by Jeffrey W. Hamilton<\/p>\n\t
I. The world, at this time of year, turns its attention to the birth of Jesus<\/p>\n
A. The secular world sees opportunity to profit<\/p>\n
B. The denominations moan about how their holiday is being secularized<\/p>\n
C. And the real problem is that almost no one is interested in the truth<\/p>\n
II. From the beginning of the world there were hints that a special child would be born<\/p>\n
A. From the time of man\u2019s fall – Genesis 3:15<\/p>\n
1. The fact that this child would be a seed of woman hints at a special birth<\/p>\n
B. Isaiah 7:14 – Born of a virgin (no man involved)<\/p>\n
1. But that child\u2019s name was \u201cGod with us\u201d<\/p>\n
C. He would descend from the lineage of David – Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15<\/p>\n
D. This ruler would be born in Bethlehem – Micah 5:2<\/p>\n E. An obscure prophesy announced that children would be slaughtered – Jeremiah\n31:15\n F. Most of the prophesies that we just read were written over 500 years before the\nbirth of Jesus. \n
1. Some are much older.<\/p>\n 2. We have copies of these books that date 200 years before the birth of\nJesus.\n G. The birth of Jesus is a significant event. But the problem is that man is unable to\nleave a good story alone. Over the years it has been embellished to the point that\nthe truth is lost in the myths that surround the events.\n
III. The events<\/p>\n
A. Gabriel announces the selection of Mary – Luke 1:26-38<\/p>\n
1. David was promised a permanent kingdom – II Samuel 7:11-16<\/p>\n
2. It was to be fulfilled in this special child – Isaiah 9:6-7<\/p>\n 3. The name of the child, Jesus, is a form of the name Joshua. It means\n\u201cSavior.\u201d It was not unique to this child, but it had a unique meaning in\nregards to what this child would accomplish in his life.\n
B. Mary goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth – Luke 1:39-45<\/p>\n
1. Elizabeth is six months pregnant in her old age with John<\/p>\n
2. The visit lasted three months – Luke 1:56<\/p>\n
a. This makes it unlikely that Joseph could be the father<\/p>\n b. Nor, while in the home of her cousin could the father be any other\nman.\n C. A three months, the pregnancy shows. After return home to Nazareth, Joseph is\nupset that his wife-to-be is pregnant – Matthew 1:18-25\n
1. Instead of quietly divorcing her, he marries her<\/p>\n
D. A decree for a census went out – Luke 2:1-5<\/p>\n 1. The requirement that enrollment for the census had to take place in a\nperson\u2019s ancestral home must have caused quite a disturbance across the\nempire. Everyone would be traveling\n 2. It would not have been a great time for Mary to travel as she was near the\nend of her pregnancy.\n E. The inn was full in Bethlehem, so the couple stayed in the stable and there the son\nof God was born in the lowest of conditions – Luke 2:6-7\n
F. The birth is announced to shepherds – Luke 2:8-20<\/p>\n 1. The fact that the shepherds were spending the nights in the fields with\ntheir sheep tells us that Jesus\u2019 birth occurred during the warm months in\nIsrael.\n
2. No one knows when Jesus was born, but December is very unlikely.<\/p>\n 3. By the way, shepherds are devoted to their flock. It would take a\nsignificant event to get them to leave them as possible prey.\n
4. Notice that the towns folk were impressed by the shepherd\u2019s story.<\/p>\n
G. Circumcision and naming – Luke 2:21<\/p>\n
H. Presentation at the temple – Luke 2:22-24<\/p>\n
1. This would occur when Jesus was 40 days old – Leviticus 12:2-4<\/p>\n
2. Two offerings were required – Leviticus 12:6<\/p>\n
3. If the couple was poor, a substitution was allowed – Leviticus 12:8<\/p>\n
I. Simeon\u2019s testimony – Luke 2:25-35<\/p>\n
1. Simeon\u2019s testimony was witnessed by Anna – Luke 2:36-38<\/p>\n
2. She made sure others knew that salvation had come<\/p>\n
J. The wise men\u2019s testimony – Matthew 2:1-12<\/p>\n
1. Here the myth\u2019s abound<\/p>\n
2. The number of men are not stated, only that three types of gifts were given<\/p>\n a. Yet men have numbered them as three, made up names for them\nand even have written stories about their background.\n 3. The star they saw was not in the east, but the men were in the east when\nthey saw the star and they followed it to the west\n a. Notice too that the star was not a natural event. They followed it\nfrom the east to the west, but after leaving Jerusalem, they\nfollowed it to Bethlehem, which is due south. This star moved\n b. Stars are overhead, but you don\u2019t see a star directly over a single\nhome. If I picked a star straight above this building, and then when\nover to downtown Omaha, it would still look like it was straight\nup.\n
c. Only the wise men noticed the star.<\/p>\n 4. It did not happen shortly after Jesus birth because by then Joseph and Mary\nwere living in a house. Since their residence changed, it probably occurred\nafter their return from the presentation in Jerusalem.\n 5. The star they saw did not shine over the manger, but over the house where\nJesus lived.\n
K. Flight into Egypt – Matthew 2:13-18<\/p>\n 1. Notice that based on the time the wise men told Herod, Herod ordered all\nmale children two years and younger to be killed. Assuming that Herod\nwanted a margin of safety, we can assume Jesus was about a year old at\nthe time of the wise men\u2019s visit.\n a. Note that Herod\u2019s action showed that he believed the wise men\u2019s\nreport\n b. Notice too that Herod consulted the Scriptures to locate the town of\nnew king\u2019s birth.\n c. Note as well, that Herod\u2019s belief was firm enough to risk the\npossible revolt that his action might have caused.\n 2. From history, we know that Herod was basically insane during his later\nyears. He killed many of his own children and near relatives in fear that\nsome would attempt to overthrow him. Nearing death, he ordered many\nprominent Jews into jail with orders that when he died, they were to be\nexecuted so there would be no rejoicing when Herod died.\n 3. Herod\u2019s rule is dated between 37 to 4 B.C. Hence, Jesus was born\nsometime before 4 B.C., probably between 7 and 5 B.C.\n 4. The gifts of the wise men would have financed the family\u2019s flight and life\nin Egypt during this time.\n
L. Return from Egypt – Matthew 2:19-23<\/p>\n
IV. Think about the interleaving testimony presented<\/p>\n
A. Could Joseph have fathered the child and was just covering up his sin?<\/p>\n
1. Mary wasn\u2019t present.<\/p>\n
2. It doesn\u2019t explain the other events<\/p>\n 3. Why did Joseph consider divorcing Mary? Obviously he didn\u2019t believe he\nwas the father of the child.\n
B. Why would shepherds abandon their sheep in the night to go into town?<\/p>\n
1. The explanation of seeing angels does explain the action.<\/p>\n C. The prophecies by Elizabeth who knew before Mary showed, Simeon who\nhappened to met the couple, and Anna who was a known prophetess of God.\n
D. The actions of the wise men and Herod<\/p>\n
E. All show that this was not mere happen chance, but fulfillment of prophecy<\/p>\nV. Yet, as we continue through the New Testament, all emphasis is placed on the death of\nJesus.\n
A. The birth was significant, else the death could not take place<\/p>\n
B. The birth showed God\u2019s hand in the history of man<\/p>\n
C. The birth showed that Jesus was not an ordinary man<\/p>\n
D. Yet, nowhere are Christians asked to celebrate Jesus\u2019 birth<\/p>\n
1. The date is not mentioned, so when are we to do it?<\/p>\n
2. How are we to keep this so-called religious holiday?<\/p>\n
E. The Lord\u2019s Supper was instituted to remember Jesus\u2019 death<\/p>\n
1. We are told when to keep it.<\/p>\n
2. We are told how to keep it.<\/p>\n
3. We are told why we must keep it.<\/p>\n F. Christmas is nothing more than a man-made holiday filled with man-made\ntraditions and man-made myths.\n
1. Like many myths it originates in fact, but the facts are quickly left behind.<\/p>\n
2. The holiday pulls us away from the true meaning of Jesus\u2019 birth<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. The world, at this time of year, turns its attention to the birth of Jesus A. The secular world sees opportunity to profit B. The denominations moan about how their holiday is being secularized C. And the real problem is that almost no one is interested in the truth II. From the beginning of the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[73],"class_list":["post-38175","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermon","tag-jesus"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":64320,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-birth-of-jesus\/","url_meta":{"origin":38175,"position":0},"title":"The Birth of Jesus","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 1, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doy Moyer Talking about the birth of Jesus Christ is needed at any time of year, but it seems especially fitting to do so when people are thinking in that direction. If we are not careful, we may too easily dismiss an opportunity to speak about one of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":88349,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/remembering-jesus-daily\/","url_meta":{"origin":38175,"position":1},"title":"Remembering Jesus Daily","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 2, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Richard Thetford Those of us who understand the authority of the Bible and are guided by it, because we respect what God has said to us, realize that Christians do not celebrate December 25th as the birth date of Christ. The apostle Paul wrote to the Colossian brethren and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":64504,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/matthew-and-the-birth-of-jesus\/","url_meta":{"origin":38175,"position":2},"title":"Matthew and the Birth of Jesus","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 9, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doy Moyer Matthew describes the birth of Jesus succinctly and factually: \"Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way\" (Matthew 1:18). This is after he has spent time on the genealogy of Jesus, showing that He is the rightful King descended through the line of David.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":65055,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/before-jesus-was-born\/","url_meta":{"origin":38175,"position":3},"title":"Before Jesus Was Born","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 26, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doy Moyer The Gospels of Matthew and Luke both speak to various details concerning the birth of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Mark says nothing about these details but rather jumps right into the work of John and then immediately to the baptism, temptations, and beginning of Jesus' public\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":58179,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/mormonism-and-the-virgin-birth-of-christ\/","url_meta":{"origin":38175,"position":4},"title":"Mormonism and the Virgin Birth of Christ","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 20, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"by Connie W. Adams via\u00a0Guardian of Truth\u00a0XXXIX: 5 p. 3-4, March 2, 1995 \"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 Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":90534,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/six-great-truths-about-jesus-christ\/","url_meta":{"origin":38175,"position":5},"title":"Six Great Truths About Jesus Christ","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 16, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by David Gibson Distilled truth \"By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up to glory\" (I Timothy 3:16 NASB). This passage is a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38175","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38175"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38175\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38175"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38175"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38175"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}