The Fifth Gospel of Jesus Christ the Messiah
Prologue
A Sample of Collation and Expanded Grammatical Enhancement
(Mt 1:1; Mk 1:1; Lk 1:1-4)
The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ,
Son of Abraham, Son of David, and Son of God. Considering that
many have attempted to compose a narration, or arrange a history,
concerning those certain things that have been fully established
for us in our presence, according as those constituted eye-witnesses
and ministers of the Word have conveyed, committed and entrusted
to us through injunction and instruction, it seemed right and good
to me also, having followed and closely traced all things accurately
and diligently from the beginning, to write unto you in successive,
or consecutive order, most excellent lover of God, so that you can
know from these preliminaries the truth and certainty about all
those accounts which you have been taught.
In the beginning God, the uncaused Cause Who
caused the first effect, created the heavens and the earth;
and the earth was unformed and unfilled and without light on
its surface. And the Spirit of God then incubated over the surface
of the waters. God then created light, time, atmosphere, and then
separated dry land out from the sea. He created the heavenly bodies
for light and time measurement. He also created plant life, marine life,
fowl, animals, amphibians and insects, each after their own genus and
species; and each was able to proliferate after its own kind.
And then God said, "Let us make man in our image,
after our likeness, and let them have dominion over all that
we have made in the earth." So God created man in his own image,
after his own likeness, out of the dust of the ground, and breathed
into his being the spirit of life, and the man became a living soul
life of lives. Male and female created he them.
The name of the man which God created out of
the dust of the earth was Adam; but he was alone. So out of one
of his ribs God created for him a suitable mate and assistant,
subordinate, but equal in worth. Adam called her woman; for out
of the man’s side was she taken. Adam had no nipples, and they
both had no navel for they were created, not born, and they were
made with free will. God told them to multiply and fill the earth.
The woman thus became the mother of all mankind, so her name was
then called Eve.
Now God had placed them in a garden to tend and
care for it, and to obtain nourishment from its produce. And in
the midst of the garden was placed a tree of knowledge that was to
be God's test case for fidelity. It represented Satan's plan of rebellion
for the ages. This test was necessary due to God's preference for
freedom of choice in all of his creatures, and because of the occurrence
in eternity past of the free-will prideful rebellion of Satan and one
third of the angels against God. Of this tree the man and woman were
forbidden to eat; for it was the tree giving knowledge of the similar
concepts of humanly motivated good and evil, both of which are unacceptable
to God. They could freely eat of every other tree, but were forbidden
to eat of the fruit of this one tree; for it would mean matriculation
with Satan's program of rebellion against God.
And Satan, coming in the form of a serpent, was
permitted to seduce and beguile the woman when she was vulnerable;
for after a time she had gone negative to the plans and purposes
of God. He said, "Hath God said?" bringing the command of God into
question. She succumbed to the temptation and did eat of the forbidden
fruit. In turn she seduced the man into sharing in her disobedience,
and in so allowing, he reneged on his responsibility of leadership
in this very important matter. Thus both the man and the woman had
fallen into disobedience having sinned, with Adam bearing the responsibility.
Man's conscience was thus violated, demonstrating guilt as a sign.
And as a result, sin's consequences for man were death, evil and
hardship. For God had told them that they would die spiritually, and
as a result, die physically, if they ate of that tree. They were condemned
not because of what they did, but for what they had become. Thus we
have them to thank for the world's hardness, evils, and our appointment
with death after our allotted time here on earth is over. Now, therefore,
the seed of man transmits original sin and its consequences, and all
fathered by man are inherently born spiritually dead, headed for physical
death as a result, needing to be made spiritually alive, and needing an
immortal body.
And God's commandment being violated, he also
placed a curse upon all of creation to harden man's existence
on the earth, in that death, sorrow, pain, evil, ruin, injustice,
futility, frustration, hardship, disorder, destruction and deterioration
have all become an integral part of this world in which we presently
live. God allows these evils in the world, whether brought about
by the free will of man or by nature, only as far as he can see greater
opportunities for our good ultimately coming of them. They also exist
so that we would look forward in hope to an ultimate deliverance, and
not be satisfied with this present, fleeting, paltry existence alone.
