Bible Study – Christmas Joy, the Vanity of Pleasure, and The Birth of Jesus Christ
This world has a woeful shortage of joy and a surplus of fear, worry,
discouragement and depression. The "pursuit of happiness" and obsessive pleasure
seeking do not bring deep and lasting joy. This world is addicted to the pursuit of
pleasure to achieve happiness. The pursuit of pleasure to be happy is vanity as King
Solomon describes in Ecclesiastes. Joy on the other hand comes from God.
Joy is the fruit of a right relationship with God.
Joy is listed second to Love in Paul’s list of the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23 New King James Version (NKJV)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no
law.
22
"Biblical joy—the true joy—comes from filling the spiritual void with good
relationships, primarily an intimate relationship with the One who is pure joy. Jesus
put it this way: "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in
him, bears much fruit" (John 15:5). That fruit includes much joy!"
As we learn about the joy of Christmas and the birth of Christ be aware that all the
fruits of the spirit are present with the birth of Jesus Christ.
All those wonderful qualities (fruits of the Spirit) are present in our Lord and in our new birth in
Christ, and even in the celebration of the birth of our Savior! All we have to do is to step into
them, or lean into them, by rejoicing in what our Savior has done. There is then a transfer of
grace of those fruits into us. Hallelujah! God is so good and full of grace.
When we celebrate Christmas, we should remember that we are celebrating the birth of
Jesus that was prophesied long ago. We are celebrating the fact that the Father sent
His only begotten Son, born as a baby into the body of a man, to die on the cross and
to be raised up again for our justification and salvation. Revelation 13:8 says that Jesus
is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. God had a plan to rescue man even
before Adam sinned. The coming of Jesus, the Messiah, was foretold thousands of
years before He was born and recorded in the Old Testament. Here are some of the
prophetic scriptures together with the scriptures of fulfillment.
He was the Seed of a woman:
-Genesis 3:15 NKJV – And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between
1
your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.
-Galatians 4:4-5 NKJV – But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His
Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law,
that we might receive the adoption as sons.
He was a descendant of Abraham:
-Genesis 12:3 NKJV – I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses
you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
-Matthew 1:1 NKJV – The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the
Son of Abraham.
He was a descendant of Isaac:
-Genesis 17:19 NKJV – Then God said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and
you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting
covenant, and with his descendants after him.
-Luke 3:34 NKJV – the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham…
He was a descendant of Jacob:
-Numbers 24:17 NKJV – I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near;
A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel,
And batter the brow of Moab, And destroy all the sons of tumult (children of Sheth).
Hebrew Sheth (compare Jeremiah 48:45)
-Matthew 1:2 NKJV – Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah
and his brothers.
He was from the tribe of Judah:
-Genesis 49:10 NKJV – The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from
between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.
-Luke 3:33 NKJV – …the son of Perez, the son of Judah.
He was the descendant of Jesse:
-Isaiah 11:10 NKJV – “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand
as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall
be glorious.”
-Romans 15:12 NKJV – And again, Isaiah says: “There shall be a root of Jesse; And He
who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope.”
He was a descendant of David:
-Jeremiah 23:5-6 NKJV – “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will
raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute
2
judgment and righteousness in the earth. 6 In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel
will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called.
-Matthew 1:1 NKJV – The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the
Son of Abraham.
He will shepherd His people:
-Ezekiel 37:24 NKJV – David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have
one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do
them.
-Matthew 2:6 NKJV – “But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least
among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My
people Israel.”
He was heir to the throne of David:
-Isaiah 9:7 NKJV – Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with
judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of
hosts will perform this.
-Luke 1:32-33 NKJV – He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; 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 of His kingdom there will be no end.
He was born in Bethlehem:
-Micah 5:2 NKJV – “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.”
-Luke 2:4-7 NKJV – Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into
Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house
and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with
child. 6 So it was that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be
delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling
cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
The timing of His birth:
-Daniel 9:25 NKJV – “Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the
command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven
weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in
troublesome times.
-Luke 2:1-7 NKJV – And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from
Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place
while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered everyone to his own
3
city. 4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the
city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of
David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6 So it was,
that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she
brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a
manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
© Copyright 2010 admin, All rights Reserved. Written For: Rodney Howard Browne
http://www.rodneyhoward-browne.com/rodney-howard-browne/jesus-birth-foretold-in-prophecy/
The profit Micah foretold the location of the birth of Jesus 700 years (8th century) BC.
(Bethlehem Ephrathah where Rachel (Jacob’s wife) was buried means house of bread.)
This was King David’s early home. King David was born in Bethlehem in 1040 BC.
The poignant story of Naomi, Ruth and Boaz from thebook of Ruth is set primarily around the town of
Bethlehem. King David, the great-grandson of Ruth and Boaz was born and raised in Bethlehem, and
there David's mighty men lived. Bethlehem eventually came to be called the City of David as the symbol
of his great dynasty, and it grew into an important, strategic, and fortified city under King Rehoboam.
http://christianity.about.com/od/glossary/a/Bethlehem.htm
Micah 5:2 New King James Version (NKJV)
The Coming Messiah
“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.”
2
The birth of Jesus was foretold by Isaiah 700 years (eighth century) BC.
Isaiah 9:6-7
New King James Version (NKJV)
The Government of the Promised Son
For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
6
4
Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
7
Luke 2:1-20 New King James Version (NKJV)
Christ Born of Mary
2
And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar
Augustus that all the world should be registered.2 This census first took place
while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone
to his own city.
Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to
the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house
and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife,[a] who
was with child.6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were
completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son,
and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because
there was no room for them in the inn.
4
Glory in the Highest
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields,
keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold,[b] an angel of the Lord
stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they
were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for
behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For
there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the
Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in
swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
8
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God and saying:
13
“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”[c]
14
So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that
the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see
this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to
15
5
us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe
lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made
widely[d] known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And
all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the
shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her
heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the
things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
Psalm 19:1 English Standard Version (ESV) A Psalm of David.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above[a] proclaims his handiwork.
This must have been an amazing sight when the glory of God shone
around the shepherds, especially when the angel of the Lord
appeared with an army of angels. Nobody would believe the
shepherds because the testimony of shepherds like that of women,
was not acceptable anywhere.
The birth of Jesus was first announced to the shepherds, the lowest
class of people. Because the shepherds were dirty and could not
meet the purification requirements of the Jewish law, they were not
allowed to worship in the Temple at Jerusalem. Most of the sheep
raised near Bethlehem were being raised without blemish to be
sacrificed in the Temple in Jerusalem. Jesus, God’s sacrificial lamb,
was born in Bethlehem to be sacrificed in Jerusalem for the sins of
all people. God first announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds
because Jesus is for all people, and we do not need to be sacrificially
clean to worship Jesus. God loves us unconditionally as we are.
Joseph and Mary probably stayed with relatives in a house in
Bethlehem.
Unlike the traditional view that Joseph and Mary couldn't find room
at an inn, in actuality their Jewish relatives who lived in Bethlehem
would have welcomed them. They would have entered the home,
welcomed by the "patriarch", the eldest of their male relatives. In
Jewish society, you would go first and foremost to your family, and
ask for hospitality. Small Jewish villages didn't have hotels, and they
didn't have motels, and they hardly had inns."
Luke's text says, 'and she brought forth her firstborn Son, and
wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger,
because there was no room in the 'Kataluma', or guest room."
6
The key to understanding Luke's account of Christmas is his use of
the Greek word for 'Inn'. "In the text of the book of Luke," she
explained, "when we translate the word, "Inn", we're reading the
Greek word, 'Kataluma'. And 'Kataluma', can mean a guest room (or
upper room)."
Many houses in Bethlehem were constructed with an adjacent place
for the animals. On cold or rainy days the animals would be brought
into the house for warmth for the house and shelter for the animals.
Jesus could have been born in an adjacent place for the animals,
then wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in the manger, as is
written in the gospel of Luke. The animals would have been moved
out, and clean hay laid down. Some of the women, midwives who
were experienced in delivering babies, would have helped Mary.
http://www.cbn.com/CBNNews/CWN/122002birth.aspx
Daniel, while in Babylon, was made chief administrator over all the
wise men of Babylon. The Magi would have had Daniel’s prophecies
foretelling the time of Jesus’ birth.
Daniel 2:48
New King James Version (NKJV)
Then the king (Nebuchadnezzar) promoted Daniel and gave him many
great gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and
chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.
48
The Medes and Persians overthrew Babylon in 539BC, and Daniel
served second in command under King Darius the Mede.
Daniel 6:1-3
New King James Version (NKJV)
6
It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty
satraps, to be over the whole kingdom; 2 and over these, three governors, of
whom Daniel was one, that the satraps might give account to them, so that
the king would suffer no loss. 3 Then this Daniel distinguished himself above
the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the
king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm.
The wise men had Daniel’s prophecy when Jesus was to be born.
Daniel 9:25-26
New King James Version (NKJV)
7
“Know therefore and understand,
That from the going forth of the command
To restore and build Jerusalem
Until Messiah the Prince,
There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks;
The street[a] shall be built again, and the wall,[b]
Even in troublesome times.
26 “And after the sixty-two weeks
Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself;
And the people of the prince who is to come
Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.
The end of it shall be with a flood,
And till the end of the war desolations are determined.
25
The prophet Micah predicted Jesus would be born in Bethlehem.
Micah 5:2
New King James Version (NKJV)
The Coming Messiah
“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.”
2
Matthew 2 New King James Version (NKJV)
Wise Men from the East
2
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the
king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is
He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the
East and have come to worship Him.”
When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with
him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the
people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
3
So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the
prophet:
5
8
‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”[a]
6
Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from
them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and
said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have
found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”
7
When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they
had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the
young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly
great joy.11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young
Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when
they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold,
frankincense, and myrrh.
9
Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to
Herod, they departed for their own country another way.
12
Magi usually traveled in a group of twelve. The company of men
including the Magi probably numbered between 200 and 300 people
and came from Babylon or Persia specifically for the coronation of
Kings. This must have been a large company of men to carry
expensive gifts for a king and make all Jerusalem troubled.
The fact that Daniel was a high official of the royal government of
Babylon is highly significant in our study, because only high
government officials or high religious leaders had access to books.
The Wise Men were scholars and therefore had access to the
writings of Daniel. Further, the Wise Men were Magi, which was an
order of the Pagan Medo-Persian religious order of Zoroaster. The
Magi were ancient interpreters of dreams and were astrologers
(monthly prognosticators), enchanters, sorcerers, and magicians.
There was a general expectation of a messiah or great man from
Judea. Not very long after Jesus was born, the Roman historian
Seutonius wrote: “There had spread over all the Orient an old and
established belief, that it was fated at that time for men coming from
Judea to rule the world.” Tacitus, another Roman historian of the
general period, wrote: “There was a firm persuasion . . . that at this
very time the East was to grow powerful, and rulers coming from
Judea were to acquire universal empire.” (Cited in Barclay)
9
Herod, the chief priests, scribes, and people did not bother to travel
the 5 miles to Bethlehem to see Jesus, the King of the Jews. Just
like the world today, they did not care. They had their own worldly
agenda. Only the shepherds, the poorest of society, and foreigners
from the east worshiped the baby Jesus and rejoiced over the birth
of Jesus, the King of the Jews. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh were
Honor and status were implied by the value of the gifts of the magi.
Scholars think that these gifts were chosen for their special spiritual
symbolism about Jesus himself—gold representing his kingship,
frankincense a symbol of his priestly role, and myrrh a prefiguring of
his death and embalming. http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-inthe-bible/jesus-historical-jesus/why-did-the-magi-bring-gold-frankincense-and-myrrh/
http://www.gotquestions.org/gold-frankincense-myrrh.html
Triple Alignment in the Constellation Pieces explain the Star of Bethlehem
The possible celestial phenomena that could be taken as the Star of
Bethlehem, are bright stars, planets, comets, supernovae, and other
celestial appearances.
1. Bright stars, comets, and supernova can be eliminated because Herod
and his court did not see and were not aware of the star the wise men
saw.
2. From the Bible, we know the star was seen in the East and stood (was
stationary) over where the child was, but was not still visible when the
Wise Men reached Jerusalem (or Bethlehem).
3. The star, which the Wise Men saw in the East, also went before them,
till it came and stood over where the young Child was. From this
account, the star was seen in the East and Jesus was born west of
Babylon or Persia where the Wise Men came from, therefore, the star
was not seen over Bethlehem, where Jesus was born.
4. The star went before them (or was seen in the east in front of them)
