Module 3: The Birth of Christ: Fulfillment of the Messianic Prophecy

Objectives: At the end of the module, the students would have

1. familiarized with the world from which Jesus came;
2. explained the meaning and importance of Jesus’ birth;
3. expressed the significance of Jesus’ birth in relation to their faith.

Module 3.1. Religious Background of Jesus (see Movie in You Tube, Movie Title: In the
Beginning)
The religion of Israel starts with God and His promise to Abraham to become a founder
of the great nation. It has developed in the course of about 2,000 years. Some of the features
include the following:
1. God’s chosen leaders. The God-chosen leaders were important in making the people
closer to God. First, the patriarchal kind of leadership structure evolved. The patriarchs like
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were the heads of their respective families and the whole tribe of
Israel. Second, the patriarchal leadership evolved into a charismatic military leadership - the
Judges, who ruled the people after the conquest of Canaan. Third, the demand of people to have
a king allowed the development of a monarchy in which the king and his family ruled. Fourth, a
“dummy” leadership evolved as the nation of Israel was occupied and controlled by Imperial
powers such as Babylonia, Persia, Greece and Rome. Yet in any of the leadership structure, the
leaders of Israel believed that God was on them and that they were anointed to implement the
covenant and laws before God and his chosen people.
2. Law or Torah. The Law or Torah (commandments) was established by God through
Moses at Mount Sinai to guide them in their way of life, and to have a right relationship with
God and people.
3. The prophets. The prophets were the spokesmen of God. Their main task was to proclaim
God’s will. They were forth-tellers warning of the coming punishment for the people who turned
away from God.
 4. The temple and synagogue. The Jewish community developed 2 important religious
institutions: the temple was the center of worship; and the synagogue was the place of study,
prayer and assembly.
5. Priests and Sacrifices. The priesthood represented the union of Israel with God. The
structure was composed of a three-fold order: Levites (lower), Priests (middle), and High Priests
(highest) offer sacrifices for the atonement of the sins of the people.
6. Jewish Feasts. The Jewish feasts are part of the nation’s history. For the Jews, to
celebrate
a feast is synonymous with to rejoice before the presence of God.

Module 3.2. Socio-Political Background

The Graeco-Roman world was the context of the birth of Jesus. It consisted of the vast
empire of Alexander, the Great, the young conqueror from Macedonia. In 333, Alexander
opened up the way to the Middle East by his victory at Issos, north of Antioch. In 332, he
reached Egypt and founded his capital city in Alexandria. Alexander dreamt of establishing one
great empire, wielding the east and the west by spreading the Greek culture (Hellenism) and
language (koine) throughout his empire. He did not live long, however, to see his dream come
true. Alexander died at the young age of 33 in Babylon, and his kingdom was divided among his
quarreling generals: The Antigonids in Greece, the Ptolemies in Egypt, and The Seleucids in
Syria.

A. The Hellenization of Palestine (Israel) – 333 to 165 B.C.

For more than a century, Palestine was placed under the control of the Greek rulers from
Egypt, the Ptolemies. They named and renamed cities throughout the countries, introduced
Hellenism and Greek language. The Greek culture and language influenced the Jews and had
great impact on their religion. The Hebrew Scripture was translated into Greek (Greek
Septuagint) as a result of Hellenization. The Ptolemies somehow allowed the Jews to live in
peace so the Jews enjoyed considerable degree of autonomy but remained passive subjects.
In 198 B.C. things changed with the coming of the Seleucids led by Antiochus III. The
Seleucids wanted to impose the Greek culture and religion on the Jews. In 167 B.C. the
situation worsened. Antiochus IV came into power and strictly enforced Hellenism upon the
Jews. He claimed he was the visible manifestation of Zeus (chief god of the Greeks) and called
himself Epiphanes (Revealer of Zeus), thus, demanded that the Jews worship him. He
abolished three important Jewish religious practices: (1) circumcision; (2) reading of the Torah;
and (3) the Sabbath. As a result, people became angry and crisis arose. Some priests
supported the Hellenization, while others condemned it.
B. The Maccabean Revolt and the Hasmonean Dynasty-165 to 63 B.C.
In response to the religious oppression by the Seleucids, the Jews revolted. Mattathias,
the priest of Modein, led the first revolt. When he died his son, Judas, succeeded him. Judas
was called “Maccabee” which means “Hammerer”. He wanted to restore religious freedom and
independence. In 165 B.C. Judas successfully marched into Jerusalem and on December of
that year, he rededicated the temple and restored temple worship. This event was celebrated
thereafter in the festival of Hanukkah, the Feast of Dedication or the Feast of Lights. When
Judas died, his brothers succeeded him. They established the Hasmonean Dynasty ruled by
priest-kings. The Jews enjoyed relative independence and autonomy, but soon the descendants
of the dynasty quarreled over the throne. Civil wars broke out.

