The Birth of Jesus #76

The birth of Jesus is the event celebrated at Christmas: the birth of Mary’s son in Bethlehem, believed by Christians to be the Messiah and the Son of God. It is described in Luke 2 and Matthew 1 and 2, and it is the starting point of the Gospel story.

Biblical Account

Luke sets the scene with a census decreed by Caesar Augustus, which required each person to register in his own town. Joseph, who was of the house and family of David, traveled from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea, taking Mary, who was expecting a child (Luke 2:1-5). While they were there, she gave birth to her firstborn son, wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the guest room (Luke 2:6-7). The Greek word usually translated as inn can also mean a guest room in a private house, and readers differ on the precise setting.

That night an angel of the Lord appeared to shepherds keeping watch over their flocks in the fields nearby, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. The angel told them not to be afraid and announced good news of great joy for all people: a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, had been born in the city of David. The sign was a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. A great company of the heavenly host then appeared, praising God and speaking of peace (Luke 2:8-14). The shepherds went to Bethlehem, found Mary, Joseph, and the baby, spread the word about what they had been told, and returned glorifying God (Luke 2:15-20). Matthew, from Joseph’s viewpoint, notes simply that Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod (Matthew 1:18-2:1).

Theological Significance

The accounts stress the ordinariness and humility of the setting alongside the greatness of the announcement. The Savior is born to a poor family, in an occupied province, and the first to hear are shepherds, who were of low social standing. Matthew and Luke both present the birth in Bethlehem as the fulfillment of the prophecy that a ruler would come from that town (Micah 5:2), in the city of David.

Christians understand the birth as the incarnation, the moment when God the Son entered human history as a man. The Gospels do not give a date. Herod died in 4 BC by most reckonings, so the birth is usually placed a few years before that. The date of December 25 became customary in the church only in the fourth century, and Luke’s mention of Quirinius as governor of Syria has prompted much scholarly discussion about how it fits with other records.