CH 2

1 What do you know about Herod, King of the Jews? Show incredible journey video.    Was he really capable of slaughtering the babies in Bethlehem? 

Watch The incredible journey 28 min video of King Herod

2 Why was “all Jerusalem” troubled by news of birth of Jesus? 

AI: Jerusalem was troubled by Jesus’ birth primarily because the Magi’s announcement of a newborn “King of the Jews” directly threatened the rule of King Herod the Great and raised widespread fears of retaliatory violence and political upheaval. 

The joint anxiety of King Herod and the people of Jerusalem stemmed from a few key factors:

• Herod’s Paranoia and Loss of Power: Herod held his throne by Roman decree, not through legitimate Jewish lineage. Historically, he was incredibly ruthless and paranoid, famously executing members of his own family and inner circle if he perceived them as threats to his power. The news of an prophesied, rightful “King” put him on high alert. 
• Fear of Bloody Retaliation: The citizens of Jerusalem were terrified because they knew that when Herod panicked, mass bloodshed and instability usually followed. The populace knew that a threatened king often meant violence, a fear that was later realized in the Slaughter of the Innocents. 
• Disruption of the Status Quo: The religious and political leaders in Jerusalem had built their security on maintaining favor with Herod and Rome. A new Messiah could spark Roman intervention, war, or an uprising, all of which jeopardized their positions of power

Two types of fulfillment of OT prophesy: Predictive (one and only one event predicted and fulfilled). Analogy: An event in the NT similar to an event in OT (Hosea 11:1). 

Micah 5:2 is predictive. Such predictions were used to proved Jesus as Messiah.

Can you name some other such prophecies that Jesus fulfilled proving that he was the Messiah?

These are the prophecies that Paul used in the synagogue in Thessalonica in Acts 17 showing the prophecies and then showing how Jesus fulfilled every one of them.

Acts 17:1 Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. ² And according to Paul’s custom, he visited them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, ³ explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” “Christ” is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word “Messiah”. “Giving evidence” in the Greek is paratithémi: To place beside, to set before, to entrust, to commit. It is listing the OT Messianic predictions and then “placing beside” that list the fulfillment of each prediction by Jesus.

3 What does it tell you about the collection of OT scrolls that had been collected by the time the scribes searched for the birthplace of Jesus? There had been a 400 silent year period of no prophets and no inspired writings, but this shows that all the 39 OT books were collected by about 400 BC. 

4 Who were these magi from the east? 

AI: The Magi were ancient scholars, often believed to be Persian or Babylonian astronomers and priests. The Bible does not state their number, but early traditions claim three. The origin of the “star” is heavily debated, with theories ranging from a supernatural light to rare planetary alignments.

Who Were the Magi?

• Scholars & Astrologers: The term Magi refers to a class of highly educated wise men from the ancient East. They were likely a hereditary caste of priests or astrologers from ancient Persia or Babylon (modern-day Iran and Iraq).
• Not Kings: The Bible refers to them as “wise men,” not kings. The tradition that they were kings arose later from interpretations of Old Testament prophecies about nations bringing gifts to a ruler.
• The Number Three: Tradition assumes there were three Magi, which stems directly from the mention of three specific gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
• Why They Traveled: Because these scholars also studied ancient history and literature, it is highly likely they had access to Jewish writings from the time when Jews were exiled in Babylon hundreds of years prior. This gave them an understanding of prophecies regarding the birth of a Jewish king. Maybe they studied Numbers 24:17 (the 4th of Balaam’s prophecies)

5 What was that star that led them to Jerusalem and then to Bethlehem? 

AI: Because the “star” of Bethlehem performed unusual actions (e.g., appearing, disappearing, and moving to hover over a specific house), theologians and historians generally attribute its origin to one of three possibilities: 

• A Supernatural Phenomenon: The most common view among Christians is that the star was a miraculous, divinely created light meant specifically to guide the Magi to Jesus.
• Planetary Conjunction: Astronomers have long hypothesized that the star was actually a rare, highly visible conjunction of planets (such as Jupiter and Saturn in 7–6 BC). To astrologers of the ancient world, this type of celestial event would have held profound cosmic significance.
• A Comet or Supernova: Another popular theory is that the Magi observed an exploding star (supernova) or a bright, slow-moving comet, both of which would have been dramatic enough to prompt a months-long journey across the desert.

