Birth of Christ

Hello everyone!

This weeks assignment that I picked the first part was reading Matthew 1:18-25 which talks about Mary’s espousal to Joseph.

I did not really understand what espousal meant because it also said that Mary was Joseph’s wife. I guess that during that time period Mary was “virtually regarded as the wife of Joseph.” They were not yet married but they were promised and that has some strict terms. When Joseph found out that Mary was with child and there was no way, because of the strict terms of being espoused, that the child was Joseph’s he had two options. The harsher of the two options was to make Mary go to a public trial, which during that time most likely would have resulted in death or he could in a private manner sever the espousal contract with a few witnesses instead of many.

Joseph was a kind man who decided that he would take the lesser of the two options so that Mary would not be humiliated. He loved her and would not let her suffer unnecessarily no matter how much he would suffer.

It was not till after Joseph decided what he was going to do that an angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream and told him,

“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 shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20-21)

After he woke up from his dream he did exactly as the angel told him and he “took unto him his wife.”(Matthew 1:24)

In the Institute Manual it says,

“It may be that the Lord designed such an experience to test Joseph, and if that be the case, Joseph proved faithful. After Joseph had made his decision, then the angel visited him and directed that he should proceed and take Mary as his wife.”

I agree with the manual in saying that if it were a test, Joseph passed with flying colors. He loved Mary and didn’t want her to suffer any and in my opinion I have always imagined after the angel told him about what Mary’s purpose was and to take her as his wife he was relieved and happy to be able to be with Mary.

Two other times in chapter 2 Joseph was directed in what he should do. He was directed to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt to protect Jesus from being killed by Herod and then once Herod died they were directed to go to Israel instead of Judea because the child’s life was still in danger. I believe that Joseph had faith and followed the prompting of the Holy Ghost when otherwise he may not have known what he should do. I believe that after the first time he acted upon what he was told he learned that he should keep his heart open and follow other promptings when he gets them.

Joseph is the perfect example of an earthly father because he loved his wife enough to go through what they must have been treated like because he was with child and he still married her. Also he is a great father because he was open to the spirit, especially when it came to protecting Jesus. I can’t be a dad like him but I can be like him in not caring what others think of my future and I, also just loving them for who they are, no matter what. I can also be like Joseph and be open to the Spirit because I don’t know what could happen but God does and He will help me to protect my family the best that I can.

The next part of the assignment moved to Luke chapter 1.

In verse 28 an angel comes to Mary and describes her as “highly favoured” and blessed among women.

In verses 26-56 there are many qualities describing Mary and why she is “favoured” by God.

Some of them are:

*      *Blessed among women

*      *She was to be the one to bring Jesus into the world

*      *Handmaid of the Lord

*      *Elisabeth calls her blessed among women

*      *She was thankful of God

*      *The generations to come with call her blessed

I think that one of the traits that Mary had that I would like to be better at is being thankful for what God has given me. Over the years I have had blessings come into my life that I am truly grateful for but sometimes I think I forget to thank God for those blessings. I don’t always realize the blessings I am getting on a day-to-day basis but if I were to stop for a few moments every day and look at what has happened I will see the simple but great blessings that I have received and I should thank Heavenly Father for them and show my appreciation more. I think that if I were to do this more that God would give me more blessings because he sees that my heart is open to them and I am willing to be humble enough to thank God for giving them to me.

Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-28 contain the genealogies of Christ. Matthew’s version of the connection from Jesus to King David may not have taken the father to son line that we see in Luke’s version. The institute manual explained that the reason why Matthew’s was like that was because it followed the king’s line down and during that time it was not always father to first-born son but sometimes to “grandson, a great-grandson, or even a nephew or other relative of the reigning monarch.” Either way Jesus got the blood of David and the right to David’s throne through Mary and Joseph as well since the two happened to be cousins.

In John 10:17-18, Christ tells us,

“Therefore, doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.”

In the Institute manual it tells us that

“That Child to be born of Mary was begotten of Elohim, the Eternal Father, not in violation of natural law but in accordance with a higher manifestation thereof; and, the offspring from that association of supreme sanctity, celestial Sireship, and pure though mortal maternity, was of right to be called the ‘Son of the Highest.’ In His nature would be combined the powers of Godhood with the capacity and possibilities of mortality; and this through the ordinary operation of the fundamental law of heredity declared of God, demonstrated by science, and admitted by philosophy, that living beings shall propagate—after their kind. The Child Jesus was to inherit the physical, mental and spiritual traits, tendencies, and powers that characterized His parents—one immortal and glorified—God, the other human—woman.”

It was important that Jesus be born of an immortal father and a mortal mother because he would then have the choice whether he would die for us or not. Just like every other person that comes to this earth we have our agency to use and because Christ had the ability to live or to die and have the powers that God has he was given his agency to choose for himself.

Luke chapter 2 verses 1-16 tells about the birth of Christ and for this part of the assignment I have 6 questions coving what I believe to be the most important details of Christ’s birth. Try to answer them for yourselves and then in parentheses after the question I will give the answer and where you can find it in those verses.

Question 1:

            When Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem where did they stay?

            (They stayed in one of the mangers because there was no room in the inn because everyone had come there to be taxed just like the two of them. Verse 7)

Question 2:

            Where was the Savior was born?

            (He was born in a manger surrounded by the animals. Verse 7)

Question 3:

What is the significance behind where the Savior was born? (This question leans more towards personal opinion)

(He was born just like everyone else who comes to this earth and like us he has to start out low and work his way up. I also believe that it shows that in the end only those who truly believe him will surround him when he dies because when he is born the animals, his mom and dad, and then shepherds surround him.)

Question 4:

            In what city was Jesus born?

            (City of David, which is called Bethlehem. Verse 4)

Question 5:

Why is it significant that he was born in Bethlehem?

(Both Mary and Joseph were of the house and lineage of David (verse 4) and Jesus is supposed to be a descendant of King David.)

Question 6:

            Why does the angel tell the shepherds, “Fear not, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people,” and not just say, “Christ, the Savior, has been born”? (This is mostly an opinion question as well.)

            (The shepherds were afraid. Verse 9. He told them to not be afraid but that the reason why he is there is to give them joy and happiness. I think the reason why he said this instead of something else was because it calms them down first before he tells them what the tidings were.)

For the last part of the assignment I am supposed to come up with 5 phrases that would be great for talks at Christmas time from Luke 2:1-16.

Please feel free to share any that you have come up with as well!

1.     Tidings of great joy

2.     Let us now go

3.     First-born laid in a manger

4.     Good will toward men

5.     Come with Haste unto Christ

If you learned anything from what I shared or feel like you should add something please leave a comment so that we can learn more from each other! Have a wonderful day!

-Stacy