Transcript of Radio Show #343:
Event #3, Birth and Childhood of Christ,
from "the Four Gospels series by events" based on the book "Horizontal Chronology of the Four Gospels"

Radio Show...

This program continues on various series of different topics on theology such as end times, prophecies, daily living, etc. as the subject matter comes up.

The e-book on End times, Prophecies and Revelation, answering the questions “where are we in the events of the end times?” and “Are we now in the tribulation?” is available on this web site, which you can find throughout the pages.

Opening Narrative

Hello and welcome to another exciting radio program today on end times and prophecies and scriptures to live by... which is all about old-time gospel and worship music, praying for needs and preaching the Word of God....

We continue on the brand new series started in Fall of 2024, which is to do with the Four Gospels presented by events rather than individually by the four gospel writers Matthew, Mark Luke and John... same gospel but presented by events. You will see it develop as we go along...

As well, this season also starts the 8th year of this “Virtual Church for the Spiritual Unchurched” weekly radio program.

That's right, it's been 8 years since the Lord called me to produce and host these radio shows that deliver the good news of Jesus Christ, our Lord God and Saviour, and God the Father and God the Holy Spirit – which is all about the beginning of time and the whole of God's Creation as we know it... and all the rest of the Word of God which He gave us to know where we are and who we are.

This series is based on my book “The Horizontal Chronology of the Four Gospels”, so it is going to be different... I will explain as I go through the material, which is not some new narrative, or novel, or anything like that, but it is pure scripture from the Word of God...

So I'll get into that right after the usual opening music, prayer and worship time...

All that will begin right after this opening music and time of prayer…

(Let us pray...

The Lord's Prayer...
Praise God Doxology...
Worship Music...)

Narrative #1

As I already mentioned, in this series we look at the four gospels in a new light as they are presented by chronological events taking place, rather then by the four gospels separately presented in the Bible by the four writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John ...

Although it is still the same gospel.... but in order of events...

So as you will recall if you were with us last week, there are 9 particular events that we are looking at – if you miss that program you can still hear it at my web site TimingRevelation.com

So the 9 events we're looking at in this series are:

#1—Pre-human existence of Christ
#2 – Pre-natal to Jesus's Incarnation
#3-- Birth and Childhood of Christ

and this is where we are today, at #3 Birth and Childhood of Christ.

The rest here below will be coming in the following programs:

#4-- Beginning of Jesus' ministry
#5-- Galilean ministry
#6-- Judean and Perean ministry of Jesus
#7-- Jesus' last week
#8-- Jesus' last 6 hours
#9-- From the Resurrection to the Ascension

Music Interlude
Prayer
Worship

Narrative 2

Alright so let's carry on with the next events, still within our #3 event of the Birth and Childhood of Jesus...

Last week we ended with Dr Luke's discourse of the genealogy of Jesus in chapter 3. Remember genealogies are very important to the Jewish people, especially at that time of the transition from the Old Testament the Torah to the New Testament of Christ.

As you know the New Testament is not a new religion it is a continuation fulfillment of the Old Testament as declared by the prophets of God. Jesus came not to condemn the Law but to fulfill it.

Wow, what a great teaching that is the God of the Old Testament who came in the flesh to accomplish the plan of redemption for mankind...

“That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

(John 3:15 to 17)...

... but that's for another whole program later on in this series....

Birth and Childhood of Christ

For now today, we continue within the #3 event of the Birth and Childhood of Christ, where we left off last week, regarding the reaction of Herod the king about Jesus Christ, whose birth had been spread throughout the country.

We begin at what this king's reaction to this matter drove him to do, and continue on through the rest of this chronological event of the Birth and Childhood of Christ.

As you will remember in the last program we looked at the proclamation of the birth of Jesus by the angels, in the book of Luke, then the visit of the shepherds, then the circumcision of the infant Christ at 8 days, the presentation in the Temple and the acknowledgement of the old Jewish saints, Simeon and Anna who confirmed the promised Child and prophesied to Mary and Joseph...

Visit of the wise men from the East and the flight to Egypt

So this takes us to the Visit of the wise men from the East in Matthew, chapter 2, and the flight to Egypt which the Lord told Joseph in a dream because Herod would be looking to destroy the new born king, whom he had heard about from the wise men. We read that story in Matthew chapter 2, verses 1 to 18... (this would take us to around 5 or 4 B.C., in Bethlehem.)

You know, there's an interesting teaching here in this particular subject matter that comes to my mind, regarding the flight to Egypt, that relates to today...

