A SHORT EXPOSITION OF THE CHRISTMAS STORY
IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER
From the Book, “Every Day with Jesus”, a one year’s journey through the Life of Jesus in chronological order with devotional comments for each day. An E-Book is available at homeorchurchbiblestudy.com bob maraurelle
A. The Birth Narratives
1. The Birth of John Announced (Luke 1:5-25)
The Place
In the OT God’s presence was in the holy room of the Temple and after 400 years of waiting after Malachi closed; God sent his angel to that room, A priest named Zechariah was offering the daily (morning and evening) sacrifices and burning of incense (Ex. 30:7-8); something a priest did only once in his life.
The story of Jesus begins in the inner room of the Temple, where God met man in the OT. God’s shining (glory) presence lived (Ex. 40:34) behind a huge curtain, where the High Priest could enter only once a year on the Day of Atonement-securing forgiveness through blood sacrifice (Ex. 30 / Lev. 23).
In Jesus God met us personally and opened the door for all to come to God. When Jesus died that curtain was ripped apart “from top to bottom” as though by the hand of God (Mt. 27:51). In Jesus, God had come out and opened the door to all who come in repentance and faith
The Person (Gabriel)
The angel Gabriel, one of only two angels who are named, appeared to him inside the Temple while he was burning incense. He told him he and his wife, in their old age, would have a son who would be the Elijah like forerunner of the Messiah. When he doubted this, because of his age, he was rendered unable to speak until the child was born.
This judgment had mercy in it, because it served as a sign to the people that something serious and significant was going on. This was not just another daily ritual.
The Person Coming -The Messiah
From Genesis 3:15, where God promised Satan he would be defeated by one “born of woman”; the Jews looked for One they called the Messiah (Anointed One- Christ in the Greek). They were confused over his identity. The Old Testament ended saying the "Lord" was coming (Malachi 3-4)
Some looked for a prophet (Dt. 18:15); and some for a spectacular “Son of Man” (Dan. 6); but most looked for a King who would set up His kingdom on earth, elevate the Jews and crush the Gentiles with a rod of iron (Ps. 2:8-9 / 72).
Jesus said his kingdom was not "of this world" (John 18:36)and 1 Corinthians 15 says, "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven". Jesus’ refusal to be declared king, this at the height of His popularity, caused the people to turn their backs on Him (Jn. 6). Jesus becomes king in our hearts (in the here and now) and then takes us (in the hereafter) to the kingdom of heaven when we die (Luke 17:20-21).
What they never looked for was the suffering Messiah pictured in Isaiah 53. One who would:
- be disfigured beyond human recognition (52:15)
- be rejected (53:3)
- be pierced for our sins (v5)
- be punished for our peace (v5) NIV
- be led like a lamb to slaughter (v7)
- be killed and buried (vs8-9)
- be sinless (v9)
- be a guilt offering to God (v10)
- live to see the fruit of His death (v10)
- justify (forgive) many (v11)
- be numbered with sinners (v12)
The Prophet Forerunner
Isaiah 40 predicted a forerunner who would announce this coming Sufferer and Malachi 3-4 said he would be like Elijah (the prophet).
The Promise
The NT begins with two babies. The OT church began with an elderly, childless couple having a miracle baby (Abraham and Sarah - Genesis 15-17) and the NT church does the same.
The Prayers
When the angel said, “Your prayers are answered” he meant the couples’ prayer for a child and the nation’s prayer for the Messiah. The couple had probably given up hope for a child, but they and the people praying outside had not given up hope for national deliverance by the Messiah.
The main requirement for answered prayer in the teaching of Jesus is persistence. He spoke of a neighbor shouting for help and a woman begging for help and said, “Men ought always to pray and not give up.” (Lk. 11:1-13/ 18:1-8). Keep on praying. God may not give you the answer you want, but he will answer YOU and give you the answer you need.
