Luke 2: 1-7, The Birth of the Messiah
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luke gives precise details of the census. There are some disagreements about when this occurred but enough details are given to put this somewhere from 11 BC to 4 BC.
It was prophesied that the Messiah would be of Bethlehem (Micah 5:2.) Luke describes how that happened to one who began his ministry later in Galilee.
This "Christmas story" does not really fit our modern nativity scene. A manger was a stable -- it could have easily been a cave. We are not given a time span for this stay; Mary and Joseph could have stayed in Bethlehem for months. The traditional Christmas story has shepherds and wisemen (only 3) all showing up in one night with a star overhead (and a pine tree in the background) but little of that story appears in the Bible. Shepherds do eventually appear, as do an unknown number of "wisemen" but the December night image is a medieval concoction.
There is so much remarkable about this birth and how it occurred. Can we still see it?
Luke 2: 8-20, Shepherds hear
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
A source for this story is hinted in the sentence (verse 19) about Mary treasuring these events. It is likely that Luke interviewed Mary, as she was active in the Jerusalem church after the death and resurrection of the Messiah.
What was this experience? What was the "glory of the Lord" like? What, in particular, made the shepherds afraid? (They were afraid before the heavenly hosts appeared! After they appeared it must have really been frightening!)
Why did the angels appear to shepherds?
Apparently even the "manger" was a sign.
How soon after the birth was this announcement and visit?
What was the reaction of the angels?
Luke 2: 21-24, Circumcision of Jesus
On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived. When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord"), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons."
Why the name Jesus? Mary, like Elizabeth, had been under instructions on the name of the child.
Jesus's family follows all that the culture and Law required. The small sacrifice is in keeping with the obvious poverty of the young couple.
The Old Testament quotes about the purification rites are from Exodus 13: 2 & 12 and Leviticus 12:8.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,
Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."
The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him.
Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."
What does it mean for the Holy Spirit to be on Simeon? How was this fact revealed? Did Simeon hear an audible voice like Elizabeth and Zachary and the shepherds? This surely must have been exciting to Simeon!
Simeon's waiting is similar to the prayer of Zechariah, likely looking for the redemption of Israel.
The "Gentiles" are mentioned here. How has this salvation been "prepared in the sight of all people"?
He (Jesus) will cause both the "falling and rising" of people.
Why will Jesus be spoken against? What will be the effect of that?
Mary is warned of the price she will pay.
For further thought: How did Luke learn of all these things that he reports in these first few chapters? What do you think he did to record these stories from Bethlehem and Judah?
A good message on the Christmas story, by Andy Stanley, is here.
Since Luke 2 is also a rather long chapter, we will break it into two parts. We will cover the second half tomorrow.
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