4 the annunciation and birth of jesus christ

The Annunciation and Birth of John and Jesus Christ Compiled By Douglas Maughan

Luke 1:5 -17 5 ¶ THERE was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: (1 Chron. 24:10) and his wife was (JST-Being)of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

Zacharias after the Course of Abia… (1.) A priest of the course of Abia, the eighth of the twenty-four courses into which the priests had been originally divided by David (1 Chr. 23:1-19). Only four of these courses or "families" of the priests returned from the Exile (Ezra 2:36-39); but they were then re-distributed under the old designations.

The priests served at the temple twice each year, and only for a week each time. Zacharias's time had come for this service. During this period his home would be one of the chambers set apart for the priests on the sides of the temple ground. The offering of incense was one of the most solemn parts of the daily worship of the temple, and lots were drawn each day to determine who should have this great honour, an honour which no priest could enjoy more than once during his lifetime. (Easton's Bible Dictionary, Zacharias) Abia {ab-ee-ah'}

Zach & Beth… 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless . 7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren , and they both were now well stricken in years.

Why do righteous people have seasons without blessings they desire?

Answers to Prayers…April 2007 Elder Scott I have discovered that what sometimes seems an impenetrable barrier to communication is a giant step to be taken in trust.

Burn Incense… 8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, 9 According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. 11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. 15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.

16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. 17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

An Angel Appears to Zecharia’s Before the astonished gaze of Zacharias, at this supreme moment of his priestly service, there appeared, standing on the right of the golden altar of incense, an angel of the Lord . Many generations had passed in Jewry since any visible presence other than mortal had been manifest within the temple, either in the Holy Place or the Holy of Holies; the people regarded personal visitations of heavenly beings as occurrences of the past; they had come almost to believe that there were no longer prophets in Israel. (James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1983], 72.)

Promise of the Angel John… the child to be born of Elisabeth would be a blessing to the people; many would rejoice at his birth; he would be great in the sight of the Lord, and must be guarded against wine and strong drink; fn he would be filled with the Holy Ghost, would be the means of turning many souls to God, and would go before to make ready a people prepared to receive the Messiah (James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ: A Study of the Messiah and His Mission According to Holy Scriptures Both Ancient and Modern [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1983], 72.)

“ Many years ago in a small town in the southern part of the state of Utah, my great grandmother was called to be the president of the Relief Society. During this period of our Church’s history there existed a very bitter and antagonistic spirit between the Mormons and the Gentiles. Bishop J. Richard Clarke, Love Extends beyond Convenience, Ensign (CR), November 1981, p.79

“ In my great grandmother’s ward one of the young sisters married a gentile boy. This of course did not please either the Mormons or the Gentiles very much. In the course of time this young couple gave birth to a child. Unfortunately the mother became so ill in the process of childbirth that she was unable to care for her baby.

Upon learning of this woman’s condition, great grandmother immediately went to the homes of the sisters in the ward and asked them if they would take a turn going into the home of this young couple to care for the baby. One by one these women refused and so the responsibility fell completely upon her.

“ She would arise early in the morning, walk what was a considerable distance to the home of this young couple where she would bathe and feed the baby, gather all that needed to be laundered and take it with her to her home. … One morning she felt too weak and sick to go. … However, as she lay in bed she realized that if she didn’t go the child would not be provided for. [With the help of the Lord,] she mustered all her strength and went. [When she returned home, exhausted, she] collapsed into a large chair and immediately fell into a deep sleep.

She said that as she slept she felt as if she were consumed by a fire that would melt the very marrow of her bones. She … dreamed that she was bathing the Christ child and glorying in what a great privilege it would have been to have bathed the Son of God. Then the voice of the Lord spoke to her saying, ‘Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these, ye have done it unto me.’ ” (My Errand from the Lord, A Personal Study Guide for Melchizedek Priesthood Quorums 1976-77, pp. 154-55.)

She kept all these things in her heart… (The Early Christian Prayer Circle by Hugh Nibley Fn, BYU Studies, vol. 19 (1978-1979) , Number 1 - Fall 1978 45.) Having taken position in the circle, Mary begins to speak: When I was in the Temple of God [a number of early sources report that Mary served in the Temple, like Samuel, as a Child] fn . . . there appeared to me one day a manifestation like an angel of unfamiliar aspect. . . . And suddenly the veil of the Temple was a great earthquake and I fell on my face unable to bear the sight of him. But he stretched forth his hand and raised me up, and I looked up to heaven and a dewy cloud came

