I WAS ASKED TO BRING THE GOSPELS INTO EASY ENGLISH FOR CHILDREN TO READ— Keith Hunt
Chapter Three:
An Angel Comes to Joseph
Mary was engaged to be married to a man called Joseph, who was from the descent of the famous king David we can read about in the Old Testament. As we read the account in the Gospel of Matthew chapter one, it also says that Joseph was Mary's "husband" and Mary was his "wife" but also that Mary was engaged to Joseph, which means to us in the western world that she was not yet Joseph's wife, only engaged or promised to him as to be his wife one day. This all seems contradictory and hard to understand. The truth of the matter all comes clear when we understand the laws and customs of marriage in the Jewish society of Joseph's and Mary's day. The marriage customs of those days in Jewish life were very different from our customs today. When a couple were engaged or promised in marriage to each other, unlike our custom, they were not only looked upon as married (but not yet performing a wedding day ceremony and living together in the same house and sleeping together in the same bed), but if the man should die before they came together on the wedding day and started to live together after that day, then the woman was looked upon and even called a "widow." The engagement of two people back in those days among the Jews was a lawful marriage. If the man for some reason wanted to break the engagement and not have a wedding day and not want to live with the woman, he was obliged to have to give her an official divorce, written on paper. So, under Jewish law in those times, an engaged couple were also officially and legally looked upon as "husband" and "wife" to each other. It was often many months later that the actual wedding day occurred, which was often not just a day but a week (seven days in length) of celebrations. Although they were legally husband and wife during the engagement period, the man and woman did not come together to sleep in the same bed and live in the same house, until the wedding day. This may all seem very odd to us today, but that was the way couples were married back then in the Jewish society of those days. With that background we can now understand the words of Matthew when he wrote: " ....Mary had been betrothed (or engaged) to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child (pregnant, carrying a baby inside her) of the Holy Spirit (Joseph had no idea it was a miracle from God, but thought Mary had slept with another man, and was pregnant from him). And her husband Joseph, (being kind and merciful) a righteous man, was unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly (Mat.1:18-19). It was also within the laws of the Jews that if a woman was unfaithful to her husband, she could be publicly announced as breaking the 7th of the great Ten Commandments of the Lord, as found in Exodus 20. Under the Old Covenant such a woman could be put to death by stoning. All of that would certainly have "put her to shame." It was also a point of the old laws of Moses under the Old Testament, to be merciful at times. Many forgot that part of the writings of the Old Testament, but Joseph being a righteous and just man, a man who knew all the teachings of the Old Testament, had not forgotten those laws and precepts of showing kindness and mercy, and was determined to act with mercy towards Mary. He would divorce her with no public declaration and humiliating commotion or hullabaloo, but in a quiet and private way. As Joseph was thinking Mary was pregnant from another man, and considering he would then divorce her, an angel from the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said: "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife and have your wedding day and live with her, for that which is conceived in her womb is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus (meaning, to save) for He will save many of His people from their sins. All this is in fulfillment of what God has spoken through the prophets of old: 'Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and His name shall be called Immanuel'(which means, God with us) " (Matthew 1: 20-23). This prophecy is found in the book of Isaiah, chapter seven and verse fourteen. Joseph woke from his dream and knew that the Lord God had spoken the truth to him about the situation with Mary and her being with child, not from another human man but from God Himself. So with faith and confidence he did as the angel commanded and went ahead with the planned wedding day and living with Mary his wife. But until after the baby Jesus was born he did not sleep with Mary nor have sexual relations with her (Mat.1: 24,25). JESUS IS BORN AT BETHLEHEM In those days when Mary was carrying the baby Jesus, the Jews were under the domain and governing authority of the mighty Roman Empire and the great Caesar Augustus. He was the Emperor or what today might be called the President (if living in such a country as the United Stated of America). His first name was Octavianus. He was nephew of the very famous Julius Caesar of Roman Empire history. He obtained the rulership of the Empire after Julius' death. He took the name Augustus (meaning honorable or mighty) as a compliment to his own greatness in his eyes. And it is from him that we get our month in the Roman calendar called August, which before him was called Sextilis. He thought he was so great that a month in the Roman calendar should be named after himself. During the months Mary was pregnant, Caesar Augustus sent forth a commandment that all the Jews in Palestine should be enrolled. In some old