The Lord's Birth And Boyhood

by T.M. Hyland, Birkenhead | Category: The Days Of His Flesh | Jan 1974

"When the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman,... that He might redeem" (Gal. 4:4,5).

In these words the apostle Paul summarizes the momentous theme which will occupy various writers in this series of articles in ensuing months, if the Lord will. The heading to the series, "The Days of His Flesh", 5 culled from Hebrews 5:7. No more sacred subject can engage human thought. We are to trace the steps of our Incarnate Lord from the manger to the cross, and then view His triumphant return to the Father - mission accomplished. Let us do so with burning hearts and unshod feet.

It had to happen. Amid the ruin of Eden the Creator measured the challenge, and looked down the ages to "new heavens and a new earth". The first man, made in the image of God, renounced his high vocation and chose to take his own way. The madness of that choice has been exposed throughout the centuries of human history. Sin and death have reigned supreme. But there was always the bright star of divine promise shining in the darkness. There would be a second Man, the Seed of the woman, who would restore that which He took not away. He would delight to do God's will, as it was all written in the roll of the book (Heb. 10:7). The path ahead, plotted through the centuries, would lead Him to Bethlehem, to Nazareth, to Gethsemane, to Gabbatha and to Golgotha.

At the appointed time it happened. Rising from His throne in unapproachable light, the great King of the Ages laid aside the robes of imperial majesty, took a servant's form, and entered the stream of human life by birth from a human mother. Wonder of wonders I The Creator Himself was in the world in human form:

"Ye everlasting hills I ye angels bow I

Bow, ye redeemed of men I - God was made flesh,

And dwelt with man on earth I the Son of God,

Only begotten and well beloved,

Put human nature on."

This was the great climax of the ages; creation waited for it, many prophets and righteous men longed to see it, angels desired to look into it. The Redeemer was born at the time, in the place, and in the manner prescribed in the prophetic word. No earthly pomp attended His arrival; He borrowed no majesty from earth;

"He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not" (John 1:10).

The record

Contemporary secular historians did not do justice to the greatest event in human history. Along with the rest of the world they "knew Him not". There is, of course, ample independent evidence from Jewish and pagan sources to establish the historical reality of Jesus of Nazareth (see Runaway World, Michael Green, Inter-Varsity Press, 1968). But for the sacred task of recording "the days of His flesh" God chose the four men whose names are given to the Gospel narratives. Here we find the authentic Christ. The selection and presentation of the mighty acts and imperishable sayings of the Incarnate Word are under the control of the Divine Spirit who was sent at Pentecost to glorify the absent Redeemer. To these precious records, unique in content and style, bearing the hall-mark of truth, we now reverently turn our attention.

Matthew and Luke, each in keeping with his particular presentation of the Christ, supply details of our Lord's birth and infancy. Both give a genealogy of His human ancestry. Matthew proves that He was a descendant of Abraham and David; Luke traces back His ancestry through Seth to Adam. Space forbids comment on the significance of these genealogies. Readers are referred to the helpful treatment of them by Dr C. M. Luxmoore in Bible Readings on the Gospels (a reprint of articles published in Needed Truth, Vol.14). Mark begins his record with the ministry of John the Baptist, while John in his prologue gives the eternal pre-history of the Word, and then identifies the Incarnate Christ in the sublime declaration:

"And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).

Our treatment of the account of our Lord's birth and boyhood must of necessity be restricted. We will look briefly at the facts as revealed; they speak with greater force than any attempted exposition of them.

The Forerunner

In accordance with the prophetic word (Mark 1:2,3), before the Christ was presented to Israel a voice would be heard in the wilderness preparing His way. This mission was to be entrusted to the great man we now know as John the Baptist. He was to be the last great prophet of the Old Covenant, and the link between Old and New. His imminent birth was announced to his father Zacharias, a godly priest of the Aaronic order, as he fulfilled his rota of service in the Temple. The priests lived in various parts of the land of Israel, and came into residence in the Temple only for their week on duty, twice a year. Entering the sanctuary to burn incense, Zacharias saw the angel Gabriel standing at the right side of the altar of incense and he was greatly troubled. The angel reassured him and then gave him the tidings that his wife Elizabeth would bear a son who would be the honoured herald of the great Messiah. Details of this remarkable interview are given in Luke 1:8-23. The disbelief of Zacharias astonished the heavenly messenger. We can almost sense the amazement of Gabriel that a mere man would dare to question the decree of the Most High:

"I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and I was sent to speak unto thee, and to bring thee these good tidings. And behold, thou shalt be silent and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall come to pass, because thou believedst not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season" (Luke 1:19,20).

