By Curtis Childs
Could there be reasons for the humble, vulnerable beginnings of Jesus’s life?
In this video from his Swedenborg and Life web series, host Curtis Childs and featured guests explore how the Divine design may have been at play from the very beginning of Christ's life.
(References: Apocalypse Explained 706 [12]; Luke 2:8-12; The Word 7; True Christian Religion 89, 90, 96, 766)
1
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,
2
Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
3
And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;
4
As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
5
Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;
6
And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
7
Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8
Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
9
And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
10
And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?
11
He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.
12
Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?
13
And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.
14
And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.
15
And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;
16
John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:
17
Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.
18
And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people.
19
But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,
20
Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.
21
Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
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And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
23
And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,
24
Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph,
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Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge,
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Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda,
27
Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri,
28
Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er,
29
Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi,
30
Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim,
31
Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David,
32
Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson,
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Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda,
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Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor,
35
Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala,
36
Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech,
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Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan,
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Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.
1. ON THE SACRED SCRIPTURE OR THE WORD OF THE LORD, from experience
I. A representation of the literal sense of the Word, containing a spiritual sense.
I was allowed to see great money-bags looking like sacks, in which a large sum of money was stored. Since the bags were open, it seemed as if anyone could help himself to the money in them, or even carry it all off; but near to them sat two angels as guards. The place where the sacks were stored looked like a manger in a stable. In the next room were to be seen some modest young women together with a chaste wife; and near that room were two children, and I was told they were to be played with not childishly, but wisely. Afterwards a prostitute was to be seen, and then a horse lying dead.
I then perceived that these represented the literal sense of the Word, in which there is a spiritual sense. 1 The large money-bags full of money meant knowledge about truth being present there in great quantity. Their being open, yet guarded by angels, meant that anyone could gain knowledge of truth from these, but care must be taken to avoid falsifying the internal sense, in which the bare truths are exposed. The manger in the stable, where the bags lay, meant spiritual instruction for the intellect. This meaning of a manger also applies to that in which the Lord lay when He was born; for a horse means the intellect, so a manger that which feeds it. The modest young women seen in the next room meant the truths of the church, and the chaste wife the linking of truth and good which is found throughout the Word. The children meant the innocence of the wisdom in it; they were angels from the third heaven, all of whom look like children. The prostitute with the lifeless horse meant the way many people today falsify the Word, as a result of which all understanding of the truth is lost. A prostitute means falsification, and a dead horse the absence of any understanding of truth.
Footnotes:
1. Added in the margin: 'This is what the foundation of the wall of Jerusalem is, and the twelve precious stones in it, as well as the Urim and Thummim on Aaron's ephod.' -Translator.
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