During the time of the reign of King Herod, who ruled over Judea in approximately 7 B.C., there lived a priest by the name of Zacharias, married to Elizabeth, who happened to be a cousin of Mary, the imminent mother of Jesus.
The couple were aged and childless, yet they never gave up hope that someday God would grant them a child. In answer to their prayers, an angel, Gabriel, visited Zacharias and told him that he and his wife would bring forth a son, whom he was to name ‘John’ (meaning ‘God has shown favor’).
Gabriel also said that John would be special:
“…for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.” Lk. 1:15 – 17. NLT
There came a man commissioned and sent from God, whose name was John. This man came as a witness to testify about the Light, so that all might believe [in Christ, the Light] through him. John was not the Light, but came to testify about the Light. Jn. 1:6 AMP
He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; Holy and awesome is His name… Ps. 111:9 AMP
Initially, Zacharias doubted Gabriel’s proclamation; so, the angel rendered him mute, saying that he would not be able to speak again until the birth took place.
When Elizabeth was 6 months pregnant, God sent Gabriel to Nazareth, to reveal His will to Mary – a woman engaged to a man named Joseph. Gabriel speaks:
“Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” Lk. 1:28 NKJV
Mary was divinely chosen to be the mother of the Savior of the Earth. What it does not mean, is that she should be worshiped in any way. That would violate the 1st and the 2nd of the Ten Commandments.
She was beside herself; but Gabriel assuaged her fears; and then he makes a phenomenal earth-shaking declaration:
“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 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. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.” Lk. 1:30 – 33. CSB
The name ‘Jesus’ finds its roots in the Hebrew word Yhowshuwa, translated as Jehoshua or Joshua, and from the Greek word Iesous, meaning ‘The Lord is Salvation.’ So, Jesus is revealed as the Son of God, Who will reign over God’s children forever.
Mary protests, thinking impregnation without a man was impossible in her virgin state. Gabriel reveals the big picture:
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you [like a cloud]; for that reason the holy (pure, sinless) Child shall be called the Son of God. Lk. 1:35 AMP
This is a one-time-only, most important event in all history: a Holy Spirit-facilitated conception, whereby the Spirit of the Son of God is divinely implanted in virgin flesh. As it avoids a male human intervention, it frees Jesus from the taint of Adamic sin.
(Islam refutes this scripture, as it interprets this event to mean that Jehovah God was involved in some carnal act. Yet, it was nothing of the kind; it was a transformation):
Therefore, since [these His] children share in flesh and blood [the physical nature of mankind], He Himself also shared in the same [physical nature, but without sin], so that through [experiencing] death He might make powerless (ineffective, impotent) him who had the power of death – that is, the devil- Heb. 2:14 AMP
Gabriel further tells Mary that God has worked a miracle for her cousin Elizabeth and her husband Zacharias, so that they are now with child. How? The angel reminds us:
“For with God nothing will be impossible.” Lk. 1:37 NKJV
After Mary’s encounter with Gabriel, she high tails it over to Elizabeth’s house. As soon as she enters, the unborn John the Baptist leaps in her mother’s womb. Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit, Who reveals to her Mary’s miraculous transformation, and she exclaims:
“God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me?” Lk. 1:42, 43. NLT
The answer is that Elizabeth was rewarded for her faith:
…no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit. 1 Co. 12:3 NLT
Mary stayed with Elizabeth until John was born. When John was 8 days old, Zacharias’ voice returned as his faith was fully restored. He was filled with the Holy Spirit and bursts forth with prophecy concerning first the birth of Christ and secondly about his son:
“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of David, just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago.” Lk. 1:68 – 70. NLT
(For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for His glory. 2 Co. 1:20 NLT)
(Note: If you read Mt. 1:1 – 17, you can trace Jesus’ earthly genealogy from Abraham to Joseph, Mary’s husband. Reading Lk. 3:23 – 28, you can follow His genealogy all the way from Adam to Mary.)
Zacharias continues:
“And you my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.
“Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death and to guide us to the path of peace.” Lk. 1:76 -79. NLT
At the time of John the Baptist’s birth, Mary is 3 months’ pregnant. Her fiancé Joseph knows that obviously the child is not his. He begins to consider calling off the marriage, but an angel intervenes in a dream:
“Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirt. She will give birth to a Son, and you shall name Him Jesus (The LORD is salvation), for He will save His people from their sins.” Mt. 1:20, 21. AMP
Joseph married Mary but did not have conjugal relations with her until after Jesus’ birth (Mt. 1:25).
Caesar Augustus was the emperor of Rome at this time, and proclaimed a census be taken, so that everyone under his rule would be registered for the purpose of taxation. Judea was also ruled by Caesar.
Everyone had to register in the city where their ancestral records were kept. For Joseph and Mary, that meant a trip to Bethlehem. There was no lodging available when they arrived, so they had to stay in a manger (translated from the Greek word phatne, meaning ‘stall’). And that’s where our Lord was born.
Simultaneously, an angel appeared to a group of shepherds who were tending their sheep at night in a nearby field, declaring:
“Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people. For this day in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (the Messiah).” Lk. 2:10, 11. AMP
Immediately following, the angel was joined by a multitude of other angels who burst forth with praise:
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, peace on earth to those whom God is pleased.” Lk. 2:14 NLT
(“…it is from Him (God) that you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God [revealing His plan of salvation], and righteousness [making us acceptable to God], and sanctification [making us holy and setting us apart for God], and redemption [providing our ransom from the penalty of sin]… 1 Co. 1:30 AMP)
The angels left, and the shepherds went to see the Savior. Word of the Messiah spread far and wide.
On the 8th day, baby Jesus was circumcised and formally named. When 40 days passed, Jesus was dedicated to God in the Temple. Present in that dedication, was a man, Simeon, whom Jehovah had directed there; to fulfill a promise He made to him – that he would get to see the Messiah before he died.
Simeon picks up our Lord, and being filled with the Holy Spirit, he declares:
“Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised, I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” Lk. 2:29 – 32. NLT
Christ the Savior, for the entire world:
(So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together with him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Eph. 2:19 – 21. NLT)
Simeon fixes his gaze upon Mary, and he prophesies:
“Listen carefully: this Child is appointed and destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign that is to be opposed – and a sword [of deep sorrow] will pierce through your own soul – so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.” Lk. 2:34, 35. AMP
So, Christ will be the eternal Savior of those who follow Him; but He will be the harbinger of death to those who stand in opposition. And Mary’s heart will be pierced at the crucifixion of her Son, as the full impact of who He is and what He’s done is acutely revealed and felt…
News of the Messiah’s birth reached the ‘East’ (a biblical term used for Arab lands). And so it was that wise men (philosophers or astrologers) journeyed to find Him. (The Bible never says there were 3 of them. Perhaps it was deduced by number of gifts they brought for Jesus). They enquired people along the way:
“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” Mt. 2:2 AMP
King Herod gets wind of this and worries that his rule will someday be usurped by this ‘infant king.’ He calls for his priests to find out where this birth took place, and they tell Him the Scriptures indicate ‘Bethlehem.’
He hears of the ‘wise men,’ and has them brought before him, telling them to return to him after visiting the Messiah, so that he too could worship Him. (In reality, he wanted to kill Him).
The wise men were led by a star to Jesus’ whereabouts, where they worshipped Him and presented their gifts. Afterwards, they left. During their return journey, God sent them a vision in a dream, warning them against returning to Herod. So, they took another route home.
Simultaneously, an angel came to Joseph in a dream, presenting Him with an urgent task:
“Get up! Take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to search for the child to kill him.” Mt. 2:13 CSB
Joseph did as he was instructed. Shortly thereafter, King Herod realized the wise men duped him. He retaliated by slaughtering every male child in Bethlehem aged 2 years and younger. (‘Massacre of the Innocents’).
Herod died, and the angel returned to tell Joseph it was safe to go home.
When they returned, Herod’s eldest son was ruling the region of Bethlehem with an iron fist. So, Joseph resettled his family in the region of Galilee, in the city of Nazareth. And the Bible tells us:
And the Child continued to grow and become strong [in spirit], filled with wisdom; and the grace (favor and spiritual blessing) of God was upon Him. Lk. 2:40 AMP
The magnitude of this most important event in history cannot be overstated…
Goodnight and God bless.