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Scripture Reading
Quirinius “Kur-rain-e-ous”
Luke 2:1-7
Christmas, it really happened!
(Slide)
We have come to the final part of our four part Christmas Series.
Today we will spent some (brief) time on the birth of Jesus.
During this series, again and again, we have seen parallel accounts in Luke’s gospel about the early events of John’s birth and of Jesus birth.
Luke is deliberately doing a “Compare and Contrast”.
Did you like school/college essays that start like that?
The Birth Accounts
Last week we looked at the birth of John the Baptist.
We read,
(Slide)
The actual birth of John is recorded in just two verses, then the account moves onto John’s circumcision and dedication
This is unlike the account of Jesus actual birth.
We read it earlier and it occupies some 20 verses.
Luke is to continually showing the superiority of the person of Jesus over John.
Luke will go on to also show the superiority of the ministry of Jesus over John.
One is the Forerunner, the other is the Actual
One will become a prophet, call people to repentance, baptise Jesus (the height of his ministry) and then become less and less.
But the other, Jesus, is Christ the Lord, from the line of David, whose Kingdom will be forever and ever.
The Historical Setting
Jesus’ birth account starts with,
(Slide)
“Kur-rain-e-ous”
Suggested Chronology of Jesus Birth
(Slide)
Jesus was born about six months after the birth of John.
How do we know that?
You remember we read in Luke 1,
We do not know which month of the year Jesus was born.
You can work backwards to the timing of Elizabeth and Mary pregnancy and the timing of the visits by the Angel Gabriel.
Some suggest spring time because Shepherds were watching over the flocks, possibly because of new born lambs.
But such things are not clear in the bible.
Suggested Chronology of Jesus Birth
(Slide)
This picture gives suggested chronology and is taken from the the SDA Commentary.
It is useful, but there is a reson it is called suggested
It is useful, but there is a reason why this is called Suggested
Luke is not precise on dates.
Just as Luke is not precise on when Jesus started his adult ministry.
Do you remember it says in Luke 3,
Note the “about”.
The problem with dating Jesus birth is mostly to do with this guy Quirinius “Kur-rain-e-ous”
Quirinius “Kur-rain-e-ous”
Caesar Augustus, 27BC to 14AD.
No problem there, universal agreement.
Fits the timeline.
Quirinius “Ker-rain-e-ous” , his govern-ship starts in AD6.
Luke seems to state that Jesus birth took place during this govern-ship and census.
But that is too late for Jesus Birth
Why?
But Matthew’s gospel tells us that,
So Matthew tells is the Jesus was born during the time of Herod the Great.
But Harold the Great died in BC 4
Harold is important because, we read in Matt 1,
So Harold the Great was alive during Jesus birth so Jesus birth must be before that time.
Historically
So we have this gap - between BC4/5 to AD6.
There are various attempts to reconcile this gap.
One talks about a co-govern-ship.
Interesting.
My favourite is what the chart is showing
With the suggestion that the census was started under Harold the Great, but delayed due to local resistance and uprising, then finished in AD6
We do read in
(Slide)
Who wrote Acts?
This is not a main or plain thing
Luke writes about 30 years...
But it is so interesting to study.
There are Two points I would like to make at this time,
(Slide Off)
Firstly, The Bible is not a History Book
The bible is not a chronological sequence of past events.
Or of future events.
It does have some wonderful historical detail in it.
And this may be abit controversial,
But it is not a chronological sequence of past events.
Or more importantly, of future events.
We need care and humility when it comes to our graphical charts of the bible, especially for the future.
We struggle with some basic chronological timing of major things in the past, like when Jesus was born.
We have glimpses of future events and sequence.
But they are just that, glimpses.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the charts we have as Adventists for end end times.
I love our studies of Daniel and Revelations.
Love them, but they are glimpses.
And yet we have people out there predicting exact dates and times about future end end events.
The lastest is the close of probabtion.
This should not be beloved and we need to be wise on it.
We were warned it will happen.
The bible is first and foremost about God’s relationship with mankind, the rescue mission, from the beginning and into eternity.
That needs to be our focus in all of our end end time glimpses.
And that is what Christmas is all about.
Hopefully I am not off your Christmas card list after saying these things.
Secondly, Taking stock is not a bad thing
Joseph and Mary were caught up in the Roman world taking stock.
Mostly for the purpose of taxation.
And yet through that God’s purpose was fulfilled.
Every wise business or church or person will regularly take stock.
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