Basic Facts of the Nativity of Christ

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Basic Facts of the Nativity of Christ

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An archaeological, historical, and literary analysis of the Nativity narratives of Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2. The author makes a spirited defense of the historicity of Christmas and validity of the ancient Church's view of the key events of the Incarnation of God's Son. – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Basic Facts of the Nativity of Christ

1
Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
E? ???? ?? ? ?????, ?a? ? ????? ?? p??? t?? Qe??,
?a? ?e?? ?? ? ?????. ??t?? ?? ?? ???? p?o? t?? ?e?
?. p??ta d?' a?t?? ????et?, ?a? ????? a?t??
????et? ??d? ?? ? ?????e?. p??ta d?' a?t?? ????et?
, ?a? c???? a?t?? ????et? ??d? ?? ? ?????e?. .
. . .
?? a?t? ??? ??, ?a? ? ??? ?? t? f?? t?? ?????pw?
?a? t? f?? ?? t? s??t?? fa??e?, ?a? ? s??t?a a?t?
?? ?at??aße?.

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The
Nativity of Our Lord Jesus
Christ.
The First Christmas
A Biblical and Historical Study of
the Basic Facts.
Presented by Joseph David Rhodes, M.A.
High School English Science
Instructor
New Frontiers Lighthouse Christian
Academy
Wills Point, Texas (December, 2011
A.D.)

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
In him was life, and the life was the
light of men. The light
shines in the darkness, and the
the
darkness has not overcome
it.
(John 14,5. ESV)

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Today, we begin with the Johns Gospel, the
witness of John of Zebedee to Jesus Christ. But
why Johns Gospel ?
Here is the answer
1. In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made through him, and without
him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In
him was life, and the life was the light of
men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the
darkness has not overcome it.
English Standard Version

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Apostle John then goes on to say this
about the eternal Word who was always with the
Father but now entered into mans world and time
9. The true light, which gives light to
everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in
the world, and the world was made through him,
yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his
own, and his own people did not receive
him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who
believed in his name, he gave the right to
become children of God, 13 who were born, not of
blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the
will of man, but of God. . . .
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among
us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the
only Son from the Father, full of grace
and truth.

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.

Christmas is not Gods second plan. Before he
created the world, God determined to save sinners
through the blood of his own Son. The grand
narrative of the Bible points to this essential
truth God determined to bring glory to himself
through the salvation of a people redeemed and
purchased by his own Son, the Christ. Bethlehem
and Calvary were essential parts of Gods plan
from the beginning, before the cosmos was brought
into being as the Son obeyed the will of the
Father in creation.

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Christmas story does not begin in
Bethlehem, but we appropriately look to Bethlehem
as the scene of the most decisive event in human
history the incarnation of the Son of God. Even
as we turn our attention to Bethlehem, we must
remember that the story of our salvation does not
begin there. That story begins in the eternal
purpose of God. 1
1Dr. Albert Mohler, President of the Southern
Baptist Theological Seminary (Louis-ville,
Kentucky) in his blog for December 21, 2009
Where Does the Story of Christmas Begin ? at
www.albertmohler.com

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

This actually connects perfectly with one of the
most well known of all the prophecies of the
Messiah in the Old Testament (the Hebrew
Scriptures)
The Coming Messiah
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."
Micah 52 (NKJV)

51)
???????? ???????????? ????????? ?????? ?????????
?????????? ???????? ??????? ??? ????? ?????????
??????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????
?????? ????????

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
But now lets us turn to the history of the
Incarnation, i.e., the Nativity of our Lord Jesus
Christ

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
. . . But there was immediate historical
preparation for the birth of Jesus the Messiah.
According to prophecy, He (i.e., the Messiah)
must have a forerunner. This is like a prelude to
the main drama of history and the unfolding of
Gods plan
John's role as forerunner to Jesus was alluded to
in a prophecy from Isaiah 403, which spoke of A
voice of one calling "In the desert prepare the
way for the Lord make straight in the wilderness
a highway for our God."

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
There is another prophecy, in Malachi 31, that
also alludes to John the Baptist's role in
preparing the way for Jesus Christ
1 "Behold, I send My messenger, And he will
prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom
you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple,
Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom
you delight. Behold, He is coming, Says the
LORD of hosts.
Mal 31 (NKJV)

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Thus, by the logic of Scriptural prophecy, the
forerunner must announce the coming of the
Messiah. This is true even in his birth, because
John the Baptist, son of Zecharias and Elizabeth,
was born about six months before Jesus.

