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The Christmas Story
as told by the Scriptures
by Lockmann.org
commentary by
Dwight Leslie
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With
all the commercialization of Christmas, I thought you might
like the story straight from the Bible (I've only added a
few comments, usually in italics). As always, it is
prudent to pray and ask God for revelation and understanding
of His Holy Word.
The Bible Christmas Story (New American Standard) according
to Scripture.
The time around the birth of Jesus and His early years.
As told in the New Testament book of Matthew 1.18:
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows. When His mother
Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together
she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.
This is as prophesied in Isaiah 7.14: Therefore the Lord
Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with
child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel
(God with us).
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Continuing,
Mathew 1.19: And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man,
and not wanting to disgrace her, desired to put her away (or,
to divorce her) secretly.
(Because adultery brought a sentence of death, as it was
as shown in the book of John 8.3,4,5: And the scribes and
the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having
set her in the midst, they said to Him (Jesus), - Teacher,
this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now
in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then
do You say? )
Continuing, Mathew 1.20: But when he had considered this,
behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying,
- Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your
wife; for that which has been conceived (Literally, begotten)
in her is of the Holy Spirit. (v21) And she will bear a Son;
and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save
His people from their sins.
(The Apostle Paul explains in Romans 5.19 (that) For as
through the one man's disobedience (Adam) the many were made
sinners, even so through the obedience of the One (Jesus)
the many will be made righteous.).
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Continuing, Mathew 1.22: Now all
this took place (has taken place) that what was spoken by the
Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, (v23) - BEHOLD,
THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD, AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY
SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL, which translated means, - GOD
WITH US.
(v24) - And Joseph arose from His sleep, and did as the angel
of the Lord commanded him, and took her as wife, (v25) and kept
her a virgin (Literally, was not knowing her) until she gave
birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.
Mathew 2.1: Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea
in the days of Herod the king, behold magi (Pronounced may-ji,
a caste of wise men specializing in astrology, medicine and
natural science.) from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
(His birth in Bethlehem was prophesied in Old Testament scripture
Micah 5.2: But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little
to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for
Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago,
from the days of eternity.) (v2) "Where is He who has been born King
of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come
to worship Him." (v3) And when Herod the king heard it, he
was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. (v4) And gathering
together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he
began to inquire of them where the Christ was to be born. (v5)
And they said to him, - In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has
been written by the prophet, (v6) AND YOU, BETHLEM, LAND OF
JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH; FOR
OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER, WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE
ISRAEL. |
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The
Bible Christmas Story |
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(Continued) |
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Also,
later the Apostle John wrote in his New Testament book John
7.42: Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes
from the offspring of David, and from Bethlehem, the village
where David was?
Continuing Mathew 2.7: Then Herod secretly called the magi,
and ascertained from them the time the star appeared. (v8) And
he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, - Go and make careful search
for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, that
I too may come and worship Him. (v9) And having heard the king,
they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in
the east, went on before them, until it came and stood over
where the Child was. (v10) And when they saw the star, they
rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. (v11) And they came into
the house and saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell
down and worshiped Him; and opening their treasures they presented
to Him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. (v12) And having
been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed
for their own country by another way. |
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Flight
into Egypt
Mathew 2.13: Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of
the Lord appeared (appears) to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise and take the Child and His mother, and flee to Egypt,
and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search
for the Child to destroy Him." (v14) And he arose and took the
Child and His mother by night, and departed for Egypt; (v15)
and was there until the death of Herod, that what was spoken
by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying,
- OUT OF EGYPT DID I CALL MY SON. (from Hosea 11.1)
Herod kills the children
Continuing Mathew 2.16: Then when Herod saw that he had been
tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew
all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its environs,
from two years old and under, according to the time which he
had ascertained from the magi. (v17) Then that which was spoken
through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying, (v18) -
A VOICE WAS HEARD IN RAMAH, WEEPING AND GREAT MOURNING, RACHEL
WEEPING FOR HER CHILDREN; AND SHE REFUSED TO BE COMFORTED, BECAUSE
THEY WERE NO MORE.
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Jesus
returns to Nazareth
Continuing Mathew 2.19: But when Herod was dead, behold, an
angel of the Lord appeared (appears) in a dream to Joseph in
Egypt, saying, (v20) "Arise and take the Child and His mother,
and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child
's life are dead." (v21) And he arose and took the Child and
His mother, and came into the land of Israel. (v22) But when
he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of
his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned
by God in a dream, he departed for the regions of Galilee, (v23)
and came and resided in a city called Nazareth, that what was
spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, - He shall be
called a Nazarene.