The (Perfect) People (v6)
The glowing descriptions of this couple and others in the Christmas stories as obedient and “blameless”, like Noah (Genesis 6) and others, does not mean they were sinless. First John, written to Christians (5:13), says any church member who claims to have no sin is a liar (1:5-2:2). Matthew Henry explains:
“It was not that they ever attained their duty; but it was ever their aim to do so."
The Persevering People
This faithfulness was in spite of a Roman world that was cruel; a Jewish religion that was corrupt; and their personal sorrow in having no children. In every age, despite the condition of the world and the church; and in spite of personal burdens; we find God’s faithful people who serve Him. If we want an excuse not to serve God, the devil will have one ready for us.
Six Months Later
NAZARETH
The Northern Mountains in Central Galilee 90 Miles North of Jerusalem
2. The Virgin Conception Announced to Mary (Luke 1:26-38)
Six months after Elizabeth conceived, the angel Gabriel announced the coming virgin conception of the Messiah to Mary; a virgin engaged to the carpenter Joseph. Her only question was how this could be; and once she was told, she submitted to the will of God.
Despite the gossip and shame this early pregnancy would bring, Mary left her honor in the hands of God. This makes her the first person in the NT to make a sacrifice for Christ.
Jewish girls married early, and Mary and Joseph both, could have been in their teens. Betrothal, in Jewish society, came before marriage; lasted for several months; and was as legally binding as marriage. It could only be broken with a certificate of divorce before the town elders.
Mary knew this could be Joseph’s reaction, but she left the matter in God’s hands. Like David before Goliath, she said, “The battle is the Lords.” (1Sam. 17:47). When we obey God we become His responsibility.
The Virgin Conception
The virgin conception predicted by Isaiah (7:14) should not be hard to believe for anyone who believes in God. This gives us a “holy”, sinless, divine and human Savior. Jesus is not the human race’s best gift to God; He is God’s best gift to the human race.
3. Mary Visits Elizabeth (Luke 1:35-56)
The First New Testament Songs
The Singing
Knowing her relative Elizabeth’s condition, Mary, quickly goes 90 miles South to see her. At the sight of her, John moved in Elizabeth’s body; a sign that Mary was the mother of the “Lord” who was coming.
Elizabeth broke out in praise and Mary followed her example, with a song filled with Scripture “references”. The theme was how God had blessed her and would deliver (save) Israel. Few things in life are more exciting than a genuine touch from God, assuring us that what He promises He will do.
The Sharing
Jesus and John could have been as close as first cousins; so it was only natural that a young girl, with so much responsibility placed on her young shoulders, would go right away to a wise and elderly relative who knew what she was going through. Mary stayed three months (v56), no doubt to be there for the birth of John.
It is impossible to overstate the value of a good Christian friend. A burden shared is halved and a blessing shared is doubled. A friend is someone who walks in when everyone else walks out. Thank God for your special friends, or ask Him to bring some into your life.
The Scriptures
Mary’s song was full of OT Scripture; especially the song of Hanna; who, like her and Elizabeth, was promised a baby (1 Sam.1). And to that she added the Psalms, the hymnbook of Israel. The person God chose to be the mother of His Son on earth was one who knew her Bible, believed her Bible was God’s word, and lived by her Bible. It was her guide to His will (Ps. 119:105); and her food to strengthen her to do His will (1 Pet. 1:22-2:3).
4. The Birth and Early Life of John the Baptizer (Luke 1:57-80)
John is born and given a special name by his mother. Freed from his punishment, Zechariah breaks out in song. Luke fast forwards ahead with a summary of John’s growth to manhood in the wilderness, probably near the Dead Sea.
Ritual Forgiveness
Zechariah’s song based on passages like Psalm 107:9-10 and Isaiah 9:2-10 (v79) stresses that God would deliver (save) Israel, the descendents of Abraham from her enemies (54-55). But to that he added the important note of Israel’s need of forgiveness (v77). In other words, the ritual of circumcision would not save them. And he added the unbelievable fact that God would save some Gentiles, “those who sit in darkness” (v70 / Isaiah 9:1-2). Matthew 4:12-17 applies Isaiah 9 to Gentiles.
