THE LIFE OF JESUS
The birth and ministry of a Man from Nazareth. Jesus was born in Lower Galilee, where he spent much of his youth and adult life.
Lower Galilee
Galilee had always been surrounded by foreign territory and was culturally different from the heartland of Judea to the South. Galilee was surrounded by Aram-Damascus (originally), now Roman Syria to the Northeast, Roman-Nabatea (the Bible's Ammon and Moab, today's Jordan) to the east, the Phoenician region of Sidon and Tyre to the northwest. It was a territory surrounded by land, though blessed with abundant springs and it had access to the sea of Galilee. It was essentially agricultural, thanks to the productiveness of their valleys.
Galilee in Bible times
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The arrival of the Herodian dynasty deeply affected Galilee. King Herod was not of Jewish origin, his family hailed from Idumea, a territory that is the equivalent of today's Negev desert and southern Jordan. Herod recaptures Judea in 37 bc, from the disavowed king Antigonus, with the active support of the Roman forces. He began his iron-fisted 33-year rule that would eternally change the face of Judea, and consequently, Galilee as well.
King Herod built a hippodrome, a palace, a theater and an amphitheater, in Jerusalem for gladiatorial contests, which "greatly offended the Jews." As an appeasing gesture to his Jewish subjects, Herod expanded the Jerusalem Temple enormously, which had been demolished by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar in 586 bc but rebuilt again 70 years later with the support of the Persian King Cyrus the Great.
Temple in Jerusalem during Herod's time
The Temple would now serve as a major stage for the life and ministry of Jesus.
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you"
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what type of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid Mary, you have found favor with God, you will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, his kingdom will never end." How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God." (Luke 1: 26 -35)
Upon hearing the news Joseph "planned to dismiss her quietly," because a premarital pregnancy brought disgrace on the young woman and her family. But according to the Gospel of Matthew, an angel appeared, urging Joseph not to hesitate "to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her, is from The Holy Spirit" (Matthew 1: 20)
Next: The childhood of Jesus
It is so wonderful for us.
Yes, what a friend we have in Jesus!