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, if one sets on one side the
two key events in the announcement and conception
of John the Baptist (the cousin of Jesus
according to the flesh, incidentally !), this
then leaves exactly twelve events or stages in
the Nativity narrative. While not all scholars
would see it this way, most accept a similar list
or chronology in their interpretation. Yet, all
of these stages are simple reflections on either
Matthew 118-2 23 or Luke 11-240. These are
sometimes called the Nativity narratives and
express the historical conception and birth of
Christ and the aftermath. These are the reports
of the chief Advent of the Savior !

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
I. Joseph and Mary betrothed - Matt. 118,19
Luke 126,27.2
According to the accepted Jewish betrothal
custom, Joseph and Mary had made a contractual
pledge to be married. This commitment was
considered so binding that dissolution required a
formal decree of divorce, as Joseph considered
doing. Cohabitation and sexual coitus were not
considered proper during the betrothal period as
the betrothed parties were preparing for their
wedding festival.
Tradition indicates that Joseph was considerably
older than Mary. The absence of later mention of
Joseph, may indicate that he had died while Jesus
was fairly young, and was not alive during the
time of Jesus' passion. We do know that he was a
carpenter (Matt. 1355), and he seemed to be able
to care for his family, even in a foreign country
(Egypt).

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
In ancient Galilean Jewish culture that betrothed
woman should become pregnant was a disgrace.
Joseph's knowledge that he had not had
intercourse with Mary would have given him cause
to dissolve the betrothal, but being a righteous
and merciful man he was willing to do so without
public humiliation (Matthew 118-19 Luke
126,27).
The supernatural conception of Jesus in the womb
of Mary was caused or created by the Holy Spirit.
As the "second Adam," Jesus was only the second
man to ever live who had only God as His father.
His was thus of divine paternity. Though fully
human, "born of a woman" (Galatians 44), He did
not participate in the depravity of sin
predicated to all of the human race because of
Adam's disobedience (Romans 512-21).

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
II. Gabriels Annunciation to Mary. (Luke
126-38)
Although there is no infallible Biblical evidence
of Marys age, given Jewish marital customs of
the time, she probably would have been a teenager
of thirteen to seventeen years. Sometimes, Jewish
girls were betrothed as early as twelve years of
age but married a year or two later.
Some scholars take Marys statement in the
Magnificat of Luke 146-55
(i.e., that she was of low estate) that she
was from a poor family or
of socially humble status (even though both
she and Joseph were royal
descendents of the famous king David). The
real focus here, however,
may be that she is expressing humble
gratitude at being the servant of
the Lord.

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Young Mary was terribly confused at the
announcement that she would bear a child though
she had no sexual intercourse with any man (Luke
134). Yet, she was nonetheless willing to accept
the explanation of the archangel Gabriel that
"nothing will be impossible with God" (vs. 37).
She consented to be the servant of God in accord
with His solemn declaration.
( See the Next Slide . . . . !
)

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
II. Gabriels Annunciation to Mary. (Luke
126-38) (Contd)
1. Many scholars simply understand the
sixth month in which Gabriel
visited Mary to be the sixth month of
Elizabeths pregnancy, rather
than a month on the Jewish or Roman
calendar. But Luke wrote his
Gospel from Marys point of view and
Mary would have lived by the
Hebrew festival calendar of Leviticus
and Deuteronomy. 3
2. On the following slide the Hebrew year
is displayed. The civil year
began in late September/early October
(Tishri) and the sacred or
festival year began at Passover in
Nisan (Late March).
3Cf. Exodus 2316 3422 and Leviticus 259. See
the article on Time in the
Bible in James Orr, et al., (eds.), The
International Standard Bible Ency
clopedia (Edinburgh T. T. Clark, 1915), n.p.

