HISTORICAL GENEALOGY OF JESUS FROM ABRAHAM THROUGH JOSEPH

St. Joseph with the Jesus Child by Guido Reni, c. 1620-1630

Matthew 1:1-17

The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren. And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;

And Jesse begat David the king and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias. And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa. And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias. And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias. And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias. And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon.

And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel. And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor. And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud. And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob. And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generation

LEGAL GENEALOGY OF MARY

Virgin with Child and Rosary by Bartolome Esteban Murillo, circa 1870

Luke 3:23b-38

[Jesus] being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son [-in-law] of Heli. Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph. Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge. Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda. Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri. Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er. Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi. Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim. Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David. Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson. Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda. Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor. Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala. Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech. Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan. Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.

Why do these Gospel writers bother giving these genealogies?  One reason is the Messiah had to be a descendent of Abraham, through Isaac, through Jacob through Judah. Another reason is God promised the Messiah would be a son of David, meaning a male of the line of King David. There were also legal implications. Matthew gives the genealogy of Joseph, showing he was a descendent of King David through David’s son Solomon. Luke gives Mary’s genealogy and we see she also descended from King David through his son Nathan. These genealogies establish that Jesus was of the tribe of Judah on both sides and also of royal blood on both sides. Although Jesus was not the natural son of Joseph, Joseph was legally recognized as his father and it was the father’s line that was important as far as the authorities of the law would have been concerned. At any rate, Jesus had an established claim to being an heir to David.

It is unusual though for Mary’s genealogy to be included. Why was it?

A study of these genealogies would probably yield many interesting facts. For one, there is an unusual inclusion of women in the record. Women were not generally counted in the genealogies, but there are five mentioned in the ancestry of Jesus.

The first mentioned is Tamar (traditional held to be a daughter of Shem.). She was the wife of Judah’s oldest son, Er, unfortunately Er was so wicked that God put him to death childless. As was the custom of the times, Judah then ordered his second son, Onan, to give Tamar a son to carry on the name of his brother Er. (A surrogate father, remember this practice when you read the question of the Sadducees to Jesus about who is married to whom in Heaven.) Onan was selfish. He didn’t want to father a child who wouldn’t carry his own name, so he practiced coitus interruptus. The result of this was Tamar didn’t get pregnant and Onan died.

Judah was running out of sons. He had a third, Shelah, but was afraid marrying Tamar might be the death of Shelah too, so since the boy was still young he told Tamar to wait until he was fully grown. But when he did grow up, it didn’t happen, most likely because Judah was still afraid Tamar was sure death. Of course, by withholding Shelah, Judah was breaking the laws of inheritance and being unfair to Tamar.

Judah’s wife died and he went away or awhile in his grief. Tamar was impatient to have a child, so she went ahead of him, put on sexy clothes and waited by the road. He saw her there, paid her as a prostitute to sleep with him and as a result she finally got pregnant. He didn’t realize who she was, but he gave her some keepsakes.

A few months later Judah was informed his daughter-in-law was guilty of prostitution and was pregnant. He was going to have her burned to death for her sin, but she said, “Remember these keepsakes?”

Tamar was spared. Judah never slept with her again. She gave birth to his twin boys, Perez and Zerah. At the birth, a hand came out and the midwife tied a scarlet thread to the wrist before the hand was pulled back and Perez was born. Then the child with the scarlet thread finally came out and was named Zerah.  Although Zerah was officially the first because of his hand, it is Perez who became the direct ancestor in this legal line of Jesus. (Read Genesis 38.)

The next woman mentioned as an ancestor of Jesus is Rahab. Rahab is a prostitute, not just playing one as Tamar had done, and she is not an Israelite. She lives in Jericho where Joshua has sent spies as he prepares to attack it. Rahab hides the two spies in her house and then aids their escape from her roof. In return, they tell her to tie a scarlet cord in her window. When the city is later sacked, this cord identifies Rahab and her family and keeps them safe. (Read Joshua 2.)  Rahab later marries Salmon and becomes the Great-Great-Grandmother of King David.

Rahab was the mother of Boaz, which brings us to the third woman, Ruth. Ruth wasn’t Jewish either. She was a Moabite.  The story of Ruth is a portrait of the Redeemer-King and a picture of our Savior. (Read the Book of Ruth.)

The fourth woman isn’t mentioned by name. She is identified as having been Uriah's wife. This, of course, is the infamous Bathsheba. The story of David and Bathsheba is hardly a stellar point in the life of King David. It involves seduction, adultery and murder. (You can read all about it in 2 Samuel 11.)

