"Jesus the Messiah Returns"
ISBN 1-59196-730-9 at Barnes and Noble .com

The Annunciation to Joseph

"When as Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privately. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, fear not to take Mary as your wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."

"Jesus" is the English for of the Greek "Iesous", which in Hebrew is Jeshua (Joshua), meaning "Jehovah is Salvation".. Many young boys were named Joshua in Bible times....Christ is from the Greek word "Christos" meaning "The Anointed One." In Hebrew, Christ is translated "Messiah".

The full name of Jesus, "The Christ", was "Jesus Ben Joseph", (Jesus, son of Joseph.) As the people began to recognize him as the Messiah, they called him Jesus Ben David, (Jesus, son of David.) His brother's names were: Joses Ben Joseph, Simon Ben Joseph, Judah Ben Joseph and James Ben Joseph, (The author of the book of James). His sister's names are not given in the Bible.

The Marriage of Mary and Joseph

Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

Mary's Visits her cousin, Elizabeth and recites the Magnificat

And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judea; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. 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: And she spoke out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of your salutation sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

And Mary said, "My soul does magnify the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty has done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He has showed strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He has filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he has sent empty away. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever." And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.... Luke 1:39-56

Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. And her neighbors and her cousins heard how the Lord had showed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her. And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea. And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.

And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he has visited and redeemed his people, And has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; As he spoke by the mouth of his holy Prophets, which have been since the world began: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he swore to our father Abraham, That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. And you, child, shall be called the Prophet of the Highest: for you shall go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high has visited us, To give Light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet in the way of peace. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the desert till the day of his showing unto Israel. Lk 1:57,58,65-80

.The Birth of Jesus the Christ

From whose Birth we date all our clocks, calendars, newspapers and trillions of pieces of mail.

Papyri suggest a Roman cesus was conducted every 14 years and that people were required to go to their ancestal home. A decree of the Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus thus caused Mary and Joseph to make the difficult trip southeast to cross over the Jordan River and follow its western banks down to Jericho and across the Jordan again and climb up the steep winding path to Jerusalem, turning south to Bethlehem, the city of King David's birth. This massive annual visitation to Jerusalem during Sukkot was the logical time for the census and tax. It is important to note that the Hanukkah season, which coincides with the traditional December 25th birthdate for Jesus does not make such a demand for the sons of Israel to journey to Jerusalem, and would have been a very impractical time to collect a tax and to count the population. December 25 or the Feast of Hanukkah was the probable date of the Annunciation to Mary of the birth of Jesus.

"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.. "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:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the Inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said to them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, 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 toward men.

And it came to pass, as 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 it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them."

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(While we celebrate Christmas on December 25; many Bible scholars feel this actually was the date of the Annunciation of the birth of Jesus to the Virgin Mary, followed by the Conception by the Holy Spirit. Nine months later, a decree of the Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus caused Mary and Joseph to make the difficult trip east then across the Jordan River and follow it's eastern banks down to Jericho and cross the Jordan again and climb up the steep winding path to Jerusalem, turning south to Bethlehem, the city of King David's birth. The Roman census always occurred between August and October and at a Feast where people were gathered, in this case the Feast of Tabernacles.

The tradition of Hanukkah arose during the Temple cleansing. They found a one-day supply of oil for the seven-branched lamp stand. It would take days to ceremonially prepare more oil. A miracle occurred when the one-day supply of oil lasted for eight. That is why there are eight candles lit during Hanukkah. The holiday also became known as the Festival of Lights. Shortly after after Jesus' resurrection, Early Hebrew Christians began to celebrate the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary on Hanukkah. The center branch of the Menorah is called the Shamash, or "servant light" and was also the early Christian's way of illustrating John 1:9: "That was the true Light of mankind". Later Jesus himself claimed to be the "Light of the world" during the Feast of Dedication or Hanukkah. John 10:22)

 

Bethlehem Cave

Bethlehem was prophecied by Micah to be the birthplace of the Messiah. Justin Martyr A.D. 100- 167 first recorded that the site of the Nativity was a cave. The nearby Inn of Chimham has been the starting point for caravans to Egypt from ancient times and there are numerous caves nearby that have been used as stables. Bethlehem, meaning "house of bread" is 2700 feet above sea level and located five and one half miles southwest of Jerusalem. Salma, the son of Caleb was the "father of Bethlehem". Ruth married Boaz, David's great grandfather in Bethlehem . King David was born here.

It was the Feast of Tabernacles in October and the Temple Shepherds were watching their flocks of Passover Lambs born to be offered as a sacrifice for sin. It was at this time and in this very place that Jesus the Messiah was born. The evidence overwhelmingly points to the actual birth of Jesus the Christ as occuring during the Feast of Tabernacles. We celebrate His birth December 25 on the Feast of Lights or Hanukkah, which is actually the date of the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary

The actual year of Jesus birth was 4 or 5 B.C. due to an error in the 6th century when the Roman monk and astronomer Dionysis Exeguus, reformed the calendar to pivot around he birth of Christ. He dated the Nativity 753 years from the founding of Rome calculated to the date King Herod died. But Dionysis miscalculated because Herod died 749 years after the founding of Rome in 4 BC. Christ was born a year or two before Herod died.

  Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day, Simhat Torah - the "great day" of the Feast of Tabernacles. The circumcision would have occurred on Simhat Torah as life is counted as beginning when a male child survives to the day of circumcision eight days after his birth, at which time he formally receives his name.

 

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