Do Not Go Beyond God's Revelation About Jesus

We are discussing the very difficult chapter 7 of Hebrews. Our focus during the past two postings has been upon the writer's comparison of King Melchizedek to Christ.

He (Melchizedek) is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever. - Hebrews 7:3 ESV (cf. Gen. 14:18-20)

Melchizedek is not a descendant or child of Abraham. Yet he receives "a tenth of the spoils" from Abraham (Hebrews 7:4). In a sense, you might say that the priestly clan of Levi and his sons were present when Abraham gave Melchizedek those tithes. They were, after all, descendants of Abraham inasmuch as they were one of the 12 tribes descended from Abraham's grandson Israel (Jacob). Consequently it is also proper to say that the priests (Levites) were inferior in rank to Melchizedek since they paid tithes through Abraham (Hebrews 7:6-10).

One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him. - Hbr 7:9-10 ESV 

It follows then that Melchizedek who was both priest and king is superior in rank to Levi. This is why Christ is correctly compared to Melchizedek. Christ is also both priest and king, but descended from the tribe of Judah, a tribe about which Moses said nothing having to do with priests. So in King David's words,

The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, "You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek." - Psa 110:4 ESV

Now if you have hung with me this far—and with this letter to the Hebrews—you know that we must settle the question of Jesus' humanity. We've already recognized that He is and was the holy Son of God from all eternity, begotten (not created) before all created things. By Him and from Him all things were created.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. - Jhn 1:1-3 ESV

But He is also true Man, born of the Virgin Mary.  He must be fully and completely human (descended from Adam) if He is to stand under God's judgment upon Adam and his progeny.

For as in Adam all die . . . - 1Cr 15:22 ESV 

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned-- - Rom 5:12 ESV

So the huge and seemingly impossible challenge: how can the Christ who is the holy Son of God from all eternity be also the Son of Man who will die our death and not inherit the sinful nature of His human father Adam?

Answer: the Virgin Birth !

And here is where where some attempt to explain Jesus' ancestry by resorting to our current understanding of the creation of a human. They speak about cell mitosis and meiosis, the 23 pairs of chromosomes that are needed for new human life, the development of human blood, etc. They go on to explain that Jesus inherited Adam's nature, but not his sinfulness. This, they say, is because

. . . the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life. - Lev 17:11 NIV

But that single Bible verse does not speak about Adam's sinful nature. Any attempt to make it say that is an example of reading things into a text.  I am very leery of this sort of thing and you should be as well, because such a use of God's Word goes far beyond what the Word has revealed about the mystery of the Incarnation. The Apostle teaches us humility as he writes,

Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory. - 1Ti 3:16 NIV

The primary points to be remembered:

• In Christ God has appeared in human flesh
• Christ's incarnation was accomplished through the Virgin Mary
• Whether Mary remained a Virgin is an open question, despite the view of the Roman Catholic church and others that she remained a Virgin even in giving birth to Jesus
• Jesus was of Adam's race according to the flesh (see especially his lineage in Luke 3:23-38 and Matt. 1:1-17)
• Though Jesus was born of the "Seed of David according to the flesh" (Rom. 1:3), he did not inherit Adam's sinful nature

Beyond this we must not go. You may harbor private opinions and conclusions, but we must not attempt to make God reveal details about Jesus' birth that He has chosen to keep to Himself. Questions of when Jesus' human spirit or soul were created will also remain a mystery that is not revealed. The question about when or how any human soul is created is another question that has long been argued and tossed about. I'm not going to open it up here either. 

For now let us concentrate upon the primary facts lifted up by Hebrews 7. Jesus is our permanent and eternal priest. He is holy, blameless and pure, exalted above the heavens. He sacrificed Himself for our sins, once for all mankind. It is finished.We have a Great High Priest who pleads for all of us sinners before the judgment throne of God. In Him we are forgiven and secure. To Him be all glory. 

More on this as we go further into this wondrous letter. 