Tamar, Rahab and Bathsheba are not exactly the type of personage we might expect to be ancestors of The Christ, which probably teaches us we shouldn’t judge anyone by their ancestors.

The last woman mentioned is Mary.

We probably can’t leave the genealogies without mention of Jeconiah (also known as Coniah and Jehoiachim, the son of Jahoiakim). God put a curse on Jeconiah-Jehoiachim:

As I live, said the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck you thence; And I will give you into the hand of them that seek your life, and into the hand of them whose face you fear, even into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans. And I will cast you out, and your mother that bare you, into another country, where you were not born; and there shall you die. But to the land whereunto they desire to return, thither shall they not return. Is this man Coniah a despised broken idol? Is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? Wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land, which they know not?

O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD. Thus say the LORD, Write you this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah. Jeremiah 22:24-30

Now we discover why it was important to include Mary’s genealogy. You see Joseph was a descendent of Jeconiah-Jehoiachim and ineligible to sit on David’s Throne because of the curse. Although Joseph was required to be recognized legally for Jesus’ inheritance, if he was the biological father of Jesus then Jesus would not be allowed to sit on David’s throne. However, Jesus was not Joseph’s son, was not of the bloodline of Jeconiah. Joseph descended from Solomon. Mary descended from one of David and Bathsheba’s other sons, Nathan. This made Jesus a blood descendent of David who was eligible to ascend David’s throne. Both genealogies mattered.

THE BIRTH OF JESUS FORETOLD

The Annunciation by Henry Ossawa Tanner's, 1898

(Nazareth in Galilee Late B.C. 6 or early B.C 5)

Luke 1:26-38

And in the sixth month [referring to the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy] the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph [Yosef:  meaning he will add], of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary [Miryam: Most likely is derived from Egyptian mry or beloved].

And the angel came to her, and said, “Hail, you that are highly favored, the Lord is with you: blessed are you 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 to her, “Fear not, Mary: for you have found favor with God. And, behold, you shall conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give to 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 to her, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God.”

THE PROMISES FULFILLED

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." Genesis 3:15

Then Isaiah said, "Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:13-17

But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, though you be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall he come forth to me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travails has brought forth, then the remnant of his brethren shall return to the children of Israel. And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide for now shall he be great to the ends of the earth. And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land and when he shall tread in our palaces then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men. Micah 5:2-5

MARY VISITS ELIZABETH

Mary’s Visit to Elisabeth by Carl Heinrich Bloch, circa 1850

(Judea Early B.C. 5)

Luke 1:39-56

And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judea [a distance of 90 to 120 miles]; 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 spoke out with a loud voice, and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your 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 your salutation sounded in my 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.”

We are told Mary hurried to Elizabeth home. This wasn't like going next door. Elizabeth lived perhaps a hundred miles away. It had to be a trip of a few days. We need to consider this. Gabriel had just informed Mary that she was going to bear God's Son. He also informed her that Elizabeth; a barren woman of advanced years was already pregnant.  Mary was a teenager, espoused to a man and living with her parents. Who would you or could you tell that an Angel had visited and said you were going to be pregnant yet a virgin? I think Mary went to her relative because she knew Elizabeth would believe her story, and perhaps, also would confirm the truth of it.  I don't know what she told her parents about making this trip and staying away for three months. Perhaps her visit to Elizabeth was viewed as assisting her cousin’s pregnancy. She stayed three months, so might have been present for the birth of John.

Elizabeth knew at once Mary's situation. How did she know? Scripture tells us. It was reveled to her by the Holy Spirit. She shouted her blessing on Mary for all to hear.  If Mary had any qualms, they were gone with Elizabeth's exclamation. We see Mary's great faith and humble spirit in her song, which is also called the "Magnificat". This title is simply the first word of her song in the Latin, which began: "Magnificat animum mea Dominum", "My soul magnifies the Lord". 

Mary's Song

And Mary said, “My soul does magnify the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty has done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He has filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he has sent empty away. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; as he spoke 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.

In Mary’s Song we may get an insight as to why this maiden was chosen. It certainly shows knowledge of the Scriptures and understanding of God. It is worshipful and thankful. It contains references to eight separate psalms. [ 34, 71, 98 (twice), 103, 107, 111, 132 and 138.) This was a devout person. However, being devout, pious or religious is not enough to save one and Mary was as much in need of a Savior as any human. She begins her song rejoicing “in God my Savior”.

