REVELATION OF GOD IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

PRELIMS | SECOND SEMESTER

THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST Matthew 1:18-25

(MATTHEW 1:18-25, LUKE 2:1-21) o Not complete because this is about genealogy
 Serve as records of family lines and are important for
The Birth of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:18-25) understanding the unfolding of God's story, tracing key
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary
individuals and highlighting historical context.
had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be
with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man
CAESAR AUGUSTUS
and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he
o The first emperor in the Roman Empire (31 B.C. to 14 A.D.)
considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a
o Issued a decree that a CENSUS should be taken of the entire
dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife,
for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, Roman world.
and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their  Everyone was ordered to return to their permanent home
sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: to register.
 For Mary and Joseph, this meant a long trip (110 km or
23
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call 70 miles) to the south to the town of Bethlehem because
his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
Joseph belonged to the house and linage of David.
24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded (Mary’s baby was due to be born.)
him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son.
And he called his name Jesus. CENSUS
The Birth of Jesus (Luke 2:1-7) o tax registration
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should o A survey conducted on the full set of observation objects belonging
be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of to a given population.
Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also
went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David,
CAESAR QUIRINIUS
which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of
David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with
o Governor of Syria (belonged to the Roman Empire)
child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she o The first census took place
gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid
him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Joseph & Mary went up from Galilee from Nazareth to Judea
o Luke 2:4
The Shepherds and the Angels ((Luke 2:8-21)
8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch
o No inn was available for them
over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the
glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And Jesus was born in a stable
the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great o Stable: a building where animals, particularly horses or livestock,
joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of are kept and sheltered
David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will
o Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes and was laid in a manger.
find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” 13 And
 Manger: animals’ feed box
suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising
God and saying, o Jesus’ birth was that of a poor man, a simple and humble event.
o God shows use the value of humility.
14
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with  To humble ourselves
whom he is pleased!”  We should not use our own power to manipulate others.
15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to
The birth of the Savior had announced to the shepherds
one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has
happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste o Shepherd: a person who tends and rears sheep (pastol); they are
and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they used to represent leaders of God's people
saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this o The shepherds were the first witnesses of Jesus’ birth.
child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told  Why? Jesus Christ is likened to a shepherd; his future
them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her
role (Jesus became one; flocks: humans); reminds us
heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they
had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
about simplicity (we need to live life simple)
o Shepherds have simple life, a life lived worshipping God.
21 And
at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called
Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. For the poor like the shepherd, this was truly good news. They
saw their lord as one of their worlds. It proved to them that the
o Politically Palestine was under the Roman Empire with a special Savior, the Lord, was for the humble. And God is pleased
relation to the province of Syria whose governor was Caesar with the humble. (Luke 2:14)
Quirinius. o The statement highlights the significance of Jesus's message and
 Land of Canaan → Israel → Palestine birth to the poor and humble, represented by shepherds, and that
o Judea, in which Bethlehem was situated, was particularly a client God favors humility. They saw Jesus as one of them, a Savior for
kingdom whose king was King Herod the Great. the lowly, and were rejoiced by this good news.

The shepherds were able to verify it and the wonderment sprang

from the contrast they saw:
o The Savior’s Lordship
o The humble circumstances surrounding His birth
KORINNE ADRIANNE I. AYUMAYUM | BSMT 1B
Jesus was circumcised at 8 days old THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT
o Circumcision: a seal of the covenant to mark out Abraham’s (MATTHEW 2:13-15)
descendants as God's special people
o Followed the covenant of Abraham The Flight to Egypt
o Jesus was presented at the Temple at 8 years old (Law of 13
Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to
Abraham) Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to
Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the
child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night
THE VISIT OF THE MAGI and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was
(MATTHEW 2: 1-13) to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my
son.”
The Magi Visit the Messiah (Matthew 2:1-12)
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King EGYPT
Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one o The traditional place of refuge
who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have
come to worship him.”
GAUDIUM ET SPES, 22
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with o He Who is "the image of the invisible God" (Col. 1:15), is Himself
him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers the perfect man. To the sons of Adam He restores the divine
of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in likeness which had been disfigured from the first sin onward. Since
Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: human nature as He assumed it was not annulled, by that very fact
it has been raised up to a divine dignity in our respect too.
6
“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least
o For by His incarnation the Son of God has united Himself in some
among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd
my people Israel.’”
fashion with every man.
a. He worked with human hands
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time b. He thought with a human mind
the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search c. He acted by human choice
carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may d. He loved with a human heart
go and worship him.” o Born of the Virgin Mary, He has truly been made one of us, like us
9 After
in all things except sin.
they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had
seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the
o We need to act like Jesus.
child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the
house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and HEROD KILLS THE INFANTS
worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with (MATTHEW 2:16-18)
gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a
dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Herod Kills the Children
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became

KING HEROD furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that
o He secretly sent the Magi to find Jesus. region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had
o He wanted to kill Jesus because he doesn’t want anyone to have ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the
his throne. prophet Jeremiah:

