The Birth Of Jesus The Savior

Introduction

When a baby is born, everyone is excited. No matter how great a person is, he or she starts off as a newborn. However, despite these expectations, almost everyone lives an ordinary life and then dies. Throughout human history, countless young lives have been born. History can be said to be a record of the birth of new life. And some of the young children born that way grew up to live normal lives, and some even left their names in history.

Of all births, there is none greater than the birth of Jesus Christ. This is because the birth of Christ was not the birth of an ordinary human being, but the Son of God becoming a human being and coming to this world. However, people are reluctant to believe that the Son of God was born into the world as a human being. However, the Bible clearly states that the Holy Spirit came upon Mary and the power of the Most High God overshadowed her, and Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was born (1:35).

I. Jesus Christ born in history (vv. 1~7)

If there is something special happening in the society when a person is born, it will be much easier for him to remember that event. If a person was born in the year of liberation, he or she is called a Liberation Child, and from then on until 1964, they are called Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennial Generation, Generation Z, etc. When Jesus was born, something happened that was very easy for people to remember. This is an incident in which the Roman Emperor Augustus ordered all people in the Roman Empire to go to their hometowns and register their families (v. 1). Caesar Augustus' real name was Gaius Octavius (63 B.C.~14 A.D.), and he ruled Rome for 45 years from 31 B.C. to 14 A.D. He established the mighty Roman Empire and established the Pax Romana (Peace of Rome). So in 27 B.C., the Roman Senate gave him the title “Caesar” to recognize his merits. “Caesar (highly honored)” was a title given to the gods. In fact, he was worshiped as a god, and temples for him were built in many places.

According to the emperor's order, Jesus' legal father Joseph went to his hometown to register his family, and Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem. If there had been no command to register, Joseph would have had no reason to go to Bethlehem. If so, Jesus Christ would have been born in Nazareth of Galilee, not Bethlehem. If that were to happen, then the prophet Micah prophesied, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” (Micah 5:2) could not have come true.

God moved the heart of Roman Emperor Augustus to register the family so that the prophecy of the prophet Micah would come true. However, it is said that this census was first done when Quirinius became the governor of Syria (v. 2). Looking at history, Caesar Augustus issued a decree regarding a census in 8 B.C. However, since this was the first census to be implemented, there must have been many difficulties in implementing it. So, in the Syrian region, nothing was done properly until Quirinius became governor. When Quirinius became governor of Syria in 6 B.C., the family register of the Syrian region began in earnest. However, it may have taken about 1 to 2 years for this to be conveyed to King Herod, who was ruling Judea, and implemented. Accordingly, we can estimate the date of Jesus' birth. Jesus was probably born sometime after 6 B.C. when Quirinius became governor of Syria. And if we consider that the census was completed within 1 to 2 years, we can assume that Jesus was born around 4 B.C.

In any case, God provided all circumstances so that his son Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judea, the town of David, rather than in Nazareth of Galilee. Dear saints, everything that happens in this world seems to be done according to people's greed, regardless of God, and according to the will of those in power. In fact, the Roman emperor's intention to have a family register was to conduct a census and collect more taxes. However, what was fulfilled through his command was the words of the Bible. Proverbs 16:4 says, “The Lord works out everything for his own ends - even the wicked for a day of disaster.” Therefore, people do everything as they please, but in fact, God is in control of each person.

If we look at the world these days, wars are happening everywhere, and the Earth is suffering from natural disasters and abnormal weather. People's moral sense is collapsing and it is difficult to find people with a proper conscience. Was all of this accomplished because of people’s greed? No. God's word is being fulfilled. 2 Timothy 3:1~5 says, “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.” Jesus also said, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.” (Matthew 24:7~8). This world is moving toward the end of the world as spoken of in the Bible. Too negative? But don't worry. The Lord said, “But he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24:13). When the Lord himself returns from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, if we are still alive then, we will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be in heaven with the Lord forever (1 Thessalonians 5:16~17). It is said that this earth are preserved until the day of destruction so that it would ultimately be judged by fire (2 Peter 3:7). I hope you live with the hope of heaven.