The Scriptural Birth of Jesus Christ

Well, happy Sabbath once again! We haven't had a Bible study in a couple of months. Of course, we had the Holy Days in October. In November, we had an activity come up. We didn't have one that month, and we almost didn't have one this month again because of so many activities.

But I thought it would be good for us to take a look at the Scriptures today regarding the scriptural birth of Jesus Christ. Last week, we covered the theology of why we don't observe Christmas. And obviously, it's because we have ethical problems. We have moral problems with borrowing traditions and customs from paganism, and using those traditions and customs to worship the true God. And we talked about spiritual adultery and what that means, Last Sabbath.

I thought it would be good to follow that up with a discussion on the scriptural birth of Jesus Christ. Just basically going into the books of Matthew and Luke, where virtually everything about the birth of Christ is written. And to take a look at that from a biblical and historical point of view. And I thought that might be helpful for us today. So we'll begin by going to Matthew's account. This is more of a Bible study format. So feel free to follow along with your Bibles, and we'll try to point out some things that are helpful in understanding.

Again, the scriptural birth of Jesus Christ, separating what the scriptures say from the myth and the traditions that have developed in this world over the birth of Christ. So we'll begin in Matthew chapter 1 and verse 18. It says, Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph before they came together, and she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.

Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 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 of her is of the Holy Spirit.

Now, the first thing that is remarkable about Joseph compared to many people we have in the world today is he was a man of class, and he was a man of dignity. And yes, he had to be very disappointed to find out that the woman he loved was already pregnant, and he had to think the worst. He had to think that she had had a relationship with another male. Yet, unlike a lot of scumbags who exist in our world today, who would post videos of their previous wife or girlfriend on social media to humiliate and degrade them, he wanted to do this just privately, quietly, separate and sever the relationship, because again, he was a man of dignity and a man of class.

So he didn't want to shame, or he didn't want to humiliate Mary publicly. A thing to understand, too, about the word betrothed here, it says, after his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, the word betrothed means a little bit more than the word we have engaged in our Western world today. The meaning of the word in Jesus' day goes far beyond the word that we traditionally today say that someone is engaged, in which they exchange an engagement ring. At this time, an engagement, or this kind of relationship, lasted one year in Galilee, and it was a formal bond, it was a contract, it was an agreement, an oral agreement, that could only be dissolved by a writ of divorce, by literally making a statement and writing that you were going to dissolve the relationship.

So here Joseph is called Mary's husband. I'm quoting this from the Believer's Study Bible. Hence, Joseph is called Mary's husband in verse 19, because that's how strong that relationship was in those days. Again, that's a quote from the Believer's Study Bible. And again, this was all because he was a man of class and dignity and did not want to mistreat her. Matthew 1, verse 21. And she will bring forth a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.

So all this was done that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet. And that prophet happened to be Isaiah, saying, in verse 23, Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which is translated God with us. And again, that's from the book of Isaiah. That Joseph, being aroused from sleep, so he had seen this as a vision, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took to him his wife, and did not know her, till she had brought forth her firstborn son, and he called his name Jesus.

Let's read what Isaiah the prophet had actually said there in chapter 7, in verse 14. Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign, behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel. Go back here, shall call his name Emmanuel. Curds and honey, he shall eat that he may know, to refuse the evil and choose the good, so he'll know right from wrong. And again, I want to emphasize here in verse 25, and did not know her, till she had brought forth her firstborn son.

This implies that Joseph and Mary did indeed have natural, miracle relations after Jesus was born. Indeed, we find in the Gospels that some of the actual names of his brothers that are mentioned later on during his ministry. So in verse 25, it says, and he called his name Jesus. Now that is from the Greek word, and again, God decided in the New Testament to inspire the scriptures in Greek, which was a universal language, which would allow his truth and his word to go to all the nations of the world in contrast to Hebrew, which at that time was a very small and frankly a dying language.