Jesus Had To Be Born Of The Virgin Mary

When you and I read the following chapter of Hebrews about this strange person, Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of the Most High God, we are left with a long list of questions about who he was and why the writer to the Hebrews speaks about him in the way that he does. Here's how he starts, after declaring that Jesus is a high priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 6:20).

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever. See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! - Hbr 7:1-4 ESV

We've read about Melchizedek earlier in Hebrews 5 when the author pointed out that the heavenly Father begat Jesus as His Son in the eternal today when He said,

"You are my Son, today I have begotten you" (Psalm 2:7). 

And again we read about David's Lord who sits at the right hand of the LORD,

The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, "You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek." - Psa 110:4 ESV

Now, very seriously believing that the Psalms are the revealed Word of the LORD God, the writer begins to explain who this mysterious king of Salem is and why it is so important to realize that Jesus is a priest "after the order of Melchizedek". This priestly king is, after all, only mentioned in Holy Scripture one time. As the writer emphasizes, we know nothing about who he was beyond that. We know nothing about his lineage, his background, who  his parents were, how he came to be the king of Salem (later Jeru-salem)—nothing. We only know that Abraham presented him with a tithe after he returned from the slaughter of the kings (Gen. 14:18-20).

His first point: resembling the Son of God Melchizedek continues a priest forever. Here we encounter the mystery of Jesus as understood and taught by the Christian church. Jesus received His divine nature from His Father in eternity. He was begotten, not made, as our creeds clearly teach. He is not a creature who has had a beginning in time. Indeed, Scripture says of Him,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. - John 1:1-3 ESV

All things came into being through Him and apart from Him nothing—nothing—came into being! He is God. He is the Word! He is the Creator of all things!

But He is also Man, born of the Virgin Mary. Of this wonder the Scriptures also speak.

Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, "Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven." But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test." And he said, "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. - Isa 7:10-14 ESV

The Gospel of Matthew has this about Joseph's dream the night after he learned that Mary was pregnant:

But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us). - Mat 1:20-23 ESV

Two questions:

1. How could a virgin conceive? 
2. How could a virgin bear a son and remain a virgin? 

Humanly speaking, it is impossible for a virgin to conceive. A human is the product of the union of male seed and female egg. And yet Jesus' conception was from the Holy Spirit. The Spirit spoke about this in a later chapter of the prophet Isaiah.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. - Isa 9:6 ESV

A child is born—this refers to Jesus' birth and His humanity. He was the divine Son of God from all eternity. Now the Father sent His Son from heaven. (Jn. 3:16, 6:39, 12:49). Here we come upon the wonder and mystery of Jesus, true God from eternity and also true Man, born of the virgin Mary.

Did Jesus need the virgin birth to be sinless? No, he was already sinless as the eternal Son of God before His birth. The angel pointed this out to Mary when he told her she was to become Jesus' mother.

And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." 

And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" 

And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. - Luk 1:30-35 ESV

Jesus was and is holy and without sin. He was holy before His conception in Mary's womb. He did not need her to be holy and sinless. She was the vehicle by which He entered this world, but His holiness was and is not dependent upon her holiness. That raises, of course, another question. Did the Holy Spirit use Mary's egg to create Jesus' humanity? I'll come back to that question next time.

Part of the answer to this question rests in another strange Biblical prophecy dating all the way back to the Garden of Eden. After Eve and Adam had fallen for the temptation of the serpent the LORD said to the serpent,

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel." - Gen 3:15 NKJV

The Hebrew word for seed is zera, a word that refers both to offspring and to the physical seed that the man passes on. The prophecy is made only of the zera of the woman, as if a woman by herself could have offspring. But this is impossible. No woman can bear a child by herself. She has no zera. She brings rather an egg, not the seed, the zera that fertilizes the egg. No woman ever bore a son alone—until Mary bore Jesus, the Son who destroyed the power of the devil to accuse mankind of sin (2 Cor. 5:18-21; 1 Pet. 2:22).