before they started the journey, because Herod and his court could not
see the star when the Magi arrived in Bethlehem. The Magi saw
something in the east that let them know the king of the Jews was
born before they started the trip to Jerusalem.
5. The Magi said, “We had seen His star in the east.” A celestial
phenomenon indicated the birth of the king of the Jews to the Magi.
6. The star moved to where the young child was, then became
stationary, therefore, this had to have been a celestial phenomena
since only planets can both move and appear to become stationary.
10
Leading astronomer David Hughes, emeritus professor of astronomy at the
University of Sheffield, believes he can identify this celestial phenomena.
He says: "In 7BC, there was a rare series of meetings between Jupiter and
Saturn in the night sky. In this triple conjunction, Jupiter, the royal star, and
Saturn came together in the sky three times over the course of several
months. Significantly, this occurred with the constellation of Pisces in the
background, which is associated with Israel. "There is even evidence that
Persian astronomers predicted the conjunction on an ancient clay tablet, now
in the British Museum. The tablet calculates solar, lunar and planetary
activity for that year, and describes the conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn in
the constellation of Pisces. http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/features/revealed-at-last-secret-of-the-star-that-led-to-jesus-1-2328548
An ancient clay tablet, now in the British Museum, is a key part of the theory
that says the star was a rare series of three planetary meetings, known as a
triple conjunction. Persian astronomers predicted this. The tablet calculates
solar, lunar and planetary activity for that year, and describes the
conjunctions. This happened between Jupiter and Saturn and occurred in the
night sky in 7BC, says Dr. David Hughes, emeritus professor of astronomy at
the University of Sheffield. Jupiter, the royal star, and Saturn came together
three times over several months. Significantly, this happened during the
constellation of Pisces, a sign associated with Israel. There is evidence on
the clay tablet that Persian astronomers predicted this. The tablet calculates
solar, lunar and planetary activity for that year, and describes the
conjunctions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7791571.stm
A remarkable astronomical event most likely explains the Star of Bethlehem
which was a triple astronomical conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces,
during 7 BC (astronomical year -6), which is AUC 747 (AUC = astronomical
year + 753). You can use the planetarium on my Astronomical Computations
website to check this (the images on this page have been made with it;
you'll have to notice that it uses astronomical year numbering, which
includes the year zero, so 1 BC = 0, 2 BC = -1, 7 BC = -6 etc.). http://henkreints.nl/easter/crux.htm
Four copies of astronomical tablets describing celestial activities in 7 BC are
known to have survived. This means that Babylonian astronomers were
thoroughly familiar with the movements of the stars and planets, and hand
carried tablets or c-mailed (mailed by caravan) tablet copies to fellow
astronomers.
In the Babylonian system Jupiter represented the star of Marduk, the
supreme Babylonian god. Saturn was the "Steady One." The constellation
Pisces was associated with Ea, the god of wisdom, life and creation. The
conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces predicts from Babylonian's
11
viewpoint "the end of the old world order and the birth of a new king chosen
by God." Parpola contends that Augustus' (BC 27 - AD 12 or 14) authority
was still questioned and there was power vacuum in the Middle East, and the
people, including the Jews, were looking for a new King that would topple
the Roman Empire. http://www.public.iastate.edu/~lightandlife/triple.htm
Christmas Joy – Luke 2:8-11
Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good
tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you
this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
10
http://www.keepbelieving.com/sermon/1997-12-21-Christmas-Joy/
Listen to Sermon: http://www.keepbelieving.com/sermon/1997-12-21-Christmas-Joy/
If there is a single word that describes what Christmas is all about, it’s the word “joy.”
Our favorite carols mention it: “Joy to the world,” “O come all ye faithful,”
“Shepherds, why this jubilee,?” “Good Christian men, rejoice, with heart and soul and
voice,” “Joyful all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies, with the angelic host
proclaim, ‘Christ is born in Bethlehem.’”
How many of us feel joyful at Christmas? It’s not hard to feel joy when you sing
these wonderful songs. But it’s not always easy to feel joyful. Part of our problem is
that we have the wrong idea about joy. We tend to connect it with happiness and
think that joy depends on our circumstances. You can’t have joy by going from one
party to another or frantically racing through the shopping mall. In fact, going to the
mall this time of year is an excellent way to lose your joy.
The world is becoming more and more addicted to the pursuit of pleasure and
happiness. The pursuit of pleasure to be happy is vanity as King Solomon
describes in Ecclesiastes in the Bible. Joy comes from God and brings lasting
happiness.
The world believes that happiness is the ultimate purpose of human existence.
Happiness is thought of as living the good life, freedom from suffering, flourishing, well
being, joy, prosperity, and pleasure. According to Aristotle, “Happiness depends on
ourselves.” Aristotle enshrines happiness as a central purpose of human life and a goal
in itself. Aristotle argues that virtue is achieved by maintaining the Mean, which is the
balance between two excesses. Aristotle’s doctrine of the Mean is reminiscent of
Buddha’s Middle Path, but there are intriguing differences. For Aristotle the mean was a
method of achieving virtue, but for Buddha the Middle Path referred to a peaceful way of
life, which negotiated the extremes of harsh asceticism and sensual pleasure seeking.
The Middle Path was a minimal requirement for the meditative life, and not the source of
12
virtue in itself. The key question is “What is the ultimate purpose of human existence?”
What is that end or goal for which we should direct all of our activities? Everywhere we
see people seeking pleasure, wealth, and a good reputation. But while each of these
has some value, none of them can occupy the place of the chief good for which
humanity should aim. http://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/history-of-happiness/aristotle/
The Bible warns that self-indulgent pleasure-seeking does not lead to happiness
and fulfillment. Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 records the sad testimony of Solomon, who
sought to build his life on pleasure-seeking. The search left him empty and
disillusioned. Proverbs 14:13 offers insight into this way of life, “Even in laughter
the heart is sorrowful.” Cares, riches, and pleasures rob people of the possibility
of fruitful living ( Luke 8:14 ). Pleasure seeking often enslaves people in a vicious
cycle of addiction (Titus 3:3 ). The self-indulgent person, according to 1 Timothy
5:6 , is dead while seeming still to be alive.
Ecclesiastes 2 New King James Version (NKJV)
The Vanity of Pleasure
2
I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy
pleasure”; but surely, this also was vanity.2 I said of laughter—“Madness!”;
and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?” 3 I searched in my heart how to
gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to
lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do
under heaven all the days of their lives.
I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself
vineyards. 5 I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of
fruit trees in them. 6 I made myself water pools from which to water the
growing trees of the grove. 7 I acquired male and female servants, and had
servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and
flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me. 8 I also gathered for myself
silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I
acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of
men, and musical instruments[a] of all kinds.
4
So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in
Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.
9
Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them.
I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure,
For my heart rejoiced in all my labor;
And this was my reward from all my labor.
10
13
Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done
And on the labor in which I had toiled;
And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind.
There was no profit under the sun.
11
The End of the Wise and the Fool
Then I turned myself to consider wisdom and madness and folly;
For what can the man do who succeeds the king?—
Only what he has already done.
13 Then I saw that wisdom excels folly
As light excels darkness.
14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head,
But the fool walks in darkness.
Yet I myself perceived
That the same event happens to them all.
15 So I said in my heart,
“As it happens to the fool,
It also happens to me,
And why was I then more wise?”
Then I said in my heart,
“This also is vanity.”
16 For there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever,
Since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come.
And how does a wise man die?
As the fool!
12
Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the
sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind.
17
Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I
must leave it to the man who will come after me. 19 And who knows whether
he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled
and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This
also is vanity. 20 Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in
which I had toiled under the sun. 21 For there is a man whose labor is with
wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his heritage to a man who
has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. 22 For what has
man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has
toiled under the sun? 23 For all his days are sorrowful, and his work
burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.
18
Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his
soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of
24
14
God. 25 For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than
I?[b] 26 For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in
His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting,
that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and
grasping for the wind.
What is the purpose of man?
Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. A. W. Tozer
The Bible is very clear as to what our purpose in life should be. Men in both the Old
and New Testaments sought for and discovered life’s purpose. Solomon, the wisest
man who ever lived, discovered the futility of life when it is lived only for this world.
He gives these concluding remarks in the book of Ecclesiastes: "Here is the
conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the
whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every
hidden thing, whether it is good or evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). Solomon says that life
is all about honoring God with our thoughts and lives and thus keeping His
commandments, for one day we will stand before Him in judgment. Part of our
purpose in life is to fear God and obey Him. Read more:
http://www.gotquestions.org/purpose-of-life.html#ixzz2mtJAhS3R
1 Corinthians 10:31 New King James Version (NKJV)
Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the
glory of God.
31
What is Joy? Joy is the fruit of a right relationship with God.
Joy is a state of mind and an orientation of the heart. It is a settled state of
contentment, confidence and hope. It is something or someone that provides a
source of happiness. Joy is a fruit of the spirit.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no
law,” Galatians 5:22. Joy is NOT just happiness; it is more than just happiness.”
When we are joyful, other fruits of the spirit are usually present.
Webster's dictionary definition: 1) to experience great pleasure or delight: REJOICE,
2) the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of
possessing what one desires: DELIGHT.
15
Joy is the fruit of a right relationship with God. It is not something people can
create by their own efforts. The Bible distinguishes joy from pleasure. The Greek
word for pleasure is the word from which we get our word hedonism , the philosophy
of self-centered pleasure-seeking. Paul referred to false teachers as “lovers of
pleasures more than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:4 ).
Where do we find joy? Where is the joy in our lives, in this place, in
the shopping malls, in our country, in our world?
Luke 2:8-14 New King James Version (NKJV)
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields,
keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold,[b] an angel of the Lord
stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they
were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid,
for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all
people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a
Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will
find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly
there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and
saying: 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward
men!”
8
A host of angels in the Greek is an army of angels. The city of David is Bethlehem,
where David was born. As a boy, King David was a shepherd, the lowest class of
people in those days. The angels first announced the birth of Jesus to the
shepherds. Sheep were raised in Bethlehem for sacrifice in the Temple. Only the
shepherds and wise men worshiped Jesus. When the wise men came to Jerusalem
searching for the King of the Jews, Herod and his court did not care enough to
travel even 5 miles to Bethlehem to see Jesus. That is like this world that searches
for happiness and is not willing to accept Jesus and joy with the other fruits of the
spirit.
John 3:16 New King James Version (NKJV)
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
16
God wrapped his Christmas present to you in swaddling clothes.
16
The Fruit of the Spirit - Joy: Foundation for a Positive Life
Jesus said to His disciples, "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may
remain in you, and that your joy may be full" (John 15:11). Would you like to
experience deep and enduring joy? Would you like to be joy-full?
The world has a woeful shortage of joy and a surplus of fear, worry,
discouragement and depression. Even the "pursuit of happiness" and obsessive
pleasure seeking do not bring deep and lasting joy.
Let us first understand the difference between joy and happiness. Happiness is an
emotion, and God never intended for people to be in that emotional state all the
time. There is "a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to
dance" (Ecclesiastes 3:4).
Biblical joy—the true joy—comes from filling the spiritual void with good
relationships, primarily an intimate relationship with the One who is pure joy. Jesus
put it this way: "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in
him, bears much fruit" (John 15:5). That fruit includes much joy!
The Bible speaks much more often of joy than of being happy. "Hap"
means chance and is the root of several words— happen, happening,
haphazard (dependent on mere chance), hapless, happenstance (a chance
circumstance) and happy.
Happiness is a glad feeling that depends on something good happening. God wants
you to experience happy times (as long as God approves of what is happening). But
His greater desire is that you have unconditional joy. Jesus said His joy
would "remain in you" and "your joy no one will take from you" (John 15:11
; 16:22, emphasis added throughout).
Think of joy as a strong foundation that supports a variety of healthy emotions,
including happiness. The long-range evidence of joy is general gratitude,
contentment, optimism, a sense of freedom and other positive attitudes.
Joy looks out and up, not inward.
A common mistake is to think that getting something will make you happy. We tell
ourselves, "If only . . ." But joy and happiness come much more
from giving and serving than from getting.
17
The apostle Paul reminded his listeners that Jesus Christ had taught this very thing:
"There is more happiness in giving than in receiving" (Acts 20:35).
To grow in joy, we must resist not only self-pity but also being self-centered and selfabsorbed. For joy to flourish, we must focus on loving others and especially on loving
God.
Joy is largely composed of gratitude —gratitude for the wonderful things God has
done for us and His "exceedingly great and precious promises" for our future (2 Peter
1:4). Gratitude produces joy (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). And our gratitude should be for
other people's blessings as well as for our own (Romans 12:15).
Try to follow this biblical formula: Add to your life gratitude, humility, forgiveness,
faith, hope, patience and love. Take away resentment, anger, fear, worry,
materialism, greed, jealousy, complaining and pride. The result? Joy!
Joy is spiritual, supernatural and essential.
God is joyful. He is enjoying His creation, and especially the delightful anticipation
of many new "sons of God" (Romans 8:14, 19).
True followers of God will be joyful also. Psalm 68:3 says, "Let the righteous be glad; .
. . let them rejoice exceedingly." God desires that we serve Him "with joy and
gladness of heart" (Deuteronomy 28:47).
Paul spoke of the "joy of the Holy Spirit" (1 Thessalonians 1:6). It is through His Spirit
that God shares and communicates His joy.
And when Paul lists the "fruit of the Spirit," joy is second, preceded only by love
(Galatians 5:22-23). If we are filled with godly love, won't that produce joy? Of course
it will.
Being second in the list surprises many people who mistakenly think joy is spiritually
unimportant. Some religious people even shun joy, at least subconsciously, thinking
that pious people should instead be solemn. A few even choose asceticism, which
God abhors.
Joy is a major topic in the Bible. In the King James Version, "joy" appears 158 times
and "rejoice" 198 times (not counting other variations such as joyful, joyfully, joyous,
jubilant, happy and glad).
18
