Bible Study - Matthew Chapter 1
The Heavenly Song at the Time of Birth
from Kaniyamparmabil Achen, the Great Teacher of Malankara
(Luke 2:14)
“Glory to God in the highest [heavens], and on earth peace and good hope for men”. After 2000 years why peace has not come on earth? Most likely it is because we did not give Glory to God. The behavior of the shepherds needs special mention. They did not send one among them to get more information; the all went together. Likewise, we all should go into God’s presence not as representatives, but as a full family.
(Luke 2:19)
“And Mary laid up all these things, and pondered them in her heart.” That means all the information and revelations of the angels, birth, fleeing to Egypt and going to the temple, etc. came to St. Mathew and St. Luke from St. Mary.
Birth Place – Bethlehem
The literal meaning is the “House of the Bread.” (Beth = house, Lehem refers to bread) It is the city of King David. It contains the shrine of Rachel. Bethlehem is located five and half miles south from Jerusalem. Its initial name was Ephrata, meaning “fertile.” It was here that Samuel anointed David as king. (1 Samuel 16:1-13). Rehoboam built this a great city. (2 Chronicles 11:4-6). The Church of the Nativity, which Emperor Constantine's mother, queen Helen built in 326AD is here. Emperor Justinian built the present structure in the early sixth century. (The Gospel of Luke reports that Jesus was born in a manger because there was no room in the inn. The Gospel of Matthew mentions a house where Joseph and Mary were staying when the Magi arrived. However, the second-century Palestinian writer Justin Martyr noted that this manger was located in a cave. Helen was shown a cave outside the city of Bethlehem, where early traditions of the Christian community had localized the place of Jesus' birth)
The objective of His birth was:
1. To fulfill the prophecy. “The woman’s off spring will strike your head” (Gen 3:15).
2. He did not come for ministering (alone), but to pay ransom
3. And for the life of the world
4. He came searching, not the just but the sinners. (2 Timothy)
5. Because of the love of God
6. To teach all that He learned from the Father
7. To show good model to human beings
8. To recoup the divine nature lost by Adam for humanity (St. Jerome)
9. To convert man into god, God became man (St. Gregory Theologos)
10. To establish the church as the continuation of his incarnation.
About the Day of His Birth.
According to the history of the church, the faithful celebrated both birth and baptism (H. Epiphany) together on January 6th. This can be seen in the works of St. Jerome and St. Epiphanius. In his interpretation, Mor Dianasious Bar Sleebi (10th century AD) quotes Mar Jacob of Urhay as saying that no one know exact the birthday of Jesus Christ.
Why born from a virgin?
1) To convince that it is God itself who is born, because only because the birth from a virgin is not possible and only God can carry out such a miracle.
2) To show the world that it His father was God, not a human being.
3) To counter the opinions the gentiles may rise that He is only a prophet and that He like any other prophet was born of wedlock—meaning they may say that He is no higher order than a prophet.
4) To become another Adam. Because the first Adam was made from clay. Just like that, the Holy Spirit made our Lord’s body from the blood of a virgin.
5) To payback a debt that was owned to female race. That is, a woman (Eve) was created from Adam without wedlock. Now a man is created out of a woman without wedlock.
6) To be free from the birth sin
7) To show to the world which was in sins that it is possible to born again by baptism.
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