Clearing Up some "Contradictions" About The Birth Of Christ
This is part five of the serialization of Celebration of the Birth of Christ, which is Chapter 7 of the book Friends With God.
Where Mary Went To
In the previous four posts we have looked into the historical and Biblical background of the events surrounding the births of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ.
We have provided in the Third Post in this series some clear scriptural evidence for Jesus being born on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles, in the Autumn, and John the Baptist being born in the Spring time, six months before, at Passover.
We can now address one of the questions raised in the First Post, - why did Mary go away just before Elizabeth gave birth to John?
Please read Luke 1:39-56, where you will see the obvious love and affection between Elizabeth and Mary. Mary’s interest in Elizabeth’s wellbeing would surely have compelled her to remain? Yet, she left before the birth of John!
Have you ever wondered what kind of incredible obligation could have driven Mary to depart at this critical juncture?
We are told that Mary and Joseph were very attentive to keep the law, as they went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. (Luke 2:41-42) As with all the festivals you could not keep them in any city other than Jerusalem, but Bethlehem was only a few miles from Jerusalem, so they could easily have stayed with Joseph’s relatives in Bethlehem, while keeping the Passover.
Mary would certainly not have left Elizabeth at this critical time without a very good reason, which keeping the Passover obviously provides. As we have shown, John the Baptist was more than likely born on Passover, so it seems self-evident that Mary departed from Elizabeth just a few days before she gave birth, in order to keep the Passover in Jerusalem, with Joseph.
The Second Passover
God considered Passover such an important festival, that unlike any other festival, those who missed it could keep it a month later. (Num 9:3-14) Like all festivals, it had to be kept in Jerusalem. If, for some reason, (such as having a child) you could not keep the Passover, then you could keep it a month later, but it was still kept in Jerusalem.
Therefore, while Mary had no critical reason for not attending the first Passover, Elizabeth and Zechariah would not have been able to keep it due to the expected birth, but they would have been able to attended the second Passover a month later.
Mary’s leaving Elizabeth just prior to the birth of John in order to attend the Passover therefore provides further evidence that Jesus was born at Tabernacles, as only a significant occasion, such as the Passover, would have been sufficient reason to compel her to go away and not attend this momentous birth.
The Wise Men And Christ
Let’s now consider three other apparent contradictions.
As stated in this previous post, Matthew records that after the Wise Men had given their gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus, Joseph was warned in a dream that Herod would try to kill the child, so the family immediately fled South to Egypt from Bethlehem. (Matt 2:13-14)
This appears to contradict Luke’s account, where we are told that Mary and Joseph went North, back to Nazareth, after Christ was presented to God at the Temple 40 days after he was born. (Luke 2:22)
Also, contrary to the nativity scenes we are all familiar with, Luke does not record the Wise Men being present at the birth of Christ, and Matthew does not record either the shepherds, or the actual birth.
The Wise Men also did not find the baby Jesus in a manger, but in a house. (Matt 2:11)
Another issue is that Mary and Joseph offered at the Temple a sacrifice according to that said in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. (Luke 2:24) This law for sacrifice at the birth of a child, states that they are to offer a lamb, but if they could not afford a lamb then it was acceptable to offer the birds instead. (Lev 12:1-8)
It is significant that they offered the sacrifice of a poor person, however, if they were given gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh by the Wise Men, then they would not have been poor and could have afforded a lamb.
Where is he that is born King of the Jews?
In order to clear up these apparent contradictions we need to look at the accounts in some detail. We are told that Herod, the King, murdered all the children from two years old and under, according to the time (of the birth of Jesus) which he had diligently enquired of the wise men. (Matt 2:16)
Why two years old? Why not those just born? Herod did not want to be more unpopular than he had to be, but Herod knew the time when the child was born, as it correlated with the appearance of the star:
Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star (first) appeared. (Matt 2:7)
The Wise Men asked: Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. (Matt 2:2)
They didn’t ask Herod, “where shall the King of the Jews be born, that we may be there at his birth?” They said “where is he”, for he had evidently already been born.
Herod enquired of the Wise Men about the star to find out how old Jesus was, as the star had signified that the birth of the new King of Israel had occurred. However, Herod was the king, and he wasn’t going to sit back and welcome this usurper! He had garnered the date of the birth of this new King, not to worship him, as he told the Wise Men, but to murder him!
Being warned in a dream, the Wise Men did not come back to tell Herod where the Child King was. (Matt 2:12) However, Herod knew that the child was under two years old, and presumably lived in the Bethlehem region, so he ruthlessly murdered all the children under two years old throughout the region!
So the child Jesus was up to two years old at the time of the Wise Men, not just born. Which is why they are not mentioned by Luke, who records the birth of Jesus, and why the shepherds were not recorded by Matthew.
Mary and Joseph also offered a sacrifice of a poor family at the Temple, as they had not yet been given the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh by the Wise Men.
Jesus In A House Not A Barn
If Jesus was up to two years old when the Wise Men visited them, what would he have been doing back in Bethlehem? Luke tells us that Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth, but they went to Jerusalem to keep the Passover every year:
And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.
Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. (Luke 2:39-41)
It seems reasonable to assume that they were therefore in Bethlehem, keeping the Passover when the Wise Men came to the King.
Jesus would therefore have been about 18 months old, which fits within the timeframe of Herod’s murderous act.
Joseph and Mary would have again been staying with Joseph’s relatives in Bethlehem- who, by this time, would have realized that he was not your average child, and thus they would have been lodged in the house, rather than the stable under the house.
It’s therefore not too difficult to reconcile the apparent contradictions:
It seems that Luke records the events surrounding the birth of Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles, after which the family went to the temple to offer the sacrifice of poor people, and then returned home to Nazareth.
Matthew’s record of the events with Herod and the Wise Men in Jerusalem and Bethlehem, happened about 18 months later, which then precipitated the family fleeing to Egypt.
We therefore have no conflict between the Biblical accounts of this most significant of all births. There is no scriptural justification for having the Wise Men present at Jesus’ birth, as depicted by most nativity scenes. The narrative is complex, yes, but not unable to be sorted out, while also maintaining the integrity of scriptural account.
In the next post we will explore the amazing story of how the celebration of the birth of Christ was changed from the First Day of the Feast of Tabernacles to December 25th.