Bible Studies

The Life of Jesus

--Intro--

Are you new to this whole "God thing"? Or have you been going to a church for several years now? Whatever the case may be, it's kinda important to know the life of Jesus. He's part of the center of Christianity! So let's dive into the Bible and read about the miraculous miracles of Jesus.

--Day 1--

Today we're going to go over the birth of Jesus. Where was he born? What happened when he was born? Why was his birth so important? Well, what are we waiting for? Let's find out! Turn your bibles or follow along with me as we read Luke 2:1-2:12.

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." (NIV)

Let's relate this to today's world for a second. When we (the U.S.- if you live somewhere else, sorry) had the last census, we didn't have to travel all the way to our hometown, how close or far it may be. Mary and Joseph, and everybody else had to WALK, yes walk, or either travel on a donkey to their hometown. Imagine walking to your hometown. Some of us can't even walk a mile without breathing heavy, try walking about 30 miles.

Anyway, I've researched a bit and discovered that the trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem was 80 miles. Can you imagine walking that far? And if you were pregnant, too, just like Mary. For most of the trip she rode on the donkey with Joseph in the lead. Poor Joseph. I bet he didn't expect to be a father leading his young wife on a donkey to his hometown. But that was what God had planned for him and look what happened! If it wasn't for him (but mostly God) we would still be living like Old Testament times where we would have to sacrifice a bird or lamb for our sins to be forgiven.

Did you catch that? The reason why Jesus was born was to show us how to live, to love others, to not take revenge, and to treat others with respect. He also came to....... Well, I can't tell you just yet. I'll have to wait a little while. But don't worry; you'll find out eventually.

Ok, back to the story. So Mary and Joseph first had to travel 80 miles to Bethlehem. Check. So when they get there, they must be exhausted, right? Like the feeling of being trapped in a tiny car (or even a mini-van) with your little brothers and sisters yelling and screaming and crying and singing all at the same time; it can drive you crazy. (luckily I don't have to deal with that). But when they get there, what do they find? A full house. All of the houses are full and grumpy. Joseph tells Mary, stay here, I'll be back with a place to stay.

So Mary waits patiently, all the while, realizing that she's having some form of contractions and the baby's gonna pop out any minute. What would you do? I know that I would probably scream and cry out in pain and yell, "Joseph! The baby's coming! The baby's coming!" So Joseph hears her screams and realizes that he needs a place to stay NOW. Picking up the pace, he's practically pounding on doors, Mary screaming in the background. When they finally find a place to stay (which turns out to be a barn/stable), out comes Jesus. The Messiah, Son of Man, Emanuel, has come. As soon as he is born, angels alert shepards in the field. The wise men are also told of the Good News, and they bring gifts to give to baby Jesus.