The existence of suffering is to bring about our salvation. Man will
not be able to overcome the curse until God reorders all things anew
on the last day.
Man's point of contact with an infinitely offended
God had changed from divine personal love and fellowship, to
divine justice and impersonal love, the demands of which require
the shedding of a sinless, innocent substitute's blood for satisfaction,
atonement, and restoration of fellowship. Somebody had to pay the
price; for God cannot compromise his essence in dealing with fallen
man in any other way; for God is pure, holy, just, and righteous;
and without the substitutionary shedding of innocent, sinless blood for
man, there is no justification nor remission of man's sin. Reconciliation
was initially implemented when God prepared skins for Adam and Eve to
wear in covering their nakedness, and even as their skins covered the
nakedness of their bodies, the shed blood of those animals became a
temporary covering for their sin. But this only temporarily satisfied
the requirements of God's essence, so that he could continue to fellowship
with them. They had to continually offer sacrifice to maintain their
fellowship with God because of their new and natural propensity towards
sin. Sin is falling short - missing the mark - and God cannot compromise
his holiness and righteousness in fellowshipping with those who inherently
persist therein apart from fulfillment of the demands of this provisional
system for continual restoration.
So the Lord God required and thus instituted
a system of blood sacrifice for to cover the sins of man. And
this requirement was to bring a lamb: a firstling of the flock
to be one's substitute for forgiveness of sins. Abel, Adam's
second-born, brought to the Lord a firstling of the flock, but Cain,
Adam's first son, rebelled and brought the fruit of the ground -
the work of his own hands. He was supposed to purchase with his fruits
from Abel a firstling of the flock to bring before the Lord God,
but in arrogance, he did not. And God spurned Cain's offering, for
it represented the program of mans works for gaining God's approbation
and favor, which is totally unacceptable. And God said to Cain,
"If you approach me in the prescribed manner, will you not be accepted?
But if you do not, sin will devour you. The choice is yours. You are
able to comply and overcome it." [See Appendix "D"] But Cain hardened
his heart against God and slew his brother in a jealous rage. This is
the brotherhood of man. The sinful nature had been passed on to Adam's
progeny, and evil was chosen over good.
All of us, as a result of Adam's disobedience,
are born spiritually dead because of the genetically inherited
sinful nature we all receive. We eventually die physically as
well, since we also inherit the curse of original sin and its consequences
from our forefathers. This inherent sinful nature causes us to
naturally matriculate with Satan, the Devil, and rebel against the
plans and purposes of God, thus necessitating our salvation, which
is redemption from sin and its consequences.
God promised of old the coming of a Redeemer
and King who would first infinitely satisfy the just requirements
of the Law of God on our behalf in his death, and thenin the future
restore and rule the world in righteousness. He would put an end
to the innumerable substitutionary animal sacrifices the Law of God
required for sin once and for all, since he himself is the ultimate,
faultless, infinite Sacrifice who saves; then after resurrecting and
presenting his shed blood as a cover in heaven, waiting until God puts all
things under his feet, he will come again to restore all things upon the
earth. God first slew an animal and required the same, thus setting forth
the principle that without the substitutionary shedding of innocent
blood, there can be neither justification, atonement, nor remission
of sin. This was the first of many sacrifices for sin. Jesus is the last
sacrifice for sin ultimately guaranteeing eternal life to all those who
in faith trust in him, believing that God sent him, and who believe in
his resurrection. He will then crush the head of Satan and lift the curse
from all creation when he comes again as King on the last day. In the
beginning after the fall, God said to the Adversary, "I will put enmity
between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; It shall
crush your head and you shall bruise His heel." This Seed would come
to be known as Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah. All the faithers in history
prior to Messiah, sacrificed and looked forward by faith and in type
to this promised Redeemer who would be the flawless, infinite, ultimate
Sacrifice, one for all, once for all time. We of the Church Age presently
look back in faith to this same living Redeemer's labor for our fulfillment
of the Law of God, our sacrifice for sin, and our salvation and justification
- and forward to his second coming for our resurrection and deliverance.
This Gospel is the revelation of that Redeemer.
