Gracious Jesus 1: The King is Born
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This document discusses the birth of Jesus Christ based on biblical accounts. It provides biblical references and facts about his birth, including that he was born in Bethlehem to the virgin Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit, fulfilling prophecies. Jesus's birth was significant because as both fully God and fully man, he could restore mankind's relationship with God and atone for human sins through his sacrifice. The document also presents objectives, themes, and discussion questions about Jesus's birth and its implications.
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Gracious Jesus 1: The King is Born
- 1. by Payal
- 2. GRACIOUS JESUS 1. PRESENTING THE KING The King is Born The Greatest Prophet John Baptizes Jesus The Tempter lures Jesus Jesus’ Ministry Launch
- 3. THE KING IS BORN PRESENTATION OVERVIEW Matt 1,2. Lk 1-2:38; 3.23-38 I. Objectives II. Gospel records III. Facts on Birth of Jesus IV. Christ is God and man V. Reasons for His birth VI. Discussion
- 4. THE KING IS BORN OBJECTIVES To: Decipher the records for this event throughout the Bible Understand why this birth was so special Discover aspects of Christ being both God and man
- 5. THE KING IS BORN THEME VERSE
- 6. THE KING IS BORN FOUR NARRATIVES [6] MATTHEW MARK LUKE JOHN Record of Jesus’s Birth Elaborate genealogy – through Abraham and King David. nothing recorded Birth, ministry, life, death and resurrection . Recorded in heavenly, spiritual terms. Significant Aspect Jesus is fulfillment of the prophecies of the Hebrew Scriptures Not important where God’s servant is born, it is his service that defines him. Among poor and rejected, bringing good tidings of peace and goodwill. Shining His light of salvation in darkness, mirroring creation. Bible References: Matt 1,2,3:23-27. Lk 1-2:40, John 1:1-14
- 7. THE KING IS BORN FACTS REGARDING THE BIRTH OF JESUS [2] “Jesus,” means “the Lord saves,” or “He saves.” Jesus would bring salvation from sin and eternal condemnation. Born in Bethlehem, “the house of bread” – bore “the Bread of Life” . . .
- 8. THE KING IS BORN OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES 14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son..Isaiah 7:14 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us... Isaiah 9:6 “[But as for you, Bethlehem.., From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.” Micah 5:2
- 9. THE KING IS BORN PROPHECY FULFILLED IN NT 18 the birth of Jesus Christ..His mother Mary ..was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit… 20 .. an angel of the Lord appeared ..”Joseph, son of David.. the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
- 10. THE KING IS BORN CHRIST IS GOD AND MAN In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us... John 1:14
- 11. THE ONLY SIGN “This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.“ Luke 2:12 What are other signs people look for to find Jesus? What are the dangers?
- 12. THE ONLY SIGN Jesus is the sign Jesus is the centre
- 13. THE KING IS BORN CHRIST IS GOD AND MAN He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf… 2 Corinthians 5:21 ..One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15
- 14. It is only by being both 100% man and 100% God that Jesus could provide the only acceptable payment for man’s sins.
- 17. THE KING IS BORN REASONS FOR HIS BIRTH Jesus had to be born to [4]: Restore lost relationship with God because of mankind's sin. Reveal God’s own character to humanity. Atone for sins of humankind through a perfect sacrifice. Provide a mediator from man to God. Provide the promised seed of Abraham. Make God’s Spirit available to all humankind. Redeem mankind.
- 18. HIS BIRTH Share observations on: The commitment of the Magi following the star Herod’s fear vs Jews’ ignorance Faith of Mary and Joseph – alone and confident The accessibility of Jesus to shepherds at birth The first evangelists and their results The few who were ready to receive the King Any other…
- 19. THE KING IS BORN DISCUSSION 1. What do you suppose Joseph felt about Mary’s pregnancy before and after the angelic visitation? 2. What is the difference between having faith in people and having faith in God? 3. How do we balance our physical and our spiritual lives? 4. How has the birth of Jesus impacted our Christian life? 5. Why did Jesus Christ come as Man?
