ARRIVAL Of The CHRIST-I—Luke 2:1-20
Luke records for us the revelatory/telling circumstances/events surrounding the arrival/birth of Christ the Lord.
The circumstances/events surrounding/dealing with the arrival/birth of Christ the Lord are revelatory.
What are the revelatory/telling circumstances/events surrounding/dealing with the arrival/birth of Christ the Lord?
3 revelatory events surrounding the 1st arrival of Christ the Lord.
A revelatory event of Christ the Lord’s arrival is His...
1—Christ the Lord is revealed thru His...
BIRTH(:1-7)
Explanation: (:1-7)Timing/Providence
“1—“And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.”
“In those days”
In the days of John the Baptist’s birth.
He & Jesus were kin(Lk. 1:36)They were at least 6 mths. apart by birth (Lk. 1:36).
“A decree went out from Caesar Augustus”
During the rule of Caesar Augustus:
Who was born Gaius Octavianus. His great-uncle(thru Octavianus’ mother) was Emperor Julius Caesar. He took the name Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus (Octavian) in 44 B.C. after the murder of his great uncle. In his will Caesar had adopted Octavian & made him his heir. The title ‘Augustus’(exalted) was bestowed on him by the Senate in 27BC(36yrs.) upon his being proclaimed emperor of Rome, & he reigned until his death in A.D. 14.
“...Caesar who was far removed from the little village Bethlehem & utterly removed from the purposes of God & utterly ignorant of the Word of God. But nonetheless he was a main player in bringing the prophecy to pass which shows the mighty, incomprehensible, providential work of Almighty God.”—John MacArthur
“Decree/Doctrine/Ordinance”—dogma—1) Doctrine, decree, ordinance—1a) Of public decrees, 1b) Of the Roman Senate, 1c) Of rulers; 2) The rules & requirements of the law of Moses; carrying a suggestion of severity & of threatened judgment; 3) Of certain decrees of the apostles relative to right living. Dogma is an authoritative conclusion, a proposition which it is expected that all will recognize as universally binding. Strong—A law (civil, ceremonial or ecclesiastical):-- Decree, ordinance.
“All the world/inhabited earth”—
All of the land under the scrutiny of Rome.
This included: Portions of all countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea & all of Italy, Spain, Greece, Syria & Palestine.
“Inhabited earth”—oikoumenh—fem. participle present passive of —oikew(to dwell in.)—1) The inhabited earth—1a) The portion of the earth inhabited by the Greeks, in distinction from the lands of the barbarians, 1b) The Roman empire, all the subjects of the empire, 1c) The whole inhabited earth, the world, 1d) The inhabitants of the earth, men; 2) The universe, the world.
“Decree....that all the world should be registered.”
*“It was a census, not a taxing, though taxing generally followed & was based on the census.”—RWP
Augustus apparently called for “a series of censuses apparently at 14-year intervals.”—John MacArthur
“Registered/Taxed/Census”(See :3, 5)—apografw—1) To write off, copy (from some pattern); 2) To enter in a register or records—2a) spec. To enter in public records the names of men, their property & income, 2b) To enroll. Strong—To write off (a copy or list), i.e. Enroll:-- Tax, write. Used 4X.
:2—“This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.”
“The census first took place”—There were either segmental aspects to this census OR there were at least 2 censuses or both.
It is amazing how historians can be so arrogantly certain of the background regarding particular events, when the reality, much of the time, reveals a hugely different path.
“While”—in the midst of Quirinius’ tenure as governor of Syria(6-9BC) or As administrator of Syrian census.
“Syria was the region in which Judea exists(From Turkey to the Sinai Peninsula). So when it says Quirinius was the governor of Syria, that would include Judea was a component of Syria large.”—John MacArthur
Evidence suggests Augustus may have initiated a series of censuses at 14 yr. intervals.
“Publius Sulpicius Quirinius. He was known to have governed Syria,” from “A.D. 6 to 9...”...“A well-known census was taken in Palestine in A.D. 6”(due to an insurrection it caused) recorded by the historian Josephus. “Since that one occurred in 6 A.D.”, then 14 yrs earlier is 8 B.C.”—MacArthur
Obviously Quirinius [governed] sometime prior to 6 A.D. as well OR our extant records are off.