Rejoice is the verb form of joy, meaning to feel or have joy! Clearly there is great
emphasis in the Bible on feeling and expressing joy. That explains why the Bible also
emphasizes prayers and songs that praise (celebrate) God (James 5:13; Colossians
3:16-17).
Joy is not optional. The Bible repeatedly commands us to rejoice! The most
emphatic exhortation is in Philippians 4:4, where Paul says, "Rejoice in the Lord
always. Again I will say, rejoice!"
Is it wrong to have sorrow?
The Bible describes two kinds of sorrow. "For godly sorrow produces repentance
leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces
death" (2 Corinthians 7:10).
Those who have joy frequently experience godly sorrow at the same time. It can be
the sorrow of repentance toward God. Those who feel the worst about their sins
feel the greatest joy about their forgiveness and God's amazing grace.
Another example is mourning over the suffering of others while having the joy of
knowing that God will eventually solve all problems (Matthew 5:4).
Worldly sorrow is generally self-pity or a victim mentality. While one indulges in
worldly sorrow, it's virtually impossible to have either godly sorrow or joy.
Isaiah's prophecy said Jesus would be "a Man of sorrows"—sorrows over mankind's
sins and suffering (Isaiah 53:3). Yet Jesus was also prophesied to be "anointed . . .
with the oil of gladness more than [His] companions" (Hebrews 1:8-9; Psalm 45:6-7).
And indeed, Christ had great joy and also experienced great sorrow (John
17:13; Matthew 26:37-39).
Grieving is a healthy response when a loved one dies. However, if we believe the
truth of the resurrection, we also have comfort and joy because we know our loss is
only temporary. The grief is much more painful for those "who have no hope" in a
resurrection (1 Thessalonians 4:13).
Joy because of trials?
God's joy continues to flow through His people even during their suffering because
of their rock-solid hope. They know that all suffering is limited to this short life, and
19
the time will soon come when "there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor
crying" (Revelation 21:4). They "rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Romans 5:2).
We also have good reason to rejoice because of our trials when we understand how
God is using those trials to help us build godly character. "And we know that all
things [even severe trials] work together for good to those who love God, to those
who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).
More specifically, Paul wrote, "we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know
that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character,
hope" (Romans 5:3-4, New International Version).
James wrote, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face
trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith
develops perseverance"—perseverance in remaining faithful to God
(James 1:2, NIV).
And because Christ suffered for each of us, we should have a special joy when we
are persecuted for our faith. Jesus said, "Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great
is your reward in heaven" (Matthew 5:11-12).
The number one key to joy: God's Spirit
Supreme joy is God's nature and character! We see proof everywhere in God's
creation—birds singing, animals leaping, flowers blooming, brooks babbling and the
sun shining! Many people would be less depressed if they would spend more time
outside. God "gives us richly all things to enjoy" (1 Timothy 6:17).
Since God is exceedingly joyful, His servants should also be joyful! Sadly, many who
claim to be His disciples are austere, sour and dour. But take note of Luke's
description of true disciples: "And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy
Spirit" (Acts 13:52).
How can we be filled with joy and the Holy Spirit? "Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent,
and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission
[forgiveness] of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit'" (Acts 2:38).
Our unique joy begins because Christ lives in us (Galatians 2:20). He tells us to
"rejoice because your names are written in heaven" (Luke 10:20). We then have an
20
intimate relationship with the One Psalm 43:4 calls "God my exceeding joy." In His
presence "is fullness of joy" (Psalm 16:11).
God's Spirit is a tree of life, producing life-giving fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). That fruit
includes great joy.
Jesus prayed for His followers "that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves"
(John 17:13).
He also teaches us to pray for joy and for all our needs. As He tells us in John 16:24,
"Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full!" GN
http://www.ucg.org/christian-living/fruit-spirit-joy-foundation-positive-life/
Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. A. W. Tozer
It is worth pointing out that the catechism does not say that we have two purposes: 1)
to glorify God, and 2) to enjoy him forever. No, the catechism declares that we have
one purpose, one chief end. You cannot glorify God without enjoying him forever,
and you cannot enjoy God forever without glorifying him. You enjoy God forever by
glorifying him, and you glorify God by enjoying him forever. If we said that your
chief end is to glorify God--well, that is the chief end of all created things. The chief
end of that chair is to glorify God, but the chair gets no enjoyment out of glorifying
God! But if we said that your chief end is to enjoy God forever, that would sound
rather hedonistic and self-centered. No, the two concepts of glorifying God and
enjoying him forever are indissoluble. We were created to glorify God and enjoy him
forever. God did not create us simply that he might enjoy us, but also that we might
enjoy him.
Psalm 86 is the prayer of the man who desires to glorify God. It is the song of
Israel, and it is the prayer of the Son of God. While Psalm 86 is first about David and
Israel, the Son of God in his Old Testament state, it nonetheless gives us an
eschatological glimpse of the universal scope of the new humanity. It is also the
prayer of Christ and his church.
"Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Preserve my
life, for I am godly; Save your servant, who trusts in you; you are my God."
http://www.worldinvisible.com/library/tozer/5f00.0888/5f00.0888.03.htm
Psalm 86
New King James Version (NKJV)
Prayer for Mercy, with Meditation on the Excellencies of the LORD
21
A Prayer of David.
86
Bow down Your ear, O LORD, hear me;
For I am poor and needy.
2 Preserve my life, for I am holy;
You are my God;
Save Your servant who trusts in You!
3 Be merciful to me, O Lord,
For I cry to You all day long.
4 Rejoice the soul of Your servant,
For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
5 For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.
6 Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer;
And attend to the voice of my supplications.
7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon You,
For You will answer me.
8 Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord;
Nor are there any works like Your works.
9 All nations whom You have made
Shall come and worship before You, O Lord,
And shall glorify Your name.
10 For You are great, and do wondrous things;
You alone are God.
11 Teach me Your way, O LORD;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name.
12 I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And I will glorify Your name forevermore.
13 For great is Your mercy toward me,
And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
14 O God, the proud have risen against me,
And a mob of violent men have sought my life,
And have not set You before them.
15 But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious,
Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.
16 Oh, turn to me, and have mercy on me!
Give Your strength to Your servant,
And save the son of Your maidservant.
17 Show me a sign for good,
That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed,
Because You, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.
22
Luke 2:8-14 New King James Version (NKJV)
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields,
keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold,[b] an angel of the Lord
stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they
were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid,
for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all
people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a
Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
8
NOTES
Isaiah 7:14
New King James Version (NKJV)
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall
conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.[a]
14
Footnotes: a. Isaiah 7:14 Literally God-With-Us
Isaiah 9
New King James Version (NKJV)
The Government of the Promised Son
9
Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed,
As when at first He lightly esteemed
The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
And afterward more heavily oppressed her,
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
In Galilee of the Gentiles.
2 The people who walked in darkness
Have seen a great light;
Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,
Upon them a light has shined.
3 You have multiplied the nation
And increased its joy;[a]
They rejoice before You
According to the joy of harvest,
As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
4 For You have broken the yoke of his burden
And the staff of his shoulder,
The rod of his oppressor,
23
As in the day of Midian.
5 For every warrior’s sandal from the noisy battle,
And garments rolled in blood,
Will be used for burning and fuel of fire.
6 For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
Luke 1
New King James Version (NKJV)
John’s Birth Announced to Zacharias
There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named
Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron,
and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God,
walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord
blameless. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they
were both well advanced in years.
5
So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his
division, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn
incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole
multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 Then
an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar
of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell
upon him.
8
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is
heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his
name John. 14 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 shall drink
neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even
from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to
the Lord their God. 17 He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of
13
24
Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’[b] and the
disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for
the Lord.”
And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old
man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”
18
And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the
presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad
tidings. 20 But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day
these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be
fulfilled in their own time.”
19
And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long
in the temple. 22 But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and
they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to
them and remained speechless.
21
So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he
departed to his own house. 24 Now after those days his wife Elizabeth
conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has
dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach
among people.”
23
Christ’s Birth Announced to Mary
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of
Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was
Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having
come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with
you; blessed are you among women!”[c]
26
But when she saw him,[d] she was troubled at his saying, and considered
what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then 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 bring forth a Son, and shall call His
name JESUS. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; 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 of His kingdom there will be no end.”
29
Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a
man?”
34
25
And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon
you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that
Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed,
Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is
now the sixth month for her who was called barren.37 For with God nothing
will be impossible.”
35
Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me
according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
38
Mary Visits Elizabeth
Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to
a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted
Elizabeth. 41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary,
that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy
Spirit. 42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed areyou
among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 But
why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to
me? 44 For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears,
the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 Blessed is she who believed, for there
will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
39
The Song of Mary
46
And Mary said:
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.
54 He has helped His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy,
26
As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever.”
55
And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her
house.
56
Birth of John the Baptist
Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought
forth a son. 58 When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had
shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.
57
Circumcision of John the Baptist
So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and
they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias. 60 His
mother answered and said, “No; he shall be called John.”
59
But they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called
by this name.” 62 So they made signs to his father—what he would have him
called.
61
And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, “His name is John.”
So they all marveled. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his
tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God. 65 Then fear came on all who
dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the
hill country of Judea. 66 And all those who heard them kept themin their
hearts, saying, “What kind of child will this be?” And the hand of the Lord
was with him.
63
Zacharias’ Prophecy
Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied,
saying:
67
“Blessed is the Lord God of Israel,
For He has visited and redeemed His people,
69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us
In the house of His servant David,
70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets,
Who have been since the world began,
71 That we should be saved from our enemies
And from the hand of all who hate us,
72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers
68
27
And to remember His holy covenant,
73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham:
74 To grant us that we,
Being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
Might serve Him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.
76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;
For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people
By the remission of their sins,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Dayspring from on high has visited[e] us;
79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till
the day of his manifestation to Israel.
80
Matthew 1
New King James Version (NKJV)
The Genealogy of Jesus Christ
1
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of
Abraham:
Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his
brothers. 3 Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and
Hezron begot Ram. 4 Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon,
and Nahshon begot Salmon. 5 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot
Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, 6 and Jesse begot David the king.
2
David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife[a] of
Uriah. 7 Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah
begot Asa.[b] 8 Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram
begot Uzziah. 9 Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot
Hezekiah. 10 Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon,[c] and Amon
begot Josiah. 11 Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they
were carried away to Babylon.
And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and
Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel. 13 Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim,
and Eliakim begot Azor. 14 Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim
begot Eliud. 15 Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan
12
28
begot Jacob. 16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was
born Jesus who is called Christ.
So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations,
from David until the captivity in Babylon arefourteen generations, and from
the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.
17
Christ Born of Mary
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was
betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of
the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not
wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away
secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the
Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be
afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of
the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His
nameJESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”
18
So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord
through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and
bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated,
“God with us.”
22
Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord
commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she