We need to look at this from the perspective that Adam was

• representative or head of all mankind and 
• bore the physical seed in which mankind's sinful nature is passed on 

Let us start with the representative concept. The Apostle Paul teaches clearly that it was by Adam that sin entered into the world of mankind. As noted, this is the understanding that Adam is the head or representative of the entire human race. He did not reject the temptation of the devil. He ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Therefore when Adam sinned the entire race fell. The Apostle writes about this.

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned-- - Rom 5:12 ESV

Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. - Rom 5:14 ESV 

For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. - 1Cr 15:21-22 ESV

There are many examples in the Scriptures of one person who is the head of a family or a people making a decision that touches all. So we read of Noah cursing his grandson Canaan.

When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, he said, "Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers." - Gen 9:24-25 ESV

Strangely, Canaan wasn't directly involved in what his father Ham had done. Instead of covering Noah's nakedness when he was drunk, Ham went out and told his two brothers, apparently mocking his father. As a result, Noah pronounced a curse on Ham's sons, a curse that fell on Canaan and his descendants.

The same thing happened to Esau when he sold his birthright to Jacob (Gen. 25:31-34). All of his descendants were thus excluded from the blessing of the promise given to Abraham and passed on to Isaac, then Jacob and their descendants (Gen. 28:1-4).

So from this viewpoint no descendant of Adam could possibly rescue mankind from the curse of sin. In Adam all die ! And yet, if mankind is to be rescued it must be that one who is truly a man must bear the  judgment of death for all. But who could do this? And how?

Here we come back to the virgin birth and the necessity of the virgin birth of Jesus. More on this next time.

How Can Christ Be Both God And Man?

"You've changed," my wife said to me. "You used to be . . . " She then went on to describe how my views of people and of life are different now than they used to be. And yet I am still the same person—or do I just think I am? I suppose it depends partly on what I mean by the term person. Has my person changed? Do I have a different person-ality than I did 20,30, even 40 years ago? We do believe people can and do change, do we not?

I speak about this in order to introduce the many, many ways people have thought about Jesus over the years. No one denies that he lived in the first century of what is called the Christian—or some say common—era (CE). No one denies that he has had universal influence. But who is he? Or, as some say, who was he? Here's a partial list of what people have decided about Jesus. I'll skip the fancy Greek or Latin terms applied to the various items listed.

• the promised Messiah, but only a man
• one of the great prophets, but only a man
• God, but appearing to be human
• an ordinary man, son of Mary and Joseph, adopted by God as His Son at Jesus' baptism
• a holy man reincarnated as all are across the ages
• truly a man, but also a god created by the heavenly Father in the beginning of all things
• one person to be sure, but a person with both human and divine natures
• God who merely used a human body like a garment—not really a human
• God with one person, one substance, one nature
• truly a man with a human nature and truly God with divine subsistence or nature

Confused yet? What do you believe about Jesus? Who is he? Who is he to you? Is he but one of the many holy people to whom you may pray? Is he one of the many gods created by the one true God? You and I really need to get this straight, because our eternal destiny depends upon it—or at least that's what most Christians insist. Which point in the list above is the one you chose? Or do you feel I'm nit-picking and trying to confuse you? Let's take a look at but a couple Bible verses.

Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. - Isa. 7:10-13 ESV

Notice that the virgin is to conceive and bear a son. Except that the child was to be conceived by a virgin, he was to be born in the normal manner. He was to be a man child, a human. However, the prophecy tells us that his name is to be Immanuel, a Hebrew name meaning El (God) immanu (with us). The virgin gave birth to "God with us".  This same note is picked up by the Apostle Paul. 

For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. Rom. 9:3-5 ESV

Jesus' human nature is described according to his ancestry. He is a Jew and the promised Messiah of the Jews, descended from the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And yet he is "God over all, blessed forever." Here in Romans Paul openly declares Jesus to be God. Paul ascribes divinity to Jesus again in his letter to Corinthian believers. 

None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 1 Cor. 2:8 ESV

The man Jesus was put on the cross. He suffered a horrible death there and was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. And yet Paul gives him a divine or godly title, "The Lord of glory"! In this manner he makes it clear that Christ's true divinity and his true humanity did not change even a little during his suffering and crucifixion. And he emphasizes the same thing in his talk to the elders or pastors at Miletus.

Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. Acts 20:28 ESV

Their congregations are part of the "church of God"! and yet God obtained the church with his own blood. Blood is a human thing. Jesus was truly human and yet Paul openly declares him to be God! Thus the blood is God's blood. Jesus is truly God and truly man. This is why it is perfectly biblical and accurate to say that "God died" upon the cross.

God's Word reveals Christ as fully and completely Man and fully and completely God. Great indeed is the revealed mystery here, a mystery that we cling to in faith, because we believe that Christ, true man and true God, died for us and thus set us free from all condemnation.

More on this next time.

Blessed Mary The Pure Virgin

The virgin birth of Jesus is a critical part of the Gospel. It cannot be removed without destroying the Gospel itself. In Holy Scripture you find the following references to the birth of Jesus by the Virgin Mary. What follows them are the statements about the Virgin Mary and the birth of  Jesus in the Lutheran Confessions.

First Holy Scripture.  

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. - Luke 1:26-31 ESV 

And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him. Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. - Luke 2:40-45 ESV 

. . . And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. But turning to them Jesus said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!' Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us,' and to the hills, 'Cover us.' For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?" Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. - Luke 23:23-38 ESV 

While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. (Some manuscripts insert verse 47: Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak to you”). But he replied to the man who told him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." - Matt 12:46-50 ESV 

On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you. . . " - John 2:1-11 ESV 

All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. - Acts 1:14 ESV 

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh - Rom 1:1-3 ESV 

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, - 2 Tim 2:8 ESV

And next, the Lutheran Confessions

Augsburg Confession III, 1

“Likewise it is taught that God the Son became a human being, born of the pure Virgin Mary, and that the two natures, the divine and the human are so inseparably united in one person that there is one Christ.” 

Smalcald Articles I-4

“That the Son became a human being in this way: he was conceived by the Holy Spirit without male participation and was born of the pure, holy Virgin (Latin: always virgin) Mary.”

Apology (AP) XXI 2

“These jackasses do not see that in Jerome’s controversy with Vigilantius* there is not a syllable about invocation [of the saints]. He speaks about honoring the saints, not about invoking them. Nor do the rest of the ancient writers prior to Gregory I mention invocation. Such invocation, together with the theories that the opponents now teach about the application of merits, clearly lacks the support of the ancient writers.” **

AP XXI 25, 27

Here and there this form of absolution has come into use: “The passion of our Lord Jesus Christ and the merits of the most blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints be to you for the forgiveness of sins. . .” (cf. the medieval indulgences doctrine)

“Now we grant that the blessed Mary prays for the church. But she does not receive souls in death, conquer death, or give life, does she? What does Christ do if the blessed Mary performs all these things? Even though she is worthy of the highest honor, nevertheless she does not want herself to be made equal with Christ but instead wants us to consider and follow her example. . .” 

AP XXVII 53

“Thus the Dominicans invented the rosary of the blessed Virgin which is mere babbling (Matt. 6:7), as foolish as it is wicked; it nourishes a false confidence. This wickedness, too, is used only for making money.” 

Formula of Concord (FC), Epitome VIII 10-12

“Therefore, we believe, teach, and confess that God is a human being and a human being is God. That could not be if the divine and human natures had absolutely no communion with each other in fact and in truth. For how could the human being, Mary’s son, be called, or be, the Son of the most high God in truth if his humanity was not personally united with God’s Son, in reality, that is in fact and in truth, but instead shared only the name “God” with him? 

“Therefore, we believe, teach and confess that Mary did conceive and give birth to a child who was merely, purely, simply human, but she gave birth to the true Son of God. Therefore she is rightly called and truly is the Mother of God.”

