Lesson 3: “Unto You Is Born … a Saviour”
New Testament Class Member Study Guide, (1997), 3
What were the circumstances of Jesus’ birth? (See Luke 2:7.) In what ways do people today refuse to make room for the Savior in their lives? What can you do to make room for him in your life?
Why did Jesus come to earth? (See 3 Nephi 27:13–16.)
What did the “wise men from the east” do when they found the child Jesus? (See Matthew 2:11.) What gifts can you offer to the Lord?
As a youth, Jesus “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” (Luke 2:52). In other words, he developed intellectually, physically, spiritually, and socially. What are some specific things you can do to grow intellectually, physically, spiritually, and socially?
Suggestion for Family Discussion
Read lines from several hymns or Primary songs about Jesus’ birth, and invite family members to identify the hymns or songs. Sing one of the hymns or songs as a family, and discuss the importance of remembering Jesus’ birth throughout the year rather than just during the Christmas season.
Scripture Chain: Jesus’ Birth
Start Lesson
NT Gospel Doctrine Lesson 3 - Unto you is Born a Savior -
Matthew 2, Luke 2
Luke 2 and Matthew 2 are the Christmas story as we alluded last week. However, we aren’t going to start there. We are going back to the beginning and will tie back in with the Christmas story.
I’m going to refer to what is now called an apocryphal book, but is found in many ancient sources. The First Book of Adam and Eve also called “The Conflict of Adam and Eve with Satan”.
In an introduction paragraph it says the following, referring to the story of the creation in Genesis.
“The familiar version in Genesis (of Adam and Eve) is not the source of this fundamental legend, it is not a spontaneous, Heaven-born account that sprang into place in the Old Testament. It is simply a version, unexcelled perhaps, but a version of a myth or belief or account handed down by word of mouth from generation to generation of mankind-through the incoherent, unrecorded ages of man it came--like an inextinguishable ray of light that ties the time when human life began, with the time when the human mind could express itself and the human hand could write.” (The First Book of Adam and Eve, modern introduction)
“That the Adam and Eve story pervaded the thoughts of ancient writers is seen in the large number of versions that exist, or whose existence may be traced, through the writings of Greeks, Syrians, Egyptians, Abyssinians, Hebrews, and other ancient peoples.”
There are parts of this particular story in the Talmud, the Koran and elsewhere showing the vital role it played. This version is the work of unknown Egyptians and has been impossible to date. This English version was translated by a Dr. Malan, Vicar of Broadwindsor who was translating from an Ethiopic edition in the 1920’s.
In the early text of Conflict of Adam and Eve Against Satan, the couple have been cast out of the Garden, and spend much of the 2 books mourning the loss of the beauty and glory of the Garden. After a series of events, where Satan tempts and tries Adam and Eve, he appears to them and tries them again.
In this instance, he appears with his demonic host as angels of light. Satan tells them that God has sent him to take them near the Garden, to be bathed or baptized in water, in order to be cleansed so they can re-enter the Garden. Adam and Eve follow Satan, who takes them to the top of a mountain, where he intends to push them off and kill them. Chapter 28…
4 Then Satan, the hater of all good, said unto Adam, "O Adam, I am an angel of the great God; and, behold the hosts that surround me.
5 "God has sent me and them to take thee and bring thee to the border of the garden northwards; to the shore of the clear sea, and bathe thee and Eve in it, and raise you to your former gladness, that ye return again to the garden." …
10 But when they came to the mountain to the north of the garden, a very high mountain, without any steps to the top of it, the Devil drew near to Adam and Eve, and made them go up to the top in reality, and not in a vision; wishing, as he did, to throw them down and kill them, and to wipe off their name from the earth; so that this earth should remain to him and his hosts alone. (1st Book of Adam and Eve, chapter 28).
Satan pretended to be the chief of the host of heaven, Yahweh the Angel of the Lord’s Presence, and the Captain of the army or host of heaven. In this precarious position, God calls to Adam and warns him of the deception. Adam weeps and begs for some boon or blessing from the Garden. God calls forth his three main arch-angels: Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Chapter 29
1 BUT when the merciful God saw that Satan wished to kill Adam with his manifold devices, and saw that Adam was meek and without guile, God spake unto Satan in a loud voice, and cursed him.
2 Then he and his hosts fled, and Adam and Eve remained standing on the top of the mountain, whence they saw below them the wide world, high above which they were. But they saw none of the host which anon were by them.
3 They wept, both Adam and Eve, before God, and begged for forgiveness of Him.
4 Then came the Word from God to Adam, and said unto him, "Know thou and understand concerning this Satan, that he seeks to deceive thee and thy seed after thee."
