JESUS' BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD

 

horizontal rule

Lecture Objectives:

To show that the incidents surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ were not ordinary. That His birth was the subject of men who lived centuries before Him. That the events and incidents relating to His birth are not myth, but are based on reliable historical fact.

References:

2 Peter 1.16ff; Matthew 1; Luke 3; Isaiah 9/6; Gen.12.1-3; Micah 5.2

Questions For Focus:

1. What is a myth?

2. Are "beginning facts" crucial to the authenticity of Christianity?

3. What two sources have any validity at all?

4. What is the significance of "42 generations" to the birth of Jesus?

5. What incidents played a part in the "foreknowledge" of the birth of Christ?

6. What circumstances relating to His advent were contrary to His birth's taking place at all?

 

horizontal rule

I. INTRODUCTION


    How do you feel when you meet someone who was born in your hometown, who was in the same size of family, went to your school, have some of the same friends as you have, etc? But, how do you feel when that person is elevated by some circumstance like a friend who becomes president of a country? You can identify with Jesus through some common experiences. But, several significant circumstances elevate Him beyond the ordinary.

 

II. HIS BIRTH

     

  1. Surface facts surrounding the birth of Jesus.

    • He was born in the reign of the Roman Emperor Augustus (43 B.C. - 14 A.D.).

    • He was born in the Jewish city of Bethlehem of Judea.

    • He was the first born of a family of four other brothers and some unnamed sisters.

    • His mother and father were named Mary and Joseph.

    • The Jewish King Herod considered the infant Jesus a future threat to his throne and enacted a campaign to kill him.
  2. Read these New Testament passages in the left column and match them with the five facts just listed on the birth of Jesus in the right column.

    • Luke 2.4-5 Fact 1

    • Luke 2.4 Fact 2

    • Matthew 2.1-3; 16 Fact 3

    • Luke 2.1 Fact 4

    • Luke 2.6-7; Mark 6.3 Fact 5
  3. Deeper facts surrounding the birth of Jesus

    • His birth had been predicted in detail centuries earlier by Old Testament prophets.

    • His birth, as well as the pregnancy of His mother, was entirely natural and ordinary.

    • His ordinary birth began in an extraordinary way.

    • His extraordinary predicted birth and conception add credence to the latter claims of divine uniqueness.

    • His extraordinary birth is consistent with later extraordinary activities.
  4. Reaffirm for yourself by examining the historical evidence. Examine the scripture and the statement.

    • Matthew 11.1-5 - (Matthew 1.1; 5.6) - It was predicted an extraordinary descendent would be born of Jesse/David, who lived over 1,000 years B.C.

    • Micah 5.2 - (Matthew 2.1,5,6) - It was predicted in the 8th century B.C. that God's ruler was to be born in Bethlehem.

    • Isaiah 7.14 - (Matthew 1.22-23) - It was predicted in 740 B.C. that His mother was to be a virgin and His name would be called Immanuel.

    • Isaiah 9.6-7 - It was predicted that the child would be born with divine designation.

    • Matthew 1.18-23 - His conception was extraordinary, a divine act of God.

    • Luke 2.8-14ff - Matthew 2.1-12 - His birth was celebrated in extraordinary ways.

 

III. HIS GROWING UP YEARS

     

  1. If there were extraordinary events surrounding His birth, His childhood is passed over with little mention. However, from age 12 through 30 these were not dormant years. Jesus was learning like us all during this time.
  2. Some things he was learning:
    • He was developing like other children (Luke 2.40,51). wisdom intellectually stature physically God religiously man socially
    • Luke 4.16 - Learning to read.
    • John 8.6 - Learning to write.
    • Mark 6.3 - Learning His trade.

    		Learning to observe His world.

    • "Fox" - Matthew 8.12

    • "Lilies/poppies" - Luke 12.27

    • Farmers - Luke 8

    • Neighbors who loose things - Luke 15

    • Luke 6.3 - Learning to live in a family.
  3. Every parent and child can find direction and encouragement in the model childhood of Jesus.

 

IV. CONCLUSIONS

     

  1. In the ordinary aspects of Jesus' birth and childhood each of us can find identity, familiarity, even approachability to Jesus. He is like us, one with ius and could easily become a friend or brother.
  2. In the extraordinary aspect of Jesus' birth, we are confronted with the thought of deity. We are called to look out of ourselves, to look beyond the ordinary, and to look up to someone who was the suggested qualities of deity. Such qualities inspire us to awe, by one who speaks with spiritual authority.