The Christmas Story

Promise of the birth of Jesus to Mary (Luke 1:26-38)

     And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

Mary Visits Elisabeth (Luke 1:39-45)

     And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

Mary's song of praise (Luke 1:46-56)

     And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever. And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.

An Angel Appears to Joseph (Matthew 1:18-25)

     Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Luke 2:1-7)

     And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Shepherds Visit Jesus (Luke 2:8-20)

     And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Circumcision of Jesus (Luke 2:21-24)

      And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.

Visitors arrive from Eastern lands (Matthew 2:1-12)

     Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

The escape to Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15)

     And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

·         Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem

o   (Micah 5:2) “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

·         Messiah was to be born of a virgin

o   (Isaiah 7:14) “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

·         His titles

o   (Isaiah 9:6) “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”      

·         A king from the line of David

o   Son of Jesse

o   (Jeremiah 23:5-6) “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

o   (Isaiah 11:1) “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:”

·         The star

o   (Numbers 24:17) “I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.”

·         Called out of Egypt

o   (Hosea 11:1) “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.”

·         Writer Luke

o   A medical doctor

o   Got his information directly from Mary

·         Mary

o   (Luke 1:27) A Virgin

o   (Luke 3:23-38), The genealogy traces Jesus' lineage back to David through Mary's father, Heli.

o   (Luke 3:23) According to the Gospel of Luke, Heli is the father of Mary, while the Gospel of Matthew states that Jacob is the father of Joseph. The two genealogies are reconciled by understanding that Heli was Mary's biological father, making him Joseph's father-in-law; Luke's genealogy, however, is that of Mary.

o   Young and poor but highly favored with God. The Lord was with her, so this had to mean that she also walked with god

o   (John 19:25) Being the mother of Jesus did not protect her from problems. She was not married and was going to have a child; the world would ridicule her, and the world would hate her son and then kill him.

o   (Luke 1:37) But Mary submitted to God's plan to provide salvation to the world

o   (Luke 1:38) God asked her to serve, and she willingly obeyed.

·         Joseph

o   Legal father of Jesus, Matthew Chapter 1 States that Jacob was the father of Joseph.

o   (Mat 1:19) Followed God in protecting his family. A just man and a man of great faith

o   (Mat 13:55) Teaching Jesus the carpentry trade

o   (Matthew 1:1-16) A descendant of King David, Joseph's lineage is traced back to David through his legal father, Jacob.

o   (Mat 1:24) Faithfully obeyed God, honored others, took responsibility, and worked hard to provide for his family. 

·         Elisabeth (Luke 1:5-25)

o   (Luke 1:36) Cousin to Mary,

o   (Luke 1:39) 1st to hear about Mary being pregnant

o   Never doubted God

o   (Luke 1:7) Pregnant in her old age

o   Wife to Zacharias, mother of John the Baptist

o   (Luke 1:42-43) Was not envious of Mary but was filled with joy that Mary was the mother of her Lord

·         Zacharias (Luke 1:5-25)

o   A Jewish priest

o   Husband to Elisabeth, Father to John the Baptist

o   Doubted God and lost his voice until John was born (Luke 1:20)

·         John the Baptist

o   Mother Elisabeth

o   (Luke 1:44) Leaped with joy in the womb when Elisabeth heard Mary's salutation.

·         David

o   (2 Sam 7:16) God had promised David that his kingdom would last forever. This promise was fulfilled in the life of Jesus.

·         Gabriel

o   (DAN 8:15-17; 9:21) Appeared to Zacharias and Mary, also Daniel, 500years before. Each time Gabriel appeared, he brought an essential message

·         Shepherds

o   Shepherds are protectors and leaders

o   (Luke 2:8-19) Spreading the news to everyone they come across, “The Savior is Born”

o   Abel, Abraham, Moses, and David, who cared for flocks and were all shepherds.

o   (John 10:11) Jesus referred to himself as the good Shepherd

o   (Luke 2:8-15 Angels announced the birth of Jesus to unnamed shepherds in the fields, which was significant because the profession was of low status, and it showed that God's message was for all people.

·         Heavenly Host of Angels

o   (Luke 2:13) Telling and celebrating Christ's Birth to the shepherds

·         Wise Men

o   Magi were wise men from "the East," most likely Persia, or modern-day Iran

o   Traveled 800 to 900 miles to see the Christ child

o   Magi were men who 1) read and believed God’s Word, 2) sought Jesus, 3) recognized the worth of Christ, 4) humbled themselves to worship Jesus, and 5) obeyed God rather than man.