- 20. REFERENCES 1. https://bible.org/article/birth-jesus-christ 2. https://bible.org/seriespage/2-birth-jesus-matthew-118-25 3. http://biblesforamerica.org/the-deep-significance-of-the- birth-of-jesus-christ/ 4. http://www.ucg.org/the-good-news/seven-reasons-why- jesus-was-born 5. http://www.debate.org.uk/debate- topics/theological/virgin/ 6. http://www1.cbn.com/thenativitymovie/the-birth-of-jesus- in-the-new-testament%3A-one-event-%26ndash%3B-four- narratives
Editor's Notes
- The Birth of Jesus in the New Testament: One Event – Four Narratives Each of the Gospels approaches this story with great care to communicate their respective images of Jesus and in doing so powerfully communicate their unique message to their own particular audience. MARK – Mark’s Gospel records nothing about the birth of Jesus. Mark starts his story of Jesus with the calling of John the Baptist in the wilderness. The first time we see Jesus in this Gospel is when Jesus comes to be baptized by John. This “narrative of omission” serves the unique purpose of Mark’s Gospel. Mark wrote his gospel to the Romans of his day and emphasizes the paradoxical message of the hidden service of Jesus as Lord. Together with the secrecy motives in this Gospel, the omission of any details of the birth of Jesus helps the reader to understand that it is not important where a servant is born of from which family he comes – it is his service that defines him. MATTHEW – Matthew, in stark contrast to Mark’s “narrative of omission” begins his account with an elaborate genealogy that places Jesus as an ancestor of King David and Abraham. Here already Matthew shows his special interest and the intended audience for his Gospel. He is writing to the Jews and presents Jesus as a King, better than David and a teacher greater than Moses. Matthew’s birth narratives focus on the role of Joseph, who is “a just man” in Matthew’s words of this event. Joseph is contrasted with Herod, an unjust and wicked ruler. Matthew takes great care to show how the birth event of Jesus fulfills prophecies made in the Old Testament and makes use of these prophecies to present Jesus as a governor, the ruler of Israel, a prince, and as God’s Son. It is Matthew that tells us about the wise men that came to worship, bringing gifts fit for a king; the murderous acts of the bad king Herod; records the journey of the holy family to and back from Egypt (in no small part to illustrate how Jesus’ life mirrors that of the people of Israel); and of the angels who in dreams direct Joseph. Matthew, in his powerful birth account, presents Jesus, in fulfillment of the prophecies and hopes of the Hebrew Scriptures, as the King of the Jews who has been given all authority in Heaven and Earth. He is Emmanuel, God with us. LUKE – Luke’s Gospel is an attempt, in his own words, to put in a place “an orderly account” of the birth, ministry, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Luke wrote his Gospel primarily for a Gentile audience and focuses on the traditionally marginalized and neglected groups in First Century Mediterranean societies. Thus Luke’s Gospel is full of references to women, children, the sick, the poor and rejected people groups like the Samaritans. This special and caring focus on the neglected and rejected also features in Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus. Luke’s birth narrative is the longest out of all of the four Gospels and gives special attention to the role of the Holy Spirit and to the women in the story. Here the angel appears to Mary (not to Joseph) and it is Elizabeth and then later again Mary that each has words of praise and blessings recorded. Luke in his human focus, records the “homeless” status of Joseph and Mary in Bethlehem, the special care given to the baby Jesus as he is born and how a lowly feeding troth becomes a crib. As if to further emphasize this consistent focus of the poor and the rejected of society, the angels appear to shepherds in Luke’s account, not to the rich, privileged and powerful wise men as in Matthew’s account. It is the ordinary shepherds that witness this glorious event and became the first messengers of God’s peace and goodwill towards men on earth. The beautiful birth narrative of Jesus in Luke’s Gospel illustrates the complete kenotic act of God in Jesus, born amongst the poor and rejected, bringing good tidings of peace and goodwill to all. JOHN – The Gospel of John, possible the last of the Gospel to be produced, records the birth of Jesus in heavenly, if not spiritual terms and language. This Gospel, written by the disciple that experienced such love from Jesus that he identifies himself as the one loved by Jesus, present his narrative of the birth of Jesus