Thirty Years of Private Life
V. The Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah (Mt 1:2-17; Lk 3:23b-38)
Now Adam, created by God, fathered Seth who replaced
his former son, Abel, who was slain by his own brother, Cain;
And Seth fathered Enos, and Enos fathered Cainan, and Cainan fathered
Mahalaleel, and Mahalaleel fathered Jared, and Jared fathered
Enoch whom God took, because he walked in step with Him; And Enoch
fathered Mathuselah, and Mathuselah fathered Lamech, and Lamech fathered
Noah who weathered the flood with his family; And Noah fathered Shem,
and Shem fathered Arphaxad, and Arphaxad fathered Cainan, and Cainan
fathered Salah, and Salah fathered Eber, and Eber fathered Peleg in
whose days the nations were divided; And Peleg fathered Reu, and Reu
fathered Sarug, and Sarug fathered Nahor, and Nahor fathered Terah, and
Terah fathered the patriarch Abraham, from whom were fathered both the
Jewish through Isaac, and the Arabic through Ishmael, peoples, who fight
to this day over the right to the land promised to Abraham's seed. To
Abraham was given the sign of circumcision due to his obedience and great
faith in God. Today he is called the spiritual father of all those who
are people of faith in YHWH - not Allah - through the merits of our Lord
and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the Seed of the woman , and Son of YHWH [Genesis
3:15].
And Abraham fathered Isaac, whom God chose to
be the son of promise, and from whom Ishmael, the father of the
arabic peoples, had been banished with his mother because they
continually tormented this son of promise. Ishmael was a son in
Abraham's haste by Sarah's Egyptian slave, Hagar, and not by Sarah
his wife, who until Isaac, was barren; For God tested the faith of
Abraham, and told him after he obediently offered up his only legitimately
begotten son in faith, "By myself I have sworn, because you have
done this thing, and have not withheld your son from me, your only
legitimate son Isaac: that in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying
I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the
sand which is on the seashore; and your Seed, Messiah, shall possess
the gate of his enemies; and in your Seed, Messiah, shall all the
nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.
Grieve not because of Ishmael and his mother, for in Isaac shall
your seed be called; and also of the son of the slave will I make a
great nation because he is also of your seed." God then gave him a ram
from the thicket to offer in the stead of his son, Isaac. Then Isaac thereafter
fathered Jacob, who inherited the land which is designated Israel after
his divinely given new name, for he wrestled with the Angel of the Lord
and prevailed with Him.
And Jacob fathered Judah and his brethren, of
whom it was said, "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor
a lawgiver from his loins, until Messiah come; and unto Him shall
be the gathering of the people." And Judah fathered Pharez and
Zarah through Tamar, his daughter in law who played the harlot;
And Pharez fathered Hezron, and Hezron fathered Aram, and Aram fathered
Amminadab, and Amminadab fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salmon,
and Salmon fathered Boaz of Rahab, the gentile harlot, and Boaz took
the gentile widow Ruth to wife, and fathered Obed; And Obed fathered
Jesse, and Jesse fathered David, the King of Israel;
And King David fathered Nathan, and Nathan fathered
Mattatha, and Mattatha fathered Menam, and Menam fathered Melea,
and Melea fathered Eliakim, and Eliakim fathered Jonan, and Jonan
fathered Joseph, and Joseph fathered Judah, and Judah fathered Simeon,
and Simeon fathered Levi, and Levi fathered Matthat, and Matthat
fathered Joreim, and Joreim fathered Eliezer, and Eliezer fathered
Jose, and Jose fathered Er, and Er fathered Elmodam, and Elmodam
fathered Cosam, and Cosam fathered Addi, and Addi fathered Melchi,
and Melchi fathered Neri, and Neri fathered Salathiel, and Salathiel
fathered Zorobabel, and Zorobabel fathered Rhesa, and Rhesa fathered
Joanna, and Joanna fathered Juda, and Juda fathered Joseph, and Joseph
fathered Semei, and Semei fathered Mattathias, and Mattathias fathered
Maath, and Maath fathered Naggai, and Naggai fathered Esli, and Esli
fathered Naum, and Naum fathered Amos, and Amos fathered Mattathias,
and Mattathias fathered Joseph, and Joseph fathered Janna, and Janna
fathered Melchi, and Melchi fathered Levi, and Levi fathered Matthat,
and Matthat fathered Heli who later died, and Heli's widow, according
to the Law of the Jews, was married to his stepbrother Jacob for to raise
up seed unto Heli, Jacob then fathered Joseph, who was supposed or presumed
by some to be father to Jesus, and who was the husband to be of the virgin,
Mary, of whom was born the Seed of the woman from the Holy Spirit of
God before their union where they were to come together: Jesus, who is
called Christ - the Messiah - the Son of God.
