Did John Know That Jesus Was Born in Bethlehem?
I don't know if you happened to catch the CBS special on the birth of Jesus this past December. I didn't watch it myself, but I did read a portion of the transcript. The program looks like it gave equal voice to both doubters and believers. The doubters got the first word and the believers got the last. What I wanted to address in this blog is the questioned that is raised concerning the geographic origins of Jesus in the gospel of John. John Dominic Crossan, a one time Catholic monk turned hostile to the Christian faith, states,
“Born in Bethlehem... nobody else seems to know anything about it in the New Testament…. It doesn't seem, for example, that John, in John's gospel, has any idea that Jesus was born in Bethlehem.”
Crossan is referring to John 7...
John 7:40-44 Some of the multitude therefore, when they heard these words, were saying, "This certainly is athe Prophet." 41 Others were saying, "This is 1the Christ." Still others were saying, a"Surely 1the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He? 42 "Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from athe offspring of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?" 43 So athere arose a division in the multitude because of Him. 44 And some of them wanted to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him.
On the surface, John never says anything more on the subject. Crossan assumes that if John new Jesus had been born in Bethlehem he would have stated it. However, what Crossan fails to recognize is that beneath the text John is in fact doing this very thing. If we continue on with this passage we read...
John 7:45-52 45 The aofficers therefore came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, "Why did you not bring Him?" 46 The aofficers answered, b"Never did a man speak the way this man speaks." 47 The Pharisees therefore answered them, a"You have not also been led astray, have you? 48 a"No one of bthe rulers or Pharisees has believed in Him, has he? 49 "But this multitude which does not know the Law is accursed." 50 aNicodemus said to them (he who came to Him before, being one of them), 51 a"Our Law does not judge a man, unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?" 52 They answered and said to him, a"You are not also from Galilee, are you? Search, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee."
The issue in John 7:40-52 is not where Jesus was born but rather where he is from. Everyone knows that Jesus is from Galilee and because of this they want to exclude him from being the descendent of David and thus not born in Bethlehem. Notice in this passage how both the Pharisees and the people reject Jesus because he is from Galilee. The Pharisees even challenge Nicodemus to "search" the scriptures to "see that no prophet arises out of Galilee."
It has often been the retort of modern interpreters to state that Jonah was a prophet from Galilee. But so what? The Pharisees are not saying that a prophet couldn't arise from Galilee as much as they are saying that THE PROPHET LIKE MOSES cannot arise from Galilee. But what if we did search the scriptures as the Pharisees challenge? What would we find.
We would find that Galilee is only mentioned six times in the Old Testament. But in one prophetic passage of Isaiah we find...
Isaiah 9:1-7 1But there will be no more agloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He btreated the cland of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the 2Gentiles. 2 1aThe people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them. 3 aThou shalt multiply the nation, Thou bshalt 1increase 2their gladness; They will be glad in Thy presence As with the gladness 3of harvest, As 4cmen rejoice when they divide the spoil. 4 For aThou shalt break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, The rod of their boppressor, as 1at the battle of cMidian. 5 For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult, And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire. 6 For a achild will be born to us, a bson will be given to us; And the cgovernment will 1rest don His shoulders; And His name will be called eWonderful Counselor, fMighty God, Eternal gFather, Prince of hPeace. 7 There will be ano end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the bthrone of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with cjustice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. dThe zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.
Does this verse have any connection with John 7. YES!! The very next verse after John 7:52 is John 8:12; John 7:53-8:11 being a later addition. In John 8:12, Jesus declares,
John 8:12 a"I am the light of the world; bhe who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life."
On the surface John never declares a connection to Isaiah 9. However, if we listen to John's implicit commentary (i.e. his deeper meaning) we will begin to see what John is doing. Is John doubting the fact that Jesus was born in Bethlehem or is he merely providing biblical evidence for the messiah coming from Galilee as well? Just as the Christ was prophesied to come Bethlehem, he was prophesied to come from Galilee. If Jesus fulfills the Isaiah prophecy the how can we doubt that he fulfills the Micah prophecy as well?
Micah 5:2-5 1But as for ayou, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From byou One will go forth for Me to be cruler in Israel. 2His goings forth are dfrom long ago, From the days of eternity." 3 Therefore, He will agive them up until the time When she bwho is in labor has borne a child. Then the cremainder of His brethren Will return to the sons of Israel. 4 And He will arise and ashepherd His flock In the strength of the LORD, In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God. And they will 1remain, Because 2at that time He will be great To the bends of the earth. 5 And this One awill be our peace.