as a second “Genesis account”. For John, this birth started in Heaven: Jesus, the Word was in the beginning and was God. All that is created was created through Him. John then describes the birth of Jesus with powerful language: “…and the Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us”. John writing to Greek-speaking Gentiles across the Roman Empire explains that in Jesus, the Word becomes flesh and chooses to dwell with us and thus we all have been witnesses of His glory which is full of grace and truth. John’s Gospel focuses on the Divine attributes of Jesus. John purposefully leaves out any mention of Mary, Joseph and all the other characters that Matthew and Luke mentions in their birth narratives. John clearly communicates that this birth is the most significant event in the history of the world. God became flesh and so is shining His light in darkness, an event that mirrors the creation of the heavens and earth. CONCLUSION – The four Gospels in the New Testament present four unique and yet complimentary pictures of Jesus -- and this is evident in the way they record the birth of Jesus: Matthew presents Jesus as the King of the Jews worthy of obedience and worship; Luke shows a humane Savior that brings good tidings and liberation to the poor, neglected and marginalized; Mark present Jesus as Lord that serves in secret and thus shows a new way, free from the fight for supremacy and status; and finally, John presents Jesus as God, who comes as the Word become flesh and this shines in the darkness to bring a new beginning in this world. (http://www1.cbn.com/thenativitymovie/the-birth-of-jesus-in-the-new-testament%3A-one-event-%26ndash%3B-four-narratives)
- The Meaning of the Name There are not a lot of words in this passage (Matthew 1:18-25) that need defining. But at the heart of the revelation is the giving of the name “Jesus.” This is a good Hebrew name very similar to the Old Testament name “Joshua.” The Hebrews loved to give names with meaning; and the meaning usually involved some word play on the name. The word play with this name is on the verb “to save.” That verb in Hebrew is yasha’. Names like Hosea, Isaiah, and Joshua, to name but a few, are all based on this verb. The name “Jesus,” like the name “Joshua,” would mean “the Lord saves,” or shortened would mean “he saves.” This is why the significance of the name is then explained, “For he shall save his people from their sins.” This latter clarification was necessary because in the Old Testament the verb “to save” is most often used for physical deliverance--saved from enemies, from disease, from oppression, from death. It is also used in the sense of salvation from sin, but folks would probably think of other types of salvation first. In fact, the followers of Jesus often thought more in the sense of a national deliverance from Rome than in a spiritual salvation from sin. The word from God makes it clear from the outset that the salvation Jesus will bring will be a salvation from sin. Once sin is dealt with, then the results of the sin can be taken care of as well (and there will be deliverance from the problems that sin has caused). (https://bible.org/seriespage/2-birth-jesus-matthew-118-25)
- The mysterious birth of Jesus was prophesied in the Old Testament. About 700 years before Christ, the prophet Isaiah prophesied concerning the Jesus’ birth, saying in Isaiah 7:14, “The Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and will bear a son, and she will call his name Immanuel” Why was Jesus not called Immanuel .? ”To be called, and to be, in the Hebrew, often mean the same thing” - apologetics press.org This prophecy was fulfilled in Christ’s birth—a son, born through divine conception in a virgin, without a human father. He was to be called Immanuel, which means “God with us.” This son born of a human virgin was the very God with us. A couple of chapters later, Isaiah prophesied about the birth of Jesus again, saying in Isaiah 9:6: “For a child is born to us, / A Son is given to us…/ And His name will be called / Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” Note 1 on this verse in the Recovery Version opens a window into what it means for Christ to be both a child and the Mighty God, a Son given to us, and the Eternal Father. “The child born of a human virgin is the Son given by the eternal Father. Christ is the child born of both the divine and human natures (Matt.1:20-23) and He is also the Son in the divine nature given by the eternal Father. Through the birth of the divine-human child, the Eternal Father gave us His divine Son as a gift. Through such a giving, everyone who believes in, i.e., receives, this dear Son receives eternal life (John 3:16; 1 John 5:11-12).”