6 Why did the star not lead them directly to Bethlehem instead of Jerusalem first? Would that not have saved all the babies killed in Bethlehem? Could God have avoided this? Why didn’t he?

7 How do you think the wise men felt when they found baby Jesus? Would you like to have been one of the 3 magi? Where was the baby when they found him? Was he in the stable where he was born? Were there shepherds there? So how accurate is the typical nativity scene? 

God warned Joseph to take his family to Egypt but God allowed Herod to kill all the 2 and under babies in Bethlehem. What kind of a God would do that? ‘

8 How long did Joseph stay in Egypt? 

AI: The exact duration of the Holy Family’s stay in Egypt is not specified in the Bible, but most biblical scholars estimate it lasted between a few months and about three years They fled to escape King Herod’s massacre and stayed until they received word of Herod’s death in 4 BC. 

Different traditions offer varying timeframes for the sojourn: 

• Biblical Scholars: Generally agree the exile was relatively short—typically from a few months to around two years, as Jesus was still a young toddler. 
• Coptic Tradition: Suggests a longer stay, with the Coptic Orthodox Church traditionally commemorating the stay at about three and a half years. 
• Apocryphal Texts: Ancient writings offer estimates spanning anywhere from one to seven years

9 Was Jesus born in the year 0?

AI: Historically and chronologically, Jesus was not born in the year zero  In fact, there is no year zero in our standard calendar system; the calendar goes directly from 1 BC to 1 AD. 

Scholars and historians widely agree on the following key points regarding the timeline:

• Likely Birth Window: Modern historians and biblical scholars calculate that Jesus was actually born between 6 BC and 4 BC.
• The Reason for the Error: The AD/BC calendar was devised in 525 AD by a Roman monk named Dionysius Exiguus. He attempted to calculate the year of Christ’s birth to establish a “Year of Our Lord”. However, he made a miscalculation, basing his math on the reign of King Herod the Great, who is now known to have died in 4 BC. Since Herod was alive during the biblical infancy narratives, Jesus had to be born before 4 BC. 
• No Year Zero: Dionysius did not include a year zero because the number zero did not exist in Roman numerals. Therefore, time transitions directly from 1 BC to 1 AD in the traditional calendar system. 

Because of these discrepancies, many modern academic and historical texts use BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era) to denote time, which avoids the inaccuracies and religious implications of the traditional system. 

10 Was Hosea 11:1 a predictive or analogy prophecy? Read Hosea 11. It is obviously talking about Israel coming out of Egyptian slavery. Therefore Joseph bringing Jesus out of Egypt must just be an analogy, similar event to Israel coming out of Egypt. It was not a direct prediction of Joseph and Egypt.

11 Why did Herod choose the babies 2 and under based on the time the magi came? 

Many estimate that the baby Jesus was 6 months old when the magi found him in a house (not a stable). Herod found out that they had deceived him and left to go back to the East. So he would have estimated baby Jesus to be less than a year, but to make sure he was killed, Herod killed all the children under 2.

12 Was Jeremiah 31:15 of Rachel’s weeping a predictive or analogy fulfillment? 

AI: Jeremiah 31:15 is an Old Testament lament where the symbolic mother of Israel, Rachel, weeps inconsolably for her lost and exiled children. The verse illustrates deep, agonizing grief but serves as an emotional backdrop for God’s impending promise of redemption, comfort, and eventual restoration. 

Historical & Symbolic Meaning (Old Testament)

• The Context: The prophet Jeremiah spoke this message to the people of Judah before they were exiled to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. 
• Who is Rachel? Rachel was a beloved matriarch of Israel (mother of Joseph and Benjamin). Her historical burial site was located near Ramah and Bethlehem. 
• The Symbolism: Jeremiah personifies Rachel rising from her grave to weep bitterly as she watches her descendants (the Israelites) being captured, enslaved, and torn from their homeland. She refuses to be comforted because her children are “no more”.
• The Hope: Although verse 15 focuses on unimaginable tragedy, the verses immediately following (Jeremiah 31:16-17) shift to a message of comfort. God promises Rachel that her weeping will end and that her children will eventually return from “the land of the enemy”.