He decided to inspire the New Testament to be written originally in Greek. And so in Greek, his name is Jesus. The actual Greek pronunciation would be Iesus. Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua, and means the Lord is salvation. And this is a personal name, and it supersedes any old covenant name or title for the pre-existent Christ of the Old Testament. So too many people want to go back to the Old Covenant, and they want to pull out for their own agenda. They want to pull out phrases or terms and say, well, you have to call God Yahweh.

Well, really, well, we just read last week where God says, my name is jealous. So you need to make up your mind on what you think God's name is, because you can't encapsulate the awesome greatness of God in just a single personal name, as many people try to do.

As God was made flesh and he walked on earth, he did have a personal name. His personal name was, if you were going to pronounce it in the original Greek, would have been Iesus. Also could be called Joshua, if you were looking at it from the Hebrew perspective. In the New King James Version, the personal name Jesus is used 683 times without being connected to Christ. So 683 times you'll find Jesus without Christ being connected to it. And the reason I bring that up is some people are very uncomfortable using the name Jesus alone without adding Christ. I've received emails from people that are critical of me are very uncomfortable because they say, well, that you have just you have bought into Protestantism because you say Jesus too much.

And you say Jesus without adding the word Christ after his name. And my response is, well, if using Jesus 683 times without being connected to Christ is Protestant, then you can call me anything you want to. I'll follow the example of the Apostles. Thank you very much. So we just need to understand that sometimes people cling on to doctrines of men instead of reading their Bible and finding out what their Bible really says. All right.

Let's go to Luke's account, Luke 2 and verse 1. And it came to pass in those days that a decree was sent out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. Obviously, this is the Roman Empire, the Caesar of that great empire. Verse 2, this census first took place while Corinius was governing Syria. So he was the governor of Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone, to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem. Because he was at the house and lineage of David to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.

And so it was that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. All right. Let's zero in here in verse 4. Into Judah, into the house of David, which is called Bethlehem because he was of the house and lineage of David. Sure enough, this is a fulfillment of prophecy, and this had to occur.

Micah, chapter 5, verse 2, had said, But you, Bethlehem Ephrath, 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 old, from everlasting. I'm going to read to you another translation, I think, that's a little more powerful, the New American Standard Bible. But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrath, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you, in other words, from just this tiny little clan, insignificant in the eyes of the world, from this tiny little city, this little clan, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you one will go forth for me to be ruler in Israel.

His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity. And sure enough, the pre-existent Jesus Christ was there in the Garden of Eden, talking to Adam and Eve. The pre-existent Jesus Christ, the one from the days of eternity, from everlasting, was the same one who spoke to Abraham, was the same one who revealed and spoke to Moses. So, indeed, this who would be born to be ruler of Israel, indeed, came from the days of eternity.

Verse 7, and she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them at the end. I'm going to read this portion here. First statement is actually from Holman's Bible Dictionary. A manger is a feeding trough for animals in a stall or a stable, that Christ was born and placed in a manger, led to the tradition that he was born in a stable.

Early tradition indicates that he was born in a cave, which may have been used as a stable. So, again, this is from the Holman's Bible Dictionary. I'm adding this, that the lack of room at the end may have been caused by crowds heading to Jerusalem for a holy day. Bethlehem was just a few miles outside of Jerusalem. And if people were all heading there to celebrate one of God's holy days, then it's very possible that all the rooms at the ends would have been completely filled.

And that's why even in Bethlehem, outside of Jerusalem, there was no room at the end by the time that they arrived. It would also make sense, logistically, that the Romans would have proclaimed a census during one of the Hebrew holy days, because they knew that the heads of households would all be going to Jerusalem to celebrate one of the feasts. So, the Romans, being an organized, logical-thinking people like they were, could have very well declared that census during the time around a holy day.