FC VIII 24

“Because of this personal union and communion of the natures, Mary, the most blessed Virgin, gave birth not to a mere, ordinary human being, but instead to a human being who is truly the Son of God the Most High, as the angel testifies. He demonstrated his divine majesty in his mother’s womb, in that he was born of a virgin without violating her virginity. Therefore, she remained truly the Mother of God and at the same time a virgin.” 

FC XII 1

Intolerable teachings in the Church

1. That Christ did not receive his body and blood from the Virgin Mary but brought them with him from heaven.

FC, SD VII

“In the tract On the Last Words of David, which Dr. Luther wrote shortly before his death, he says, “According to the second, temporal, human birth Christ was also given the eternal dominion of God, yet temporally and not from eternity. For the human nature of Christ was not from eternity as his divine nature was. It is computed that Jesus, Mary’s son, is 1,543 years old this year. But from that moment when deity and humanity were united in one person, the Human Being, Mary’s Son, is and is called almighty, eternal God, who has eternal dominion, who has created all things and preserves them per communicationem idiomatium [through sharing of characteristics] because he is one person with the Godhead and is also very God.”  

______________

As I noted above, the virgin birth of our Lord Jesus is a vital part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I pray that these notes will strengthen your faith in this wondrous Good News that came to all men on that first Christmas as the angels sang, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" - Luke 2:14 ESV

Christmas Questions

In my last post I referred to the magi, the wise men from the east who did not return to King Herod to tell him about the Christ Child. I posted the following information about them, the slaughter of the infants and other details of the Christmas story some years back, in another blog. All of it deserves to be repeated. That blog was in response to several detailed questions offered by Sam, a newsman friend who always seeks the facts. 

Sam asked,

As I recall, only Matthew mentions the magi. However, he doesn’t say they are kings or how many made the journey. Popular opinion seems to have settled on 3 magi, probably because only 3 gifts are mentioned, but those were expensive gifts at the time, so several magi may have chipped in to buy them.

One of the OT prophecies that spoke about kings bringing gifts to the newborn king.

May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render (the king) tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts! May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him! - Psa 72:10-11 ESV

After several centuries the church became convinced that the magi were themselves kings. There is no hard evidence however. And certainly no evidence one way or another as to how many magi there were.

Next question. 

Only Matthew mentions Herod’s slaughter of the innocents and reports that Mary, Joseph and Jesus fled to Egypt. Several existing records from those times chronicle many of Herod's misdeeds and murders, but from what I understand, there is no historical evidence of any massive slaughter of male infants up to 2 years of age in that period or area.

We rely strongly on the historian Josephus for the extra-biblical history of that era. Josephus wrote with a strong Jewish bias, so one would hardly expect him to discuss this event. Moreover, Matthew is a totally reliable first century document, proven in many other ways to be so. Since Herod was so paranoid about someone wanting to replace him as king, the command to murder a few infants in the nothing town of Bethlehem would hardly be noticed. This is just another instance of what happened frequently. 

Next question.

Meanwhile, only Luke mentions the angels appearing to shepherds in the field to announce the birth of Jesus, which over the years has caused debate of exactly what time of year He was born. (Historical evidence seems to indicate that the early church may have picked December to compete with a pagan holiday).

No one really knows when Jesus was born. Sheep would ordinarily be penned up in December, because there's no grass and its too cold. What is known is that when Constantine recognized the Christian faith as official early in the 4th century, Christian leaders set the date to December 25. This was indeed an attempt to eclipse a popular pagan holiday in Rome (Saturnalia) that celebrated the winter solstice. Nothing wrong with that. Some have said that Dec. 25 is exactly nine months after the church celebrates the Feast of the Annunciation, March 25, the celebration of Jesus incarnation in Mary's womb. The Catholic encyclopedia elaborates in this manner:

"All Christian antiquity (against all astronomical possibility) recognized the 25th of March as the actual day of Our Lord's death. The opinion that the Incarnation also took place on that date is found in the pseudo-Cyprianic work "De Pascha Computus", c. 240. It argues that the coming of Our Lord and His death must have coincided with the creation and fall of Adam. And since the world was created in spring, the Saviour was also conceived and died shortly after the equinox of spring . . ."

