The Life of Christ

The Life of Christ

By David Sell

© Copyright 2021 by David G. Sell Printed by: BT Johnson Publishing www.BTJohnsonPublishing.com 1-866-260-9563

All scripture quotations are taken from the: Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible . (NASB) 1995, 2020. La Habra, CA: by The Lockman Foundation. All Rights Reserved.

ISBN:

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Foreword

The Life of Christ, Part 1 covers the first half of the Gospel narrative, leading up the week prior to the Passion week. This book is designed to understand and appreciate all that Jesus said and did. It provides a blend of explanations of the details surrounding each incident, prophetic fulfillments from the Old Testament, explanation of the customs of the day, and rich spiritual insights for today’s Christian living. Pastor Sell has taught this course approximately 25 times spanning a period of 50 years, each time adding new insights and better explanations of the most amazing story ever told. This is a detailed study of the life of Christ through the reading of the four Gospels. It covers the basic knowledge of the major events in Jesus' earthly ministry. The first half will address the life of Jesus up through the Galilean ministry. The second half of the course (Life of Christ 2) covers the life of Christ from the later Judean ministry through His Ascension. Pastor David Sell has been a Christian for 51 years and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has been married to his wife Debbie for 48 years and together have two grown daughters and five grandchildren. He joined the faculty of Northern Calif. Bible College at a very young age and has served as a faculty member, Registrar, Academic Dean, the President of this accredited Bible College, and now the President Emeritus. From 1987-2006 he and his family also pioneered a thriving local church in Pleasanton, California, where he learned the importance of providing the Holy Spirit a strong platform in the local church. About the Author

Acknowledgments

A special thanks to Gloria Salinas, an NCBC graduate, who spent hundreds of hours editing this edition!” The NASB 1977 version of the Bible is used extensively in this work, unless otherwise noted.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LESSON 1..................................................................................................................7

LESSON 2................................................................................................................21

LESSON 3................................................................................................................38

LESSON 4................................................................................................................56

LESSON 5................................................................................................................72

LESSON 6................................................................................................................88

LESSON 7............................................................................................................. .111

LESSON 8............................................................................................................ ..131

LESSON 9...............................................................................................................142

LESSON 10.............................................................................................................164

LESSON 11.............................................................................................................180

LESSON 12.............................................................................................................201

APPENDIX 1...........................................................................................................215

APPENDIX 2...........................................................................................................218

LESSON 1

SECTION 1

Lk. 1:1-4 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word have handed them down to us, 3 it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; 4 so that you might know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.

Luke is writing to Theophilus, concerning the account of the life of Jesus.

• The word "Theophilus,” actually means "friend of God.”

• When Luke writes the Acts of the Apostles, he also addresses his work to Theophilus, but drops the “most excellent” before his name. Luke just calls him Theophilus.

• The reason is perhaps because Theophilus since became a “brother in Christ,” no longer making it necessary to address him with such formality.

• In this paragraph, Luke provides insight on how he, and perhaps the other Gospel authors, received their material — much came from eyewitnesses.

Sources may have included:

Other apostles

•

The women who followed Jesus

•

• The people who were ministered to by Jesus

• Other first-hand eyewitnesses such as perhaps the Innkeeper’s son.

• The value of “eyewitnesses” is that if there was anything misquoted by the Gospel writers, the eyewitnesses would likely speak up against what was said.

• Luke also boldly quoted 32 countries, 54 cities, and nine islands in his Gospel and in the Book of Acts, without any known errors. 1

Also, from this paragraph we can see Luke’s desire to be exact in everything he wrote.

• He gathered his material in exact form; the Holy Spirit then provided the additional inspiration (2 Tim. 3:16).

• Luke’s spiritual gift was clearly one of a “teacher.”

How do we historically know that Jesus ever lived? Some skeptics suggest that He was a mythological character, rather than an actual historical person.

• The belief that Jesus never existed was picked up by Carl Marx and became the official view of Marxism. 2

1 Geisler and Howe, When Critics Ask (Wheaton IL: Victor, 1992), 385. 2 Craig Evans, “Life of Jesus Research and the Eclipse of Mythology,” TS 54 (1993):7, n 22.

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Skeptics don’t want to hear Christians quote some Jewish or Christian writer stating that Jesus existed.

• Fortunately, there was a man named Cornelius Tacitus who was considered the premier Roman historian who lived through the reigns of 7 Roman Emperors.

