THE BIRTH OF JESUS
Tim Burroughs
INTRODUCTION
While the world has distorted the purpose of the birth of Jesus Christ for centuries the
following passage clearly shows God’s intended purpose and its importance for the coming of
the Savior:
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary
was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with
child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and
not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away
privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the
Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David,
fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in
her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt
call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins
(Emp. TB). Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was
spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with
child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel,
which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from
sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his
wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and
he called his name JESUS. (Matthew 1:18-25).
The problem of sin is front and center when the Creator gave instructions to Adam as to
how he and Eve were to conduct themselves while living in the Garden of Eden. God was very
clear as to the consequences that would be suffered by not following His commandments.
Moses wrote, “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden
thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of
it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17). The result of
their transgressions of God’s commandments has brought forth many opinions as to what kind
of death is referenced in this passage. It is the opinion of this writer the death refers to a
spiritual death. Therefore, Adam and Eve would be separated from God and His fellowship. The
prophet Isaiah spoke of this kind of death when he wrote, “Behold, the LORD’S hand is not
shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities
have separated between you and your God (Emp. TB), and your sins have hid his face
from you, that he will not hear” (Isaiah 59:1-2). Sin causes man to be separated from God and
the consequence is while being alive he is dead (1 Timothy 5:6). The apostle Paul wrote, “For
the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”
(Romans 6:23).
After sin entered into the world a perfect sacrifice would be needed to redeem man from
his sins. In the days of the Old Law blood sacrifices was the focus of man’s continued
relationship with God. Moses penned, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given
it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an
atonement for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11). The Old Testament speaks volumes concerning blood
sacrifices being offered for the atonement for the souls of men. While many alters were built,
many animals offered, and much blood was shed there was none that could wash away the sins
of man, for the Hebrews writer penned, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of
goats should take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). Therefore, blood from the perfect sacrifice would
be needed.
The New Testament sings of the priceless blood of the One who’s purpose was to seek
and save the lost (Luke 19:10). It would be His blood that would bring about the redemption of
man. John wrote, “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of
the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from
our sins in his own blood” (Revelation 1:5). When the apostle Paul was speaking to the elders
at Ephesus, he expounded on what the blood of Jesus did for the sins of man: “Take heed
therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you
overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood” (Acts
20:28). He also wrote the same powerful message to the saints at Corinth when he said, “For
ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are
God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:20).
The intended purpose for studying the the birth of Jesus in this chapter will be to show
the importance of the prophecies concerning His birth, the parents to whom He was born, the
proceedings surrounding His birth, the preciousness of His birth, and the providential hand of
God associated with His birth.
THE PROPHECIES OF THE BIRTH OF JESUS
When one goes back to the Garden of Eden he sees the prophecies of God concerning
the salvation of man beginning to unfold through the plan of the coming of Jesus. Concerning
the first prophecy of that marvelous event Moses wrote, “And I will put enmity between thee
and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt
bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15). The “seed” of woman here represents the Christ who would
engage in a spiritual warfare with the seed of Satan. This seed would come through the
bloodline of the one called from Ur of the Chaldees. God promised Abraham, “And in thy seed
shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice” (Genesis
22:18). The genealogies show that Jesus was the Son of David, but also pointed to David being
the Son of Abraham (Matthew 1:1). This means that the promise that God made to Abraham
that, “….in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed,” was fulfilled in Christ! There is no
greater promise that has ever been made. There was a very real dose of reality in which all the
families of the earth were blessed through the influence on the great nation of Israel that came
from the seed of Abraham. The world learned a great deal about the authority of law and moral
standards that originated in the mind of God. While these blessings were of great benefit to
those people of the world who desired to live righteous lives, there was not completeness until
the One came from the father of the faithful (Jeremiah 31:31). The promise of God to Abraham
has been and is being fulfilled today in the salvation of men and women from their past sins
(Acts 2:38). We are the nations, or families that are being blessed with the presence of Jesus
when we obey the gospel to become New Testament Christians.
