Lesson
#2
The Old Testament:
He hath said, which heard the
words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, [which] saw the vision of
the Almighty, falling [into a trance], but having his eyes open: I shall see him, but not now: I shall
behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter
shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy
all the children of Sheth. And Edom
shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and
Israel shall do valiantly. (Num
24:16-18)
And he said, Hear you now, O
house of David; [Is it] a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary
my God also? Therefore the Lord
himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and shall call his name Immanuel.
Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and
choose the good. (Isa 7:13-15)
For every battle of the warrior
[is] with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but [this] shall be
with burning [and] fuel of fire. For
unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be
upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The
mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of [his] government and
peace [there shall be] no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom,
to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth
even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it
hath lighted upon Israel. (Isa 9:5-8)
Now gather thyself in troops, O
daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge
of Israel with a rod upon the cheek. But thou, Bethlehem Ephrata, [though] thou be little among the
thousands of Judah, [yet] out of thee shall he come forth unto me [that is] to
be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth [have been] from of old, from
everlasting. Therefore will he give
them up, until the time [that] she which travailed hath brought forth: then the
remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. (Mic 5:1-3)
The Gospel A:
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just [man], and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privately. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shall call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS. Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard [these things], he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, [in] the land of Judah, art not the least among the princes of Judah: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had privately called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when you have found [him], bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men. (Mat 1:18-25; 2:1-16)
The Gospel B:
And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a
city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a
virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the
virgin's name [was] Mary. And the angel
came in unto her, and said, Hail, [thou that art] highly favored, the Lord [is]
with thee: blessed [art] thou among women.
And when she saw [him], she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her
mind what manner of salutation this should be.
And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor
with God. And, behold, thou shall
conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name
JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be
called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne
of his father David: And he shall reign
over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no
end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How
shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon
thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that
holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath
also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who
was called barren. For with God nothing
shall be impossible. And Mary said,
Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the
angel departed from her. (Luke 1:26-38)
Description of the Nativity Window
· Top Icon: The Christmas Star.
· Main Window: Joseph, wearing a yarmulke and purple robe holds a lamp for the family. Mary, sitting in blue, holds the Christ child. Baby Jesus is in white swaddling clothes. All three have halos. Sheep at Mary’s feet looking at Jesus. Wheat behind Mary’s lap – perhaps the manger. Barn with cross in rafters. Stars in the night sky.
· Bottom Icon: Corner Stone - a sure foundation.
Later in Jesus’ life, he would say, Did you never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes? (Mat 21:42). This quote was the punch line to a rather strident parable (Mat 21:33-46) aimed squarely at the religious leaders of the day. Jesus had told them of a vineyard owner who had lent it out to what turned out to be bad tenants. Every time the owner sent messengers for his share of the produce, the tenants killed them. Finally, the owner decided to send his own son figuring that these guys certainly wouldn’t kill his own son. The tenants saw it as an opportunity to kill the heir and thus seize the property as an inheritance.
At this, he asked the religious leaders what should be done to those despicable tenants. They replied that the tenants should miserably be destroyed and other tenants should be found. To this, Jesus says the above quote. His question about reading in the scriptures refers to: The stone [which] the builders refused is become the head [stone] of the corner (Psa 118:22) and Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner [stone], a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste (Isa 28:16).
These guys were not brainless and were certainly well versed in the scriptures. They perceived that he spoke of them (vs. 45) – OUCH!! If we ever hear Jesus speaking directly, I’m sure we would all prefer to hear, come you blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world (Mat 25:34).
One of my most memorable spiritual moments in my life was in college while riding on a bus where I noticed a bumper sticker on a passing car. It simply said, MY BOSS WAS A JEWISH CARPENTER. The reason this was so meaningful is that it gave a foundation to my budding Christian faith. I had always known Jesus was Jewish. I started to explore this idea and came to understand the power of the Christmas story and its relationship to the arrival of the Jewish Messiah. Often times, western Christianity’s Christmas is Santa Claus worshipping at a Nativity scene. While I have no direct qualm with this, the real event must have been something to behold.
