular census for taxation was held in Israel. After this it appears he
retired before dying in AD 21. It would appear that Quirinius was not a governor
of Syria until AD 6 - far too late for the birth of Jesus, how can that be?
(2) Was Quirinius a governor on a previous occasion?
(3) Another way of resolving the problem is that Lk 2:2, mentions that the Nativity census is the 'first census'. He might be suggesting that there might have been more than one census of which this was the first. It is known that when Quirinius became legate in AD 6 he did order a census for taxation and that this caused an uprising in Judea. Luke himself mentions this in his second book, The Acts of the Apostles. (Acts 5:37 ) Luke makes no attempt to link this census with what he describes as the 'first census' in his gospel account. This has caused some people to wonder if Quirinius might have been a governor of some sorts in this area before. He might then have held a census which could have been described as his 'first census' to distinguish it from this infamous taxation census which happened much later. Dio Cassius, a Roman writer mentions there were taxes levied during this decade. This involved going back to one's home town to work out what had been left you as an inheritance, and then taxes were demanded based on its value . However, Dio Cassius does not help us with the dates of these taxes. It has also been suggested that when Quirinius was in charge of subduing the Homanadensians from 10 BC to 7 BC Quirinius could have assumed military governorship of the surrounding provinces including Syria. The argument says that he could have secured an oath of loyalty via a census at any time during 10 BC and AD 3. It is suggested that this census prompted Joseph to go to Bethlehem. If we assume that we have an error here and it should be 'Saturnius', then that gives us dates between 8 & 6 BC. If we assume a previous 'governorship' and census then it could be any time between 10 BC and 3 AD.
c) Clues from Herod's death.
i) Matthew tells us that Jesus was born while Herod the Great was king of Judea. Here we will concentrate only on the time of his death. It has always been thought that he was king between 40 BC to 4 BC although he did not do any actual ruling until 37 BC. If the death of Herod in 4 BC is true, then Jesus could not have been born after that date. How do we know that Herod died in 4 BC? Josephus, the historian tells us quite a bit about Herod the Great including details about his death. Apparently he died of a particularly nasty medical condition a little while after an incident involving the execution of several hot headed young intellects and a high preist during a fast day.
ii) 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 17:6:4 (Josephus is probably linking the eclipse and the execution because during an eclipse of the moon, the moon turns red, the colour of blood. ) What we need therefore is an eclipse taking place the night after a Jewish fast day. Now a lunar eclipse always happens at a full moon which is always on the 14th day of a Jewish month. The only fast on the 13th day of a Jewish month is the 'Esther Fast' which takes place during the Purim festival. This occurs during the last Jewish month of the year, known as 'Adar'.
(1) There are 2 possible eclipses in the period 7 BC to AD 6
(2) A total eclipse on the 23rd March 5 BC at 7:45 pm
(3) A partial eclipse on the 13th March 4 BC at 2:41 am.
Now the Jewish New Year is always the nearest new moon to the 21st March. This is worked out by observation and therefore can never be calculated exactly but nominally I calculate them as the 10th March 5 BC and 29th March 4 BC. Even if I'm out by a few days, only the eclipse occuring on the 13th March 4 BC could have taken place in Adar.
According to Josephus Herod died before the Passover of that year (Ant. 17.9.3) (although Whiston believed that reference was the year after) This would have taken place on the 11th April 4 BC. Obviously the Magi met King Herod only after Jesus had been born. Even if we say that Herod met the wise men just before his death and that Jesus was only 18 month old that puts his birth date towards the middle of 6 BC at the very latest.
Taking all the information together we are reaching a consensus of between the end quarter of 7 BC and the end quarter of 6 BC. If we want to synthesize a date for Christ's Birth then given all the information with all the guesswork and uncertainties we would have very precarious a date of 4th October 7BC.
d)
The Tabernacles Theory.
i) Recent Jewish examination of the New Testament account of Jesus birth in the light of Old Testament has produced this interesting theory. Twenty four divisions of priests served the temple rota. It is known that Zechariah, John the Baptist's father served the Abijah division. (Luke 1:5) and that the Abijah division was number eight on the rota. (1 Chron 24:10). Now the Jewish New Year depends on the appearance of the new moon around the spring equinox (as does the Christian Easter). For argument's sake an average date of the 14th March is used. In the simplified year used by the Jews there are 12 months of 28 days. Therefore each rota division would be on duty for 2 weeks. Zechariah's group, Abijah, would be on duty from the 20th June until the 3rd of July. After this time Zechariah returned home. (Lk 1:23) It appears that soon afterwards his wife, Elizabeth became pregnant. Mary became pregnant 6 Jewish months (or 168 days) later (Lk 1:26). Allowing a few days, say four days, for Zechariah to return home, this places the conception of Jesus on the 28th December. Assuming an average pregnancy, 280 days later he was born, on the 4th October - The Feast of Tabernacles. (Sukkot).