The prophet Isaiah predicted the plan by which Jesus would come to the earth. He
wrote, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and
bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). The word of “virgin” in this
passage is from the Hebrew word “almah” which means young woman or maiden. There is
great opposition to the likelihood of a virgin birth because of what some will refer to as the
common Hebrew word for virgin is “bethulah.” They say if Isaiah meant to speak of a “virgin
with child” he would have chosen the word “bethulah” and not “almah.” Rex A. Turner Sr.
wrote concerning the word “almah,”
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True, Isaiah used the Hebrew word almah but untrue is the assertion that
almah mearely means a young woman which may or may not be a virgin.
The Hebrew word almah is used seven times in the Old Testament
writings, and each time the word is used a virgin is contemplated…
The first case – Genesis 24:42-44 – has to do with Abraham’s servant who
was seeking a wife for Isaac, and the reference reads: “And I came this
day unto the well, and said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, if now
thou do prosper my way which I go: Behold, I stand by the well of water;
and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin (almah) cometh forth to
draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy
pitcher to drink; And she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw
for thy camels: let the same be the woman whom the LORD hath
appointed out for my master’s son.” Without question Abraham’s servant
was seeking a virgin wife for his master’s son.
The second case – Exodus 2:8 – has to do with Moses’ sister who stood
guard for his safety in the days of his infancy. The reference reads: “ And
Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maiden (almah) went and
called the child’s mother.” Moses’ sister was no concubine or prostitute.
She was a teen-age girl who was caring for baby brother.
The third case – Psalm 68:25 – has to do with a description of how the ark
was borne to the sanctuary, and the reference reads: “The singers went
before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the
damsels (almah) playing with timbrels.” Those damsels were virgins –
not concubines or prostitutes!
The fourth case – Proverbs 30:18 – has to do with things too wonderful
for Solomon. He said: “There be three things which are too wonderful for
me, yea, four which I know not: The way of an eagle in the air; the way of
a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the
way of a man with a maid (almah).” Just as Solomon could not know or
determine which direction the eagle, or serpent, or the ship had taken –
no path would be left in either case – he also had no way to know and no
sign was available to denote when a maiden or virgin gave up her virginity
to the act and device of a cunning and lustful lover. That the maiden here
contemplates a virgin is clearly shown by the contrast of the next verse
which speaks of the adulterous woman.
The fifth case – Song of Solomon 1:3 – contemplates the daughters of
Jerusalem. The reading is: “Because of the savour of thy good ointments
thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins (almah)
love thee.” There can be no doubt that the reference here is to virgins.
Sixth case – Song of Solomon 6:8 – contemplates the number of queens,
of concubines, and of virgins. The reading is: “here are threescore queens,
and fourscore concubines, and virgins (almah) without number.” Here
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again there can be no doubt. The virgins, in contrast to the concubines,
far outnumber the others.
The seventh case – Isaiah 7:14 – contemplates, as already indicated, the
virgin who would give birth to the God-child (170-171).
Dehoff shared the thought that the Septuagint, the “Greek Old Testament, translated by
seventy-two of the world’s finest scholars renders this word [almah] “parthenos,” a Greek word
which means virgin and nothing else” (27). When the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and
declared the virgin birth of Jesus, the angel used the Greek word “parthenos”, meaning the
Christ would come by way of the virgin Mary with the help of the Holy Spirit and without the
help of a man (Matthew 1:20). The inspired writer was showing this to be the fulfillment of
Isaiah prophecy.
The Old Testament prophecies concerning the birth of Jesus also sheds light on where
the Son of God would be born. The prophet Micah wrote, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah,
though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto
me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting”
(Micah 5:2). The city of Bethlehem lies six miles to the south of Jerusalem and was a major
thoroughfare that connected Jerusalem to all the southern parts of the land of Israel. While the
clear prediction of Bethlehem as the place where Jesus was born, it does not mean there are
not doubters of this prophecy. Many modernists want Jesus to be born in Nazareth. They refer
to the parents of Jesus as being residence of Nazareth and see no reasonable explanation as to
why they would be in Bethlehem at the time of Jesus’ birth. It is significant that the denial of
the birth in Bethlehem seems to always be associated with the denial of the virgin birth. While
Matthew does not give account of the early residence of Joseph and Mary being in Nazareth, he
is very clear and explicit in declaring the birth of Christ took place in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1).