… "Greetings, thou favored one, chosen vessel!" and he grasped my right hand. And there was bread in abundance and he set it out on the altar of the Temple (cf. the shewbread), and he ate first and then gave to me. And he put forth his hand from his garment and there was drink in abundance, and he drank first and then gave to me, and I beheld and saw a full cup and bread. And he said to me, "In three years' time I shall send to you my Logos and you will bear a son, and through him the creation will be saved. . . . Peace to thee, my beloved, forever and ever." And suddenly he was gone from me, and the Temple was as it was before. At this point the Lord himself appeared and commanded Mary "to utter no more of this mystery,“…

Church of St. Anne’s and Pool of Bethesda (Sheep’s pool)

Just inside Lions Gate or Stephens Gate is the Crusader Church of St. Anne … the traditional home of Anne and Joachim Mary’s parents…all three major religions of the Holy land have owned this property at some point…1856 the Ottoman Turks in gratitude for help in the Crimean war gave the church back to the French Christians

John 5:1-16…by the sheep market a pool…a certain man was there which had an infirmity 38 years…

What do we know about Jesus Mortal family?

A little more than 2,000 years ago the Redeemer of mankind was born in Bethlehem of Judea (see D&C 20:1 ). While yet an infant, He was brought to the temple in Jerusalem. There Mary and Joseph heard the wonderful prophecies spoken by Simeon and Anna about the tiny babe who was destined to become the Savior of the world.

What do we know about Jesus Family? He was the oldest son of at least 7 children (Matt.13:55-56) 2 of his brothers would author scripture (James, Jude) He had a wonderfully humble step Father who was visited by an angel (Matt. 1:20) His Mother was choice among women and grew up in the temple she had visions and divine visitations (Luke 1:28-35) They were poor (Luke 2:41, 22-42) They went to the Temple (Luke 2:21-28) They labored Joseph and Mary with the boys and girls They lived the simple life in a small town

Luke 1:28-38 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

He has actually given His Angels Charge Concerning us… “ Now, this is the truth. We humble people, we who feel ourselves sometimes so worthless, so good-for-nothing; we are not so worthless as we think. There is not one of us but what God’s love has been expended upon.

He has loved you for a long, long time… There is not one of us that He has not cared for and caressed. There is not one of us that He has not desired to save and that He has not devised means to save.

There is not one of us that He has not given His angels charge concerning. We may be insignificant and contemptible in our own eyes and in the eyes of others, but the truth remains that we are children of God and that He has actually given His angels . . . charge concerning us, and they watch over us and have us in their keeping.” ( Gospel Truths, comp. Jerreld L. Newquist, 2 vols., Salt Lake City:Deseret Book Co., 1974, 1:2. See also D&C 84:42,88; 109:22; 103:20.)

Ministering Angels Elder Jeffery R. Holland May I suggest to that one of the things we need to teach our students, and one of the things which will become more important in their lives the longer they live, is the reality of angels, their work and their ministry.

Personal Ministering Angels Obviously I speak here not alone of the angel Moroni, but also of those more personal ministering angels who are with us and around us, empowered to help us, and who do exactly that. …

Jeffery R. Holland, A Standard to My People [address to Religious Educators at a symposium on the Book of Mormon, Brigham Young University,9 Aug. 1994],11-13 Perhaps more of us, including our students, could literally, or at least figuratively, behold the angels around us if we would but awaken from our stupor and hear the voice of the spirit as those angels try to speak…I believe we need to speak of and believe in and bear testimony to the ministry of angels more than we sometimes do. They constitute one of God’s great methods of witnessing through the veil”

The Ministering of Angels 2 Nephi 32:3; D&C 84:26, 42, 88; D&C 13; D&C109:22; Moroni 7:25

How can a virgin have a Baby? Miracle of Miracles… "How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?" The answer to her natural and simple inquiry was the announcement of a miracle such as the world had never known—not a miracle in the sense of a happening contrary to nature's law, nevertheless a miracle through the operation of higher law, such as the human mind ordinarily fails to comprehend or regard as possible. Mary was informed that she would conceive and in time bring forth a Son, of whom no mortal man would be the father:

— "And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." (James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ: A Study of the Messiah and His Mission According to Holy Scriptures Both Ancient and Modern [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1983], 76.)

What spiritual qualities do Mary and Elizabeth have? 36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing shall be impossible. 38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word . And the angel departed from her.

Son of the Most High and Mary a mortal… That Child to be born of Mary was begotten of Elohim, the Eternal Father, not in violation of natural law but in accordance with a higher manifestation thereof; and, the offspring from that association of supreme sanctity, celestial Sireship, and pure though mortal maternity, was of right to be called the "Son of the Highest." In His nature would be combined the powers of Godhood with the capacity and possibilities of mortality; and this through the ordinary operation of the fundamental law of heredity,

declared of God, demonstrated by science, and admitted by philosophy, that living beings shall propagate—after their kind. The Child Jesus was to inherit the physical, mental, and spiritual traits, tendencies, and powers that characterized His parents—one immortal and glorified—God, the other human—woman. Jesus Christ was to be born of mortal woman, but was not directly the offspring of mortal man, except so far as His mother was the daughter of both man and woman. (James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ: A Study of the Messiah and His Mission According to Holy Scriptures Both Ancient and Modern [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1983], 77.)