• He has been called the greatest historian of ancient Rome and highly acknowledged among scholars for his professional integrity.

• His book, “The Annals and the Histories,” cover the period AD 14 to AD 68.

• In Anal 15, verse 44, he writes about how Nero blamed the Christians for the burning of Rome:

• “Hence to suppress the rumor, he (Nero) falsely charged with the guilt, and punished with the most exquisite tortures, the persons commonly called Christians, who were hated for their enormities.

• Christus, the founder of the name was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius.”

• So here we have a respected historical document, written by a non-Christian Roman writer, who makes historical note of a man named Christus, whose followers were tortured and accused for the burning of Rome. 3 The most important Jewish source for the historical Jesus is found in Josephus’ Jewish Antiquities , written sometime in the final decade of the first century. Josephus mentions Jesus twice in his writings: At the time there appeared Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he was a doer of amazing deeds, a teacher of persons who receive truth with pleasure. He won over many Jews and many Greeks. He was the Messiah. And when Pilate condemned him to the cross, the leading men among us having accused him, those who loved him from the first did not cease to do so. For he appeared to them the third day alive again, the divine prophets having spoken these things and a myriad of other marvels concerning him. And to the present the tribe of Christians, named after this person, has not disappeared ( Anti. 18:3.3, pp. 63-64). He (Ananus) convened the council of judges and brought before it the brother of Jesus — he one called “ Christ ”— whose name was James, and certain others. Accusing them of transgressing the law he delivered them up for stoning. But those of the city considered to be the most fair-minded and strict concerning the laws were offended at this and sent to the king secretly urging him to order Ananus to take such actions no longer ( Antiquities 20:9.1, pp. 200-201).

SECTION 2

Jn. 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

This is a key verse on the deity of Christ.

Verse 1 says the Word was God.

•

• John 1:14 says that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.

• By logical deduction, the Word is Jesus, and therefore Jesus is God.

In 320 AD a preacher named Arius challenged this interpretation and was later excommunicated.

3 Josh McDowell, The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict, 120-121.

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• He said that the Greek read, “The Word was a God."

• This implies that the Word is of a godly quality, rather than it actually being God, Himself.

• This interpretation denies the deity of Christ.

• Today the Jehovah Witnesses have chosen this famous Arian heresy in their attempt to prove Jesus is not God.

The way Arius chose to interpret the Greek breaks the famous “ Colwell ’ s Rule, ” which states that in the Greek language the article always goes with the subject, rather than the predicate nominative that renames the subject.

• According to correct Greek grammar (Colwell Rule) it should read: “The” (article) “word” (subject) was God (predicate nominative).

• Arius interpreted it , “The word was ‘a’ God,” adding an article with the predicate nominative along with the subject. There is no second article “a” in the original Greek manuscripts.

• As a result, the Nicene Council gathered in 325 A.D. to formally declare Arius a heretic.

Jn. 1:2-3 “He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.”

Jesus is the creator of all things.

• Jn. 1:10 says, “the world was made through Him”

• 1 Cor. 8:6 says, “One Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things.”

• Eph. 3:9 says, “God created all things by Jesus Christ.”

Jn. 1:5 “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not 1 comprehend it.”

If you are using the Harmony of the Gospels (optional), you will notice a small #1 next to the word "comprehend.”

• Whenever we run across these numbers, go to the end of the section in the Harmony of the Gospels and find the alternative English word for the Greek word being used.

• In this case, the alternative word is "overpower," meaning "darkness does not overpower light."

• Gen. 1:18 declares, "light rules over darkness."

Jn. 1:12 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.”

When born again, we instantly become a son or daughter of God.

• The tenor of scripture indicates that we are already sons of God by virtue of new birth (Gal. 4:6); however, there yet remains a higher position of sonship, when we live out a lifestyle worthy of the title "son of God."

• True sonship, in the full biblical sense of the word, is usually described as something we strive to attain, rather than what we instinctively possess.

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• In this context of Jn. 1:12, the son is identified as a son because he displays the character of his parents.

Consider the use of “sonship” with Christian maturity in the following verses:

• Matthew 5:44-45 tells us to "bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you that you may be sons of your Father …."

• Romans 8:14 reads, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God."

• Phil. 2:15 adds to the requirements of being a true son by saying, "That you may be blameless and harmless, children of God, without fault...."

