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GROWING IN THE GOSPEL

ADVENT WEEK 3: THE UNSUNG HEROES

OF CHRISTMAS

The Contribution of the People of Christmas

Michael H. Koplitz

The Unsung Heroes of Christmas

This edition 2017 copyright © by Bibleinteract, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any

means without permission of the publisher.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the New American Standard Bible®,

Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. Used

by permission (www.Lockman.org)

The NASB uses italic to indicate words that have been added for clarification. Citations are shown with large

capital letters.

Published by BibleInteract

ISBN-13: 978-1979371162 ISBN-10: 1979371164

Cover design by Faith A. Benson

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Table of Contents

1 – Introduction ........................................................ 1

2 – The Main Differences between the Greek Method and Hebraic Method of Teaching ............... 3

3 – Zacharias ............................................................ 7

4 – Elizabeth ........................................................... 13

5 – Joseph ............................................................... 15

6 – Mary ................................................................. 19

Works Cited ............................................................ 23


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1 – Introduction

The Sage Hillel developed a revolutionary way of studying the Scripture which has been the cornerstone of Hebraic study for over 2,000 years. Hillel lived approximately 70 years before the birth of Jesus Christ. Today we call Hillel’s methods, Ancient Bible study methods or First Century Bible study methods.

This method of Bible study was developed to match the writing style of the authors of the Scriptures both Old and New Testament. The Scriptures were written, mostly, by Middle Eastern people. Most of the authors would have been Hebrews who learned the Scripture and the techniques of writing the Word from God in an oriental way.

For the past 1900 years the church has been using a Greek method of analyzing the Scriptures. The methods used today can be traced back to the Academy of Plato. Indeed, the way we teach in our schools, colleges and universities is based on the methods developed at the Academy of Plato.

This method works well if you want to discern the Greek classics, but this method falls short when examining the Bible.

An examination of the lives and importance of the

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unsung heroes of Christmas is offered using Ancient Bible study methods. The next chapter is an explanation of the differences between the Greek and Hebraic examination of the Scripture. If you are unfamiliar with the Hebraic method, it is suggested that you read this chapter.

How do Zacharias, Elizabeth, Joseph and Mary fit into the birth narrative of Jesus Christ? What insights can we gain from their stories? It was important to the LORD that they be included as a part of the Christmas story.


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2 – The Main Differences between the Greek Method and Hebraic Method of

Teaching

Once you are aware of the two teaching styles, you will be able to determine if you are in a class or reading a book, whether the analysis and/or teaching method is either in a Greek or Hebraic method. In the Greek method, it is automatically thought that the instructor is right because of advanced knowledge. In the college situation, it is because the professor has his/her Ph.D. in some area of study, so one assumes that he or she knows everything about the topic. For example, Rodney Dangerfield played the role of a middle-aged man going to college. His English midterm was to write about Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Since he didn’t understand any of Vonnegut’s books he hired Vonnegut himself to the write the midterm. When it was returned to him, the English Professor told Dangerfield that whoever wrote the paper knew nothing about Vonnegut. This is an example of the Greek method of teaching. Did the Ph.D. English professor think that she knew more about Vonnegut’s writings than Vonnegut did? 1

1 Back to School. Performed by Rodney Dangerfield. Hollywood:

CA: Paper Clip Productions, 1986. DVD.

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In the Greek teaching method, the professor or the instructor claims to be the authority. If you are attending a Bible study class and the class leader says, “I will teach you the only way to understand this biblical book,” you may want to consider the implications. This method is common since most Seminaries and Bible colleges teach a Greek method of learning, which is the same method the church has been utilizing for centuries.

Hebraic teaching methods are different. The teacher wants the students to challenge what they hear. It is through questioning that a student can learn. In addition, the teacher wants his/her students to excel to a point where the student becomes the teacher.

It is said that if two rabbis come together to discuss a passage of Scripture, the result will be at least ten different opinions. All points of view are acceptable if the points can be supported by biblical evidence. It is permissible and encouraged for students to have multiple opinions. There is a depth to God’s Word, and God wants us to find all His messages that are placed in the Scriptures.

Seeking out the meaning of the Scriptures beyond the literal meaning is essential to fully understanding God’s Word.2 The Greek method of learning the

2 Davis, Anne Kimball. The Synoptic Gospels. MP3. Albuquerque:


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Scriptures has prevailed over the centuries. One problem is that only the literal interpretation of Scripture was often viewed as valid, as prompted by Martin Luther’s “sola literalis” meaning that only the literal interpretation of Scripture was valid. The Fundamentalist movements of today are generally based on the literal interpretation of the Scripture. Therefore, they do not believe that God placed any deeper, hidden, or secret meanings in the Word.