Luke does not record the flight Joseph’s family made to Egypt, but he does explain the exact
circumstances that caused Joseph and Mary to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem and in the
most emphatic manner declares the birth of Jesus occurred in a manger in Bethlehem (Luke
2:4-7).
There are even more attempts to rob the Lord of His birthplace. In the UNINSPIRED
writing called the book of Mormon there is a futile effort of making Jerusalem the birthplace of
Jesus:
And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of
our forefathers, and being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who
shall be over-shadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and
bring forth a son yea, even the Son of God (Alma 7:10)
For a book that CLAIMS to be inspired by God the book of Mormon fails in its attempt at
historical accuracy, including the place in which the Lord was born, and therefore, even by
their own admission, should be denied! Jack Free quotes from the so-called “apostle” William
Kelly:
The New Testament contains the history of the formation of the primitive
church; hence it is the test or detector by which all church organizations,
claiming to be the true, are to be tried. Every honest seeker after the
church of God should expect to find an organization in harmony with its
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provisions, or he will fail to find the church of Christ. Should he become
identified with another organization that is not according to this pattern,
he will suffer himself to be imposed upon by that which is counterfeit, and,
of course in the end must meet with disappointment. Then, friend, seeker,
take the New Testament in your hand as your guide and test, by which to
try systems, and start out and make search throughout Christendom and
see how many churches may be found that will answer to the pattern, as
being the church of Jesus Christ. Do not lose sight of the detector, or you
will be in danger of being imposed upon by something man-made and
spurious. The counterfeiter is abroad in the land (40-41).
How fitting it was for Jesus to be born in the city of Bethlehem, which means “house of
bread.” The Lord would be called the “Bread of Life” (John 6:48-51) because He would become
the only source spiritual and eternal life. If one will partake of the spiritual feeding Jesus offers
he can obtain a life in the presence of One born in the city of Bethlehem that now sits at the
right hand of the Father in Heaven (Acts 2:33).
THE PARENTS TO WHOM JESUS WAS BORN
The precious mother of Jesus was from the despised town of Nazareth. While living the
life of the ordinary, the angel of the Lord declared unto her, “Hail, thou that art highly favoured,
the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women” (Luke 1:28). There are no human words
that can match the inspired words of favor mentioned of this one who would become the
mother of Jesus.
Despite her life that seemed ordinary she was a descendent of David. The beloved
physician, Luke, in his inspired account of the Gospel of Christ, traced the linage of Jesus to
David through Mary the mother of our Lord (Luke 3:23-38). This gives our Savior, through His
mother Mary, the biological connection to the linage of David. While Matthew carried his list
back to Abraham, Luke takes his all the way back to Adam. Luke gives his genealogical list
immediately after his account of the baptism of Jesus. The fact that he included this list in his
inspired writing for distribution among the Greeks shows that the genealogies had a universal
interest among the world. This was a vital part in God’s plan to send Jesus to accomplish the
mission of saving man from his sins. With Mary being a descendent of David the seed of woman
would establish a never-ending kingdom.
And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I
will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and
I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I
will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and
he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod
of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: But my mercy shall
not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away
before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for
ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. According to all
these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto
David (2 Samuel 7:12-17).
After the death of the great king of Israel, God raised up David’s seed to fulfill this great
prophecy. The question that comes to mind is “Who is the seed” in this passage? While it is
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believed that in the immediate context “the seed” refers to Solomon the son of David. There is
no doubt that he came to the throne after the death of his father and built a great temple. But,
Solomon’s temple was destroyed in the first destruction of Jerusalem. When one continues to
study the passage he sees the context has an eternal dynasty in mind as well. So, if not
Solomon, which seed of David would establish a kingdom that would last forever? The New
Testament reveals the answer. When the angel Gabriel came to Mary to announce the coming
birth of Jesus, he presented to her the fact that Jesus is the seed of David that would fulfill the
prophesy of 2 Samuel 7, “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the
Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house
of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:32-33). Peter echoed this
proclamation in his great sermon on the Day of Pentecost when he said, “Men and brethren, let
me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his
sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn
with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ
to sit on his throne” (Acts 2:29-30). Paul also confirmed this truth when he declared Jesus to be
the promised “seed” of David, “And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David
to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of
Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will. Of this man’s seed hath God
according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus” (Acts 13:22-23). The inspired
apostle made the statement that the “seed” of 2 Samuel 7:12 is in direct reference to Jesus.