had brought forth her firstborn Son.[d] And he called His name JESUS.
24
Luke 2 New King James Version (NKJV)
Christ Born of Mary
2
And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar
Augustus that all the world should be registered.2 This census first took place
while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone
to his own city.
Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to
the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house
and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife,[a] who
was with child.6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were
completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son,
and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because
there was no room for them in the inn.
4
29
Glory in the Highest
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields,
keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold,[b] an angel of the Lord
stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they
were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for
behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For
there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the
Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in
swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
8
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God and saying:
13
“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”[c]
14
So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that
the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see
this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to
us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe
lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made
widely[d] known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And
all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the
shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her
heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the
things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
15
Circumcision of Jesus
And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the
Child,[e] His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He
was conceived in the womb.
21
Jesus Presented in the Temple
Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were
completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (as
it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be
called holy to the LORD”),[f] 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said
in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”[g]
22
Simeon Sees God’s Salvation
30
And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and
this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the
Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy
Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 So
he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the
Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took Him
up in his arms and blessed God and said:
25
“Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,
According to Your word;
30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation
31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”
29
And Joseph and His mother[h] marveled at those things which were spoken
of Him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold,
this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign
which will be spoken against 35 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own
soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
33
Anna Bears Witness to the Redeemer
Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the
tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven
years from her virginity; 37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four
years,[i]who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings
and prayers night and day. 38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to
the Lord,[j] and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in
Jerusalem.
36
The Family Returns to Nazareth
So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. 40 And the Child grew
and became strong in spirit,[k] filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was
upon Him.
39
The Boy Jesus Amazes the Scholars
His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the
Passover. 42 And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem
according to the custom of the feast. 43 When they had finished the days, as
they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and
41
31
His mother[l] did not know it; 44 but supposing Him to have been in the
company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives
and acquaintances. 45 So when they did not find Him, they returned to
Jerusalem, seeking Him. 46 Now so it was that after three days they found
Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to
them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him were astonished
at His understanding and answers. 48 So when they saw Him, they were
amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us?
Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.”
And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must
be about My Father’s business?” 50 But they did not understand the
statement which He spoke to them.
49
Jesus Advances in Wisdom and Favor
Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to
them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus
increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
51
Isaiah 9:6-7 New King James Version (NKJV)
6 For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
Bethlehem in the Old Testament
In the Old Testament, Bethlehem was an early Canaanite settlement connected with the patriarchs.
Situated along an ancient caravan route, Bethlehem has harbored a melting pot of peoples and
cultures since its beginning. The geography of the region is mountainous, sitting about 2,600 feet
above the Mediterranean Sea.
32
In times past, Bethlehem was also called Ephrathah or Bethlehem-Judah to distinguish it from a
second Bethlehem located in Zebulunite territory. It was first mentioned in Genesis 35, as theburial site
of Rachel, Jacob's favored wife:
Genesis 35:19
So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). (NLT)
Members of Caleb's family settled in Bethlehem, including Caleb's son Salma who was called the
"founder" or "father" of Bethlehem in 1 Chronicles 2:51.
The Levite priest who served in the house of Micah was from Bethlehem:
Judges 17:7–13
One day a young Levite, who had been living in Bethlehem in Judah, arrived in that area. He had left
Bethlehem in search of another place to live, and as he traveled, he came to the hill country of
Ephraim. He happened to stop at Micah’s house as he was traveling through. ...So Micah installed the
Levite as his personal priest, and he lived in Micah’s house. "I know the LORD will bless me now,"
Micah said, "because I have a Levite serving as my priest." (NLT)
And the Levite of Ephraim brought home a concubine from Bethlehem:
Judges 19:1
Now in those days Israel had no king. There was a man from the tribe of Levi living in a remote area
of the hill country of Ephraim. One day he brought home a woman from Bethlehem in Judah to be his
concubine.(NLT)
The poignant story of Naomi, Ruth and Boaz from thebook of Ruth is set primarily around the town of
Bethlehem. King David, the great-grandson of Ruth and Boaz was born and raised in Bethlehem, and
there David's mighty men lived. Bethlehem eventually came to be called the City of David as the
symbol of his great dynasty, and it grew into an important, strategic, and fortified city under King
Rehoboam. http://christi anity.about.com /od/glossary/a/Bethlehem.htm
RELATED BOOK
Credo: Believing in Something to Die For
All spirituality flows from a correct perspective of God, and
all heresy begins with a misunderstanding of God.
Get more details
Where does Christmas joy come from? Listen to the words of Luke 2:8-10 and see if
you can discover the answer:
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their
flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord
shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘‘Do not be
afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the
town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
33
Here’s a quote from Dean Willimon that seems to put this passage in perspective:
“Christmas is a delightful disruption of the way things normally go.” I like that phrase
“delightful disruption” because it catches the spirit of Luke 2. One moment you’re
tending the sheep in the middle of the night, the next you’re being scared out of your
wits by an angelic choir. I don’t know how delightful that is, but it’s definitely a
disruption.
The angel comes with “good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” What
is this “good news of great joy?” Verse 11 has the answer. I’m going to give it to you in
the King James Version because it is the traditional version most of us learned as
children (I find that even when I read the Christmas story in a modern version, my
brain automatically converts it to King James English): “For unto you is born this day
in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”
If you are looking for Christmas joy, I suggest that you can find all you need in this
single verse.
I. The Prophecy of His Coming
Notice the simple phrase—"born this day in the city of David.” The city of David is not
Jerusalem—it’s Bethlehem, which is about 5 miles south of Jerusalem. I have been
there three times—most recently about in October when we toured the Holy Land.
Today Bethlehem is a Arab town under Palestinian control, but when Jesus was born
it was a tiny Jewish community.
Modern Bethlehem is a bustling, busy town filled with thousands of people who
jostle each other as they walk the narrow streets. The major industry of Bethlehem is
tourism and the most important site is the Church of the Holy Nativity in the very
center of the city. This is the one of the oldest churches in the Holy Land, having been
first built on that site 1700 years ago, then built upon, added to, and restored many
times over the centuries. Today when you visit Bethlehem you’ll have a hard time
envisioning what it was like when Jesus was born.
In 1867 a Boston pastor named Phillips Brooks visited the Holy Land at Christmastime.
Upon his return he wrote a Christmas carol, which was set to music by his choir
director for their Christmas concert the next year. We still sing it today. “O little of
Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie! Above they deep and dreamless sleep the silent
stars go by.” He wrote it that way because 130 years ago Bethlehem was still a tiny
village—a quiet and peaceful place.
34
There is a fascinating connection between that Boston church and Calvary Memorial
Church. When the Trinity Church of Boston burned down, Pastor Brooks led in its
rebuilding in the 1870s. It is a magnificent structure that still stands on the Boston
Commons. When the First Presbyterian Church of Oak Park decided to build a new
sanctuary in the 1890s, the building committee corresponded with the building
committee of Trinity Church and used their drawings as a guide for our present
sanctuary, which was designed by noted church architect W. G. Williamson in 1901.
The Trinity Church was built by H. H. Richardson in a style sometimes called
Richardsonian Romanesque. Echoes of that style can be seen in the vaulted arches of
our sanctuary and the covered portico leading to the West Wing.
Bethlehem is called the “city of David” because David grew up here along with his
father Jesse and his seven brothers (see 1 Samuel 16:1-3 for the story of David’s
selection as the king who would replace Saul). In fact, David tended sheep in the
fields outside the village just the shepherds were doing the night the angel appeared
to them.
There is one other fact you need to know. Seven hundred earlier the Lord had spoken
through the prophet Micah and declared that the Messiah would be born in
Bethlehem. Here is the exact Scripture from Micah 5:2.
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of
Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins
are from of old, from ancient times.
Notice the phrase “though you are small among the clans of Judah.” That prophecy
came from the Lord in 700 B.C. when Bethlehem was a tiny, inconsequential village.
No one would ever had named it as one of the Top Ten Vacation Spots in Israel. If you
went there, you would find a few small houses and that’s about it.
When Jesus was born Bethlehem was still off the beaten track, so to speak. However,
all the Jews knew that the Messiah would be born there. How do I know that?
Matthew 2 tells us that when the Magi came to Herod in Jerusalem, they asked
“Where is he who is King of Jews? We have seen his star in the east and have come to
worship him.” Good question. Where is the Messiah going to be born? Herod
gathered his theology council and asked them the same question. They replied by
quoting Micah 5:2 (you can find this episode in Matthew 2:1-6). That’s what I mean by
the fact that all the Jews knew. God had told them 700 years before exactly where
Christ would be born. There was no secret about it at all.
35
As a side note, I’ve always been fascinated by the fact that even though the Magi
have suddenly shown up in Jerusalem, and even though the theologians knew where
the baby was to be born, and even though Bethlehem was only 5 miles south of
Jerusalem, as far as we know, not a one of them cared enough to investigate for
himself. They were totally indifferent to the birth of the Messiah. They missed the
most important event in world history because they couldn’t be bothered.
How different the shepherds are. As good Jews, they too must have known the
prophecy in Micah. When the shepherds hear the glad tidings that Christ has come,
they respond by saying, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem.” The theologians knew the
truth but wouldn’t act on it; the shepherds knew very little but what they knew, they
believed and immediately acted upon.
So when we read “city of David” we should remember that Jesus was born in
fulfillment of a prophecy made 700 years earlier. It should also remind us that
knowledge alone is never enough to save us. It’s not what you know, but what you
do with what you know that makes the difference.
II. The Reality of His Coming
Let’s look again at the text. The angel says, “Unto you is born this day in the city of
David.” Just focus on the three words—"born this day.” They speak to the fact that
what happened in Bethlehem was nothing less than the birth of a baby named Jesus
Christ.
There are two aspects to this truth we need to mention. The first is that there were
no miracles associated with the physical birth of Jesus Christ. Even though we often
speak of the Virgin Birth of Christ, it’s important to remember that the real miracle
took place nine months earlier when the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary with the
result that although she was a virgin, she became pregnant. That was an enormous
miracle which has never been repeated in the history of the world. However, from
that point on Mary’s pregnancy followed the normal course of all human pregnancies
leading to the momentous night in Bethlehem when she gave birth to the Lord Jesus
in a stable. Although Luke gives no details, we may safely assume that the delivery
itself was normal in every way. Or at least as normal as any birth could be under such
trying circumstances. From time to time we read of women giving birth in strange
places—in a car, at the mall, at a restaurant–sometimes alone, sometimes attended
by a very frightened husband. Such instances are normal births that happen in
extraordinary circumstances. The birth of Jesus falls into that category—a true event
that took place in a normal way in a very abnormal situation.
36
Second, it’s important to remind ourselves that the phrase “this day” means that it
really happened. Francis Schaeffer used to talk about “lower-story” truth and
“upper-story” truth. “Lower-story” truth is made up of the facts of history—things
that really happened at a certain time in a place to particular people. By contrast,
“upper-story” truth refers to fables and stories—like the fables of Aesop—that
everyone knows aren’t true but are meant to teach religious truth. Many people
today read Luke 2 and call it “upper story” truth. It’s simply too fantastic to believe,
or so they say. One professor called it “theological fiction"—that is, a story made up
by the early church to explain the uniqueness of Jesus.
Some of you may have heard about the “Jesus Seminar"—a group of liberal scholars
who use colored pebbles to vote on whether or not the gospel stories about Jesus
are true or not. Several years ago they voted down the Virgin Birth of Christ. The vote
was 24-1 against the biblical account of the Virgin Birth:
Voting with multi-colored pebbles, these pundits decided that Mary must have had
sexual intercourse, either with Joseph or some unknown interloper, before she
became pregnant with Jesus. They also decreed the visit of the wise men a
fabrication, the slaughter of the innocents a fiction, and the flight of the Holy Family
into Egypt a fanciful allegory drawn from the Moses story in Exodus. (From “Why We
Believe in the Virgin Birth” by Timothy George, Christianity Today, 1994.)
I mention that because the Christian church has always professed its belief in the
literal truth of the Virgin Birth. The ancient creeds put this way: “Conceived of the
Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary.” This is one truth that has always been believed
by all Christians everywhere. To use Francis Schaeffer’s term, the birth of Jesus is
“lower-story” truth because it really and truly happened.
So when we read “unto you is born this day in the city of David,” let us remember
that it points to something true—an event that really happened. Not a legend or a
myth or a nicely-told fairy tale. Everything about the story is true, including the
central truth that there really was a baby born in Bethlehem who really was the Son
of God.
III. The Result of His Coming
Now we come to the climax of this verse: “A Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Here’s
a interesting a fact that comes from the Greek text of Luke 2. When Luke wrote his
account, he didn’t use any articles to describe who Jesus is. It reads this way: Savior,
Christ, Lord.
37
Each word is vitally important. Savior is actually an Old Testament word that means
“One who delivers his people.” Lord is a term for Deity. It’s a synonym for God. Christ
is the Greek version of the Hebrew word Messiah, which means “the anointed One.”
SCRIPTURES REFERENCED
Luke 2