5 And Adam wept before the Lord God, and begged and entreated Him to give him something from the garden, as a token to him, wherein to be comforted.
6 And God looked upon Adam's thought, and sent the angel Michael as far as the sea that reaches unto India, to take from thence golden rods and bring them to Adam.
7 This did God in His wisdom, in order that these golden rods, being with Adam in the cave, should shine forth with light in the night around him, and put an end to his fear of the darkness.
8 Then the angel Michael went down by God's order, took golden rods, as God had commanded him, and brought them to God. (chapter 29).
The Lord then called forth Gabriel, the angel of the Annunciation (Chapter 30):
1 AFTER these things, God commanded the angel Gabriel to go down to the garden, and say to the cherub who kept it, "Behold, God has commanded me to come into the garden, and to take thence sweet smelling incense, and give it to Adam."
2 Then the angel Gabriel went down by God's order to the garden, and told the cherub as God had commanded him.
3 The cherub then said, "Well." And Gabriel went in and took the incense.
4 Then God commanded His angel Raphael to go down to the garden, and speak to the cherub about some myrrh, to give to Adam.
5 And the angel Raphael went down and told the cherub as God had commanded him, and the cherub said, "Well." Then Raphael went in and took the myrrh.
6 The golden rods were from the Indian sea, where there are precious stones. The incense was from the eastern border of the garden; and the myrrh from the western border, whence bitterness came upon Adam.
7 And the angels brought these three things to God, by the Tree of Life, in the garden.
8 Then God said to the angels, "Dip them in the spring of water; then take them and sprinkle their water over Adam and Eve, that they be a little comforted in their sorrow, and give them to Adam and Eve.
9 And the angels did as God had commanded them, and they gave all those things to Adam and Eve on the top of the mountain upon which Satan had placed them, when he sought to make an end of them.
10 And when Adam saw the golden rods, the incense and the myrrh, he was rejoiced and wept because he thought that the gold was a token of the kingdom whence he had come, that the incense was a token of the bright light which had been taken from him, and that the myrrh was a token of the sorrow in which he was. (chapter 30, emphasis mine)
The Three Archangels with their Gifts
Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh
So the three arch-angels brought to Adam gifts or tokens from the Garden of Eden, to remind him of his former life in glory and paradise.
The Lord then explained to Adam and Eve (chapter 31):
1 AFTER these things God said unto Adam, "Thou didst ask of Me something from the garden, to be comforted therewith, and I have given thee these three tokens as a consolation to thee; that thou trust in Me and in My covenant with thee.
2 "For I will come and save thee; and kings shall bring me when in the flesh, gold, incense and myrrh; gold as a token of My kingdom; incense as a token of My divinity; and myrrh as a token of My suffering and of My death.
3 "But, O Adam, put these by thee in the Cave; the gold that it may shed light over thee by night; the incense, that thou smell its sweet savour; and the myrrh, to comfort thee in thy sorrow." (chapter 31)
Adam placed the tokens of the Garden in the Cave of Treasures and was comforted. The Cave of Treasures was the place where Adam and Eve dwelt after being cast out of the Garden and God's presence. It was a holy place, and would also become the tomb for Adam and many of his righteous descendants.
10 These remained by Adam in the House of Treasures; therefore was it called "of concealment." But other interpreters say it was called the "Cave of Treasures," by reason of the bodies of righteous men that were in it.
11 These three things did God give to Adam, on the third day after he had come out of the garden, in token of the three days the Lord should remain in the heart of the earth.
12 And these three things, as they continued with Adam in the cave, gave him light by night; and by day they gave him a little relief from his sorrow. (chapter 31)
Matthew 2
Matthew 2 1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
Herod questions the wise men and asks them to return and tell him when they have found the Christ.
Matthew 2 9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.
With the early story of Adam and Eve, God foreshadowed and foretold the birth of Christ, with the Magi bringing the sacred gifts to the holy child. Just as great beings brought the gifts from the Garden of Eden to Adam and Eve, so the wise men brought the same gifts to Christ, recognizing his royalty, his life, and his death.
Now, as we read the Christmas Story in Matthew 2, we get this amazing tie-in or association with this earlier story. This book, The First Book of Adam and Eve is not in our canon, but was highly regarded anciently. As with all apocryphal sources, it should be read with some caution. But this brings new and great meaning to the gifts that were brought by the wise man. God sends his three archangels with gifts to Adam and Eve, then a representation of this to the Savior with the three wise men.