Again, here's from the Believer's Study Bible. Recent archaeological discoveries indicate that Carinius may have been twice governor of Syria, the earlier date being about 6-4 BC, and the second AD 6-9. It says the first term of Carinius would fit Luke's account well at this point. Luke is a careful historian as well as an accomplished theologian. Obviously, we know he's an excellent writer because of the books that he wrote that are in the New Testament. Also, being a doctor, I'm sure he was a meticulous thinker, a very logical man, and as it says here in the Believer's Study Bible, a careful historian.

Continuing, they say Matthew places Christ's birth prior to Herod's death. Thus, Christ's birth may have occurred in the summer or early fall of 4 BC. Shepherds would not normally have been tending their fields in December due to the cold of winter. So again, this is from a Protestant commentary. These are people who observe Christmas, yet they're being very frank and honest about the fact that it would not have occurred around December 25th.

The Church has traditionally believed that Jesus was born in 4 BC, now called by most scholars BCE for a number of reasons. By the way, this is just a sidebar. For probably well over a thousand years, we designated time BC and AD, BC meaning before Christ.

Unfortunately, the last 20 years or so, that term offends many scholars and historians because it assumes that Jesus Christ actually lived. If you're counting time and you're calling something before Christ and after Christ, then you are implying that Jesus Christ actually existed. So they've had to change that. So instead of calling it BC, they now call it BCE, which is Before Common Era.

And then after Jesus was born, they call it the Common Era. And of course, that's very important not to offend people because if they get offended, then they hyperventilate, then they have to hug their therapy puppies, and they have hurt feelings. So we had to yet abandon something else that had been done well for over a thousand years and counting history, and change the terms in order to make some people happy. But I will continue to use the term BC anyway. Alright, number two, there continues to be a debate and discussions on the exact year of the birth of Christ, and it could have occurred anywhere from 5 to 2 BC. The Church has traditionally said 4 BC. But what I want to encourage you to do is not to get hung up on dates. And there are a lot of debates and a lot of good commentary on what day it may have been, what year it may have been.

But I think it's more important to focus on the events and the teachings rather than allowing ourselves to be swept up on whether it was 4 BC or 3 BC, or whether it was born on the Feast of Trumpets or during the Feast of Tabernacles. Again, rather than getting into those areas in which the Bible does not clearly define what it may have been, it's better to focus on these events and these teachings. Alright, Luke, chapter 2 and verse 8.

And this will be a sign to you. You will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill towards men. So it was when the angels had gone away from them into heaven that the shepherds said to one another, let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.

And they came with haste, and they found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in the manger. Now when they had seen him, they made widely known the saying which was told them regarding or concerning this Christ. So the heavenly host are singing praises to God. It's a very beautiful event because it's a fulfillment of Bible prophecy.

It's something that was looked forward to for thousands of years, the birth of the Messiah. Continuing here now in verse 18, And all those who heard it marveled at those things, which were told them by the shepherds, but Mary kept these things and pondered them in her heart. And again, this shows the humility that Mary had. Mary did not go out and say, well, I've got news for you. I am the mother of the Savior. So all of you should understand that I, me, Mary, am the mother of the Savior of mankind.

No, she wasn't that kind of a person, much like it said earlier that Joseph was a good man. Mary was very humble. She understood these things, but she kept them in her heart. She didn't brag. She didn't gloat. She didn't try to point things to herself. It says here that she pondered them in her heart. She just thought about it.

She filed it away. She understood, but again, she wasn't verbose. She wasn't a gloating. She wasn't bragging about the fact that she was the mother of the Savior. Verse 20, Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told them. Now, one of the interesting things I wanted to point out is we have a distortion in our Western world. You've probably heard the phrase, Peace on earth, good will toward men. Well, that's not actually what the translation says from the original Greek.

A much better rendering of what the text actually says is peace towards men of good will. In other words, peace towards men who are in alignment with God's will. So, unlike our culture that says that the statement was, you know, peace on earth, good will towards men, in context what it's really saying is those who recognize and have a relationship with God, peace towards them because they're in alignment with God's will. The translation, God's word for today, says it this way. Suddenly, a large army of angels appeared with the angel.