C. The Roman Period – 63 B.C. to 70 A.D.

In 63 B.C. the Jews who were divided into rival groups supporting two different kings
appealed to Rome for arbitration. The Roman General Pompey, supporting one side, captured
Jerusalem after a three-month siege. This marked the beginning of the Roman rule which was
to last until the seventh century A.D., the time of Arab invasions.
In 40 B.C. the Roman Senate named Herod as King of the Jews. It was not until 37 B.C.
that Herod finally ascended the throne. When Jesus was born, Herod was the ruling king of
Palestine. His greatest project in Jerusalem was the construction of the temple. He was called
the “Great” because he was a powerful ruler who built several structures such as theaters,
amphitheaters, and gymnasiums around Palestine.
Despite all these projects, the Jews still despised Herod. He forcefully imposed
Hellenism upon them. He collected heavy taxes from the people. Worst, Herod was ruthless and
suspicious of people, even his family. He wanted no rival to the throne so he had spies all over
the place to watch out for any sign of disloyalty. He killed some of his family members on
suspicion that they were plotting against him. Herod was also responsible for the killing of male
babies in Jerusalem when Jesus was born.
The Roman period was the immediate backdrop of Jesus’ birth, life, ministry, death and
resurrection. It extended until the conception of Christianity and the beginning of the early
church. Many followers of Jesus and early Christians were martyred during the rule of the
Romans in Palestine, a relatively small region in the whole Roman Empire.
D. The Contributions of the Greeks and the Romans
Just like any colonizer, the Greeks and the Romans left indelible influences in the nation
of Israel. The most remarkable influence of the Greeks to the Jews was their culture, Hellenism,
brought by Alexander, the Great. Hellenism consisted of arts and literature, sculpture and
architecture, philosophy and religious thought. It is the blending of the best material cultures
from the civilizations of Asia Minor, Egypt, and ancient Greece. Hellenism is characterized by
(a) syncretism; (b) universalism; (c) individualism; and (d) democratization of learning (Elwood &
Magdamo, 38). The Greek culture was so attractive to the people that it penetrated their thought
and practice.
The Romans, likewise, were very influential to the Jews. Politically, they were very much
powerful in the whole region of Palestine. They were famous for their efficient government,
engineering and military tactics (Ibid, 37). The contributions of the Romans to the Jews are the
following: (1) Pax Romana or Roman peace; (2) Safety; (3) Infrastructure; (4) Philosophy; (5)
Religion; (6) Equality; and (7) Education (Bunda, 86).

Module 3.3 The Development of Messianic Prophecy

The history of Israel recounts how the Jewish community had suffered a great deal
especially in the hands of foreign rulers. It was during these times of crises and sufferings that
preachers or prophets spoke messages filled with hope and expectation for things to become
better. To offer hope, prophets proclaimed that in the end everything will be placed into order.
Elwood and Magdamo (p.67) mentions two popular expectations that were developed in Jewish
thought: (1) The coming of an ideal ruler whose reign would be characterized by peace and
righteousness; and (2) the coming of God Himself to establish His heavenly rule in the world.
1. The first expectation centers on the coming of a savior who would come from the house
of David. He would be “God’s anointed one” or the “Messiah” who would save them from their
enemies and restore their kingdom. This expected Messiah would be a political leader or
warrior, someone like David, who would usher a new golden era in Israel.
2. The second expectation is focused on God himself. The Jews hoped for the coming of
God to rule the world and make all things new. This was expressed in the concept of the
Kingdom of God – God’s righteous and sovereign rule. The Jews expected God to come and
deliver them from all their enemies and the evils of the world.

3. The Messianic hope was the belief that God would triumph over evil and bring to
completion his purposes either through His direct action or the Messiah (Ibid).

Module 3.4. The birth of Christ (Read: Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 2: 1-20)
Jesus, the long awaited Messiah had come. He was born in Bethlehem just before the
reign of King Herod the Great of Palestine ended in approximately 4 B.C. At that time, Caesar
Augustus was the ruler of the Roman Empire. The birth of Jesus was a fulfillment of the
prophecy in Micah 5:2; 1 Samuel 16:1, 13; Jeremiah 33:14-16; Isaiah 9:2-3, among other texts.
The Gospels, Matthew and Mark, recount the genealogy of Jesus that He had come from the line
of David.
Bethlehem is about six kilometers south of Jerusalem (See Map of Israel). Bethlehem
means “house of bread” possibly because of the fertile valleys where wheat is grown and the rich
olive groves grow that surround the town (Dais, 38). The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem otherwise
known as the City of David was a fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 9:2-3.
“Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men” (Luke
2:52). He grew up in Nazareth, a town in Galilee with four brothers and some sisters, in the
household of Mary and Joseph, the carpenter (Bunda, 105).
The Purpose of the Incarnation of God in Jesus
A. To reveal God
 John 1:14, 18. “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.”
 Luke 1:78-79. “Because of the mercy of our God, with which the Sunrise from on high
shall visit us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide
our feet into the way of peace.” This is similar to Simeon’s statement in Luke 2:32, “A
light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel”.
 Matthew 1:23. “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a Son, and they shall
call His name Immanuel, which is translated, “God with us.”

B. For the salvation of people

  Because of the barrier of sin between God and people, God sent a Savior to meet people’s
responsibility in a way acceptable to God. Jesus Christ became the unblemished and
spotless Lamb of God that was offered on the cross of Calvary for the atonement of sins.
1 Peter 1:18 says, “Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like
silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with
precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished, and spotless, the blood of Christ.” The saving
act of Jesus did `not only deliver people from the bondage of slavery to sin but, towards
the experience of fullness of life.
 Luke 2:30. In Jesus, Simeon had seen God’s salvation when he said, “For my eyes have
seen Your salvation.”
 Luke 2:11. “For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior who is
Christ the Lord.”
 Mark 10:45. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to
give His life a ransom for many.”

C. To have dominion over all creation (even death He conquered)

 Jesus came to carry out the mission of God (missio dei) that is a redemptive mission for
the whole creation.
 Luke 1:33. “And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His Kingdom will
have no end.”
 Matthew 2:2. “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in
the east, and have come to worship Him.”