Jn. 1:14-15 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John bore witness of Him, and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me 1 has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’”

The only begotten of the Father. ”

• “To beget” doesn't necessarily mean to bear a child. In this particular usage it means “the only child.”

• As far as eternity is concerned, Jesus was never born, He always was.

As far as His existence before John (vs. 15), this primarily refers to His existence in eternity . However, let us remember that Jesus made several pre-incarnate visits to the earth:

Captain of the Lord's host (Josh. 5:15)

•

• His appearance in the fiery furnace (Dan. 3:25) • Jesus might also have possibly been the "Angel of the Lord,” who appeared often throughout the Old Testament (Judges 13:17-18; Isa. 9:6). As the angel of the Lord, Jesus might have been with Daniel in the lion’s den. • Melchizedek (Gen. 14:18-24; Heb. 7:1-10)

Section 3: Mt. 1:1-17; Lk. 3:23-38

Mt. 1:1-17 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. To Abraham was born Isaac; and to Isaac, Jacob; and to Jacob, Judah and his brothers; and to Judah were born Perez and Zerah by Tamar; and to Perez was born Hezron; and to Hezron, Ram; and to Ram was born Amminadab; and to Amminadab, Nahshon; and to Nahshon, Salmon; and to Salmon was born Boaz by Rahab; and to Boaz was born Obed by Ruth; and to Obed, Jesse; and to Jesse was born David the king. 7 and to Solomon was born Rehoboam; and to Rehoboam, Abijah; and to Abijah, Asa; and to Asa was born Jehoshaphat; and to Jehoshaphat, 1 Joram; and to Joram, Uzziah; 9 and to Uzziah was born Jotham; and to Jotham, Ahaz; and to Ahaz, Hezekiah; 10 and to Hezekiah was born Manasseh; and to Manasseh, Amon; and to Amon, Josiah; 11 and to Josiah were born Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. And after the deportation to Babylon, to Jeconiah was born Shealtiel; and to Shealtiel, Zerubbabel; 13 and to Zerubbabel was born Abihud; and to Abihud, Eliakim; and to Eliakim, Azor; 14 and to Azor was born Zadok; and to Zadok, Achim; and to Achim, Eliud; 15 and to Eliud was born Eleazar; and to Eleazar, Matthan; and to Matthan, Jacob; 16 and to Jacob was born Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. And to David was born Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah;

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Therefore, all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the time of 1 Christ fourteen generations. Lk. 3:23-38 And when He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being supposedly the son of Joseph, the son of Eli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Hesli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, 27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of 1 Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon, the son of 1 Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of 1 Salmon, the son of 2 Nahshon, 33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35 the son of Serug, the son of 1 Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Heber, the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, 38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

THE GENEALOGY OF JESUS Jesus would be...

"the seed of a woman" (Gen. 3:15) "the seed of Abraham" (Gen. 22:18) "from the tribe of Judah" (Gen. 49:10) "of the family of Jesse" (Isa. 11:1) "from the house of David" (Jer. 23:5)

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SECTION 3

A general observation is that not every generation is specifically named in this genealogy, meaning that there are purposeful gaps. For example:

• Mt. 1:5-6 reads: “Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David the king.”

• Rahab was the Canaanite prostitute who sheltered the two Hebrew spies and was spared because of her faith (Heb. 11:30).

• In Mt. 1:5 Rahab is said to be married to “Salmon, who begot Boaz.”

• Boaz (1322 B.C), however, lived hundreds of years after Rahab (1451 B.C.), near the end of the time of the Judges (Ruth 2:1).

• This is one example of possibly other similar examples of generations who were not mentioned in this Messianic bloodline.

SECTION 4

Lk. 1:5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

At this time Israel was under Roman rule. It was just another sub-state of the Roman Empire.

• Israel had always been used to having a king, so for improved public relations, Rome allowed them to have their own king; Rome, however, would make that appointment.

• Their choice was a man named Herod the Great, who was an Edomite, which made him technically half Jewish. Edom traces back to Esau, Jacob’s brother, yet also a descendent of Abraham.

• Herod had earlier served as Cleopatra’s personal bodyguard.

For the first time in Jewish history, a person not of pure Jewish blood becomes the king of Judah.

Gen. 49:10 says, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes.”

• A scepter is the rod, or the staff held by kings.

• Therefore, the kingship of Israel, which had always belonged to the pure race of Jews, would come to an end when SHILOH comes.

• Shiloh is a prophetic term for the Messiah. Shiloh means peace; Jesus was the “Prince of Peace.”