Of course the start of the Jewish New Year can not exactly be known, but it would have been within 3 weeks of the working date. However, there is doubt as to whether the priests served for one 2 week period a year, or two 1 week periods a year. The latter would give 2 possible alternative dates for the birth of Jesus of 4th August or 19th January. In addition we don't know for certain that the rota always reverted to order at the beginning of the year; because it is a simplified year a 'leap month' was inserted every so many years. Who looked after the temple at that time, and what happened to the rota?
If we could find the answers to these questions then this theory could begin to clarify the answer we need. Until we have more information we would be wise not to build on these conclusions.
e)
The Luke 1:26 Theory.
i)
Bruce Borowski points out that Luke 1:26 tells us when Jesus was
born. Luke 1:26
In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in
Galilee, …
(1) Assuming the Jewish year, this would indicate the annunciation took place around September. This indicates Jesus' birth would be approximately the June of the following year.. Like many others I had linked this particular verse with v 36 of the same chapter. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. Thus the term 'sixth month', would refer to Elizabeth's pregnancy - not the sixth month of the year. In the original Greek the 26th verse links straight in with the previous verses. There are no verses or new paragraphs in the original. In verse 24 it says. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. Having mentioned the fifth month, verse 26 follows naturally after this to mention the sixth month. It isn't impossible to interpret verse 26 to mean 'the sixth month of the year', but nowhere else does Luke mention the month of any any other event. It would have been very confusing for Luke to have put this in the middle of several verses mentioning the month of pregnancy. All commentaries and scholars I have read interpret this as the month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, not the month of the year of Christ's conception. Taking the reading in isolation, it could appear to mean the 6th month of the year, but given the context, it seems unlikely.
12)
According to
Schaff, P., & Schaff, D. S. 1997. History of the Christian church:
a) The Day of the Nativity .—The only indication of the season of our Saviour’s birth is the fact that the Shepherds were watching their flocks in the field at that time, Luke 2:8 . This fact points to any other season rather than winter, and is therefore not favorable to the traditional date, though not conclusive against it. The time of pasturing in Palestine (which has but two seasons, the dry and the wet, or summer and winter) begins, according to the Talmudists, in March, and lasts till November, when the herds are brought in from the fields, and kept under shelter till the close of February. But this refers chiefly to pastures in the wilderness, far away from towns and villages, and admits of frequent exceptions in the close neighborhood of towns, according to the character of the season. A succession of bright days in December and January is of frequent occurrence in the East, as in Western countries. Tobler, an experienced traveller in the Holy Land, says that in Bethlehem the weather about Christmas is favorable to the feeding of flocks and often most beautiful. On the other hand strong and cold winds often prevail in April, and. explain the fire mentioned John 18:18 .
b) No certain conclusion can be drawn from the journey of Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, and to Egypt; nor from the journey of the Magi. As a rule February, is the best time for travelling in Egypt, March the best in the Sinaitic Peninsula, April and May, and next to it autumn, the best in Palestine; but necessity knows no rule.
c) The ancient tradition is of no account here, as it varied down to the fourth century. Clement of Alexandria relates that some regarded the 25th Pachon. (i.e. May 20), others the 24th or 25th Pharmuthi (April 19 or 20), as the day of Nativity.
