Nativity

Perspectives of a Miraculous Birth

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, 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.—Micah 5:2

Tom Ruggirello

When the Magi from the East visited King Herod, he was disturbed to hear that a “king of the Jews” had been born. He called together the chief priests and teachers of the law and asked where the Christ was to be born (Matthew 2:4). When told that the prophet Micah (Micah 5:2) had predicted Bethlehem as the birthplace, he made an unimaginably atrocious decision. 

What to others was a cause of rejoicing and celebration was to this man a motivation to murder. Any perceived threat to his power must be neutralized. His cowardly command was that all the male children in the vicinity of Bethlehem, two years of age and younger, should be killed. It is almost inconceivable that such a sweeping decree should be made when the intent was to remove the threat of a single child.

This insanity was to bring such anguish of heart to that small community that Matthew cited the words of Jeremiah as being prophetic of the bereavement that took place: “Lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more” (Jeremiah 31:15, NASB). How sad to think that the joyous birth of our great savior was accompanied with such poignant grief.

It is clear that many perceived the miraculous birth of our Lord differently. Herod’s evil perception must have reflected the views of Satan himself. But there are other more noble examples.

The Angels

Our examination of the birth of Jesus often focuses on the people who became involved in that marvelous event. But what many human observers believed was the beginning of life for the baby Jesus, the angels must have perceived quite differently. One of the titles of Jesus is Michael the Archangel. As chief of all angels Jesus was one of their company. In many Old Testament experiences where the angelic army of the Lord fought for Israel, or delivered them in some way, it was Jesus and the angels working together to accomplish God’s will. We see examples even amongst men where there is an inseparable union formed between a good general and his fighting men. David had such loyalty from his troops. Who can doubt that Jesus commanded such devotion from the angelic hosts? There must have been a wonderful melding of purpose and work between Jesus and the angels. The angels knew of his involvement in creation as the “craftsman” of God (Proverbs 8:30, NIV). They saw how he was God’s “daily delight,” and how he rejoiced to be in the presence of God. They observed the unique bond that existed between Father and Son. 

It was the angel Gabriel whom God called upon to announce the birth of Jesus. Gabriel had been used centuries earlier to relate the prophecy of the seventy weeks to Daniel (Daniel 9:21-27). Among other things, that prophecy predicted the year of Jesus’ first advent. As the Logos, Jesus had been the usual messenger of God. The use of Gabriel, however, may suggest God’s sentiment that it was inappropriate for Jesus to foretell of his own ministry. Heavenly decorum chose Gabriel to present Daniel’s historic prophecy, as well as the later birth announcements.

As Gabriel explained to Mary that her son would be called the “Son of the Highest” he would have known how that statement fit into the full context of his pre-human existence. This was not to be a new position for Jesus. It was merely a statement that mankind would some day come to recognize him as the very son of God.

Gabriel was given great insight into the work that Jesus was to accomplish. He explained to Mary that God would give him the throne of David and that his kingdom would have no end (Luke 1:32,33). Clearly the angelic view of the nativity was deeper than any human mind could initially fathom. The angels understood the great divide that had come between God and mankind and they knew that Jesus was sent to heal that breach. The apostle Paul said that the whole family of God in heaven and earth derives its existence from him (Ephesians 3:15). God did not create a divided family, or multiple families. Heaven and earth were meant to be one, and the nativity was to begin the process of restoring everything to that original purpose.

An angel, likely Gabriel once again, explained to the shepherds that the birth of Jesus would bring “good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people” (Luke 2:10). Yes, great joy to all people, but great joy to the angels as well. They wanted the human family morally reunited with the heavenly family of God. Jesus made a brief allusion to these angelic emotions when he said that there is great joy in heaven over one sinner that repents (Luke 15:7).

Seeing Jesus’ life form change from the mighty archangel into the frailty of human seed must have been an awe-inspiring moment for the angels. They were far more than casual observers; they were rejoicing supporters of the great work about to begin.

The Shepherds

Almost everything connected with the birth of Jesus was modest and unassuming. If this were truly the birth of a king, one would never know it by the surroundings, or by those first invited to honor him. 

Shepherding was a difficult life. Not only were the shepherds exposed to hunger and the extremes of climate, they also had to defend their flocks against predators and thieves. Because of their profession, they were unable to observe the orthodox ritual of washings. As a result, they were considered unclean. In addition, they were uneducated in the law, giving them the reputation of being ignorant. Since Jewish society had shifted away from shepherding toward agriculture, their profession had little respect. This left the shepherds at the lower, poorer end of society.

It is significant therefore that God chose the shepherds to hear the proclamation of the angels. Being selected for this honor suggests that at a minimum these particular men were of noble character. They must have possessed some faith, some inclination to look toward God. Never had a greater proclamation been made than what they heard that night in the fields. This Savior was for all people, even the poor, disrespected outcasts of society. How fitting it was that news of the lamb of God should first come to shepherds.

Once the angels left their presence and the sky was darkened again, the shepherds hurried to Bethlehem to see for themselves what they had been told. Were they surprised to see that Joseph and Mary were common Jews, come to register and pay their taxes? Were they dismayed to find the newborn king in a stable lying in a feeding trough? Or did they take comfort in these things? They were most familiar with these surroundings. This was common life to them, and yet under these new circumstances that simple stable became a temple of worship. Has any man-made church ever spoken so eloquently of what is required for worship? A place where humble hearts are gathered in his name to adore the Savior, and honor the Heavenly Father is all that is needed for true worship. These men were assured by what they witnessed that night that the blessings of their Messiah were to reach down to all levels of society. This was their perspective of the nativity.

