The Firstborn

 Hello everyone. 

We are moving on in to Luke chapter 2 today.  I had hoped to get to the birth of Jesus by Christmas, but my exegsis is slow, and I didn't get that far.  But is where we are today. Luke 2 tells us that story. It begins by telling of a decree by Augustus Caesar that everyone be registered for a census.  This apparently causes Joseph to return to his ancestral homeland in the city of David, Bethlehem.  Joseph was from Nazareth and seemingly had no other reason to go to Bethlehem.  Bock points out that God uses Caesar to accomplish His purposes.  Caesar unknowingly obliges. (p. 203)  This is how Jesus of Nazareth would fulfill the prophecy in Micah 5:2 that the savior would come from Bethlehem. 

Joseph travels up to Jerusalem from Nazareth with his betrothed, Mary.  The text also mentions that Mary is pregnant.  They are engaged and she is pregnant.  Joseph knows the child is not his.  We know from Matthew’s account that Joseph is taking the word of the angel that the child is the offspring of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:20) This shows Joseph to be a faithful man. 

Luke states that the birth happens while they are in Bethlehem.  The scene may not have been the way we always depict it.  Luke does not specify how long they had been in Bethlehem before the arrival of Jesus.  But he does come some time while they were in Bethlehem.  Mary gave birth to a son. This son is said to be her πρωτότοκον (prototokon) her first-born.  Jesus is called πρωτότοκον, or firstborn several times in the scripture: 

• Colossians 1:15 - firstborn among all creation. 
• Colossians 1:18 - firstborn from the dead. 
• Romans 8:29 - firstborn among many brethren. 
• Hebrews 12:23 - Those that belong to the church of the firstborn have their names written in Heaven. 

If we tie all of these together we see that Mary's firstborn, Jesus, is firstborn among the living and the dead.  He is firstborn within His family, the church and it is His church.  Those who belong to that family, have their names writtten in Heaven. We owe a lot to the prototokon, the firstborn. 

Jesus was born in a place where animals were kept.  I have read different ideas about what that means.  Both Kenneth Bailey and Darrell Bock indicate that the word καταλύματι (katalumati) does not necessarily mean inn.  The Greek-English Lexicon of New Testament Words defines it as a guest room or lodging place.  It’s not really clear who didn't have space for them, and we may not ever truly understand all the details surroundoing Jesus' birth, but that isn’t really the point is it? God came to Earth in the form of an infant and he did so in very humble circumstances, coming to a young couple in an animal room.  Whether that was in a nearby stable or cave (Bock, 208.) or the place where animals are kept in a family home, (Bailey, 29). it doesn’t really matter.  Luke has made it clear for us that in this infant, God has come to Earth, and brought with him salvation. 

    Bailey, Kenneth.  Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes. Downers Grove, Ill. IVP Academic. 2008. 

    Bock, Darrell. Luke: Volume 1, 1:1-9:50. Grand Rapids, Mich. BakerAcademic. 1994.