This Article: (3 Pages)
1) The Virgin Birth
The second section of the Bible starts with four quite similar Books, named Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They are each named after their respective authors, and are historical accounts of the life of Jesus - the figurehead of Christianity. As they each record events from the same time period, there is a lot of overlap between the different books, and many incidents are recorded in each, with a different perspective each time.
As the standard Gregorian calendar is based on the estimated year of birth of Jesus, these incidents occurred around 1AD, although there is generally considered an uncertainty of about 5 years in the calendar. At that time, the region of Israel was under the control of the Roman Empire.
Jesus was marked out as someone special from the circumstances around his birth. At this time, the people of Israel were waiting for their “messiah” or saviour to appear - a person would be the great promised king to regain Israel's status of the former years. The incidents around Jesus' birth were indicating that he was to be this messiah.
The start of the record of Matthew is a genealogy showing the ancestors of Jesus. He was not only a descendant of Abraham, as were the rest of the Jewish people, but also a descendant of the kings of the old Israel, including David. That emphasises the connection between the Israel of the Old Testament, and the Christianity of the New Testament.
Following the genealogy, the circumstances of Jesus' birth are described,
Matthew 1
Matthew 1:18: Now the birth of Jesus Christ was like this; for after his mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, intended to put her away secretly. 20 But when he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, don't be afraid to take to yourself Mary, your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 She shall bring forth a son. You shall call his name Jesus, for it is he who shall save his people from their sins."
22 Now all this has happened, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying,
23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, And shall bring forth a son. They shall call his name Immanuel;" Which is, being interpreted, "God with us."
24 Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took his wife to himself; 25 and didn't know her sexually until she had brought forth her firstborn son. He named him Jesus. WEB
This section includes a quotation of a passage that had been written down many years earlier in the Old Testament book of Isaiah, “Behold, the virgin...”. This shows that the prophet at that time had been given a message from God about this event that was still 600 years in the future from the time of Isaiah's writing, and telling of a significant event.
This whole incident involves things happening the we don't normally see. It is about a power from God that can give people special and significant dreams, and to cause a virgin to become pregnant.
2) Jesus' Early Life
The second chapter of Matthew continues on to look at what happened after Jesus was born. Right from the early age, strange events occurred around him, including special attention from distant spiritual men and the Roman appointed governor of the area.
Matthew 2
Matthew 2:1: Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, 2 "Where is he who is born King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and have come to worship him." 3 When Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Christ would be born. 5 They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written through the prophet,
6 `You Bethlehem, land of Judah, Are in no way least among the princes of Judah: For out of you shall come forth a governor, Who shall shepherd my people, Israel.'"
7 Then Herod secretly called the wise men, and learned from them exactly what time the star appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem, and said, "Go and search diligently for the young child. When you have found him, bring me word, so that I also may come and worship him."
9 They, having heard the king, went their way; and behold, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, until it came and stood over where the young child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 They came into the house and saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Opening their treasures, they offered to him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 Being warned in a dream that they shouldn't return to Herod, they went back to their own country another way. WEB
This is the start of Jesus receiving the label of “King of the Jews”. Many people gave him that status, though at that time he never directly stood up to try and become the national leader. The term came partly from the people who understood Jesus to be the promised Messiah from God, the one to follow on from the great King David of many years earlier - someone to release the Jewish people from the government of the Romans and re-elevate the national position again.
3) Baptism of Jesus
Very little is recorded of the early life of Jesus, apart from a couple of short anecdotes. The Bible remains largely silent on the bulk of his first 30 years of life. The vast majority of the writing records the age range of 30 to 33 years of age.
At the start of this period, he is baptised by a man named “John the Baptist”. Baptism is an act where a person is submersed under water and comes back up again. It was used as a symbol of repenting and starting new again.
Matthew 3
Matthew 3:1: In those days, John the Baptizer came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2 "Repent , for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!" 3 For this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ready the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight."
4 Now John himself wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then people from Jerusalem, all of Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him. 6 They were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, "You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bring forth fruit worthy of repentance! 9 Don't think to yourselves, `We have Abraham for our father,' for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
10 "Even now the axe lies at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn't bring forth good fruit is cut down, and cast into the fire. 11 I indeed baptize you in water for repentance, but he who comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor. He will gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire."
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 But John would have hindered him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and you come to me?"
15 But Jesus, answering, said to him, "Allow it now, for this is the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed him. 16 Jesus, when he was baptized, went up directly from the water: and behold, the heavens were opened to him. He saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming on him. 17 Behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." WEB
In this chapter, people known as the “Pharisees” and the “Saducees” were introduced, and they continued to play a part through the ongoing chapters. The represented the Jewish leaders, particularly in relation to the Jewish law.
The Law of Moses and related laws had been maintained over the centuries, and the leaders had even added to it over the years. It had drifted away from the original intent of God, but had also become something closely tied to the Jewish identity. Over the following three years, Jesus was to repeatedly come into conflict with the Pharisees and Saducees over what the right way was to serve God.
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