The birth of the Lord Jesus
2
📚And it came about in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, saying that all the world should be registered 📖.2:1 Augustus was the emperor of the most powerful empire of that time – the Roman Empire. In those days it was usual to call that “the whole world”.⚜
2 📚(This census was first taken when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to be registered, each one to his own city.
4 📚And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the town of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and line of David,
2:4 See Matt 3:1-6. The Messiah of Israel had to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). God used the decree of the Roman emperor to bring Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem where Jesus was born. God can (and does) use all the circumstances of life to accomplish His purposes. “Bethlehem” is a Hebrew name and means “house of bread”. From there came the one who is the “Bread of life” (John 6:35). Notice the emphasis on David – Luke 1:27, 32, 69; 2:4, 11. Note at Matt 1:1.⚜
5 📚to be registered with Mary his espoused wife, who was with child.
6 📚And while they were there, it happened that the days were completed for her to give birth. 7 📚And she brought forth her firstborn, a son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
2:7 Such was the first resting place of the Son of God, heaven’s great King. It was His own choice, and that of God the Father. See His character revealed in Matt 11:29; Phil 2:5-8 (He is our example, and we should have the same attitude that He had). Bethlehem was a small town. There would have been few places to stay, and, because of the census, many visitors. But throughout Jesus’ life there was often no room for Him anywhere – Luke 4:29; Matt 2:13; 8:20; John 1:11; 19:15.⚜
8 📚And there were in the same area shepherds staying in the fields, keeping watch over their flock at night.
2:8 God, when He made announcement of the birth of His Son on earth (the greatest event in the history of the world up to that hour), passed over the religious leaders of the day, and ignored all those who were powerful, educated, or rich, and chose to reveal this world-changing event to poor and humble shepherds. Compare 1 Cor 1:26-29; Isa 57:15; 66:2. God’s ways are not like ours (Isa 55:8-9), and we should be very glad they are not. We must learn from Him and try to follow His example. Jesus was born to be the great shepherd of the sheep (John 10:11; Heb 13:20). It seems fitting that His birth should be announced first to shepherds.⚜
9 📚And suddenly an angel of the Lord 📖 stood before them, and the glory 📖 of the Lord shone around them, and they were very afraid.
10 📚And the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for, see, I bring you good tidings 📖 of great joy, which shall be for all people. 11 📚For to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord 📖.
2:11 Matt 1:21; Acts 4:12; 1 John 4:14. Jesus is called Saviour 16 times in the New Testament (see Luke 1:47). See note on Christ at Matt 1:1.⚜
12 📚And this will be a sign to you: You will find the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger”.
13 📚And suddenly there was with the angel a great number of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
2:13 An event so full of interest to heaven, should surely awaken our interest, and our praise.⚜
14 📚“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace, good will toward men 📖”.
2:14 The glory of God is the highest possible purpose for anything (Ps 19:1; 29:1-2; Isa 42:8; 43:7; 1 Cor 10:31; Rev 4:11), and the purpose for which Jesus came (John 17:4). We should recognize that the birth of Jesus brought great glory to God. Notice the order here – God first, then men. Jesus brought glory to God by bringing peace to men.⚜
15 📚And it so happened that when the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us”.
16 📚And they hurried away, and found Mary, Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 📚And when they had seen him, they made known the word they had been told concerning this child.
2:17 The first to proclaim the good news of Christ’s birth was an angel, the next to do so were lowly shepherds.⚜
18 📚And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 📚But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 📚And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen; it was just as it had been told to them.
2:20 This Gospel according to Luke is full of praise to God – Luke 1:46, 64; 2:13, 28; 5:25-26; 7:16; 13:13; 17:15, 18; 18:43; 19:37; 23:47; 24:53. See note on praise at Ps 33:1-3. See one reason why the shepherds praised God. We may be sure that all that God tells us will turn out just as He has said (Ps 31:5; Titus 1:2).⚜
The circumcision of Jesus
21 📚And when eight days were completed, at the circumcision 📖 of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
22 📚And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 📚(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord), 24 📚and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.
2:24 This sacrifice was offered not for Jesus, but for Mary. And it revealed that she and Joseph were poor and unable to offer a more costly sacrifice. See Lev 12:8.⚜
The words of Simeon
25 📚And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit 📖 was upon him.
