GOSPEL DEVELOPMENTS
Gospels
“Good News”
Comprise 46% of New Testament
Placed at the beginning because they are foundational to rest of New Testament
Matthew, Mark, and Luke are known as the Synoptic Gospels because they share a common perspective
Why Four Gospels?
Matthew – Jewish audience – Messiah
Mark – Roman audience – Redeemer
Luke – Greek audience – Perfect Man
John – Worldwide audience – Son of God
“Good News”
Comprise 46% of New Testament
Placed at the beginning because they are foundational to rest of New Testament
Matthew, Mark, and Luke are known as the Synoptic Gospels because they share a common perspective
Why Four Gospels?
Matthew – Jewish audience – Messiah
Mark – Roman audience – Redeemer
Luke – Greek audience – Perfect Man
John – Worldwide audience – Son of God
The Visit
Where Did They Come From?
Matthew 2:1...”Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying...” (NASB)
Commonly refers to the area of Mesopotamia in the Bible
Many Magi in Babylon
“Magi” – literally means “astrologer”
How Did They Know?
Matthew 2:2 ..."Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.“ (NASB)
Balaam of Pethor, a town on an island in the Euphrates River near Babylon
Strabo informs us that this city was the headquarters of the Magi
Numbers 24:17..."I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel, And shall crush through the forehead of Moab, And tear down all the sons of Sheth.” (NASB)
Synonymous Parallelism; Star = Scepter
Daniel saved the astrologers in Daniel 2
The Book of Daniel was written in Babylon and Daniel was the “Chief of the Magi”
Daniel 9:24 – 27 The only passage in the Old Testament that dates the coming of the Messiah...”Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy {place.} So you are to know and discern {that} from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince {there will be} seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end {will come} with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations {will come} one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.“ (NASB)
Messiah will be “cut off” after 483 prophetic years from 444 B.C.
Nisan 1, 444 B.C. (March 5) •69 x 7 x 360 = 173,880 days
Nisan 10, A.D. 33 (March 30)
Triumphal Entry
Nisan 14, A.D. 33 (April 3)
Crucifixion
What was the “star”? Here are some speculations...
Halley’s Comet (5 B.C.)
Conjunction of Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn in the constellation Pisces (this occurs every 794 years and took place in 7 B.C.)
Shekinah Glory
Special Temporary Star
When Did They Come?
Probably just over a year after Christ was born
The family now resides in a “house”
Family pays the poor offering when they dedicate Jesus 40 days after His birth
Luke 2:24...“...and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, "A PAIR OF TURTLEDOVES OR TWO YOUNG PIGEONS.“ (NASB)
Leviticus 12:8...”'But if she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, the one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean.‘” (NASB)
Matthew identifies Him as a “child,” not “infant” (Matthew 2:11...”After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (NASB))
Herod kills all males in Bethlehem two years and under according to the time given him by the Magi
Christ was born in ?the winter of 6/5 B.C.?
Shepherds in Bethlehem
Magi probably visit in spring of 4 B.C.
Why Did They Come?
To Worship: Daniel 7:13-14 “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.
To bring gifts –Gold...Royalty (Daniel 2:37-38... “You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength and the glory; and wherever the sons of men dwell, {or} the beasts of the field, or the birds of the sky, He has given {them} into your hand and has caused you to rule over them all. You are the head of gold. “ (NASB)) –Frankincense...Deity (Exodus 30:34-37...”Then the LORD said to Moses, "Take for yourself spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, spices with pure frankincense; there shall be an equal part of each. With it you shall make incense, a perfume, the work of a perfumer, salted, pure, {and} holy. You shall beat some of it very fine, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting where I will meet with you; it shall be most holy to you. The incense which you shall make, you shall not make in the same proportions for yourselves; it shall be holy to you for the LORD.” (NASB)) –Myrrh...Death (John 19:39-40...”Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds {weight.} So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.” (NASB)) –How do they know He will die? Daniel 9:26...”Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end {will come} with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined." (NASB)
How Should We Respond? –Obey your King –Worship your God –Thank your Savior
Matthew 2:1...”Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying...” (NASB)
Commonly refers to the area of Mesopotamia in the Bible
Many Magi in Babylon
“Magi” – literally means “astrologer”
How Did They Know?
Matthew 2:2 ..."Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.“ (NASB)
Balaam of Pethor, a town on an island in the Euphrates River near Babylon
Strabo informs us that this city was the headquarters of the Magi
Numbers 24:17..."I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel, And shall crush through the forehead of Moab, And tear down all the sons of Sheth.” (NASB)
Synonymous Parallelism; Star = Scepter
Daniel saved the astrologers in Daniel 2
The Book of Daniel was written in Babylon and Daniel was the “Chief of the Magi”
Daniel 9:24 – 27 The only passage in the Old Testament that dates the coming of the Messiah...”Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy {place.} So you are to know and discern {that} from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince {there will be} seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end {will come} with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations {will come} one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.“ (NASB)
Messiah will be “cut off” after 483 prophetic years from 444 B.C.
Nisan 1, 444 B.C. (March 5) •69 x 7 x 360 = 173,880 days
Nisan 10, A.D. 33 (March 30)
Triumphal Entry
Nisan 14, A.D. 33 (April 3)
Crucifixion
What was the “star”? Here are some speculations...
Halley’s Comet (5 B.C.)
Conjunction of Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn in the constellation Pisces (this occurs every 794 years and took place in 7 B.C.)
Shekinah Glory
Special Temporary Star
When Did They Come?
Probably just over a year after Christ was born
The family now resides in a “house”
Family pays the poor offering when they dedicate Jesus 40 days after His birth
Luke 2:24...“...and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, "A PAIR OF TURTLEDOVES OR TWO YOUNG PIGEONS.“ (NASB)
Leviticus 12:8...”'But if she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, the one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean.‘” (NASB)
Matthew identifies Him as a “child,” not “infant” (Matthew 2:11...”After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (NASB))
Herod kills all males in Bethlehem two years and under according to the time given him by the Magi
Christ was born in ?the winter of 6/5 B.C.?
Shepherds in Bethlehem
Magi probably visit in spring of 4 B.C.
Why Did They Come?
To Worship: Daniel 7:13-14 “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.
To bring gifts –Gold...Royalty (Daniel 2:37-38... “You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength and the glory; and wherever the sons of men dwell, {or} the beasts of the field, or the birds of the sky, He has given {them} into your hand and has caused you to rule over them all. You are the head of gold. “ (NASB)) –Frankincense...Deity (Exodus 30:34-37...”Then the LORD said to Moses, "Take for yourself spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, spices with pure frankincense; there shall be an equal part of each. With it you shall make incense, a perfume, the work of a perfumer, salted, pure, {and} holy. You shall beat some of it very fine, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting where I will meet with you; it shall be most holy to you. The incense which you shall make, you shall not make in the same proportions for yourselves; it shall be holy to you for the LORD.” (NASB)) –Myrrh...Death (John 19:39-40...”Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds {weight.} So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.” (NASB)) –How do they know He will die? Daniel 9:26...”Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end {will come} with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined." (NASB)
How Should We Respond? –Obey your King –Worship your God –Thank your Savior