Prophetic Fulfillment (New Testament)

• Matthew 2:16-18: In the New Testament, the Gospel of Matthew quotes this exact verse. 
• The Context: Matthew applies the verse to the “Massacre of the Innocents”. When King Herod ordered the execution of all male toddlers in and around Bethlehem in an attempt to destroy the infant Jesus, the mothers of Bethlehem experienced inconsolable grief.
• The Connection: Matthew uses Jeremiah’s lament to show that Rachel’s ancient weeping is echoed in the horrific suffering of the Bethlehem mothers, linking the historical sorrow of exile with the tragic sacrifices surrounding the birth of the Messiah. 

13 How was the land divided among the sons of Herod after he died? Archelaus got control of Judea.

14 What OT prophecy predicted that Jesus would be called a Nazarene?

AI: There is no single verse in the Old Testament that directly states, “He shall be called a Nazarene.” In fact, Nazareth is never mentioned in the Old Testament.

When Matthew writes in Matthew 2:23 that Jesus lived in Nazareth “so that what was said through the prophets might be fulfilled,” biblical scholars broadly agree that he is summarizing a prophetic theme rather than quoting a single text.

The main theories explain what Matthew might have meant:

• The Messianic “Branch” (Netser): The Hebrew word for “Branch” or “sprout” is netser, which sounds very similar to Nazareth in Aramaic and Hebrew. This concept of the Messiah as a branch shooting up from the stump of Jesse is found in prophecies like Isaiah 11:1. 
• The “Despised” One: First-century Judeans generally looked down on the region of Galilee, and especially the obscure, tiny village of Nazareth. Can anything good come out of Nazareth? (Nathaniel) Calling Jesus a “Nazarene” carried a stigma of being insignificant or scorned. Matthew links this to Old Testament prophecies where the Messiah would be rejected and despised by his own people, such as Psalm 22:6-7 and Isaiah 53:3.

Jesus not only identified with humanity by coming to our world; He also identified with the lowly of this world. His upbringing in an obscure and despised town served as an important part of His mission. Jesus identified Himself as “Jesus of Nazareth” during His encounter with Saul on the road to Damascus (Acts 22:7–8). After his conversion, Paul mentioned Jesus of Nazareth (Acts 26:9). One of the names of the early Christians was “Nazarenes” (Acts 24:5), and the term Nasara, meaning “Nazarene,” is still used today by Muslims to identify a Christian.

15 Where did Joseph and Mary live during the betrothal period?

AI: Joseph and Mary lived in the Galilean town of Nazareth during their betrothal. In first-century Jewish tradition, a betrothal was a legally binding contract, but the couple did not yet live together. Consequently, Mary resided at her parents’ home in Nazareth, while Joseph likely lived with his parents or prepared their future home. So after they left Egypt, they went back to where they lived during the betrothal period.

16 Did Joseph and Mary find out about the slaughter of the babies? If so, how did they feel? 

17 What does Luke add about the birth of Jesus that is not found in Matthew?

Luke’s Gospel provides a much more detailed historical narrative of the birth of Jesus. His unique additions include the annunciation to Mary, the worldwide Roman census, the journey to Bethlehem, the manger birth, the angelic appearance to the shepherds, and Jesus’ dedication at the Temple. 

Specific details found only in Luke include:

• The Announcement to Mary: The angel Gabriel appears to Mary in Nazareth to announce she will conceive. (Matthew focuses solely on the angel appearing to Joseph in a dream.) 
• The Roman Census: Mary and Joseph travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem to register for a decree by Caesar Augustus. 
• The Manger & Inn: Because there was no room at the inn, Jesus is laid in a manger after birth. 
• The Shepherds: An angel and a heavenly host announce the birth to local shepherds, who then visit the infant. 
• Temple Dedication: Mary and Joseph take Jesus to the Jerusalem Temple for purification 8 days after birth (where Simeon and Anna praise the baby). 
• The Magnificat: Mary’s famous song of praise (Luke 1:46-55).
• The Birth of John the Baptist: Luke dedicates his opening chapter to the miraculous conception and birth of John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin.