Jesus Birth in Bethlehem

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Jesus Birth in Bethlehem
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Two Accounts

• Only 2 Gospels (Matthew Luke) contain stories
  of Jesus birth
• What many take to be the story of Jesus nativity
  is a fusion of the two accounts
• There are some fundamental (sometimes opposite)
  messages that need to be uncoupled from one
  another
• Remember the AUDIENCES

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Location

• Bethlehem's primary industry?
• Tourism (65 of the city's economy) , unlike
  other Palestinian localities
• Approx 30,000 residents

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Bethlehem
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Judean Desert in the background
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Matthews Nativity

• Written from Josephs perspective
• Joseph is mention exactly twice as often as Mary
• He record not details of the birth itself
• Focuses on dramatic arrival of Magi
• Dramatic, high profile, political
• Matthew tells the birth of a King

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Betrothed/engaged

• Mary as engaged or betrothed to Joseph (vs18)
• Marriages were arranged by parents for people
  while they were still children.
• In the early teen years, before the wedding, the
  parents agreement was formalized by a betrothal.
• At the end of the betrothal period, a wedding
  ceremony took place over a period of about a
  week.
• The betrothal was a pre-marriage marriage. Sexual
  infidelity was considered adultery.
• Thus when verse 18 continued to say that Mary was
  "found" to be pregnant
• Joseph had every reason to respond as to a case
  of adultery.

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Matthews Text

• Read Mattew 118-25
• Read Matthew 21-12
• Magis (not Jewish) journey is believed to have
  taken 2 years
• 211 mentions that Magi found Jesus in a house
  (oikos)
• Christian tradition has both Magi and Shepherds
  arriving at the same time
• Gifts royalty (gold) divinity (frankincense),
  and mortality (myrrh)

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Interesting Note

• ??Since he was not Jesus biological father why
  did Matthew spend so much time tracing his
  lineage through Joseph??
• By naming Jesus, Joseph claims him for his own,
  and his (Josephs) lineage becomes Jesus also.

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Matthews Text

• Read Matthew 213-23
• Mathew leaves a very specific impression
• Dramatic and important
• High profile
• Political
• Signaled throughout the cosmos (stars)
• All of Jerusalem is shaken by the news
• Foreign dignitaries pay tribute
• Power structure orders his assassination

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Lukes Nativity

• Written from Marys perspective
• Mary referred as a female slave or maidservant
• Couldnt afford a yearling lamb for purification
  (Lk 222-24) (Lev 126-8)
• He conveys the message that Jesus came for all,
  especially the poor and lowly

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Lukes Text

• Read Luke 126-38 Gabriel visits Mary
• Read Luke 21-5
• Look at the sovereignty of God over governments
• Read Luke 26-20
• Summary, The herald of the Messiah, whom the
  entire new testament points to and every man in
  the world is looking forward to gets send through
  a 14 year old peasant girl.

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Alley Behind the Hilton

• He comes to the planet in the alley behind Inn
  (Hilton)
• Is heralded in the middle of nowhere to the
  poorest of poor (shepherds)
• Not the entrance we expected for the Savior of
  the world
• Just the first example of Gods heart for the
  lowly

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