What do you see in these prophecies signs and symbols at His Birth…? The New Star Helaman 14:5-7…such an one … 3 Nephi 1:21…new star arose… Revelation 2:28…the morning star Revelation 22:16…I am the Bright and Morning Star Why did the Angels come to the Shepherds of the temple flock? JST Luke 2:8-17…keeping watch… Rev.5:4-6 …worthy lamb slain John 10 …the good shepherd… Why was he born in a manger? JST Luke 2:7…swaddling clothes John 1:29…Behold the Lamb of God… Why was he born in Bethlehem? JST Luke 2:4…city of David Matthew 2:5-6…thus it is written JST John 6:35-38…I am the Bread of life… Light at birth darkness at death? 3 Nephi 1:17-19 Hel. 14:20, 27; 3 Ne.8:3, 19-23

Joseph was heir to the throne of David… Had Judah been a free and independent nation, ruled by her rightful sovereign, Joseph the carpenter would have been her crowned king; and his lawful successor to the throne would have been Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. (James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ: A Study of the Messiah and His Mission According to Holy Scriptures Both Ancient and Modern [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1983], 82.)

Luke 1:41-56 41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: 42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. 43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. 46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. 48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. 49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. 53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. 54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; 55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever. 56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house

John’s Childhood… "And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel." fn (James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ: A Study of the Messiah and His Mission According to Holy Scriptures Both Ancient and Modern [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1983], 75.)

Heaven Bore witness of his Birth Holy Name… The New Star The coming of Angels The Birth in a Manger The Location The Shepherds

A new Star (Helaman 14:5-7.) 5 And behold, there shall a new star arise, such an one as ye never have beheld; and this also shall be a sign unto you. 6 And behold this is not all, there shall be many signs and wonders in heaven. 7 And it shall come to pass that ye shall all be amazed, and wonder, insomuch that ye shall fall to the earth.

A new star (3 Nephi 1:21.) 21 And it came to pass also that a new star did appear, according to the word.

Jesus is the Bright and Morning Star (Revelation 2:28.) 28 And I will give him the morning star.

Revelation 22:16 16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

The Light of the World 3 Nephi 1:17-19 17 And they began to know that the Son of God must shortly appear; yea, in fine, all the people upon the face of the whole earth from the west to the east, both in the land north and in the land south, were so exceedingly astonished that they fell to the earth. 18 For they knew that the prophets had testified of these things for many years, and that the sign which had been given was already at hand; and they began to fear because of their iniquity and their unbelief.

The Light of the World 19 And it came to pass that there was no darkness in all that night, but it was as light as though it was mid-day. And it came to pass that the sun did rise in the morning again, according to its proper order; and they knew that it was the day that the Lord should be born, because of the sign which had been given.

The Light of the World (Alma 38:9.) 9 And now, my son, I have told you this that ye may learn wisdom, that ye may learn of me that there is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ. Behold, he is the life and the light of the world. Behold, he is the word of truth and righteousness.

I don't think we can have an integrated, Christ-centered life unless we take all the parts of our lives to him, spread them out before him, and let him heal them into one Christ-centered whole. When he does, we receive our lives back again from the Savior, sanctified by the Holy Ghost, radiant with grace. What does that mean—to take our lives to Jesus and to receive sanctified lives from him again? Jesus knew who he was. He said, "I am the bread of life" (John 6:35); "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12); "I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11); "I am the resurrection, and the life" (John 11:25); "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6); "I am the vine, ye are the branches" (John 15:5).

Did you notice that three of those statements used the word life? Christ defined himself as life. Perhaps the most important life-integrating statement he made about his mission here on the earth was, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10.) (Chieko N. Okazaki, Aloha! [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1995], 51.)

The Bread of Life (JST Luke 2:4.) 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David,)

Bethlehem (Matthew 2:5-6.) 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.

Bethlehem The House of Bread (JST John 6:35-38.) 35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life ; he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven , not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

Angels Appeared to the Shepherds of The Temple flock

The Lamb of God (JST Luke 2:7.) 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was none to give room for them in the inns.

The Lamb of God (John 1:29.) 29 ¶ The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

JST Luke 2:8-17 8 And there were in the same country, shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And lo, an angel of the Lord appeared unto them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid. But the angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

The Good Shepherd and Lamb of God For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this is the way you shall find the babe, he is wrapped in swaddling clothes, and is lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest; and on earth, peace; good will to men.

The Good Shepherd and Lamb of God And it came to pass, when the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go, even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord has made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

4 the annunciation and birth of jesus christ

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