'Twas the Day After Christmas

Lessons from the Manger

A Savior is Born
Luke 2

'Twas the Day After Christmas

Lessons from the Manger

A Savior is Born
Luke 2

'Twas the Day After Christmas

Lessons from the Manger

A Savior is Born
Luke 2

'Twas the Day After Christmas

Lessons from the Manger

A Savior is Born
We desperately need a Savior, don’t we? When the angel announced the birth of
Jesus to Joseph, he said, “Give him the name Jesus for he will save his people from
their sins” (Matthew 1:21). I heard recently about a man in our church who went to
visit his father over Thanksgiving. He had been praying for his father’s salvation for
nearly 40 years. In all those years his father had never shown any real interest in
spiritual things and in fact was often openly hostile to the gospel. Now he is dying of
cancer. The son visited his father and they talked together but he didn’t accept
Christ. However, a few days after Thanksgiving a pastor who knows his father called
with the good news that his father had accepted Christ. The son couldn’t believe it
and decided to wait for his father to share the news. A few days later his father called
up and said, “What do you call it that happens when Billy Graham preaches?” The son
38
didn’t understand the question so the father repeated it. Eventually the son figured
out that his father was talking about the invitation, so he said, “That’s when people
go forward to accept Christ.” “I’ve done that,” the father blurted out. Almost before
the son could say anything else, his father asked, “Have you ever done that?” He told
his father that he had accepted Christ almost 40 years ago. Then the father asked
about his son’s wife: “Do you think she’s done it?” Yes, she trusted Christ years ago.
The father was so amazed at what had suddenly happened to him that he wanted to
make sure his son and daughter-in-law were saved too. And all these years they had
been praying for him! That’s why Christ come—to be a Savior for everyone who will
turn to him.
Not only that, but he came to be Lord or ruler of the universe. Today he is the Lord of
heaven. One day he will return and set up his kingdom on the earth. Between now
and then we Christians are called to make him Lord of our lives on a daily basis. That
means surrendering your will to him and letting him lead the way. Yesterday I chatted
again with my friend Dan Hoeksema down in Memphis. I told him that hundreds of
people were using that simple prayer he shared with me and I shared with you. In
case you’ve forgotten it, here is it: “Heavenly Father, you are in charge of everything
that will happen in my life today—the good and the bad, the positive and the
negative. Please make me thankful for everything that happens to me today. Amen.”
That prayer works because it’s based on the truth that Jesus Christ is the Lord of all—
and our lives won’t work right until they are completely surrendered to him.
He is the Savior, he is the Lord, and he is the Christ—the one sent from God. I called
this the “result” of his coming, and in a sense that’s not entirely accurate. He is
Savior, Lord and Christ even without his coming, but if he had never come, we would
never have known it. The truth of Jesus would forever have been hidden from us.
This is the heart of Christmas. God loved us enough to send his only begotten Son.
Think of it this way:
He didn’t send a committee
He didn’t write a book
He didn’t send a substitute
No, when God got ready to save the world, he sent the best that he had—his one and
only Son. And in sending Jesus, he was really sending himself. This is the stupendous
truth of Christmas—Immanuel—God with us.
39
IV. The Purpose of His Coming
Our text contains one final truth for our consideration. In the King James Version this
truth comes first—"For unto you is born this day in the city of David.” Pause for a
moment and consider who was speaking and who was being addressed. When the
shepherds heard these words from the angel, they must have been flabbergasted.
We tend to overlook the fact that shepherds were near the bottom of the social
order of ancient Israel. They were often poor and uneducated and some were quite
young. Not very many people would pick “shepherd” on their Career Preference
Form. There were many easier ways to make a living in ancient Israel.
Doug Goins paints a vivid picture of how shepherds were viewed in that day:
The Judean shepherds were the lowest of the low socially-common men, a despised
class with a bad reputation. Shepherds were known as thieves because they were
nomadic, and as they moved their sheep around the country, sometimes they got
confused about what was “mine” and what was “thine.” They were all tarred with
the same brush-untrustworthy, dishonest. They were not allowed to give testimony
in a Jewish court of law. Their work made it impossible for them to observe the
Jewish ceremonial laws and temple rituals, so they were considered religiously
unclean and unacceptable. It’s pretty amazing to think this heavenly invasion came to
such social outcasts! (From the sermon “Journeys of Joy")
So when the angel says, “To you is born,” he’s really saying, “Christ came for lowly
shepherds.” But what about those theologians in Jerusalem who knew but didn’t
care? He came for them too, but they never knew about it.
When Christ came, his birth was first announced to the outcasts of society. They
were the first ones to hear the good news of Christmas. There is a great lesson in this
for all of us. Our Lord came for the forgotten people of the earth and most of the
time they are the ones who receive him with the greatest joy. Rich people often have
no time for Christ, but the poor welcome him as an honored guest.
He Came For You
Let me now make a simple application. The angel said, “For unto you is born this day
in the city of David a Savior.” “Unto you.” “For you.” He came for you. This is where
Christmas becomes intensely personal. It’s not enough to say abstractly that you
believe Christ came. Millions of people say that and are still lost in their sins. It’s not
enough to say that Christ came for someone else.
40
You can never be saved until you say, “Christ came for me. He died for me. He rose
from the dead for me.”
He came for you. Do you believe that?
In just a few days Christmas will be here. Families will gather around the tree to open
their presents. Already some children are counting the hours until that glad moment
arrives.
When you receive your gifts this Christmas, what will you do? Will you not open
them? What use is a gift that is never opened?
Two thousand years ago God sent a gift wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a
manger. Jesus is God’s Christmas gift to you. But you will never experience Christmas
joy until you personally receive God’s gift—the Lord Jesus Christ.
I close with the words of the angel to the shepherds: “Fear not, for behold I bring
you good news of great joy which shall be for all people.” And what is the source of
that joy? “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the
Lord.”
Joy the world, the Lord is come.
http://www.keepbelieving.com/sermon/1997-12-21-Christmas-Joy/
The Star of Bethlehem
Planet Alignment in Pieces at the Time of the Birth of Jesus
Matthew 2 1-12 New International Version (NIV)
The Magi Visit the Messiah
1
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came
to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when
it rose and have come to worship him.”
3
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had
called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the
41
Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has
written:
“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’[b]”
6
7
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had
appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon
as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose
went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the
star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary,
and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him
with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back
to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
The Star of Bethlehem
An Astronomical Perspective
This material is copyrighted!. Seethe copyright notice for fair use practices.
There were two astronomical events involving conjunctions of planets around the time of Jesus'
birth---the triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces in 7 B.C.E. and the near-conjunction
of Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn in Pisces in February 6 B.C.E. (see the illustrations below). A
conjunction is when two or more objects appear very close together on the sky. Pisces is
associated with the Jewish people in astrology, so when Jupiter and Saturn passed very close to
each other three times during the span of several months in 7 B.C.E. it was a notable event.
Adding to the significance was that the triple conjunction in Pisces happens about once every
900 years. The first conjunction of the 7 B.C.E triple conjunction occurred in late May when the
wise men may have started their journey. The second conjunction occurred in late September
when they were visiting King Herod and the third conjunction appeared in the south towards
Bethlehem in early December after Herod had sent them on their way. The close grouping of
Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn to within 8 degrees of each other in Pisces occurs only once every 800
years. Jupiter was the ``star'' of royalty and luck and Saturn was the star of the Mesopotamian
deity who protected Israel. Both of these rare conjunctions could have been predicted by the
``wise men from the East'' and could have been interpreted by them that a great king was to be
born in Israel (Herod, king of the Jews at the time and very paranoid about being displaced, was
therefore upset at this news). Though Jupiter and Saturn never got close enough together to be
confused as a single object, the word ``star'' had a different meaning to the wise men than it does
for us today and their definition could have included a planetary conjunction.
42
These wise men (aka ``Magi'') were astrologers (some New Testament translations explicitly call
them astrologers) coming from someplace east of Jerusalem (Arabia, Mesopotamia, or
elsewhere?). They were probably non-Jewish because they did not know of the prophecy stating
that the king of the Jews was to be born in Bethlehem. It probably took the wise men 2-4 months
to travel to Jerusalem. Later traditions increased the status of the wise men, making them kings,
and to define the number of them to be three, named Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar.
Copyright Notice
These web documents and the hardcopy version were created by Nick Strobel for the introductory
science courses he teaches. The text of these documents (chapters) and all of the line drawings in them
are copyrighted by Nick Strobel. Many of the color photographs are copyrighted by other parties. Their
copyrights are noted with the images---usually the photo is linked to the original source if it is still
available.
That said, I do offer these documents and my line drawings to the net as a resource in astronomy
education. Feel free to use them in your own astronomy courses or talks. If you decide to make
copies of these documents on your web server, please observe all of the following rules:
1. You must leave this notice of authorship with your copies;
2. At the top of EACH page, add this notice:
This page was copied from Nick Strobel's Astronomy Notes. Go to his site
at www.astronomynotes.com for the updated and corrected version.
3. EACH page must also include the ``Is this page a copy of Strobel's Astronomy Notes?'' link at the
bottom and a local copy of the isitacopy.htm web page.
4. Check for updates to any pages frequently.
If you make hardcopies of these documents or use any parts therein created by me including line
drawings in hardcopy or electronic format, you must clearly and explicitly acknowledge my
authorship of the text and the images I created. Also, show how to get to my web site at
www.astronomynotes.com.
Copyrighted, 1998 - 2011 by Nick Strobel
http://www.astronomynotes.com/history/bethlehem-star.html
43
The Star of Bethlehem
An Astronomical Perspective
This material is copyrighted!. See my copyright notice for fair use practices. Links to
external sites will be displayed in another window. Please support this website.
Contents