They were praising God, saying, Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth, peace to those who have his good will. A little bit different than what our culture says in Christmas carols and in other areas of our culture during this time of year. I'd like to quote you something from Adam Clark's commentary. Again, Adam Clark was a Protestant scholar. He says it was a custom among the Jews to send out their sheep to the deserts about the Passover and bring them home at the commencement of the first rain. During the time they were out, the shepherds watched them night and day. As the Passover occurred in the spring and the first rain began in the month of Mar-Keshen, which answers to our part of October and November, we find that the sheep were kept out in the open country during the whole of the summer.

And as the shepherds had not yet brought home their flock, it is a presumptive argument that October had not yet commenced, and that consequently our Lord was not born on the 25th of December when no flocks were out in the fields. So that is commonly recognized and understood even by Biblical scholars. Now let's go back to the book of Luke, Luke 2, verse 21.

And when the 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. Now when the days of her purification, this is speaking of his mother Mary, according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord as it is written in the law of the Lord, quote, every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord, end of quote, in verse 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. Now this is significant because this tells us that Joseph and Mary were not wealthy, they were very simple people. Most likely lived in poverty as 99% of people on earth did at that time anyway.

Again, I'm going to read verse 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. That's what they offered. Leviticus chapter 12 and verse 8 says this, if she, speaking of the same ceremony, the same ritual, and if she is not able to bring a lamb, of course a lamb was of much greater worth, was of more value to a family, was more expensive, a lamb could provide wool for clothing, a lamb could provide meat, and you had to be fairly well off to have a flock, and to have a flock large enough that you could easily sacrifice a lamb.

It says, and if she is not able to bring a lamb, then she may bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one as a burnt offering and the other as a sin offering, so the priest shall make atonement for her and she will be clean. So God loves the poor, He loves people, no matter what their financial, social, economic status is, and He had a provision that if you were not able to bring a lamb and a young mother wanted to purify herself according to the law of Moses, she could bring something much less expensive, and that is a pair of turtledoves, which frankly is another type of pigeon, or two young pigeons.

So again, this just shows us that Joseph and Mary were simple, they were godly people, they were not very well off.

Now let's take a look here in verse 25. And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation or the comfort of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. So he knew Israel was oppressed by the Roman Empire, he knew Israel had been Judah, particularly in context here, had been unfaithful to their covenant with God, they were under distress, and he was waiting for a time when Judah, when Israel, could receive comfort from God, when God would intervene in their behalf. And he sees a glimmer of that here, verse 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. So he came by the Spirit into the temple, so God's Spirit led him to go into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and he blessed God and said, Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace according to your word. Verse 25 here, reading from a different translation in New Century Version, going back to the King James, which said, waiting for the consolation, the time when God would take away Israel's sorrow. So, he was a Simeon, lived long enough to see the hope of Israel, saw Jesus Christ as a young child, eight days old, saw him as a babe, and understood that this is the Savior, that someday this will be the very one who will redeem Israel from its sins and ultimately bring people back to their home. Luke 2, verse 30, For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel.

An interesting thing about contrasting Matthew and Luke is that Matthew's perspective is about salvation for the Jews. Luke's perspective is about salvation for all peoples. We read earlier in Luke where he talked about all people would be blessed by the birth of Jesus Christ. And now Luke says a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles.

So Luke himself being a Gentile is very interested in the concept and understanding biblical revelation of salvation for all people, not just for salvation for those of the descendants of Abraham or Israel. Let's pick it up here again in verse 33. And Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him, and 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.

Yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. That's an interesting phrase. In a minute we'll take a look at another translation. But the prophecy was that he was destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel.