• Gen. 49:10 therefore prophesied that as soon as a non-full-blooded Jew occupies the throne of Israel, Messiah will come.

The division of Abijah:

• During the days of King David, the priesthood had grown so large that there weren't enough duties for all the priests to do in the temple.

• The idea was suggested to divide the priesthood into 24 courses, or major families, each taking turns ministering at the temple.

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o Later, the entire region of Palestine became divided up into 24 districts.

One of the 24 family names was Abijah.

o

Each priestly course or family would minister in the temple for a one-week period every six months during the calendar year (Josephus, Vol. 7, Chapter 14, Section 7).

• During the major feasts of Israel, all the courses were called upon to minister, providing a staff of approximately 17,000 priests ministering to a feast crowd of about 150,000 worshipers.

• One other interesting point is that before going up to minister in Jerusalem, each course of priests would first gather together in one of the cities of refuge to fast and pray. Nazareth happened to be one of these cities, according to Edersheim.

The course of Abijah was the 8th of the 24 courses (1 Chron. 24:10); eight being the biblical number of new beginnings .

Lk. 1:5

“Daughter of Aaron”

• Elizabeth was also from a family of priests, meaning she was from the tribe of Levi.

• They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. This meant both of them came from a pure ancestry extending all the way back to Aaron, himself.

• They were equally yoked, an important model for couples today who feel called to the ministry.

Lk. 1:6-7 And they were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. 7 And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in 1 years.

To be “advanced in years” was the Jewish way of saying they were about 60 years old.

• This couple naturally reminds us of Abraham and Sarah.

Lk. 1:8-9 Now it came about, while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division, according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

When an entire family of priests would go up to minister in the temple, each job assignment was determined by the casting of lots.

• Zacharias drew the most sacred of all responsibilities — go into the Holy Place of the Temple and burn incense before the Lord. This was as close to the Most Holy as one could get.

• He had never done this before and would never do it again.

• Most priests never received this opportunity during their entire lifetime.

Lk. 1:10-13 And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering. 11 And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12 And Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear 1 gripped him. 13 But

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the angel said to him, “ Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John.”

The discarded hope of Zacharias and Elizabeth was to have had a son who would succeed Zacharias in the priesthood.

• They naturally assumed that if they ever had a son, he would succeed Zacharias in the priesthood; for centuries the first -born son of a priest would also become a priest.

• Little did they know that John’s parish would be the wilderness.

Lk. 1:14-15 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 “For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine or liquor; and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, while yet in his mother’s womb.”

This order is in accordance with the Nazarite vow, spoken of in Num. 6.

• We can't say with certainty that John had this vow upon him, especially since there is nothing mentioned about the length of his hair or other related characteristics.

• This may have been a special adaptation for John, alone.

Many in the Bible were called while in their mother's womb, but John was the only person ever mentioned to be "filled with the Spirit while in his mother's womb.”

• Jesus was conceived by the Spirit, but there is no reference to Him being “filled with the Spirit” in the womb; that honor belongs exclusively to John.

Lk. 1:16-17 “And he will turn back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 “And it is he who will a go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous; so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

To be in the spirit and power of Elijah doesn't mean a reincarnation of Elijah.

• It rather refers to the same anointing Elijah enjoyed, which would also be upon John the Baptist.

• The expression , "the spirit and power...which turns the hearts of the fathers back to the children...and the disobedient to the attitude of righteousness,” shows that it takes power and the Spirit to truly change hearts. Lk. 1:18-19 And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this for certain? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God; and I have been sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news.”

Gabriel is one of the senior angels in all of heaven, and the importance of this moment required his involvement.

• He is described in Dan. 10:5-6 accordingly:

I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz! 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes

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like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude (Dan. 10:5-6).

• His mere appearance should have been proof enough as to the authenticity of his message.

Lk. 1:20 “And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which shall be fulfilled in their proper time.”

There is always a penalty for not believing what God tells us.

• If we want God to speak to us, we must be prepared to believe and do what He says.

Lk. 1:21 And the people were waiting for Zacharias and were wondering at his delay in the temple.

When the priest would come out of the Holy Place, he would pronounce the Aaronic blessing (Num. 6:24-26) to the awaiting crowd.

Lk. 1:22 But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them; and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he kept 1 making signs to them and remained mute.

He also couldn't hear.

• Lk. 1:62 says they made signs to Zacharias, as to what he would call the baby.