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
II. Gabriels Annunciation to Mary. (Luke
126-38) (Contd)
Thus, if Marys visitation from Gabriel occurred
in the sixth month as counted from Tishri (the
Jewish civil year), then it must have been in
either the later part of the month Adar or the
early part of Nisan. We will return to this
point later, but suffice for now to say that the
tradition of Marys conception of Jesus on March
25 in the ancient fathers of the Church appears
to have a sound Biblical and historical basis.4
4Professor Kenneth F. Doig speculates, however,
that St. Luke, a Greek, may have used the ancient
Syrian-Macedonian calendar rather than the
Jewish. Cf. New Testament Chronology (Lewiston,
N.Y. Edwin Mellen Press, 1990), ch. 6 cited from
Doigs Biblical Chronology http//www.doig.net
/NTC06. htm

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !
The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

III. The Angels Revelation to Joseph Matthew
120 25
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.
"And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall
call His name JESUS, for He will save His people
from their sins. . . . . (NKJV).

ta?ta d? a?t?? ????µ????t?? ?d?? ???e??? ??????
?at ??a? ?f??? a?t? ????? ??s?f ???? ?a??d µ?
f?ß???? pa?a?aße?? ?a??a? t?? ???a??? s?? t? ???
?? a?t? ?e?????? ?? p?e?µat?? ?st?? ?????.
t??eta? d? ???? ?a? ?a??se?? t? ???µa a?t??
??s??? a?t?? ??? s?se? t?? ?a?? a?t?? ?p? t??
?µa?t??? a?t??

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
III. The Angels Revelation to Joseph Matthew
120 25
That Joseph was a man of true fidelity
and trust in God is revealed here in the brief
record of the first chapter of Matthew. Like
Mary, he is a descendent of David (through
Solomon and Jehoiachin, however), and now he
becomes a recipient of Divine revelation and is
included the Messianic plan of Yahweh. It was, of
course, Gods grace, yet Gods wisdom is
displayed. The Divine messenger (presumably also
Gabriel, but this is disputable) quelled his
fears about both Marys purity and his own
reputation. Although the original situation
could hardly be worse for a perspective
bridegroom, God revealed that He was in sovereign
control and that Josephs choice in Mary was
perfectly in His unfolding eternal design.

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
III. The Angels Revelation to Joseph
Matthew 120 25
The angel of the Lord who appeared to Joseph
revealed to him the name which God had chosen
for His Son and His Messiah, the name Jesus.
Lukes Nativity narrative adds that this name was
revealed to Mary as well (Luke 131). Our
English translation Jesus comes from the
original Koine
Greek, I?s??? Iesous, which in turn comes from
the Hebrew Yeshua (derived from Yehoshua, meaning
Yahweh is salvation. ) Naturally, Yeshua in
the Hebrew Old Testament is the same as Yehousha
or Joshua. Then, the angel of the Lord adds
the further exegesis of Jesus name by explaining
that He will save His people from their sins (v.
21). Luke and John each add in their own way
that He will be a savior (Cf. Luke 211 and
John 442).

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
III. The Angels Revelation to Joseph
Matthew 120 25

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
III. The Angels Revelation to Joseph
Matthew 120 25
Matthew also tells us via Joseph that all
these events were foreordained by the Lord God
and spoken by the ancient prophets. He thus cites
the famous prophecy from Isaiah 714 about the
sign of the Virgin with child. Isaiahs prophecy
described him as Immanuel which means God
with us (Hebrew
???????? ???). This connection between Matthew
and Isaiah (not to mention Psalms 2 and Daniel
927) is an incredible miracle and forms the
basis of the Christian doctrine of the Virgin
Birth (cf. also Romans 13,4 and Galatians 44).
5
5See the superb classic apologetic monograph on
this topic by the great Princeton scholar, J.
Gresham Machen, Ph.D. , The Virgin Birth of
Christ (2nd Edition London, U.K. James Clarke,
Ltd., 1958. Original Edition, published 1930).

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The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Isaiahs Prophecy of the Virgin-Born Messiah (ca.
740 B.C.)
????????? ?????? ??????? ?????????
??????? ??????????? ???? ????? ?????? ?????????
??????? ???????? ??? ??????????
?????????? ????????? ????? ????????????
?????????????? ??????????? ?????????
???????????? ????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ????????
????????? ???? ??????? ???? ???????????? ?????
?????? ??????? ???? ????? ???? ?????? ?????????
????? ????????? ???? ???????? ?????? ????????
???? 6
6See my research article, The Ultimate Sign for
Gods People The Advent of Immanuel (Isaiah 7)
. A Thru the Bible lesson taught at Park Central
Baptist Church (Dallas, Texas) (November, 2009).