Now the lineage of Jacob, who fathered Joseph,
the husband to be of Mary, also comes another way from the lineage
of King David. Beside Nathan, David also fathered King Solomon
by the wife of Uriah, the Hittite - Bathsheba - after David sinned
against the Lord, having taken her, and having had her husband
murdered in battle. Solomon then fathered Rehoboam, and Rehoboam
fathered Abijah, and Abijah fathered Asa, and Asa fathered Jehoshaphat,
and Jehoshaphat fathered Joram, and Joram fathered Uzziah, and Uzziah
fathered Jotham, and Jotham fathered Ahaz, and Ahaz fathered Hezekiah,
and Hezekiah fathered Manasseh, and Manasseh fathered Amon, and
Amon fathered Josiah, and Josiah fathered Jechoniah and his brethren
at the time of the exile to Babylon, and after the exile Jechoniah
fathered Salathiel, and Salathiel fathered Zorobabel, and Zorobabel
fathered Abiud, and Abiud fathered Eliakim, and Eliakim fathered Azor,
and Azor fathered Sadoc, and Sadoc fathered Achim, and Achim fathered
Eliud, and Eliud fathered Eleazar, and Eleazar fathered Matthan, and
Matthan fathered Jacob, and Jacob, who was stepbrother to Heli, and
who married Heli's widow for to raise seed unto his brother, fathered
Joseph, the husband to be of the virgin Mary, in whom was conceived,
and out of whom was born, Jesus the Messiah from the Holy Spirit of
God as a Source, before she knew any man intimately; for the sin nature
is transmitted by the man; thus Jesus is the sinless, visible Manifestation
of the sinless, invisible Father, YHWH God; and by virtue of this
fact, he is the Son of God - given in order that we may comprehend,
be saved, and then attain, unto God.
There are therefore, ten generations from Adam
unto Noah, and ten generations from Noah unto Abraham, and fourteen
generations from Abraham unto David, and fourteen generations from
David unto the captivity in Babylon, and fourteen generations from
the captivity in Babylon unto the Christ.
VI. The Promise of the Baptist to Come (Lk 1:5-25)
There was in the days of Herod the Great, king
of Judaea, circa B.C. 5, a certain priest named Zachariah, of
the daily course of Abia - a weekly allotted rotational service
for the Jewish temple. And his wife was of the daughters of Aaron;
and her name was Elizabeth. They were both just and righteous in
the sight of God, walking or living blamelessly in all of the commandments
and ordinances of the Lord. They were childless, because Elizabeth
was barren, and they were both well advanced with respect to age.
And it happened that during his course, officiating
as priest in the presence of God according to priestly custom,
entering into the temple of the Lord, it was his turn to burn incense.
And the whole multitude of people were praying outside during the
time of the incense. Now an angel of the Lord appeared unto him, standing
to the right of the altar of incense. And seeing this, Zachariah
was shaken, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Be
not frightened, Zachariah, but relax, in as much as God has received
and heard your prayer, supplication, petition and entreaty. And your
wife, Elizabeth, will bear unto you a son; and you shall call his
name "John." He shall be your exultation and gladness, and many will be
full of joy over his birth, because he will be great, important, of
moment in the presence and estimation of the Lord. And he can not at
all drink wine or strong drink, but he will be filled with,and under
the full influence of the Holy Spirit - even from his mother's womb.
And he will turn many of the sons of Israel toward the Lord their God.
And he will immediately precede him as a forerunner and precursor in
the spirit and power of the prophet Elijah, to turn around and bring back
father's hearts toward their children, and to turn disobedient, noncompliant
and resistant persons into righteous, correct, proper persons with common
sense, a thoughtful frame and right mindedness - to make ready a multitude
of people prepared for the Lord."
