The Greatest Story Ever Told

I gave this lesson while teaching Gospel Doctrine class on the Sunday before Christmas, Dec. 23^rd, 2007. I really enjoyed preparing on this subject and I felt a special spirit as I read through different talks on the birth of the Savior. I hope you don't mind me sharing these thoughts with you. Merry Christmas!

The Greatest Story Ever Told.

I think that it’s interesting that Greatest Story ever told is really a simple story. It’s such a crucial point in the history of the earth. Everything that has happened and everything that will happen pivots around the life and mission of the Savior. And that life and mission begins here, in a simple town, with poor parents, in a simple manger.

What do we know about Joseph? He is of the house and lineage of David. Remember David used to be the king of Israel and Joseph is a direct descendant of that line. In fact, if it weren’t for Roman rule, Joseph would have been the King of Israel and his firstborn son (so far as man knew) would have been the heir to his throne. That heir was Jesus Christ.

Had Judah been a free and independent nation, ruled by her rightful sovereign, Joseph the carpenter would have been her crowned king; and his lawful successor to the throne would have been Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” (Jesus the Christ, p. 87.)

We also know that Joseph must have been a righteous man to have been entrusted with the care and upbringing of God’s Only Begotten Son. Both Mary and Joseph must have been very special spirits in the Pre-Existence, chosen and set up to be the earthly parents to Jesus.

Just as Jesus was selected for his redeeming mission in the premortal world, his prophets were also preappointed for their earthly missions, according to their faithfulness. (See Abr. 3:22–23; Alma 13:2–10.) It was in the premortal life that faithful sons and daughters of God received their first lessons in righteousness and became followers of Jesus. Some were foreordained to be prophets; others no doubt were appointed to be the fathers, mothers, and wives of prophets.

There is no impropriety, then, in believing that Mary and Joseph were selected in those ancient councils by the Father to be the earthly guardians of Jesus. Mary was given the unique privilege and responsibility of bringing the great Jehovah into the world, in which he would obtain a body of flesh and bones, experience mortality, and continue his mission for the redemption of mankind.

Robert J. Matthews, “Mary and Joseph,” Ensign, Dec 1974, 13

What else do we know about Mary? Like Joseph, she was also selected in the Pre-Existence to be the mother of the Son of God. No doubt she was a special spirit to have been given such a calling.

As there is only one Christ, so there is only one Mary. And as the Father chose the most noble and righteous of all his spirit sons to come into mortality as his Only Begotten in the flesh, so we may confidently conclude that he selected the most worthy and spiritually talented of all his spirit daughters to be the mortal mother of his Eternal Son.” (Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, Bookcraft, Inc., 1965, vol. 1, p. 85.)

Only one daughter of God could become the mother of Jesus. It is a testament to Mary that she was righteous enough and humble enough to accept and fulfill this mission.

A Book of Mormon prophet also saw Mary in a vision 600 years before the birth of the Savior. Nephi describes her in 1 Nephi 11:13-15 as “exceedingly fair and white” and “most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.” So both spiritually and temporally she was a chosen and special daughter of God.

The first we learn of Mary and Joseph they are already engaged. Engagement in the Jewish world was a pretty serious matter. Couples were considered legally bound to each other during the usually year long engagement. Mary was probably about 16 at the time which might seem young to us. However, if someone lived to be 60 in those days they were considered old. So everything shifts forward.

During this time Mary has a special experience as recorded in Luke 1:26-35.

26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

Now the entire Nation of Israel has been waiting for the King to come and deliver them from the rule of other nations. Their entire culture and way they live their lives is in anticipation of this King. Here a young Mary learns that not only is he coming, but he’s going to be born through her. That is quite the revelation, must have been a bit overwhelming. And what was Mary’s reaction to this revelation?

Luke 1:38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

Once again, Mary shows her character as one who is willing to do God’s will.

But now there is a problem. Mary is engaged to Joseph but she is pregnant with the Son of God. At some point she tells Joseph that she is pregnant but, for whatever reason, she doesn’t tell him about the vision. Either that or he doesn’t believe her. But from what we know of Mary, she tended to keep things to herself and “ponder it in her heart” so she probably didn’t tell him at all. Joseph now has a couple of options. The punishment according to the law for infidelity was public stoning. There was also a law saying that if a man found that his wife was unchaste he could write her a letter of divorcement and they could go their separate ways.

Deut. 24: 1. 1 When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness (IE from unchastity, indecency) in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.

I’m sure Joseph thought long and hard on these things as discussed in Matthew 1:18-19.

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded (IE He desired to release or divorce her secretly) to put her away privily.

So we see that Joseph didn’t want a public spectacle of this event. He wanted to secretly divorce her and be done with it. While he was thinking about these things something special happened, also in Matthew 1.

20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

So now Joseph knows the divine mission for him and Mary. He even knows that he is to name the child Jesus.

At this time in the history of the Jews they are currently under Roman rule. The Romans were quite ambitious in building infrastructure like roads and buildings and they also loved to build monuments to themselves. All of this took lots of money so they would tax their subjects according to the population. Counting all of these people took a lot of work. For some reason they decided it would be easier of every man returned to his homeland in order to be counted. I’m not sure why this is easier but when you are as powerful as the Roman Empire you can do what you want.

Caesar Augustus had ordered a census taken throughout the Roman Empire. It is estimated that Caesar had 55 million subjects. Rome’s 30 provincial governors were periodically authorized to conduct a census that would determine how much tax the people should be assessed. Taxes raised were designated to fund imperial projects such as roads, aqueducts, buildings, and armies.