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The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
IV. Augustus Caesar Obeys God The Roman Census
Decreed
Even the mighty Caesar Augustus is moved by the
unseen hand of God. (Luke 21 6). He is known
to have issued a decree in ca. 8 B.C. to enact a
census of the Roman Empire. This possibly occurs
even before Mary and Joseph receive their Divine
call to servanthood in Gods orchestration of
the world for the Messiahs Advent. We shall
discuss the details of this later.7
7See the evidence of G. H. Stevenson, The
Imperial Administration, in The Cambridge
Ancient History, ed. by S.A. Cook, F. E. Adcock,
and M. P. Charlesworth (Cambridge, U.K.
Cambridge University Press, 1934) , X, 192-193
A.N. Sherwin-White, Roman Society and Roman Law
in the New Testament (Oxford, U.K. Oxford
University Press, 1963), p. 168 William M.
Ramsey, The Bearing of Recent Discoveries on the
Trustworthiness of the New Testament (4th ed.
London Hodder Stoughton, 1920), pp. 255-274.
See also Professor Harold W. Hoehners analysis
in his Chronological Aspects of the Life of
Christ (Grand Rapids, MI. Academie Books,
Zondervan Publishing House, 1977), Ch. 1, pp.
14-18.

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The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
IV. Augustus Caesar Obeys God The Roman Census
Decreed
Joseph, we are told by both Matthew and Luke,
was from the house and family of David. Since
Davids familial city was Bethlehem in Judea,
Joseph had to travel there. A particular date
must have been set or else Joseph would not have
felt compelled to take his pregnant bride on such
a difficult and exhausting journey of almost
seventy miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem. But now
the betrothed are going with assurance of Gods
revelation spoken by Gabriel.

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The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
V. Gods Son is born to Mary in Bethlehem
(Luke 26,7).
This is actually the fifth stage in the Nativity
story, and here at this point preachers and
laymen both tend to follow tradition and ignore
the literal Biblical text and actual history.
Here are St. Lukes words in the original Greek
????et? d? ?? t? e??a? a?t??? ??e? ?p??s??sa? a??
µ??a? t?? te?e?? a?t??, ?a? ?te?e? t?? ???? a?t??
t?? p??t?t???? ?a? ?spa?????se? a?t?? ?a?
???????e? a?t?? ?? f?t??, d??t? ??? ?? a?t???
t?p?? ?? t? ?ata??µat?.

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The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
The New King James Version here
correctly translates the Greek second aorist
deponent middle verb (indicative mood) of ????µa?
(here ????et? ) as so it was ( or so it
happened the 3rd person singular) with
preposition ?? rendered as while (then
followed by the present infinite e??a? with the
nominative plural pronoun (a?t??) immediately
before it . Thus the NKJV gets it right when it
translates it as So it was, while they were
there, the days were completed for her to be
delivered. 8
8 Consult also the footnote 22 on this verse in
the NET Bible (www.netbible.com) and most
standard exegetical commentaries. One Christian
archaeologist, Professor Gary Byers, M.A. ,
Hebrew University, Associates for Biblical
Research), substantiates this exegetical
analysis in his article, Away in a Manager,
But Not in a Barn, in the BibleStudyMagaz-ine.com
, November December, 2009, pp. 44-46.

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Thus Mary and Joseph were already in
Bethlehem when Jesus was born! So, in this regard
most movies and religious presentations are
partially incorrect about the couple frantically
searching for a place to stay a few hours before
Jesus was born. As many scholars have recently
pointed out, they were looking for privacy and
space in a small crowded town of numerous
relatives. The hard-hearted innkeeper whom
preachers frequently abuse never existed ! (see
the next slide).9
9Professor Gary A. Byers, Away in a Manger, but
not in a Barn in the BibleStudyMagazine.com ,
November December, 2009, pp. 44-46.

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The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Away in a Manger
Most people for many centuries have imagined
that the reference to the manger in Luke
27,12,16 must mean that Jesus was born in a
barn. Yet, we must be wary of reading our modern
western ways in the ancient world, especially the
ancient Middle East. There for thousands of
years, and even in many places today, managers
for domestic animals are found within the
confines of family residences.10
10 Away in a Manger, but not in a Barn , Ibid.
Look carefully also at I Samuel 2824 and Judges
1131.