Because Crossan looks at only the surface he fails to recognize the true purpose of John's statement.
“Born in Bethlehem... nobody else seems to know anything about it in the New Testament…. It doesn't seem, for example, that John, in John's gospel, has any idea that Jesus was born in Bethlehem.”
Crossan is referring to John 7...
John 7:40-44 Some of the multitude therefore, when they heard these words, were saying, "This certainly is athe Prophet." 41 Others were saying, "This is 1the Christ." Still others were saying, a"Surely 1the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He? 42 "Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from athe offspring of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?" 43 So athere arose a division in the multitude because of Him. 44 And some of them wanted to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him.
On the surface, John never says anything more on the subject. Crossan assumes that if John new Jesus had been born in Bethlehem he would have stated it. However, what Crossan fails to recognize is that beneath the text John is in fact doing this very thing. If we continue on with this passage we read...
John 7:45-52 45 The aofficers therefore came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, "Why did you not bring Him?" 46 The aofficers answered, b"Never did a man speak the way this man speaks." 47 The Pharisees therefore answered them, a"You have not also been led astray, have you? 48 a"No one of bthe rulers or Pharisees has believed in Him, has he? 49 "But this multitude which does not know the Law is accursed." 50 aNicodemus said to them (he who came to Him before, being one of them), 51 a"Our Law does not judge a man, unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?" 52 They answered and said to him, a"You are not also from Galilee, are you? Search, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee."
The issue in John 7:40-52 is not where Jesus was born but rather where he is from. Everyone knows that Jesus is from Galilee and because of this they want to exclude him from being the descendent of David and thus not born in Bethlehem. Notice in this passage how both the Pharisees and the people reject Jesus because he is from Galilee. The Pharisees even challenge Nicodemus to "search" the scriptures to "see that no prophet arises out of Galilee."
It has often been the retort of modern interpreters to state that Jonah was a prophet from Galilee. But so what? The Pharisees are not saying that a prophet couldn't arise from Galilee as much as they are saying that THE PROPHET LIKE MOSES cannot arise from Galilee. But what if we did search the scriptures as the Pharisees challenge? What would we find.
We would find that Galilee is only mentioned six times in the Old Testament. But in one prophetic passage of Isaiah we find...
Isaiah 9:1-7 1But there will be no more agloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He btreated the cland of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the 2Gentiles. 2 1aThe people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them. 3 aThou shalt multiply the nation, Thou bshalt 1increase 2their gladness; They will be glad in Thy presence As with the gladness 3of harvest, As 4cmen rejoice when they divide the spoil. 4 For aThou shalt break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, The rod of their boppressor, as 1at the battle of cMidian. 5 For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult, And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire. 6 For a achild will be born to us, a bson will be given to us; And the cgovernment will 1rest don His shoulders; And His name will be called eWonderful Counselor, fMighty God, Eternal gFather, Prince of hPeace. 7 There will be ano end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the bthrone of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with cjustice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. dThe zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.
Does this verse have any connection with John 7. YES!! The very next verse after John 7:52 is John 8:12; John 7:53-8:11 being a later addition. In John 8:12, Jesus declares,
John 8:12 a"I am the light of the world; bhe who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life."
On the surface John never declares a connection to Isaiah 9. However, if we listen to John's implicit commentary (i.e. his deeper meaning) we will begin to see what John is doing. Is John doubting the fact that Jesus was born in Bethlehem or is he merely providing biblical evidence for the messiah coming from Galilee as well? Just as the Christ was prophesied to come Bethlehem, he was prophesied to come from Galilee. If Jesus fulfills the Isaiah prophecy the how can we doubt that he fulfills the Micah prophecy as well?
Micah 5:2-5 1But as for ayou, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From byou One will go forth for Me to be cruler in Israel. 2His goings forth are dfrom long ago, From the days of eternity." 3 Therefore, He will agive them up until the time When she bwho is in labor has borne a child. Then the cremainder of His brethren Will return to the sons of Israel. 4 And He will arise and ashepherd His flock In the strength of the LORD, In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God. And they will 1remain, Because 2at that time He will be great To the bends of the earth. 5 And this One awill be our peace.
Because Crossan looks at only the surface he fails to recognize the true purpose of John's statement.
posted by Matthew Miller at 1:36 PM
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