The apostle John, the beloved of Jesus, also confirmed that Jesus is the seed by which the
prophecy would be fulfilled when he wrote, “Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of
the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?” (John 7:42). Yet,
again, Paul set the stage of the fulfillment by proclaiming, “Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our
Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son
of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead”
(Romans 1:3-4). Can there be any doubt that the apostle is speaking of the Seed that would
come from Mary?
The profound father of Jesus seems to be overshadowed by the mother and child he
was chosen to protect. But his character through a time that seemed unbearable stands out as
one who was noble and just (Matthew 1:19-25). He played a tremendous role as one being
chosen by God to carrying out His plan of redemption by obeying God’s message concerning
the birth Jesus.
According to the Old Testament prophecies, the Messiah was to be a descendant of
Abraham: “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast
obeyed my voice” (Genesis 22:18). The apostle Paul would reiterate this same truth when he
wrote, “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as
of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ” (Galatians 3:16). God’s promise of
sending the Savior can be seen in genealogical record of Joseph. When one opens his Bible to
the New Testament he is introduced to the book of Matthew that includes the record of the
generations from Abraham to Jesus (Matthew 1:1-17). The book reveals the genealogical
background of Jesus through Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born. Matthew,
by revealing the linage of Christ through his earthly father Joseph, easily verifies that Jesus is
the Son of David. Notice, if you will, the writing of the inspired, former tax collector, “The book
of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1). While
Joseph was not the biological father of our Lord, the listing of generations in Matthew’s account
shows the reader that Jesus had a legal claim to the linage of David through Joseph. Matthew
gives three divisions in the list of Jesus’ lineage. The first division is the Patriarchs. The second
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is made up entirely of kings. The third were all heirs of David’s throne, but none except Jesus
ever became King.
THE PROCEEDINGS CONCERNING THE BIRTH OF JESUS
The process of the marriage between Joseph and Mary included a period of espousal or
betrothal. This period involved an agreement in the presence of witnesses and a written
contract: “Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the
wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and
the wife of thy covenant (Malachi 2:14). By virtue of this betrothal or espousal period the
couple became husband and wife in a relationship that could only be terminated by death,
divorce, or unfaithfulness. Moses wrote:
If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they
shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the
woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel. If a damsel that is a virgin
be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with
her; Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye
shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried
not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his
neighbour’s wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you.
(Deuteronomy 22:22-24).
This inspired truth from the pen of Moses applies to the circumstances surrounding the birth of
Jesus. Matthew’s account says Mary, “…was found with child of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew
1:18). The angel Gabriel had come to Mary to announce the birth of Jesus. She was confused!
She did not understand how she could be pregnant with the Son of God when she had never
before had a relationship with a man in that way. The angel of the Lord would not only
announce the birth of Jesus, but also His gender, His relationship to God, and His deity. If that
were not enough Gabriel announced the giving of David’s throne to the Son of God. While Mary
did not fully understand why she was chosen to bring forth Jesus, her faith in God allowed her
to say, “…Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word…” (Luke
1:38).
After Joseph became aware of Mary’s pregnancy, Matthew tells us, “Then Joseph her
husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put
her away privily” (Matthew 1:19). Under the Law of Moses, Joseph had a legal right to present
Mary and her condition before a tribunal for conviction of a crime and the punishment
associated with it (Leviticus 20:10). But Joseph preferred a more private approach:
But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared
unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto
thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And
she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save
his people from their sins (Matthew 1:20-21).
Here God intervenes to fulfill His purpose for the redeemed of all the ages. The angel brings to
mind the lineage of which Joseph was kin to remind him of God’s will to bring about the
Messiah. The reader of Matthew’s account shows Joseph’s willingness to obey God and did just
as he had been instructed to do. Instead of having his beloved stoned to death he took her to
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be his wife and “knew her not until she brought fourth her first born son: and he called his
name JESUS” (Matthew 1:25).