And Zachariah said to the angel, "By what shall
I be assured and settled concerning this thing? For I am a person
advanced in years, and my wife is advanced in her days also." And
responding the angel said unto him, " I am Gabriel - the one who
has stood in attendance before God; and I was enlisted and sent forth
to speak, unto you, and to proclaim unto you these glad tidings. But
lo and behold: you remain silent and unable to speak until which day
these things can occur, because you did not believe my words which will
be realized, accomplished and fulfilled in their own time."
Now the people were expecting Zachariah, and
they marveled at his delay in the temple; but coming out he
was unable to speak to them, and they knew that he had seen a
vision in the temple, for he was gesturing to them and remained dumb.
And it happened that when his term of service was completed, he left
unto his house. And after these days, Elizabeth, his wife conceived,
and concealed herself for five months saying, "The Lord has thus put
into execution, effected, or brought to pass and caused to be unto me
my present estate where at this time he favorably looked upon me for
to take away or remove my reproach or disgrace among men." For it was
a shame not to be able to bear children in her day.
VII. The Announcement of the Coming of Messiah (Lk 1:26-38)
Now in the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy,
the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee called
Nazareth, to a virgin who had been betrothed or affianced for wife
to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house or family of David. The
name of the virgin was Mary, being about fourteen years old. And entering
unto her the angel said, "Be rejoicing! You have been freely favored
with gracious visitation! The Lord is with you! You have been the object
of favor and blessing among women!" And seeing the angel, she became greatly
troubled at his word, and was pondering or considering what kind of greeting
this might be.
And the angel said unto her, "Be not frightened,
Mary, but relax; for you have won favor and acceptance with
God. Now pay attention! You will conceive in your womb and be pregnant,
and you shall bear and bring forth a son, and you shall call his
name Jesus. This One will be great, weighty, important, extraordinary,
distinguished, of moment, and will be regarded or named Son of the
Most High: and the Lord God will commit to his charge, or assign to
him, the throne of David, his remote progenitor; and He shall possess
regal authority, and reign over the house of Jacob forever; and there
will be no attained finish, end or completion of his kingdom."
And Mary said unto the angel, "How will this
be, since I have not intimately or carnally known a male?"
And responding, the angel said to her, "The Holy
Spirit will immediately come upon you with respect and purpose,
and the miraculous power of the Most High will shed influence
upon you, on which account that holy, pure, consecrated child being
born, generated or produced out of you will even be called the
Son of God. And Lo! Elizabeth, your relative and kinswoman: she has
also conceived and become pregnant with a son in her old age; and for
the one being regarded or designated as barren - unable to bear children
- this is her sixth month; for regarding each declaration of God, none
will be rendered impotent, disabled or impossible."
And Mary said, "Behold the Lord's slave: may
it be to me according to your promise." And the angel departed
from her.
VIII. Mary Visits Elizabeth (Lk 1:39-56)
And in these days, rising up, Mary quickly journeyed
into the hill country to a city of Judah, and entered into the
house of Zachariah and greeted Elizabeth. And it occurred that as
Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth was filled and under the full influence of the Holy
Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud voice, "Favored are you among
women; and blessed is the Fruit of your womb! And whence is this circumstance
to me, that the mother of my Lord should come unto me? For, behold,
as the sound of your salutation came to my ears, the babe in my womb
leaped in extreme joy. And the one believing, is fortunate; for there
shall be a fulfillment to the declarations from the Lord to her."
And Mary said, "My soul is extolling the Lord;
and my spirit has celebrated in the presence of God my Savior;
for he has compassionately regarded with favor and kindness the
mean, low, abject condition of his handmaiden. For behold, from this
present time, all generations will felicitate me, pronounce me happy,
and deem me fortunate! For God Almighty has done great and wonderful
things unto me; and holy is his Name; and his pity, mercy and compassion
is extended to generations of progeny, unto those reverencing and
reverentially fearing him. He displayed might with his arm. He confused
the presumptuous, haughty and arrogant in the thought function
of their minds. He degraded the power of princes, and deposed or
threw down sovereigns and potentates from dominion, and elevated,
uplifted and exalted the lowly and humble. He filled and satisfied
the hungering and desirous with good, beneficent things, and he sent away
empty-handed those that are satiated and rich. He aided and assisted
Israel his servant to be mindful of the benefit resulting from mercy
and kindness - even as he announced or declared to our fathers - to
Abraham and to his offspring or progeny forever." And Mary stayed
with Elizabeth about three months, and then returned to her house.