“Augustus probably made the decree in 8 B.C. but Judea didn't comply with it until two to four years later... It was actually carried out in Palestine two to four years later, most likely because of political difficulties between Rome & Herod & conflicts.”—John MacArthur
“Quirnius”—Kurhniov—Cyrenius = "warrior"—1) the Greek form of the Roman name Quirinus. His full name is Publius Sulpicius Quirinus. He was consul B.C. 12., & was made governor of Syria after the banishment of Archelaus in A.D. 6. He was probably twice governor of Syria; his first governorship extended from B.C. 4 (the year of Christ's birth) to B.C. 1. It was during this time that he was sent to make enrollment which caused Joseph & Mary to visit Bethlehem. The second enrollment is mentioned in Acts 5:37.
“Governing/Governor”—hgemoneuw—V.—Eng. ‘Hegemony’—1) To be leader, to lead the way; 2) To rule, command—2a) of a province, To be governor of a province, 2b) Said of a proconsul, of a procurator. Strong—To act as ruler:-- Be governor. Used 2X. “Syria”—Suria—Syria = "exalted"—1) a region of Asia bounded on the north by Taurus & Amanus ranges, on the east by the Euphrates & Arabia, on the south by Palestine, & the west by Phoenicia & the Mediterranean. Strong—Syria (i.e. Tsyria or Tyre), a region of Asia:-- Syria.
:3—“So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.”
The census was taken in Jewish style in that all proceeded to “his own city”.
“Raymond E. Brown suggested that “One cannot rule out the possibility[registering in one’s home city—Jubilee years] that, since Romans often adapted their administration to local circumstances, a census conducted in Judea would respect the strong attachment of Jewish tribal & ancestral relationships.”—Wikipedia
The Jews were bound by God’s ordaining, to return all property to its original owner in the 50 yr. Jubilee year. Therefore one was bound to his place of birth as well.
“Register”(See :2, 5)—apografw—1) To write off, copy (from some pattern); 2) To enter in a register or records—2a) spec. To enter in public records the names of men, their property & income, 2b) To enroll. Strong—To write off (a copy or list), i.e. Enroll:-- Tax, write. Used 4X.
*“It was a census, not a taxing, though taxing generally followed & was based on the census.”—RWP
“his Own”—idiov—1) Pertaining to one's self, one's own, belonging to one's self.
:4—“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 & lineage of David,
Joseph(Mary’s husband) was one who left the town of “Nazareth” which was located in the region of Galilee. He did this solely because of the census.
He traveled specifically to Bethlehem which was located within Judea. Bethlehem was called the “City of David”.
Joseph went to Bethlehem because he was ancestrally linked to David(Mat. 1:1-16). Genealogical records existed to show Joseph’s kinship. “Bethlehem”—“the house of bread”: a very fit place for Christ to arrive as He is the bread which came down from heaven, & gives life to the world(Jn. 6:32-35).
Joseph was “of the house & lineage of David.”
1)David took from the Jebusites the fortress of Mount Zion. He "dwelt in the fort, & called it the city of David" (1Ch 11:7). This was the name afterwards given to the castle & royal palace on Mount Zion, as distinguished from Jerusalem generally. (1Ki 3:1 8:1). It was on the south-west side of Jerusalem, opposite the temple mount, with which it was connected by a bridge over the Tyropoeon valley.
2)Bethlehem is called the "city of David"(Lu 2:4,11) because it was David's birth-place & early home (1Sa 17:12).
“Galilee”—Galilaia—1) The name of a region of northern Palestine, bounded on the north by Syria, on the west by Sidon, Tyre, Ptolemais & their territories & the promontory of Carmel, on the south by Samaria & on the east by the Jordan. It was divided into Upper Galilee & Lower Galilee.
“Judea”—Ioudaia—1) in a narrower sense, To the southern portion of Palestine lying on this side of the Jordan & the Dead Sea, to distinguish it from Samaria, Galilee, Peraea, & Idumaea; 2) in a broader sense, Referring to all Palestine.