2:25 He was looking forward to the coming of the promised Messiah. Compare Isa 40:1-2.⚜
26 📚And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit, that he would not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 📚And he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him according to the custom of the Law,
2:27 Verses 22-24.⚜
28 📚he took him up in his arms and praised God, and said,
29 📚“Lord, now let your servant depart in peace,
according to your word,
2:29 Verse 26.⚜
30 📚for my eyes have seen your salvation,
2:30 He recognized that Jesus was the Messiah, the Saviour promised in the Old Testament who would bring salvation to His people.⚜
31 📚which you have prepared before the
face of all people,
32 📚a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel”.
33 📚And Joseph and his mother wondered at those things which were spoken by him.
2:33 Jesus was born of a virgin by the power of God (Luke 1:34-35). Joseph had no part in that, but he was counted the legal father of Jesus (Luke 3:23).⚜
34 📚And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother, “Look, this child is destined for the fall and rising again of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be spoken against
2:34 Simeon here uttered a prophecy later perfectly fulfilled. Christ was always a stumbling block to proud, hypocritical and unbelieving men (Matt 21:42-44; Rom 9:32-33; 1 Pet 2:7-8). They fell and what a fall it was – they put to death the Son of God, and God’s wrath came on them (1 Thess 2:14-16). But Christ took humble, sincere, and believing people and raised them to great spiritual heights, and to heaven itself. Now too the eternal destiny of people in every nation depends on how they respond to the Lord Jesus. But when He was on earth He was much “spoken against” – Matt 9:3, 11, 34; 12:24; 13:54-57; 26:65-66; 27:63; John 8:48.⚜
35 📚(yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed”.
2:35 The way people behaved toward Jesus, the things His words and deeds stirred them to do and say, revealed their innermost thoughts. It was revealed to Simeon that Jesus would have to suffer and that this would mean suffering to Mary as well. She would see her son rejected, condemned and crucified as a criminal.⚜
The prophetess Anna
36 📚And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old, and had lived with a husband seven years from her marriage.
37 📚She was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not leave the temple, but served God with fastings 📖 and prayers night and day.
2:37 Here is an example for aged women (and men too for that matter). To serve God it is not necessary to be strong and vigorous or able to be on the move preaching the gospel everywhere.⚜
38 📚And she, coming in at that instant, gave thanks 📖 to the Lord, and spoke of him to all 📖 those who looked for the redemption of Jerusalem 📖.
2:38 Anna was an example to us in all these two matters as well.⚜
The boy Jesus in Nazareth and Jerusalem
39 📚And when they had performed all things according to the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.
2:39 Verses 22-24. Luke does not mention the journey to Egypt (Matt 2:13-23). The writers of the four Gospels did not include all the facts they knew to be true (see the note on Mark 4:1-20). It is possible that they took Jesus to Nazareth and returned with Jesus to Bethlehem before they went to Egypt.⚜
40 📚And the child grew, and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.
2:40 Verse 52. The Lord Jesus grew to manhood in the normal way of all human beings, except that He never sinned in any way (Heb 4:15; 1 Pet 2:22), and He had exceptional wisdom – a truth made clear in vs 46,47. The grace of God upon Him did not make Him rich, it made Him strong in goodness and holiness and kept Him from harm and evil – a far more blessed and important thing than the material things desired by most people.⚜
41 📚Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover 📖. 42 📚And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem, according to the custom of the feast. 43 📚And when they had spent the full number of days, as they were returning, the child Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, and Joseph and his mother did not know it. 44 📚But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey, and then they looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances. 45 And when they did not find him, they turned back again to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 📚And it happened that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.
2:46 Teachers here means religious teachers, gurus.⚜
47 📚And all who heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.
48 📚And when they saw him, they were amazed, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been anxiously looking for you”.
2:48 By “Your father” Mary meant Joseph the legal father of Jesus (v 33).⚜
49 📚And he said to them, “How is it that you have been looking for me? Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?”
2:49 Jesus meant God the Father. Though He was only twelve He knew of His unique relationship as the Son of God to the Father. His reply to Mary suggests she should have known this and that there was no need to search for Him – that if He was anywhere in Jerusalem it would be in the temple.⚜
50 📚And they did not understand the statement which he made to them.
2:50 It seems that Mary was sometimes puzzled at things Jesus did and said and she thought deeply about what others said concerning Him (vs 19,33,51).⚜
51 📚And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was in subjection to them, but his mother treasured all these things in her heart.
2:51 Jesus perfectly fulfilled the law of God in all the relationships of life. He never rebelled against their parental authority or did anything to dishonor them (Ex 20:12).⚜
52 📚And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
2:52 Verse 40; 1 Sam 2:26. Though He was God’s Son He grew up as a man and increased in wisdom as He grew. His growing in favor with God suggests that God was more and more pleased with Him, delighted in Him more and more – as earthly parents may be with maturing children.⚜