Jesus
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If in your heart you make a manger for his birth, then God will once again become a child on earth.
—GERMAN POET ANGELUS SILESIUS 75
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The cross is where incarnation and resurrection meet. When we accept Christ to be born into our lives, we’re all virgin Marys. For “unto you” a son is born. For “unto us” a child is given. His name? Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” In the words of Teri Hyrkas, “’With’ is Emmanuel’s middle name.”76 That means it is also unto us that a child is born, a son is given.
A COLLISION OF TWO KINGDOMS
Appropriately, Matthew embedded Jesus’ birth into three biblical narratives. Jesus is “Immanuel,” the embodiment of God’s presence with His people.77 He is the new Joshua, bringing God’s people into the promised land.78 He is the new David, born in Bethlehem, the city of David.79
Many Christians are familiar with Micah 5:2, where the prophet predicted where the Messiah will be born: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”80 But they are less familiar with the rest of the text: “He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And he will be their peace.”81 The prophet declared that the coming Messiah, the One who would be born in the lowly village of Bethlehem, would bring peace. And His greatness would reach to the ends of the earth. In other words, He would rescue the people of God from her enemies. In Micah’s time Israel’s enemy was Assyria. And the writers of the Second Testament would have connected the dots to Israel’s present enemy, Rome.
Herod, about sixty years old when Jesus was born, represented pagan rule and oppression. Herod also brought peace, but by murder. He had to kill to acquire it and he would have to continue to kill to sustain it. Jesus, the new King just born, posed a great threat to Herod, for He was another King. And He, too, would bring peace, as the prophet foretold. But His peace would come about through a radically different way.
In Herod (the old king) and in Jesus (the new King) we have the collision of two kingdoms. Two kingdoms representing two different powers, two different glories, and two different kinds of peace. The true King of the Jews was born under the nose of the evil king. And for that reason, Jesus entered the world He created with a price tag on His head.
These two kingdoms would meet head-to-head again when Pilate confronted an adult Jesus. The One whom Isaiah declared to be the Prince of Peace would encounter another political leader who would bring peace by the sword (Pilate). The circumstances surrounding Jesus’ birth would repeat themselves in His death.
Look again at the babe from Bethlehem and see a King who was destined to redefine power, glory, and peace. And He would do it by subverting the kingdoms of this world by a cross—an instrument made of the same material that composed the manger into which He was born: wood. Even so, God’s glory was revealed not in the manger but on the cross. And therein lay His destiny.
JESUS IN LIVING COLOR: EARLY
CHILDHOOD AND MESSIANIC IDENTITY
If Jesus’ birth resonates in surround sound, then His early childhood shines forth in living color. Jesus’ messianic identity was not just a self-proclaimed announcement from a thirty-year-old, mission-driven rabbi. Both First and Second Testaments describe the coming Messiah, and from the time of His birth, Jesus the child was identified through revelations, prophecies, and encounters by others as the messianic prophecy revealed and fulfilled through Scripture and the story of the Jewish people.
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I will see him for myself.
Yes, I will see him with my own eyes.
I am overwhelmed at the thought!
—JOB 82
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On the eighth day of His life, Jesus underwent the rite of circumcision. Thirty-two days later (forty days after His birth), He was formally presented in the temple according to the law of Moses. Here Simeon the priest took the young infant into his arms and blessed Him. Simeon’s prayer revealed that Jesus is the central person in all of history.
In Jesus’ day it was customary for parents to bring their firstborn son to the temple to be presented for the Pidyon HaBen (presentation of the firstborn son). But Jesus’ presentation in the temple astounded even His parents, as both Simeon (a righteous seer) and Anna (the daughter of Phanuel) made prophetic proclamations about the young child, calling Him the redemption of Jerusalem, the light to the Gentiles, glory to Israel.83 In Him, they saw the messianic identity. Jesus was only one month old.
The Pidyon HaBen is an important ritual in the Jewish lifeline and in the understanding of Jesus as both Messiah of the new covenant and redeemer of Israel. In fact, the account of Jesus’ flight to Egypt with His parents—taking place most likely one to two years after His presentation in the temple—to escape Herod’s slaughter of innocents echoed the First Testament redemption of the Hebrew people. Jesus’ coming out of Egypt echoed the words of the prophet Hosea when he said of Israel, “Out of Egypt I called My son.”84
In the Judaism of Jesus’ day, one could offer an animal sacrifice. Some who could afford it might offer a lamb or goat. Others could offer two pigeons or a pair of turtledoves. Poorer families could offer a pancake made of grain and flour.85 The ceremony of Pidyon HaBen, called the “redemption of the firstborn son,” occurred forty days after birth. “This ritual symbolically relieves the child from service to the priesthood.”86
Additionally, Jesus’ role and identification by both Simeon and Anna as the Redeemer of God’s people, at the time He was being symbolically released from priestly service, acted as powerful indicators of His messianic birthright and His future as one who, like Moses, had escaped Pharaoh’s death decree. Where Moses was raised as a prince of Egypt, Jesus—the Prince of Peace—stayed in Egypt until Herod’s death, when His family returned with Him to their hometown of Nazareth, where Jesus spent the rest of His early years. Likewise the One “redeemed” in the temple would become the redeeming sacrifice for all.
