Things you’ll learn today:
- The character, betrothal, and trek of Joseph and Mary.
- How to maintain a biblical perception of reality.
- How to stay focused on the humble entrance of the Savior to this world and why He came, and not get muddled up in unclear details.
We’re picking back up in Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 2:5-7 as we read more about Joseph and Mary’s trek to Bethlehem.
Think about the scene as you’ve seen it portrayed in movies or television series:
- Why do they go to Bethlehem?
- Were they on a donkey?
- Were they in a barn with animals?
- Who was really there?
- Is it pronounced BethleHAM?
Think about it: Joseph and Mary faced voices and perceptions from all different angles in their culture. But they stayed faithful and obedient to God’s voice. Just like them, we face voices and perceptions from cultural influences during our time. We must stay faithful and obedient to God’s voice.
Even if movies and shows mean well, it’s still best to know the real details of the biblical Christmas story.
“Knowing the depth of the real story brings to light the depth of God’s faithfulness through generations upon generations.”
Read Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 2:5-7.
(Matthew 1:18-25)
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 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).
When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
(Luke 2:1-7)
“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”
CONTEXT MATTERS:
Mary (Did you know?)
Mary is a teenager, as young as 13-16yrs old. The Holy Spirit came upon her, and the power of the Most High overshadowed her. “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. 32 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.”
- Mary knew these words from the OT (2 Samuel). She knew the angel of the Lord just mentioned the long-awaited Messiah, which brings depth to her response: “Let it be to me according to your word.”
- Mary also knew the ramifications of adultery. No matter how she could try to explain this one, in her culture at that time, women accused of sleeping with another man could face stoning to death or public shame. (Deut 22)
- Thankfully the angel informed Mary about Elizabeth and now Mary goes to visit Elizabeth.
- Did you know? This trip from Nazareth to Judah could have been up to 100 miles and easily a 5-6 day walking trip! And the bible notes that it was a hill country!
John The Baptist leaps in Elizabeth’s belly when Mary visits.
- Liz, filled by the Spirit validates, Luke 1:43 “And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
Mary will sing her song of praise (The Magnificat)
- After all that Mary is up against, she still rejoices, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,”
- Did you know that Mary’s song of praise cites or echoes over 25 OT passages? Mary was smart. Her parents must have set a solid foundation. While friends were engaged in video games, she was engaged in OT memorization!
- Do you get a better picture of Mary? She’s smart, courageous, fierce, humbly obedient. She deserves so much honor and respect, yet she’s still human!
- Trivia: do you know that some denominations teach the immaculate conception, and the immaculate conception they teach refers to Mary being free of original sin from the moment of her conception to biological parents? From a biblical worldview, as Christians we confess that Jesus was the only perfect human without sin.
Joseph (did you know?)
Joseph is more than a carpenter, a stone mason or handyman of some sort, who gets perhaps the smallest write up in the Christmas story. No words spoken. *Not mentioned in any Christmas songs either!
- Mary was gone for three months. Does she come back with a baby bump? Does Joseph now just find out that his fiancé is pregnant?
Betrothal
- Engagement back then unlike what we think of today. It was about a year long process. The engagement period gave the bride time to prepare for her new role, to gather personal belongings, to adjust to relationships with parents, siblings, and friends, and in some cases to become better acquainted with her fiancé. Even if agreed upon, often marriages were arranged by parents. The groom used the engagement period for similar matters, including completing the house in which he would raise his family.
- During this period, in Galilee at the time, the bride and groom were not allowed to be alone together, to ensure no intercourse before marriage.
- There was a formal contract between both families. Dowry or bride price agreements were included. Joseph for example, knew how much Mary was worth to her family, so he would give them a sum of money as a gift of thanks. A broken engagement would require repayment of that dowry.
Joseph ponders that he can divorce her, (remember Deut 22) and he’ll just do it quietly because he is just (faithful, honorable, righteous). Thankfully the angel intervenes in his dream.