Many of the religious leaders at that time, because they had their own agenda, would not recognize who and what Jesus Christ was. And spiritually they would fall. They would lose their opportunity for eternal life. Because they could recognize who and what he was, but they were unwilling to submit to him. Because they wanted to continue to be a high priest, or a religious leader, and have authority and influence and wealth. And all of these things that they craved, much like was in our fine sermonette this morning, materialistic they were, rather than accepting that Jesus Christ was born and was the son of God.

In that case, they were destined for the fall because what was really in their hearts would be revealed by the things that came out of their mouths and by their conduct. And on the other hand, there would be a rising of many in Israel. Simple fishermen, just simple common people who acknowledged who Jesus Christ was and recognized him as the Messiah, they would rise spiritually. They would be given eternal life. They would be given promises of rulership in God's kingdom when his kingdom is established on this earth.

Let's see how this ties into Isaiah chapter 49 and verse 6. Indeed, he says, it is too small a thing that you should be my servant to rise up the tribes of Jacob. That's too small. Salvation for the tribes of Jacob for Israel, he says that's too small. That's not good enough. And to restore the preserved ones of Israel.

So it's too small just to rise up the tribes of Jacob and to preserve the ones of Israel. God says, I've got bigger plans and here they are. Spoken in Isaiah chapter 49. I will also give you as a light to the Gentiles that you should be my salvation to the ends of the earth. So you see, this is all about not just saving Israel, not just restoring Israel. This whole understanding of why Jesus Christ came to earth was to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.

That is exactly why Jesus told his disciples, take the good news of this coming kingdom to all the earth. He didn't say just hang around Judah or go to only to the lost sheep. That may have been his mission, but he told his disciples, your mission is much broader. You need to go with this good news, with this exciting message to the whole world, to everyone. And again, that was prophesied by Isaiah himself that that would occur. Let's read now verses 34 and 35 that I was talking about a few minutes ago in a different translation in New Century Version.

It says, Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, God has chosen this child to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel. He will be a sign from God that many people will not accept. And sadly, in Christ's lifetime, there were many Sadducees and Pharisees and religious leaders who would not accept the fact that he was the Savior, the prophesied Messiah.

Verse 35, So that the thoughts of many will be made known. And the things that will happen will make your heart sad too, was said to Mary. And it had to be difficult for her as a young woman to see her son crucified and to see Jesus die the way he did, tortured, mutilated, and died. That had to be very difficult, like a sword in her heart, to have lived and to have witnessed and experienced his crucifixion.

So again, this is a prophecy from Simeon that absolutely came true and was totally fulfilled. Now we're going to go back to the Scriptures in Matthew, chapter 2, beginning in verse 1. Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem, this is more of Matthew's account, in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 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. I don't know about you, but as a small child, I was once asked the question, Why wasn't Jesus born in Cleveland?

And the answer was, he couldn't find three wise men.

I didn't know if you knew that or not.

Okay, so let's pick it up here in verse 3. When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled in all Jerusalem with him. Now the wise men simply thought that Herod would be excited. They were excited. They traveled almost halfway across the continent to come and find this child. They were all excited over it.

And they went to Herod because they thought that he would be rejoicing, that he would be excited as well. But obviously, being a carnal man, being a man who had an agenda, he was not about to accept Jesus Christ. Rather, he would look at the birth of Christ as a threat. And it says here, of course, in all Jerusalem with him, Jesus was a threat to the established order. He was a threat to those who held power, who had influence, who had wealth. Verse 4, 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.

So they said to him, in Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophets. So that's what they tell the king. I'm going to read something here from the Holman's Bible dictionary.

Herod, of course, was king of Judea under the Roman authority when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. He received the wise men and sent them on to the Christ child with orders to return to him and let him know where he could find the newly born king of the Jews. And he gave them the impression that he wanted to worship the king just like they did. But in reality, he wanted to find out where Jesus was so he could kill him. Continuing in Holman's here, he gave the orders to kill the babies of Bethlehem, two years old and under, in hopes of getting this one whom he saw as a successor to his throne.