In the Nativity Window, Joseph wears a yarmulke. He is also dressed in purple – the color of royalty. He is holding a light, which if you think about it, would seem unnecessary considering the bright star in the sky. To me, this also represents the Jewish view of a father educating his son [perhaps stepson in this case] in the scriptures. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path (Psa 119:105).
Notice that Joseph also sports a halo. We are used to the idea of Mary being holy, but some think Jesus’ relationship with Joseph was strained at best. We’ll explore this idea a bit more in the Temple Window in the next chapter. Suffice it to say, God not only chose Mary to be Jesus’ mother, but Joseph to be his earthly father. What an honor! It is hard for me to imagine that Joseph was some kind of rogue of any manner. After all, he could have had Mary stoned for this virgin birth thing. In contrast he, at the urging of God, did not do so and would have had to shield her from the legalists of the day.
Mary sits in blue holding the Christ child. In much of the historic art of Mary, she wears blue. Also, there is often a star shinning in the fabric somewhere. In our window, no such star exists on her clothing. To the artists of old, this gave Mary the connection of being the Queen of Heaven. Obviously, she has a halo. While we Methodists are not too prone to the Catholic idea of a “sinless Mary,” we have no trouble believing the best of her.
Jesus is in white representing purity. I’m also glad to see that he is awake. In much of the art dealing with the Nativity, everything is peaceful and serene with a sleeping baby. After all, isn’t that what the words to Silent Night describe? If you pay attention to the texts above, it is hard to imagine it being quiet. Consider heavenly choirs of angels telling shepherds to come visit. Also, that bright star must have been hard to sleep through. And what about the barn with all of the animals probably unsettled by the light and visitors. I have three kids and I was always ready to physically harm someone who awakened one of my sleeping children. I do wonder how Mary felt about this!
At Mary’s feet a little lamb looks at the child. Based on the previous lesson about the sacrifices of sheep, I have to wonder if the sheep itself was thankful for the sacrifice of Jesus too. After all, Jesus’ death on the cross did a lot to end the pain and suffering of sheep too.
Because the basics of the Christmas story are so well known, I have often resorted to unusual ways of exploring the more esoteric aspects of it. Several years ago, I set the Christmas Story to music in a small opera called The Star Child. My text was based on a false gospel called The Archko Volume by W. D. Mahan. In it, he created a magnificent story of the Nativity as Jonathan, a scholar from the Jewish Sanhedrim, is sent to interview Melker – the local rabbi of Bethlehem – to discover the truth about recent events. What follows is the libretto. Click me to download an MP3 or me to download a WAV file to listen to this segment.
Melker
Jonathan
Sent to chronicle events in
Bethlehem.
Tell me all that happened that
night.
Melker
The local shepherds had made fires.
Some were asleep and dreamy,
But were awakened by the shouts!
Shepherd 1
Shepherd 2
Shepherd 3
Shepherd 4
No... it is just past the third watch.
Melker
Angels
Glory to the most high God!
Glory to the most high God!
Happy art thou Bethlehem,
For in thy chambers is born the king of righteousness.
For God did promise to the fathers
To send a king that shall rule in holiness.
Glory to the most high God!
Melker
And then it would rise up high in the heavens.
It rolled along the feet of the mountains
And died in a soft and musical fashion,
And would reappear high –
Angels
Glory to the most high God!
Melker
-
in the heavens and descended in sweet –
Angels
Glory to the most high God!
Melker
-
melodious strains.
The shepherds,
They could not help but weep and shout at the same time.
Shepherd 3
Shepherd 2
Shepherd 1
Melker
Making everything brighter than the pure light of day.
Jonathan
Melker
At first all of us were.
But soon our spirits calmed.
Our hearts were filled with love and peace.
Jonathan
Melker
Seemingly forever.
The people came from all around.
Some were scared and some were strong.
