The Dual Nativity of Christ
Gospel Reflection for the Solemnity of the Nativity
Gaudate! Gaudate! Christus es natus ex Maria Virgine! Gaudate!
Today we celebrate the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary. The earth is filled with gladness.
In the Ordinary Form, the Catholic Church takes four different Gospels for the varying times in which the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass may be celebrated over today’s Solemnity. For this reflection, I want to draw from two of them: The Genealogy of Matthew which is read at the Vigil Mass, and the Prologue to John’s Gospel which is read at Mass during the day of Christmas. These two Gospels are very much complimentary as they give the Church a deep Christological understanding of the dual origins or nativities of Our Lord Jesus Christ. This will be a bit longer than a normal Gospel reflection for the sake of the Solemnity and the glory of His birth.
The Old Testament Prophecy
“The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between His feet, until He comes to Whom it belongs; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people.” Genesis 49:10
I want to begin in the Old Testament where the two-fold nativity of Christ is prophesied. It has become commonplace today for modern scholarship to state that the Jewish people of the 1st century were only expecting a human Messiah in the form of some general who would lead a revolt against the Roman oppressor. While that is certainly true to an extent, the prophecies of the Old Testament point to the Messiah being more than just a human being.1
To this end, I want to first look at one of the Minor Prophets who very clearly prophecies the two-fold origin of the Messiah. Micah is important for the context of the Gospels because during the infancy narratives, St. Matthew cites this prophecy as evidence of the Messiah’s birth in Bethlehem.2
The Prophet writes:
“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me a ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient times.” Micah 5:23
Here, the prophet cites the dual origin of the Messiah who is to come. The first is His human origin, that of being born in the city of Bethlehem from among the Tribe of Judah. This prophecy is immensely important for the coming Messiah as it was promised to Judah that the scepter would not depart his house4 and that the Messiah would come from the line of King David.5 As the City of David, Bethlehem is prophesied to be the birthplace of the Messiah. This is why when Herod is looking for the child, the scribes cite this very prophecy.
The second part of this prophecy cites the eternal origin of the Messiah. Not only is He born in Bethlehem in a human way, but His origin is also “from of old” and “from ancient times.” Again, I want to cite the prophecy of Daniel here as calling God the Ancient of Days.6 The title of Ancient of Days is one given to God who predates time. God is outside of time and space and so He is described as being ancient in such a way that He was before time began. Before anything was; God IS. In this context, the one who is to be born in Bethlehem is also one who was before time began.7
Micah is very clearly foretelling the coming of the Messiah in a two-fold sense. He has a human origin from her who would bring Him forth in Bethlehem and He has a divine origin from the Ancient of Days.8
The Genealogy of St. Matthew
“… and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Christ.” Matthew 1:16
St. Matthew begins his gospel with a genealogical tree that traces the lineage of St. Joseph from Abraham through Isaac, Jacob, and Judah through to King David and Jechoniah, and down to Joseph who is called the husband of Mary. The importance of this genealogy is immense as it establishes the necessary descent of Jesus “who is called the Christ” from King David as the prophecy requires.
A couple of things are necessary to understand. First, this is not an exhaustive genealogy. It was common in the first century not to give an exhaustive genealogy, but instead, give the highlights, so to speak. This lines up with the figures who are cited by St. Matthew. The very important figures of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob as the patriarchs of Israel; the mentioning of Judah as the one whom the Messiah was to come apart from the rest of His brothers;9 Boaz and Ruth as the beginning of the line in Bethlehem;10 King David and his son Solomon by Bathsheba;11 continuing the line through Rehoboam who is the king in the Southern Kingdom of Judah during the divided kingdom;12 through King Ahaz who received the prophecy of the Virgin Birth from the prophet Isaiah;13 to Jechoniah (Jehoiachin) who was the only son of King Josiah to survive the Babylonian Exile;14 down to St. Joseph who was truly married to the Virgin Mary, to whom Jesus Christ is born.
The second point of importance is that, unlike most genealogies of the time, there are multiple women mentioned. A reading of the Old Testament will find these women in prominent rolls throughout the history of the Israelite people. Tamar, Rahab, Rith, and Bathsheba (referenced as the wife of Uriah). Not only are they women, but some are even Gentiles. Again, this is not something that the Jewish people necessarily would have wanted cited. Of course, the genealogy ends with a very important woman, Mary.
It should not be lost on us that Matthew records the genealogy of St. Joseph, not of Mary. Matthew freely admits that Joseph is not the biological father of Jesus when he says that Jesus is born of Mary. Everywhere else in the genealogy, whenever a mother is cited, the son is called the son of the father by the mother. For example, “David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah.”15 Matthew purposefully departs from this phrasing to show that Joseph had nothing to do whatsoever with the conception of Jesus Christ.
The descent from David here is taken from Joseph in a legal sense. This was the sense that the Jews would have been concerned about. Even so, Mary was also of the House of David as cited in St. Luke’s genealogy.16 From here we receive both the legal and biological descent of Jesus Christ from King David, satisfying the Davidic prophecies and the temporal origin of the Messiah found in Micah.