Introduction
Fixing the Date
o Herod Died in 4 B.C.E.?
Conjunction, Junction, What's Your Function?
Nova---a New Star
Comet---the Moving Star
Jupiter's Retrograde Motion
References
Introduction
The Star of Bethlehem is a common topic of questions asked to astronomers, especially around
Christmas time because it is a special astronomical phenomenon that occurred around the time of
the birth of Jesus the Christ. What was the Star of Bethlehem? The rest of this article will be
based on the assumption that there is, in fact, an astronomical event (or events) that was the Star
of Bethlehem. There are those who argue (with admittedly good reason) that the assumption is
wrong and that we should not try to do historical astronomy with the birth narratives. I will
return to this at the end of the article.
The first reference to the Star of Bethlehem is in the New Testament of the Bible in the second
chapter of the book called ``Matthew''. Here are the relevant verses from the New Revised
Standard Version (NRSV, note that references are annotated as book chapter:verse(s))
Matthew 2:1--2: In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise
men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the
Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage."
Matthew 2:7--10: Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact
time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search
diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and
pay him homage." When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went
44
the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When
they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.
Matthew 2:12: And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own
country by another road.
Matthew 2:16: When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and
he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under,
according to the time that he had learned from the wise men.
Verses 12 & 16 give us some information as to the time of Jesus' birth. Another reference to the
time of Jesus' birth is in the second chapter of the book called ``Luke''. Here are the relevant
verses from the NRSV:
Luke 2:1--7: In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be
registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.
All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in
Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the
house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and
who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child.
And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a
manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
I will use the terms ``C.E. = `common era' (= A.D.)'' and ``B.C.E. = `before the common era' (=
B.C.)'' when specifying dates.
Fixing the Date
Index
Though Jesus came to have a significant impact on the history and culture of western civilization, he was
not considered important during his lifetime so the precise details of his birth were not recorded as they
occurred. The major non-biblical source of information about Jewish happenings around the time of
Jesus' lifetime comes from the writings of the Jewish historian, Joseph ben Matthias (C.E. 37/38--around
100; also known as Flavius Josephus), called The Jewish War, written just after the fall of Jerusalem in
C.E. 70, and Jewish Antiquities, written around C.E. 93--94. However, Jesus receives just a brief mention
in Josephus' writings and what is there is only about his adult life. The Roman historian Tacitus (around
C.E. 56/57--around 118) mentions Jesus in only one sentence of his last large work, the Annals, and that
sentence is about Jesus' death. The best information we have comes from the biblical books of Matthew
and Luke that were written about 80--90 years after Jesus' birth. The authors of Matthew and Luke did
not write with our modern understanding of historical accuracy in mind and did not attach the same
significance to historical, physical truth we do today. This fact is not remembered by many Christians,
agnostics, and atheists today and has led to many heated debates between them in the past few
hundred years.
45
However, my intention is to provide the historical information that many modern inquirers are
asking for. King Herod (aka ``Herod the Great''), Emperor Augustus, and Quirinius were
government officials in the Roman Empire so they have historical references with dates attached
to them that are used as markers in the history timeline. King Herod is also mentioned in the first
chapter of Luke in reference to Jesus' cousin John the Baptizer who was approximately six
months older than Jesus. Despite the differences in birth narratives given by the authors of
Matthew and Luke, the fact that they do agree on Jesus being born during the reign of King
Herod tells us that Jesus was very likely born sometime between 37--4 B.C.E.
Jesus was probably born just a few years before the end of Herod's reign. The ``wise men from
the East'' pay homage to the ``child'' Jesus rather than to the ``newborn'' Jesus (contrast that with
the Nativity scene of popular society today!). This agrees with Herod's estimate of Jesus' age in
his order to kill all the children (other translations narrow that to just the male children) in and
around Bethlehem who were two years old or under. The author of Matthew uses the same word
to describe Jesus' age when he fled to Egypt with his parents and when he returned after Herod's
death---he was a little child when he left and when he returned.
Index
Another way to estimate Jesus' birth date is to determine when his public ministry occurred and work
backwards. The author of Luke states that Jesus was ``about'' thirty years old (read 28-38 years old)
when he started his ministry (Luke 3:23). The gospel books (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and the
book ``Acts of the Apostles'' in the New Testament, Josephus, and Tacitus all say that Jesus was killed
during the rule of Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea. According to Josephus and other early historians
we know that Pilate ruled from C.E. 26--36. Josephus says that Jesus' entire 2--3 year ministry occurred
during Pilate's rule. The author of Luke provides another time reference mark.
Luke 3:1--2: In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was
governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of
Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and
Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
This John is Jesus' cousin, John the Baptizer, and this Herod is Herod the Great's son, Herod
Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee and Perea from 4 B.C.E. -- C.E. 39. Tiberius reigned as sole emperor
from C.E. 14--37. Philip is Herod Philip, tetrarch of Batanea, Trachonitis, and Auranitis from 4
B.C.E. -- C.E. 33/34 (Luke is the only source claiming Philip ruled Iturea). Caiaphas was high
priest C.E. 18--36. Unfortunately, the only Lysanias known to have ruled Abilene from other
sources died in 36 B.C.E. Uncertainties in the exact years of Tiberius' reign prevent a firm
determination of what year corresponded to the ``fifteenth year''---estimates range from C.E. 26-29. Tiberius was ``co-emperor'' with Augustus from C.E. 12 and became sole emperor upon
Augustus' death in C.E. 14. Adding to the uncertainty is the fact that the author of Luke could
have used the Julian, Syro-Macedonian, Egyptian, or Jewish calendars to fix his dates. All of the
major Roman historians use C.E. 14 as the start of Tiberius' reign and since Luke was likely
written for the cultured Greco-Roman person, the author of Luke probably started Tiberius' reign
at C.E. 14 and used the Julian or Syro-Macedonian calendar. Therefore, the ``fifteenth year'' is
very likely C.E. 28. Jesus began his public ministry shortly after John the Baptizer began his
46
ministry, ie. around C.E. 27--29 (C.E. 28 the most likely start). The author of Luke's rough
estimate of Jesus being in his thirties at the start of his ministry makes it likely that Jesus was
born within just a few years before 4 B.C.E. One sign of the consensus among scholars of the
historical Jesus to this timeline is the holding of the Jesus at 2000 symposium in 1996.
You should notice that I have not used the information in Luke 2:1--2 that tells of a census
occurring when Quirinius was governor of Syria. There are a couple of problems with this: 1) a
census occurring around B.C.E. 5 is not documented in any other source; and 2) Quirinius
became governor of Syria in C.E. 6 and conducted a census of Judea, but not of Galilee, in C.E.
6--7.
Herod Died in 4 B.C.E.?
Index
Select here to go to the next section.
You have been very patient to make it through the lengthy argument above in favor of a birthdate
of Jesus around 6--4 B.C.E. but there is some debate around King Herod's date of death. If you
prefer skipping this defense of King Herod's date of death at 4 B.C.E., go to the next section.
Craig Chester wrote a recent article about the star of Bethlehem that used the work of Ernest
Martin to put Herod's death at 1 B.C.E. John P. Meier refutes this later date in his book A
Marginal Jew and I use his argument for what follows. Ernest Martin argues for the theory that
Herod died in 1 B.C.E. in his article The Nativity and Herod's Death found in the collection of
essays Chronos, Kairos, Christos edited by Vardaman and Yamauchi, pp. 85--92. Douglas
Johnson (`And They Went Eight Stades Toward Herodeion', same volume pp. 93--99) points out
that Martin mistranslates a key text concerning Herod's funeral in Josephus' Jewish Antiquities
17.8.3 section 199. Other contributors to that volume don't support Martin's theory.
King Herod's successors (Herod Antipas, Philip, and Archelaus (=Herod Archelaus) who was
ethnarch (a notch above tetrarch) of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea 4 B.C.E.--C.E. 6) all reckoned
their reigns began in 5--4 B.C.E. Also, the chronology of datable events happening in the Roman
Empire mesh best with Josephus' description of the circumstances of Herod's death if a date of 4
B.C.E. is used instead of the later date 1 B.C.E. Craig Chester points out that the lunar eclipse
Martin says occurred when King Herod executed two rabbis would have been hard to detect
since it was only 40 percent of total. It was probably possible to predict the lunar eclipse so
Josephus could have used that astronomical prediction when he wrote the Jewish Antiquities
almost one hundred years after Herod's death.
Conjunction, Junction, What's Your Function?
Index
There were two astronomical events involving conjunctions of planets around the time of Jesus'
birth---the triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces in 7 B.C.E. and the near-conjunction
47
of Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn in Pisces in February 6 B.C.E. (see the illustrations below). A
conjunction is when two or more objects appear very close together on the sky. Pisces is
associated with the Jewish people in astrology, so when Jupiter and Saturn passed very close to
each other three times during the span of several months in 7 B.C.E. it was a notable event.
Adding to the significance was that the triple conjunction in Pisces happens about once every
900 years. The first conjunction of the 7 B.C.E triple conjunction occurred in late May when the
wise men may have started their journey. The second conjunction occurred in late September
when they were visiting King Herod and the third conjunction appeared in the south towards
Bethlehem in early December after Herod had sent them on their way. The close grouping of
Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn to within 8 degrees of each other in Pisces occurs only once every 800
years. Jupiter was the ``star'' of royalty and luck and Saturn was the star of the Mesopotamian
deity who protected Israel. Both of these rare conjunctions could have been predicted by the
``wise men from the East'' and could have been interpreted by them that a great king was to be
born in Israel (Herod, king of the Jews at the time and very paranoid about being displaced, was
therefore upset at this news). Though Jupiter and Saturn never got close enough together to be
confused as a single object, the word ``star'' had a different meaning to the wise men than it does
for us today and their definition could have included a planetary conjunction.
48
(Select the images to bring up a
larger version.)
49
These wise men (aka ``Magi'') were astrologers (some New Testament translations explicitly call
them astrologers) coming from someplace east of Jerusalem (Arabia, Mesopotamia, or
elsewhere?). They were probably non-Jewish because they did not know of the prophecy stating
that the king of the Jews was to be born in Bethlehem. It probably took the wise men 2-4 months
to travel to Jerusalem. Later traditions increased the status of the wise men, making them kings,
and to define the number of them to be three, named Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar.
An alternate conjunction is given by Michael Molnar. He argues for a conjunction of the Moon
and Jupiter in the constellation of Aries in April of 6 B.C.E. (two years before my date of 4
B.C.E.). See his web site Revealing the Star of Bethlehem for further details. It is illustrated
below, but note that the conjunction would have occurred in daylight. Aaron M Adair in a
December 2007 article in Sky & Telescope notes that such a conjunction would have foretold the
death of a king. On the other hand a new king can only come to power upon the death of the
previous one (adding to Herod's paranoia upon hearing of the news from the Magi).
50
A planetary conjunction illustrated in the planetarium show "Season of Light" I show at
Bakersfield College is a very close pairing of Venus and Jupiter in Leo that occured around 2
B.C.E. in which the planets seemed to merge as seen with the naked eye (no telescopes back
then!). This show uses the date of Herod's death in 1 B.C.E. instead of the more widely accepted
4 B.C.E. date. Even though I disagree with this particular planetary conjunction as an
explanation for the Star of Bethlehem, the planetarium show does provide a good introduction to
the Star of Bethlehem discussion. The show also gives an introduction to the sort of astrological
significance the wise men ("Magi") in the Matthew Gospel would have placed on planetary
conjunctions.
51
(Select the images to bring up a larger version.)
Nova---a New Star
Index
Chinese astronomers recorded a new star in the constellation Capricorn in March--April of 5 B.C.E. which
was visible for over 70 days. This new star could have been a nova (short for the Latin nova stella =
``new star''). A nova is caused by a white dwarf gathering enough material, usually from a nearby
companion in a binary system, onto its surface to raise the surface pressure high enough for a
thermonuclear explosion. The white dwarf's increase in brightness may be a factor of 10,000 to over one
million. The increase to peak brightness is very rapid, within a few days, while the fading away to
invisibility usually takes a few months. The new star observed by the Chinese would have appeared in
the east several hours before sunrise (remember Matthew 2:2 ``...we observed his star at its rising'').
However, Matthew 2:9 implies that the object was later visible in the south when the wise men headed
south toward Bethlehem after their visit with King Herod. A nova would not have moved that much. The
constellation Capricorn is well away from the galactic plane (by 30--40 degrees), where most stars in our
galaxy (the Milky Way) are found. A nova occurring in Capricorn would be a very rare event.
52
Comet---the Moving Star
Index
The new star could have been a comet, something we now know to be much different than a nova, but
long ago comets, like novae, were regarded as heralding important events (though comets usually
portended something bad!). Because of the broom-like appearance of comet tails, the Chinese
associated comets with ``sweeping away the old order of things.'' The wise men originally saw the
Bethlehem Star in the east and by the time they set out for Bethlehem after visiting King Herod in
Jerusalem, they could have seen it in front of them as they headed south. A comet could have travelled
from east to south during the 2--4 month journey of the wise men. However, the Chinese did not record
any motion of the object. Comet Halley did make an appearance around that time, but its appearance in
12 B.C.E. is well outside the probable timeframe for the birth of Jesus.
Jupiter's Retrograde Motion
Index
Ivor Bulmer-Thomas proposes that the Bethlehem Star was simply Jupiter passing through a stationary
point in its trek across the sky. When a planet undergoes retrograde motion, it makes a loop against the
stars. The planet appears to be stationary at each end of the loop for about a week to the naked eye.
Babylonian astronomers had a keen interest in retrograde motions and the wise men may have been at
Bethlehem when Jupiter was at a stationary point. In Bulmer-Thomas' theory the 7 B.C.E. triple
conjunction and near-conjunction of Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn in 6 B.C.E. would have alerted the wise
men to look for a further sign in the sky. If they followed Jupiter from the time it emerged from behind
the sun in May 5 B.C.E., they would have seen Jupiter pass through a stationary point four months later
(about the length of their journey). Compare this with Michael Molnar's theory of the Star being the
retrograde motion of Jupiter in the Aries constellation and a conjunction with the Moon in 6 B.C.E.
The planetary-conjunction(s) and stationary-Jupiter theories are probably closer to the truth than
the nova or comet theories. The planet theories have the least difficulty in explaining the
astronomical phenomena that occurred at Jesus' birth sometime in 7--4 B.C.E.
What if the Bethlehem Star was simply made up by the author of Matthew? Great celestial
events and the births of notable kings went together. The author of Matthew was writing for a
primarily Jewish audience and the author wanted to convince them of the claim of Jesus being
the fulfillment of Jewish prophecies and being greater than Moses, their law-giver, and Elijah,
their greatest prophet. Saying that the Bethlehem Star was not a real historical event does not
detract from the message of Matthew. At worst, it means that all of those Christmas cards with
the nativity scenes are not physically/historically correct (but anyone who has carefully read
Matthew and Luke already knows that!).
I am going to take a middle path with the final things I say here. Those whose faith is dependent
on proving the historical veracity (the "historicity") of Matthew's account of the Bethlehem star
are on shaky ground and are missing the real point of the birth story. Those who would dismiss
53
the birth story because it cannot be proved historically accurate are also missing the real point of
the story. While both extremes will worship at the altar of literal-factual truth, the vast majority
of Christians understand that there is a deeper truth worthy of worship.
References
Index
1. John P. Meier 1991, A Marginal Jew: rethinking the historical Jesus, vol. 1, chapters 8 and 11
(Doubleday: New York). Meier gives a very thorough discussion of all of the sources of the Jesus'
life and of today's scholarship on the historical Jesus. This is my primary reference for fixing
Jesus' birth date.
2. Marcus J. Borg 1994, Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time: the historical Jesus and the heart
of contemporary faith, chapters 1 and 2 (HarperCollins: New York).
3. Robert W. Funk, Roy W. Hoover, and the Jesus Seminar 1993, The Five Gospels: the search for
the authentic words of Jesus (Macmillan: New York).
4. Harper's Bible Dictionary edited by Paul J. Achtemeier 1985 (HarperCollins: New York).
5. Letter from David Wagle's brother-in-law, an astronomer at CTIO, recorded at
http://listserv.american.edu:70/1/catholic/other/wise.men.. An excellent discussion of possible
astronomical phenomena that could be attributed to the Bethlehem Star.
6. Craig Chester 1993, The Star of Bethlehem in IMPRIMIS: the monthly journal of Hillsdale
College vol. 22, no. 12, December 1993 issue (Hillsdale College: Hillsdale, Michigan). The article
can be found at http://listserv.american.edu/catholic/other/star.bethlhem.
7. Ivor Bulmer-Thomas 1992, in Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 33, p.
363.
8. Michael Molnar 2000, Revealing the Star of Bethlehem web site at URL
www.eclipse.net/~molnar/
9. Aaron Michael Adair 2007, "Science, Scholarship, Bethlehem's Starry Night", Sky & Telescope
(vol 114, No. 6), December 2007, p. 26-29
http://www.astronomynotes.com/history/bethlehem-star.html
Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces
This theory has been made very popular by Prof David Hughes who lectures in astronomy at
Sheffield University in the UK. It was originally written about by the Astronomer Johannes
Kepler in 1603, but fell out of favor when Keppler had some rather unusual ideas later in his life!
The constellation of Pisces (the Fishes) had a special meaning in ancient Persian astronomy and
astrology. It was the sign of Israel and of Kings. Jupiter was the Royal planet and Saturn
represented old rulers. So a new 'star' being made of Jupiter and Saturn in this constellation could
have meant a great deal!
54
There was a 'triple conjunction' of Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces in 7BC (-6). First in May, looking
East from Persia/Babylon; then in September/October, looking West over Jerusalem/Bethlehem
from Persia/Babylon; and finally in December, looking South directly over Bethlehem if you
were in Jerusalem!
There's also records in ancient writings from Babylon that the Magi, of that time, knew about the
triple conjunction.