With joy I spoke to the crowd.
They came to hear the angel’s song.
Angels
Glory to the most high God!
Melker
Angels
Glory to the most high God!
Melker
If Israel was faithful,
A savior would be sent to redeem them from their sin
And would give eternal life.
Jonathan
No more hunger, no more thirsting.
Melker and Jonathan
Balaam’s star would be the sign with angel’s song.
The people would rejoice!
All
Glory to the most high God!
Jonathan
Holy masters of Israel.
This is the truth of events in Bethlehem.
Sanhedrim
Well done Jonathan, son of Heziel.
We of the Sanhedrim would ask some more questions
So with your permission –
What of the child and what of his family.
Jonathan
Where shouts and lights seared the calm of night
Where angels herald this Israelite.
I’m certain there’s never been such to duplicate
Events attending another’s birth date.
All of Bethlehem saw these portents
Including the Roman magistrate.
Thus the family is safe from violence
Threatened by almighty Herod the great.
Sanhedrim
What of almighty Herod the great?
Jonathan
Herod of course wanted my report.
To him a problem he might abort.
He said if God existed as we Jews profess,
He, Rome and Caesar were powerless.
He said if this star child declared by the angels
Drowned Pharaoh’s army in the sea.
He would pursue a different course and not take such a gamble
He is Herod and he rules unerringly.
Sanhedrim
Why this particular time in our history?
Jonathan
Melker did quote from the Holy scrolls
This is the time to redeem lost souls.
Ezekiel’s wheels plainly show through their revolution
All humans given absolution.
If he’s not the Jewish king how can we seek another
For he has fulfilled the prophecy.
If he does not deliver Israel from her oppressors,
I despair of ever being released.
Jonathan and Melker
All the Romans in the world can do this child no harm
And though Herod rage and kill all the infants of creation
The archangels at Bethlehem will guard him through his life.
The Romans will join Pharaoh in defeat
If they war with our God and our nation!
All
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May God’s face shine upon thee.
Sanhedrim
Praised be thou oh Lord our God.
Whom alone we serve in reverence.
It seems clear to me that that night was anything but silent. A friend of mine wrote a rock and roll version of Silent Night where the accompaniment is rather loud, busy and even harsh. Mary, however, sings the traditional words in a soft floating melody that is calm and serene hovering over the chaos of the moment.
The arrival of the wise men probably happened within a year or two after Jesus birth. The logic for this is due to the time frame given Herod regarding the length of time the star had been in the heavens. Text. Herod, along with all of Jerusalem, was troubled by these events.
In Catholic theology, there are three wise men – Casper, Melkior and Bealzor. The logic for this number is based on the three gifts. In some theologies, these guys were kings. However, many believe these guys were scholars from Bethlehem representing the far larger population of Jews in Babylon. The logic for this is largely based on their knowledge of messianic scriptures.
This brings us to what led them there in the first place – the star. If it were simply a comet or a meteor, it wouldn’t have lasted two years. On the other hand, if it were a super nova, which can last for quite a while, certainly other references to it would be found in history dating from around 6bc. As far as I know, no such records exist. Some think it was a simple astrological event such as a bright Venus for a few years. Others even think it was not a star at all, but an Angel who led them from Babylon. After all, the shepherds described bursting lights but no stars – only angels! Makes you go huummmm, doesn’t it?
Summary
Regardless of what led the shepherds and the wise men to Jesus, the truth is embodied in another popular bumper sticker – Wise Men Still Seek Him. The end of Jesus’ physical life on a cross started with the physical birth of a little baby. Even over his head in the manger is a cross in the ceiling. I’ve heard it preached in the Bluff Park sanctuary that the shadow of the cross not only goes backward to the events that made it all possible, but even shines on us today beckoning us to realize the ancient promises to Israel long ago.
If Israel was faithful,
A savior would be sent to redeem them from their sin
And would give eternal life.
In honor and memory of our grandparents by John, Debi, Jeff and Meredith Whitcomb
