✦Seek This Jesus
‹Previous
The Life of ChristSection 8 / 113
Section 008 · Infancy & the Forerunner

The Birth of Jesus in Bethlehem

Matthew 1:18–25; Luke 2:1–202 of 4 accountsReading: CCE

Tap a Gospel to show or hide its column. Narrow to any two to read them side by side.

ProvenanceJSTJoseph Smith TranslationCCECovenant Christian EditionDeleted text shown struck, attributed
Study: reading text with parallel accounts; changes available.

Note. Luke tells the Nativity from the shepherds’ side; Matthew tells it from Joseph’s: the angel’s word to him in a vision, and the virgin birth foretold by the prophets. The manger and the inn are Luke’s witness only.

? How to read this edition

The reading is the Joseph Smith Translation, in the text of the Covenant Christian Edition, carried beside each Gospel and set against the King James baseline. Headers give both numbering systems: the CCE chapter and verse, and the traditional KJV reference.

JST
Green: Joseph Smith Translation. Where the Covenant Christian Edition departs in substance from the King James text and the change is in the JST (confirmed against the parallel-column edition). Modernized English (“has” for “hath,” “you” for “thou”) is not marked.
CCE
Burgundy: Covenant Christian Edition. Where the CCE’s reading departs from the King James but the change is not in the Joseph Smith Translation manuscript (e.g. “this day I have begotten you” at the baptism). Some are Joseph’s own readings from his sermons; the section’s Joseph Smith commentary then gives the sermon.
MatthewKJVMatthew 1:18–25CCEMatthew 1:5NT 1NT 2

18Now, as it is written, the birth of Jesus Christ happened this way. After his mother, Mary, was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the holy ghost. 19Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away in private. 20But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream vision, saying, Joseph, you son of David, fear not to take unto yourself Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the holy ghost. 21And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. 22Now all this was done, that it this took place that all things might be fulfilled which were spoken of the Lord by the prophet prophets, saying, 23Behold, a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel — which (being interpreted) is, God with us. 24Then Joseph, being raised from sleep awaking out of his vision, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife, 25and knew her not till she had brought forth her first born son. And he they called his name Jesus.

LukeKJVLuke 2:1–20CCELuke 2:1–3NT 2

1And it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world his empire should be taxed. 2(And this taxing was first made This same taxing was when Cyrenius was governor of Syria. 3And all went to be taxed, everyone in his own city. 4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David which is called Bethlehem — because he was of the house and lineage of David — 5to be taxed with Mary his betrothed wife, she being great with child. 6And so it was that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn none to give room for them in the inns.

8And there were in the same country shepherds staying out in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night. 9And behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. 10But the angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And this is the way you shall find the babe: he is wrapped in swaddling clothes and is lying in a manger. 13And suddenly there was, with the angel, a multitude of the Heavenly host, praising God and saying, 14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will to men.

15And it came to pass, when the angels were gone away from them into Heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord has made known unto us. 16And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18All they who heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds; 19but Mary kept all those things and pondered them in her heart. 20And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things which they had heard and seen, as it was told they were manifested unto them.

Cross-references · other works
Micah 5:2 (CCE 1:11) · out of Bethlehem shall come the ruler↗Genesis 49:10 (CCE 12:22) · the sceptre shall not depart from Judah↗Isaiah 9:6 (CCE 4:1) · unto us a child is born↗Isaiah 11:4 (CCE 5:4) · with righteousness shall he judge↗Isaiah 60:1 (CCE 22:1) · arise, shine, for your light has come↗1 Nephi 11:18 (CCE 3:8) · the virgin, mother of the Son of God↗Helaman 14:2 (CCE 5:10) · five years, and the Son of God comes↗
Margaret Barker · the two births

The Incarnation of the Son Born in Eternity

For Barker the Nativity is the incarnation of the Son already “born” in eternity; and the shepherds’ sign, the baby in the manger, is “the sign” of the Lady giving birth to her Son.

Christmas: The Original StorySPCK, 2008
Both births are found in the New Testament: the Son of God was born in eternity, beyond our understanding, as John wrote in the prologue to his Gospel: “In the beginning was the Word…” (John 1.1 [John 1:1]). The Son of God became incarnate with the Bethlehem birth — the Virgin birth, and of this birth John wrote: “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1.14 [John 1:2]). The Christmas story does not describe the birth of the Son of God; it describes the incarnation of the Son of God who was “born” in eternity.
Wisdom: The Lady of the Temple in a Lead Book from JordanAcadémie Pansophia, Baarn, October 2017 ↗

The king was called Immanuel, which means ‘God with us’, and his mother was the Bearer of God. This title was later given to Mary, and caused great controversy in the Church in the fifth century, because some people no longer remembered the temple context of the title. In Greek the title is Theotokos, usually translated ‘Mother of God’, but until recently, there was no example of the title in Hebrew. It is here in Hebrew, set as the four key letters at the corners of the menorah page.

The angels who appeared to the shepherds at Bethlehem when Jesus was born said that the baby was ‘the sign’. This was Isaiah’s prophecy fulfilled - the sign of the Lady giving birth to her Son: ‘This will be for you the sign. You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger’. (Luke 2.12 [Luke 2:2]). The oldest copies of Luke’s gospel say ‘the sign’ not ‘a sign’, and so we know that the first Christians saw Mary giving birth to Jesus as the Lady on earth giving birth to her Son. .

In the Book of Revelation, a great sign appears in heaven. First the lost ark is seen again, and then a woman clothed with the sun appears in the temple, like the sun Lady of Ugarit. She gives birth to the Messiah who is taken to sit on the throne of God. This is the image in Isaiah and in Luke’s gospel, but here in the Book of Revelation, another of the Lady’s ancient titles is used. She is the Lady of the Sun (Revelation 12.1-6). The prophet Malachi, writing long after the Lady had been banished from the temple, said she would return. The Sun of righteousness, he said, would rise with healing in her wings (Malachi 4.2). From this we know that the Lady was imagined as a winged angel figure who brought healing and light.

Mary enthroned with her unborn Son visible within her is depicted in an ikon called The Lady of the Sign. Another way to read the top two lines of the menorah page is as a picture in letters of the Lady of the Sign.

Ellipses mark omissions within Barker’s own sentences.