• Because he couldn't hear with his spiritual ear, he also lost the use of his natural ear.

SECTION 5

Lk. 1:26-27 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee, called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. The KJV says "espoused."

• Jewish engagement or espousal was much more of a commitment than what occurs in our culture.

• In this early culture the two fathers arranged the marriages; the dowry was paid either in money, animals, or years of work.

• Should there be a divorce, the wife was promised a certain amount of money until she remarried.

• If the divorce resulted from the woman’s adultery, any future promised money was cancelled; she would live out her days in shame.

Espousal began with an actual ceremony, performed in the presence of witnesses.

• Their relationship was considered sacred, as if they were even married (see Deut. 22:23-29).

• Before Joseph and Mary were married, scripture actually refers to Joseph as "her husband" (Mt. 1:19).

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• The only thing that kept it from being an actual marriage was they didn't live together or have sexual relations.

• The only way to break this type of relationship would be to first get married, and then issue a divorce.

• Joseph considered doing this in Mt. 1:19.

• The time lapse between the betrothal and the marriage was usually a number of months.

Lk. 1:27 “…to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.”

Mary was probably only about 14 years old, according to the custom of when women married in Israel.

Joseph was probably in his later teens.

•

Lk. 1:28-31 And coming in, he said to her, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was greatly troubled at this statement and kept pondering what kind of salutation this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “ Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.”

"Jesus" is the Greek equivalent to the Hebrew word, "Jehosua," which means "Savior."

Lk. 1:32-34 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end.” 34 And Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”

It doesn’t appear that Mary responded to Gabriel the same way as Zacharias.

• Zacharias definitely expressed doubt when he said, "Whereby shall I know this?"

• Mary didn't say, "How shall I know?" but rather, "How will this happen?"

• She wasn't asking for a sign; she just wanted to understand the process.

Doubt is one of the most lethal enemies that prevents God’s full creation within us.

• Since Mary was not given to doubt, the Holy Spirit was free to create the fullness of what He intended.

• When we choose to believe, rather than focus upon doubt, God will also create within us!

Zacharias represents the old experienced priest who should know all about the things of God.

• Mary was just a young girl, knowing much less about God.

• When it comes to faith, however, it is an issue of just being open, rather than how much one understands.

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• It’s the younger, up and coming generation, who will lead the way for the supernatural.

Lk. 1:35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God.”

In the plan of God, it was essential that the mother of Jesus have an immaculate conception.

• If Jesus was conceived normally, as a man He would have had an Adamic nature flowing with Adamic blood (Lev. 17:11).

• The genetics coming from the Holy Spirit — not Mary — produced the bloodline within Jesus.

• It’s a medical fact that the bloodstream of the mother never comes into contact with the bloodstream of the fetus due to the wonder of the umbilical cord. This explains why a mother and child can have different blood types.

• The bloodline within Mary came from Adam; the bloodline within Jesus came from the Holy Spirit.

Lk. 1:36 “And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month.”

• Some translations read “your cousin” Elizabeth.

The Greek word for “cousin” is also translated in a number of other translations “kinswoman” (Darby, ASV, Wuest New Testament, RSV, Young’ s Literal Translation).

• Mary and Elizabeth were most likely not closely related by blood simply because they each came from different tribes. • Lk. 1:5 specifically says that Elizabeth was a daughter of Aaron, meaning she was a Levite; her genealogy extended back to Aaron. Mary’s genealogy shows her descending from Judah (Lk. 3:23, 33).

• In that culture it was unusual for people to marry outside their tribes, since in most cases they grew up within their ancient land allotments.

• Regarding Levites, great care was taken in the selection of wives for the Jewish priests, so that the line of priests might be kept in every respect unsullied. One authority states: “It was lawful for a priest to marry a Levite, or, indeed, a daughter of Israel, but it was most commendable of all to marry one of the priest’s line.” Zechariah was especially honored in having for his wife one of the descendants of Aaron. 4

The word “kinswoman” is a general term, meaning “of the same fam ily.” 5

• In Romans 9:3 Paul uses the same Greek word, but in the masculine gender, when he writes, “For I wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites….”

4 Freeman, James M.; Chadwick, Harold J.: Manners & Customs of the Bible. Rev. ed. North Brunswick, NJ: Bridge-Logos Publishers, 1998, S. 497. 5 Vincent, Marvin Richardson: Word Studies in the New Testament. Bellingham, WA: Logos Research System, Inc., 2002, S. 1:260.

