The Birth of Jesus the Christ

Luke 2.1 In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered.

The word "registered" is from the Greek word apographo. The "all the world" is used to emphasize the immensity of the Roman Empire. Caesar Augustus was preparing to celebrate his Silver Jubilee (25th anniversary) as Roman Emperor in 2 B.C.E.. Prior to the celebration he wanted an accounting of his subjects and an official declaration of political allegiance. Registrations such as this were typically conducted in the fall of the year when the weather was mild for travel.

Luke 2.1 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.

Cyrenius was governor of Syria in 6 C.E. about nine years after this record. The Greek word for "governor" in this verse is hegemon which means commander. This "first" registration was made in 3 B.C.E. when Cyrenius had been sent to Syria to command the registration process. Later in 6/7 C.E. while he was governor a second registration took place. The word "first" is the key to understanding the historical evidence.

Luke 2.3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 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. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child.

Two of the old Aramaic manuscripts read "that there they might be enrolled, because they were both of the house of David." The Old Testament records that David was from Bethlehem (I Samuel 16:1-4) and that the promised Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). Joseph and Mary were both descendants of David. Both Aramaic manuscripts omit the word "espoused" and just read "wife" which is also more accurate.

Verse 5 is particularly significant because of the way Luke carefully describes Mary’s relationship with Joseph as one “pledged to be married” or "engaged". Because of the revelation given to Joseph by the angel, as described in Matthew 1:18-25, Joseph was willing to take Mary to be his wife since her pregnancy was the result of the supernatural work of the Spirit of God. But she was only his wife in what we might call a “legal” sense. According to the custom of the day, a marriage was consummated and sealed by the physical union. Following a ceremony where the bride was presented to the groom, the couple would go into their house and consummate the marriage by the sexual union. But as Scripture makes clear, this did not occur until after Jesus was born (Matt. 1:25). Luke is careful, then, to refer to her as “betrothed” (Greek, mne„steuo„, “promised or pledged to be married”).

Luke 2.6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 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.

The word "accomplished" is the Greek word for "filled to overflowing". It was time for Mary to have the baby. Jesus Christ was God's only begotten son. Therefore, Jesus Christ was His "only begotten son". Mary, however, may have had other children and Jesus Christ was her "firstborn" son.

The inn of verse 7 was a khan or lodging house for caravans. It would have had an inner court yard and stables for caravan animals along the outside back wall. Within each stable would be a manger with straw to feed the animals. Jesus Christ was not born in a stable because Mary and Joseph were poor. He was born in a stable because "there was no room in the inn". A lot of people had come to be registered.

Some believe the word “inn” should be translated “caravansary.” Another translation might be “guest house” because the word can mean “guest room.” It was, however, a place where travelers stayed. The earliest non-scriptural reference to the birth of Christ is found in Justin Martyr, an early church father, and is dated about A.D. 140. He stated that Christ was born in a cave. Origen said the same in A.D. 248 as did Jerome, one of the most brilliant scholars of the early church.

Sometimes caves were used as a house, other times as the stable. Tradition says it was a cave in the side of the hill behind the inn or guest house of the village. The main point is that whatever the exact nature of the place, the city was so crowded with people because of the census that the only place left for them was the stable.

Mary wrapped Jesus in "swaddling clothes". Swaddling clothes are also not an indicator of being poor. When the son of a king, a prince, was born, that child was wrapped in swaddling clothes after being washed gently with water having a small portion of salt in it. The salt symbolized the qualities of truth and honesty and was used so that the child would grow up speaking words that were "salted". The swaddling clothes were narrow strips of fine linen cloth, about two inches wide which were wrapped around the baby's body. The child was wrapped from head to foot with only a part of his face left uncovered so he could breathe. The baby's body and limbs were thus held very straight. This was to indicate that he would grow up to be free from crookedness and waywardness; that as a king he would walk straight and tall before his people. The swaddling clothes were left on the baby for only a very short time while the parents took time to pray and make their commitment to God concerning the upbringing of the child.