So he looked at Jesus Christ as a competitor. I want to make a few comments about this word, magi. Magi were Eastern wise men. Again, I'm quoting from Holman's Bible dictionary. They were Eastern wise men, priests, and astrologers, expert in interpreting dreams and other magical arts.

As a matter of fact, what they did to calculate and to find out where the Christ child was, was forbidden in the Old Covenant because they were looking up at the stars. They were doing things that would have been forbidden under the Old Covenant. Continuing here in Holman's Bible dictionary, men whose interpretation of the stars led them to Palestine to find and honor Jesus, the newborn king.

The term has a Persian background. The earliest Greek translation of Daniel 2, verses 2 and 10, uses magi. To translate the Hebrew word for astrologer, the magi who greeted Jesus' birth may have been from Babylon, Persia, or the Arabian desert. Matthew gives no number, names, or royal positions to the magi. The visit of the magi affirms international recognition by leaders of other religions of Jesus' place as the expected king.

So the Bible doesn't say there were three wise men. The Bible only says there were three types of gift that were given. There could have been two magi, there could have been ten magi. No one really knows. It's from the believer's study Bible. The Greek term magi, or wise men, is plural, but nothing is said of the exact number of men traditionally considered to be three because of the three gifts.

A magi, a magician, was a wise man or seer for the Median tribe in Persia who interpreted dreams and acted as a priest. After an unsuccessful rebellion against the Persians, the magi became a priestly tribe, much like the Levites of Israel, although they were not kings. Often magi were elevated to positions of rule.

They possibly became familiar with the Jewish hope of the Messiah while Israel was under Persian rule from 539 to 332 B.C. So to recap what we just read here in these verses, a star appears in the east at the birth of Jesus, and by this time the magi traveled over 700 miles by camel. So do you think they were excited about the birth of the Savior? Would you travel 700 miles on a camel to witness something?

To celebrate something? Christ is no longer an infant in a manger by the time they arrive. They assume He's been born and perhaps went to Herod because they thought that He would be rejoicing, and that's why they went to Herod first before they followed the star all the way until it stopped above where they were at. Now the magi were Gentiles, and this is a partial fulfillment of prophecy that looks forward to a time when wise men from all nations will travel to Jerusalem to worship the king.

And it says there in Zechariah chapter 14 and verse 16 that all nations will be expected to go and worship the king at the feast of tabernacles, the leaders of all of these nations at that time. And here's the interesting thing when you understand the Gospels and you read about the resistance that Jesus got from His own people, the resistance He got from the Sadducees, from the Pharisees, from the scribes.

The magi, discovered by faith that which was missed by Herod and the religious leaders of Judaism who possessed the Scriptures. So those who knew the prophecies and possessed the Scriptures, they didn't accept who Jesus Christ was. On the other hand, the magi by faith, by just some knowledge that they had learned many, many years ago, a prophecy, a saying about a star appearing in the sky and following that star to find the Savior.

They did it by faith, not because they had the Scriptures as their guide. So what a contrast between people whom God can work with. Okay, Matthew 2 and verse 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.

Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them at what time the star appeared, 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. And obviously, this is a bold-faced lie. He didn't want to worship the king.

He wanted to kill the Christ in his infancy. Verse 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. Now, this star may have been a heavenly object. This star, frankly, may have been an angel who was primarily guiding these magi to that point. There's some scarce record of celestial events going on around this time, but we can find no record of a universal star, a shooting star or star of any type, around this time in human history.

So this very well could have been an angel that was guiding these magi at this time. And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And the prophet, by the way, spoken of there in verse 6, is the prophet Micah. Now, verse 11, When they had come into the house, they saw the young child with his mother, and fell down and worshipped him. I want you to notice how much time has elapsed since they left Persia, or Babylon, where they were residing, and traveled many, many, many, many miles on donkeys or camels, and visited Herod, and by the time they arrive, he's no longer an infant.

