Dysmey Post > Essays > Faith and Religion > The Birth of Jesus Christ

The Birth of Jesus Christ

The Story

New International Version	New American Standard Bible
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests. 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. — Luke 2:1-20 NIV	Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. (This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased. When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us. So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them. — Luke 2:1-20 NASB

New International Version

New American Standard Bible

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.

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.

— Luke 2:1-20 NIV

Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. (This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city.

Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.

When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.

So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

— Luke 2:1-20 NASB

The Study

In this study of the story of Jesus' birth I will refer to the text by paragraphs, of which there are six. (The angels' praises are part of paragraph four.)

1. Caesar Augustus issues his first census decree (Greek δογμα [dogma]) in 9-8 B.C.
2. It takes awhile for a Roman census to work its way through the empire, refered to as η οικουμενη, the inhabited (earth) [ecumenical].
3. By the time it reached the Levant, Publius Sulpicius Quirinius started the first of his two terms as legate, or governor (ηγεμων [hegemony]), of Syria, in 7 B.C.
4. Quirinius' other term was in 6 A.D.: After Archelaus, the son of Herod the Great and ruler of Judea, was deposed as a tyrant, Quirinius had to rule Judea as part of Syria until it could be established as a Roman province.

1. As the emphasis of the birth story of Jesus is on Joseph, the genealogy in Matthew 1:1-16 belongs to Joseph as proof that he is of the royal line of David. Luke focuses on Mary, so the genealogy in Luke 3:23-38 belongs to her as proof of her descent from David through a collateral branch: Ιωσηφ του Ηλι comes out properly as Joseph [son-in-law] of Eli, Mary's father. It is not unusual for a father-in-law to regard his son-in-law as a son. In fact, in Japanese family law today, a man marrying the daughter of a sonless family becomes a legal son and heir, even so far as to take on the wife's family name.
2. The point of item above is that, as both Joseph and Mary are descendants of David, they were both required under Roman law to report to the birthplace of David, Bethlehem, in order to enroll in the census.
3. Refer to Luke 1:35-37 for how Mary got to be pregnant, and Matthew 1:18-25 for the story of Joseph's reaction and acceptance of Mary's pregnancy.
4. Evidently a lot of people claimed descent from David for Joseph to be forced to take up lodging in a barn. Either that, or Joseph was too poor to afford lodging, as a landless artisan who could provide only two doves as purification offerings (Luke 2:24).
5. As for Mary, the time came for her to give birth, and so Jesus was born. Babies after birth were swaddled — wrapped snugly in a cloth square and two or more cloth bands to restrict their limbs. It was thought to bring about good posture. It surely helped keep the Child from rolling out of the trough His mother had to put Him in.

1. It is this Baby so swaddled and lying in a trough that the messenger of the Almighty revealed as a sign to shepherds in the fields near town — after they got over their terror of being enveloped by the glory of God.
2. Χριστος is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew חשימ, or anointed one. Kings and prophets were anointed (smeared on the head) with olive oil as a sign that their office had been granted to them by God. And Jesus came pre-anointed.

1. The 'host' was an army (στρατιον [strategy]) straight out of heaven, which would be an even more awe-inspiring sight to the shepherds than that single messenger would be.
2. Their song was like this:
  Δοξα εν υψιστιος θεῳ
  και επι γης ειρηνη εν ανθρωποις ευδοκιας
3. The ευδοκια is the state in which God has a good (ευ) opinion (δοξα) of someone. Anyone of whom God thinks well has entered His rest. This does not apply to the whole human race, as this verse in the Authorized Version implies.

1. The news of the baby Messiah gets around quickly as these shepherds first find the Baby, then spread the good news (making them the first evangelists) about the Baby, then return to work, still praising God.
2. You will find in Luke that Mary does a lot of συντηρειν and συνβαλλειν as far as events about her Son are concerned. The former means she keeps those events preserved in her mind. The latter means she thinks about those events, turning them over in her mind to discern what they might mean. Evidently Mary has a good mind.

Legal Stuff

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Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.

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Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®. Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Written by Andy West on 24 December 2008