According to promise, at the appointed time, the child was born, was filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb, waxed strong and was prepared in the deserts until the day of his showing unto Israel.

The Virgin Mother

Six months later the angel Gabriel, standing in the presence of God, was entrusted with a further Messianic mission. He was sent this time, not to the great Temple at Jerusalem, but to a humble home in Nazareth of Galilee, to a Hebrew maiden named Mary who was betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The heavenly messenger was aware of the great honour to be bestowed on this humble peasant girl. His greeting, "Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee", troubled and perplexed her. Then came the astounding message:

"Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: and He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end" (Luke 1:30-33).

There was no mistaking the import of that declaration. Every godly maiden of the house of David was aware that some day one of them would be the mother of the great Messiah. Mary realized at once that she had been chosen for this high purpose. Her question, "How?" was not born of unbelief but of reverent perception. The answer of Gabriel gave her complete assurance. Beneath the overshadowing power of the Most High, by the operation of the Divine Spirit, the miracle of incarnation would be wrought in her womb. Here the Second Man, the Lord from heaven, would be clothed with human flesh. Like Mary we accept in worshipping faith the angel's message. She was willing to present herself without reserve as the vehicle of our Saviour's humanity:

"Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word" (Luke 1:38).

Great and noble woman! "Surely many Christians err as greatly in withholding reverence and honour from Mary as some persons do in yielding her idolatrous homage!" (C. M. Luxmoore).

The account of Mary's visit to the home of her kinswoman Elizabeth is a choice part of Luke's nativity record (1:39-55). As these two godly women met, Elizabeth and her unborn child joyfully acknowledged the presence of Messiah in the womb of the virgin. Mary responded with a sublime poetic utterance which indicates her profound insight into divine purposes. After a stay of three months in the home of Elizabeth, Mary returned to her Nazareth home. Thus these two honoured women had ample time for that sweet fellowship which is the preserve of the righteous. They had so much in common as they communed or the respective missions assigned to their unborn sons.

Righteous Joseph

Mary was espoused to a husband, Joseph, who although a working carpenter, was in the royal lineage of the house of David. In a Jewish marriage there are two separate ceremonies. First, the espousal, and then a year later the wedding ceremony, following which the husband brought his bride to his own home. Knowing what a godly maiden Mary was, Joseph was greatly troubled when during the period of their betrothal she was found to be with child. What course should he take? He decided that to protect her from open shame he would divorce her privately. Before taking this step his anxiety was relieved by a message from an angel of the Lord: "Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 1:20). With this assurance the marriage was arranged and Joseph took his wife to his home but "knew her not till she had brought forth a Son".

The unadorned simplicity of Matthew's record of these events has the ring of truth and the witness of the notable prophecy of Isaiah, which he quotes:

"Behold, the virgin shall be with Child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is, being interpreted, God with us" (Matt. 1:23).

If we should honour Mary for her willingness to be the vehicle of the

Incarnation we should also honour Joseph her husband for giving Mary the shelter of his home and the protection of his name.

Bethlehem

The four days' journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem was difficult enough in those days but Mary's condition made it still more hazardous. The ways of God are past tracing out. On the human side the decree of a Roman emperor sent Joseph and Mary on that journey, but as always divine sovereignty secured its objective with perfect precision. The royal city of Bethlehem, crowded with guests, went about its business unaware that David's greater Son was about to be born there. The place chosen for Messiah's nativity had been clearly indicated in the prophecy of Micah:

"But thou, Bethlehem Ephrathah, which art little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall One come forth unto Me that is to be Ruler in Israel; whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting" (5:2).

But the city had no hospitality to offer. Joseph and Mary were housed that night in the stable of an inn or, as some think, in a cave cut out of a rock beneath a guest-house, and used for the shelter of animals. In this secluded spot when the moment of birth arrived Immanuel emerged from the virgin's womb. Mary's hands wrapped Him tenderly in swaddling clothes and laid Him gently in a manger.

Meanwhile, a few shepherds watching by night over their flock in pasture near the city were startled and terrified by the appearance of an angel of the Lord. The heavenly messenger, when he had stilled their fears, gave them the joyful tidings of the Saviour's birth. Suddenly a great host of angels arrived and joined in concert to celebrate the occasion. If Bethlehem was unaware of her visitation the heavenly host could not be silent. The stillness of the night was broken by that joyous chorus of praise to the Highest. The shepherds listened enthralled, then as the strains faded they hurried to Bethlehem to search for the Babe whose advent had been the cause of angelic jubilation. They found Him just as the angel had said, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. Favoured shepherds I From their lips Bethlehem first heard the good tidings, and from their grateful hearts joyful praise ascended to the court of heaven. Mary noted it all with increasing wonder.