THE PROVIDENCE ASSOCIATED WITH THE BIRTH OF JESUS
God’s providential hand can be seen in all of the aspects of Jesus’ birth. It was seen in
His prophecies, in the choosing of the Lord’s parents, and even in the place where Jesus was
born. God used and angel to further His cause by announcing to both Mary and Joseph as to
what to expect in the coming of Jesus. In the birth of Jesus, God uses an unlikely source to
fulfill the prophecy of Jesus being born in Bethlehem. Luke records, “And it came to pass in
those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be
taxed” (Luke 2:1). Because of the decree Joseph had no other choice but to follow the law that
was announced. Everyone in the Roman Empire was required to return to the city of his
ancestors. With Joseph being of the house of David, he made the journey with Mary to the city
of David, the town of Bethlehem.
Once they arrived in the city of Bethlehem, they ended up in a stable with livestock
“because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7). The circumstances are unknown
as to why they ended up in a stable, but the momentous occasion in the history of man is
revealed with the words, “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in
swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger…” (Luke 2:7).
Humble shepherds in the field attending to their flock were visited by an angel with the
message:
Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all
people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is
Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped
in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a
multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2:9-14).
Following the direction given by the angel, the shepherds hurriedly made their way to the
manger and offered worship to the King. These noble men were used by God to communicate
the arrival of the Son of God. The beloved Luke records the shepherds did not keep this good
news to themselves but rather, “they made known abroad the saying which was told them
concerning this child” (Luke 2:17).
After the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph had the great responsibility of following the
Law of Moses concerning the birth of their Son. Roper noted:
A first born had to be redeemed with money, in recognition of deliverance of the
Israelites’ first-born children during the tenth plague in Egypt (Ex. 13:2, 10-14;
34:19,20; Num. 3:40-51; 18:15,16). Also, forty days after the birth of a son, a
Jewish mother was to go to the temple for a ceremony of purification, which
included a sacrifice (Lev. 12:2-8). Joseph and Mary offer sacrifice that the poor
were allowed to make. The presentation of Jesus in the temple and the
purification of Mary were evidently made at the same time (70).
The wise men (magi) were guided by a star from the east to Jerusalem to inquire about
the birth of the Messiah saying, “…Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen
his star in the east, and are come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2). When King Harod heard of
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this one called Jesus born in Bethlehem of Judea he insisted the wise men report back to him
with information concerning His whereabouts (Matthew 2:8). Shortly afterwards, the wise men
headed south from Jerusalem and were once again guided by the star until they were standing
over the place where the young child laid. They fell to the ground and worshiped Him and
offered gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:10-11). Once their mission was
complete the wise men headed home. After being warned by God the wise men avoided
another confrontation with King Herod knowing it was the king’s desire to kill the Messiah. God
used these wise men to help protect the child born the Son of God (Matthew 2:12). With such a
threat on the life of the Lord, Jesus was taken by His family to Egypt to escape the wrath of
King Herod’s decree until his death where the family could return to Nazareth (Matthew 2:1323).
CONCLUSION
The birth of Jesus is the most wonderful event in the history of mankind. Without His
birth there would be no death, burial, or resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). The promise of
God to send the perfect One to be the perfect sacrifice so that man may be perfect (complete)
is seen through the prophecies of His coming, the parents to whom He was born, and the
providential hand of God in the circumstances of His being born the Son of God. May all men
everywhere see the importance of the birth of Jesus and the way God brought Him to earth so
that He may carry out the mission to “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
DeHoff, George W. Dehoff’s Commentary: The Prophets. Murfreesboro, TN: Dehoff Publication,
1978.
Book of Mormon: Salt Lake City, UT: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 1981.
Free, Jack. Mormanism And Inspiration. Concord, CA: Pacific Publishing Company, 1962.
Holy Bible. King James Version: Print
Roper, David L. Truth For Today Commentary: The Life of Christ Vol. 1. Searcy, AR: Resource
Publications, 2015.
Turner, Rex A. Sr. Sytematic Theology. Montgomery, AL: Alabama Christian School of Religion,
1989.
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