Introduction to the Birth of Jesus

But when the set time had fully come, 

God sent his Son, 

born of a woman, born under the law,

 to redeem those under the law.

Gal. 4:4-5a, NIV

Note God’s promise to King David of Israel: “And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever” (2 Sam 7:16, NSV).

God said to the prophet, Isaiah: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isa. 7:14, ESV). Immanuel means “God with us.”

When we study these two verses together, we have the son of David and the Son of God reigning on the throne of David forever. The Son of God is of the lineage of King David and is often referred to by these two names. We are also told about the birthplace of this baby who would become King. “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days,” (Micah 5:2, ESV).

In the above verse, the prophet Micah tells us that Jesus will be born in Bethlehem and that His origins are from ancient times. If He was from ancient times, where was He in the Old Testament?  Surely, He was active; however, this is not clearly stated in the Bible. Could it be that He was functioning under a different name?

Many believe that the baby who is to be born in Bethlehem was the same person as “The Angel of the Lord” of the Old Testament. A study of the Old Testament will show that “The Angel of the Lord” was very active in the affairs of the nation, Israel, and its residents. “The Angel of the Lord” is referred to fifty-six times in fifty-one verses in the Old Testament. He was the Angel of God’s presence (Isa. 63:8-9) who guided and ministered to the Jews. For a more significant development of the concept of “The Angel of the Lord,” read my book, He Shall Reign Forever, or visit my website: www.rwaynejackson.com and read the introduction in my post: He Shall Reign Forever.

The Jewish people waited with great anticipation for the coming of their Messiah, whom they thought would set up a physical kingdom on earth to be patterned after the Kingdom of David – one of judgment, righteousness, and peace.

The great theologian, Augustine, once made this profound statement regarding Holy Scripture: “In the Old Testament, the New is concealed; in the New, the Old is revealed.”

We will now summarize the history of the transition from the Old Testament to the book of Luke in the New Testament.

By approximately 800 BC, the golden years for the nation, Israel, had ended – unfortunately, the kingdom was divided. God’s chosen people were forgetting their God, Jehovah, and were turning to idolatry. Prophets in both kingdoms, the Southern and the Northern, were prophesying judgment. However, they also foretold the coming of a Messiah who would bring salvation to God’s people. He would sit upon the throne of David and rule the world with justice and righteousness. Evil would be overcome, and there would be peace throughout the land.

In 721 BC, the mighty Assyrian army swept down upon the northern kingdom of Israel and began taking the people into captivity. When it became evident that the southern kingdom, which included Jerusalem, would also fall, the people, under the leadership of King Hezekiah, repented, and God spared them. After the death of King Hezekiah, a new generation soon forgot their God and returned to the worship of idols.

God was patient for another hundred years, but by 600 BC, a new world power was sweeping the land and demanding tribute (money and valuable possessions) from Judah, the southern kingdom. The end came in 586 BC when the revived Babylonian Empire, under the leadership of King Nebuchadnezzar, broke down the city walls, destroyed the temple, burned the city of Jerusalem to the ground, and marched the last of God’s chosen people off into bondage.

By 537 BC, approximately seventy years after the destruction of Jerusalem, Babylon was captured by the Medes-Persians. Almost immediately, the Persian King, Cyrus, authorized the return of the Jews to their land. Upon returning to their homeland, a group of fewer than fifty thousand Jews, under the leadership of crown prince Zerubbabel, began constructing a new temple. But as the years went by, this remnant of God’s chosen people began to intermarry with their Gentile neighbors and ultimately returned to worshipping idols.

Approximately one hundred years after the first group returned, Nehemiah, a cupbearer to the king, was commissioned by the Persian king, Artaxerxes, to return, rebuild and fortify Jerusalem. During this time, the word of God was opened, and the priest, Ezra, led the Jewish people in a great revival. Soon, the people put aside their foreign spouses and began observing the Mosaic Law. Hitherto, the Jews had been lax in keeping the law; however, during the next four hundred and fifty years, the Jews and their leaders were obsessed with keeping the law. As a result, Israel’s governmental leadership soon passed from David’s royal family to the priesthood. By approximately 400 BC, the voice of God fell silent, and that part of the Bible known today as the Old Testament was completed.

For the next four hundred years, the descendants of the remnant, who returned from Babylon, were governed by the priesthood. Like their brothers and sisters who were scattered among the Gentile nations, they remained subject to Gentile control and influence. No longer did God fellowship with His people. The Jews had become spiritually blind to God’s word and His will for His chosen people; the Holy Spirit did not direct the priest’s activities nor inspire the prophets in writing God’s word. As they suffered under the Gentile yoke, they waited anxiously for their promised Messiah, who would free them from that dreadful yoke.

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Gal. 4:4-5), ESV).

In the fullness of time, God sent the angel, Gabriel, to Zacharias, the priest serving in the temple. Gabriel told Zacharias that he and his barren wife, Elizabeth, would have a son whose name would be called John. John himself also received directions from God, who sanctioned him to be the forerunner of the promised Messiah and to present His credentials to the people.

Six months after appearing to Zacharias, Gabriel surprised a young girl named Mary, who lived in Nazareth, by telling her that she would be the mother of the promised King. He was to be born under the most unusual circumstances!  He would not have a natural father!

Many Bible scholars relate the term “fullness of time” to a time in history when the Romans had successfully achieved peace in the then-known world and created a highway system that made traveling much more accessible; therefore, easier to spread the Gospel throughout the world. However, there is also a prophetic element to the term “fullness of time.” In the ninth chapter of Daniel, a Jewish timeline is given, which can be dated. This prophecy says: the anointed one would be cut off (Dan. 9:26). The anointed one was Christ, and this statement refers to His crucifixion. Mathematicians have calculated this date to be close to April 6, 32 AD – they may be right, or they may be wrong.

The phrase “fullness of time” mainly refers to the death of Jesus, but it also includes the details of His birth along with His entire earthly ministry. For a deeper study of Daniel’s chapter nine, find an excellent prophetic commentary and study it or visit my website, www.rwaynejackson.com and look for the ninth chapter of Daniel in the prophecy section. Since the study details God’s remaining program for the Jews, it will involve much study time.

The four Gospels record the life and ministry of Jesus. Each Gospel presents a different aspect of His life. John presents Him as “The Divine Son”; Luke as “The Perfect Man”; Matthew as “The Prophesied King”; and Mark as “The Obedient Servant.” When studied together, they present a complete picture of God’s Only Begotten Son.  

By studying the Gospels, we can carefully examine this man’s earthly life and credentials. This person has had a more significant impact on the lives of mankind than anyone else who has ever lived!  Actually, history is divided by the most incredible event in human history. Thus, many recorded dates are either BC or AD, indicating whether they were before Christ’s incarnation or after His death. Was He man, or was He God?

Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.