At the end of the book of Genesis, Joseph (son of Jacob) brought his family to Egypt. Years later as the family multiplied and prospered, Pharaoh issued an order that the firstborn of all babies born to Hebrew mothers87 must be killed. In the tenth plague God issued upon Egypt, every firstborn Egyptian was killed, save those whose doors were washed in the blood of the lamb. These were passed over. Hence the Passover feast. Jesus, the Paschal Lamb, first escaped death at birth to become the sacrificial Lamb whose blood would save and redeem. But in the new covenant the saved include not only Israel but all God’s people. The redemption of Israel is the redeeming of the Gentiles: “A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.”88
The history of the presentation ritual goes back to the First Testament Exodus.
The firstborn son (bechor) was to be the priest (kohen) of the Jewish family. As the bechor, he was responsible to offer avodah (sacrifice) on behalf of other family members. God said “the first issue of every womb among the Israelites is mine” (Exodus 13:2). Thus firstborn sons were sanctified and obligated to serve as kohanim (priests) from birth. We see evidence of this in the lives of the early patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and even Jacob, who received the blessing of the firstborn through transfer from Esau. And because firstborn sons (bechorim) were consecrated as kohanim, during the Exodus from Egypt, God spared them when He issued the 10th makkah (plague)—the death of the firstborn.
After the Exodus from Egypt, however, the Israelites committed the grievous sin of the Golden Calf, of which only the tribe of Levi was not guilty. Consequently, the Lord declared that the Levites were to take the place of the firstborn sons of Israel (Num. 3:11–12). But since a firstborn s
on is technically a (disqualified) kohen, he had to be substituted with a kohen from the tribe of Levi, and therefore God required that all firstborn sons (who were not themselves Levites or kohens) must be redeemed from service to God by means of paying five shekels of silver (see Num. 18:15).89
In the Second Testament, as the sacrificial sign of the new covenant, Jesus Himself becomes the sin offering of humanity. In fact, Jesus’ very words on the cross, “It is finished!” (“Kalah.”), are the words used by a priest at the conclusion of the sacrificial offering in the temple. In the ancient days, when the Jewish priest had killed the last lamb of the Passover, he uttered the Hebrew word Kalah, “It is finished.”
THE VISIT OF THE MAGI
Jesus was not only recognized at the temple in Jerusalem; upon His return to relatives in Bethlehem, He was visited and identified also by a group of Magi. The Magi from the east were most likely a group of those versed in astrology; the medicinal and healing properties of herbs, salves, and precious stones; the interpretation of dreams; and other healing arts, as was the custom of the day. In the first-century world, many times, these “wise ones” would give to families of wealth or stature honorary birthing gifts that would include medicines for healing and prevention of disease and death for the child and mother. Since both childbirth and early childhood were precarious times, and the mortality rate for children was abysmally high, these gifts would have been highly cherished in value for their salvific properties in addition to their monetary value, as such items were rare and expensive. The gifts given to Jesus at the home of His family—relatives in the line of King David—consisted of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.90
The visit of the Magi, most likely, according to the records of Josephus, was at a time when Jesus was between one and two years of age.91 Matthew 2:11 says they came to find not a baby but the “Child” in the “house” with Mary. And the gifts presented to Jesus would have been well welcomed. But these gifts had not only practical value; they were also symbolic of Jesus’ messianic identity. Gold, in addition to having known healing qualities in the first century, was a gift given to kings. Gold not only reminds us of Jesus’ royal blood but also, according to many Bible teachers, is an allusion to His divinity.92 Jesus, as King, would represent the Messiah to the Gentile populations.
Frankincense was a valuable and expensive sacred oil used in temple rituals and celebrations. Some scholars believe it symbolizes Jesus’ salvific and priestly function to humanity and His role as redeemer of Israel. Some also believe that frankincense symbolizes the sacred temple, into which Jesus will usher in the new covenant. Frankincense was additionally used in households to worship and for fragrance. Jesus as Messiah is the anointed one, and this was an oil of celebration and of inauguration into His messianic role.
Finally, myrrh was used in birthing and swaddling a newborn baby, in healing and pain relief, as well as in salving wounds. The Egyptians additionally used it as an embalming oil. Nicodemus saw to it that Jesus’ body was smoothed with myrrh and aloes at His death before swaddling Him and sealing Him into the tomb. And myrrh was offered to Jesus to ease His pain on the cross—an offering He refused.93
At His birth, Jesus received the myrrh. At His death, He rejected it. Jesus’ earthly ministry centered on alleviating human suffering.94 He was the personification of myrrh. In His crucifixion, however, He was bearing the full brunt of human pain, suffering, and agony on the cross. He bore our shame and sorrows. So He rejected the myrrh and the wine that came with it.95 Jesus took the full dose of suffering for sin on the cross so we wouldn’t have to. And He rejected the myrrh so we would be able to receive it.