The students of the Scriptures who learn through Hebraic training and understanding have drawn a different conclusion. The Hebrew language itself leads to different possible interpretations because of the construction of the language. The Hebraic method of Bible study opens avenues of thought about God’s revelations in the Scripture that may have never been considered. A question may be raised about the Scripture being studied for which there may not be an immediate answer. If so, it becomes the responsibility of the learners to uncover the meaning. Also, remember that multiple opinions about the meaning of Scripture are also acceptable if they can be supported by Scripture.

NM: BibleInteract, 2012.


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3 – Zacharias 5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years. 8 Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering. 11 And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12 Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. 13 But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. 14 "You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 "For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother's womb. 16 "And he will turn many of the sons of Israel

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back to the Lord their God. 17 "It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." 18 Zacharias said to the angel, "How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years." 19 The angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 "And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time." 21 The people were waiting for Zacharias, and were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them; and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he kept making signs to them, and remained mute. 23 When the days of his priestly service were ended, he went back home. (Lk. 1:5-23 NAU)

Twenty-four divisions of priests were established during the second Temple period. From the book 1 Chronicles:

5 Thus they were divided by lot, the one as the other; for they were officers of the sanctuary and officers of God, both from the


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descendants of Eleazar and the descendants of I Thamar. (1 Chr. 24:5 NAU)

10 the seventh for Hakkoz, the eighth for Abijah, (1 Chr. 24:10 NAU)

The Scripture says that the lot fell to Zacharias to perform the priestly work. There is no mention there, however, of any fixed order of service. Only in post-biblical traditions is it mentioned that the priestly divisions served according to a weekly rotation system.”3 Why was there a lot to determine who served?

There were more priests available in Jerusalem than were necessary in Jesus’ time and it was an honor to be able to serve the LORD, therefore lots were drawn to see who would be given the honor. The incense service, which is described, can be found in the Mishnah, tractate Tamid. The offering of the incense signified the union of the prayers of the Hebrew people. The historian Philo recorded that the incense was offered twice a day at the Temple in Jerusalem.4

3 "JerusalemPerspective.com Online." Exploring the Jewish Background to the Life and Words of Jesus. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2017. http://JerusalemPerspective.com 4 Yamauchi, Edwin M., and Marvin R. Wilson. "Incense." Dictionary of Daily Life: In Biblical and Post-Biblical Antiquity. Peabody Massachusetts: Hendrickson, 2015. N. pag. Print.

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Zacharias would have been startled by the appearance of an angel. There is a similarity between this story and when the three angels appeared to Abraham to announce that Sarah would have a son. Elizabeth was barren and because of their old age the couple thought that they would never have a child. Barrenness was considered a punishment for some unforgiven sin. By the angel telling Zacharias that he would have a son he was also being told indirectly that Elizabeth’s barrenness was not caused by sin but rather because God was going to perform a miracle through her. Of course, the miracle was that Elizabeth gave birth to a son.

So, just like Sarah in her old age, Elizabeth had a son in her old age. The Scripture tells us that the mission of this child was to turn the hearts of the people of Israel back to their God. The description of the mission in Luke’s Gospel explains why some people thought that John was the Messiah they had been waiting for.

One of the prophecies of the Messiah is that he would turn the hearts of the Hebrew people back to God. Those who strayed from the teachings in the Torah would return. John’s ministry did take him to the Jordan River where he baptized people for the forgiveness of sin and turning their hearts back to the LORD.


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The author of Luke uses a citation from the book of Malachi.

6 "He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse." (Mal. 4:6 NAU)

Chapter four of the book of Malachi is a brief explanation of what is going to happen on the “Day of the LORD.” This will be the day that the LORD is going to return to the Earth and the sinful and wicked people who lived on Earth will be completely eradicated. The chapter says that the prophet Elijah would proceed the “Day of the LORD.”

The angel tells Zacharias that his son was going to be the forerunner for the Messiah. John was to have the power and spirit of Elijah. The angel falls short of saying that John was Elijah. If John was Elijah, then reincarnation is real. “Theories of reincarnation or metempsychosis are found in many religions and cultures, ancient and modern, but there are no references to the idea in the Bible or the Talmud and it was unknown in Judaism until the eighth century CE, when it began to be adopted by the Karaites [a sectarian Jewish group]”5 Therefore, John had the

5 Jacobs, Rabbi Louis. "What Judaism Says About Reincarnation." My Jewish Learning. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2017.