IX. The Preparation of Joseph (Mt 1:18-25)
Now, the nativity of Jesus Christ began in this
way: for Mary, his mother, being betrothed or affianced to Joseph,
she was discovered to be pregnant with child by and through the
efficient, causative means of the Holy Spirit before their conjunction
or union. And Joseph, her man, being just, and unwilling to
make an example of her, or to expose her to ignominy and shame,
intended to mercifully release and dismiss her in secret. But while
he meditated and pondered these things in his mind, lo! An angel
of the Lord appeared at the same time, like as a dream, saying, "Joseph
Ben David, you should not be reluctant, waver or scruple to take
Mary to your side, receiving her as your wife; for that in her, begotten
of the Spirit, is consecrated, holy - set apart from that which
is common or profane. And she will surely bring forth a son, and
you shall call his name Jesus; for he will certainly deliver and
set free his people from their errors, offenses, and sins."
Now all this happened so that that spoken by
the Lord through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled, saying:
"The Lord himself will give you a sign: Behold! The virgin will
with certainty be with child external and foreign to her environment,
and will bring forth a Son; And they will call his name "Immanuel"
which is translated: "God with us."" And Joseph, being thoroughly
aroused and awakened from his sleep, did as the angel of the Lord
commanded him, and accepted her as his wife, and did not know her carnally
until after she brought forth her firstborn son, and he called his
name Jesus, which means "YHWH Saves." This was in accomplishment of
the prophecy of Isaiah, hundreds of years before, saying: "Unto us a
child is born; unto us a son is given: and the government shall be
upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor,
the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the
increase of his government and peace there will be no end: upon the
throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish
it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even forever. The
zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this."
X. The Birth of John the Baptist (Lk 1:57-80)
Now before this, it was early spring of B.C.
4, and Elizabeth's time to bear was brought to a close, and she
gave birth to a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that
the Lord had magnified his mercy with her, and they rejoiced with
her. And it was on the eighth day that they came to circumcise the
child, and they kept calling him by the name of his father, Zachariah.
But his mother insisted, "No way! However, he shall be called John."
And they said to her, "There is not one of your kindred or relatives
who is called by this name." And they gestured to his father what he might
want him to be called. And asking for a tablet he wrote saying: "His name
is John." And all wondered. And instantly his mouth was opened, and his
tounge released, and he spoke eulogizing God. And fear came upon all those
dwelling around them, and all these facts were rumored in all the hill
country of Judea. All those hearing, retained it in mind, saying, "What
will this child be then?" And the Lord's hand was with him.
And his father, Zachariah, was under the full
influence of, and controlled by, the Holy Spirit, and prophesied,
saying, "Worthy of praise and blessing be the Lord, the God of Israel;
because he graciously visited and intervened, and caused to take
place liberation and deliverance for his people, and caused a Horn
[symbolic of power] of salvation and deliverance to arise for
us in the house or family of his servant, David, according as he
spoke through the faculty of speech of his holy prophets of old:
deliverance from our enemies and adversaries, and out of the hand of
those detesting, abhorring, hating and regarding us with ill will:
to perfect and fulfill kindness, blessing and mercy with our fathers,
and to remember his holy covenant - the solemn oath which he swore
to our father Abraham: to fearlessly deliver and supply to us out
of the hand of our enemies and adversaries, while receiving rescue
and deliverance for to render homage, service and worship unto him
in piety, consecration, holiness, rectitude and virtue, in his presence,
all of the days of our life. And you, child, will be called a prophet
of the Most High. For you will precede in advance, ahead of the personal
presence and appearance of the Lord, to prepare and make ready his
way: to bring, supply, reveal and teach salvational knowledge to his
people through the dismission, remission, pardon and forgiveness of their
sins and offenses, because of the tender affections of mercy, pity and
compassion in the heart of our God, whereby the Dawn from the height above
has visited us with gracious interposition, to illuminate those dwelling
in the realm of thickest darkness and the imminent deathly shadow: to
direct and guide our feet aright into a way, system or course pursuing
felicity and every type of good and blessing." And the child grew,
and became strong in spirit, and remained in the rural areas until
the day of his revelation unto the people of Israel in the summer of
A.D. 26.