The Wise Men

Who were these wise men and where did they come from? Why did they care about the birth of the King of the Jews? We have only sketchy details about them. It is not even certain that they were three in number. This is assumed because there were three gifts that were brought to Jesus. 

The phrase “Wise Men” (Matthew 2:1) comes from the Greek word magoi. “It denotes a Magian, one of the sacred caste, originally Median, who apparently conformed to the Persian religion while retaining their old beliefs” (Vines Dictionary).

Pastor Russell discusses why there was a great expectation of Messiah at the time of Jesus’ birth. He writes: “The clearest of all these prophecies was one by Zoroaster. The Nestorians say that Zoroaster was a disciple of Jeremiah, from whom he learned about the Messiah and talked concerning him to his disciples. In this connection we should remember that Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were at this time princes of Persia and intimate with the wise men of that country, which was at that time the principal nation of the world. It is easy to see how traditions would be handed down through that channel, and especially may we suppose that Daniel’s prophecy respecting the time of Messiah’s birth would be well known to the disciples of Zoroaster, Persia’s wise men. Furthermore, there were Jews scattered abroad throughout that country who still more or less kept alive the thought of Israel’s hope for the great Messiah so long promised of God.” (Reprints, p. 3703)

The possibility that these wise men were connected in some way to the prophet Daniel is thrilling. We remember how Daniel agonized over the plight of Israel (Daniel 9:1-19). He yearned for Israel to be released from captivity and longed to know when Israel would be free. He studied the prophecies of Jeremiah to know when the captivity would end. With such passion it is evident that those associated with Daniel would know what was in his heart, and the time prophecy that the Lord sent through Gabriel.

Daniel and his three Hebrew companions were “in all matters of wisdom and understanding … ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers” of Babylon (Daniel 1:20). Some five hundred years later, as the wise men from the east came to Israel to worship the newborn king, they carried with them a measure of Daniel’s faith. Had not Daniel let his light shine so brightly, no one from the east would have come to worship Jesus. No gifts would have been brought to help sustain the holy family during their stay in Egypt.

Through the eyes of the wise men, Daniel’s faith finally saw the great deliverer of Israel. Unaware of the far-reaching effect of his faith, Daniel had, for practical purposes, prepared for the coming Messiah.

Seeing the fulfillment of what had been passed on to them, the wise men received a great blessing as they brought their gifts and adoration to the world’s Messiah. How well they understood the real benefit that Jesus would bring is unclear, but undoubtedly they came with open hearts. How appropriate that even Gentiles should recognize the King. As the shepherds knew, his reign is to bless every level of society, even the Gentile world.

Joseph

Little is known about Jesus’ earthly father. We can assume he had certain qualities just because he was God’s choice to raise Jesus. When he learned that Mary was pregnant, he did not want to expose her to public ridicule and so decided to “put her away secretly” (Matthew 1:19, NKJV). The Scriptures say, “He that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter” (Proverbs 11:13). His treatment of Mary shows that Joseph possessed a “faithful spirit.” He was loyal to those he cared about and wanted to protect them. 

As he struggled to find a place for Mary to deliver her child his protective nature accepted what meager shelter was offered. As he helped Mary recline in a hastily-made bed of straw, he was an unlikely midwife; but, as always, he did what needed to be done. After watching Mary endure her agonizing labor pains, he witnessed the birth of his son. But it was not his son! Thoughts of the angel’s message must have raced through his mind: “That which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:20). His joy of fatherhood was enhanced with the knowledge that this birth was different from any ever experienced before. His deep love for Mary was now strengthened by the miracle they had just shared together. He must have been a special man, possessing strength of character, for God to choose him to carry this responsibility. He and Mary were well suited to care for the miracle child who would deliver the world from sin and death.

Joseph’s perspective of the nativity must have been extraordinary. Except for him there was no one to share the pain of Mary, or her joy. He was a loyal friend when Mary needed him, a supportive husband sharing an amazing experience with his young wife.

Mary

Of course Mary was the most profoundly affected by the circumstances of Jesus entry into the world. When Gabriel first told her she was greatly favored of the Lord (Luke 1:28), her reaction was interesting. Unlike Zacharias the priest who needed proof to substantiate Gabriel’s prophecy about the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:18), Mary needed no such proof. Her only question was, “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” (Luke 1:34). She was not questioning the truth of Gabriel’s message; she only wondered how it would be fulfilled. Who would believe her explanation of why she was with child? It sounded so far-fetched that her very life could be at risk, for the law stipulated that a woman caught in adultery should be stoned (Leviticus 20:10). What would Joseph say about her explanation? Would she lose him? Regardless of the questions that Gabriel’s words raised, Mary was quick to respond: “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said” (Luke 1:38, NIV). Her response to Gabriel is most extraordinary.

What a remarkable woman she was. She needed the strength of character that could withstand the ridicule she would receive. She needed the humility of heart to fend off the pride that might come from being the chosen woman. And she needed maturity to bear the pain that her role would bring.

Shortly after the birth of Jesus, Simeon described the heaviest burden this poor servant of the Lord would have to bear. He told her, “Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also” (Luke 2:35). All the hatred and jealousy that was aimed at her eldest son for three-and-a-half years would be intensely concentrated during the agony of his last hours on earth. Simeon’s prophecy became a reality as Mary watched the crucifixion of Jesus and felt her soul deeply wounded. Was this the role so coveted by Jewish women? Had they known the pain connected with this honor, few would have been willing to accept it. But Mary, a humble and strong woman, was a true servant of the Lord. Hers was a legacy filled with pain and sorrow, but, more importantly, one overshadowed with the joy of being the mother of our Savior. “Be it unto me according to your word.” And so it has been.

May each of us share the wisdom of accepting the Lord’s will for us no matter the cost, for his will always ends in unspeakable joy!