Jesus' Birth I. Setting the Scene A. The hope of Israel 1. In the wilderness, God established Israel as His people (Exodus 19ff) 2. Brought them into the land of Canaan, dispossessed many enemies (Joshua) 3. Not all enemies removed; period of Judges, tempestuous days (Judges) 4. Kingship established-- Saul did not do too well, kingdom given to David; God promises that one would always be on David's throne (1-2 Samuel; cf. 2 Samuel 7) 5. Solomon builds Temple; kingdom divided after him (1 Kings) 6. Because of idolatry, other sin, both Israel and Judah exiled; Israel never returns, a remnant of Judah does return (2 Kings, Ezra 1) 7. Remnant rebuilds Temple, Jerusalem, yet do not rule themselves 8. The Holy Spirit, for a time, no longer speaks directly to people after Malachi 9. Persian empire, Alexander the Great, Ptolemies, Seleucids 10. Antiochus IV Epiphanes: makes Sabbath observance, circumcision, observance of Law of Moses illegal; desecrates Temple 11. Family of Levites, the Maccabees, rise in revolt (ca. 167 BCE)-- eventually free much of Israel from the Seleucids 12. Also called Hasmonean rulers, they end up becoming the very thing they were originally trying to overthrow-- Hellenizing rulers 13. During succession dispute ca. 63 BCE, Romans get involved-- Pompey enters Jerusalem, declares all Judea as part of Roman Empire 14. Rulership falls to an Idumean (Edomite) family-- Herod the Great 15. In days of Herod the Great, great expectation of that branch of David that was to rise up and restore the kingdom of Israel 16. Great desire to be rid of the Romans, be free as they had been 60 years earlier B. God's eternal plan 1. Meanwhile, another plan in the works (Ephesians 3:11) 2. From the beginning, when man sinned, realization of need for redemption (Genesis 3:15ff) 3. After Fall, Flood, Tower of Babel, God chooses one man-- Abraham (Genesis 4-12) 4. Abraham would receive promise: in his seed, all nations of earth blessed (Genesis 22:18, Galatians 3:16) 5. God's people Israel given the law, the tutor/school master until the promise would be revealed and made incarnate (Galatians 3:21-25) 6. The day of that salvation was coming near, and the faith and the promise would be fully revealed (cf. 2 Corinthians 6:2) C. Both of these hopes and expectations converged in the days of Herod the Great with the birth of a child-- Jesus of Nazareth! D. Let us consider Jesus' birth II. Jesus' Birth A. Expectations were growing at the end of first century BCE 1. The Spirit was again directly speaking with people (Simeon, Luke 2:25-26; Anna, Luke 2:36-38), and the message was that the Christ was coming in their generation 2. The angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah the priest, declares to him that he will have a son, and the child will be filled with the Holy Spirit, will be the promised Elijah, and will prepare the way for the Lord (Luke 1:8-23) 3. The time was near! B. The Announcement (Annunciation) 1. Six months later, ca. 6/5 BCE, the angel Gabriel visits Mary, a virgin betrothed to Joseph the carpenter, a man of the house of David (Luke 1:26-27) 2. Mary a peasant girl around 13 or14 years old; Joseph likely in his early 20s or so 3. Angel declares to her that she has found favor before God-- Holy Spirit will come upon her, she will conceive a child whom she shall name Jesus (Luke 1:28-31) 4. This Jesus will be the Son of the Most High, the One who would receive the throne of David, of whose Kingdom there would be no end (Luke 1:32-33) 5. While Mary is often over-emphasized, glorified beyond her station, she nevertheless is a wonderful example of faith 6. To be pregnant out of wedlock a possible capital offense, at least a source of great shame (Matthew 1:19) 7. A reproach that would last as long as she and He lived 8. Nevertheless, she has the faith to be the servant of the Lord and to carry the Lord (Luke 1:38) 9. Gabriel visits Joseph, assures him that the child is of God, and he shows the faith to consent to still marry her (Matthew 1:19-24) C. Expectations 1. Mary spends time with Elizabeth, Zechariah's