XI. The Birth of Jesus - The First Christmas (Lk 2:1-20)
Now it was in those days, while Herod the Great
was still King, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus
that all of the inhabited earth was to be registered. This was
the first registration, made when Quirinius was governing Syria,
and all went to be registered, each one into their own city. And
in the fall of B.C. 4, near the time of Succoth, the feast of tabernacles
or booths which signifies the clothing of God with flesh, Joseph
also went up out of the city of Nazareth in Galilee into Judea, and
into the city of David which is called Bethlehem - him being of the
house and family of David - for to be registered with Mary, who was
affianced to him for wife, being pregnant. And it occurred while they
were there that her days for bearing were completed, and she brought
forth her firstborn son, and she wrapped him in swaddling-cloths and
laid him in the manger because there was no place for them in the
inn.
And there were shepherds in the same country,
remaining out in the open, and keeping guard over their flock
that night; and behold! An angel of the Lord suddenly came upon
them, and the dazzling luster and radiance of the Lord shone all
around them, and they became terrified with great fear. And the
angel said to them, "Be not afraid, but relax! For behold! I am
announcing and proclaiming good news - addressing you with glad tidings
which will be a great joy to all the people; for a Savior is presently
born to you in the city of David, who is Messiah, Christ, the Lord!
And this is your sign: you will find a babe that has been wrapped in
swaddling-cloths, lying in the manger." And suddenly there appeared
with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and
saying, "Glory to God above; and on earth peace towards recognized,
approved, sanctioned individuals [thus human beings favoured by grace
through their faith]."
And as the angels departed from them into heaven,
it occurred that those men, even the shepherds, said to one another,
"Let us in earnest proceed unto Bethlehem, that we might now see
this thing that has come to pass which the Lord has declared and revealed
to us." And hurrying they came, and by diligently searching they
found both Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger. And
upon witnessing this, they told abroad all about the declaration spoken
to them concerning this child; and all those hearing them marvelled
about the things that were told to them by these shepherds; but Mary
retained all these sayings, turning them over in her mind; and the
shepherds went back to their flock, worshipping and praising God over
all the things they had seen and heard, even as was spoken for their
benefit.
XII. The Magi Come to Him (Mt 2:1-12)
Now behold, during the days of King Herod the
Great, Jesus having been born in Bethlehem of Judea, sages from
the east, of the Magian religion, arrived and came into Jerusalem,
maintaining, "Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we
saw his star in the east, and have come to fall down and reverence
him in worship." And hearing this, King Herod became consternated,
and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all of the chief priests
and scribes of the people, he persistently inquired from them where
Messiah, the Christ, was being born. And they said unto him, "In
Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it has been written and currently says
through the prophet Micah, "And you, Bethlehem of the land of Judah,
you are by no means least in the estimation of the guides or leaders
of Judah; for out of you shall proceed to govern he who will rule my
people Israel - whose goings forth are from of old, from eternity [Messiah
was eternally pre-existent with God prior to his incarnation - John 1:1].""
Then Herod, secretly calling the Magians, carefully and assiduously
inquired from them the time of the star's appearing. And sending them
to Bethlehem, he said, "In your going, I command you to diligently and
accurately inquire, search out, and interrogate concerning the babe;
and when you find him, I command you to report back your findings to
me so that I can go; and I will fall down and reverence him in worship
also." And having heard the king, they passed on their way.
And behold, the star which they saw in the east
went ahead of them until it came and settled above where the infant
was. And beholding the star they vehemently rejoiced with intense
gladness; and entering into the abode they saw the infant with his
mother, Mary, and falling down in homage they reverenced him by prostration.
Then opening their treasure chests they presented to him gifts: gold,
and frankincense [a clear gum distilled from incisions in the arbor
thurifera tree in Arabia and Mt. Lebanon which is used to make perfume
and incense], and myrrh [a bitter aromatic resin obtained from incisions
in the small prickly commiphora myrrh tree in Arabia and Abyssinia
which is also used to make incense and perfume]. Then they departed,
having been divinely instructed by receiving a warning from God through
a dream not to return unto Herod, and they went back a different way
into their province.