The gifts to Adam and Eve:
Gold: Represents the Kingdom of God
Frankincense: Represents God’s divinity
Myrrh: Represents the Suffering of God
We are not told the meaning of the gifts in the New Testament. But knowing these earlier meanings…
Christ is now born – His kingdom has come – the gold
Christ is the Son of God – Divine in fact – the frankincense
Christ’s mission is set before him – he will suffer in life and with his death – the Myrrh
In attending the temple, we, as with Adam and Eve, receive the gifts of the Garden, that tie us to the birth of the Savior of all mankind. And in coming to Christ and giving him our hearts and souls, the Savior cleanses us that we may return to the Garden of Eden, even back into the presence of God.
The wise men depart
Matthew 2 12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
Another angel appears, this time to Joseph
Matthew 2 13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
Herod kills all the children under 2 years of age. In verse 19, an angel appears again…
Matthew 2 19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.
21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
In verse 22 they hear that Archelaus reigned in Judea. Archelaus was one of the sons of Herod (he is often called Herod Archelaus). He was given the title of Ethnarc, not King like his father. He ruled so poorly and caused such misery to the people, the Jews and Samaritans jointly appealed to Rome for his dismissal.
Herod Archelaus placed a Golden Eagle over the Temple entrance that was perceived as blasphemous. It was eventually chopped down with axes. Archelaus ruled from 4 BCE until 6 CE. His mention in the New Testament is one of the events that gives us dating on the birth of the Savior and puts it before the traditional 0 or 1 CE. He was ultimately killed in 18 CE at age 41.
Joseph travels with his family past Judea, on to Nazareth. Archelaus area did not extend north to the Galilee area. This was ruled by another son, Herod Antipas (or Antipater). Though Herod Antipas could at times be savagely cruel, he allowed his subjects a certain amount of indepence. He was much more acceptable than Herod Archelaus. This is the Herod we will hear about through much of the rest of the gospels.
The Savior calls Herod Antipas “that Fox” in Luke 13:32. In Mark 6 and Matthew 14 and Luke 3 John the Baptist reproaches Herod Antipas and is imprisoned and ultimately beheaded. In Luke 23 Pilate first sends Jesus to Herod Antipas who was visiting Jerusalem from the Galilee for Passover, attempting to get Antipas to pass judgement as Jesus was from the Galilee area. Antipas was eager to see Jesus as he was hoping to see some miracles that he had heard about. When this did not happen Jesus was sent back to Pilate.
Luke 2
This is the classic Christmas story that is quite familiar to us all.
As in chapter 1, Luke goes out of his way to tell the story of Jesus’ birth as a parallel to the story of John the Baptist’s birth: the joy at the birth of the child, the circumcision and naming, prophecies of expectation by someone closely associated with the temple, and a concluding remark about the growth and development of the child.
Just as there are the parallel events linking Adam and Eve to the Savior, in this instance John the Baptist is linked to the Savior.
Luke 2 1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4 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:)
In verse 6 the Greek word for “accomplished” could also be translated as “fulfilled”.
Luke 2 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
Luke used the word accomplished, or fulfilled 8 times in Luke 1 and 2. He is clearly declaring that many prophecies are fulfilled here.
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.
Swaddling clothes were strips of cloth 4-5 inches wide used to bind children when they were born. They were wrapped with the arms by the sides and would appear almost like a small mummy. In the Jerome Biblical commentary it indicates that the belief was, if the baby’s arms were bound tightly to it’s sides, they would grow straight and firm.
Then the Shepherds
Luke 2 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
After the shepherds Luke 2 moves through Jesus life clear up to the point that he is found teaching in the temple.
Luke gives no mention of the magi. Only Luke and Matthew mention the nativity at all.
Many scholars believe that Mathew tells the story from the perspective of Joseph and that Luke tells it from the perspective of Mary.
The Magi or wise men are not even mentioned to be of royal birth. This is implied from their ability to gain audience with Herod. It is speculated that they could have been Persian, or Zoroastrian priests, or even Jews visiting from Babylon.
Wherever they came from, the wise men and their gifts continue a tradition that has been around since the beginning with Adam and Eve. They give gifts to the Savior that symbolically bring to mind the Kingdom of God, the Divinity of God, and the Suffering of God.
We are also given many gifts symbolically bringing these things to mind, many of them in the temple. Luke 2:49 summarizes the entire life of the Savior…
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?
And is something we should continually try to emuulate.
Bibliography
First Book of Adam and Eve: http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/fbe/index.htm
Also, check out Jim F’s lesson:http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2011/01/nt-sunday-school-lesson-3-luke-2-matthew-2/
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