Lesson 6 – The Birth of Jesus
A savior is born to you! He is Christ the Lord.
Opening
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
This lesson will use the Bible, the Bible Exploration Guide and the Lesson 6 Leaflet from the Student Pack. The front cover shows how the artist sees Joseph holding the baby Jesus. Also paper and pencil will be needed.
Merry Christmas!
Have you ever thought about why we say "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy holidays" or "Season's greetings"? We say "Christmas" because it includes Christ. As Christians, we celebrate God's greatest gift, His Son, Jesus Christ.
Why do you think that many people and businesses use watered-down seasonal greetings in December? Not everyone celebrates Christmas; people don't want to offend others. Stores want their customers to feel comfortable. Merchants try to induce us to buy gifts and more gifts, but Christians know we've been given the best gift ever.
Watch the video, "Dan Stevers - Christmas in a Nutshell”.
What is "Christmas in a nutshell"? God showed up (in the form of a baby).
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Jesus to redeem us from our sins. Give us faith in Him and His work for us. In Your Son's name. Amen.
God Speaks
We probably think we know the Scriptures well that tell about Jesus' birth. Let's take a new look at Luke 2 today.
Follow the directions on page 2 of the lesson leaflet. Read Luke 2:1-20 and answer the questions. As you do, list facts the Bible provides.
SECTION ONE: Verses 1-3
These verses put Jesus' birth in a historical context. What facts do we find here? Caesar Augustus was a Roman ruler. He ordered a registration. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Add to Bible Facts.
Here are some other facts: We align years as before or after Christ's birth (8C or AD), but an error misidentified the real year of Jesus' birth. He was probably born sometime in 3 or 2 BC.
Were these real people? How do we know? Of course they're real people. Scripture is infallible (without error), and it says so. Add to Bible Facts.
Other ancient sources concur, such as Roman historians and service records. Octavius founded the Roman Empire and was its first emperor, ruling from 27 BC to AD 14. The Roman senate gave him the title Augustus, which means "the exalted one" He was known as a dictator.
What was a "registration"? Why was it used? Students may remember the King James Version says "to be taxed' but the ESV does not. The Greek word means "register”. Although registrations were usually used to calculate a tax, Romans also used them to balance accounts for new leadership or to entice an empire-wide oath.
Why do you think it says this was the "first registration when Quirinius was governor"? Quirinius was involved in at least one more census. Add this information to Bible Facts.
Here are some other facts: (1) Luke wrote this Gospel and the Book of Acts. Acts 5:37 references another (second) census. It makes sense that Luke would call the census during Jesus' birth "the first"one. (2) Jesus was born before Herod the Great died (Bible Fact from Matthew 2), near the end of Herod's reign. Herod died sometime between 6 and 1 BC. (3) Evidence shows Quirinius served Augqustus in Syria twice and conducted two censuses, one in 8-6 BC and the other in AD 6-9. Romans conducted censuses every fourteen years, which fits this pattern. It took several years to complete a census, as it does today, even with computers.
SECTION TWO: Verses 4-7
What facts do these verses give about Mary and Joseph? They obeyed the Roman decree. They went to Bethlehem, hometown of David and ancestral home of Joseph. Mary gave birth while they were there, wrapped the babe in Swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger because there was no place for them in the inn. Add information to the Bible Facts.
Look at the map (on page 3). How many miles is it from Nazareth to Bethlehem? It may look like seventy miles as the crow flies, but mountains and other barriers actually make it around ninety miles.
What transportation did Mary and Joseph use? This is not in the account. Walking was most common. Art often shows Mary on a donkey, which is possible, but not biblical. People used two- or four-wheeled carts. Caravans often included camel riders, but they were not common in Israel.
How long did it take Mary and Joseph to go to Bethlehem? This is not in the account, but four to six days is probable.
Mary was pregnant, so we can suppose the journey was uncomfortable for her. Mary's pregnancy may have slowed them. Bethlehem was David's city. As Jesus’ legal father, Joseph brought Him into the royal line of David. Mary probably descended from David too.
How pregnant was Mary when the couple traveled to Bethlehem? Scripture doesn't say. Art often shows imminent birth.
How long were they in Bethlehem before Mary gave birth? Scripture doesn't say. We tend to think the birth happened soon after arriving in Bethlehem, but Scripture just says the baby was born "while they were there". They could have been there for some time.
Was Jesus born in a manger? No. Jesus was not born in a manger, an animal feeding trough. Mary laid Him in a manger.
Some other facts: (1) Placing the baby in a manger suggests Jesus was born where animals were housed, which could have been a cave, a stable, or a room for animals attached to a home. (2) Jews valued hospitality and usually stayed with relatives when away from home. Mary and Joseph may have tried to do this, but there was no room. (3) Inns or hotels as we have did not exist in New Testament times. (4) The Greek word for "inn" is kataluma, which is only used twice more in the New Testament, both referring to the Upper Room where Jesus and His disciples ate the Last Supper (Luke 22:11; Mark 14:14). Many homes had these second-story rooms for sleeping in the hot summers, for guests, or for entertaining. It's probable that the relatives' upper rooms were full.
Section THREE: Verses 8-14
What were the shepherds doing? Watching their sheep at night.
What words tell you that the field lit up? The glory of the Lord shone around them".
How did the shepherds respond to the angel? They were filled with fear.
What good news did the angel give the shepherds? "Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord".
What did the angel say would be a sign for the shepherds? Why? The sign was a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. It was normal to swaddle a newborn, but unusual to find one sleeping in an animal feeding trough. This baby would be the Christ.
What time of the year was Jesus born? The shepherds' actions hint at winter or early spring. Israel has a climate similar to that of the West Coast of the United States: hot and dry in the spring, summer, and fall; rainy in the winter. Edible (green) grass near Bethlehem hints at the rainy season. Shepherds wouldn't have had to take their flocks farther away to eat.
SECTION FOUR: Verses 15-20
Did the shepherds believe the angel's message? Yes, because they left to find the baby. The Holy Spirit gave them faith to believe.
What did the shepherds do after they saw the baby? They told what they saw and heard.
How did people respond to the shepherds? They "wondered” or were amazed.
How did Mary react to everything that happened? What do you think this means? She treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. Treasure means "to cherish or value" something. This tells us Mary understood the importance of her Son's birth. Ponder means “to contemplate or wonder about". Mary may have been in awe of all that happened; or because she was human, Mary may have had questions.
What new thing did you learn about Jesus’ birth today?
We Live
Why did God send His Son to earth as a baby? Jesus took on flesh to become fully human. True God and true man, Jesus died on the cross for our sins.
Whom did the angel say the baby was? A Savior, Christ the Lord.
What does a savior do? A savior saves us from something.
From what did Jesus save us? Jesus saved us from our sins when He lived without sin and then suffered and died to pay the price for our sins. Those who believe in Him receive forgiveness of sins and new life, now and forever.
Read the Fifth Petition of the Lord's Prayer and its meaning on page 4 of the leaflet.
We are born in sin and are incapable of pleasing our Lord, who is holy and perfect. It is hard to forgive and do good to those who sin against us. Only the Holy Spirit working in us through God's Word can help us forgive others as Christ forgives us. Only the Spirit can help us do good to those who sin against us.
Read about Bethlehem on pages 14-15 of the Bible Exploration Guide.
Closing
Listen to the hymn "Jesus! Name of Wondrous Love".