In Ezekiel 16:4 an insult was delivered "...thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all." To say to a noble-born person that he had not been salted or swaddled was to indicate that he was unreliable and dishonest and that his parents had not raised him properly. Mary and Joseph washed Jesus in salt water and swaddled him according to the custom of the time indicating that he was of royal lineage, as God's son and as heir to the throne of David.

Luke 2. 8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night

Also see "About those Shepards"

Shepherds would abide with their flock using a cultivated field as their fold for the sheep in the fall of the year. In the late summer and early fall a farmer in Bible times would hire shepherds to keep their flocks in his field overnight. In this way, the sheep's manure would fertilize his field. This is an indicator that Jesus Christ was born in the fall. In December it is too cold for shepherds to watch their sheep at night in fields or pastures and too cold for travel to "registrations".

Luke 2.9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before 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; for see--I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord."

The words "came upon" (in some translations) are translated from the Greek word epeste which means "stood by". The angel was not flying over them. He was standing beside them. Angels in God's Word appear as men. They do not appear with wings. They do not sing. Angels are messengers. They speak God's Word. They "say" what God's wants said.

Luke 2.12 "This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger."

The Angel gave the shepherds specific instructions so that there could be no mistake. Swaddling clothes were left on a baby for only a very short time. I am sure that no other newborn baby in the small town of Bethlehem was lying in a manger in swaddling clothes. They would have to hurry after receiving this message to get there while Jesus was in swaddling clothes.

Luke 2.13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!"

All of these messengers suddenly appeared with the angel and the shepherds and together delivered the message of God's hope for mankind. The Aramaic text reads "good hope for men". They did not sing it. But I bet it sure made an impression!

Luke 2.15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.

The shepherds went quickly to Bethlehem and had enough details to "find" the baby Jesus. And after they had seen the child, they told others. They spoke the Word. The told others that the Christ was born.

Also See "The Three Wise Men"

Without going into the detail (see link above), Mathew 2 tells the story of the Magi or Wise Men that visit Jesus. It is important to note here that they do not see Jesus until many months after the birth of Christ.

But it is because of these "Wise Men" that Herod is alerted to the birth of the "King of the Jews". When he doesn't hear receive his report from the Wise Men that he requested (Luke 2.8) he is forced to act.

Luke 2.8 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."

Herod decides to issue the hideous command:

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.

Three questions come to mind as we consider this cruel incident: First, how many babies did Herod actually kill? Second, how old was Jesus when this happened? And finally, why does no other ancient historian record this outrage? In other words, did it really happen?

How many babies did Herod murder? Some scholars have suggested as many as 200! But most reject such a figure. Bethlehem was a small community--almost a suburb of Jerusalem. The village itself--and the surrounding countryside--would hardly have more than 30 male infants under two. Most scholars today place the number between 20 and 30.

Josephus tells us much about Herod. The best word to describe his reign is 'overkill.' He murdered his favorite wife's father, drowned her brother--and even killed her! He executed one of his most trusted friends, his barber, and 300 military leaders--all in a day's work! Then he slew three of his sons, allegedly suspecting them of treason. Josephus tells us that "Herod inflicted such outrages upon (the Jews) as not even a beast could have done if it possessed the power to rule over men" (Antiquities of the Jews 17:310). Killing babies was not out of character for this cruel king. And killing them up to two years old--to make sure he got the baby Jesus lines up with his insane jealousy for power.

Josephus might have omitted the slaying of the babies for one of two reasons: first, he was no friend of Christianity and he left it out intentionally; or second, just before Herod died he locked up 3000 of the nation's leading citizens and gave orders that they were to be executed at the hour of his death. He wanted to make sure that there would be mourning when he died. . . Israel was so preoccupied with this that the clandestine murder of a few babies might have gone unnoticed. . . 

And so it all began!