18
“A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation,
MAGI
Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because
o They are astrologers. they are no more.”
o Are regarded as having more than human knowledge.
o They can interpret dreams and heavenly bodies.
o When King Herod knew that the 3 Magi didn’t return, he ordered a
law to kill all male infants.
THE THREE WISE MEN
 He did not succeed because an angel appeared in
o They followed the brightest star to Bethlehem.
o Star: symbolizes that Jesus is the light showing us the way to go Joseph’s dream, warned him protect his family and go to
and leading us to everlasting light and life. Egypt (To save Jesus Christ from death).
o They began to worship Jesus Christ and offer their different gifts  So King Herod ordered to kill everyone regardless of
1. Melchor their age and place.
2. Gaspar
3. Baltazar WITH JESUS A TWO-FOLD LIGHT HAS COME TO THE WORLD:
1. A light to reveal who God is
THE THREE GIFTS GIVEN TO JESUS  God is goodness, forgiveness, and compassion
1. Gold: His kingly mission (Christ’s kingship) – charity, kindness,  Jesus Christ revealed to us God’s unconditional love
and humbleness  Jesus Christ: expression of love of god to us
2. Frankincense: His priestly mission (priesthood) – reminds us of
our ability to pray; do your best and god will do the rest 2. A light to reveal who the human person is.
3. Myrrh: His prophetic mission – reminds us of our responsibility  He showed us how we must live and how to become truly
to proclaim the words of God, not only through words, but also human (paano maging totoo) and fully human
through actions
o By his incarnation, Jesus embraced all of our human condition
Note: These are associated to the future role of Jesus Christ EXCEPT SIN, showing us how to live amid joys and tribulations. In
Jesus, we know what it means to be God’s image and likeness and
be loved by His great and unconditional love.

KORINNE ADRIANNE I. AYUMAYUM | BSMT 1B

 THE RETURN TO NAZARETH 2 THINGS WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND
(MATTHEW 2:19-23) 1. The Presentation of the First Born Male to God
 Law of Moses: A male newborn child is needed to bring
The Return to Nazareth to Jerusalem to be presented to God
19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to
 A year-old lamb is offered as a burnt offering for the
Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the atonement of sin.
land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead.” 21 And he rose
and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he
heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he
2. The Purification of the Mother
was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district  After their purification according to the law of Moses,
of Galilee. 23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to Jerusalem
spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene. to present him to the Lord.
 According to the Mosaic law (Lev. 12:2-8), the woman
THE PRESENTATION OF JESUS AT THE TEMPLE who gives birth to a boy is unable for 40 days to touch
(LUKE 2:22-40) anything or to enter the temple area by reason of her
legal impurity. At the end of this period she is required to
Jesus Presented in the Temple offer a year-old lamb as a burnt offering and a turtledove
22
When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law or a young pigeon as an expiation of sin.
of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to  The woman who cannot afford a lamb offered instead 2
the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male turtledoves or 2 young pigeons, as Mary does here.
is to be consecrated to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping Jesus was consecrated to the Lord as the law required.
with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young  This wasn’t necessary for Mary because she is a virgin
pigeons.”  Jesus was free from sins
25
 Shows us the obedience of Mary and Joseph to the lord
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was
 They want to live as a normal, exemplify the humbleness
righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of
Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him SIMEON (Luke 2:25-35)
by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s
o He had been specifically told that he would not die until he set his
Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When
eyes on the messiah of Israel (Luke 2:26).
the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom
o "Behold, this child is set for the falling and the rising of many in
of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God,
Israel, and for a sign which is spoken against. Yes, a sword will
saying: pierce through your own soul, that the thoughts of many hearts may
be revealed" (Luke 2:34-35).
29
“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace. ANNA, THE PROPHET (Luke 2:36-40)
30
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31
o She spent eighty-four years of her widowhood in prayers and
which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32
meditation mostly in the Temple awaiting the redemption of
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
Jerusalem.
and the glory of your people Israel.” o She never left the temple, but worshipped night and day with
fasting and prayer.
33
The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about
him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his
SIMEON & ANNA
mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many o Waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem represents Hope.
in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the
o They embody Israel in their patient expectation.
thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce o They acknowledge the infant Jesus as the long awaited Messiah.
your own soul too.”

36
There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the
tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband
seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she
was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and
day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment,
she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were
looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

39
When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law
of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of
Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with
wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

KORINNE ADRIANNE I. AYUMAYUM | BSMT 1B

 FINDING JESUS IN THE TEMPLE
(LUKE 2:41-50)

The Boy Jesus at the Temple

41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the

Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival,
according to the custom. 43 After the festival was over, while his parents were
returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were
unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day.
Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When
they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three
days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening
to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at
his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were
astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this?
Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

49 “Whywere you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in
my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to
them.

51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But
his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom
and stature, and in favor with God and man.

FEAST OF PASSOVER
o A Jewish tradition that commemorates the Israelites' liberation from
slavery in ancient Egypt.
o Celebrated with a week-long festival including a special meal called
the Seder, the avoidance of leaven, and retelling the story of the
Exodus.
o During the tenth plague, God's angel of death "passed over" the
houses of the Israelites whose doorposts were marked with the
blood of a sacrificed lamb, sparing their firstborn children.
o Ritual of the Israelites for their liberation from the bandage of sins
(passed over death); they followed the words of Jesus Christ
o Celebrated in March; a thanksgiving for passing over death
o Happened in Jerusalem
o Why? This is where the Temple existed (for worship and
to give thanks); this was one of the three major festivals
requiring pilgrimages to Jerusalem for the Passover
sacrifice
o Built by King David

o They traveled caravan for their own safety; the parents of Jesus
went to Jerusalem every year
o Jesus is our liberator.
o We celebrate freedom through Eucharistic Celebration (Mass)
 This is between you and God
o Jesus Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist.
o Last infancy narrative of Jesus

o As Jesus grew, he continued to grow:

1. mentally (wisdom)
2. physically (stature)
3. socially (favor with men)
4. spiritually (favor with God)

KORINNE ADRIANNE I. AYUMAYUM | BSMT 1B