Mathew then jumps in time to the Ministry of John the Baptist
who baptizes Jesus, and then continues with his book. In the gospel
of Luke, Luke starts with the birth of John the baptizer (who
Jesus said was the greatest Prophet of all the Old Testament
men.) The Christmas story is then told in Luke 's gospel in
the following scriptures for the purpose of Theophilus (and us) knowing the certainty of those (these) things. |
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Gabriel
Announces Christ's Birth
Luke 1.26: Now in the sixth month (of Elizabeth's pregnancy
with John the Baptist) the angel Gabriel was sent from God to
a city in Galilee, called Nazareth, (v27) to a virgin engaged
to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David;
and the virgin's name was Mary. (v28) And coming in, he said
to her, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you." (Later
messages add: "You are blessed among women.") (v29) But she was
greatly troubled at this statement, and kept pondering what
kind of salutation this might be. (v30) And the angel said to
her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with
God, (v31) and behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear
a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. (v32) 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; (v33) and He will
reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will
have no end." |
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Mary
Miraculously Conceives
Continuing, Luke 1.34: And Mary said to the angel, "How can
this be, since I am a virgin? (know no man)" (v35) And the
angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come
upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you;
and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son
of God. (v36) And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also
conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren
is now in her sixth month. (v37) For nothing (or, not any word)
will be impossible with God." (v38) And Mary said, "Behold,
the bond-slave (I.e., female slave) of the Lord; be it done
to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
After Mary's visit to Elizabeth, Elizabeth's giving birth
to John, and Zacharias's prophesy of John's ministry (verses
39 - 80), Luke continues with the Christ's birth. |
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Luke
2.1: Now it came about in those days that a decree went out
from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited
earth (i.e., the Roman empire) (v2) This was the first census
taken while Quirinius (in Greek, Kyrenios) was governor of Syria.
(v3) And all were proceeding to register for the census, everyone
to his own city. (4) And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from
the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which
is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family
of David, (v5) in order to register, along with Mary, who was
engaged to him, and was with child. (v6) And it came about that
while they were there, the days were completed for her to give
birth. (v7) And she gave birth to her first-born son; and she
wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger (feeding trough),
because there was no room for them in the inn. |
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The
Angels Announce Jesus to the Shepherds
Continuing, Luke 2.8: And in the same region there were some
shepherds staying out in the fields, and keeping watch over
their flock by night. (v9) And an angel of the Lord suddenly
stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them;
and they were terribly frightened. (v10) And the angel said
to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news
of a great joy which shall be for all the people: (v11) for
today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior,
who is Christ the Lord, (v12) And this will be a sign for you;
you will find a baby wrapped in cloths, and lying in a manger."
(v13) And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude
of the heavenly host praising God, and saying (v14) "Glory
to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom
He is pleased."
The Shepherds Visit Jesus
Continuing, Luke 2.15: And it came about when the angels had
gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds began saying
to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then,
and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made
known to us." (v16) And they came in haste and found their way
to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. (v17)
And when they had seen this, they made known the statement which
had been told them about this Child. (v18) And all who heard
it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.
(v19) But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them
in her heart. (v20) And the shepherds went back, glorifying
and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just
as had been told them. |
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Christ
is Circumcised
Continuing, Luke 2.21: And when eight days were completed before
His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given
by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. (v22) And
when the days for their purification according to the law of
Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present
Him to the Lord (v23) (as it is written in the Law of the Lord,
- EVERY FIRST-BORN MALE THAT OPENS THE WOMB SHALL BE CALLED
HOLY TO THE LORD), (v24) and to offer a sacrifice according
to what was said in the Law of the Lord, - A PAIR OF TURTLEDOVES,
OR TWO YOUNG PIGEONS.
Simeon 's Prophesy
Continuing, Luke 2.25: And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem
whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout,
looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was
upon him. (v26) And it had been revealed to him by the Holy
Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord
's Christ. (v27) And he came by the Spirit into the temple;
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out
for Him the custom of the Law (to do for Him according to),
(28) then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,
(v29) "Now Lord, Thou dost let Thy bondservant depart in peace,
according to Thy word; (v30) for my eyes have seen Thy salvation,
(v31) which Thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples,
(v32) A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, and the glory of
Thy people Israel." (v33) And His father and mother were amazed
at the things which were being said about Him. (v34) And Simeon
blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child
is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for
a sign to be opposed (spoken against) (v35) and a sword will pierce even your
own soul - to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be
revealed." |
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Anna
's Testimony
Continuing, Luke 2.36: And there was a prophetess, Anna (or
Hanna) the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was
advanced in years (or days), having lived with a husband seven
years after her marriage (or virginity), (v37) and then as a
widow to the age of eighty-four. And she never left the temple,
serving night and day with fastings and prayers. (v38) And at
that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God,
and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking
for the redemption of Jerusalem.