Circumcision was the ritual that made a person part of the Jewish church, just as baptism does for us today. But these have no power to bring forgiveness, a changed heart, or the right to go to heaven.
When proud religious leaders (Mt. 3:7-10) refused to repent at John the Baptizer’s preaching, trusting in their Jewish relation to Abraham; John called them snakes who would experience the fire of Judgment. True circumcision and baptism is “of the heart” (Rom. 2:27-29)
5. An Angel Tells Joseph About Mary (Matthew 1:1:18-25)
Mary returned to Nazareth, three months pregnant to face the wagging tongues and cold stares of former friends and neighbors. Years later, the charge of Jesus being born out of immorality was hinted at by His enemies (John 8:41); and this slander continued into the next century.
Mary obviously had not said anything to Joseph, leaving the results to God. And God came through. He had chosen a good (righteous) man to be the father of His Son, evidenced here by his showing mercy to someone he thought had shamed him,
Jewish engagement was as official as marriage and could only be broken by a legal divorce. His normal course of action for sexual unfaithfulness would be to take her before the town council and divorce and shame her publicly. No one could have blamed him if he had done this, but Joseph was not that kind of man.
Joseph, like Mary, was paying the price to do right, because he would forever bear the stigma of being the one to have had sex with Mary or the fool that married an immoral woman and raised another man’s child. The easiest thing in the world is to take revenge. The hardest is to show love; but it is always best.
BETHLEHEM 7 Miles South of Jerusalem
6. The Birth of Jesus (Luke 2:1-7)
The Taxation
The time for Roman taxation every 14 years came, and Mary, nine months pregnant, traveled 90 miles South with Joseph to their ancestral city, Bethlehem. Upon arriving she went into labor, and finding no room in an inn Joseph made the preparations and Jesus was born is a barn, stall or cave where animals were sheltered and fed.
The term manger meant the stall or the trough (probably wooded) where the animal’s food was placed. Since baby Jesus was placed into it, it was most likely the trough, as we see in Manger Scenes.
No animals are mentioned, but being winter, we can assume they were present. We cannot sanitize this, but we can be sure Joseph did his best to make it as warm and clean as possible. But it was still a dirty place for any baby to be born. With all the agony, pain, blood, and screams that night, we can only hope that Joseph found some good women to help him, and some men to cheer him on.
The Trip
Why she traveled in the ninth month of her pregnancy is a mystery. If she knew the time for taxation was due, or if she knew her Son must be born in Bethlehem to fulfill Micah’s prophesy in 2:5; she should have made the trip earlier. Either way, in God’s will she was in God’s hands and that is the safest place on earth.
The Trough
If we ask why Jesus was born in a barn, Adrian Roger’s answer is the best: “That is where Lambs are born.” Mary’s little Lamb, who takes away the sin of the world, was born in just the right place (Jn. 1:29).
The Treatment
With millions in the Jerusalem area for registration, it is not surprising that the inns were full. The selfishness and cruelty of human nature is revealed in the fact that not one person gave them their room. This is a preview of all the centuries to follow. People are too busy doing their own thing to give any attention or energy to the things of God. Most people do not so much reject Jesus as ignore Him (Luke 14:15-23/17:24-37).
7. Angels Announce Jesus’ Birth To Shepherds (Luke 2:8-20)
When babies are born, family members and friends gather to rejoice. The holy family had none of this, but God saw their loneliness and sent an angel choir to rejoice and to invite some shepherds to visit them. The angel choir “said” the words of this hymn. Angels never are said to “sing”.
We can only guess why God selected shepherds. It could have been the Messiah’s association with David, who kept his sheep in these same hills.
