Table of Contents
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction
The Story Behind the Story 1
Chapter 1 A Miraculous Place in Bethlehem 7
What Do We Know About the Holy Family? 12
God Calls Families 13
Mary Is the Main Source for the Christmas Story 17
Questions to Ponder and Discuss 22
Chapter 2 Why Did God Choose Mary? 25
The Village of Nazareth 27
The Relationship Between Nazareth and Sepphoris - Why Sepphoris Is So Important to the Story 29
Mary's Early Life in Jerusalem and Sepphoris 33
What Else Do We Know About Mary's Father Joachim? 35
What Does the Word 'Virgin' Mean and Why Was Mary So 'Highly Favored'? 38
What Does It Mean To Be 'Espoused'? 42
In Summation 43
Questions to Ponder and Discuss 46
Chapter 3 Why Did God Choose Joseph? 49
Was Joseph a Poor Carpenter as Religious Tradition Says? 51
Back To Sepphoris 56
Joseph Qualified To Be Entrusted With True Riches 58
Joseph Proved To Be Merciful 60
Joseph Was Spiritually Attuned and Obedient to God 62
Joseph's Actions Displayed Deep Trust in God 63
Joseph Was a Solid Spiritual Leader for His Family 64
Questions to Ponder and Discuss 66
Chapter 4 What Are 'Swaddling Clothes' and What Is a 'Manger'? 69
A Governmental Census Was Decreed 70
The Whole Roman Empire Was on the Move 73
From Nazareth to Bethlehem - 'Here to There' - God Will Make His Plan Stand 74
'Unto Us a Child Is Born' 76
What Are 'Swaddling Clothes'? 77
What Is a 'Manger'? 79
Why 'No Room in the Inn'? 80
Questions to Ponder and Discuss 82
Chapter 5 A Holy Moment 85
In the Beginning 88
Yet the World 'Knew Him Not' 89
God's Plan To Enter the Earth and Dwell Among Men Was Masterful 90
Jesus Our King's 'Great Exchange' To Be With Us and To Save Us 94
Questions to Ponder and Discuss 96
Chapter 6 Who Were 'the Shepherds Keeping Watch'? 99
Special Shepherds With Special Sheep 101
A Holy Assignment 103
A Sudden and Surprising Angelic Appearance 104
'Good Tidings of Great Joy' 106
'Swaddling Clothes' - a Significant Sign To This Particular Group of Shepherds 107
The Lamb of God Who Would Take Away the Sin of the World 110
Questions to Ponder and Discuss 112
Chapter 7 What Is 'a Multitude of the Heavenly Host'? 115
For the First Time, Angels Beheld the Face of God 117
Wrapped in Human Flesh, Jesus Was Still Commander-in-Chief 119
The Role of Angels 120
The First Evangelists 123
Mary Treasured It All in Her Heart 124
Questions to Ponder and Discuss 126
Chapter 8 Jesus' Baby Dedication in the Temple 129
How Do You 'Present' a Child? 131
A Daily Dedication for Life 133
The Dedication of Your Body - What Is a 'Living Sacrifice'? 134
The Dedication of Your Mind 136
The Dedication of Your Emotions 137
What Does the Word 'Sacrifice' Mean? 138
What Is the 'Acceptable' Will of God and 'Reasonable Service'? 140
What Does This Mean for You? 141
Questions to Ponder and Discuss 142
Chapter 9 Who Were Simeon and Anna? 145
Who Was Simeon? 146
The Spirit of Prophecy Was Upon Simeon 149
Who Was Anna? 151
Some Signs of Christ's Next Coming! 153
Jesus Is Not Slow in Returning… God Is Patiently Waiting for People To Be Saved 155
Questions to Ponder and Discuss 156
Chapter 10 Who Was Herod the Great and What Was His Relevance to Christ's Birth? 159
Unique Details of Jesus' Birth and Beyond in Matthew's and Luke's Gospels 160
A Wrong Impression Due to Modern Culture and Interpretation 161
Matthew's Account of the Story 163
Why Was He Called Herod the Great? 164
What Do We Know About Herod the Great? 165
Julius Caesar, Octavian, Marc Antony, Cleopatra, and Others 168
Herod - Great in Many Ways 170
How and When Did Herod Die? 172
Questions to Ponder and Discuss 174
Chapter 11 Who Were The Magi? 177
A Rendezvous Between Nero and the Magi 179
Daniel and the Magi 181
'From the East' the Place of the 'Rising Sun 182
How Many Magi Were There and What Were Their Names? 183
How Did Magi Travel In the Ancient World? 184
What the Magi Said As They Entered Jerusalem 186
The Star 187
King of the Jews 190
Herod Was Troubled 191
Questions to Ponder and Discuss 192
Chapter 12 Why Was Herod Troubled by the News of Jesus? 195
How Deeply Was Herod Troubled? 197
How Magi Traveled 198
Why Was 'All Jerusalem' Troubled With Herod? 200
Herod's Interrogation of Chief Priests and Scribes 201
Herod Interrogated the Magi 202
Herod Sent the Magi to Bethlehem 205
The Star Hovered Once Again Above Jesus' Location - and That Location Was Not Bethlehem 207
The House in Nazareth 208
Questions to Ponder and Discuss 210
Chapter 13 What Was the Value of the Magi's Gifts? 213
Seven Important Points in Matthew 2:11 215
Exactly What Kind of Gifts Did the Magi Present to Jesus? 217
The Gifts of the Magi to Jesus 221
Not Just 'Three Small Boxes' 222
The Gift of Gold 224
The Gift of Frankincense 226
The Gift of Myrrh 226
A Possible Catalog of Gifts the Magi Gave to Jesus 228
God Spoke to the Magi 230
What Eventually Happened to the Magi? 231
What Happened to the Gifts the Magi Gave to Jesus? 232
"Joseph, Mary and Jesus Escaped Herod's Murderous Rage" 233
Questions to Ponder and Discuss 234
Chapter 14 The Flight Into Egypt and the Massacre of the Innocents 237
That Night an Angel Spoke to Joseph in a Dream 239
Herod Flew Into a Murderous Rampage 240
The Slaughter of the Innocents 242
How Expensive Were Their Travels in Egypt? 244
The Holy Family Experienced the Reality of Philippians 4:19 245
What Happened to All the 'Treasures'? 247
How Did the Holy Family Travel to Egypt? 249
How the Gospel First Came to Egypt and the Role of the Coptic Church 251
Early Documentation About the Holy Family's Time in Egypt 253
After the Death of King Herod 257
What Is a Nazarene? 259
Questions to Ponder and Discuss 262
Chapter 15 The Real Purpose of Christmas 265
The Beautiful Act of Humility 267
The Ugly Act of Crucifixion 268
Christ's Humiliation, Shame, and Torture 271
Every Knee Will Bow and Tongue Confess Christ's Lordship 272
At Christmastime - or Any Time 273
Questions to Ponder and Discuss 274
Endnotes 276