Jesus Returns to Nazareth
Continuing, Luke 2.39: And when they had performed everything
according to the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee,
to their own city of Nazareth. (v40) And the Child continued
to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace
of God was upon Him.
(The next scriptures in Luke continue with His ministry time.) |
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The
Gospel of John talks about the Deity of Christ, His Preincarnate
Work, and His Incarnation
John 1.1: In the beginning was the Word, and the word was with
God, and the Word was God. (v2) He was in the beginning with
God. (v3) All things came into being by Him, and apart from
Him nothing came into being that has come into being. (v4) In
Him was life, and the life was the light of men. (v5) And the
light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend
(or, overpower) it.
John 1.12: But as many as received Him, to them He gave the
right to become children of God, even to those who believe in
His name, (v13) who were born not of blood, nor of the will
of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (v14) And
the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His
glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of
grace and truth. (v15) John (the Baptist) bore witness of Him,
and cried out saying, "This was He of whom I said, He who comes
after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me."
(v16) For of His fullness we have all received, and grace
upon grace. (v17) For the Law was given through Moses; grace
and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. |
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Why
is Jesus birth and life important?
John 3.16: (Jesus speaking) For God so loved the world,
that he gave his only (or unique, only one of a kind) begotten
Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have
eternal life. (v17) For God did not send the Son into the world
to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through
Him.
John 6.38: For I (Jesus) have come down
from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who
sent Me. (v39) And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that
of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up
on the last day. (v40) For this is the will of My Father, that
everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal
life; and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.
Why did Jesus come as a man?
Hebrews 2.14: Since then the children share in flesh and blood,
He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death
He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that
is, the devil; (v15) and might deliver those who through fear
of death were subject to slavery all their lives. (v16) For
assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help
to the descendant of Abraham. (v17) Therefore, he had to be
made like his brethren in all things, that He might become a
merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining
to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (con't) |
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(v18)
For since he Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered,
He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted. (Heb 3:1)
Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider
Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession. (v2) He
was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in
all His house.
John 10.10+ The thief comes only to steal,
and kill, and destroy; I (Jesus) came that they might have life,
and might have it abundantly.
Jesus was sent as God speaking to us; He was God's exact
representation of His nature.
Hebrews 1.1: God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in
the prophets in many portions and in many ways, (v2) in these
last days (or, at the end of these days) has spoken to us in
His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom
also He made the world (or, ages). (v3) And He is the radiance
of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and
upholds all things by the word of His power. When he had made
purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty
of high; v4 continues showing Jesus better than angels and on with the rest of the book.
AMEN |
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PS -
If you have been seeking meaning and purpose to human life,
we find it in a relationship with God. Jesus made access to
the Heavenly Father by his payment of sin by His death on
the cross. He wants us to have life, and that more abundantly;
He does set before us life and death, and then gives us the
answer &chose Life.
If you have never chosen life through Christ, you can do so
now. With this simple heartfelt prayer by faith, say, - God
in heaven, I belief that Jesus was Your Son sent to us, and
I thank You for Him. I receive Him as my personal Lord and
Savior and turn from my sins. Please lead and guide me, so
that I can do what's right.
If you used to know Him, but have slipped away, He is always
faithful & just and never leaves you nor forsakes you.
If you take a step toward Him, He takes a step towards you.
With a sincere heart, pray this: - Father God, in Jesus' Name,
please forgive me, I want to serve you anew. Please lead and
guide me, so that I can do what's right.
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When you are still hungry for more of God, and you have been reading
the Bible, the written word of God, and you have been speaking
and listening, praising and thanking God daily (prayer), and
you have found a place to fellowship (a good church), you
may be ready for close encounters of the God kind, the baptism
of the Holy Ghost and fire!
Italics added by DL for clarity, or in the scriptures,
by the translators when a word is implied, but not included,
for clarity. Words in red are words spoken by Jesus. - Scripture
quotations taken from the NASB."
From: www.lockman.org
These scriptures and comments are meant to encourage, comfort & edify - seekers & believers and to strenghten, inform, and proclaim. Let the precious Holy Spirit bear witness to your inner man.It is the story in (the) context of faith & belief in the Triune God.
Let His earthly birth inspire your New Birth!
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