He is now a young child. And that Greek word makes it very plain that he is an adolescent child. Also notice that they're no longer in a stable. They're not in a cave. They are now in their own home. So a lot of time had passed between when Jesus was born and when the Magi finally arrived to worship him and offer him gifts. So continuing here, When they came into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshipped him.

And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh, that can be a sermon in itself. These are very royal, kingly gifts that you gave to honor a king. Verse 12, Then being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way. Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, take the young child and mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there, until I bring you word, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet. This happens to be Hosea, chapter 11, saying, Out of Egypt I called my son.

So all of that was to fulfill prophecy. So again, I want to emphasize that the words in verse 11 show that many months must have gone by since the actual birth of Jesus. He's now a young child, which a Greek word means childling. Also, by now they've come into a house, a very clear Greek word different from that used earlier for stable. It doesn't say there were three wise-minute states and only three types of gifts were presented to the future king. Matthew 2, verse 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 all its districts from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. So he calculated how long it would have taken the wise men to reach him once they saw the star.

And they told them how long they had traveled. They told him when they originally saw the star back in their homeland. And he did that calculation. And he determined that Jesus was somewhere probably between one and a half to two years old. He obviously was not an infant. He was a young child by this point of time because time had elapsed. And so he had determined that all children two years and under would be killed.

Verse 17, Then was fulfilled, or was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, A voice was heard in Ramad, lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted, because they are no more. But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, Rise, 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. So let's zero in here. Again, verse 16. He put to death all male children who were in Bethlehem and all of its districts from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.

Again, two-year-olds are not infants. By the age of two, children are walking. Children by age two are saying a few words. This shows that Herod determined that the birth of Jesus to be about one to two years old. Verse 19, But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt.

We read this scripture, 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.

Joseph and his family were in Egypt only a short time. And again, this was to fulfill, directly fulfill, prophecy.

Matthew 2 and verse 21, Then he arose, took the young child and his mother, came to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Arkeslaus was reigning over Judah instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned his side into the region of Galilee. And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the prophets, that he shall be called a Nazarene. A Nazarene was a derogatory term, like one used today to call someone a hick. Again, it was a nowhere-ville. It was a Bohonk village. So it was an insult. It was meant as an insult to say, ah, you're a Nazarene. You're from the village of Nazareth. So that's what it was intended to be. Again, reflecting the humility of Jesus Christ, the simplicity of his family, Joseph and Mary, his lineage. They weren't royal. They weren't kingly. They were simple, God-fearing people whom God was working with. And we should never confuse this phrase with a Nazarite or a Nazarite vow, which is something totally different, by the way. So in conclusion today, here's what the Scriptures and history tell us about the Scriptural birth of Jesus Christ. It tells us that the birth of Jesus Christ did occur around 4 BC. And again, we shouldn't get hung up. And if information comes out in the future that it might have been 3 BC or 5 BC or 2 BC, that was a long time ago. And it isn't really important what the year is. What is important are the events and the information surrounding the miracle of the birth of the Savior of mankind. It was a fulfillment of many prophecies, and it was a joyful event. Shepherds rejoiced, angels rejoiced, heavenly hosts rejoiced. Why? Because it was a fulfillment of biblical prophecy, a particular prophecy, that many had looked forward to for a long time. The second thing is that the birth was nowhere near December 25th. As there were shepherds who were still outdoors, they were tending the sheep, it was most likely in the fall on or near the Holy Days. There is some very strong evidence, so we can't prove it, that he may have been born either on the Feast of Trumpets, which would be highly symbolic, since we know that he will return the second time on the Feast of Trumpets. It probably shouldn't shock us that he may have also been born the first time in the flesh on the Feast of Trumpets. That would also explain why there was no room at the end in Bethlehem, because people would have been flocking to Jerusalem in huge numbers to keep the Feast of Trumpets in Jerusalem. Again, speculation, we can't prove it, but something interesting to think about. The third thing is Jesus was born due to a miracle from God, and an incredible miracle that through the Holy Spirit, that Jesus Christ was impregnated into a virgin and her name was Mary. And of course, we know that there's no triune God, otherwise the Holy Spirit would be the Father of Jesus Christ, and not God the Father himself. So Jesus was born due to a miracle, an absolute, incredible miracle from God, and that is why those chapters are recorded in both Luke and Matthew to reinforce that truth.