A lot of people use this scripture to say that borders are not part of God's design. They use this story in this passage of scripture to say that Mary, Joseph and Jesus were “allowed” into Egypt. However what they do not realize is that Egypt was a province of the Roman Empire at that time, and not a country closed with borders as we have it today...

Just an important and interesting tidbit of history.

Let's read this particular story in Matthew, chapter 2, verses 13-18...

Herod's reaction

(Old King James bible)

13,” And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

14, “When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

15. “And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

16. “Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.

17. “Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying,

18. “In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. (Jeremiah 31:15).

And that was verses 15, 16, 17 and 18.

From Egypt to Israel

Then in verse 19, Matthew tells us that when Herod was dead, an angel of the Lord appeared again to Joseph in Egypt and told him to take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel.

This gives us a good idea as to the time of the birth of Jesus, because we know that Herod died in 4 B.C., and Jesus would be at this time about two years of age. So Jesus would have been born in 6 B.C. Another helpful tidbit of history, because so many people ask: “ when was Jesus born?”.

In the next verses, still in Matthew chapter 2, Joseph having been warned by God in a dream, we read about the return of the family from Egypt to Nazareth.

And the last verse of this chapter, verse 23 ends with:
“And he (Joseph) came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He (Jesus) shall be called a Nazarene.

And from here Dr. Luke picks up in Luke, chapter 2, verse 39, with, “And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.”

Same story reported but with Dr Luke's extra bit of details about all the things that they had to performed about the law as they left their temporary abode.

Music interlude...

Narrative #3

The Childhood of Jesus

So now we are still in the book of Luke within the events of the childhood of Jesus, taking place sometimes between 4 B.C. to 7 or 8 A.D., in Nazareth.

The story continues at verse 40 in Luke chapter 2, which we already noted in the last program, about the child growing strong in spirit and wisdom, and also about the incident of the Lord at age 12 when he and his parents visited the Temple...

You will recall that Jesus was inadvertently left behind and when his parents found him after three days, Jesus was sitting among the religious doctors and theologians, astonishing them with is supernatural knowledge of scripture and theology.

And the last verse of Luke chapter 2 ends with ”And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”

Isn't that interesting that he would say with God “and man”...

This time span would be the eighteen years in Nazareth, between his age of 12 to 30 years old when Jesus began His public ministry. This would take us to from about 8 A.D. to 26 A.D.

John the Baptist's ministry

And now in the Gospel recordings, we read about John the Baptist's ministry that began in the Judean wilderness, around A.D. 26 or 27...

This takes us back to Mark 1, which we read from in the last program in verse 1 opening up with the beginning of his gospel records...

Now we pick up where he wrote about the ministry of John the baptist, starting at verse 2 and 3, with the famous passage:

2, “As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

3, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. (Ref.: Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 40:3).

Then the next gospel writer about this subject matter is Luke, and we read in chapter 3, verses 1 and 2:

“Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,

“Annas and Caiaphas (Kayaphas) being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness....

So, again, Dr Luke immerses us with extra historical details with names and places; and of course the Herod mentioned here is the son of the Herod the Great we read about earlier who had all the infants under two years of age killed because of his hideous jealousy – or madness rather – he certainly does not deserve the title “the Great”... in my humble opinion.

The message of John the Baptist

After this, still in our event #3 “Birth and Childhood of Christ”, we are told about the message of John the Baptist:

Matthew is the first one to cover that in chapter 3, verses 1 to 12,
then Mark 1, verses 4 to 8, then Luke 3, verses 3 to 8,
and finally, John the apostle, chapter 1, verses 19 to 28...

and we'll take a look at that, right after this..

Music interlude...

Alright, so now let's read Matthew's take on the message of John the Baptist at this time, in chapter 3, verses 1 to 12:

Continuing on the ministry of John the Baptist

1, “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,

2, “ And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

So the message of John the Baptist is about “Repentance”.

v. 3, “ For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. (Isaiah 40:3).

4, “And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

5, “Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,

6, “And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.”

Isn't it interesting how we are reading right here about the places we hear about so prominently these days in our news reports... Jerusalem, Judea, Jordan...

It's truly amazing how the Bible then and now is the same .... it's the same story, we are living through this history... .

continuing, verse 7, “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8, “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: (meet means fit...so therefore bring forth fruits fit for repentance.)

9, “And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

10, “And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”

Wow, that's preaching!

11, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

12, “ Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire...