Of course, based upon the Gospels' accounts of Jesus' crucifixion, the church has followed the practice of observing Holy Week and Easter in Spring, based upon the floating Jewish Passover holiday.

Next question.

Of all the books in the New Testament, I think only Matthew and Luke mention a virgin birth.

You are correct. Those are the only two books that mention it, but they do so to indicate that it was a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. In our day the virgin birth has been under serious attack, leading to the denial of Jesus' resurrection and even his divinity. As Albert Mohler writes, 

"Christians must face the fact that a denial of the virgin birth is a denial of Jesus as the Christ. The Savior who died for our sins was none other than the baby who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, and born of a virgin. The virgin birth does not stand alone as a biblical doctrine; it is an irreducible part of the biblical revelation about the person and work of Jesus Christ. With it, the Gospel stands or falls."

Further, I must point out that we Lutherans emphasize that doctrine is one. To deny one part is to deny the entire teaching, especially since the Scriptures are the inspired Word of God. As we are seeing, many Christian leaders now deny not only the virgin birth, but also very Gospel itself. . 

Next question.

Luke has Mary and Joseph traveling from their home in Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea to comply with a Roman census, which historians claim defies known facts about how Rome kept track of its taxpayers.

I'm going to let Lutheran Pastor Richard P. Bucher, Th.D., answer this one. He seems to have done a good job of studying the issue:

"But what of the census that Luke 2:1 speaks of? Is there any record in history, outside of the Bible, that Augustus ever issued such a decree? Yes. As a matter of fact he authorized three censuses during this reign. How do we know this? The three censuses are listed in the Acts of Augustus, a list of what Augustus thought were the 35 greatest achievements of his reign. He was so proud of the censuses that he ranked them eighth on the list. The Acts of Augustus were placed on two bronze plaques outside of Augustus's mausoleum after he died. 

"The three censuses were in 28 B.C., 8 B.C., and 14 A.D. In all probability the one in 8 B.C. is the one the Luke mentions in the Christmas story. Even though scholarship normally dates Christ's birth between 4 and 7 B.C., the 8 B.C. census fits because in all likelihood it would have taken several years for the bureaucracy of the census to reach Palestine. For example, we know of a provincial census in Gaul that took 40 years to complete, though, admittedly, this is an extreme example. 

"The only apparent difficulty with identifying the census that Luke mentions in the Christmas story with the one in 8 B.C. is, ironically, something Luke seemingly intended to clarify the dating. He tells us in 2:2 "this was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governing Syria." Seems simple. All we have to do is find out exactly when Quirinius was governing Syria and then we will know exactly when the census was given, right? Right. But the problem is, according to records available to us; Quirinius was governor of Syria in 6-7 A.D. eleven years too late! 

"We know this because ancient historians have quite a bit to say about our man Quirinius. Roman historians Tacitus, Seutonius, and Dio Cassius, as well as Jewish historian Josephus all wrote of him.3 His full name was Publius Sulpicius Quirinius (d. 21 A.D.), who was what the Romans called a "new man." This means that he came to hold his political office on the basis of his own merits rather than by family tradition. It was through his military conquests in Cilicia and elsewhere that Quirinius had been exalted by the emperor to the holding of governor in Syria in 6-7 A.D. 

"The key to solving this alleged puzzle, is in the phrase "first census" in the sentence, 'This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governing Syria.' What does Luke mean by a first census? One theory offered is that the Greek word for 'first' (prote) is sometimes translated 'prior to' or 'before'. This is a viable solution because the Greek text of Luke 2:2 can indeed be translated, 'This census was before Quirinius was governing Syria.'"

Enough history! Study yourself what Dr. Bucher writes. He—and I—favor the above explanation. There is historical evidence.

As to Sam's final comment about the Holy Family returning to Nazareth, the Coptic Church has a long and ancient history of the Holy Family residing in Egypt.

