analysis: The Christmas Story from The Gospel Writers

The announcement

Notes:

• We begin the Christmas story quoting from NJKV Luke: 1:26-33.
  • Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
  • Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
• Betrothed is similar to our use of the phrase engagement to be married. Betrothal is frequently referred to as sanctification in Ancient Israel – in other words, the bride-to-be becomes “sanctified” to the groom (a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David).
• Betrothal can be described as a bit more serious in commitment; a formal declaration of marital intent was made in the presence of two witnesses and gifts have be presented to the respective families. The period between betrothal and the actual marriage are set by law – usually from 10 months to a year.
• Ancient religious law set the minimum age of 12+ years for girls and 13+ years for boys to be wed. It is believed that Mary was very young when then she became betrothed to Joseph. The age of Joseph is under debate by scholars.
• INFO: read further from NJKV Luke 1

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The trek to Bethlehem

Notes:

• Let’s pick up the story using NJKV Luke: 2:1-5:
  • And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing 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 of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.
• Ancient Jewish law required that those who belonged to a particular House of Israel remain affiliated with that House regardless where they lived. For example in today’s terms, if you are a resident of the particular American state, such as Virginia, and travel to go to college in Texas, you will continue to remain a resident of Virginia during your college years – unless your change residency.
• That’s means you will pay taxes to Virginia, keep insurance related to auto, health, etc. to Virginia, register for governmental services from Virginia, and remain eligible to vote in Virginia. All of this out-of-state obligations can be done electronically and/or by mail until you officially register with another American state.
• Now jump back 2000 years where there was zero electronics and limited postal opportunities. To stay compliant, you would need to travel back to Virginia to meet your tax and other state-related obligations. Thus Joseph being of the house and lineage of David, he went up out of Nazareth into Judea to the city of David to be registered.
• This was not a Roman obligation that Israel had to make; it was a Jewish tradition that to whom had to be registered must do so within their affiliated House (their governmental jurisdiction). The purpose of the Roman Census was to registered the population for tax and military service.

• So how did Joseph travel?

  He most likely had the use of a donkey to carry supplies (food and other items for the journey); and for riding during the duration of the trip – the typical house animal of the time.

• Joseph probably joined with other parties to make the journey. These migrating parties traveled in caravans for safety reasons covering over 92 miles descending to low levels and then up in elevation to Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Estimated travel time would have been approximately 5-10 days, camping out each night under the cool sky.
• INFO: read further from NJKV Luke 2

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No room within the Inn

Notes:

• We continue reading from NJKV Luke: 2:6-7.
  • So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered (in a manger)… because there was no room for them in the inn.
• Given the massive migration of people that was required to meet the census obligations, Bethlehem was full of travelers who belonged to the House of David. Since the census may take a few days to complete, these travelers must find a place to rest for the duration – usually with relatives of the varying families.
• These relatives – and possibly others who operated inns as a business – offered space where you could secure your animal, have food provided for the animal and family, and allocated a section where you can lie down to rest for the night. These inns will generally open courts with little or no privacy.
• Thus it is believed by scholars that when we use the term – “that there was no room for them in the inn“, it means that the relatives that Joseph and Mary visited had other relatives (and possibly friends of relatives) who arrived earlier and took up the space.
• INFO: read further from NJKV Luke 2

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The Christ Child is born

Notes:

• Jumping back into the story NJKV Luke: 2:6-7:
  • 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 cloths, and laid Him in a manger
• When Joseph and Mary arrived, there was no privacy space for Mary who was about to deliver. It is highly likely that the owners of the inn (their relatives), helped Joseph and Mary find a private location within a stable where the animals were kept. The stable could have been a make-shift creation or a cave that were abundant in the area.
• It was here that she delivered the Christ child – likely helped by relative midwifes – and wrapped in swaddling cloths and laid in a manger.
• The word “manger” comes from the Latin word munducare which means “to eat.” A manger is a wooden or stone feeding trough or food box that holds hay for larger farm animals. We can assume that the manager was filled with straw where the baby Jesus could be laid for comfort and safety.
• The manager became the only option available given the circumstances until some formal bedding and living arrangement could be provided.
• INFO: read further from NJKV Luke 2

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Angelic message to the shepherds abiding abiding in the field

Notes:

• We continue with NJKV Luke: 2:8-12:
  • Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
  • Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
• The Christmas story states that the shepherds were out in the fields keeping watch. Meaning that there was plenty of grass or harvest in the surrounding areas for the sheep to feed.
• Grass becomes available in the surrounding hills of Bethlehem during the rainy season that runs from October to April; with most of the rain falling between December to March. So the likely range of the Christ’s birth date would be late fall to early spring.
• Some scholars believe the birth date was early spring with the shepherds being out in field at night – around early April when the rains would be light. The early spring theory also supports the census migration; it’s unlikely that a forced migration would be mandated during the cold winter.
• The task of the Shepherd was to watch over his flock. Shepherds included both young and old; male and female. The shepherd’s job was to protect the flock and guide them to good pastures with plenty of food and slow-moving, easily accessible water.
• INFO: read further from NJKV Luke 2

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  shepherd figurineshepherd manger ornamentbaby jesus ornament

Coming of the Magi

Notes:

• We now turn to Matthew’s version of the Christmas story NJKV Matthew: 2:1-2,10-11:
  • Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, [a]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.”
  • And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
• The coming of the wise men to see Jesus occurred many days after the Child’s birth. For they saw His star in the East and traveled many days in order to worship him. It also states that they come into his house and saw the young Child with Mary His mother.
• Other supporting evidence is the visit of the Wise Men to Herold the king. Herold asked when they first viewed the star. Upon learning from the Wise Men on the time, he order the killing in Bethlehem of all young boys ages 2 and under. So most scholars believe that the Christ child was between 1-2 years old when the visit of the Magi took place.

• Who were the Wise Men?

  We don’t know that exact number; the number 3 was attached because there were three gifts. Who were the Magi? Interpreted in translation as Wise Men, astrologers and/or Kings.

Most likely they were leaders of tribes or tributaries from the House of Israel who were familiar of Jewish traditions and prophecies of the coming star.
• The three gifts they brought were gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Both frankincense and myrrh are valued items traded in the middle east for ceremonial and health purposes.
• All three of these gifts increased the value of the household and were likely exchanged in kind to support the flight of Joseph and Mary into Egypt due to the edict of Herod.
• INFO: read further from NJKV Matthew 2

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  wise men figurinesgoldfrankincensemyrrh

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  the Christmas story from your heart