Howe Mens Personal Jesus Blazer

What do we in truth recognise of the miraculous birth we celebrate on December 25th? The Bible holds only 145 verses found in Matthew and Luke to relate the entire story of this world-changing incident. At basi glance, the events in these two gospels appear to be contradictory, but a closer look reveals the source of Matthew’s version must have had a close kinship with Joseph, while the source of Luke’s version must have had a close kinship with Mary. This faith is reinforced when Matthew traces Jesus’ genealogy from King David through the line of Joseph, while Luke’s version traces the genealogy through the line of Mary.

From whom did Matthew obtain the personal details of his story? Some scholars believe Joseph had a brother, Alpheus. Mark 2:14 describes Matthew as the son of Alpheus. There are few references to the father of the disciples. Did God intend for us to make the connection?

An in-depth look at Matthew’s story reveals facts Joseph would know:

• Mary and Joseph were betrothed,

• Mary was with child,

• Joseph planned to send her away secretly,

• The angel appeared to Joseph,

• he awoke and took Mary as his wife,

• Jesus was born,

• the Eastern Magi visit the couple,

• an angel appears to Joseph who without delay takes his family to Egypt, and

• the family returned to Nazareth.

The author of Luke was a doctor. His writing gives evidence of he knew an eyewitness or heard his stories directly from Mary. Who else would recognise the personal details of these events:

• Gabriel visited Zachariah announcing the birth of John the Baptist,

• Gabriel visited Mary,

• Mary hurried to visit Elizabeth,

• John the Baptist was born,

• Jesus was born,

• the shepherd’s visited the stable,

• Jesus was staged in the temple, and

• the family returned to Nazareth.

Are these men writing when it comes to the same birth? None of the events or the timeline seems to coincide. What happened those nine months of Mary’s pregnancy? Luke’ version provides the answer.

Who knew Mary hurried to Judea where she encountered a glorious reunion with Elizabeth? Only Mary would know the words of Mary’s Magnificat or how a normally, tame spirited Elizabeth exclaimed in a deafening voice when her baby leaped in her womb.

Luke next tells of the betrothed couple going to Bethlehem to participate in the census. Didn’t Matthew say Joseph awoke and took Mary as his wife but had no union with her until she gave birth? In Mary’s view, was the wedding not finish until she experienced the union of the wedding night? An anxious, young mother would do not forget the frantic search for a room, the birth in the stable, wrapping the baby in swaddling cloths and laying him in the feeding trough of the animals. She would do not forget the adoration of the shepherds who came to worship her son.

Next Luke tells of the circumcision and the events in the temple leading up to the Redemption Ceremony. This ceremony was necessary to Mary because it was the end of her purification period, and now she could a wife in each sense of the word. At the temple, Mary cherished the greeting from the prophetess, Anna, and the unnerving prophecy from Simeon who said “a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

From Luke’s account, it appears the family plainly returned to their own home in Nazareth. He doesn’t mention the visit of the Magi or the escape to Egypt. The details of the Magi’s visit are only found in Matthew. This visit will have to have happened after the activity of formally presenting something in the temple. Why? Because Mary and Joseph could only afford to offer the sacrifice of the poor, two turtle doves, for Jesus’ redemption. If the Magi had staged the exquisite gifts before the formally presenting something in the temple, a proud, young mother would have purchased the unblemished lamb required by the Law of Moses.

The night of the Magi’s visit, Joseph hurried his family to Egypt only seconds in front of Herod’s soldiers as they stormed over the countryside slaughtering all the male babies two years old and under. Why two and under? With the data received from the Magi, Herod knew the star signified the birth of a king, but no one could determine when the star initial appeared in the sky. At that time, Jewish children nursed their mothers and were considered babies up to the age of two. Therefore, to be certain, Herod ordered the death of all males considered to still be babies.

At firstborn glance, these two gospels may appear to be contradictory, but when pieced together, they give one finish picture of the birth beginning with the angel visiting Zechariah and ending with the family returning to their home in Nazareth approximately two years later.

Howe Mens Personal Jesus Blazer Picture

Howe Mens Personal Jesus Blazer Photo

Howe Mens Personal Jesus Blazer Picture

Howe Mens Personal Jesus Blazer Picture