We are not told by Matthew how long the Holy Family remained in Egypt, nor are we given any geographic information about their journey. Even the Nile River is not mentioned. Although the expanded tradition is largely based on written accounts, physical sites that have been popularly associated with the Holy Family also play an important role in supplying further details. Sites made sacred because they are believed to have been touched by the Holy Family often feature unusual physical features. Some of these include miraculous hand or foot prints of the Christ child, unusually shaped trees thought to have sheltered the Virgin, or healing springs where the family quenched their thirst. . . etc.

I thank Sam for raising these questions. I pray they help everyone to rejoice in the celebration of Jesus' birth.

VIRGIN TO GIVE BIRTH TO SON OF GOD!

Here's a sermon preached this Christmas Eve by my dear friend and fellow pastor, Rev. Dale Krueger of Kalamazoo, MI. May his meditation bless us all. He writes,

    It is not very often that an old retired preacher has the opportunity to proclaim the Good News on Christmas  Eve.   It was my privilege to preach and celebrate Holy Communion this evening with the people of St. Peter's Lutheran  in Three Rivers, MI.  May you all be blessed with the presence of Jesus the Messiah...who did what His name means...saved his people from their sins.   Blessed Christmass to all.  Love in Christ,  Pr. Dale

18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."22 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet (Isaiah 7:14 LXX):

23 "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,"which means, "God is with us."

24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife,25 but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus. St. Matthew 1:18-25

Our text is the stuff of which National Enquirer headlines are made. "Virgin to give birth to Son of God! Husband confirms that their betrothal has not been consummated!!" It's so bizarre that it's nearly unbelievable..that God should become a human. That God should love humankind so much that not only does he take upon himself human flesh, but that he also allows the world to crucify his Son in order to re-establish the relationship that humans had broken. The message of the virgin birth is that God became a human being to heal the brokenness of all human beings. The birth of Jesus was the most unique event in history, one of a kind, a never-before and never-since event. And this holy God continues to come to us.


In typical New Testament brevity the eight verses of our text tell the story of Joseph. Ah, but what these eight verses say. They are a smashing blow to all of us who think that "it was easier to believe" in Bible times. What do we know about Joseph? We know his father's name was Jacob. Jacob would have instituted the plans for the marriage of his son. He selected as a wife, the teen age daughter of a another man in Nazareth. It is not likely that prior to this stage, that Joseph and Mary were much acquainted. Romance didn't play a factor. So Jacob and Mary's father came to an agreement. Jacob paid the purchase price, the bride price, to Mary's father, with the understanding that Mary was a virgin. Upon completion of that transaction between the two fathers, Joseph and Mary were legally husband and wife, a relationship that could only be dissolved by divorce.


Now it was up to the families to arrange for the wedding ceremony. Betrothal for a virgin was about a year long. And so Joseph and Mary waited for the time when the families would arrange for the wedding celebration. After the wedding celebration, the husband and wife would actually consummate the marriage, both sexually and domestically. But before this could take place, we are told that Joseph observed that Mary was obviously pregnant. He knew the process of human reproduction as well as we do. It takes a man and a woman. And Joseph, our representative on the scene is quite naturally filled with perplexity and doubt. In his mind, this was clearly an illegitimate child in the womb of Mary.


Now what? We are told that Joseph was a righteous man. This means that he was a man who regulated his life by the standards of the law. Mary's condition seemed to make the fulfillment of the marriage an impossibility. Joseph appears to have two alternatives. He could have demanded the punishment demanded by the law in Deuteronomy (22:23-27) which required death by stoning for the guilty. But we do not know how rigidly that law was ever carried out in ancient Israel.


His other choice was the usual divorce procedure which was to give her a writ of divorce signed by two witnesses. She would be left in the disgrace of her father's house. Her father might even have to give her away to some poor man who had no bride price to pay. But just when he had resolved to do this, a messenger of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."


Joseph is asked to accept a seeming promiscuous conception without scruple. What were we saying about living in a time when it was easier to believe? How would you greet your teenage daughter if she came into the kitchen one morning with the announcement that an angel had appeared to her and had told her that she was going to be the mother of God's Son? These eight verses in the first chapter of Matthew tell the story so quickly that we may miss the demand that the first Christmas made of Joseph, that he believe. He did, but what made him believe?