Wow that's an unquenchable message, Amen!

And Mark's report of this event:

Mark chapter 1: 4 to 8

4, “John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

5, “And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.

6, “And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey;

7, “And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.

8, “I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

It is very interesting to see the reports of each gospel writers side by side on each of the same event stories. We can see and understand clearly why the forefathers of Christendom incorporated the four gospels. Each one adding further details to one and the other.

And now from Dr Luke,

chapter 3, vs 3 to 8:

3, “And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;

4, “As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

5, “Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;

6, “And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

7, “Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”

This is interesting – Matthew specifies that John the Baptist rebuked the Pharisees and Sadducees and called them vipers, but here, in Luke's report, it says “the multitude that came” were chided. We can see another Jewish thought being expressed by the Jewish writer Matthew.

And verse 8, “Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.”

Again interesting, Luke brings the Jewish understanding of 'their father Abraham', yet he is not Jewish, but knew that the message was sent 'to the Jew first' and to them that was important or meaningful.

9, “And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”

And from here on Luke gives more details again that the others don't have...

10, “And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?

11, “He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

12, “Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?

13, “And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.

14, “And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

15, “And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;

16, “John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:

17, “Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.

18, “And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people.”

That was Dr Luke's report.

Fascinating how close all four reports are to one another, but each one giving extra details.

And now the last report of John the apostle on this event:

You will notice how different the narrative of this report is compared to the others, in that it is clear that this gospel of John presents/speaks of Jesus Christ as the divine who came from God -- in other words His deity -- which is the most profound of the four gospels and theological...

... and this, from the passage of scripture that we saw at the very beginning of this series on the “Horizontal Chronology of the Four Gospels”, in the first program, last week, where I explained about the first event that comes up when you place all four gospels chronologically by events. You remember – what comes up is: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God” (John 1, verses 1 to 5.) Then we skipped verses 6 to 8 which spoke of John the baptist, and picked up again at verse 9, reading to verse 18.

(If you forgot or did not hear that first program, you can still hear it on my web site TimingRevelation.com, where it will be up for another 4 weeks.)

So the rest of this passage is where we are at today, from verse 19, in that same chapter, John continuing his gospel report as he picks up telling his account of John the Baptist:

verse 19, “And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?

20, “And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.

21, “And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.

22, “Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?

23, “He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

24, “And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.

25, “And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?

Now iI you're familiar with the Jewish Passover, in their readings they talk about exactly that, they are waiting for Messiah but they also talk about Elijah and the prophet and there is no time to get into that right now but you can look it up, that was important to them...

so they asked him why then do you baptize if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?

26, “John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;

27, “He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

28, “These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

And this concludes the #3 event of the Birth and Childhood of Jesus...

so we will pick up from here next week, with #4 event the Beginning of Jesus' Ministry, from when Jesus Himself is baptized by John the Baptist -- still in this moment of John the Baptist Ministry in around the year 27 A.D. ...

Closing Narrative…

Before I dismiss the service today, I want to read to you the Blessing that was read to the people of God in Numbers 6:24-26 which is the benediction from God to you today:

“The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace."

I hope and pray that you will come back next Sunday at SpiritFM.ca, 7 am and 7 pm pacific time. And if you want to hear the service again at any time, you can go to my website at TimingRevelation.com, and click on the Radio Shows navigational tab along the left side. The replays are available there for five weeks, then they are transcribed into articles as new radio shows are put up.

I encourage you to go to your Bible and read further on the scriptures that were given throughout the program today. And if you like these programs and you've been blessed, call or write the station and let them know... if you said the prayer and have accepted the Lord or you've been healed or touched in some way by the Holy Spirit, write to me on the contact form of this web site...

...and this web site is also where you will find the Free Offer of the “Christian Growth and Maturity Chart” that I talked to you about in the last weeks... you will see the graphic on any page called “Get your free CGM Chart”, click on it and it will take you to a page that will tell you about it and how you can subscribe to my newsletter to get your free copy of the Chart sent to you.

Until next week, Maranatha, the Lord is coming, very soon. Goodbye and Blessing.

/DMH

Click here to hear the song "On the Jericho Road".

/DMH

click on the graphic just above to share your thoughts...

click on this graphic to go to Christianbook affiliate store products:

P.S.: For your information I am a participant of the Christianbook affiliate program and as such will receive a small commission on purchases made by my readers. I want to thank you for buying your Christian products through here... all of this helps me with the expenses of providing this important ministry and operating this web site.
Blessings,