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Bible Study The Birth of Christ

westtexas

westtexas

Member
Hello everybody, for my personal bible study I am going to study the birth of our Lord from now until Christmas. If anyone has a good link I would appreciate looking at it and we can discuss whatever y'all bring up. When was our Lord born? was he born in a stable? a cave? who were the wise men? what time of year was He born? was it really Dec. 25?----Whatever y'all put up here I would love to look at, historical or spiritual, it does not matter to me. Thanks.

God bless, Westtexas
 
The exact date of Christ's birth isn't mentioned in the Bible and there are a few different theories, but one thing is certain: He wasn't born in December. The Bible says that shepherds were tending their flocks in the field at night. That doesn't happen in winter.

There are ways of calculating when He was born, but there are some variables, so the calculations aren't 100% sure. I'll look them up later and post them here. I believe that Christ was born during the Feast of Tabernacles, most likely on the first day of the feast, and that he was born in a tabernacle.
 
Theofilus said:
The exact date of Christ's birth isn't mentioned in the Bible and there are a few different theories, but one thing is certain: He wasn't born in December. The Bible says that shepherds were tending their flocks in the field at night. That doesn't happen in winter.

There are ways of calculating when He was born, but there are some variables, so the calculations aren't 100% sure. I'll look them up later and post them here. I believe that Christ was born during the Feast of Tabernacles, most likely on the first day of the feast, and that he was born in a tabernacle.
Click to expand...

I'm looking forward to whatever links you come up with Theo.
Thanks and God bless, Westtexas
 
I'm not sure if this could be a Bible study topic, because I believe the Bible is silent to this aspect of His birth. If someone believes otherwise, I'd be interested to know.

Was Christ's spirit present with him within the womb? Was there actually a leaving of His Throne the moment Mary was with child? I know this is not specifically about the birth, but since Christmas is a while away...

Luke 1
"39At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb..."

For John's spirit to acknowledge Jesus within the womb of Mary, it seems to me that His spirit would have been dwelling with Jesus within the womb. Given His nature as fully God, with omnipresence, did His spirit have to leave His Throne to take His place within the person of Jesus, or would it be so that His spirit would not be limited to the person of Jesus? Can anyone draw on scripture to speak to this?


 
Great topic Westtexas!

Actually, I always wanted to personally track this down myself. I know others on the forum from years past have worked this out, but it wasn't detailed. Besides, you know how it goes. When you track something out yourself, it kinds sticks :)

As far as the Birthday of Jesus, it's highly improbable that it's Dec 25. We won't go into all that, but the best starting point would come from Luke.

Netbible:
Luke 1:5 During the reign of Herod king of Judea, there lived a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah.

We see that Zechariah was a priest and belonged to the division of Abijah.

This tells us that Zehariah served in the temple. But it also tells us when he served in the temple. According to 1 Chronicles 24:10 the seventh to Hakkoz,
the eighth to Abijah,

We see that Abijah was 8th out of 24 to serve.

What I've been able to find, is that each group served on week.

It would seem to me then, that based on this information, we should somehow be able to figure out what weeks the division of Abijah served.

We then have this record also in Luke.
Luke 1:26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth.

So, we find the week the division of Abijah served and tack 6 months on to it and we should be close to the month of Jesus birth.

Ohh, one more thing. If there were 24 divisions that served for one week. Then that would mean each division served twice a year... wait.. there are 52 weeks in a year :chin

:help
 
Mike said:
I'm not sure if this could be a Bible study topic, because I believe the Bible is silent to this aspect of His birth. If someone believes otherwise, I'd be interested to know.
Click to expand...

I see what you are saying. I thought about this too. But there is some knowledge to draw from in the Bible when studying some of the questions westtexas has. Personally, please do not take offense westtexas, I have never really wanted to study it. Not that I am not glad He came, but there is just not a lot about it in the Bible and there must be a reason for it.

Again, there is NO despising attitude toward this study from me. In fact, if I come across anything I will now be reminded of you and I will forward it on to you. :)
 
nathanielhooper said:
Personally, please do not take offense westtexas, I have never really wanted to study it. Not that I am not glad He came, but there is just not a lot about it in the Bible and there must be a reason for it.

Again, there is NO despising attitude toward this study from me. In fact, if I come across anything I will now be reminded of you and I will forward it on to you. :)
Click to expand...

No offense taken Nate. We're not all interested in the same things. I'll appreciate anything you shoot this way!

God bless, Westtexas
 
StoveBolts said:
So, we find the week the division of Abijah served and tack 6 months on to it and we should be close to the month of Jesus birth.

Ohh, one more thing. If there were 24 divisions that served for one week. Then that would mean each division served twice a year... wait.. there are 52 weeks in a year :chin

:help
Click to expand...

This is a great starting point that will take some digging. I seem to remember reading somewhere that all 24 divisions were required to serve during the 3 weeks of the major festivals (Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles) due to the large crowds that were in town for these festivals. Even if this is correct it still leaves us a week short.

Maybe they all had to serve the week of CHRISTMAS!!!! (I'd put one of those smiley faces here if I knew how). You've given me a lot to look up and think about. Thank you.