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The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Archaeologists have uncovered
stone-carved and plastered mangers on the ground
floor of numerous domestic structures from
biblical times. Historians and anthropologists
have noted the practice of keeping animals in the
house down through history. While flocks were
kept in sheepfolds out in the fields (see Luke
28), at night very valuable or vulnerable
animals (an ox, donkey, or pregnant sheep and
goats) would be brought into a room on the ground
floor of the house. This kept a weak animal safe
from harm and prevented theft. 10
10 Away in a Manger, but not in a Barn , Ibid.
Professor Byers adds Animals also provided
additional body heat on cold Palestinian nights
and convenient access to them for special
purposes like milking. In the morning the animals
would be led out of the house (p. 45). Cf. also
Kenneth E. Bailey, Ph.D., The Manger and the
Inn, Theological Review of the Near East School
of Theology, Vol. 2, No. II, November 1979),
cited in http//www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2008
/11/08/the-manger-and-the-inn.aspx

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The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
A Typical First Century
Jewish Home.
Notice the animals in
the
lower level !
(httpwww.bible archaeology
- info/htm.)

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The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Reconstruction of the central
courtyard of a
two-story house
in ancient Israel.

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The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Thus Professor Byers explains
The text does not say there was not a room
available, but no available space (topos, t?p??)
in the inn. The Greek word translated inn in
that verse (kataluma, ?ata??µa) is used in only
one other story in the New Testament. In Luke
2211 (and its parallel in Mark 1414), the word
describes the upper chamber of a house where the
Last Supper was held. As such, the word may be
translated guest room, as in the ESVs
rendering of Luke 2211. When Luke says that
there was no room at the inn, his point is that
at the particular house Joseph and Mary
approached, the guest room was already occupied.
11
11 Away in a Manger, but not in a Barn , p. 46.
See Kenneth E. Baileys elaboration of this and
its connection with the cave of Justin Martyr,
Dialogue with Trypho, LXXIX, The Writings of
Justin Martyr and Athenagoras, trans. by M.
Dodds, G. Reith and B.P. Pratten (Edinburgh T.
and T. Clark, 1868), pp. 195196 in The Manger
and the Inn , Op. Cit. His article is
marvelously documented and relevant .

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The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
VI. Shepherds Are Guided to the Stable (Luke
28-20).
Now we come to the Sixth Stage of the
story. Shepherds near ancient Bethlehem were
tending their flocks at night. Perhaps it was
lambing season. Some scholars (e.g., Alfred
Edersheim) have conjectured that these were
"lambs without blemish" being prepared for
sacrifices at the temple in Jerusalem. However,
in the Palestinian social milieu of that time
shepherds were regarded as a low-class
subculture, and were often isolated from the
mainstream of Jewish life. How appropriate that
Jesus' birth was first announced to these lowly
and outcast people. While the Angels appearance
to the shepherds greatly frightened them, it was
full of symbolic significance. The supernatural
phenomenon of angels in the Nativity story here
and earlier relate to the Messiahs Incarnation.
The multitude of angels over Bethlehem were
praising God and announcing God's Prince of Peace
now born among men (cf. Isaiah 96).

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The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Shepherds Are Guided to the Stable (Luke 28-20).
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
VI. Shepherds Are Guided to the Stable (Luke
28-20).
Incidentally, you may have heard from some
loud modern revisionists and authorities that
Jesus birth could not have been in winter
because the shepherds and sheep could not stand
the terribly wet and cold nights. Before you leap
to this conclusion, here are few facts you ought
to know

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

HISTORICAL MONTHLY AVERAGES FOR DECEMBER
The information presented below gives detailed
historical monthly average weather conditions
along with exceptional weather occurrences. To
maintain relevance to current weather trends the
displayed information has been calculated using
data collected over the past two decades. The
climate profile is taken from closest available
data source to Bethlehem, Israel
Temperature
Throughout the month of December daytime
temperatures will generally reach highs of around
14C, that's about 58F. At night the average
minimum temperature drops down to around 7C,
that's 44F.
In recent times the highest recorded temperature
in December has been 29C that's 83F, with the
lowest recorded temperature -1C, about 30F. 12
12http//www.myweather2.com/City-Town/Israel/Bethl
ehem/climate-profile.aspx