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power of Elijah to convince people to turn back to the LORD but was no Elijah.

Zacharias was concerned that his wife and other persons would not believe him. Therefore, the angel announces that he was Gabriel and gave him a sign. That sign was that Zacharias became a mute until the birth of his child. It was during the naming ceremony that Zacharias could speak again.

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/reincarnation-the-transmigration-of-a-jewish-idea/


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4 – Elizabeth

Elizabeth was the wife of Zacharias. In Hebrew her name was Elisheba. Elisheba, of the Old Testament was the wife of Aaron who was the first priest of Israel. This strengthens the story that Zacharias was a priest because Levites tended to marry Levites.

23 Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. (Exod. 6:23 NAU)

Elizabeth became pregnant after Zacharias had his encounter with the angel Gabriel.

24 After these days Elizabeth his wife became pregnant, and she kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying, 25 "This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to take away my disgrace among men." (Lk. 1:24-25 NAU)

It is possible that Elizabeth secluded herself because the people of the town would not have believed that she could be pregnant. Since the custom was that barrenness was considered a sin, she proclaimed that the LORD had taken away her disgrace (her sin) because she became pregnant.

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The fact that Elizabeth was pregnant was a sign from the angel Gabriel to Mary.

36 "And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. 37 "For nothing will be impossible with God." (Lk. 1:36-37 NAU)

The sign is shown again when Mary goes to the village where Elizabeth lived. When Mary arrived, and met Elizabeth she could see that her cousin was pregnant thus proving to her that what Gabriel said about Mary’s baby, the Lord Jesus, was true.

39 Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. (Lk. 1:39-41 NAU).


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5 – Joseph

Joseph does not get attention very much in the Scriptures. However, he is quite important to the Christmas story. Without Joseph, Mary could have ended up on the streets as a beggar or prostitute. When Joseph discovered that Mary was pregnant he could have divorced her. That would have left Mary in disgrace and she might not have been welcomed back by her family because of the stain on the family’s honor.

A Jewish wedding in Jesus’s day consisted of two separate ceremonies. The two parts could occur on the same day, however many times they were separated. The first part was called the Kiddushin. In the presence of at least two male witnesses, the groom gave his bride a gift, usually a ring, and recited the following: “with this ring, you are consecrated unto me as my wife according to the law of Moses and Israel.” The bride and bridegroom then recited a prayer to God: “Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, …who disallowed unto us those who are betrothed to us, but sanctified unto us those who are married to us. Blessed are You, O Lord, who hallows Your people Israel by prescribing marriage under a bridal canopy and a sacred ceremony” (from the

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Talmud Baraita Kutboth).6

The second part of the wedding ceremony is the nisu’in. The seven blessings were recited over the bride and groom, and the bride took up residence in the groom’s house. At this point the wedding was complete. If there was a time break between the two ceremonies the couple were forbidden to live together or to engage in any intimate acts.

So, Mary’s pregnancy occurred between the Kiddushin and the Nisu’in. The LORD selected Joseph to be Mary’s husband because He must have known that Joseph would not divorce her. To ensure that Joseph did what the LORD wanted an angel was dispatched.

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. 19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. 20 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 "She will bear a Son; and you shall

6 Stern, Frank. "Chapter 13." In A Rabbi Looks at Jesus' Parables. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield, 2006.


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call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." (Matt. 1:18-21 NAU)

An echo to Joseph’s part of Christmas can be found in Genesis. Joseph was the son of Jacob. Joseph’s brothers were jealous that Jacob favored him. They sold Joseph into slavery. Joseph ended up in Egypt. From there Joseph rose to a position of power and could save his family when a famine hit the land. Joseph was the savior of the family and God’s Chosen People.

Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, saved Jesus from death by Herod the King.

13 Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him." 14 So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. (Matt. 2:13-14 NAU)

Joseph was instrumental, so that Jesus could grow up and become the savior of the world. Joseph of Genesis saved God’s Chosen People from extinction. Joseph of the Gospels saved God’s Son from extinction.

There is a legend from the Gospel of Mary that tells us how Joseph was selected to wed Mary. The LORD

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wanted this marriage to happen, so during the ritual of pairing the eligible bachelors of the town with the available brides, the LORD sent a dove. The elders of the city and the available men were in the same room when the dove landed on Joseph’s rod.