It could have pointed to Jesus being our “Good shepherd” (Ps. 23/Jn. 10); or the “Sheep led to slaughter” (Isa. 53) so our sins could be “laid on Him” (Isa. 53).
It is possible that these sheep would be used as sacrifices in the Temple, which was only about 7 miles from there.
It could be because shepherds were from the common class and their profession made them ritually unclean in the eyes of the religious leaders. Here at the beginning then, we see that God’s forgiveness is for all who will receive it. The only fitness God requires is to feel our need of Him.
8 DAYS LATER
In a Home in Bethlehem
It seems that Joseph moved his family into a house (rented, or that of a friend or relative) where they stayed for awhile. This was no doubt to give Mary time to regain her strength for the journey home; and perhaps to perform the three Jewish rituals for a first born son, in the Temple, the holiest place on earth to a Hebrew.
(Since Herod killed Bethlehem babies up to two years old, some feel they lived there two years before the Magi came, but this is unlikely.)
8. Jesus is Named and Circumcised (Luke 2:21-38)
Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, by the time Jesus was 8 days old, were probably in an inn or in the home of a friend or relative. Every Hebrew boy was circumcised and named by either his father or a priest when He was 8 days old. This identified him as an Israelite (Gen. 17). This is the first drop of blood Jesus shed for us. He was now obligated to keep the whole Law (Gal. 5:3); something He did (1 Jn. 3:5).
The battle with sin that ended in His bloody death began in eternity past, when Jesus was the “Lamb slain before the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8).
33 DAYS LATER
9. Mary is purified and Jesus is Redeemed (Luke 2:22-38)
The Holy Practices
Thirty-three days after a child’s birth two more Old Testament rituals were required (Lev. 12). Mary is PURIFIED by bringing the offering of the poor (two birds- Lev. 5:11).
Jesus, as the firstborn son, now a month old, was PRESENTED to God (Ex. 13:11) and purchased back with 5 shekels of silver (Num. 3:47). The purchasing of the firstborn was given to Israel at the Exodus (Ex. 11-13), when God delivered them from Egypt and spared their firstborn from death.
God does not ask us to do for Him what He was not willing to do for us. He asked for Israel’s firstborn; because He would give His only Son for them and us.
The Holy People
Here we meet two more of God’s faithful people in the Christmas story, two senior citizens. Ana, a prophetess, who was widowed after only seven years of marriage, served God in the Temple for 84 years. She is another example of faithfulness in spite of personal sorrows.
Simeon, led there by the Spirit, took baby Jesus in his arms, quoted Isaiah 44 / 49 /52, and came right out and said Jesus would bless Gentiles. Jewish prejudice came out years later when Jesus read this chapter in his home town church and in their fury they tried to kill him (Lk. 4:16ff)
The Holy Spirit
Simeon was a man so close to the Holy Spirit that he was told he would see the Messiah. We all can get personal words from God (Acts 8:26-31), but we must be careful that what we think we hear squares with the written word of God. We are to “test the spirits” (1Jn.4:1).
A beautiful girl in seminary was told by four young preachers who dated her that God had told them she was called to marry them. In none of the cases had God told her that.
The Holy Peace
Simeon was ready to die with “peace”. He was a man for whom death had lost its terrors and the world had lost its charms. He knows where he is going, and does not care how soon he gets there (J.C. Ryle).
WEEKS OR MONTHS LATER
10. The Magi Visit (Matthew 2:1-12)
The Exhausting Journey
There was a universal expectation of a coming Savior and these Eastern “priests”, philosophers and/or religious leaders (Magi); came probably from Persia (Iran - 900 miles E). They followed a strange light on the two month journey that Abraham had made 2000 years before (Gen. 12). God promised Abraham that He would bless all families on earth through him, and these Magi fulfilled that promise.