“House”—oikov—1) A house—1a) An inhabited house, home, 1b) Any building whatever—1b1) Of a palace, 1b2) The house of God, the tabernacle, 1c) Any dwelling place—1c1) Of the human body as the abode of demons that possess it, 1c2) Of tents, & huts, & later, of the nests, stalls, lairs, of animals, 1c3) The place where one has fixed his residence, one's settled abode, domicile; 2) The inmates of a house, all the persons forming one family, a household—2a) The family of God, of the Christian Church, of the church of the Old & New Testaments; 3) Stock, family, descendants of one.
“Lineage/Family/Line”—patria—1) lineage running back to some progenitor, ancestry; 2) A nation or tribe—2a) A group of families, all those who in a given people lay claim to a common origin, 2b) The Israelites which distributed into twelve tribes, descended from the twelve sons of Jacob, these were divided into families which were divided into houses; 3) Family, in a wider sense, nation, people. Patria is a smaller division within the tribe, it's an association of families closely related, in the N.T. generally used of those descended from a particular one of the sons of Jacob's sons.
:5—“to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.”
Joseph went to Bethlehem in order to register according to the demand of the Imperial decree(:1).
Joseph took with him, Mary.
““With Mary” is naturally taken with the infinitive as here. If so, that means that Mary's family register was in Bethlehem also & that she also belonged to the house of David.”....“There is no real reason for doubting that Mary herself was a descendant of David & that is the obvious way to understand Luke's genealogy of Jesus in Lk. 3:23-38. The Syriac Sinaitic expressly says that both Joseph & Mary were of the house & city of David.”—RWP
At the time of their departure, they were betrothed to one another yet not ceremonially married.
Mary was pregnant with the Christ child(1:31, 35) as they traveled.
“Registered/Taxed/Census”(See :2, 3)—apografw—1) To write off, copy (from some pattern); 2) To enter in a register or records—2a) spec. To enter in public records the names of men, their property & income, 2b) To enroll. Strong—To write off (a copy or list), i.e. Enroll:-- Tax, write. Used 4X.
*“It was a census, not a taxing, though taxing generally followed & was based on the census.”—RWP
“Betrothed/Engaged/Pledged”—mnhsteuw—1) To woo her & ask her in marriage; 2) To be promised in marriage, be betrothed. Used 3X. from a derivative of mnaomai—meaning “To remind” or “remember.”
“Wife”—gunh—1) A woman of any age, whether a virgin, or married, or a widow; 2) A wife—2a) Of a betrothed woman.
“With child”—egkuov—Adj.—1) Big with child, pregnant. Strong—Swelling inside, i.e. Pregnant:-- Great with child. Used 1X.
:6—“So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.”
Within the timeframe they were in Bethlehem for the registration, the time arrived for Mary to give birth.
“Completed”—plhyw—1) To fill; 2) To be fulfilled, to be filled. Strong—To "fill" (literally or figuratively [imbue, influence, supply]); specifically, To fulfil (time):-- Accomplish, full (...come), furnish.
“Delivered”(See :7—“Brought forth”, 11— “Born”)—tiktw—1) To bring forth, bear, produce (fruit from the seed)—1a) Of a woman giving birth, 1b) Of the earth bringing forth its fruits, 1c) metaph. to bear, bring forth. Strong—To produce (from seed, as a mother, a plant, the earth, etc.), literally or figuratively:-- Bear, be born, bring forth, be delivered, be in travail.
:7—“And she brought forth her firstborn Son, & wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, & laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”
Mary gave birth while they were in Bethlehem(Mat. 2:1).
The child was Mary’s first-born son. She was a virgin per Lk. 1:26-27, 34-35 & Mat. 1:20-25.
She took it upon herself to wrap the child in cloths/swaddling cloths(strips of cloth).
2:12— “And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths, & lying in a manger."”.
Mary’s son was laid in a manger(feeding trough).
The manger(?& cloths?) was employed because something prevented them from residing the night in a proper location. They spent (at least) the night in a stable or some location where animals were kept. There was “no room for them” inside “the” or any inn in Bethlehem.
?Was Bethlehem crowded as a result of the census activities or was this a regular thing? The timeframe which people were given to comply with the registration is unknown.
