WHERE WAS JESUS REALLY BORN?
It is easy to see why we misunderstand as much as we do about the birth of Christ, since Matthew 2:1 begins almost 2 years after he was born, when the Magi came bearing gifts. For the sake of this teaching we will turn to Luke chapter 2 to find some of the details prior to his birth. The following will be from Young’s Literal Translation:
Luke 2:2-7
2 And it came to pass in those days, there went forth a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world be enrolled — this enrollment first came to pass when Cyrenius was governor of Syria —3 and all were going to be enrolled, each to his proper city, and Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, that is called Bethlehem, because of his being of the house and family of David, to enroll himself with Mary his betrothed wife, being with child. And it came to pass, in their being there, the days were fulfilled for her bringing forth, and she brought forth her son — the first-born, and wrapped him up, and laid him down in the manger, because there was not for them a place in the guest-chamber. YLT
The guest-chamber (Inn in the KJV) in those days was a room adjacent to the house for the lodging of guests. These days some people have Guest-houses, while others may have Guest-rooms. The Greek word is kataluma. It is used 1 other time in Luke and once in Mark. In both instances it is translated ”guest-chamber” in the King James Version:
Mark 14:14
And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guest-chamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?
KJV;
Mark 14:14 NASB & NRSV:
and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house,’ The Teacher says, “Where is My guest room
Luke 22:11
And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guest-chamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? KJV)
The Guest Chamber or room was part of the house, not an outbuilding like a barn or a shed. Joseph and Mary were not out in the cold with no place to go. They were at a friend’s house or at the very least a friend of a friend. They were like royalty, direct descendants of King David and they were in the city of David. They didn’t just arrive but had been there at least a few days already . Anyone would have been glad to have them in their home, let alone the fact Mary was in her 9th month of pregnancy. Let’s read verse 6 of Luke 2 again in the NASB:
Luke 2:6
And it came about that while they were there,
They weren’t just getting there on the back of a donkey like movies show. They had been in town a few, if not several days. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words explains it the best:
kataluma (kata/luma, NT:2646), akin to kataluo (see Note above), signifies (a) “an inn, lodging-place,” Luke 2:7; (b) “a guest-room,” Mark 14:14; Luke 22:11. The word lit. signifies “a loosening down” (kata, “down,” luo, “to loose”), used of the place where travelers and their beasts untied their packages, girdles and sandals. “In the East, no figure is more invested with chivalry than the guest. In his own right he cannot cross the threshold, but when once he is invited in, all do him honor and unite in rendering service; cf. Gen 18:19; Judg 19:9,15.” These two passages in the NT concern a room in a private house, which the owner readily placed at the disposal of Joseph and Mary. (from Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
Now, what is a manger? A Manger is the feeding trough for animals and a cozy place for a baby!
NT:5336 phatne (fat’-nay); from pateomai (to eat); a crib (for fodder):
(Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
So, there you have it; no barn, no stall, no cows, sheep or oxen, no donkeys (hee-haw)! No mean, old Inn-keeper! No snow on the ground, either.
Merry Christmas and may God Bless you all in the name of Jesus Christ!
The Mighty God
While studying Luke 1:32 I got stuck on the meaning of “his name.”
Luke 1:31-34
And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. 32 “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; 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 his kingdom will have no end.”
NASB
In the Christian Scriptures it is the Greek word *onoma, onomatos, to and means:
- universally: used of proper names, Mark 3:16
- used for everything which the name covers, everything the thought or feeling of which is roused in the mind by mentioning, hearing, remembering, the name,
In the Hebrew Scriptures as in Isa 9:6 is the word shem.
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
KJV
*shem —
a) a name
b) a reputation, fame, glory
c) the Name (as a designation for God)
d) memorial, monument
Just the other day I got a Christmas card from a friend with Is. 6:9 on it. It sickens me that even at Christmas time the trinity has to be invoked. So, I decided to take a closer look at that little verse to get a better understanding.
Is. 9:6 should read:
For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on his shoulders;
And his name will be called wonderful counselor, mighty god,
everlasting father, the Prince of peace.
What determines whether or not something is capitalized is whether or not it is preceded by the Article “the.” The only words that he is called that are preceded by the article “the” are Prince of peace. The other “the’s” were added by the translators, the one before “mighty” and the one before “everlasting.”
The word mighty here is the Hebrew word *gibbor
as an adjective: 1) strong, mighty; as a noun, masculine:
2) a strong man, a brave man, a mighty man
*god is the word ‘el which means:
1) God, god-like one, the mighty one
a) mighty men, men of rank, mighty heroes
b) angels
c) a god, a false god, (demons, imaginations)
d) God, the one true God, Jehovah (Yahweh)
2) mighty things in nature
3) strength, power
Luke tells us above that God will give Jesus the throne of his father David. I know you’ve all heard the expression, “like father, like son.” David was a proven warrior and a hero to his people. He was a mighty man in the flesh, like Jesus was a mighty man in signs, miracles and wonders! They were both men of renown; their reputations preceded them!
In understanding everlasting father lets look at the meaning of father in Hebrew:
* ‘ab —
1) the father of an individual
2) used of God as Father of His people
3) the head or the founder of a household, a group, a family, or a clan
4) an ancestor
a) a grandfather, the forefathers – of a person
b) used of people (in general)
5) an originator or patron of a class, profession, or art
6) used of a producer, a generator (figuratively)
7) used of benevolence and of protection (figuratively)
8) used as a term of respect and honor
9) a ruler or a chief (specifically)
How many of those things can be attributed to Jesus? What else does Luke say above? It says that of his kingdom there will be no end, as in everlasting, right? In the Millennial Kingdom, he will be the king or ruler, the chief one. He’s also called the Prince of Peace, right? Prince’s rule don’t they? So, everlasting father also equates to everlasting Prince, everlasting King, everlasting Lord, etc. He could also be called the “father” of Christianity, I suppose.
