The reason that Jesus came to earth was not to be born, but was to die.
1 John 3:8 AMP (8) [But] he who commits sin [who practices evildoing] is of the devil [takes his character from the evil one], for the devil has sinned (violated the divine law) from the beginning. The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works the devil [has done].
We want to look at the Word of God so that we can understand the Nativity Scene and why things were the way they were.
Luke 2:1-20 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 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. (8) Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. (9) And behold, 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!” (15) 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 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.
Why did the circumstances have to be like they were surrounding the Birth of Christ?
The circumstances surrounding the Birth of Christ are very important simply because they all are fulfillment of what the Lord had been saying for centuries.
Why did Jesus have to born in Bethlehem?
Micah 5:2 NKJV (2) “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.”
It was also said that Jesus would be of the offspring of King David and Bethlehem is where David was born and God chose for Jesus to be born there as well.
Note that for Jesus to sit on the throne He would have to be human but for Him to reign forever, He would have to be Divine. Both Mary and Joseph were of the lineage of David.
Jeremiah 23:5 NKJV (5) “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 judgment and righteousness in the earth.
God took advantage of the census that was required to get Joseph and Mary back to Bethlehem.
We know the story how the angel appeared to Mary to tell her about the Birth of Jesus.
Mary was betrothed to Joseph and during that day betrothal was much more serious than our engagement in that the only way to get out of that commitment was to be caught in a relationship outside of the betrothed relationship.
Matthew’s explanation can best be understood in the light of Hebrew marriage customs. Marriages were arranged for individuals by parents, and contracts were negotiated. After this was accomplished, the individuals were considered married and were called husband and wife. They did not, however, begin to live together. Instead, the woman continued to live with her parents and the man with his for one year. The waiting period was to demonstrate the faithfulness of the pledge of purity given concerning the bride. If she was found to be with child in this period, she obviously was not pure, but had been involved in an unfaithful sexual relationship. Therefore the marriage could be annulled. If, however, the one-year waiting period demonstrated the purity of the bride, the husband would then go to the house of the bride’s parents and in a grand processional march lead his bride back to his home. There they would begin to live together as husband and wife and consummate their marriage physically.
Mary and Joseph were in the one-year waiting period when Mary was found to be with child. They had never had sexual intercourse and Mary herself had been faithful (Mat_1:20, Mat_1:23). While little is said about Joseph, one can imagine how his heart must have broken. He genuinely loved Mary, and yet the word came that she was pregnant. His love for her was demonstrated by his actions. He chose not to create a public scandal by exposing her condition to the judges at the city gate. Such an act could have resulted in Mary’s death by stoning (Deu_22:23-24). Instead he decided to divorce her quietly.
The character of Joseph came out that even before the angel appeared to him, he was not going to embarrass her publicly but he thought about how he could put her away privately.
Did Mary ride a donkey when they came into Bethlehem?
Luke 2:4-6 NKJV (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.
When Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem she was great with child. Because of this, Joseph probably did not make her walk.
She probably did ride in on a donkey into Bethlehem. They did not have a lot of money at this time and the donkey was the cheapest form of transportation of the day.
Did Mary give birth to Jesus the same night that they arrived in Bethlehem?
Luke 2:6 NKJV (6) So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.
Mary had the baby after they had been in Bethlehem for a few days.
Did the innkeeper tell them that there was no room for them in the inn?
Luke 2:7 NKJV (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.
It was actually probably a blessing that there was no room for them in the inn because in that day, inns were very dangerous places where you could be robbed of your belongings, etc.
God opened a supernatural door that afforded Mary and Joseph privacy in the birth of Christ.
Was Jesus actually born in a stable?
Luke 2:7 NKJV (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.
Notice the scripture says that Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger.
It is possible that the animals were kept in a cave behind or near the house versus a traditional stable as we know today.
In that day, a manger was a feeding trough usually hewn out of rock and the height of it was dependent on the type of animals that would be feeding from it.
Swaddling clothes were strips of cloth that they would wrap the baby in very tightly to keep it warm and feeling secure.
Isn’t it interesting that when Jesus was born he was wrapped in strips of cloth and laid in a stone manger in a cave and that is also the way that He was buried when He died for all mankind.
Another reason that Jesus was not born in the inn was because it was the plan of God that the shepherds come and find Jesus and they might not have been able to do this at an inn.
Were angels present at the place where Jesus was born?
The answer is yes, but they were not in manifestation there. They appeared to the shepherds in the fields.
Luke 2:8-9 NKJV (8) Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. (9) And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
Luke 2:13 NKJV (13) And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
Why did the angels appear to the shepherds and not the Magi?
Jesus did not come to be a King first, He came to be a Shepherd first and to lead us into everlasting life.
Were the shepherds supernaturally led to the place of Jesus’ birth?
Luke 2:11-12 NKJV (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.”
Luke 2:15-16 NKJV (15) 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.
The shepherds found the place where Jesus was because they knew where all of the mangers would have been because they were shepherds.
The wise men were supernaturally led to the manger because they were not from there but the shepherds were from there.
Did the wise men come at Jesus birth?
Luke 2:12 NKJV (12) And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
Babe (v12) – (Greek – brephos) unborn child or a newborn child.
Matthew 2:11 NKJV (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.
Young Child (Matthew 2:8) (Greek: paidion) a little child, not a newborn
Wise men or Magi travelled in large caravans of sometimes 50 to 75 people so there were more than just three of them.
The Magi brought to Him treasures of gold, frankincense and myrrh; gold because that was the treasury of royalty, frankincense because He was going to be the sweet-smelling savor in God’s nostrils to hide the stench of our sin, and myrrh because that is one of the spices used in burial. He was going to have to die for us.
Was Jesus born on December 25th?
The answer is no, He was not.
Luke 2:8 NKJV (8) Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
In December in Bethlehem, it can get quite cold.
Bethlehem is along the same latitude as Macon, GA.
Winters in Israel and particularly Bethlehem can be very cold average highs being 33° – 55°.
Why was Jesus born at all?
Luke 2:10-11 NKJV (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.
Isaiah 9:6 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.
Jesus was born as a gift for all mankind but you must still receive Him personally.
Jesus came to bring peace for us individually first and then later will bring peace to the earth.
Luke 2:14 AMP (14) Glory to God in the highest [heaven], and on earth peace among men with whom He is well pleased [men of goodwill, of His favor].
- God’s plan for my life individually is no less important than His plan that caused Jesus to be born into the earth.
- If God’s plan required the cooperation of Heaven and man, then so must His plan for my life. It is not automatic.
1 Corinthians 3:9 AMP For we are fellow workmen (joint promoters, laborers together) with and for God; you are God’s garden and vineyard and field under cultivation, [you are] God’s building. [Isa. 61:3.]
- Faith is required for God’s plan to come to pass.
- The promise was not conceived when the Word was heard. Conception took place when she took ownership of the Word and made it hers.
Luke 1:38 NIV “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
Luke 1:38 NLT Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.
Saying, “Be it unto me according to thy Word” is the key to releasing the supernatural power of God into our lives to accomplish the purpose and will of God.