Contradictions - Jesus Was In Two Places At One Time, Judea And Egypt
The Birth of Jesus
"Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that a census should be taken of the whole empire.This was the first census to take place while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone went to his own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, since he was from the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to him in marriage and was expecting a child."
Luke 2:1-4 in the Berean Study Bible Version
[This is the 2nd lesson of this series]
Most of us has heard of the biblical narrative, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. While Mary was pregnant with Jesus, she and Joseph had to take that trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Both towns are in Judea.
The trip would have taken them about four days, on a donkey or walking, 14-20 miles a day. For long time believers, they should already know that God will use anyone, and anything to fulfill His promises.
Prophecy
The Promised Messiah was prophesied to come out of Bethlehem by the Prophet Micah (over 600 years before Jesus was born). With Mary being pregnant and living in Nazareth, there had to be a way for her to be in Bethlehem to give birth there.
Now with Mary giving birth in the City of David, and under their circumstances, they might not even have the chance to take the census, the very reason they had to take the trip. They would have probably headed back home as soon as they could, to fulfill their Jewish obligations.
Let us continue Luke's narrative.
Jesus Presented at the Temple
"When the eight days until His circumcision had passed, He was named Jesus, the name the angel had given Him before He had been conceived.
And when the time of purification according to the Law of Moses was complete, His parents brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord: “Every firstborn male shall be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer the sacrifice specified in the Law of the Lord: “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
Luke 2:21-24
[Jewish tradition dictates that boys be circumcised at 8 days old. The Book of Leviticus (from the Jewish bible) states that a mother should be considered unclean for 40 days after giving birth to a boy -- the time for purification.]
So let's examine the reason for this supposed contradiction. To do this we have to read the narrative of the birth of Jesus, according to Matthew.
The Pilgrimage of the Magi
"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the One who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”
Matthew 2:1-2
For the sake of brevity, let us skip to:
"On coming to the house, they (the Magi) saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh." Matthew 2:10
For the sake of brevity, let us skip to:
"On coming to the house, they (the Magi) saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh." Matthew 2:10
And to:
The Flight to Egypt
"When the Magi had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up!” he said. “Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him. Him.
So he got up, took the Child and His mother by night, and withdrew to Egypt."
Now, not only do we see that the supposed contradiction is easily explained, but we also see that the birth of Jesus fulfilled at least three prophesies written hundreds of years before He was born, plus the concepcion of Jesus was not the only miraculous concepcion in the gospels.
The Flight to Egypt
"When the Magi had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up!” he said. “Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him. Him.
So he got up, took the Child and His mother by night, and withdrew to Egypt."
Matthew 2:13-14
So with these two narratives, there are those who claim the bible is saying Jesus was at two places at one time (in Jerusalem according to Luke, and in Egypt according to Matthew), making the bible unreliable. For someone not believing the bible, they sure do read it lot.
Also many of these same people believe in alien abduction, time travel, astray projection, hollow earth, telekinesis, the twilight zone, vampires, werewolves or other things but are blown away with someone being at two places at one time. I mean God, being God, He can do that, yet this is easily not the case here. We shall see why later.
Now the narrative of Luke also said that, Mary who have supernaturally conceived Jesus, visited her cousin Elizabeth, who also miraculously conceived a child 6 months earlier.
Mary stayed with Elizabeth, until Elizabeth gave birth to John the Baptizer. John was prophesied to be the forerunner of Jesus, the man who will pave the way for the Messiah. John did this literally and figuratively.
After the visit, Mary returned home, for she had her own child to give birth to.
It is interesting to note that the root of the words contradiction and contraception is the same, contra meaning being against or opposed to. With contraception being opposed to one giving birth to a child (the original meaning of this word), and contradiction being one opposed to an idea.
To most people, everything is possible, except for God or Jesus. There are a lot of people today who believe Jesus was not a real man. Yet they believe every other historical person born after and even before Jesus -- everybody else except Him, He just can't be a real person.
