NEWS:   Early Sabbath morning Israel began deploying more forces up to the Lebanon border.  The IAF is also continuing its overflights of southern Lebanon.

Luk 2

The birth of Yeshua [Jesus the Christ].

1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. 2:2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 2:3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

Since most people went up to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles [which was at the end of the main harvest] that would have been the most convenient time for the taxing. For dating the birth and death of Jesus Christ see.  THE 70 WEEKS PROPHECY Part 1: Dating the Crucifixion of Christ

2:4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 2:5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 2:6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

Jesus is born

2:7 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.

The angelic announcement to the shepherds in the fields

2:8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 2:9 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.

2:10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 2:12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

The shepherds then sought out the child in haste.

2:15 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 hath made known unto us.

The shepherds finding the child began to tell everyone of what they had seen.

2:16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 2:17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

The people wondered what these things could mean as did Mary herself.

2:18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 2:19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. 2:20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Yeshua [Jesus] was circumcised on the eighth day; which commandment and example we should follow by circumcising our males on the eighth day.

2:21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS [Yeshua meaning our salvation], which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

2:22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; 2:23 (As it is written in the law of the LORD, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) 2:24 And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.

Lev 12   And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean.

3 And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.

4 And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days [for a total of 40 days]; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled.

5 But if she bear a maid child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying threescore and six days.

6 And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin offering, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest:

7 Who shall offer it before the Lord, and make an atonement for her; and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This is the law for her that hath born a male or a female.

Today the mother and child are to be separated from public exposure for the required number of days; and there should be NO intercourse during his period.  Besides the spiritual meaning, this protects the health of mother and child, facilitates bonding and allows the mother recovery time from her pregnancy.  This law is a law of mercy for women and new born’s.

The spiritual meaning is this.  The forty days of uncleanness represents the period of testing, preparation and cleansing for entering the physical Temple; as it rained for forty days in the days of Noah, Moses fasted forty days to enter the presence of the Creator, and Jesus fasted and was tried for forty days before entering his ministry.

Because by woman sin entered the world, the purification for a female child is double the male.

This law is to emphasize to us that we must become absolutely clean and pure from all spiritual uncleanness and sin; to enter the spiritual Temple of God.

Simeon received his promise from God that he would see the Messiah in his lifetime.

2:25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. 2:26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

Simeon the aged, inspired by God’s spirit blessed the child.

2:27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,2:28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, 2:29Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: 2:30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, 2:31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; 2:32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

Joseph and Mary again marveled at all the wondrous things surrounding the child.

2:33 And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.

2:34 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; 2:35 (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

Anna also prophesied of the child.  Anna having been married [the average age of marriage then was 13-14 for a female] lets say Anna married at 16 and was married for seven years, or until age 23; after which she was a widow for 84 years, to total about 107 years old.

2:36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; 2:37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 2:38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

They kept all the commandments in the law.  Those who say that the commandments cannot be kept are ignorant knowing nothing for the scripture speaks of many who DID keep the commandments and were faithful to God.

At this point Luke skips over and leaves out the flight into Egypt which is found in Matthew.  Luke was the last Gospel written and Luke was probably trying to add what the others neglected to write; so that the four Gospels would present a comprehensive account when studied TOGETHER.

2:39 And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. 2:40 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

Every year they went to Jerusalem for the Passover and would have remained for the Passover and the full seven days of Unleavened Bread as God had commanded

2:41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. 2:42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.

2:43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. 2:44 But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. 2:45 And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.

The child of twelve, who would have had the six year basic education in the local synagogue school, was surprised at his level of learning and understanding.  Doubtless they thought that here was a future great rabbi in their midst. Later Jesus would have continued to study with the best of the doctors of the scriptures as be prepared for his ministry.  See All About the Education of Jesus Christ

2:46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. 2:47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.

2:48 And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. 2:49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business? 2:50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.