XIII. The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple (Lk 2:21-38)
Now when the end of eight days had arrived for
to circumcise the babe, his name was called Jesus, as designated
by the angel prior to his conception. And after the days of Mary's
ceremonial purification were completed according to the Law of
Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to dedicate, consecrate, and
present him to the Lord - as it has been written in the Law of the Lord:
"Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever opens the womb among
the offspring of Israel, of man and of beast: it is mine;" and to present
a sacrifice according to that directed in the Law of the Lord, "If she not
be able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring a pair of turtle doves, or
two young pigeons."
And behold! there was a man in Jerusalem whose
name was Simeon, who was an absolutely just and reverentially
devout man, anticipating the solace or consolation of Israel; and
the Holy Spirit was upon him; and it occurred to him, having been
divinely educated, receiving revelation by means of the Holy Spirit,
that he is not to experience death before or sooner than he can see
Messiah, the Christ of the Lord. And he came by the Spirit into the
temple, and he accepted him into his arms as the parents came to bring
in the infant Jesus to do according to their customary law concerning
him. He praised God and said: "Sovereign Lord, now be permitting or
allowing your slave to die in peace according to your promise; for
my eyes have beheld your Salvation which you have prepared and made
ready in the presence of - in the face of - all peoples: a Light for
spiritual enlightenment of the heathen nations or Gentile peoples,
and a crowning Glory of your people Israel." And Joseph and his mother
were marvelling at the things being said concerning him, and Simeon
blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, "Behold, this child is being
solemnly appointed and specially placed for the rise and fall, or exaltation
and ruin, of many in Israel, and destined as a sign or signal character
to be decried, denigrated or spoken against. Yea regarding you, woman:
a thrill of anguish will pierce or impale her human soul, in order that
the thoughts and intentions of many hearts might be disclosed."
And there was Anna, a prophetess and daughter
of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher: she was very old, being a
widow of eighty-four years, having lived seven years with a husband
from her virginity, who departed not from the temple, serving night
and day with fasting and prayers. And coming upon them at that same
time, she gave thanks to the Lord and spoke about him to all those
eagerly expecting redemption in Jerusalem.
XIV. The Flight to Egypt (Mt 2:13-23; Lk 2:39-40)
Now having accomplished all things that were
according to the Law of the Lord, they departed. Then behold,
an angel of the Lord appearing to Joseph through a dream said, "Rise
up! Take with you the child and his mother and flee into Egypt;
and stay there until I can tell you more; for Herod is about to
seek the babe, intending to destroy him." So rising up, he took the
babe and his mother and departed into Egypt by night, and stayed there
until Herod's demise, in order that the thing spoken by the Lord through
the prophet Hosea might be fulfilled: "Out of Egypt I have called
my son." Then Herod, seeing that he was trifled with by the Magians,
became greatly angered and passionately enraged, and through the means
of sending forth soldiers, he truly up and murdered all the male children
from two years old and under in Bethlehem and all of its districts,
according to the ascertained time which he assiduously inquired
of the Magians. Then that spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was
fulfilled, saying, "A cry was heard in Ramah: shrieking, weeping,
bitter lamentation and wailing; Rachel, weeping for her children,
refused to be comforted, because they were not."
And behold, Herod having died, an angel of the
Lord appearing to Joseph in Egypt through a dream said, "Rise
up! Take along the child and his mother and go into the land
of Israel; for those seeking the life of the child have died." So,
rising up, he took along the child and his mother and came into
the land of Israel. But hearing that Archelaus was reigning as ethnarch
over Judea in place of his father Herod, he became apprehensive,
fearfully anxious and reluctant to go there; so receiving concessive
revelation from God through a dream, he withdrew into the area of
Galilee, and arriving, he stayed and settled in their city called
Nazareth, that it might receive fulfilment which was spoken by
the prophets: "He shall be called a Nazarene." And the babe grew,
and aquired spiritual strength, becoming consummate in wisdom; and
the influence and graciously bestowed endowment of God was upon
him.
XV. Jesus at Twelve (Lk 2:41-52)