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The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
This Migdol Eder was not the watchtower for the
ordinary flocks which pastured on the barren
sheep-ground beyond Bethlehem, but lay close to
the town" (Edersheim Life and Times of Jesus the
Messiah 1186). . . . He surveys (in
Appendix VII) all the evidences he is aware of,
and while he admits that 'absolute certainty' is
impossible as to the exact date of the Nativity,
he shows that the known 'factors do not really
conflict with the December dating. "There is no
adequate reason," he wrote, "for questioning the
historical accuracy of this date. The objections
generally made rest on grounds which seem to me
historically untenable.
Readers of Scripture who possess first-hand
knowledge, or have acquaintance with
authoritative works on the climate of Palestine,
recognize that the arguments against the December
date, based upon wintry and snowy conditions, are
untenable. The facts have long been known. . .
. As far back as 1863, Smith's Bible Dictionary,
under the heading 'Palestine the Climate',
explained the rarity of snow in southern
Palestine, while it conceded its more frequent
occurrence in the northern parts of the land. The
mean temperature at Jerusalem during December is
said to run around 47 to 60 degrees F. 13
13David J. Gibson, The Date of Christs Birth,
The Bible League Quarterly (October-December,
1965) republished on the website,
http//nabataea.net /birthdate. html

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Occasionally, Bethlehem has had a white
Christmas in modern decades, and probably it did
sometimes in the ancient times as well

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
VI. Shepherds Are Guided to the Stable (Luke
28-20).
Q. But what would the shepherds do if it was too
cold and wet ?
A. They wore warm clothes and knew where
shelters were near
Bethlehem (like enclosed sheepfolds and
even warm caves !).
B. They knew how to build fires to keep
themselves and their
sheep toasty warm (incidentally, a herd
of sheep create
warmth themselves !)
C. On the night of the Nativity, God could
have arranged for more
seasonable weather !

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
VII. Jesus Circumcision on the Eight Day (Luke
221)
Chronologically, this is the seventh phase or
stage of the Nativity story. While its
significance is often minimized by modern Western
Christians, for first century Jewish believers
the circumcision and identification of the
Promised Seed of Abraham and the Messiah of
David held incredible meaning. When He was eight
days old Jesus was circumcised according to
Jewish custom, probably in Bethlehem. This was a
distinctive physical mark given to all Jewish
males from the time of Abraham (Genesis 179-14).
It was also at this time that the baby was
officially given the name "Jesus" as Joseph and
Mary had both been instructed (cf. Matthew 121
Luke 131).

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
VII. Jesus Circumcision on the Eight Day
(Luke 221)

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
VIII. Jesus Temple Presentation In the Temple
(Luke 222-40).
Once again, Jesus early life as a child
conforms to Gods will and the ancient covenant
of Yahweh with Israel. Hence, when he was forty
days old, his parents brought him to be presented
at the Temple in Jerusalem. The Apostle Paul thus
writes that He was born of a woman, born under
the law, (Galatians 44), intimately partaking
of His Jewish ethnicity and heritage. These were
traditional ceremonies and family tradition which
made Jesus a Jews Jew, a true son of Abraham in
external matters. Levitical law further required
thirty-three days of purification of a woman who
had born a son before she could enter into
worship at the Temple (Leviticus 124).
Logically, these days would be spent in Bethlehem
with the newborn infant . Continued . . . Next
Slide

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The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
VIII. Jesus Temple Presentation In the Temple
(Luke 222-40).
Then, after the required time, and in accord
with the Law (Exodus 132,12), Joseph and Mary
took Jesus to the temple and made a sacrificial
offering of "a pair of turtledoves and two young
pigeons," which was the offering for the humble
poor who were unable to afford a lamb for
sacrifice (Leviticus 128).

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
VIII. Jesus Temple Presentation In the Temple
(Luke 222-40).
Elderly Simeon, a righteous and devout Jewish
man, had been told by God that He would not die
until he had seen the expected Messiah. When
Jesus was presented in the temple Simeon declared
that he had seen God's salvation who would be "a
light of revelation to the Gentiles" (Isaiah
426 496) and not only to Jews. Simeon told
Mary that her son would be the basis of many
Jewish people either stumbling or being
resurrected (vs. 34), but this would require the
piercing suffering of her own soul (apparently
alluding to the death of Jesus).
Anna, a prophetess in the temple, also
recognized the infant Jesus as God's Redeemer at
this same time (vs. 38).

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The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
IX. The Eastern Magi Seek The New King
(Matthew 21-12)
( Read Matthew 21 12 in modern translation).
Think !
Three popular (traditional) myths about the
Magi
1. There were only three Magi.
2. The Magi were kings from foreign nations.
3. The Magi were mainly astrologers who
practiced magic.