wife, her relative (Luke 1:39-45) 2. Mary magnifies God-- demonstration of how God exalts the humble, humbles the lowly, fulfills His promises (Luke 1:46-55, the Magnificat) 3. Zechariah and Elizabeth have their son John; Zechariah filled with Spirit, prophesies the redemption and deliverance that would be accomplished through the Christ, how John will be a prophet, will prepare the way for the Christ, to provide light in the darkness (Luke 1:57-79) D. The Birth of Jesus, ca. 4 BCE 1. Because of census, Joseph and Mary must travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem (Luke 2:1-5) 2. On an unknown day, probably in spring or fall, labor comes upon Mary-- no room to stay anywhere, so she gives birth to Jesus and lays Him in a manger 3. Gabriel announces to shepherds the good news of the birth of Jesus the Christ (Luke 2:8-20) 4. Some time later, wise men from the East come to see the King of the Jews who was born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1-12) 5. Forty days later (after circumcision and purification-- Leviticus 12:1-4, Luke 2:21-22), Joseph and Mary present Jesus at the Temple (Exodus 13:2, 12; Luke 2:22-23) 6. They offered as a sacrifice the two turtle-doves or pigeons, indicating their poverty status (Leviticus 12:6-8, Luke 2:24) 7. Simeon, to whom the Spirit promised that he would see the Christ before he would die, came to the Temple, took Jesus in his arms, declares that he can now die in peace, for he has seen God's salvation, a light of revelation to Gentiles, glory for Israel (Luke 2:25-32), indicates to Mary how Jesus will be the cause of rising and falling of many, an opposing sign so that thoughts will be revealed, and that her own soul will be pierced (Luke 2:33-35) 8. Anna the prophetess also there, gave thanks to God, spoke of Jesus to all waiting for redemption of Jerusalem (Luke 2:36-38) E. Thus the Word became flesh on earth (John 1:1, 14) III. Implications of the Incarnation A. The amazing power of God at work in the Incarnation of Jesus the Christ! B. Jesus, the Incarnate Word 1. John 1:1, 14 indicates that the Word was God, was with God, all things created through Him, and that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among man 2. Jesus is this Word, both God and man 3. He is born, made Incarnate, through Mary and the Holy Spirit 4. How this happened is unknown, will remain unknown 5. Powerful reality that hits home: God needing a diaper change 6. Recent song, Immanuel, God With Us by C.E. Couchman: "hands that lighted the evening stars / reach out for comfort in Mary's arms" 7. Definitely indicates the "humiliation" described in Philippians 2:5-11! C. The Unexpected Messiah 1. Considering all the hopes and expectations for the Christ as made evident in the Law and the prophets, this was not the way it was supposed to happen! 2. The King born to a peasant carpenter and his teenage wife 3. The Lord born in a manger, of all places? 4. The Lord to grow up in Nazareth, a proverbial backwater (cf. John 1:46)? 5. The Christ to be uneducated in letters (cf. John 7:15)? 6. Sure, Jesus has the attestation of the angel Gabriel, is born in the right place at the right time by the right type of woman, but this was totally not what was expected! 7. While Jesus has come to fulfill all the promises made, this begins to demonstrate that He does not do so as expected 8. His message is one of humility, one that overthrows conventional wisdom and standard practice, and a Kingdom like no other (Matthew 20:25-28, 1 Corinthians 1:19-21) 9. This is all made evident in the nature of His birth! IV. Conclusion A. All the promises and hopes since the Garden are now beginning their fulfillment in Jesus of Nazareth B. We have seen the circumstances surrounding His birth C. The beginning of the fulfillment of the hope of Israel and God's eternal plan D. It certainly is not what was expected, and it is a foretaste of what will come with His preaching and teaching regarding the Kingdom E. Let us praise God for the Incarnate Christ, and find salvation in His name! F. Invitation/songbook