Ask Mr Bible

● Negative consideration

Contrary to popular belief, the first recorded words of Jesus in regard to His earthly ministry are not found in Luke 2:49. 

“And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49).

● Positive consideration

Jesus’ first recorded words as found in Heb. 10 (taken from Psa. 40) were spoken as He left the glories of heaven to join up with the babe in Mary’s womb.

Thus, here are His first recorded words to the Father:

“Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God” (Heb. 10:5-7).

Compare this with His last words during the agony in Gethsemane just prior to the crucifixion.

“And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt” (Mark 14:35, 36).

Our Savior thus entered this world and left it by submitting to His Father’s will!  How does your life compare with this?

Note the record involved:

● The event in Genesis 35

“And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour. And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also. And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin. And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which [is] Bethlehem” (Gen. 35:16-19).

● The event in Luke 2

“And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:4-7).

Note the relationships involved:

● Both describe two mothers giving birth.

  It would be Rachel’s final birth.
  It would be Mary’s first birth.

● Both babies were boys.

● Both were born in Bethlehem.

● Both would bring sorrow to their mothers.

Rachel would die giving birth to her son.

Mary would later be grieved watching her son die.

“And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34, 35).

“Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home” (John 19:25-27).

● The names given to the first son would later apply to the second son.

Rachel called her infant son, Ben-oni, meaning, “son of my sorrow.”

Jacob however, called him Benjamin, meaning, “son of my right hand.”

Spiritually speaking, Jesus was later known as Ben-oni.

“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not” (Isa. 53:3).

Spiritually speaking, Jesus is now known as Benjamin.

“But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool” (Heb. 10:12, 13).

At Bethlehem, God the Father was preparing a body for His Son to work through.

“Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me” (Heb. 10:5).

At Pentecost, God the Father was preparing a body for His Spirit to work through.

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (1 Cor. 6:19).

“And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (2 Cor. 6:16).

Because of this, Pentecost can never be repeated in the same sense that Bethlehem can never again happen.  It is, therefore, as unscriptural to have a “tarrying meeting” to pray down another Pentecost as it would be to have a meeting and plead for the shepherds and wise men to reappear.  The events occurring in Luke 2 and Acts 2 are forever in the past.

In an Old Testament chapter (Dan. 2), Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar had just imposed the death penalty upon his wise men for their utter inability to relate and explain his mysterious dream of a huge statue.  In desperation, the terrified men cried out:

“The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king’s matter: therefore [there is] no king, lord, nor ruler, [that] asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. And [it is] a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh” (Dan. 2:10, 11).

This event occurred around 600 B.C.  Theologically speaking, the wise men were correct in their claim that the “gods” did not indeed dwell in human flesh.  But six centuries later in a Bethlehem manger all this would change for God would take upon Himself the likeness of human flesh (Rom. 8:3; Heb. 2:14), and actually dwell with sinful humanity (John 1:14).

This miracle of miracles would transpire in Luke 2:7:

“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7).       

Who is this controversial candidate whose platform promises universal peace and justice?  Can He really deliver, or is this just some more political mumbo jumbo?  Can we trust Him?  Will He raise our taxes?  Here is His resume.  Read it and decide for yourself!

● His place of birth: Bethlehem (Lk. 2:4-7)

● The nature of His birth: Born of a virgin (Matt. 1:18-23)

● His own personal nature: Said to be both fully human and divine (Isa. 9:6)

● His father: The first person of the Trinity (Lk. 1:35; 2:49)

● His mother: A virgin named Mary (Lk. 2:7)

● His half-brothers: James, Joseph, Simon, Judas (Matt. 13:55)

● His half-sisters (Matt. 13:56)

● His famous ancestors: Abraham and David (Matt. 1:1)

● His first historical reference: The seed of the woman (Gen. 3:15)

● His overall occupation: Creator (Jn. 1:3), redeemer(1 Peter 1:18, 19), shepherd (Jn. 10:11), judge (Jn. 5:22), and prophet
(Matt. 13:57)

● His platform: Given in detail by the Sea of Galilee (Matt. 5-7)

● His temperament (Matt. 11:29, 30; 12:19, 20)

● His recent accomplishments: Healing the sick (Matt. 4:23, 24), raising the dead (Jn. 11:43, 44), feeding the hungry (Jn. 6:5-13), comforting the comfortless (Matt. 11:28)

● Place of death: Outside Jerusalem on a hill (Matt. 27:33)