And yes, I am aware of the dogma of the “Immaculate Conception”, but no, I do not believe that Mary was born free of original sin. There is no basis for this belief in Scripture, a fact admitted by those who adhere to it: “No direct or categorical and stringent proof of the dogma can be brought forward from Scripture” (The Catholic Encyclopedia).  The defense of the dogma becomes rather strained and convoluted. The familiar words, “Hail, Mary, full of grace”, which begin the “Hail Mary Prayer” are taken from the Douay-Confraternity Bible translation of Like 1:28, “And when the angel had come to her, he said, ‘Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women’,” is said to indicate the godlike state of Mary’s soul. But the Confraternity is a translation of the Vulgate, which was a Latin version of the Bible. Going back to the Greek, the literal translation is more, “Hail, highly favored, the Lord with you.” This is stated in Young’s Literal Translation as, “Hail, favored one,” in the King James version as, “Hail, thou that art highly favoured”, in the New American Standard Version as, “Greetings, favored one” and in the NIV as, “Greetings, you who are highly favored”. Even being highly favored by God does not preclude the existence of your human nature, inclination toward sin and need for salvation.

We are told only salient details in Scripture. We do not know the reaction of Mary's parents upon her return. She was probably pregnant at this time. We can speculate based on our own reactions if our daughter went off for three month and came home pregnant. We certainly know suspicions were that she was a fallen woman. How so? We know from what we are told about Joseph's reaction and plans, until the Angel also comes to him. If Joseph thought the worse, her parents probably did as well. It must have been a very trying time for them.

Think of the strength of Mary’s faith. It is difficult for us to understand how strong she was because we live in Twenty-First century America. Anyone, even teenagers, getting pregnant outside of marriage is hardly uncommon or harshly condemned anymore.

Mary was not only facing ostracism; she was facing accusation of a capital offence.

If, however, the charge is true and no proof of the girl's virginity can be found, she shall be brought to the door of her father's house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death. She has done a disgraceful thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her father's house. You must purge the evil from among you. Deuteronomy 22:20-21. (NIV)

There would have been no way to hide the fact she was pregnant. Although most women do not show until they are four to five months with child, if Joseph and she married before that time, her loss of virginity would have been discovered on her wedding night. If the marriage were later, then the development of the baby would have exposed her first.

Mary could have claimed she had been raped in the country during her journey to Elisabeth’s home.

But if out in the country a man happens to meet a girl pledged to be married and rapes her, only the man who has done this shall die. Do nothing to the girl; she has committed no sin deserving death. This case is like that of someone who attacks and murders his neighbor, for the man found the girl out in the country, and though the betrothed girl screamed, there was no one to rescue her. Deuteronomy 22:25-27 (NIV)

(Although for this to be an acceptable explanation, she would probably have had to begin yelling she had been raped immediately upon meeting other people.

Mary, in her case, was only secure by the Grace of God.

THE ANGEL’S APPEARANCE TO JOSEPH

"The Dream of Joseph" circa 1640 AD by Georges de La Tour.

(Nazareth B.C. 5)

Matthew 1:18-25a

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 public example, was minded to put her away privily. [Secretly or privately. The NIV translates this as: “He had in mind to divorce her quietly.”]

There is some interesting information in the last sentence. If Joseph did not want to expose her to public disgrace, Mary's condition was probably not widely known. Perhaps it was confided and confined to her immediate family and Joseph. At any rate, Joseph had every right to divorce her under the Law. He would have cited Deuteronomy 24:1, "If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house..." (NIV) This certificate of divorce was called a "Get" and would have been considered merciful on Joseph's part considering the punishment available for adultery. A Get would have accomplished three things. One, it would have severed any marital obligations between Joseph and Mary; two, it would have freed Mary to marry another man if she wished and it would have legitimized any child born to that marriage. Here are the basic rules for a Get:

(1) The parties appear before a rabbi learned in the laws of divorce, a scribe, and two witnesses.

(2) The husband requests that the scribe write the GET for his wife, which the scribe then proceeds to do using a special quill pen.

(3) The husband declares that he is giving the GET of his own free will, and the wife concerning its receipt makes a similar declaration.

 (4) At this point, the GET is then signed by the two witnesses.

 (5) The parties are again questioned as to whether they are giving and accepting the GET voluntarily.

 (6) The husband takes the GET and drops it directly into his wife’s cupped hands, stating: "This is your GET and accept this as your GET, you shall therewith be divorced from me, you are untied free and permitted to any man".