- The mysterious birth of Jesus was fulfilled in the New Testament. The New Testament provides us a record of the actual events surrounding Christ’s birth. Through this record we can appreciate the step God took to give us His dear Son to us to be our Savior and our life. Matthew 1:18 tells us how this virgin birth came about. “Now the origin of Jesus Christ was in this way: His mother, Mary, after she had been engaged to Joseph, before they came together, was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit.” Note 1 on this verse explains what this phrase “of the Holy Spirit” means regarding Christ. “Although Christ was born of Mary (v. 16), He was a child of the Holy Spirit. The birth of Christ was directly of the Holy Spirit (v. 20). His source was the Holy Spirit and His element was divine. Through the virgin Mary He put on flesh and blood, the human nature, taking the likeness of the flesh (Rom. 8:3), the likeness of men (Phil. 2:7).” Then, in Matthew 1:20, an angel of the Lord visited Joseph to assure him of this divine fact. “But while he pondered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife, for that which has been begotten in her is of the Holy Spirit.”
- That which comes from God is sinless John 1:1 & John 1:14 - The words from these two verses indicate clearly that the Word was God from eternity, and that the Word—God—became flesh in time. God was first born into Mary through His Spirit; after the conception was completed, He, with the human nature, was born to be a God-man, possessing both divinity and humanity. This is the origin of Christ. The birth of Jesus Christ—a momentous event The birth of Christ was not the ordinary birth of an ordinary man. It was the birth of the most unique Person in history. The birth of Jesus Christ was the incarnation of God Himself. In other words, the very God became a man. The significance of this is profound and will take all eternity for us to appreciate. The conception and birth of Jesus Christ was the mingling of God with humanity. Such a thing had never occurred before. John 1:14 says that the Word, the eternal God Himself, became flesh, meaning the man Jesus. When this happened, the eternal God stepped out of eternity into time to become a man of flesh and blood. Jesus Christ was indeed a genuine man, but at the same time, He was God. He is both fully God and fully man. “Although Christ was born of Mary (v. 16), He was a child of the Holy Spirit. The birth of Christ was directly of the Holy Spirit (v. 20). His source was the Holy Spirit and His element was divine. Through the virgin Mary He put on flesh and blood, the human nature, taking the likeness of the flesh (Rom. 8:3), the likeness of men (Phil. 2:7).” “Romans 8:3 indicates that although this flesh was the flesh of sin, it had only the likeness of the flesh of sin and did not have the sin of the flesh. It is the Word who became such flesh, and this Word was God, the complete Triune God (v. 1). That the Word became flesh means that the Triune God became a man of flesh in the likeness of a sinful man. By so doing God entered into sinful man and became one with sinful man. However, He had only the likeness of a sinful man and not the sin of a sinful man. Hence, He was a sinless God-man, the complete God and the perfect man, having two natures, the divine nature and the human nature.” CHRIST BEING BOTH GOD AND MAN Scripture Reading: John 1:1, 3; 20:28; Rom. 9:5; Titus 2:13; John 1:14; 19:5; Acts 7:56; 1 Tim. 2:5; John 1:51 That which comes from God is sinless: Jesus could not be a son of Adam. He could not be a descendent of the corrupt and cursed Adam. Therefore, He was conceived from a Holy source, from God himself. By His virgin birth, He was not imputed with the sin which the rest of us were imputed. He was different, because His Father was different. Remember the dictum, “Like produces like.” We know that like produces like, so we know that Jesus shared the same nature as His father. Yet, you may ask, what about His mother? He had a human mother did He not? That is true, He did. It is because He had a human mother that we know that He also had a human nature. Due to His virgin birth Jesus had the nature of a human and the nature of God, yet He remained one person. The significance of His two natures would take pages to explain. Suffice it to say that in Jesus, God is revealed in human form as God manifest in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16). His virgin birth, however, underlies these two natures: born of a woman, providing Him His humanity, yet born of a virgin, underlining His divinity.
- Jesus was the sign, Jesus is the centre.