Number four, Mary and Joseph were God-fearing people. They were simple people. Godly, they loved God, they were people of dignity, people of respect, and they were also poor. Again, the overwhelming majority of people in the human race were at that time. Number five, Jesus was born in a cave or stable. He was swaddled, and he was placed in a manger. And again, that just reminds us of the humility of this event. A manger is where animals ate food off of. And obviously it wasn't a luxurious environment. It was very simple. It was put together quickly because, again, there were no inns that had rooms available. So they basically, as she entered labor and as Jesus was being born, they did the best they could with what circumstances allowed.

Number six, the wise men traveled over a year to find the Christ. By the time they arrived, he was a child living at home. No longer an infant, as you see in many of these nativity scenes or many movies that you may see about the birth of Jesus Christ. He was a child living at home.

Number seven, there's a special emphasis placed by Luke on the fact that Jesus Christ or Christ Jesus would bring redemption to the Gentiles. That was important to Luke. He was a Gentile. It had special meaning to him, and that's why he says in numerous places in the book of Luke, including quoting prophets who mentioned that Jesus was being born for the salvation to the Gentiles, not just simply the Jews. The worship of the wise men is an example. Here, when Jesus was born and the first couple of years, you don't read of the high priest coming to worship the king. You don't read of any Sadducees or Pharisees or scribes coming to pay homage to the newborn king. No, you don't find that, but you find three quasi-pagan magi traveling over half the earth on a camel who come enthusiastically with limited knowledge about who and what God is, certainly not part of the covenant people. And they are the ones who come to worship the Christ. Again, picturing what God had intended all along and what will occur in the world tomorrow. And number eight, the Lord is born in Bethlehem and spends time in Egypt and Nazareth all to fulfill various prophets which connected the birth of the Messiah to those cities.

And again, time is taken to explain how all of these prophecies are absolutely fulfilled.

Number nine, nowhere else in Scripture does Jesus or the disciples ever celebrate the day of His birth. You read through the rest of the Gospels. You read through the Epistles of Paul. You read through the writings of Peter or John or James. And you find nowhere else in Scripture that they decided, that they said, we're going to celebrate a day of the Lord's birth. We're going to take a day out and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It's just not scriptural. It's not in the Bible. And that's why we don't do it. Now again, I have to say this just as interestingly, in that they may have done it innocently. If Jesus Christ was born on the Feast of Trumpets, then innocently all of us are celebrating His birth every time we keep the Feast of Trumpets. Now, by saying that, I am not condoning, setting apart of a day to celebrate His birthday. I am certainly not condoning that at all because it's not acceptable. What I am saying is whether we have planned it or not, if Jesus Christ was born on the Feast of Trumpets, we innocently are celebrating not just His future second coming, but perhaps also the day of His original birth in 4 BC. So just food for thought. So that is the end of today's Bible study. Thank you so much for your attention. And I hope that this sermon last week and today's digging a little deeper in the Scriptures helps us to understand more about the birth of Jesus Christ. We covered every Scripture in the New Testament that reflects or refers to the birth of Jesus Christ in this Bible study. There's nothing else. So if people tried to extrapolate Christmas or some birthday celebration from Jesus Christ, we saw everywhere there is in Scripture that His birth is mentioned in the events surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ. And as you can see, there's good information, some great historical information, a wonderful fulfillment of prophecy, but by no means any excuse to make a birthday or celebrate annually the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Have a wonderful Sabbath.