 (7) She then places the GET under her arm and symbolically leaves by turning and moving several steps away.

 (8) The divorcée then returns and the GET is taken from her by the officiating rabbi who tears the GET crosswise; and

 (9) finally, the divorced woman is given a Divorce Certificate to prove her divorced status, and the process is over.

It says Joseph wanted to do this quietly. He would not have been required to place blame in order to obtain a Get, he could simply claim his displeasure in Mary. He would not necessarily had to spell out what the indecency was he found in her. Obviously, her condition would become apparent. Perhaps the plan also included sending her away somewhere. Mary and Joseph were betrothed, which was as binding as marriage, but did not include consummation. If Mary were seen as pregnant, people would assume either Joseph and Mary had not remained pure in their betrothal or Mary had committed adultery. Joseph would probably have desired to avoid either accusation.

But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, fear not to take to you Mary your wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call his name JESUS [Hebrew: Joshua, which means God is Salvation]: 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.” [Isaiah 7:14]

Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took to him his wife and knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

There are some who claim Mary and Joseph never had sex or children of their own. Here in Matthew 1:25 is the first of several passages in Scripture that refute that idea. They restrained from consummation of their marriage vows until sometime after the birth of Jesus. If Mary and Joseph had denied their bodies to each other as man and wife, they would have been committing sin against each other and the commands of God. (See Genesis 1:28; Genesis 2:24; Ephesians 5:25-33 for example.) 

This also took great faith on Joseph's part, because by doing so he would bring some condemnation on himself for not restraining himself and his wife during the betrothal period. I am sure people were no different then than now and much whispering went on around the town speculating on just how and by whom Mary had become pregnant. Probably the rumor that she had been either raped or had an affair with a Roman soldier began here.

P.S.: In de La Tour's painting, Joseph appears as quite old. Often we see Joseph portrayed as much older than Mary and although it is possible he was a few years her senior, it seems more likely he and she were both quite young given the customs of the time. Mary may even been as young as twelve or thirteen and Joseph himself may have been a teenager. We really don't know their actual age at this time from any authentic source.

So why have classical artists often painted Joseph as this old man?

There are apocryphal writings, such as "The Story of Joseph the Carpenter", that contend Joseph had been married prior to Mary and was of quite an advanced age. According to these traditions, Joseph married one Melcha (sometimes called Escha) when he was forty years old and they lived together 49 years before she died. During their marriage, Joseph and Melcha had six children, two daughters and four sons, the youngest of whom was known as James the Less.

Now a year after Melcha died, for reasons I really don't know, these priests send a message throughout Judea for a worthy man to Marry this twelve or thirteen year old girl named Mary. So Joseph, this ninety-year man, makes the trek to Jerusalem to apply as the groom and gets selected.

This idea caught on that Joseph was this very old man at the time of Christ's birth. I think one of the reasons this story was perpetuated came from the belief of some that Mary remained eternally a virgin after Jesus was born. There is a belief in some churches that Mary and Joseph never had any sexual relationship in their marriage, a situation I stated was a sin and violation of God's will. However, those who hold that this was the case faced the problem when Scripture mentions Jesus' brothers and sisters on occasion. This story then resolves the problem by claiming Joseph had a previous marriage and Jesus had half-siblings. Joseph would have been free to marry Mary because his first wife had died. (The same apocryphal stories claim Joseph died at the age of 111, which would have his demise coming halfway between Jesus' presentation at the Temple at age twelve and His ministry beginning at age 30.)

This whole idea that Mary remained a virgin and never had marital relations with Joseph is not Scriptural at all. The elaboration of a previous marriage for Joseph just shows the lengths some will go to rather than accepting what Scripture clearly tells us. Scripture tells us that Jesus had brothers and sisters who were the children of Joseph and Mary. Matthew tells us, "When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son." (NIV) The form of that last statement indicates that after the birth of Jesus they did have normal marital relationships.

THE SHEPHERDS AND THE ANGELS

Angels announcing Christ's birth to the shepherds by Govert (or Govaert) Teuniszoon Flinck, 1639

 (Near Bethlehem)

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 to them, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For to you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign to you. You 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 to Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord has made known to 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.

Why shepherds, who were looked down on in that day, men who spent most of their time alone in the fields with sheep? You wouldn’t think these would be the first choice of the Angels to announce the birth of God’s Son. Yet, it makes perfect sense. Christ is often compared to a shepherd. We Christians are often referred to as his sheep. Ministers are called Pastor. Pastor is Latin for Shepherd.