- The birth of Jesus Christ—a momentous event The birth of Christ was not the ordinary birth of an ordinary man. It was the birth of the most unique Person in history. The birth of Jesus Christ was the incarnation of God Himself. In other words, the very God became a man. The significance of this is profound and will take all eternity for us to appreciate. The conception and birth of Jesus Christ was the mingling of God with humanity. Such a thing had never occurred before. John 1:14 says that the Word, the eternal God Himself, became flesh, meaning the man Jesus. When this happened, the eternal God stepped out of eternity into time to become a man of flesh and blood. Jesus Christ was indeed a genuine man, but at the same time, He was God. He is both fully God and fully man. “Although Christ was born of Mary (v. 16), He was a child of the Holy Spirit. The birth of Christ was directly of the Holy Spirit (v. 20). His source was the Holy Spirit and His element was divine. Through the virgin Mary He put on flesh and blood, the human nature, taking the likeness of the flesh (Rom. 8:3), the likeness of men (Phil. 2:7).” “Romans 8:3 indicates that although this flesh was the flesh of sin, it had only the likeness of the flesh of sin and did not have the sin of the flesh. It is the Word who became such flesh, and this Word was God, the complete Triune God (v. 1). That the Word became flesh means that the Triune God became a man of flesh in the likeness of a sinful man. By so doing God entered into sinful man and became one with sinful man. However, He had only the likeness of a sinful man and not the sin of a sinful man. Hence, He was a sinless God-man, the complete God and the perfect man, having two natures, the divine nature and the human nature.” CHRIST BEING BOTH GOD AND MAN Scripture Reading: John 1:1, 3; 20:28; Rom. 9:5; Titus 2:13; John 1:14; 19:5; Acts 7:56; 1 Tim. 2:5; John 1:51 That which comes from God is sinless: Jesus could not be a son of Adam. He could not be a descendent of the corrupt and cursed Adam. Therefore, He was conceived from a Holy source, from God himself. By His virgin birth, He was not imputed with the sin which the rest of us were imputed. He was different, because His Father was different. Remember the dictum, “Like produces like.” We know that like produces like, so we know that Jesus shared the same nature as His father. Yet, you may ask, what about His mother? He had a human mother did He not? That is true, He did. It is because He had a human mother that we know that He also had a human nature. Due to His virgin birth Jesus had the nature of a human and the nature of God, yet He remained one person. The significance of His two natures would take pages to explain. Suffice it to say that in Jesus, God is revealed in human form as God manifest in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16). His virgin birth, however, underlies these two natures: born of a woman, providing Him His humanity, yet born of a virgin, underlining His divinity.
- MATTHEW Elaborate genealogy of Jesus as ancestor of King David and Abraham. Jesus is fulfillment of the prophecies of the Hebrew Scriptures
- God's great plan for mankind included the necessity of a savior, a redeemer of mankind. Here are seven reasons, leading up to the greatest of all, that Jesus the Messiah, the very Son of God, had to be born. 1. Jesus had to be born because of mankind's sin. God gave our original human parents the gift of free choice. He gave them the ability to decide whether they would obey Him, and they missed the mark. God allowed Satan, in the form of a serpent, to attempt to subvert God's will for mankind (Genesis 3:1-4). The devil appealed to Eve's vanity, convincing her she could be as God Himself, “knowing good and evil” (verse 5). Why did Satan's deception of Adam and Eve mean that Christ had to be born? The Savior had to be born because mankind, after the sin of Adam and Eve, would have been eternally lost—cut off from God—had not Jesus come to earth and allowed Himself to be sacrificed to save mankind from its sins, which began with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. 2. Jesus had to be born because God wanted to reveal His own character to humanity. God wanted to reveal His righteous character to Adam and Eve and to all of mankind so they could become like Him in mind and spirit. Why did God's desire to reveal His character to mankind mean Jesus had to be born? Jesus had to be born because Adam and Eve failed to carry out God's mandate to glorify Him in their lives. It was left for the Son of God, thousands of years later, to ultimately fulfill the divine revelation of God's character and purpose for man. 3. Jesus had to be born to remove the sins of humankind through a perfect sacrifice. Why did the need for a perfect sacrifice mean that Jesus had to be born? It was because the earlier, physical sacrifices were imperfect. They could not take away the penalty for sin (Hebrews 10:4). God instructed the Israelites in the need for sacrifice, but they had access only to physical forerunners of the ultimate sacrifice, which would come later in the form of Christ Himself. God instructed His people to participate in the physical rituals of animal sacrifices not because they were sufficient to remove people's sins, but because of the lessons they taught—that sacrifices were necessary because of mankind's sins. Jesus had to be born because, without the true sacrifice, humanity was doomed. All would die, with no hope beyond the grave. 