http://www.whychristmas.com/customs/star-of-bethlehem.shtml
55
WHEN PLANETS ALIGN
Gerardus D. Bouw, Ph.D.
It looks like this issue is going to be very late, so this will be old news. There was a
planetary alignment May 5-6 of this year. Again, the world was supposed to end. Of
course, it didn’t, but there were those astrologers and occultists who thought it surely
would. Do you recall the 1982 alignment, when all the planets were on the same side
of the sun? Books were written (The Jupiter Effect, for example) predicting giant tides
in the sun which would alter the earth’s weather. As a result, the scientists speculated,
changes in wind pressure on the mountains of California would trigger great
earthquakes which were going to shake California into the ocean. Even decent
Christians succumbed to that one. Of course, California is still with us, much to the
chagrin of many. And do you recall the alignment of 1962? On February 4 of that
56
year, the sun, moon, and all the planets from Mercury to Saturn were clustered within a 17-degree area of the sky.
Worse yet: it was new moon and there was a total eclipse of the sun — a sure portend of doom. But again the
earthquakes did not materialize and the world didn’t miss a beat.
Now the scripture does say that the sun, moon, and planets are for signs and for seasons, and that is not in dispute. In
the star of Bethlehem paper that appeared in the Fall 1998 issue of the Biblical Astronomer, we documented the
signs which led up to the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. But instead of signs for the return of Jesus, the pundits see
them as the end of the world. This illustrates a common fallacy. Why does one automatically assume that such signs
are negative, that is, bad? Astrology and new-age superstitions have thrived on such disaster-prognostication for
planetary alignments since the alignment of 300 B.C.
There are some conjunctions associated with the 5 May event. The first conjunction of the series happened on 15
March when Mercury and Venus were 2°.1 apart. At the time Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn spanned 20° in the evening
sky.
On 6 April Mars and Jupiter were about 1° apart, with Saturn 6° away. The crescent moon made this a pretty sight.
On 15 April Mars is 2°.2 from Saturn and moves away so that the sun and the five planets span 39° on 20 April.
On 28 April Mercury came to within 0°.3 from Venus but this was too close to the sun to see by eye. The sun and
planets now fell within 30° of each other. On 5 May the sun, moon, and the five planets all fall within 25°.9 of each
other (see figure on the previous page which shows the alignment as it appears from the pole of the ecliptic).
Still too close to the sun to be seen, these events happen: Jupiter passes through superior conjunction (earth-sunJupiter alignment). Mercury passes Jupiter and comes to superior conjunction. Next Saturn goes through superior
conjunction and then Venus passes Jupiter. At that point it is 17 May and the planets and the sun span an area of
19°.4. All the planets are still too close to the sun to be seen.
The most notable event in the sequence is on that date; Venus and Jupiter are separated by only 42 seconds of arc
(0°.01). Venus almost occults (passes in front of) Jupiter. This rivals the 2 B.C. conjunction of the same two planets,
which conjunction figured in the sequence leading up to Jesus’ birth later that year.
Several conjunctions remain. Mercury passes Mars within 1°.1 on 19 May; Jupiter passes Saturn with the same
separation on 27 May. Venus, after passing directly behind the sun on 11 June, passes 0°.2 from Mars on 21 June.
The final massing of sun, moon, and five planets happens on July 1 and 2 when, for 11 hours, all fit within a circle
8° in diameter! Unfortunately, it is too close to the sun to see.
Within about 3000 years either side of A.D. 2000, the closest clustering of the five naked-eye planets happened on
27 February, 1953 B.C. when Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn all fell within a 4°.3 circle. The next close
grouping (within 25°) will occur on 8 September, 2040.
When it comes to groupings of all seven bodies, that is the five planets and the sun and moon, the last time they
were close was in 1962 when they were within 15°.8 of each other. May 5 of this year they are within 25°.9 of one
another, and the next grouping of all seven is set for 20 March, 2675 when they will fall within 22°.6 of each other.
Of Earthquakes
Will earthquakes accompany such planetary massings and alignments? To answer that we need to look at the
gravitational contributions of the planets as felt here on earth.
In a paper designed to evaluate the Jupiter effect of 1982, Thompson tabulated the relative contributions to the tide
for the sun, moon, and planets. He set the sun’s contribution at 1 and came up with the table below.
57
moon
2.1
sun
1.00
Venus
0.000 113
Jupiter
0.000 013 1
Mars
0.000 002 3
Mercury
0.000 000 7
Saturn
0.000 000 5
Uranus
0.000 000 001
Neptune
0.000 000 000
2
Pluto
0.000 000 000
000 1
As you can see, all the planets combined contribute only about one ten-thousandth what the sun contributes to the
tides, and the moon’s contribution is more than twice as strong as that of the sun.
What is particularly interesting about the 5 May alignment is that the gravitational strengths of the planets are at a
minimum. Since they are all at the far side of the sun, their contributions are minimized. The gravitational strength
contributing to the tide height falls off with the cube of the distance. That means that if the moon were twice as far
away, the tide would be an eighth what it now is. Three times as far away and the tide would be 1/27 th as high. So,
far from contributing to a high tide, the planets actually contribute less to the height of the tide than they normally
do. And of the planets, the major contributor to the height of the tide is Venus, which is on the far side of the sun. It
may surprise to learn that Jupiter, the largest of the planets, contributes less than Venus, but that’s what an inverse
cube effect will do.
Now the claim of Gribbin and Plagemann, authors of The Jupiter Effect, was that the effect was on the sun, not on
the earth. As we can see from the table, the contributions are not great, but Ip has checked for a connection between
earthquakes and planetary alignments. Of 11 earthquakes of eight or higher on the Richter scale since A.D. 1000,
none coincide with a heliocentric planetary alignment.
A 1975 Chinese paper by Yu Shen (cited by Ip), looked at alignments and earthquakes since 780 B.C. During that
time there have been 15 or 16 heliocentric alignments of the type used by Gribbin and Plagemann, and in that time
there were 125 earthquakes in northern China of strength six or higher on the Richter scale. Only the 1624
earthquake happened close to a planetary alignment. The conclusion is that there seems to be no correlation between
alignments and earthquakes.
http://www.geocentricity.com/ba1/no092/wpa.html
58
Star search could unlock date of Christ's birth; Planet alignment
in April, 6 BC, may have attracted the wise men
By Tom Coyne
Posted 4 years ago
It's long been a puzzle for Christian astronomers, and now a professor from the University of
Notre Dame thinks he has it figured out - almost, anyway.
His quest: discovering just what "the star in the East'' was that led wise men to travel to
Bethlehem 2,000 years ago.
As a theoretical astrophysicist, Grant Mathews had hoped the answer would be spectacular something like a supernova. But two years of research have led him to a more ordinary
conclusion. The heavenly sign around the time of the birth of Jesus Christ was likely an unusual
alignment of planets, the sun and the moon.
Not a lot was written about the star in the Bible. In the Gospel of Matthew it says: "Where is he
who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to
worship him.''
The star, though, has long been immortalized in Christmas songs, plays and movies.
Astronomers, theologians and historians for hundreds of years have been trying to determine
exactly which star might have inspired the biblical writing. German astronomer Johannes Kepler
proposed in 1604 that the star was a conjunction of Mars, Jupiter and Saturn in 7 BC.
The advantage Mathews has over Kepler and others who have pondered the question is that he
had access to NASA's databases.
"In principle, we can see any star that was ever made from the beginning of time if we knew
where to look. So the question is, could we find a star that could be a good candidate for what
showed up then?'' he said.
Mathews found several possibilities. He began by posing three questions he would ask when
trying to find the answer to any astronomical event: When did it occur? What were its
characteristics? Did anyone else see it?
The Gospel of Matthew indicates Jesus was born in Bethlehem when Herod was king. Roman
historian Flavius Josephus wrote that Herod died after an eclipse of the moon before the
Passover.
Mathews said among the possibilities are 6 BC, 5 BC, 1 BC or AD 1. The star could have
appeared up to two years before the wise men arrived in Jerusalem, he said.
59
Mathews believes that means the Christmas star could have appeared anywhere from 8 to 4 BC.
Among the characteristics written about the star was that it appeared before sunrise and that it
appeared to "rest in the sky.'' Mathews also found writings from Korean and Chinese
astronomers of an event about 4 BC which described a comet with no tail that didn't move.
Using that set of facts, Mathews found several possibilities, including supernovas, novas and
planetary alignments.
Mathews found two possible supernovas in the right period, but said one was probably too low
on the horizon to be seen. The other supernova is known as Kes 75. But it was 60,000 light years
away and may not have been particularly spectacular.
"There's no real convincing evidence this happened right at 2000 years ago, but it could be in the
range of being right because it's in the right location,'' he said.
He also found a number of nova that also could have been the Christmas star. The one he thinks
is the most likely candidate is known as Nova Aquilae V603. The problem with novas and
comets, though, is that they were believed in ancient times to be a sign of disaster, not a portent
of good things to come.
For that reason, Mathews believes the Christmas star is most likely an alignment of planets. He
said there are three likely times for this:
Feb. 20, 6 BC, when Mars, Jupiter and Saturn aligned in the constellation Pisces.
April 17, 6 BC, when the sun, Jupiter, the moon and Saturn aligned in the constellation Aries
while Venus and Mars were in neighbouring constellations.
June 17, 2 BC, when Jupiter and Venus were closely aligned in Leo.
Mathews believes the April 17, 6 BC, alignment is the most likely candidate. It makes sense
because he believes the wise men were Zoroastrian astrologers who would have recognized the
planetary alignment in Aries as a sign a powerful leader was born.
"In fact it would have even meant that (the leader was) destined to die at an appointed time,
which of course would have been significant for the Christ child, and may have been why they
brought myrrh, which was an embalming fluid,'' Mathews said. "Saturn there would have made
whoever was born as a leader a most powerful leader because Saturn had the strength to do it, in
their view.''
Mathews has been sharing his findings in public lectures at Notre Dame and plans to write a
paper to submit to the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society. He's also
considering writing a book.
60
Mathews concedes, though, that any of the other events could have been the famed star. Unless a
document is discovered that allows historians to more accurately estimate exactly when Jesus
was born, it will be impossible to say what caused the light with absolute certainty, Mathews
said.
"I think it would take more of a historical reference more than an astrophysics,'' he said. "There
are plenty of strong opinions out there. I think this is as good as you can do for now.''
http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?archive=true&e=82732
9
Other Sources of Information:
The information in this article came primarily from Roger Highfield's The Physics of Christmas.
The Christmas Star - more on stars