● Manner of death: Crucifixion (Jn. 19:18)

● Age at death: Approximately 34 years old

● Place of resurrection: From a Garden Tomb (Jn. 19:41; 20:11-17)

● Place of ascension: The Mount of Olives (Acts 1:9-12)

● Current Activities: Serving as a Great High Priest in heaven, praying for His earthly followers (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25; 9:24)

● Anticipated place of His return: The Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:4)

● Final assignment upon returning: To rule over all creation’s realm as King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Rev. 11:15)

This brief resume has been prepared by the Third Person in the Trinity (the Holy Spirit), upon the approval of the First Person in the Trinity (the Father).  Its accuracy is thus assured! 

1. Who were the wise men?  It is thought that they were perhaps a group of religious astronomers living in the Mesopotamian area.

2. How did they associate the star with Christ?  There are several possibilities.  In the fourteenth century, B.C., a prophet from their area named Balaam had spoken of this star.  (See Num. 24:17.)  They also had the writings of Daniel, who had been prime minister of both Babylon and Persia some six centuries before Christ.  Daniel, of course, wrote much about the second coming.

3. Why did they come?  These men were doubtless acquainted with the various religions of the East and knew the emptiness of them all.  It would seem that they followed this star to find peace and purpose for their lives.

4. When did they arrive in Bethlehem?  It was perhaps not until some two years after the angels announced his birth to the shepherds.  He is referred to as “the young child” (Matt. 2:9, 11, 13-14), and is not a tiny babe at this time.  When Herod later attempted to destroy this unknown Babe, he had all children in the Bethlehem area two years and under slain (Matt. 2:16).

5. How many wise men came?  There is no evidence that there were three.  On the contrary, the group may have numbered from two to several hundred or more.  Tradition, however, claims that there were but three and that their names were Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar.

6. Why did the star, after leading the wise men to Jerusalem, apparently disappear for a brief time and then reappear, taking them directly to Bethlehem?  It may be that God intended this visit for the sake of the Jewish leaders.  However, they had degenerated to such a level that they were unwilling to travel down the road a few miles from Jerusalem to Bethlehem to see if their Messiah had really come.  But here was a group of sincere Gentiles who had traveled across a hostile and extended desert to find him.

7. Was the star a regular one?  The astronomer Kepler said there was a conjunction of the planets Jupiter and Saturn about this time in history.  However, by no stretch of the imagination could a planet or star located thousands of millions of miles from earth function in the precise way this star did as recorded by Matthew.  “The star … came and stood over where the young child was” (Matt. 2:9).  It is not at all unreasonable, however, to suggest that the star was actually a New Testament appearance of that Old Testament Shekinah Glory cloud that led Israel across the desert.

8. What gifts did they offer him?
 ● They gave him gold, which spoke of his deity.
 ● They gave him frankincense, which spoke of his humanity.
 ● They gave him myrrh, which spoke of his future sufferings. 
  Reg Grant writes:
  “During her life, Mary would see Jesus receive the gift of myrrh on five occasions; twice from  Gentiles and three times from Jews.
a. On the first occasion, the Magi brought myrrh from the east in honor of Jesus as King of Kings (Matt. 2:11).  This event anticipated the worship Christ will receive from the Gentile nations in the future kingdom.
b. The second occasion found Jesus in the home of Simon the Pharisee receiving myrrh from the loving hand of a contrite woman who approached Jesus as her great High Priest, the One who could forgive her many sins (Luke 7:36-50).
c. The third offering of myrrh came from the devout Mary of Bethany as she anointed Christ for his burial prior to his death.  This showed that she understood the sacrificial nature of his ministry in a way that even his closest disciples had failed to grasp.
d. Just before the crucifixion, the Roman soldiers offered Christ a fourth ‘gift’ of myrrh mixed with wine—a kind of narcotic to dull the pain—but he refused it.
e. The fifth and final offering came from the hand of Nicodemus when he provided a mixture of myrrh and aloes for anointing Christ’s body following his crucifixion (John 19:39).”  (Kindred Spirit Magazine, Winter 1988 edition, pp. 13-14)

A Diamond in a Clay Vessel

What really happened during that night of all nights in the Judean hills some 2000 years ago?