Also take note it doesn’t say the Angels sang.

 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

THE BIRTH OF JESUS

Birth of Christ, Immanuel Highlands Church, 1992.

The donkey kneeling at the manger is my oldest daughter.

(Bethlehem Autumn of B.C. 5)

Luke 2:1-7 and John 1:14a

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus [63 B.C – 14 A.D.] that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius [Quirinius, circa 51 B.C. – 21 A.D.] was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city..

The word translated in Scripture as “governor” was  “hegemon”, which means “ruling officer or procurator”. Cyrenius (aka Quirinius) did not become actual governor {legatus – different word} until later, but there is no reason to dispute Luke calling him a ruling officer at this time. There were many censuses taken during this period of time, any number of which could have been this one. [Refer to “A Problem with Dates.]

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem (because he was of the house and lineage of David [See the earlier genealogy given in Luke 3]) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

Given the status of women at the time, questions are raised why Mary would have gone with him. I think it is silly speculation to think she wouldn’t, but here are possible reasons. God’s directing them that she should go seems a reasonable explanation. Also, given the nature of Mary’s pregnancy and the suspicions this probably aroused, Joseph could have taken her for her own protection. Saying she couldn’t have gone or made the trip while being pregnant are just spurious arguments of disbelieving critics. There were pregnant woman who indulged in amazing physical activity or endured extreme hardship and delivered their baby with no harm. There have also been claims a woman in her condition couldn’t have ridden a donkey that distance. It doesn’t say in Scripture she rode a donkey; this is only a tradition. Perhaps she did ride a donkey; perhaps she walked or perhaps she rode in a cart, we really don’t know.

It is about 80 miles between Nazareth and Bethlehem. We are not told how long they travelled. We have many images in our head from song and film and story about Jesus birth and often assume certain ideas based on them that are not included in Scripture. We have this idea that Joseph and Mary made a quick trip to Bethlehem at the last minute, but we don’t really know how long they traveled. A journey of 80 miles by people used to travelling distances by foot could be done in less than three days, although most might pace themself and take 3 to 5 days.  Who knows, Joseph and Mary could have taken a week or more to make the trip allowing her plenty of rest on the journey.

We also commonly see in depictions of the Nativity the couple arriving in town at the very moment of delivery with Joseph frantically pleading for a place for the birth.  We think Jesus was born the day they arrived, but it doesn’t say that at all. It says simply, “while they were there”. This could have been within the hour to a couple of weeks for all we know. The rest of the statement, “the days were accomplished that she should be delivered” could indicate some passage of time.

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 the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Joseph and Mary have at times been portrayed as if they were among the very poorest. I think the Biblical record disputes that. Instead, they were probably lower middle class by that day’s standards. Joseph had a trade; he was a carpenter. They had a home and probably some means. Jesus was not born in a manger because Joseph and Mary were too poor to afford better. Many people were on the road traveling because of the census and Luke tells us clearly, the inn was full. The circumstances of the moment dictated the fulfillment of prophecy and Jesus was born in a lowly stall.

The word ‘Inn’ conjures something different to the modern mind than what is may be referring to here.  The Greek word (kataluma) used in this passage can mean inn, but also lodging room or dining place. This probably indicates there was no hotel/motel complex in this tiny village of Bethlehem, but that people let rooms in their homes. In Luke 10 we have the Greek (pandacheion) translated as inn. This word means an inn as a public house for the reception of strangers, which is a business for the traveler and tourist. 

JESUS PRESENTED IN THE TEMPLE

The Circumcision by Tintoetto (Jacopo Comin aka Jacopo Robusti), 1587

(Jerusalem, eight days after the birth; distance from Bethlehem to Jerusalem is 6 miles)

Matthew 1:25b and Luke 2:21

And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb and [Joseph] called his name JESUS.

Having heard the Nativity repeated over and over most of our lives; we tend to run these events together as if they happened in a couple days time. It seems obvious that the Angels appeared to the Shepherds on the day Christ was born, but other events didn’t come about until certain passages of time.

