Jesus is Wonderful by Birth!(Chapter 1)
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder. And his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
The birth of Jesus Christ was different from the birth of other human beings in many ways. Because He is the Son of God. Since He took on flesh and became a man, He was also called the Son of Man.
We can understand the significance of the birth of Jesus Christ from the following three aspects: foretold, historic and miraculous. Firstly, His birth was foretold. Secondly, His birth was a historical event. Thirdly, His birth was miraculous and divine.
The Foretold Birth of Jesus:
The birth of Jesus Christ was an event prophesied (foretold) many centuries in advance. Patriarch Jacob (grandson of Patriarch Abraham) prophesied in 1689 BC that Jesus would be born in the tribe of Judah (the lineage of the Jews) (Genesis 49:10).
The prophet Balaam declared in 1452 BC that Jesus would rise like a star in the land of Israel (Numbers 24:17).
It was also prophesied by the prophet Isaiah in 713 BC that Jesus would be born of a virgin as a divine being, and that He would be born in the lineage of King David (Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:6,7).
The prophet Micah prophesied that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem, a small town in Judea, in the Mediterranean region of the world. He announced it in the year 710 BC (Micah 5:2).
If we look into all these biblical verses, we will be able to understand that the birth of Jesus Christ was not a random event. It was predetermined by God, our Creator. It was planned well by God Almighty before the foundation of the world.
Jesus, who participated in creation with God in the beginning, became flesh (became human) about 2000 years ago to fulfill the word of God, foretold by Prophets long ago.
When Jesus dedicated himself to come into this world as a man, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you had no pleasure. Then I (pre-Incarnate Jesus) said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—I have come to do your will, my God.’” (Psalm 40:6-8).
Therefore, the birth of Jesus was an event that took place according to the foreknowledge of God, the Father, who is in heaven.
The Historical Birth of Jesus!
World history has been divided into two: BC and AD, and centered around the birth of Jesus Christ. Around that time in history, a star appeared in the East part of the world to announce the birth of Jesus.
Historical records mention that between 5 BC and 2 BC, a very bright star appeared very close to the earth in the early morning during the month of Mesori, which marks the beginning of the Egyptian calendar.
The word "Mesori" means "the birth of a royal prince." Biblical scholars, using the historical calendar created by Dionysius Exiguus, calculate that Jesus was born in 4 BC.
Some wise men who lived during the time of Jesus' birth saw the comet in the East and recognised that a king had been born, and they came to Judea with the guidance of the comet and inquired at the king's palace. But not finding him there, they followed the comet that appeared to them in the East and found the child (Jesus) in Bethlehem, a small town in Judea, and they worshipped Him (Matthew 2:1-12).
The Miraculous birth of Jesus!
Jesus Christ is miraculous. His birth is a miracle. Because he was born in a way that no other human being had ever been born in this world. He was conceived and born from the womb of a virgin. This is a miracle.
Generally, for a child to be born in this world, parents are necessary (a man and a woman). A child is born from the flesh and blood of these two (a man and a woman). But there is only one child in this world who is an exception to this. That is none other than Jesus Christ!
The fact that Jesus was born to a virgin who had not known a man reveals that he is miraculous and possesses divine nature. Mary (Miriam), the mother of Jesus, and Joseph, his foster father, were from Nazareth in Palestine. They were betrothed to each other before the conception and birth of Jesus Christ.
According to Jewish custom, agreements are made in three stages between a man and a woman who are betrothed. These are: In the first stage, an agreement is made between the parents that a marriage will take place between certain individuals when they were child.
In the second stage, when the children reach marriageable age, an agreement is made after obtaining the consent of both parties.
In the third stage, about a year before the marriage is to take place, both families make an agreement in the presence of the community. The betrothed woman must maintain her virginity during this one-year period.
If she became pregnant due to her immoral conduct, and this became known during that one-year period, according to Jewish law, the betrothed man had the right to annul the engagement contract with her and become engaged to and marry another woman.
It was in such circumstances that Joseph was informed that Mary was pregnant. Therefore, Joseph, not wanting to publicly disgrace Mary, intended to divorce her secretly. But because Joseph was a righteous man, God did not want him to divorce Mary. Therefore, God the Father sent an angel to Joseph in a dream and instructed him saying: “…Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins…”
When Joseph woke up from his sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to her firstborn son, and he gave him the name Jesus.” (Matthew 1:20-25)
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