1A - Jesus Birth Flashcards
Key features of Matthew’s Nativity Account
Matthew puts the focus on Joseph
An angel announces Mary’s pregnancy
Baby Jesus is born in a house in Bethlehem
The Magi visit bringing 3 gifts. They deceive Herod who reacts by killing all the children in Bethlehem under 2.
Joseph is forewarned and flees with Mary and Jesus to Egypt. After Herod’s death they return to Nazareth.
Key features of Luke’s Nativity Account
Luke puts the focus on Mary – she is told of her pregnancy by Angel Gabriel.
The Magnificat – Elizabeth expresses her joy for her and Mary’s pregnancy.
The Benedictus – Zechariah’s (Elizabeth’s husband) prophecy after the birth of John the Baptist.
A census called by Caesar Augustus causes Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem.
Jesus born in the manger and visited by the shepherd.
Jesus presented in the Temple in Jerusalem 8 days after birth – recognised as Messiah by Simeon and Anna – Simeon speaks a hymn known as the Nunc Dimmitis.
Key differences between the Nativity Accounts
Principle viewpoint / lead character
Matthew alone records Joseph and Mary’s marriage, the appearance of the star, the visit of the Wise Men, the slaughter of the infants and the flight to Egypt.
Matthew includes extensive quotations from the Old Testament – Luke doesn’t.
Luke mentions that he was born in a manger, Matthew speaks of a house.
Luke records Mary’s visit to the Elizabeth, the birth of John the Baptist, the visit of the shepherds, the presentation of Christ and the 3 hymns..
Critical issue 1 - the historicity of the accounts
Matthew gives little historical detail but does mention Herod’s massacre of the children of Bethlehem – an event not reported by other historical sources.
Is it to draw a parallel between Jesus and Moses?
Luke mentions both Quirinius and Herod but other sources indicates they did not overlap. Saturnius was governor at time of Herod.
Some argue that the addition of the 3 hymns is a later addition from the genuine narrative.
Critical issue 2 - Supernatural Events
Many doubt the historicity of the accounts due to the supernatural elements of the story – appearances of angels to announce the birth , the shepherds are visited by a choir of angels or the appearance of a star to guide the Magi to Jesus.
Likewise the most amazing claim is that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of Mary – thus he was both human and divine.
Critical Issue 3 - Harmonising the Accounts
Others argue the stories are too inconsistent to be true.
However there are no absolute contradictions – just missing details. Could they have different sources?
Some believe Luke received the story from Mary herself – hence the inclusion of more intimate details.
Why couldn’t Jesus be visited by Magi and shepherds?
There are also similarities – Bethlehem, Herod, Mary’s virginity + Jesus as fulfilment of OT prophecy.
Critical Issue 4 - Redaction Criticism
Redaction = the idea that NT writers altered existing material about Jesus to suit their own agenda + theological purposes. Origins in late 1940s Germany – assumes that the original traditions about Jesus circulated in the early Church. Each gospel writer chose and arranged materials making additions and omissions to make a theological point.
Analysis would suggest Matthew targets a Jewish order – aims to prove that Jesus is connected through Joseph to King David, that he fulfils OT prophecy through use of quotes. Expands Jesus mission beyond just Jews.
Luke seems to target gentiles – appeals less to the OT, when he does he uses a Greek translation (Septuagint) rather than a Hebrew one. Greater emphasis on the marginalised, women, shepherds, the poor and needy. The first visitors to Christ are poor. Mary and Joseph make the sacrifice of a poor person in the Temple.
The Doctrine of the Incarnation
Incarnation = God becoming flesh in Jesus – Jesus Christ was God in human form.
Jesus life on earth was only a short period in the story of one who had always been and will always be.
‘The word became flesh’.
Defined and defended by the councils of Nicea, Ephesus and Chalcedon – Jesus Christ both fully God and fully man.
The hypostatic union – the unity between the human and divine natures of Jesus. Not half / half but fully God and fully human.
Fully God – existed from the beginning with God and was God. After resurrection he is believed to have returned to his Father.
Fully Human – a man of flesh and blood – born as any other person is, learnt to walk and and talk etc.
Incarnation as Kenosis
Kenosis – Jesus ‘emptying’ himself
Comes from the Greek verb keno – to make empty.
Philippians 2 – Jesus emptied himself to take the form of a slave.
An attempt to resolve some of the problems of the incarnation – particularly how Jesus have a human and a divine nature – for example, how could an omniscient God become a baby.
What does it mean for Jesus to have emptied himself. He can’t have completely ceased to be God – as such he must have maintained the ‘substantial presence’ of God
Instead this emptying consists of a pre-incarnate self-limitation by Jesus = agreeing to take the form of a slave and being born in human likeness – and so therefore can be fully human whilst maintaining substantial presence as fully divine.
Shows Christ’s willingness to sacrifice himself.