translations of the English language of the New Testament, it is given as a commandment to be "taxed." To us today we think of "tax" as money given by the people of a nation to the government of that nation, so that government can use it to do certain things with, such as running the public school systems or paying the wages for the police or firemen. But in the original language of Greek that the New Testament was written in, that is not the meaning. It means rather, to "enroll" or to take a list of the citizens with their employment, the amount of their property, etc., equivalent or the same as to what we mean today by taking a "census" which most nations do from time to time. As most adults know, in a "census taking" the nation will often ask many questions, some get so personal that many people are offended by it all, and think the government is getting too nosey in people's lives and business affairs. Well, whatever else this enrollment was all about, Caesar Augustus demanded the male heads of households go to their original home city of their family tree line. Joseph then had to travel to Bethlehem, near Jerusalem, because he was from the family line of king David, who was from Bethlehem (1 Samuel 16). In talking about this enrollment, Luke, the author of the Gospel that bears his name, uses a phrase that we need to always keep and understand within its context. He says, "Caesar Augustus decreed that 'the whole world' should be enrolled." The clear fact is, as proven from historical sources, that of course people living in China, North or South America, people on the African continent, or in India, as well as many other parts of the whole earth at the time, did not come to Palestine, to be "enrolled." This was a decree and commandment for the Jews of Palestine only. Such a phrase as used by Luke, in a specific context use, really means "all the people of the land." The land being that of Palestine, or the Jews within the lands of the Roman empire. So all the male heads of household went to the town of their family descent to be counted and enrolled (Luke 2: 1-4). As we continue to read in the account by Luke, we see that Joseph took Mary with him from Nazareth in the area of Galilee, to Bethlehem near Jerusalem, not a short distance. Mary was in her ninth month of pregnancy, very close to giving birth to the child Jesus. There were no quick ways to travel in those days. No airplanes, no buses, or trains, or cars. Travel in those times on land, for people such as Joseph and Mary was either by foot or on donkey. Mary did not need to go with Joseph to be enrolled under Augustus' command. So why then did Joseph take Mary all that way to Bethlehem? The answer probably lies, as many have seen, in two main areas. The time of the year together with Jewish religious festival practices, and of course the will and prophecies that the Lord God had given in the Old Testament prophets about where the child Jesus would be born, in the town of Bethlehem (see Micah 5: 2). Going back to the first reason mentioned (Jewish religious festival practices), many Bible scholars and those who study Bible chronology (putting events into time frames of the year or years all events were within) have seen that Jesus was not born on December the twenty-fifth or even in the month of December. They have come to see that Jesus was born around the great Jewish feast of Tabernacles. They have come to see that it was certainly during the fall Festival days of the seventh month on the Jewish calendar (from about the time of the Feast of Trumpets to the end of the Feast of Tabernacles, see Leviticus 23) that Jesus was most likely born in Bethlehem. This would correspond to our September/October months on our Roman calendar we use in most of the western Christian world. This being the case, as most Bible scholars now admit, then it becomes clearer as to why Mary also went with Joseph to Bethlehem near Jerusalem for this enrollment. Bethlehem was less than a days walking distance from Jerusalem. Joseph and Mary would also observe the great fall Festivals on the Jewish calendar at the same time as Joseph would enroll in Bethlehem as decreed by Caesar Augustus. It was a long tiring journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem for both Joseph and Mary, but especially for Mary, yet they knew this was God's child Mary was carrying, and they had faith the Lord would protect and give them strength in this undertaking. Joseph was wanting to give Mary a nice restful room and bed in the local Inn or Hotel as we would call it today, with a soothing hot bath and some good food prepared and cooked by the Hotel staff. But, as it was the fall festival time, Jerusalem and the surrounding towns were overflowing with people from all parts of Palestine and even various far away places of the Roman empire where many Jews had settled, and who travelled to Jerusalem to observe the Feats of the Lord. There was no room for them in any of the Inns in Bethlehem. Desperate for any reasonable warm and dry place for Mary to rest, Joseph asked if there was anyone who could offer any place for them to stay. "I'm sorry I have no room for you in my home, " said one man, " My house is just jam packed with relatives, but....well I'm kind of embarrassed to say it....I do have a stable. I know a stable is a pretty poor substitute for a room in an Inn or home, especially when your wife is close to giving birth, yet, it is warm and dry. You are welcome to bed down there, if you cannot find a room in a house somewhere." "Thank you kindly," replied Joseph, "yes, we will take your offer as it seems there