The Holy Child

All the rites of the Mosaic law were meticulously observed by Mary and Joseph (Lev. 12). On the eighth day the Babe was circumcized and named. Then on the fortieth day Mary brought her purification sacrifice to the Temple, and presented her Firstborn to the Lord. As she was too poor to provide a lamb for sacrifice she brought a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. Neither the priest who took her offerings nor the Temple officials on duty that day, were aware that Messiah had come to His Temple. Jerusalem, as Bethlehem, knew Him not. Had it not been for two godly watchers who were waiting for this historic event the infant Messiah would have been carried from the Temple unrecognized. But the aged Simeon was at hand and took the Babe in his welcoming arms - the crowning experience of his long life. In the power of the Spirit he uttered an inspired oracle, then, blessing Mary, he told of the deep sorrow which would be hers as the mother of the suffering Messiah. The little group was then joined by Anna, another aged pilgrim, who, recognizing the infant Redeemer, gave thanks to God and spoke words of hope to any around who like herself were eagerly waiting for the fulfilment of the Messianic promises. These were among the excellent in the earth, a godly remnant among a backsliding people.

It would appear from Luke's narrative that the holy family then travelled back to their Nazareth home. Meanwhile, according to Matthew's account, a star had appeared in the east and was followed by wise men seeking to pay tribute to the great King whose birth it heralded. Thus Messiah's indisputable right to David's throne was acknowledged by enlightened Gentiles. Their memorable meeting with the young Child and His mother, and the gifts they offered to Him, are graphically pictured in a single verse (Matt. 2:11). These Gentile worshippers were the harbinger of a mighty host from every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, who will swell the praise of heaven on the great coronation day (Rev. 5:11-14). While the King's advent brought joy to the Magi it aroused the satanic fury of king Herod. His cunning plan to kill the young Child was foiled by the wise men who did not return to disclose His whereabouts. Then Herod, notorious for his cruelty, commanded the slaughter of all the young children, from two years old and under, in Bethlehem and its environs. But Joseph had already been instructed by an angel to flee with Mary and the Child into Egypt. Many innocent children perished and Herod was left to answer for his fearful crime. The sword was drawn which would not be sheathed until it had pierced through Mary's soul. The kings of the earth had begun to set themselves against the Lord and against His Anointed.

The sudden flight into Egypt and the return after the death of Herod is another example of the working of divine sovereignty. Thus was fulfilled the prophetic word, "Out of Egypt did I call My Son" (Matt. 2:15).

(For possible variations in the order of events covered in this paragraph, see Bible Readings on the Gospels, p.18.)

Nazareth

Until He was thirty years of age the Eternal Word was to be prepared, in the Nazareth home of Joseph and Mary, for His great mission. There He would grow through infancy and boyhood to manhood, there He would advance in wisdom and stature and in favour with God and with men. He would be subject to His parents, He would study the Old Covenant Scriptures, He would work at the carpenter's bench and live a flawless, sinless life in a despised city. The Spirit of God has drawn a curtain over those years of preparation. It was as though the Father willed that those years of unbroken communion with the Son should be His preserve alone. Thus the Gospel narrative gives but one brief glimpse of the Boy Jesus at the age of twelve.

The occasion was one of the yearly visits to Jerusalem to keep the feast of the Passover. It was not until the returning pilgrims had gone a day's journey on the road to Nazareth that Joseph and Mary discovered that the Boy was not in the company. They returned to Jerusalem and after a three days' search they found Him. As we close this short study of our Lord's infancy and boyhood let the picture drawn by Luke, inspired by the Divine Spirit, stir our hearts afresh:

"They found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions; and all that heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. And when they saw Him, they were astonished: and His mother said unto Him, Son, why hast Thou thus dealt with us? behold, Thy father and I sought Thee sorrowing. And He said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be in My Father's house? And they understood not the saying.... And He went down with them, and came to Nazareth; and He was subject unto them" (Luke 2:46-51).

"He grew in human stature,

In every childlike grace;

He lived a life most holy

In all His youthful days;

Attaining manhood's ripeness,

Midst sinners sinless He;

And though in human likeness,

From human errors free."

T.M. Hyland, Birkenhead | Jan 1974
The Days Of His Flesh