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• Mary and Elizabeth were undoubtedly close friends and may have been distant cousins (how far back we do not know), just as Paul was a distant cousin with the Israelites he wrote of.

Lk. 1:37-38 “For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

If Mary had not declared her willingness, the angel would most likely have dismissed her from this assignment and looked for another.

• God’s preference is to never override our free will to accomplish His purpose.

One of the great lessons we learn from Mary is to jump on any opportunity that comes unexpectantly from God, no matter how daunting it may appear at first.

SECTION 6

Lk. 1:39 Now at this time Mary arose and went with haste to the hill country, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.

Mary was probably two or three months pregnant; Elizabeth was closer to eight or nine months pregnant.

Lk. 1:41 And it came about that when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

This precious moment was created by the exchange of two fetuses in the womb. • Those who deny that life is present within the unborn child are proven wrong by this example.

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth prophesies to Mary, “Blessed among women are you, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!”

• She has no natural knowledge that Mary is even pregnant.

• Such a thought would conflict with her mind, knowing Mary’s godly character.

• The prophetic word can come so forcefully that it sometimes bypasses a person’s natural thinking.

• In 1 Sam. 19:24, when the Spirit of God came upon King Saul, he prophesied the demise of his own kingdom.

SECTION 8

Lk. 1:58 And her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her.”

The word “rejoiced” is a very rare word, used only five times in the New Testament.

• It literally means “to leap or dance for joy.”

• It’s the highest level of happiness known to man in this life.

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• In Lk. 10:21, Jesus expressed this level of joy when He heard of the success of His disciples, who had just gone out on their first mission without Him and performed miracles.

• This was one of His purposes — that they would also perform miracles.

• The word also appeared in Acts 16:34 to express the joy of the Philippian jailor felt the day he and his household got saved.

Lk. 1:59 And it came about that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zacharias, after his father.

Circumcision on the 8th day was according to the law that God commanded Abraham in Gen. 17:12.

• According to Lev. 12:2-3 the mother was unclean for the first seven days after the baby was born.

• Circumcision was usually performed by the father, after having been trained by either the Rabbis or his own father; In Abraham’s case he would have to figure it out for himself as this was not part of his culture.

• In the Jewish culture, the father would then pray a blessing and formally declare his son’s name for the first time.

• This was usually not done in the temple since the mother was to continue in her unpurified state of uncleaness for the next 33 days.

• Medical science eventually came to recognize that the 8th day is the best time for circumcision as the blood in the child will now naturally coagulate.

Lk. 1:60-61 And his mother answered and said, “No indeed; but he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name.”

The reason for the family uproar was that Jewish tradition demanded that the firstborn son of a priest always receive the same name as his father.

• In this case, however, the angel had told Zacharias the name must be John.

• This created a sizeable struggle for this father; all his life he had hoped for a little Zacharias.

Lk. 1:62-63 And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. 63 And he asked for a tablet, and wrote as follows, “His name is John.” And they were all astonished.

The time had come for Zacharias to finally commit himself.

• Would the baby be named John, or would he defy the angel's mandate and name the child Zacharias?

Lk.1:64 And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God.

This is the first time he had spoken in over nine months.

• Zacharias’ last words had been words of doubt, “How shall I know this?"

• Out of his mouth now proceed words of faith and obedience, followed by words of praise.

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SECTION 9

Luke 1:78-79 Because of the tender mercy of our God, with which the Sunrise (Dayspring, NKJV) from on high shall visit us, TO SHINE UPON THOSE WHO SIT IN DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Zacharias has no idea that he is actually prophesying about the coming Messiah, calling Him “Sunrise” (NASB) or “Dayspring” (NKJV).

• One of the obscure names of Jesus is “Dayspring,” that refers to the dawning of a new day.

▪ His name depicts another layer of Jesus’ nature. There is hope when the first rays of sun break through the last hour of the night’s darkness. In the same way, Jesus casts light upon the darkness of our night season.

SECTION 10

Lk. 1:80 And the child continued to grow, and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

According to the tradition surrounding the Dead Sea scrolls, it is thought that John spent considerable time with the Essene community before entering his public ministry.

• The Essenes, who wrote the Dead Sea scrolls, believed in water baptism by immersion, as well as outward repentance from dead works. These were both major themes in the ministry of John the Baptist.