is no room anywhere in any Inn or home in Bethlehem. And my wife needs to lie down and rest even if it is on a bed of straw. The warmth and dryness with be appreciated." So with smiles and thankful hearts Joseph and Mary made their way to the strangers stable of hospitality. And while they were there the time came for Mary to give birth to the baby Jesus. This would be Mary's firstborn son as Luke recorded, for she and Joseph did have more children later on as they lived a normal life as husband and wife. Among the lowly stable animals, no relatives or friends of Joseph and Mary being there with them, the Son of God came into this world as a human being. It was no fancy home, or large richly decorated and furnished palace that Jesus was born in and breathed His first breath of air. It was in an animal stable where He was born, maybe dry and warm but an animal stable never the less. The Son of God, the King of kings, the one to rule and govern this whole earth one day, was born in a straw laden stable among a bunch of animals. Now that is a lesson in humbleness if there ever was one. And that is taking greatness and still being down to earth with it. Greatness does not have to be surrounded with pomp and material splendor. Greatness is what you are with God and how you serve Him and your fellow mankind. And as we shall see the baby Jesus grew up to be the greatest of any human in both of those areas of life, setting us the perfect example. There was no splendid hospital bed or crib for God's Son. Mary took Him and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, a blanket or whatever cloths she and Joseph had brought with them from Nazareth. And laid Him in a manger, the part of the stable where the hay and other foods for horses and donkeys are put for them to eat from. But the God of heaven was not about to let the birth of His Son go completely without notice and praise from at least a few. Oh, it was not going to be announced on worldwide TV or make headlines in every newspaper in all nations of the world. He was not going to send millions of angels flying around the earth to announce the birth of His Son to all peoples on earth, which He could have done. Yet He would send an angel to let a few people know about this miracle birth. AN ANGEL SENT TO NEARBY SHEPHERDS Yes, sent to shepherds, not to some wealthy, famous, or powerful people at all, but to common everyday shepherds watching over their flocks out in the field, as the Gospel of Luke records. They were still at this time of the year out in the fields, the flocks and the shepherds. This also proves the time of year was not December, for it is too cold in Palestine in December to still have the flocks of sheep out in the fields. The shepherds bring their flocks in from the fields before the month of December arrives. "Look, what on earth is that up there in the sky?" shouted one shepherd with excitement in his voice. "I see something also," exclaimed another shepherd, "but I must be going crazy. I have to be seeing things." "Oh, it is something very terrible I think, " added yet a third shepherd. "We are all going to die," a fourth shepherd chimed in with trembling in his voice. A magnificent and exceedingly bright light shone all around them. It was as if it was the sun shining in full strength on a cloudless day. Great fear came sweeping into their hearts as they all felt sure they had not long to live. " Fear not, " said the angel, " for, behold I bring you good news of wonderful joy, which shall be good for all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ (meaning in the Greek language "anointed") the Lord. And this shall be a sign for you; You shall find the babe wrapped in everyday blankets, lying in a stable manger." Suddenly, out of no where it seemed, the shepherds could see that there appeared with the angel a multitude of heavenly hosts, praising God, and saying, " Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is well pleased." God the Father took note of the day of His Son's birth. To Him it was a very blessed day, for the potential that could arise from the life of Jesus was like nothing that the whole universe had ever experienced before. The potential of this one life, this Immanuel life, this God with us in the flesh life, would mean that many millions of others could one day reach the potential that they were created for, to become very sons and daughters in the family of God. After the angels were gone from them back into heaven, the shepherds busily talked among themselves and they all decided they wanted to walk over to Bethlehem and to see for themselves that which the Lord had made known to them. They went as quickly as they could. We are not told how many stables, if more than one, that there was in Bethlehem, or how long it took them to find the correct stable, but we are told they did find it, where Joseph and Mary were, and indeed found the babe Jesus lying in a manger. After seeing the factual truth of what the angels had said to them, the shepherds immediately began telling others in Bethlehem what the angels had told them about this new born child, and many who heard all this kept the words in their heart and mind, and wondered what it could all mean. Mary also was one you never let anything slip out of her mind, but would ponder on them often over the following years to come. The shepherds returned finally to their jobs of watching over sheep, but they returned glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them (Luke 2: 8-20). ....................... Written November 2000 |
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