The word for the light they followed is the word for “star” (aster); but its power to lead them to a particular house, indicates it was some special kind of divine light, and not a regular star. All attempts to identify it with a comet or natural occurrence have failed. We do not know how many Magi came. The three kinds of gifts lead us to think of three
The Expensive Gifts
The three gifts have often been symbolized as gold for a king, incense for a priest, and myrrh for one about to die. But more practically these valuable presents allowed Jesus and his family to live comfortably in Egypt, where they may have spent 2 years. When God calls, He provides. His will never takes us where His grace cannot keep us.
When we live in the will of God and trust Him, He is already in our future preparing it for us while He is in us preparing us for our future
First Hatred for Jesus Expressed
First Example of Horrible Evil
11. The Execution of the Babies (Matthew 2:13-18)
The Magi, when they arrived in Jerusalem asked people if they knew about the birth of a new King. Herod, King of Judah, under Rome’s system of government, heard of this and called the religious leaders together and discovered the coming King would be born in Bethlehem, 7 miles away (Micah 5).
No doubt, already plotting to kill this new child, he “secretly” called for a meeting with the Magi and asked them to find the child, return, and tell him where and who he was so he could worship him - the biggest lie in Scripture.
After their visit with Jesus, God, who watches over us, sent an angel to tell them not to return to Herod, but to go home by a different route. Herod, realizing this was “filled with rage” and dispatched troops to kill every child in Bethlehem under two years old. But before he could lay his dirty hands on the Son of God, Joseph was warned by God in a dream to leave and go SW to Egypt.
Herod
Herod, who ruled from 40-4 BC, now in his 70’s, was a master builder and one of the cruelest men alive. He murdered the members of the Jewish court when he came to power and murdered countless numbers of his own family to protect his throne. A year or so after the Bethlehem murders, he was dying of a horrible disease, and he ordered 20 Jewish leaders to be killed at his death, so people would cry, even if not for him. Mercifully, the orders were ignored. This explains why the people were “greatly disturbed” when they heard he was inquiring, and called the Jewish court together.
Egypt
Egypt’s border was 75 miles to the South and a large city 125 miles away. As many as one million Jewish people lived there in huge communities, and they were well respected by the Egyptians. With the wealth from the Magi the stay in Egypt may well have been comfortable, rather than harsh, for the holy family.
Evil
Why God allows Herod and cruel people like him, to do unspeakably evil acts, is a problem for every religion including Christianity. We know evil and suffering came in because of sin (Gen.3), but we all wonder why they have to be so bad. No religion which tries to teach that God is love, has a satisfactory answer for the majority of people.
That is why Leslie Weatherhead says,
“Irreligious people seem to have all the best arguments”.
We cannot live without the hope that God is good, and God is love. Christianity has the best response, because in Jesus, God came to earth and experienced suffering along with u, while at the same time overcoming evil with love. He was “a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering”. (Isaiah 53)
Christianity also says suffering and evil are temporary. In heaven there are no tears (Rev. 1:1-10). We will all die and face God, and any Christian will tell you he had rather go into eternity as one of those murdered babies, or even their grieving parents, than to go in the shoes of a man like Herod.
When John Wesley was robbed at gunpoint, he prayed, “God, I thank you for three things: that my life was spared, that I didn’t have much money for them to take, and most of all for the fact that I was the one robbed, and not one of the robbers.”
NAZARETH (To Age 30 / 4 BC – 26 AD)
12. The Nazareth Years (Matthew 2:19-23 / Luke 2:40-52)
In 4 BC Herod died of a horrible disease and went to hell to face the music for what he had done. Down in Egypt an angel directed Joseph in a dream to return to Nazareth.
The Scripture Knowledge
For the next 28-30 years Jesus grew physically, spiritually, and socially. The only recorded incident is when, at age 12 He was lost from his parents at the Passover. Discussing the Bible with the Jewish leaders,
He amazed them with his wisdom; but when his parents found him, they displayed displeasure at what He had done. He responded by letting them know, they should have known He was doing His heavenly Father’s business.