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LESSON 2

SECTION 11

Mt. 1:18-19 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows. When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. 19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her, desired to put her away secretly.

To put her away meant to give her a bill of divorcement.

• The way this was done was for the man to write out a formal divorce document called a “Get,” that read, “She is not my wife, and I am not her husband.” This entitled her to now marry another. 6

• It was to be declared orally before witnesses. The court system would have nothing to do with this proclamation; this was something the husband was to do apart from the legal system.

• The woman could respond by removing her outer garment to demonstrate that her husband has now removed his outer garment of protection and provision from over her life.

• It seems that during their earlier wedding ceremony, the husband had removed his outer garment and placed it over his bride. This symbolism is based upon Ruth 3:9; Ezek. 16:8,37; Hos. 2:3,9.

At one time in Jewish history a man in Joseph’s position would have had the option to have his wife stoned for adultery (Lev. 20:10; Deut. 22:22-24). However, that would not be an option here for two reasons:

• First, at this time in history, only the Romans were allowed to institute capital punishment, and then only for civil crimes.

• Secondly, Deut. 22:22 indicates that both parties were to be stoned, implying that the male must also be located and sentenced to death.

• Since the man wasn’t present, to stone just the woman would have been inequitable.

• The better solution was to issue a divorce, and to do so privately would reduce the measure of scandal.

Mt. 1:20 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for that which has been 1 conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.”

It is significant that God allowed Joseph to go through the fire of tribulation before finally sending the angelic messenger.

• Why didn't God send the angel before the conception as He did with Mary?

• Vs. 19 says that Joseph was a righteous man, and all righteous men must face their hour of testing.

• 2 Chron. 32:31 referring to Hezekiah says, "God left him, to try him that He might know all that was in his heart.”

6 Rabbi Menken, The Everything Torah Book (Adams Media, 2005), 108.

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We don’t know how many days Joseph agonized over his dilemma before the angel appeared.

• He loved Mary but just couldn’t allow his natural mind to accept her supernatural explanation.

• Whenever there exists conflict in our minds between whether to accept the natural or the supernatural, there will also be an element of “struggle.”

• This touching episode ends with the angel tipping the scale in favor of the supernatural.

• Once we choose to accept the supernatural option, peace followed by the coming miracle, replace the prior torment.

Mt. 1:21-23 “And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins.” 22 Now all this 1 took place that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, 23 “BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD, AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,” which translated means, “GOD WITH US.”

The angel told Joseph the name of the Child would be “JESUS,” meaning Savior.

• The angel told Mary He would be called the “SON OF THE MOST HIGH.”

• Isaiah foretold that the Messiah would be called “IMMANUEL,” meaning “God with us” (Isa. 7:14).

• Putting the meaning of all three titles together, it reads: "THE SON OF GOD IS WITH US TO SAVE."

Returning to Isa. 7:14: Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. 15 Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good. • The original context of Isa. 7:14-15 had nothing to do with Jesus, but rather addressed deliverance from the Assyrians. It was meant to say, “By the time a virgin would conceive and bear a child who would grow old enough to discern good and evil, God would deliver Israel from the Assyrians.”

SECTION 12

Lk. 2:1 Now it came about in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth.

The story begins with a worldwide proclamation.

• To enroll people meant to update the empire census, in order to maintain a highly sophisticated taxation system.

• It required the head of each Jewish house return to the birthplace of his or her most notable ancestral father.

• In this case, both Joseph and Mary were direct descendants of King David, who was born in Bethlehem.

• Some commentators believe that Mary also had to enroll, since women twelve years and older were required to pay a poll tax; this would explain why she came.

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• Therefore, Joseph and Mary had to travel to Bethlehem in order to enroll; this trip could sometimes take up to 3 days from Nazareth.

It was a journey that required first making an approximate 2000-feet descent from Nazareth down toward the Jordan River that needed to be crossed.

• They would then travel south along the “Pilgrims’ Path” until they neared Jericho.

• They would again have to cross the Jordan and begin an uphill ascent of about 4000 feet toward Jerusalem.

• In so doing they walked the very path between Jericho and Jerusalem that Jesus would later refer to in His parable about the Good Samaritan (Lk. 10:30), a path that was frequented by ruthless thieves.

• Let’s not forget the fact that Mary is riding all this way on a donkey while approaching her final days of pregnancy!

• Upon reaching Jerusalem, they then traveled south to Bethlehem, the home of their ancestral father, David.