Here is something to consider. We celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25, but it may be more likely this was the time of his conception, perhaps during Hanukkah. I tend to agree that Christ was born during the Feast of Tabernacles in late September of 5 BC. If we follow the schedule of priestly duties for Zechariah and the other historic data, this seems logical. I believe the Jewish Holy days have prophetic significance and you can see how Christ was crucified and rose on days related to Passover and the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost. Elijah is expected on Passover and I think there is an argument to be made that John the Baptist was born on Passover. John's birth would align with the conception time based on Zechariah's serving in the Temple on schedule. John was six months older than Jesus and if Passover came in late March of that year, this would have placed Jesus' birth near the end of September. This also fits with the Shepherds still being in the fields with their sheep before winter came.

If Mary did conceive during Hanukkah, John the Baptist would have been born three months later at Passover. And assuming a normal pregnancy of 285 days, Jesus would have been born on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Tishri (September 29 by modern reckoning). This is significant because it is the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). It is a high day, a special Sabbath, a time of great rejoicing.

There is a credible theory that Christ was born in June of 2 BC. This is based not only on the facts given in the Gospel accounts concerning events, but also on the alignment of the constellations and the conjunction of Jupiter and it’s path that may have been the “star” guiding the Magi. In this timetable, Jesus would have been conceived in September 3 BC, the Magi would have arrived in Bethlehem in December and Christ would have been born the next June. [Google www.bethlehemstar.net for a fuller explanation.]

 PURIFICATION

(Jerusalem, 40 days after birth according to Jewish Law)

Luke 2:22-39a

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 open the womb shall be called holy to the Lord [Exodus 13:2]) 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.

Under the Law of Moses a woman was considered impure after the birth of a child. For the first seven days she and her husband would refrain from any sexual relations. For the next 33 days she will not be allowed to touch anything considered holy or visit the sanctuary. At the end of this 40-day period, she is required to bring a sacrifice to the priest. Mary and Joseph followed the law as spelled out in Leviticus.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean.

And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.

And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled. But if she bear a maid child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying threescore and six days.

And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin offering, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest, who shall offer it before the LORD, and make an atonement for her; and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This is the law for her that hath born a male or a female.

And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean. Levitcus 12:1-8

And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon [which means “he heard” or “obedient”]; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,

Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, “Lord, now let me your servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.”

And Joseph and his mother marveled at those things, which were spoken of him.

And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

And there was one Anna [which means “Grace”], a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, [which means “Face of God”; the apocryphal Book of Enoch gives the name Phanuel to the fourth Archangel] of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; and she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fasting and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise to the Lord, and spoke of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. And … they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord.

We do not know much about these two people. Both were elderly, both spent much of their time around the Temple and both were glad to see the baby Jesus.

Simeon, we are told, was promised he would see the Messiah. He bears the name of one of Jacob’s sons. This was the brother of Joseph who was held prisoner in Egypt until his younger brother, Benjamin, was brought to Joseph. There seems little connect beyond the name other than the Simeon in Luke was waiting on the consolidation of Judah and Israel. Simeon was a prisoner on hold to the consolidation of his family and Jacob with Joseph. Jacob is a name also used to refer to Israel.

Simeon in Luke does prophesy about Jesus being a light to the gentiles and to His crucifixion.

We don’t know much about Anna either except the few bits Luke mentions. Anna or Hannah shares the same name as the mother of Samuel and parallels can be drawn between Samuel’s birth and youth and that of Jesus. There is speculation that Anna’s family roots stretched to the Jews held in Media who returned to Israel after the Babylonian Diaspora. For this reason, it is though when she “spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem”; she was referring to the time when all of the Jews would once again be brought together as a nation. This would be similar to what we have stated Simeon was doing.

Here we are a little over a month and a week since Jesus was born. Mary and Joseph are following the Law and Tradition of the Jews. They had Jesus circumcised on the eight day. This was the seal of the Abrahamic Covenant between God and Abraham in Genesis 17: 4-12 (NIV):

 "As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham,^] for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God."

 Then God said to Abraham, "As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring.

Then they took Jesus for dedication in the temple at the end of the purification period for Mary, where they offered the required sacrifice to the priest.

Note that Mary and Joseph gave what the law required, two doves or two young pigeons. This was the requirement for the woman who couldn’t afford a young lamb. Now this is something some have pointed to in saying Mary and Joseph were poor; however, not being able to afford the price of a young lamb doesn’t necessarily mean they were poor. It has been over a month, so it seems they have remained and established residence in Bethlehem. This trip and stay may have depleted whatever money they had with them on arrival. They certainly appear to be making a new home in Bethlehem, for we will find them still living there in a house when the Magi arrive.

This sacrifice also indicates the Magi had not yet visited because if so they most certainly would have bought a young lamb from the treasures the Magi gave them.