The Sinless Life
If tempted like us in all points (Heb. 4:15), He had the temptations of childhood; teen years; and young adulthood. God said to Him at His baptism, about these years, “In you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3)
Jewish Boys
- were given fringes at age 3 (Dt. 22)
- began to learn the OT at age 5
- began school (Synagogue) at age 6
- must attend Passover at age 12
- wore Bible verses and left school to enter
their life’s work at age 13
- were expected to be married at age 18
The Scared Parents
Millions of pilgrims went to Jerusalem for Passover, and Jesus must have had dozens of relatives among them. He was no doubt a very responsible boy and His parents trusted him to go home when the time came.
Their frantic search and scolding words show how Joseph and Mary saw the reality of His humanity so much, that they lost sight, in their grief and fear, that He was God’s Son.
Our children are not our children. We cooperate with God in creating them, but they belong to God; and God should be
first in their lives.
The Spot
From Nazareth, high in the central mountains, Jesus saw the world go by on the two roads on each side of the mountain and on the Mediterranean Sea in the West. Nazareth was on a road that crossed over from East to West, so Jesus saw the merchants and soldiers who walked its streets. This is why Jewish people looked on it with contempt (Jn. 1).
- Jesus was part of a huge family with four brothers named (Mt. 13:55/Mk. 6:3/1 Cor. 9:5/Gal. 1:9) and “sisters”-plural (Mt. 13:56/Mk. 6:3). That makes at least 7 children.
- His family was probably not extremely poor. His life revolved around home, neighborhood, school and church (both in the synagogue). He learned the trade of His father, that of carpenter (Mark 6:3).
- Since Joseph is not mentioned during Jesus public ministry, it is assumed that he passed away. If so, Jesus knew the sorrows of grief, and as the oldest son, became responsible for the financial welfare of the family.
- Laypeople were often allowed in the Synagogue (local church) to deliver the “sermon” on an OT passage. Luke 4:16 could be taken to mean it was his “custom” to do this in his home church. It could also be that because of his questionable birth, He was allowed only to attend.
The Son of Joseph and Mary (His Humanity)
The fact that his parents were worried about him and mildly scolded him; and the fact that his brothers (and probably sisters also) found it hard to believe in Him (Jn. 7:1-5), shows how real His humanity was to them.
The Son of God (His Identity)
He was aware of His unique “Father-Son” relationship with God at age 12. This is something no individual Jew would claim. Mary could have told Him of his virgin birth or He could have read about the Messiah being God’s son in places like Psalm 2. God quoted this to Him at His baptism (Luke 3:22). Synagogues had copies of the Old Testament scrolls, and Edersheim says some homes had portions of these.
The Sufferings Foreseen
Barclay mentions a large number of crucifixions near there; so Jesus knew, at some point, what He was going to experience for us. We can only guess when He read the Old Testament passages that told Him that His ministry would be one of rejection (Zech. 13:6); horrible suffering; death by crucifixion (Ps22:16; Isa.52:12- Ch. 53); resurrection (Isa. 53); and ascension back to glory in victory (Ps. 66:18).
The Slow Revelation (Jesus’ Patience)
What we do know is that while working and learning He was waiting (until age 30) for Isaiah’s “voice in the wilderness”, John the Baptizer, to announce Him. Living under the shadow of upcoming suffering, he must have had mixed emotions when the time came.
The Supreme Example
Jesus is the Christian’s example, and in Nazareth He sets a good one for all young people.
* He obeyed His parents
* He attended His church
* He had a balanced life
* He knew His Bible
* He learned a trade
* His goal was serving God
* When God called him to leave Nazareth and go to the cross, He obeyed.
Hebrews 12:2-3 says:
“Because of the joy that was waiting for Him, He thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross; and is now seated at the right side of God’s throne. Think of what He went through; how he had to put up with so much hatred from sinners! So do not let yourselves become discouraged and give up.” (TEV)