Symbolically, then, myrrh foreshadowed Jesus’ sacrificial death, His burial, and His future as one who would die and see the tomb, before rising as the true anointed one of all people. Psalm 45:6–8 tells us that Christ’s “garments are scented with myrrh and aloes.” In the wake of His death, as His garments were shed, there was a scent of the resurrected Christ. It was the scent of myrrh.96 In short, the gold reminds us of the divine kingship of Jesus, the frankincense reminds us of His priestly ministry, and the myrrh reminds us of His Saviorhood.
THE MESSIAH THE PROPHETS FORETOLD
Jesus’ early years and His identity as the long-awaited Messiah were predicted poetically, literally, and metaphorically throughout the First Testament. The prophetic voice resounded through the Law, the Writings, and the Prophets in preparation for the Son of man.
The First Testament prophets predicted that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem.97 He would be born from a virgin.98 He would crush the head of the serpent,99 and He would be a blessing to all the nations.100 He would be the root and offspring of David101 and would come from the royal line of Judah.102 He would be a son, a child, and He would sit on the throne of David forever.103 He would be called out of Egypt by God, His Father,104 and He would be raised in the despised town of Nazareth in the fameless region of Galilee.105
Like the rainbow of the covenant, Jesus’ identity stands out in living color from Genesis to Revelation as a robe that winds around the incarnational, covenantal gift of God—God come down. The word of YHWH has become the Word in the flesh, the light to the Gentiles, and the glory to God’s people, Israel.
And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.106
As Jesus grew in wisdom, stature, and divine grace, He would mature in His identity and take on the powers of the world in the name of God, redeem the Lord’s creation, and return the world and its peoples to walking the garden with God.
Let’s now shift our attention to one of the most controversial parts of the Lord’s life on earth: His boyhood.
CHAPTER 5
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Jesus’ Missing Years
I tell you that if these should keep silent,
the stones would immediately cry out.
—JESUS 1
“AS GOD IS MY WITNESS, AS GOD IS MY WITNESS THEY ’RE NOT going to lick me. I’m going to live through this and when it’s all over, I’ll never be hungry again.”2 These words, spoken by the unbending Scarlett O’Hara in Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 Pulitzer prize–winning novel, Gone with the Wind, embody the spitfire and grit of the Old South. Contrary and accusatory, Scarlett’s words testify to the land’s rejuvenating power, the people’s raw determination to live, and the author’s faith in the human spirit.
Jesus’ metaphorical promise of moaning stones needs to be heard similarly as words of resolve and rescript. With these words about stones that sing, Jesus boldly and directly accused the prevailing temple power-brokers of the Sanhedrin, threatening them with the knowledge that the whole of creation testified to their bloody skullduggery, that God had felt the breaking of the covenant, and that nothing could silence or assuage their guilt.3
What does Jesus know? Enough to take on the entire Jewish power structure with the authority of someone who could bring them down.
Jesus’ words resonate from passages found in Habakkuk: “For the stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the timbers will answer it”4—and Genesis: “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.”5 The Habakkuk image is a builder’s metaphor and a temple image. The Genesis image is that of the gardener, creator, covenant maker. These two semiotic flares of gardener and builder light up a constellation of links in the Hebrew understanding of temple and garden, and they provide a key to Jesus’ identity as both rabbi and Messiah, alpha and omega of Scripture and of life.
With that simple phrase of singing stones and others like it, Jesus identified Himself both as an expert in the intricacies of the language of the Hebrew Bible and one who has the knowledge and platform to accuse the reigning religio-political establishment of the murder of brothers. Jesus made His accusation as He rode on a donkey into Jerusalem amid palms and hosannas from followers. In the cheering crowds were Gentiles of the regi
on, despised by the ruling Sanhedrin and temple authorities. His speech bore all the marks of an educated rabbi and mission-driven challenger, while His actions were symbolic of the long-awaited Hebrew Messiah. The explosive power of this combined message was lost perhaps to some, but it hit the educated elite right between the eyes.
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When He marked out the foundations of the earth,
Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman.
—THE EXCELLENCE OF WISDOM 6
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Yet they didn’t arrest Him. They plotted to figure out a way.
Jesus went on into the temple courtyard, overthrowing the money tables that had occupied the area where Gentiles had previously been allowed to pray.7 Then He proceeded to teach and preach in the temple at the high holy days, just as He had done time and time again.
Yet no one arrested Him or even stopped Him. Why?
THE STONES CRY OUT
Stones are eyewitnesses. Stones are living testimony to the truth. Stones mark the sign of the covenant. They are the signposts of the Lord. The prophet Joshua quoted a longer version of the stone metaphor as testimony: “Behold, this stone shall be a witness to us, for it has heard all the words of the Lord which He spoke to us. It shall therefore be a witness to you, lest you deny your God.”8
God’s covenant, made not only with humankind but with all creation, testifies from the very adamah of the created world. This same covenant was chiseled initially into stone and later carved into the cardiac-caves of humankind:
• to guard the entrance to the garden of Eden: a stone
• the place where Jacob called Bethel “the house of God”: a stone