2:51 And he [was subject to them] went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

Luke 3

Pontius Pilate was the fifth Prefect of the Roman province of Judaea, from AD 26–36. Tiberius was co emperor with Augustus from 12 ad to 37 ad, his fifteenth year being 27 ad.  Again see  THE 70 WEEKS PROPHECY Part 1: Dating the Crucifixion of Christ

John Baptist began his ministry in spring 27 ad.

1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, 3:2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

John taught REPENTANCE and washing [baptism] away of past sin; to prepare the people for the ministry of Messiah.

3:3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; 3:4 As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

This is a partly fulfilled prophecy which shall yet be fulfilled in its fullness in this latter day.

3:5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; 3:6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

John demanded of the scribes and pharisees who wanted to be baptized in a show for the people, that they PROVE the sincerity of their repentance.

People are NOT to trust in lying words, falsely claiming that they are the children of Abraham without the works and faith of Abraham!

Today the brethren trust in the lie, that as long as they attend some organization, they are the temple of the Lord and the tribulation will not come near them.

Jer 7:4   Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, are these.

3:7 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

John 15:4   Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

3:9 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

John taught to repent of commandment breaking and to go and sin NO MORE!  John taught to love God and neighbour!

3:10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? 3:11 He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. 3:12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? 3:13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. 3:14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

John teaches of Christ, that God’s spirit will be given to the sincerely repentant. through the work of the Messiah the Deliverer of humanity.

3:15 And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not; 3:16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:

John teaches that Christ will NOT overlook compromise and rebellion against the commandments of God; and will utterly  destroy the unrepentant wicked.  Jesus Christ will winnow his grain as a man tosses his grain into the air and fans it so that the chaff is blown away and only the wheat remains.

Do NOT believe the ABSOLUTE LIE, that Jesus understands and will overlook and forgive our unrepented  efforts to make our lives easy by compromising with his commandments!

Jesus Christ will NOT overlook continued and unrepentant sin!  He will cast such people OUT of his Father’s Temple and into the fire of affliction.

Jude 1:3    Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the [teachings to keep the commandments of the father as Christ did] only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

3:17 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable. 3:18 And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people.

Herodias was the niece of Herod and of Philip and for this cause she was engaged in an incestuous marriage first to Philip and then to Herod, Philip’s  brother.  It appears that Herodias was a Jezebel who used her charms to seek position at the side of the greatest ruler in her sphere.  The weakness of Herod to fall to her tempting makes him a poor king indeed.

3:19 But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, 3:20 Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.

John began to baptize in spring 27 ad when the waters of Jordan ran high, and Jesus went to be baptized of John before his trials in the wilderness.  Jesus then went home to rest and then began his ministry close to the fall Feast time.

3:21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, 3:22And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

Joseph was the father of Jesus by adoption, being his legal father, through whom he could rightfully claim descent from David.

Jesus was the son of Mary in the sense that the Creator gave up his God-hood to be reduced to a human embryo, and Mary carried the embryo to term and gave birth to Yeshua [Jesus] as a surrogate mother of Messiah.  Surrogacy is an arrangement in which a woman carries and carries and delivers a child for another; the woman may be genetically unrelated to the child.

There are differences between Matthew’s genealogy of Joseph, and Luke’s; which I cannot at present reconcile.  Some have said that Matthew presents the genealogy of Joseph while Luke presents that of Mary; yet Luke clearly s says that he is presenting the genealogy of Joseph the supposed  father of Christ.

Luke’s genealogy is that of Joseph the espoused husband of Mary.  In some cases the real issue may simply be in using forenames or surnames.  Such as Heli in place of Jacob.

3:23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, 3:24Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph, 3:25 Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge, 3:26 Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda, 3:27 Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri, 3:28 Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er, 3:29 Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, 3:30Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim, 3:31 Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David, 3:32 Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson, 3:33 Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda, 3:34 Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor, 3:35 Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala, 3:36 Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech, 3:37 Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan, 3:38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.

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