The Supposed Contradiction
Going back to the supposed contradiction, some people are saying the biblical narratives are contradictory, because it is stating Jesus was in two places at one time -- one saying He was in the temple in Jerusalem and the other, He was in Egypt.
Everything About God Is Simple
So with these two narratives, there are those who claim the bible is saying Jesus was at two places at one time (in Jerusalem according to Luke, and in Egypt according to Matthew), making the bible unreliable. For someone not believing the bible, they sure do read it lot.
Also many of these same people believe in alien abduction, time travel, astray projection, hollow earth, telekinesis, the twilight zone, vampires, werewolves or other things but are blown away with someone being at two places at one time. I mean God, being God, He can do that, yet this is easily not the case here. We shall see why later.
Now the narrative of Luke also said that, Mary who have supernaturally conceived Jesus, visited her cousin Elizabeth, who also miraculously conceived a child 6 months earlier.
Mary stayed with Elizabeth, until Elizabeth gave birth to John the Baptizer. John was prophesied to be the forerunner of Jesus, the man who will pave the way for the Messiah. John did this literally and figuratively.
After the visit, Mary returned home, for she had her own child to give birth to.
It is interesting to note that the root of the words contradiction and contraception is the same, contra meaning being against or opposed to. With contraception being opposed to one giving birth to a child (the original meaning of this word), and contradiction being one opposed to an idea.
To most people, everything is possible, except for God or Jesus. There are a lot of people today who believe Jesus was not a real man. Yet they believe every other historical person born after and even before Jesus -- everybody else except Him, He just can't be a real person.
The Supposed Contradiction
Going back to the supposed contradiction, some people are saying the biblical narratives are contradictory, because it is stating Jesus was in two places at one time -- one saying He was in the temple in Jerusalem and the other, He was in Egypt.
Everything About God Is Simple
There is actually a simple explanation. The narrative of Luke happened first. Jesus was born in Bethlehem. 8 days later, He was circumcised. And 40 days after, He was presented at the temple in Jerusalem. Remember, the two towns are a mere 4 day walking trip from each other.
The narrative of Matthew is about events that happened a few years after.
The proofs are, 1st the Magi came to a house. They did not see Jesus in a manger, Luke 2:15-18.
The narrative of Matthew is about events that happened a few years after.
The proofs are, 1st the Magi came to a house. They did not see Jesus in a manger, Luke 2:15-18.
And 2nd, Herod had boys 2 years and younger killed. Matthew 2:16 -- this was because Jesus was about 2 years at that time according to the calculations of the Magi, He wasn't a baby anymore. These two events were 2 years apart.
These narratives also fulfilled two more prophesies about the Promised Messiah.
From the Prophet Hosea:
"When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son." Hosea 11:1 (over 700 years before Jesus was born)
And from the Prophet Micah:
"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come forth for Me
One to be ruler over Israel—
One whose origins are of old,
from the days of eternity." Micah 5:2 (over 700 years before Jesus was born)
These narratives also fulfilled two more prophesies about the Promised Messiah.
From the Prophet Hosea:
"When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son." Hosea 11:1 (over 700 years before Jesus was born)
And from the Prophet Micah:
"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come forth for Me
One to be ruler over Israel—
One whose origins are of old,
from the days of eternity." Micah 5:2 (over 700 years before Jesus was born)
Now, not only do we see that the supposed contradiction is easily explained, but we also see that the birth of Jesus fulfilled at least three prophesies written hundreds of years before He was born, plus the concepcion of Jesus was not the only miraculous concepcion in the gospels.
And yes, there was no Magi at the birth of Jesus, there were farm animals and shepherds. And it is only fitting that Jesus was laid in a manger, as a newborn as He was laying on a box from where sheep would be feeding from (that's what a manger is).
It is also fitting that the 1st eye witnesses to His birth were not the Magi, but shepherds, the lowest of the low in their society. They also became the 1st to tell others of His arrival. Jesus was born to be the Good Shepherd who came to gather the lost sheep. This is all us, now scattered all over the world.
Comments
Post a Comment