Normally this would not have meant anything. However, the dove landed on Joseph’s rod while the rabbis and elders were discussing who Mary was going to marry. The dove decided to fly off Joseph’s rod and out a window. The rabbis and elders took notice of the dove. Shortly after the dove left, a flower grew out of the top of Joseph’s rod where the dove was perched. Immediately the rabbis and elders saw it as a sign from God. Therefore, the match was made. The LORD had performed a sign so that Joseph would be married to Mary and that Joseph could protect the baby Jesus.7.

7 Mathewes-Green, Frederica, and Romanus. The Lost Gospel of Mary: The Mother of Jesus in Three Ancient Texts. Brewster, MA: Paraclete Press, 2007.


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6 – Mary

There is no definitive age for girls to get married in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament), therefore it is a speculation on our part how old Mary was when she married Joseph. Mary was probably between 13 and 15 when she was married according to the culture of the day. As a young girl she certainly would have been fearful of what was going to happen. When the angel Gabriel visited her, it had to be a real shock.

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And coming in, he said to her, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." 29 But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. 30 The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31 "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end." 34 Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" 35 The angel answered and said to

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her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. (Lk. 1:26-35 NAU)

The reference to the sixth month in verse 26 refers to Elizabeth’s six month of her pregnancy. A question that arises is, why did the LORD select Mary to be the mother of Jesus? There is a lot of speculation about this question ranging from Mary’s innocence to Mary’s expressing to the LORD that she needed a savior. Perhaps a reason was that Mary always wanted to serve the LORD.

The Bible introduces Mary when she was visited by the angel Gabriel in Luke’s Gospel. She receives less of an introduction in the Gospel of Matthew. Therefore, we do not know a lot about her from the Bible. We can speculate about the purity of Mary because the LORD would have certainly selected the best woman to be Jesus’ mother.

Mary had to deal with somethings that other mothers would have to deal with. She was told that she had to keep secret the knowledge that her baby boy would grow up to become the savior of the world. Mary would never have thought that she would become a symbol of the then new religion called Christianity.

She had to be a brave woman when she had to tell her husband that she was pregnant and that she had been


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pure and faithful to him. The fear of divorce and its consequences had to be on her mind. Yet she did the correct thing. She followed the commandment of the LORD through the angel Gabriel.

She gave birth to the savior of the world. Jesus’ life from his birth until he was thirty years old are a mystery. There are some infancy books written about Jesus and the Urantia has a chapter about every year of Jesus’ life between the ages of one and thirty. As far as the Bible is concerned, except for one incident in Luke’s Gospel when Jesus was twelve years old, we do not know what happened during Jesus’ formative years.

Mary must have taken diligent care of her son Jesus since He grew up and was prepared to take on the work that the LORD had placed before him. Without Mary there would not have been our savior Jesus. Certainly, being Jesus’ mother makes her an unsung hero of Christmas.


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Works Cited

Davis, A. K. (2012). The Synoptic Gospels. Albuquerque, , NM, USA.

Exploring the Jewish Background to the Life and Words of Jesus. (2017, October 16). Retrieved from Jerusalem Perspective Online: http://JerusalemPerspective.com

Jacobs, R. L. (2016, October 16). What Judaism Says About Reincarnaton. Retrieved from My Jewish Learning: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/reincarnation-the-transmigration-of-a-jewish-idea/

Signorelli, J. (Director). (1986). Back to School [Motion Picture].

Stern, F. (2006). A Rabbi Looks at Jesus' Parables. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

Yamauchi, E. M. (2015). Dictionary of Daily Life: In biblical and post-biblical antiquity. Peasbody: Massachusetts: Hendrickson.


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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rev. Dr. Michael Koplitz, D.Min., Ph.D. is a teacher at Bibleinteract, the Bible Learning University and is an ordained pastor in the United Methodist Church. His desire to learn what the people in Jesus’ day has led him to learning the Hebraic nature of the Bible and that the Old Testament and the New

Testament complement each other. He has learned to hear and understand the Scripture in Jesus’ day by removing the 1900 years of church filters and interpretation thus bringing back the First Century C.E. meaning to the Word of God. Using Ancient Bible Study Methods, which are taught at the Bible Learning University, he presents numerous commentaries in his Discovering Biblical Treasures series and Growing the Gospel series.

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