God actually instigated this census in order to maneuver Mary into Bethlehem to deliver her baby.

• Micah 5:2 prophetically demanded that the Messiah be born in Bethlehem.

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.”

• According to Roman records, the next such enrolling would not occur for another ten years.

• It might seem more accurate to say, “A decree went out from God, Himself.”

Lk. 2:2-7 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all were proceeding to register for the census, everyone to his own city. 4 And 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, 5 in order to register, along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. 6 And it came about that while they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her first-born son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

There was no room in the inn due to the abundance of pilgrims, who also had primary descendants born in Bethlehem.

• This was not an inn as we think of today.

• In those days, inns were called caravansaries and were found along major trade routes.

• They were rather large and had thick walls and gates to protect those inside from bandits and marauders who held out in the surrounding hills.

• There were three different accommodations; the upper rooms were reserved for the wealthy; the lower rooms were for the middle class; the poor remained within a large open courtyard that had to be shared with other families and even the traveling animals.

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The immediate realization that there was no accessible place for Mary to have her baby undoubtedly gripped both Joseph and his wife with fear.

• This was a very adult situation for two teenagers.

• God, in His providence, however, provided private shelter in a limestone cave used as a stable according to tradition.

• In confirmation, the earliest Infancy Gospel, the Protoevangelium of James (second century) describes Jesus’ birth in a cave, a tradition also attested by Justin Martyr. 7

• In A.D. 326 Emperor Constantine constructed the first basilica over the cave.

• The cave was better than any accommodations the caravansary had to offer; it provided privacy, warmth, and a large enough area to accommodate the soon arriving shepherds.

“Laid in a manger.”

• A manger was a horse trough, symbolic of how Jesus will later become the true staple of life.

“Wrapped Him in swaddling clothes.”

• Before wrapping Him in swaddling clothes, according to Jewish custom the baby was first washed and then covered with a light application of salt to prevent infection.

SECTION 13

Lk. 2:8 And in the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.

According to Rabbinical law, the keeping of flocks in Israel was restricted to the wilderness.

• The only exception was for the sheep sacrificed in the temple, which were allowed to graze in this locality just outside Jerusalem.

• Even at birth we have our first hint of His final destiny — the slain Lamb of God.

Lk. 2:9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.

The glory of the Lord was the golden Shekinah cloud, which occasionally appeared at momentous biblical moments.

Mt. of Transfiguration (Mt. 17:5)

•

Mt. of Ascension (Acts 1:9)

•

The appearance of the angel and the cloud struck fear within the shepherds.

• Throughout the Scripture, at nearly every angelic sighting people became afraid.

7 The standard edition is the two-volume work of E. Hennecke and W. Schneemelcher, New Testament Apocrypha, trans. R. McL., Wilson (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1965).

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Lk. 2:10-11 And the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

Much speculation exists as to when Jesus was born.

• There are no less than 136 formal theories that address this question.

• For all practical purposes, Jesus was most likely born in the fall, based upon when the temple sheep traditionally grazed in the fields.

• It would not have been in December, knowing that the flocks were not allowed to graze in open fields because of the cold weather, and this would have been a very inconvenient time for people to travel.

• What is clear is that God did not think it necessary that we know the precise day of Jesus’ birth; it could have easily become idolized.

• The only birthdays recorded in the Bible are of secular kings: (1) Herod (Mt. 14:6) and (2) Pharaoh (Gen. 40:20).

Why do we celebrate December 25th as Jesus' birthday?

• For the first 300 years Christians observed Christ's birthday on various dates.

• Then in A.D. 354, Constantine, Bishop of Rome, ordered the church to celebrate it on Dec. 25.

• He chose this date because it was already an official Roman holiday designated to honor the birthday of the sun. The day was formally called the Feast of Saturn.

• Similarities were already evident between the birthday of the sun and the birthday of Jesus: sun vs. Son; light vs. Light of the world.

Christmas means the “Mass of Christ.”

•

Lk. 2:12-13 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Heb. 1:6 says, "And when He again brings the first born into the world, He says, "AND LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM."

• The night of Jesus’ birth brought only a multitude of angels to worship Him.

• When He returns, every angel in heaven will be present to glorify Christ as He reveals Himself to the earth before destroying it.

Lk. 2:14-15 “ Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” 15 And it came about when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that 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.”

The angels never told the shepherds to go find Jesus; the shepherds decided this on their own.

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