The Word in the Prologue to John’s Gospel
“He was in the beginning with God…And the Word become flesh and dwelt among us…” John 1:2, 14.
As the last Gospel written, St. John authors an exceedingly sublime prologue to his Gospel to give the divine origin of Christ that is referenced in the Synoptics but is not nearly as fleshed out. John does not begin with the conception and birth of Jesus Christ, instead, he begins in the same way Genesis does, in the beginning.17
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.” John 1:1-3.
St. John is taking up the origin from of old discussed in the Prophecy of Micah. St. John places the Word, the Divine Logos, as being in the beginning with God. By beginning, St. John is referencing the beginning that is cited in Genesis 1, the ancient of days before time was. Before anything was, there was God and the Word, who is both with God, that is, a personal relation between God and the Word, and is God, that is, a substantial identity. St. John is identifying this Word as both substantially God and personally related to God, this is foundational to the Trinity and the eternal origin of Jesus Christ.
St. John then goes on to say that all things are created through the Word and there is not anything within creation that was NOT made through Him. This means that the Word, in His eternal origin, is not made. The Word is not created as all things are, He is ancient of days and the “only begotten Son of God.”18 Here, as in the Prophecy of Micah, do not take origin as being a temporal beginning as in a before and after, instead, within the Divine Godhead, the Son is eternally begotten of the Father. The Father is the source from which the Son is generated in an eternal action, eternity being outside and independent of time.
Then, at the appointed time, the Ancient of Days, whose origin is from of old, becomes flesh and dwells among us.19 St. John records the moment when the Eternal Word enters into human nature so that He can be born of the Virgin Mary and dwell amongst His creation to redeem them. This dwelling is an intimate residing with His people. The Greek of the Gospel records it as skēnŏō20 which translates more literally as tabernacled, that is, in the same manner in which God dwells in the tabernacle in the Old Testament21 as well as in the Tabernacle in our Catholic Churches in the Most Holy Eucharist.
Our God came to dwell with us. The fullness of this happened on this day. Today we celebrate that He who all things were made through, who is from of old, was born into His creation in Bethlehem, 2000 years ago. That for us men and our salvation, He came down born of the Virgin Mary, so that we could have eternal life.
Today, let us remember that in the providence of God, the Eternal Son chose to become man and be born in the flesh to show God’s great love for His creation.
Merry Christmas! Christ is born!
To this end, the prophecy in Daniel 7 is immensely important. Here, we have a Son of Man sitting equal with the Ancient of Days. In the context of Second Temple Judaism, this shows that a Son of Man will be seated on the Right Hand of Power as equal to God. This brings about a belief that the Messiah would somehow be a heavenly being. Cf. Daniel 7:13-14. Our Lord cites this exact text during His trial before the Sanhedrin. Cf. Matthew 26:64; Mark 14:62; Luke 22:69.
Cf. Matthew 2:3-6.
Some translations have this as verse 1. I use the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition.
Cf. Genesis 49:10.
Cf. 2 Samuel 7:8-16. Note here, that God promises to send one to rule Israel and that His kingdom would be forever, and that God will be His Father.
Cf. Daniel 7:9.
Cf. Revelation 1:8.
The prophecy of Micah continues: “Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who has labor pains has brought forth; then the rest of his brethren shall return to the sons of Israel.” 5:3. Mary is cited here as the woman who brings forth the Messiah. While the woman here is cited as having labor pains, this is not in reference to the birth of Christ, instead, it is a reference to His crucifixion. The Dogma of the Perpetual Virginity excludes Mary from having birth pains, instead, her “birth pains” took place at the foot of the cross. See also Revelation 12:1-5. Here, again, the Woman is depicted with birth pains, and yet the birth pains (crucifixion), bringing forth (resurrection), and being caught up to God (ascension), are images of the Paschal Mystery.
Cf. Genesis 49:10.
Cf. Ruth 1:22.
Cf. Samuel 7:8-16.
Cf. 1 Kings 12.
Cf. Isaiah 7:14.
Cf. 2 Kings 25:27-30.
Matthew 1:6.
Many scholars view the genealogy given in St. Luke’s Gospel as the genealogy of Mary. The difficulty for readers will be found in the phrase “…being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli…” Two difficulties arise: it would seem a contradiction between Matthew and Luke as Joseph is cited as the son of both Jacob and Heli, further, Luke seems to be giving another account of the genealogy of Joseph. The difficulties are solved by looking at the commentarial tradition of the Church. Frequently we find that Joseph is the son of Jacob as Matthew cites and that Joseph was the Son-in-Law of Heli also called Joachim. Taking this understanding, we can see that Joseph would have been from the descent of Solomon while Mary was of the descent of Nathan another Son of David. By this, the bloodline of David is brought back into union. Cf. Luke 3:23-38 as well as Haydock’s Catholic Bible Commentary, Remarks on the Two Genealogies of Jesus Christ.
Cf. Genesis 1:1.
John 1:14.
Cf. John 1:14.
σκηνόω
Cf. Exodus 25:8-9.
Merry Christmas, and thank you for this excellent reflection today.