d) The traditional 25th of December is defended by Jerome, Chrysostom, Baronius, Lamy, Ussher, Petavius, Bengel (Ideler), Seyffarth and Jarvis. It has no historical authority beyond the fourth century, when the Christmas festival was introduced first in Rome (before a.d. 360), on the basis of several Roman festivals (the Saturnalia, Sigillaria, Juvenalia, Brumalia, or Dies natalis Invicti Solis ) , which were held in the latter part of December in commemoration of the golden age of liberty and equality, and in honor of the sun, who in the winter solstice is, as it were, born anew and begins his conquering march. This phenomenon in nature was regarded as an appropriate symbol of the appearance of the Sun of Righteousness dispelling the long night of sin and error. For the same reason the summer solstice (June 24) was afterwards selected for the festival of John the Baptist, as the fittest reminder of his own humble self-estimate that he must decrease, while Christ must increase ( John 3:30 ). Accordingly the 25th of March was chosen for the commemoration of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, and the 24th of September for that of the conception of Elizabeth. (2) The 6th of January has in its favor an older tradition (according to Epiphanius and Cassianus), and is sustained by Eusebius. It was celebrated in the East from the third century as the feast of the Epiphany, in commemoration of the Nativity as well as of Christ’s baptism, and afterwards of his manifestation to the Gentiles (represented by the Magi).
e) Other writers have selected some day in February (Hug, Wieseler, Ellicott), or March (Paulus, Winer), or April (Greswell), or August (Lewin), or September (Lightfoot, who assumes, on chronological grounds, that Christ was born on the feast of Tabernacles, as he died on the Passover and sent the Spirit on Pentecost), or October (Newcome). Lardner puts the birth between the middle of August and the middle of November; Browne December 8; Lichtenstein in summer; Robinson leaves it altogether uncertain.
13) Merry Christmas!
a) The reference to the birth of Jesus "two thousand years ago" is wrong in two ways: a. there was no year 0, thus we have had only 1998 years since Dionysis (incorrectly) calculated the year of the Nativity. b. Dionysis's calculation was off by at least 5 years, as mentioned above.
b) In the year 274AD, solstice fell on 25th December, and Roman Emperor Aurelian proclaimed the date as "Natalis Solis Invicti," the festival of the birth of the invincible sun. In 320 AD, Pope Julius I specified the 25th of December as the official date of the birth of Jesus Christ. In 325AD, Constantine the Great, the first Christian Roman emperor, introduced Christmas as an immovable feast on 25 December. In 354AD, Bishop Liberius of Rome officially ordered his members to celebrate the birth of Jesus on 25 December.
c) In some parts of the Roman Empire (mostly the Eastern parts), solstice was celebrated on 6 January, the last festival day for those who started solstice on 25 December. (Saturnalia was held over 12 days.) The Orthodox Churches of Eastern Europe celebrate Christmas on 6 January.
d) Prevailing but not absolute indications has Jesus born around 6BC (give or take a few years), possibly in the month of March, June, or October. There was no year 0 (zero) recorded, so the 2nd millennium celebration of the birth of Jesus should have been held in March 1995. But considering that Nativity was not celebrated at all for the first 300-or-so years, and that Christmas became widely popular only in the 19th Century, it remains remarkable that the birthday of Jesus Christ today is one of the biggest industries in the world.
Summary
Who , What, When, How, Where
(1) Who:
(a) The principle characters in this historic event were from all walks and professions.
(i) Joseph was a humble carpenter with royal blood being a descendant of David.
(ii) Mary was a young virgin (betrothed to Joseph) found to be pregnant with only the promise of an Angel that only she and Joseph could understand.
(iii) Zacharias and Elizabeth, elderly, barren, have a promised child from an Angel themselves. Their promised son, John the Baptist, would play an crucial role in the fulfillment of prophecy and mission of Jesus.
(iv) Shepard’s tending sheep found themselves being told by special messengers of a extraordinary child that had been born.
(v) Simeon was a man hanging on to a promise.
(vi) Anna was an 84 year old widow who spent most of her life in and around the Temple.
(vii) The Magi were royalty or almost royalty who saw something in the alignment of the stars or planets.
(viii) Herod was an insecure puppet King who desperately held onto the minor power that Rome provided.
(2) What
(a) A child being born in a manger or feeding trough that has several naturally unexplainable events.
(3) When
(a) In the fullness of time
(i) “Galatians 4:4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
(4) How
(a) Conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, in the womb of the virgin Mary.
(i)
Isaiah 7:13, Matthew 1:23, Luke 1: 31
(5) Where
(a) Town of Bethlehem
(i) Micah 5:2 - "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting."
(ii) Matthew 2: 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 6 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.' "
As most police officers understand, no one’s story is more untrustworthy than that of an eyewitness, unless it’s the story of someone an eyewitness told his story to.
- David Willis McCullough, “War of the Irish Kings”