On the eastern edge of the empire, the 8,000-square-mile kingdom of Judea had a population of about one million Jews. Citizens there were ordered to enroll in the towns of their ancestors’ origin, so Joseph was required to journey 90 miles to Bethlehem, the home of his forefathers. Although Bethlehem was small, it had been continuously inhabited for centuries.

The annual festival of Passover was an ideal time to conduct the enrollment, since all males were required by Mosaic law to assemble in or near Jerusalem at that time and the ancestral homes of most families were in Judea. Women were not required to attend, although traditionally families celebrated together.

Since Mary was near the end of her pregnancy, wisdom dictated that she remain in Nazareth while Joseph fulfilled his Passover and enrollment obligation in Judea. Yet Mary accompanied her husband on the journey. Why? Surely inspiration guided the decision so that the ancient prophecy of Micah and others might be fulfilled: the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (see Micah 5:2).

Paul Thomas Smith, “Birth of the Messiah,” Ensign, Dec 1997, 35

Luke 2: 1-5

1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

It should be made mention here that there are footnotes associated with the word “taxed” in verses 1 and 2. These footnotes state that the Greek version of the New Testament uses a word that translates into “enrollment” instead of taxed. We know that the enrollment was in order to decide how to tax the people so either way they had to make the journey.

I think it is fascinating that Mary went with Joseph. It makes logical sense that she was in no shape to have travel 90 miles to Bethlehem. She seemingly left her family and those who could have helped them behind. Someday I’ll have to ask her how it played out. Whatever happened to get her there, it was divine. For all the prophecies stated that the King would be born in Bethlehem. And so she went with Joseph.

When they get there, what do they find? No room for them in the inns. With all of the people traveling about, there is simply no room left for them. And we must consider the financial situation of Joseph and Mary as well. From Elder Holland…

One impression which has persisted with me is that this is a story of intense poverty. I wonder if Luke did not have some special meaning when he wrote not “there was no room in the inn” but specifically that “there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7; emphasis added). We cannot be certain, but it is my guess that money could buy influence in those days as well as in our own. I think if Joseph and Mary had been people of importance or wealth, they would have found lodging even at that busy time of year.

I have wondered if the Joseph Smith Translation also was suggesting they did not know any influential people when it says there was no one to give them room in the inns (see JST, Luke 2:7).

Jeffrey R. Holland, “Christmas Doesn’t Come from a Store,” Liahona, Dec 1995, 13

With no room in the inns and with no one to help them, Joseph takes his pregnant wife into a lowly manger. It is moving to me that this pinnacle of the history of mankind and the Plan of Salvation begins in such a place as this. That there, in those humblest of circumstances the Savior of all mankind was born.

Luke 2: 6-7

6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

7 And 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.

I have wondered before if Mary had anyone with her besides her husband to help her deliver this precious baby. Elder Holland discusses this…

“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and [she] wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and [she] laid him in a manger” (Luke 2:6–7; emphasis added).

Those brief pronouns trumpet in our ears that, second only to the child himself, Mary is the chiefest figure, the regal queen, mother of mothers—holding center stage in this grandest of all dramatic moments. And those same pronouns also trumpet that, save for her beloved husband, she was very much alone.

I have wondered if this young woman, something of a child herself, here bearing her first baby, might have wished her mother, or an aunt, or her sister, or a friend, to be near her through the labor. Surely the birth of such a son as this should command the aid and attention of every midwife in Judea! We all might wish that someone could have held her hand, cooled her brow, and when the ordeal was over, given her rest in crisp, cool linen.

Jeffrey R. Holland, “Christmas Doesn’t Come from a Store,” Liahona, Dec 1995, 13

The scriptures don’t tell us why she was alone. Usually such a journey would have been made with other family who also would have had to return to Bethlehem for the same reasons Joseph did. Perhaps Mary had not told them of the divinity of the child in her womb. Maybe the two of them decided to go and have the child alone. Whatever the case, it paints a unique, simple and moving picture to have such a glorious being brought into this world in such humble circumstances.

Significant of swaddling clothes.

Why was reference made twice in Luke 2 to His being wrapped in swaddling clothes? I sense a significance beyond the use of an ordinary diaper and receiving blanket.

Instead of those four words: “wrapped in swaddling clothes” in the English text, only one word is needed in the Greek New Testament. That word is sparganoo, which means to envelop a newborn child with special cloth, strips of which were passed from side to side. The cloth would probably bear unique family identification. That procedure was especially applicable to the birth of a firstborn son.

You remember the announcement of an angel at the birth of Jesus: “This shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12). His wrappings surely would have been distinctive.

Russell M. Nelson, “Christ the Savior Is Born,” NewEra, Dec 2006, 2–5

Immediately after Luke tells us of the birth of Christ we are told the story of the Shepherds.

Luke 2: 8-17

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15 And it came to pass, as 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 is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

Why Shepherds? Have you ever wondered this? Sheep were very important to the Jewish people. One of the principle sacrifices performed in the temple was the sacrifice of a lamb. And not just any lamb, the first fruits of the womb, without spot or blemish. And how did the people know that a lamb was the first born and without blemish? The only person who could truly testify of this fact was the Shepherd who had been there when it was born. It was the job of the Shepherd to testify that a lamb was first born and therefore worthy of sacrifice at the temple. They were completely trusted by the people to this job.

It is completely fitting then that they angels came to them and that they saw and touched the Lamb of God. And the first thing they did was to go out and testify to the people of what they had seen and heard.

Luke 2:17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

Later in his life the three wise men show up. Their story is told in Matt. 2: 1-12.