What makes us believe that God has spoken to us? With Martin Luther we confess, "I believe that I cannot by my own reason and strength, believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him, but the Holy Ghost has called me by the gospel..." that is what it takes for us. And that is what it took for Joseph. He no doubt has reservations about the virgin birth. But when the Holy Spirit came to him through the message of the angel of the Lord in a dream, he believed. And to believe is to act, to do something, to obey the message of the Lord. Matthew records that when Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife to his home and set up housekeeping, but had no marital relations with her, he did not consummate the marriage sexually, until she had borne a son. But when the child was born, he named him Jesus.



There is nothing in Matthew's account about those events so familiar to us from Luke's Gospel. .a 90 mile journey to Bethlehem, the crowded conditions, the utter poverty, the angels and the shepherds. Matthew simply says that when Mary has borne a son, Joseph named him Jesus. Matthew tells us of a family of refugees that went to Egypt for safety. Even though it is not customary for Saviors to be refugees, Joseph believed. And what about those years of routine in the Nazareth carpenter's shop. Nothing there, that we know of, at least, to give vigor and substance to that early encounter with the angel of the Lord. After the search for the 12 year old Jesus "lost" in the temple, Joseph is never heard of again. Not one word spoken by this strong and silent man is recorded in Scripture.


Divine intervention is necessary to faith. No one can believe unless God's Spirit interprets God's message and actions. The Spirit of God spoke good news through the angel. "For the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." God keeps his word. To the ancient people of Israel, God spoke through the prophet Isaiah, "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us."(Isaiah 7:14) A miracle takes place in Bethlehem. Mary gives birth to a son. The ancient religions had men becoming gods, but none had god descending to become a man. We Christians celebrate not so much the birthday of Jesus, but the incarnation of our God.



No one denies that Mary had a baby boy. No one says that the baby's name wasn't Jesus. Jews and Moslems and unbelievers alike, acknowledge that the baby Jesus was probably born in poverty in the village of Bethlehem. But with Joseph, we believe that this baby in the donkey's feed box is our God. He is Emmanuel, God with us.


And it has been the Spirit of God working through the witness of preachers and teachers, parents and humble Christians, that has worked such faith in our hearts. He chooses to visit us, to assume our nature in order to show his love for us. The incarnation is the great teaching of Christmas. We confess that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father, and also true man, born of the virgin Mary, is our Lord. God had always, in an impersonal and powerful way, been in control of his universe. But now he comes in a very personal way into our hearts and homes. It would like a president coming to Three Rivers and visiting you in your home. That would be personal indeed.


God keeps his word to us. Our disobedience would bring us damnation. But now we are rescued from the damning consequences of our sins. The word that became flesh, the God-man Jesus Christ, died in our stead and paid the price for our salvation. Jesus lived up to his name in dying and rising again. He did what his name implied. Now we can live upbeat, with joy and peace and hope, knowing that Jesus is Emmanuel, God is with us, a God of love and mercy and compassion.


And what about Joseph? How long did he live? No one knows. When did he die? No one knows. Did Jesus miss him? No one knows. After the search for the 12 year old Jesus in the temple, Joseph is never heard of again. Apparently he is no longer living at the time of his son's crucifixion. What remains? Primarily these eight verses in Matthew. But what prominence they have taken on. If God risked his reputation by the unusual conditions surrounding the birth of his Son, remember, so did Mary, and so did Joseph. That is why we remember Joseph, a man who risked much, not because he saw everything clearly, but because he believed. He named him Jesus. That says all we need to know about Joseph, for that was an act of faith. He believed the word, and he was obedient to the message of God.


We are now in Bethlehem for Christ-mass. Jesus comes in Holy Communion to give us under the bread and wine, his own body and blood. Believe that he comes now and as an act of faith, eat his body and drink his blood, and know that Jesus has saved us from all our sins. Let God’s people say Amen to that.