When it comes to understanding the Bible, there is more than meets the eye. Having a Bible program of some sort is critical. I use PC Bible by Biblesoft. All my definitions are from the Lexicons mentioned in the parenthesis below. Jesus was conceived, born and named according to Luke. In Matthew 1:18 he was born, genesis, came into existence, and was named Jesus, the only-begotten Son of God.
God bless!
*(from The Online Bible Thayer’s Greek Lexicon and Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon, Copyright © 1993, Woodside Bible Fellowship, Ontario, Canada. Licensed from the Institute for Creation Research.)
The Birth of Christ–Out in the Cold Stable or In a warm House?
(The guestchamber in those days was a room adjacent to the house for the lodging of guests. These days some people have Guest-houses, while others may have Guest-rooms. The Greek word this is translated from is used 1 other time in Luke and once in Matthew. In both instances it is translated “guestchamber” in the King James Version: Mark 14:14
And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?
KJV; Luke 22:11
And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? KJV)
Joseph and Mary were not out in the cold with no place to go. They were at a friend’s house or at the very least a friend of a friend. They were like royalty, direct descendants of King David and they were in the city of David. They didn’t just arrive but had been there at least a few days already . Anyone would have been glad to have them in their home, let alone the fact Mary was in her 9th month of pregnancy. John Schoendeit of Spirit and Truth Fellowship adds this light on the subject:
“Another thing we must understand about houses in the East is that it was common for people to bring their animals, such as the family donkey, a couple of milk goats, or a cow or two, into the home at night. Such animals were very valuable, and the people brought them in at night to keep them from being stolen and to protect them from harm. Also, the animals added heat to the house, which would be very welcome on chilly nights. The woman in Endor who King Saul visited at night had her calf in the house with her: “And the woman had a fat calf in the house” (1 Sam. 28:24, KJV). [10] Of course, if the family were shepherds or herdsmen, they would not bring the whole flock or herd into the house, but would have a family member or hired guard watch them in the field, just as the shepherds were in the field on the night Jesus was born.
It was a common practice to raise the floor of the part of the house where the family lived, and keep the animals in an area that was a little lower. [11] Knowing this helps us understand Luke 2:6 and also where that idea that Jesus was born in a stable came from. Jesus was laid in a manger, which is an open trough, box, or bin, where the animal food was placed so the animals could feed easily. In Western society, mangers are in barns or stables, so if Jesus was laid in a manger it made sense he was born in a stable. However, in Eastern society, where the animals grazed outside during the day and were brought into the house at night, the manger was in the house. Having the manger in the house kept the animals calm and contented in the tighter quarters of the house, just as many modern farm animals have a feeding trough in their stall stay calm and content.
Everyone knew the manger was in the house, so when the Bible says that Jesus was laid in a manger “because” there was no space in the guest room, any Easterner would understand perfectly that the guest room was full so Jesus was born in the main part of the house where the family and animals stayed. Sometime after his birth he was safely placed in the manger, which would have been filled with clean hay or straw and would have been the perfect size for him. This was not to demean him in any way, but to care for him. The protective walls of the manger kept him safely guarded and away from busy feet and a bustling household, as well as warm and protected from any drafts or cold air in the home.
Another thing that helps us understand the Christmas story is understanding Eastern hospitality. In the East, guests were given special treatment of all kinds, including behavior that seems very extreme to us. For example, in the record of Lot and the two strangers, Lot would have handed over his own daughters to the mob before surrendering his guests (Gen. 19:8). Similarly, the people with whom Joseph and Mary stayed would never displace their guests from the guest room, but instead would inconvenience themselves, graciously bringing the couple into their living space.”
See more athttp://www.truthortradition.com/articles/retelling-the-christmas-story.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Who is My Brother?
It has been on my heart recently to talk a little about love. The Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays can be particularly challenging for a lot of people. 1John 4:20 tells us “If someone says ‘I love God’ and hates his brother, he is a liar: for the one who does not love, agapao, his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.” Agapao love is demonstrated by being full of good will towards, to have preference for, to wish well to, and regard the welfare of. Everyone who born again of God’s spirit is a brother or a sister.
Jesus said in Mt.12:50, “For whosoever shall do the will of my Father, which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister and mother.” Jesus is my brother and hopefully yours too. A father can be a brother as well as a mother and a sister!
One may not think they actually hate someone else but the absence of love as described above is hate. Love is something that must be proved day in and day out, not something to be assumed. We must reach out to those we love and we must, in particular, love our brothers in Christ. To fail to do so makes us liars, when we say we love God.
Galatians 6:10 tells us, “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” The words I want to emphasize here are “while we have opportunity.” The day will come when that opportunity will no longer be available: they will be dead or we will be. I was fishing the other day with a 38 year old man who lost his father when he was 51…….He expressed to me how he wished he had taken more advantage of him when he was alive.
Let’s not take for granted the lives of our earthly and spiritual families this holiday season or any other and reach out to them, demonstrating the love we have for them and the love we have for God. Tomorrow may be too late.
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