4. Jesus had to be born for mankind to have a Mediator. Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant. Under the New Covenant, God replaced the sacrifices of the Levitical priesthood with the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Himself. “But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is the Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises” (Hebrews 8:6). The law written on the believer's heart under the terms of the New Covenant is the immutable spiritual law of God. Paul wrote that this law, summarized by the Ten Commandments, is “holy, and the commandment holy and just and good … For we know that the law is spiritual …” (Romans 7:12-14). This law serves as the basis for the covenant agreement. Psalms 19:7 tells us that “the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.” The understanding that Jesus is the mediator between God and mankind makes it easier for us to comprehend that the ministry of Christ is an administration superior to the Levitical priesthood. 5. Jesus had to be born to provide the promised Seed of Abraham. God promised Abraham that through his (Abraham's) “seed,” or descendants, all nations of the world would be blessed (Genesis 22:18; Galatians 3:14-16). Through faith in God and His name, people of all nations have access to God's mercy, forgiveness and reconciliation with God the Father. God does not show favoritism (Acts 10:34). Indeed, His plan of redemption includes all people of all races, of all national and ethnic groups. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:28-29). The key word here is heirs . Through Christ, believers become sons of God (Romans 8:14). “And if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ …” (verse 17). Under the Old Covenant, God chose a physical people, Israel, to set the example for other nations (Deuteronomy 4:5-8). Israel, being unconverted and subject to the frailties of humanity, failed. But the Israelites were forerunners of a converted, spiritual Israel, which includes believers of every ethnicity and nationality (Galatians 3:27-29; 6:15-16; Romans 2:28-29). Jesus had to be born to provide the promised spiritual fulfillment of the Seed of Israel. Jesus, quite appropriately, was a literal, physical descendant of Abraham. He was Abraham's Seed, through whom all nations of the world would be blessed. 6. Jesus had to be born for God to make His Spirit available to all humankind. Not only did Jesus have to be born, but He had to pay the penalty for our sins through His own death, then be resurrected to ascend to the Father as our High Priest. Only then would humanity at large be able to receive and benefit from the incredible gift of God's Holy Spirit. “This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear” (Acts 2:32-33). Why was Jesus' physical birth essential to His followers' receiving of the Holy Spirit? Because no one is worthy to receive the Holy Spirit, and we must be begotten of God through His Spirit to receive eternal life. Jesus' death—His ultimate sacrifice—made possible the forgiveness of sins, which in turn enables us to look forward to living and reigning with Christ in the Kingdom of God. Without Jesus' birth, none of this would be possible. 7. Jesus had to be born for God to redeem mankind. The salvation of mankind was dependent on Jesus coming to earth and living a perfect life, then dying as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the whole world—for every disobedience, by every man and woman who has ever lived, to God's righteous laws. All of this is another way of saying that Jesus had to be born because He is our Redeemer. God in His infinite mercy foreordained His plan of redemption for sinful mankind through Christ (1 Peter 1:20). Jesus was declared to be “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” to redeem humanity (Revelation 13:8). But why does sin require a redeemer? The Bible shows us that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23), and “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Therefore, all have earned the death penalty for sin. People speak of human “rights,” yet the only real right anyone has earned is the right to eternal death. But God has made allowance for sinners to be redeemed, or bought back, from the death penalty by a redeemer. Romans 5 calls Jesus “the second Adam,” in contrast to the first, the original man. The first Adam brought sin into the world (verse 12). The second Adam—Jesus Christ—brought redemption, reconciliation and the hope of eternal life (verses 6-10). Since the wages of sin is death, redemption requires the sacrificial death of the Redeemer. (http://www.ucg.org/the-good-news/seven-reasons-why-jesus-was-born)
- Shepherds were the first evangelists