seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Luke 2:1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.
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Matthew 1:18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
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Only Luke and Matthew taught about the Nativity of Jesus. Mark and John pick the story up when Jesus was an adult. Mark and John were disciples of John the Baptist before Jesus came along. John the Baptist told them about Jesus and when Jesus came along, John the Baptist pointed Him out for Mark and John.
Luke was a doctor. Of course, he would be interested in how the Son of God came into the world. It was a natural birth in a stable with only the man she was "pledged to marry" with her. She didn't have a doctor or nurse or drugs. I'm pretty sure there were Angels all around but none of them had to lift a finger. Jesus was born without reported incident. They wrapped Him up, loved on Him a lot, and then laid Him on hay in the manger wrapped tightly in His blanket.
Matthew was a tax collector. He would understand the legal side of things. Mary was "pledged to be married" and she was pregnant. Perhaps that's another reason there was no room for them at the Inn. Maybe the Inn was only for respectable people... married people... or single people who were not "with child". The man she was "pledged" to, had been visited by an Angel who told him about the baby. The Angel even told Joseph [the man she was "pledged" to] the baby was God's and should be named Jesus. Joseph was happy to oblige.
This is the beginning of the life of Jesus of Nazareth. He was Born in Bethlehem to a virgin, with the man she was "pledged" to. Shepherds heard about the birth and later, wise men would find out. But for now, it was just Mary and Joseph and Jesus!
Merry Christmas!
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