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
IX. The Eastern Magi Seek The New King
(Matthew 21-12)
1. The different groups of Magi (wise men
, skilled princes, etc. have existed from
remote antiquity in Egypt, Babylon, Persia, and
many other places in the Middle East (Cf.
Herodotus, Histories I 101,132
Daniel 22).
2. Although many fakes and sorcerer
types existed among the ancient Magi, some
(especially in Babylon and Persia) were ancient
priests, astronomers, scientists, and physicians.
According to Professor Merrill F. Unger (Dallas
Seminary) It is with such men that we have to
think of Daniel and his fellow-exiles as
associated. But They are described as ten
times wiser than all the magicians and
astrologers (120) (See the rest of the
quote on the next slide . . . )

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The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
IX. Eastern Magi Seek The New King (Matthew
21-12).
3. Professor Unger goes on to state The
office which Daniel accepted (511) was probably
identical with that of Rab-mag who first came
before us. Dr. Unger is referencing back to
the Chaldean officer or emissary sent by
Nebuchadnezzar into Jerusalem (Jeremiah 393,13)
.14
4. It appears highly probable that the Magi
depicted by Matthew were of this nobler kind
(also referred to in the writings of F. Josephus
and Philo Judaeus) who, being wise men and
priests in the Babylonian and Chaldean
traditions, had some knowledge of the prophecies
of Daniel and the other Biblical prophets.
14Ungers Bible Dictionary (3rd Edition Chicago
Moody Press, 1972), Magi, pp. 678 679. Cf.
also Paul Maiers article on these men which is
quoted later.

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

IX. Eastern Magi Seek The New King (Matthew
21-12)
Why have people calculated that there
were three Magi ? This is undoubtedly a
conjecture based on the three different kinds of
gifts mentioned. Their gifts were gold,
frankincense (fragrant gum resin used as incense)
and myrrh (aromatic resin used in perfumes). The
costly nature of these gifts provides a contrast
that evidences the universality of Jesus Christ
the shepherds were poor, local and Jewish, while
the Magi were rich, foreign and Gentile. Jesus
came for all men, both Jew and Gentile (cf. Acts
18 Ephesians 211-18).

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The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
IX. Eastern Magi Seek The New King (Matthew
21-12).
The star that the Magi observed has been the
source of much conjecture and astronomical
calculation. Was it an astronomical occurrence
such as a meteor, or a comet, or a nova? It is
calculated the well-known Halley's comet would
have appeared in 11 B.C. (but this is a few years
too early!) Or, was the star which the Magi
observed a divinely placed supernatural light in
the sky? It must also be asked whether anyone
other than the Magi saw this star. Since they are
the only ones reported to have seen the star, it
might have been a special revelation for them.
Herod inquired of them when and where they had
seen the star (vs. 7), so apparently it was not a
phenomenon of sufficient import that others had
noticed.

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The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
IX. The Eastern Magi Seek The New King (Matthew
21-12).
A fourth possibility ( if the star is to
be understood as a natural astronomical phenomena
) was a rare conjunction of the planets. It is
now known that there was an unusual near
proximity of Jupiter and Saturn three times in 7
B.C.15
15Burke-Gaffney, W. Kepler and the Star of
Bethlehem. In Journal of the Royal
Astronomical Society of Canada. XXXI
(December, 1937) 417-25 Hughes, David.
The Star of Bethlehem An Astronomer's
Confirmation. New York Walker and
Company, 1979 Marshall, Roy K. The Star of
Bethlehem. Charlotte, North Caro-
lina University of North Carolina Morehead
Planetarium, 1963 and Molnar,

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Dr. Mike Molnar, Ph.D. Author - Astronomer,
Historian, and Violin Maker
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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
IX. The Eastern Magi Seek The New King
(Matthew 21-12)
In the decades before Christs coming, the
Jews no longer had their own king (though they
desired such), and Herod (an Idumean) had been
declared king over the Palestinian region where
Jewish people lived. The star itself did not
necessarily guide the Magi to Palestine, though
the popular song refers to "following yonder
star". If they were led continuously by the star,
why did they stop in Jerusalem to inquire where
the king could be found? It did not guide them
directly to Bethlehem, but doubtless it was a
unique celestial phenomenon. They had seen it and
did inspire them to travel to Israel.

