Editor’s Note: This is an edited excerpt from Rev. Alban Butler’s 1866 edition of Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Other Principal Saints, Vol XII.
For about 4,000 years, the world existed, and everything predicted by ancient prophets about the arrival of the Messiah happened. Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man by being born to the Virgin Mary. His birth was for the purpose of redeeming mankind. Since the fall of Adam and Eve, God’s all-wise and all-merciful plan gradually set the stage for fulfilling His promises and accomplishing His greatest mystery: the incarnation of His divine Son.
Adam and Eve cast out of Eden
If man had been restored to grace immediately after forfeiting it, he wouldn’t have fully understood the severity of his spiritual wounds or the extent of his blindness, weakness and misery under the burden of his sins. Nor would God’s infinite mercy, power and goodness in saving him have been as evident. Therefore, man was left to suffer in his misery for thousands of years, with only a hint of future redemption through the promise and expectation of it. This glimpse was enough for those who didn’t ignore this light.
Throughout this time, God continually raised faithful servants. Even when most nations, driven by their passions, fell into deep spiritual ignorance and abandoned the true knowledge and worship of God to idolize the lowest creatures and most sinful objects, God maintained a chosen people who knew and served Him, and many were saved through faith and hope in this promised Redeemer.
Throughout this period, the saints constantly prayed with sighs and tears for the quick arrival of the Desired of All Nations. Their intense longing not only prepared them to receive the benefits of his redemption, but also urged God to hasten and generously bestow his mercy.
Expecting the Arrival of Christ
God, in His infinite wisdom, gradually revealed His plan to humanity. He first gave Adam a promise and some understanding of this plan. This promise was then renewed to Abraham, specifying that it would come through his descendants. Isaac and Jacob also received this confirmation. Jacob’s prophecy specifically identified the tribe of Judah as significant in this plan. Later, it was made clear that this promise would come through the lineage of David and Solomon, a message that was echoed by all subsequent prophets.
These prophets detailed various aspects of Christ’s birth, life, death, and the spiritual kingdom He would establish in His Church. The entire written law given to Moses was filled with symbols and references to Christ. As the time of Christ’s arrival drew closer, these revelations became more detailed and explicit. For example, the prophecy about turning swords into plowshares symbolized a time of profound peace that would herald the arrival of the Prince of Peace.
Jacob’s prophecy indicated that the scepter would depart from Judah, signifying the establishment of the Messiah’s new, everlasting spiritual kingdom. Daniel predicted the succession of four great empires (Medes, Persians, Macedonians and Romans), with the last one being instrumental in the Messiah’s era.
Daniel’s prophecy of the 70 weeks of years pinpointed the timing of the Messiah’s coming and death. From Persian King Artaxerxes’ decree to rebuild Jerusalem, seven weeks were to pass during the construction in challenging times, followed by 62 weeks until Christ’s manifestation. Christ was to be killed in the middle of the 70th week, and His death would lead to the destruction of the city and temple, atoning for sin and establishing eternal justice, fulfilling visions and prophecies.
Even the Gentiles had hints of this great event, such as Balaam’s prediction of a star arising from Jacob. At the time of Jesus’ birth, there was a widespread expectation in the East of a great deliverer, as confirmed by pagan historians. One of them, Suetonius, wrote about a belief that a ruler would emerge from Judea to conquer the world. Another, Tacitus, mentioned a similar belief that rulers from Judea would gain global dominion. Josephus, the Jewish historian, even tried to flatter Vespasian, the emperor who would follow Nero, by suggesting he might be the prophesied Messiah.
The numerous impostors among the Jews in that era who claimed to be the Messiah demonstrate this widespread belief. One notable example was Simon bar Kokhba (“Son of the Star”), who led a rebellion that ultimately led to the Jews’ catastrophic defeat under Emperor Hadrian.
The Political Landscape
Herod the Great
When Jesus Christ was born, the 70 weeks prophesied by Daniel were nearly fulfilled, and the scepter had passed from the house of Judah. This could refer either to the specific tribe of Judah or the entire Jewish nation, with Judah playing a major role.
Herod, although Jewish by religion, was an Idumean by birth. He was placed on the throne by the Romans to exclude the Hasmonean or Jewish royal family, whom Herod completely eliminated, along with key members of the Sanhedrin, the great council that governed the nation under its kings. Herod also stripped the people of their civil rights, and soon after, Judea became a Roman province. The temple was destroyed, and the Jewish nation was dispersed, leading the Jews themselves to acknowledge that the prophesied time for the Messiah’s arrival had passed.
Christ was born during the height of the Roman Empire under Augustus, who had reigned for 57 years since he first commanded an army at 19 and for 44 years since defeating Antony at the Battle of Actium. The Roman Empire’s expansion was part of God’s plan to facilitate the spread of the gospel across its vast territory. Christ was born in the 40th year of Augustus’ reign, 29 years after the Battle of Actium, about 4,000 years after the creation of the world, roughly 2,500 years after the flood, almost 2,000 years after Abraham’s time, and just over 1,000 years after Solomon built the temple.
Augustus issued a decree for a census of the entire Roman Empire, requiring everyone to register in their respective provinces, cities and families. This census was likely intended to assess the strength and wealth of each province. This census, a political move by the emperor, was also part of divine providence to publicly affirm Christ’s lineage from the house of David and the tribe of Judah. People from this family were to register in Bethlehem, David’s town, located seven miles southwest of Jerusalem. Joseph and Mary, likely originally from Bethlehem but living in Nazareth, traveled there for the census. This journey fulfilled the prophecy of Micah that Bethlehem (formerly called Ephrata) would be honored by Christ’s birth.
Human Lineage of Our Lord
To demonstrate Jesus Christ’s lineage from David and Judah, the evangelists St. Matthew and St. Luke present his genealogy, but they do so differently to highlight this significant aspect of the Messiah through his dual genealogy. It is widely believed that St. Luke provides the natural lineage of Joseph, while St. Matthew presents the legal line, with Joseph having been adopted into it as was sometimes done according to the law of Moses.
St. John Chrysostom emphasizes the remarkable mercy and humility of Jesus in choosing a lineage that included several well-known sinners. This choice was a profound act of humility, meant to atone for and heal our own vanity and pride. Upon reading the beginning of St. Matthew’s Gospel and this genealogy, St. John Chrysostom expresses intense emotion, marveling at the fact that the evangelist starts by mentioning David when speaking about the only-begotten Son of God. He urges readers not to see this as trivial but to understand the awe-inspiring truth that God came to Earth. This event was so extraordinary and unexpected that it caused angels to sing in chorus, praising and glorifying it for the entire world, and left prophets in awe of the incredible mystery.
He further points out the astonishing fact that Jesus, the Son of God, who had no beginning, allowed Himself to be called the son of David. This was done so that He could make us the children of God. The details of this great mystery and the remarkable way it was accomplished should capture our full attention and be the focus of our devout meditations and prayers, especially during this holy festival.