The Story of Christmas

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The Story of Christmas

• Eric Langager ???
• Beijing Diary 2023

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1. Mary and Joseph are betrothed.

• The betrothal ceremony was taken much more
  seriously than modern engagement, and essentially
  required a divorce to be undone.
• Was this an arranged marriage? Joseph apparantly
  served as the oldest son for Marys father.

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2. The angel Gabriel appears to Mary.

• Isaiah 714 Therefore the Lord himself will give
  you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and
  bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
• Matthew 123 "Behold, the virgin shall conceive
  and bear a son, and they shall call his name
  Immanuel" (which means, God with us).

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3. Mary stays with her cousin for three months.

• Luke 143 Blessed are you among women, and
  blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is
  this granted to me that the mother of my Lord
  should come to me?
• Luke 146-47 And Mary said, "My soul magnifies
  the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my
  Savior,

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4. Mary is discovered to be pregnant.

• Leviticus 2010 If a man commits adultery with
  the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and
  the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
• We dont know how Joseph got this newswe can
  only imagine.
• Probably some pressure to mete out the
  punishment.

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5. Joseph decides to put her away quietly.

• The news broke his heart, but did not change his
  love for Mary.
• There was no way he could marry her.
• He was perhaps pressured, but could not be forced
  to have Mary punished.
• Stoning was accomplished by placing someone in
  the middle of a circle and throwing rocks at her
  until she was dead.

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6. Joseph has a dream.

• Two doctrines Virgin birth and incarnation.
• To what extent are these doctrines inherent in
  the plot of the story?
• Luke 135 And the angel answered her, The Holy
  Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the
  Most High will overshadow you therefore the
  child to be born will be called holythe Son of
  God.
• Mat 120 "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to
  take Mary as your wife, for that which is
  conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

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7. Caesar Augustus issued a decree.

• Caesar Augustus wanted to raise money.
• There were no computers in those days.
• Luke 21 In those days a decree went out from
  Caesar Augustus that all the world should be
  registered.

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8. Everybody was required to go to their home
town.

• Both Joseph and Mary were descendants of David.
• Joseph was descended from David through Solomon,
  this making him the legitimate heir to the throne
  of David. (Matthew 1)
• Mary was descended from David through Nathan.
  (Luke 3)

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9. Bethlehem is very crowded.

• The fact that there was no room in the inn was
  seen as an burdensome incovenience for a new
  mother, but can anyone imagine Christmas without
  a manger?
• Have you any room for Jesus? This theme has been
  repeated so often in Christmases through the
  years. Surely there will be people in Heaven who
  are there because Jesus was born in a manger.

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10. The angel appears to the shepherds.

• It was one angel at firstI think so as not to
  startle them.
• Why did the angels choose the shepherds?
• Where meek hearts will receive Him still, the
  dear Christ enters in.
• Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace,
  good will toward men.

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Luke 214

• ?p? ??? e?????,
• on earth peace,
• ?? ?????p??? e?d???a?
• among men goodwill

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11. The shepherds go to visit the baby.

• What is the purpose of swaddling?
• It is thought that swaddling helps to recreate
  the restricted space of the uterus, helping a
  baby to settle into sleep. Some studies have
  shown that swaddled babies wake less frequently
  and sleep longer than non-swaddled babies.
• from Pregnancy, Birth, and Baby.

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12. Mary and Joseph take the baby to the temple.

• Leviticus 128 And if she cannot afford a lamb,
  then she shall take two turtledoves or two
  pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other
  for a sin offering. And the priest shall make
  atonement for her, and she shall be clean.

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13. Simeon saw the baby and recognized him.

• What did Simeon see?
• Luke 234 And Simeon blessed them and said to
  Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is appointed
  for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and
  for a sign that is opposed
• Luke 235 (and a sword will pierce through your
  own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts
  may be revealed."

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14. Wise men from Persia come to Jerusalem
looking for the new King.

• They were from the east (Persia).
• They followed a star. The precise nature of this
  star has been debated for centuries.
• How did they know that this star presaged the
  birth of a king?
• They clearly saw him as someone to be worshipped,
  not merely as a human king.

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15. Herod is very upset and asks them exactly
when they first saw the star.

• Why was Herod upset?
• They told Herod that they had come to worship the
  new king.
• Herod was an Idumeana descendant of Esau, who
  had sold his right to be part of the lineage of
  the Messiah.
• The wise men are ordered by the angel not to
  return to Herod.

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16. He asks the Jewish scholars where this child
is supposed to be born.

• Why did Herod ask the religious leaders about
  where the king would be born?
• Clearly Herod is determined to kill the Messiah.
• Micah 52 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who
  are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
  from you shall come forth for me one who is to be
  ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of
  old, from ancient days.

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17. Herod orders all the children in Bethlehem
killed.

• Some modern sources question whether this
  incident actually happened. But Matthew takes
  pains to emphasize that this had been prophesied
  by Jeremiah.
• Mat 217 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by
  the prophet Jeremiah
• Jeremiah 3115 Thus says the LORD "A voice is
  heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping.
  Rachel is weeping for her children she refuses
  to be comforted for her children, because they
  are no more."

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18. Joseph is warned in a dream.

• This was Josephs second dream.
• There is some question about how much Joseph knew
  about who Jesus was.
• Joseph obeyed what he didnt understand.
• Jesus was not biologically related to Joseph, but
  so much of his personality reflects the
  personality of Joseph.

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19. After Herod dies, Joseph returns to Israel
and goes home to Nazareth.

• We see Jesus again at the temple when he is
  twelve years old.
• His parents leave Jerusalem and travel for
  several days before discovering that Jesus was
  not with them.
• Do we often persue a direction on the assumption
  that God is with us?
• Jesus is beginning to realize who he is.

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20. The child grew to be a healthy child.

• After the incident when he was twelve, we do not
  meet Jesus again until the beginning of his
  earthly ministry.
• We generally assume that Joseph died and that
  Jesus took over the family business.
• Jesus is respected, but not as the Messian.