·         Cyrenius

o   Was the Roman governor of Syria from AD 6 to AD 12

·         Caesar Augustus

o   First Roman emperor, reign (27 BC – AD 14)

·         God

o   Our Father, our creator

·         Holy Ghost

o   The third person of the Trinity

o   God's guiding spirit

o   Strength and guidance

o   Brings a testimony of Jesus Christ.

·         Jesus

o   Dual lineage explains why Jesus was considered a descendant of David through both Mary (Luke 3:23-38) and Joseph (Matthew 1:1-17), thereby fulfilling Messianic prophecies that stated the Messiah would come from David's line. (Jeremiah 23:5-6, Isaiah 11:1) 

o   Jesus was a Greek name form of the name Joshua, and was a common name meaning “the LORD saves." Just as Joshua led Israel to the Promised Land (Josh 1:1-2), Jesus led his people to eternal life.

o   A direct descendant of David, Son of God, Born of a virgin

o   Born of a woman, made him 100% human

o   Born with no trace of sin

o   Fully human and fully divine. (Col 2:13-15)

·         Gold

o   This gift signified Jesus's status as a king. Gold was and is a precious metal, reserved for royalty.

·         Myrrh

o   This was a precious, aromatic oil used for embalming, which symbolized Jesus's future death and burial.

·         Frankincense

o   This was a fragrant incense used in worship, symbolizing Jesus's divinity and role as the Son of God.

·         Mary's trip to see Elisabeth from Nazareth was between 70 and 100 miles; she traveled back about three months later.

·         Mary and Joseph walked from Nazareth to Bethlehem about 80 to 100 miles

·         Then, after Jesus was born, they went to Egypt about 300 to 450 miles

·         The wise men may have traveled well over 1,000 miles by camel caravan to see the newborn King of the Jews.

·         Mary and Joseph had an arranged marriage.

o   In Jewish custom, Mary and Joseph's marriage would have been negotiated by their fathers

·         Mary was around the age of 12-14

o   This was a common age for women to be married in Jewish culture

·         Joseph could have had Mary put to death

o   Matthew 1 shows Joseph, a just man, who follows the law of Moses (Deut 22:23-24), which clearly states that an unfaithful wife was to be put to death.

·         Joseph the Carpenter

o   The Greek word for carpenter used to describe Joseph is tekton, which is more accurately translated as “craftsman”

o   The term tekton can also mean a craftsman, builder, or artificer, as one who constructs things from natural resources.

·         Joseph and Mary were descendants of David

o   Matthew traces Joseph’s lineage through Solomon, while the Gospel of Luke traces Mary’s lineage through Nathan

·         Joseph and Mary were very poor

o   Mary and Joseph went to Jerusalem to dedicate their baby to the Lord. The proper sacrifice for purification after childbirth was a lamb, but the couple purchased a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons; a poor woman’s sacrifice, according to the Law of Moses

·         Bethlehem was insignificant

o   The city of David was considered minor, insignificant, and the least among towns. The King of Kings was not born in the holy city of Jerusalem, but in the little town of Bethlehem.

·         The exact number of wise men is unknown

o   The bible does not record how many wise men, only that they were three gifts

·         Wise men were not present at the manger

o   Magi arrived, one or so years had likely passed, and Jesus would have been a toddler. (Matthew 2:11) describes Jesus as a child living in a house when the Magi visit him. Herod’s calculation of the star and his order to kill all boys under two years also points to his understanding that the Messiah was already one or two years of age

·         Jesus was not born on December 25

o   Or in winter, for that matter. Jesus was likely born in the spring when shepherds were watching over flocks by night because little lambs were being born. The exact day of Jesus’ birth is unknown. It wasn’t until the 4th century that the Roman Catholic Church decided to celebrate the birth of Jesus and chose December 25 as His birthday; the same day Rome celebrated the winter solstice and the birth of their gods with pagan festivals. To this day, it is actually Easter, not Christmas, that is Christianity’s most important and celebrated holiday worldwide.

·         The Bible doesn’t mention any animals being present at Jesus’ birth.

o   Finding animals in a modern-day nativity isn’t that difficult; however, finding them in the story of Jesus’ birth from the Bible is impossible. People assume the presence of animals because Mary placed the baby in a manger, which is similar to an animal’s feeding trough.

·         The star

o   most likely an astrological conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter. Competing theories are that the star was a nova. A comet, a new star, or an alignment of Jupiter with the star Regulus.