“Two thousand years ago the creator of the universe, the eternal God, entered human society as a baby. The creator of the universe put on humanity. The Lord of heaven came to live on earth. On a night like every other night in Israel with no fanfare, no celebration by anybody, a child was born. It was a night like any other night but it wasn't a child like any other child. This child was the Lord Jesus Christ, God & man fused together in indivisible oneness. This birth was so monumental that it became the high point of history, the peak, the apex. All history before this birth is B.C., Before Christ. All history since is A.D., Anno Domini, Latin for "the year of our Lord."—John MacArthur
“Brought forth”(See :6—“Delivered”)—tiktw—1) To bring forth, bear, produce (fruit from the seed)—1a) Of a woman giving birth, 1b) Of the earth bringing forth its fruits, 1c) metaph. to bear, bring forth. Strong—To produce (from seed, as a mother, a plant, the earth, etc.), literally or figuratively:-- Bear, be born, bring forth, be delivered, be in travail.
“Firstborn”—prwtotokov—1) The firstborn—1a) of man or beast, 1b) Of Christ, the first born of all creation. Strong—First-born (usually as noun, literally or figuratively):-- Firstbegotten(-born). Used 10X.
From —prwtov—foremost (in time, place, order or importance):-- before, beginning, best, chief(-est), first (of all), former & —tiktw(see above).
“Wrapped Him in swaddling cloths”(See :12)—sparganow—1) To wrap in swaddling clothes—1a) Of an infant just born. Strong—from sparganon(a strip; from a derivative of the base of sparassw meaning to strap or wrap with strips); To swathe (an infant after the Oriental custom):-- Wrap in swaddling clothes. Used 2X.
“Laid”—anaklinw—1) To lean against, lean upon—1a) To lay down, 1b) To make or bid to recline.
Argumentation:
PROVIDENCE:
Definitions:—Thru God’s unlimited foresight, He pulls all things together(Time, Events, People—Suffering, Elation, Love, Hate, Relationships, etc.) for His general &/or specific purpose(s), unforeseen/undetected by me/the world until their direct involvement is enacted.
*“The preservation, superintendence, & teleological direction of all things by God.”...“The divine governance of all possible events are woven into a coherent pattern & all possible developments are shaped to accomplish the divinely instituted goal.”... —ISBE by G. W. Bromiley
—Even satanic activity is indirectly used to bring glory to God. Ex.:—My experience with heavy metal music/Brought me to the realization that there is in fact a God who has revealed Himself.
“God has ordered the course of events toward Jesus Christ & his incarnation”... “thus our lives are not ruled by chance or fate, but by God.”—Evang. Dic. of Theology by Walter Elwell
God’s providence is beyond our full comprehension...If I should but stub my toe, it may set in motion events I cannot foresee or imagine! “God’s purpose is in fact being worked out... so that what seems to be evil is really for good.”— ISBE by G. W. Bromiley
Dan. 9:24-27—““Seventy weeks are determined For your people & for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision & prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy. Know therefore & understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore & build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks & sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, & the wall, Even in troublesome times. And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city & the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined. Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice & offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.””
Mat. 1:18-23—“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, & 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 in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, & 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, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, & bear a Son, & they shall call His name Immanuel[Isa. 7:14],” which is translated, “God with us.””
*Gal. 4:3-7—“Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, & if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”
BIRTH:
Php. 2:5-8—“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, & coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself & became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”
Heb. 2:14-18—“Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh & blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, & release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful & faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.”
Heb. 4:14-16—“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy & find grace to help in time of need.”
Illustration:
We may ask...Why was I born? What is my purpose? Who am I to be? All legitimate questions!/All discovered in Christ!!/BIRTH
Application:
?You accept the BIRTH of Christ the Lord?
?Has Christ the Lord arrived for YOU?
How do we stand before an immeasurably holy God?
By the means He alone has ordained & orchestrated!!
By faith in His only-begotten Son...Who has taken & done away with the condemnation our sin warrants each of us!
CONCLUSION:
Action:
Christ the Lord is revealed thru His...
1. BIRTH(:1-7)
Presented 05/22/2011pm to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