How many of you know often we need a Word from God to take us out of our fleshly decisions!
He was told this is the One who would save people from their sins! Talk about conviction to obey.
He knew her not.
- No sexual relations. He preserved the divine birth and did everything he could do to guard against any accusation that this baby was not from the Holy Spirit.
Go back to Luke 2:5-7 and notice a few things:
“His own town”
- The census required that they go back to where they were from. We could presume that he still had family back home. Would they really be unmet or unwelcome by anyone when they arrived? In that culture, there were high standards to take care of a pregnant woman!
- Would they really be in a barn with only animals an no other humans around?
“From Nazareth to Bethlehem.”
- Not an easy journey. 70-90 mile trek. 10-20 miles per day = 6-8 day journey.
- People were traveling back to Bethlehem as well so most likely they were not alone on their journey.
- Were they on a donkey? We see no mention of it. It cost a lot to have a donkey. They didn’t have much. Doesn’t mean they didn’t have a donkey, but we don’t know for sure.
“While they were there…”
- Does Luke say it was immediate? As soon as they arrived? Super urgent? It could have been within 5 minutes of arriving, 5 hours, or 5 days! We don’t know for sure.
“Wrapped him in swaddling cloths.”
- Moms, after having a baby could you muster up the energy to wrap up your baby yourself? I bet you could even if exhausted after all that pain! Some say that Mary didn’t experience any pain because she was born without sin, which is why she could swaddle Jesus by herself. According to Genesis 3:16, God says that women would experience pain in childbirth as a consequence of Eve’s sin. Just something worth noting because remember, we confess that all humans inherited sin at birth except for Jesus himself!
“Laid him in a manger.”
- This was an animal trough. Doesn’t necessarily mean it was dirty or super rugged. Might have been nice and clean, perhaps even cloth.
“There was no place for them in the inn.”
- This Greek word for inn is also translated as “guest room.” Someone might have went out of their way to squeeze Mary and Joseph into a section of their home. It was common for animals to find their way into rooms of the house. Inn back then isn’t the way we think of the motel, hotel, and Holiday Inn today!
Conclusion: 2:3 Disciple Application
#1. The point: we always want to know the real story. We have access to scripture and plenty of tools and resources to study the context!
#2. When we’re not learning the story from the bible, look from the eyes of a skeptic.
- Never assume that the person telling the story is 100% accurate.
- Always examine by comparing with Holy Scripture.
#3. Never consider something absolute unless we know it is. If something is not clear, here are the phrases that we can use:
- It seems like…
- It could be this or that, but it’s not entirely clear.
- The bible only explicitly tells us these details so we can’t be entirely sure on the rest…
#4. Even among all the analytics and possibilities of what could be, relish in what we do know:
God, who so loved the world so much, left the throne of Heaven to enter into a womb, to be born of a virgin, to come into the world in humble, meek terms, emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
- His mother and father Mary and Joseph were human, and they were young. God trusted them at a young age, yet we struggle to let our teens have any responsibility!
- They were not rich. They might have had a donkey but might not have.
- Because of the census, travel and lodging were crowded, and there the Savior was entering!
- Mary and Joseph, and other Christmas cast, were faithful even though odds were stacked against them. They were willing to face culture, and communities head on to stand firm in obedience to obey commands from the Lord that came through angels (messengers)!
- They were able to stand firm, why? Because they were grounded in God’s Word!
- He was wrapped just like any other baby. He was placed in an animal trough. The bible says that we have a high priest who could sympathize with our weaknesses and dependability. (later in life He faced temptation, yet led a perfect life without sin).
- He grew up with human siblings who thought He was out of his mind.
- He taught in the synagogues and blew people’s minds.
- He performed miracles.
- He led a group of disciples.
- He was betrayed by friends and killed by his own people.
Why did God’s redemptive plan for humanity include all of this mess, chaos, sin, and scandals? For the main purpose to seek and to save the lost from their sins!
Phil 2:8 “Being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”