God bless, Westtexas
 
Theofilus said:
The exact date of Christ's birth isn't mentioned in the Bible and there are a few different theories, but one thing is certain: He wasn't born in December. The Bible says that shepherds were tending their flocks in the field at night. That doesn't happen in winter.

There are ways of calculating when He was born, but there are some variables, so the calculations aren't 100% sure. I'll look them up later and post them here. I believe that Christ was born during the Feast of Tabernacles, most likely on the first day of the feast, and that he was born in a tabernacle.
Click to expand...

Jesus' birthday was in September. Awwwww. I hope we get to celebrate His birthday in heaven :-D
 
Hi theLords,

I've also heard it calculated to around September, and I know it was caluclated through Zacheriah.

Can you help us in this endevour?

westtexas,
I've never heard abuot the divisions all serving on the festival's, but I'm interested in hearing more. Where did you read, or hear about this?

Hey, we'll put this puzzle together unless somebody comes in here and shows us the roadmap :lol

I've always wanted to track this down. :yes
 
StoveBolts said:
westtexas,
I've never heard abuot the divisions all serving on the festival's, but I'm interested in hearing more. Where did you read, or hear about this?

Hey, we'll put this puzzle together unless somebody comes in here and shows us the roadmap :lol

I've always wanted to track this down. :yes
Click to expand...
This is from the Jewish Virtual Library and their explanation of mishmarot (courses or divisions). I won't quote it all but it's from the first paragraph of the section "Activities"--"On the 3 pilgrim festivals, all the 24 mishmarot officiated together"
www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0014_0_13998.html

Someone check me out on this and see what y'all think. The courses preformed their duties from sabbath to sabbath. The Jewish new year starts on Nisan 1. The first course would have the first week. Then Nisan 14 (as per Lev. 23:5) is Passover and assuming the above link is correct, all 24 courses would have duty this week. After Passover Week course #2 would start their duties. There are 7 weeks between Passover and Pentecost (Lev. 23:15-21). Scripture says Zacharias was of the 8th course of Abijah. This would have Zacharias preforming his duty the week before Pentecost and then again the week of Pentecost since all 24 were required to serve. This would have his course on duty 2 weeks and his service for this time would end the week Pentecost ended. What do y'all think? Agree? Disagree?

Westtexas
 
That's a good link Theo, thanks. I don't see anything in it that I disagree with. Anyone got any comments on it?

God bless, Westtexas
 
Hi Westtexas,
Good information you posted. I have not had time to really go over it, but it looks pretty good!

Theo,
You also posted a good site that lays it out pretty good. I'm surprised they didn't metion Yom Kippur
 
Mike said:
I'm not sure if this could be a Bible study topic, because I believe the Bible is silent to this aspect of His birth. If someone believes otherwise, I'd be interested to know.

Was Christ's spirit present with him within the womb? Was there actually a leaving of His Throne the moment Mary was with child? I know this is not specifically about the birth, but since Christmas is a while away...

Luke 1
"39At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb..."

For John's spirit to acknowledge Jesus within the womb of Mary, it seems to me that His spirit would have been dwelling with Jesus within the womb. Given His nature as fully God, with omnipresence, did His spirit have to leave His Throne to take His place within the person of Jesus, or would it be so that His spirit would not be limited to the person of Jesus? Can anyone draw on scripture to speak to this?
Click to expand...

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. (Isaiah 6:1)
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"He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them." Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him.* (John 12, 40+41)
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He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.(Col 1:13)
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I never like quoting one verse here and one verse there for the reason that I don't want to take the verses out of context to prove my own point, but I'm pretty sure these verses line up with eachother.
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Christ is the King on the throne seen in Isaiah, Zeke, and Revelation.
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So I believe yes, the King left His throne and arrived to earth in a manger. The idea is huge in the Christian faith because it is a huge demonstration of Christ's love for His creation that He literally left a throneroom of praise to a planet where He would be struck, mocked, and killed on the behalf of man's sin, rising again proving who He is.
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Now my idea on the Trinity is only my theory, so take this next part with a grain of salt. God the Father is invisible, but is essentially the "brains" of the trinity. Jesus is the physical form of God the Father, and the Holy Spirit is His omnipresent power at work.
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Before Christ came, the three coexisted in one Being (the King we see on the throne.) When Jesus came to earth born a human, His invisible "will" was left in heaven along with His omnipresent power. When He ascended back to heaven He left His omnipresent Spirit on earth.
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And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." (John 20:22)
 
westtexas said:
Hello everybody, for my personal bible study I am going to study the birth of our Lord from now until Christmas. If anyone has a good link I would appreciate looking at it and we can discuss whatever y'all bring up. When was our Lord born? was he born in a stable? a cave? who were the wise men? what time of year was He born? was it really Dec. 25?----Whatever y'all put up here I would love to look at, historical or spiritual, it does not matter to me. Thanks.

God bless, Westtexas
Click to expand...
Hey Texas!

There was a good conversation a while back starting at this page:

http://www.christianforums.net/f34/mary-joseph-werent-rejected-inn-12280/index2.html
 
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