Two illustrations may prove helpful:

• The diamond/clay vessel illustration:
A perfect, priceless, and incredibly beautiful diamond is placed within a plain and lowly clay vessel.  One day, for a brief moment, a tiny hole appears in the container, resulting in the immediate outpouring of a dazzling beam of glory which temporarily blinds those who happen to see it.  This is, of course, exactly what happened in Luke 2 (Christ’s birth) and Matthew 17 (His transfiguration).

Note: 
1. The placing of the diamond:
“God was manifest in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:16)
Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same (Heb. 2:14).

2. The appearing of the hole:
“And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light” (Mt. 17:1, 2).

A case could be made here that, in all the universe, the strongest object ever created by God was the earthly body of Jesus!  Ponder this amazing thought: for 34 years this vessel of clay actually contained and confined the resplendent glory of Almighty God Himself, only allowing for one brief moment a tiny ray to escape, which temporarily blinded Peter, James, and John!

• The Rolls Royce/ox wagon illustration:
The owner of a $175,000 Rolls Royce ‘Gray Ghost’ automobile is suddenly and mysteriously transported in ‘twilight zone’ fashion to Earth’s most remote area where the residents are still in the stone age.  After recovering from the initial shock, the man notices their only means of transportation involves the hitching of oxen to crude wooden carts or wagons.  Sitting in his Rolls, surrounded by luxury, the owner soon realizes there are two courses of action open to him.

1. He can place the auto in gear and, using its awesome power, literally leave those simple natives in the dust.

2. He can keep the motor running, ease the auto in neutral, and allow his magnificent machine to be pulled by a lowly oxen.

After some thought, the second option is decided upon.  But why?  For some reason, he feels a strong desire to know these people.  He wants to travel at their pace, learn their language, experience their pain, and to befriend as many as possible!  This is exactly what Jesus did when He came to our God-rejecting planet, carrying with Him all the glorious attributes of His Divine nature.  He then clothed Himself in human flesh, agreeing to eat our food, drink our water, speak our language, and die for our sins!

Special Delivery

While a student at the Moody Bible Institute my Christian service assignment one semester was to conduct a Bible class for a group of junior boys and girls in the south side of Chicago.  In those days I was totally inexperienced in teaching (especially children) and was somewhat nervous as I prepared (for the first time) to tell them the Christmas story.  How could I make them understand what really happened at Bethlehem?  What illustration could I use?  As it turned out I had little need to worry, for one of the little girls in that group offered one of the most precious and profound bottom line statements ever heard on planet earth regarding the incarnation.  With incredible simplicity she said: “At Bethlehem, Mary was God’s envelope, and Jesus was God’s letter!”

Exactly what happened at the Incarnation of Jesus Christ?

The great evangelist, D. L. Moody, often related the story of a young biologist who came across an especially large and active ant hill during his walk in a forest.  Delighted with his find, the biologist sat down on a nearby rock, and taking out pen and notebook, began writing down what he saw.  Soon, however, the entire ant hill was in an upheaval as the tiny creatures became aware of his presence.  Frustrated, the biologist walked away wishing he could in some manner communicate with them, assuring the little creatures of his interest and that no harm would be forthcoming.

He concluded, however, the only way this could happen would be to take upon himself the body of an ant and thus become part of their existence sharing his story in a way they could comprehend.

This is exactly what occurred at the Incarnation.  The infinite, holy, eternal, and sinless Son of God agreed to take upon himself a finite and fleshly body that he, the lofty Creator, might personally communicate with us, his lowly creatures.

God’s earth walk

“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7).

In the latter part of 1971 an American astronaut named James Irwin wrote a book titled, Moon Walk which described how he had once left a beautiful and hospitable planet called Earth (on July 26, 1971), and by way of a special vehicle (Apollo 15), had, thirteen days later, touched down upon a dangerous and totally inhospitable planet known as the moon.

For three days he walked its rough surface and then returned home. If rightly understood, the incarnation could well be entitled, God’s Earth Walk, for it relates the amazing story of how Jesus Christ once left a beautiful and blessed place known as heaven, where He had constantly enjoyed being worshipped by all the angels (Heb. 1:6), and by way of a special vehicle (the body being prepared for Him in Mary’s womb), had touched down upon a sin loving and God hating planet called Earth. For the next thirty-three plus years He traveled its dusty roads, agreeing to eat our food, to drink our water, to breathe our air, to go to the cross and have His face covered with our spittle, and His ears filled with our curses in order to save us from our sins! THIS IS THE STORY AND GLORY OF THE INCARNATION!