The Big Bang Theory
The Christmas Star - more on Christmas physics


Book Review: The Physics of Christmas by Roger Highfield
Turkey Physics - The Thermodynamics of Turkey
Related Articles





Stars and Wise Men - Family Christmas
The Star of Bethlehem and the Dating of the Birth of Jesus - One Suggestion...
The Shining Star of Bethlehem - A Christian Astrologer on the Star of Bethl...
Star of Bethlehem - About the Star of Bethlehem
http://www.netplaces.com/jesus/jesus-of-the-stable/the-star-of-bethlehem.htm
What is happiness?
Happiness is thought of living the good life, freedom from suffering, flourishing, well
being, joy, prosperity, and pleasure. I think of living the good life as having a beach
house and going to the beach every day. But, we get tiresome of even this.
ARISTOTLE’S DEFINITION OF HAPPINESS
61
“Happiness depends on ourselves.” Aristotle enshrines happiness as a central
purpose of human life and a goal in itself. Aristotle argues that virtue is achieved by
maintaining the Mean, which is the balance between two excesses. Aristotle’s
doctrine of the Mean is reminiscent of Buddha’s Middle Path, but there are
intriguing differences. For Aristotle the mean was a method of achieving virtue, but
for Buddha the Middle Path referred to a peaceful way of life, which negotiated the
extremes of harsh asceticism and sensual pleasure seeking. The Middle Path was a
minimal requirement for the meditative life, and not the source of virtue in itself.
THE WORLD BELIEVES THAT HAPPINESS IS THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE OF HUMAN EXISTENCE
One of Aristotle’s most influential works, Nicomachean Ethics, presents a theory of
happiness that is still relevant today, over 2,300 years later. The key question is
“What is the ultimate purpose of human existence?” What is that end or goal for
which we should direct all of our activities? Everywhere we see people seeking
pleasure, wealth, and a good reputation. But while each of these has some value,
none of them can occupy the place of the chief good for which humanity should
aim. http://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/history-of-happiness/aristotle/
Philosophers and religious thinkers often define happiness in terms of living a good
life. Happiness (or flourishing or living well) is a complete and sufficient good. This
implies (a) that it is desired for itself, (b) that it is not desired for the sake of anything
else, (c) that it satisfies all desire and has no evil mixed in with it, and (d) that it is
stable.
The Bible warns that self-indulgent pleasure-seeking does not lead to happiness and
fulfillment. Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 records the sad testimony of Solomon, who sought to
build his life on pleasure-seeking. The search left him empty and disillusioned.
Proverbs 14:13 offers insight into this way of life, “Even in laughter the heart is
sorrowful.” Cares, riches, and pleasures rob people of the possibility of fruitful living
( Luke 8:14 ). Pleasure seeking often enslaves people in a vicious cycle of addiction
(Titus 3:3 ). The self-indulgent person, according to 1 Timothy 5:6 , is dead while
seeming still to be live.
62