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The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
IX. The Eastern Magi Seek The New King
(Matthew 21-12)
When the Magi inquired where the "King of the
Jews" could be found, Herod interrogated the
Sanhedrin, the Jewish council of "chief priests
and scribes", to ascertain where the Messiah was
to be born. They quickly told him that prophecy
indicated that it was in "Bethlehem, in the land
of Judea" (Micah 52). The city of Bethlehem,
located five miles south of Jerusalem, was the
familial city of famed King David (I Samuel 164
1712). God had indeed foretold to David that his
descendant would be the Messianic King, the Son
whose throne was forever (II Samuel 712,13).

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
IX. The Eastern Magi Seek The New King
(Matthew 21-12)
The star that the Magi had previously seen
now reappeared, and they were elated at its
epiphany. Yet, it is possible that the celestial
light led them in a different direction than
Bethlehem, where Herod had directed them and
requested a report (Matthew 28). Perhaps the
star directed them to Nazareth where Joseph, Mary
and Jesus had gone to live after His presentation
in the temple (Luke 239). The time required for
the Magi to journey to Palestine was probably
many months, and possibly more than a year. It
was after Jesus birth (Matthew 21).

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The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
IX. The Eastern Magi Seek The New King
(Matthew 21-12)
Now, although it is rarely noticed by some
casual readers of the Bible, Matthew supplies
some missing parts to the Nativity story and his
account enhances the historical veracity of
Lukes narrative. For Matthew plainly records
that the Magi entered a house (Gk., e?? t??
????a? not a stable or place (Matthew 211).
Though Jesus was referred to as an infant "babe"
(Greek, brephos) while in Bethlehem (Luke
212,16), He is referred to as a "young child"
(Greek, paidon) when the Magi arrive (Matthew
28,9,11). It was a glorious moment right before
a flight for their lives to Egypt !

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The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
IX. The Eastern Magi Seek The New King
(Matthew 21-12)

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The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Dr. Mark Kidger, Instituto de Astrofisica de
Canarias, Tenerife, Spain. Astronomer.
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The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
X. The Holy Family Flees to Egypt (Matthew
213-15)
After the Magi depart from Herods domains
by another route (possibly Nabatea) an angel
advises Joseph to take Mary and the child, Jesus,
to Egypt to avoid Herod's search for Him. Matthew
regarded this action as a fulfillment of Hosea's
prophecy of God's delivering His Son out of Egypt
(Hosea 111).

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The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
XI. Herods Massacre of Bethlehems Males
(Matthew 216-18).

Herod had been appointed by Caesar
Augustus in 40 B.C. to serve as Palestine's ruler
under Roman authority. He was highly respected by
the Romans as an architect. He built fortresses,
cities, temples, and aqueducts. He greatly
encouraged foreign trade by building a port at
Caesarea. He was an accomplished political
negotiator who forced religious and ethnic groups
to cooperate. Yet, the Jews hated Herod for his
burdensome taxation, for his tyrannous cruelty
and selfishness, and for his political scheming
which included many murders.
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The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
XI. Herods Massacre of Bethlehems Males
(Matthew 216-18).

When the Magi did not return from
Bethlehem as Herod had requested (Matthew 28),
and that probably because they were led to
Nazareth rather than to Bethlehem, Herod
concluded that he had been deceived, and he
became enraged. Herod then ordered his soldiers
to slay all male children under two years of age.
He chose this age group because he knew the child
was no longer a newborn infant, but must have
been between one and two years of age. This
calculation was probably based on the time when
wise men said they first saw the star, and the
time required for their travel to Palestine.
The slaughter later of the Jewish infants was
regarded by Matthew as being the fulfillment of
Jeremiah's prophecy of "great mourning and
weeping for the children" (Jeremiah 3115), which
leads into his prophecy of a new covenant
(Jeremiah 3121-34).
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The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Glory to God in the Highest A Savior Has Come !

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
XII. Return to Nazareth after Herod's Death
(Matthew 219-23).
The Return to Nazareth
19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the
Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in
Egypt, 20 saying, Rise, take the child and his
mother and go to the land of Israel, for those
who sought the child's life are dead. 21 And he
rose and took the child and his mother and went
to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that
Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his
father Herod, he was afraid to go there,
and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the
district of Galilee. 23 And he went and lived in
a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken
by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would
be called a Nazarene.
http//www.esvbible.org/search/
Matthew23A12-23/