Chapter 2 Luke 2
Jesus Is Born (vv. 1-7)
1 At that time Emperor Augustus a ordered a census to be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 When this first census b took place, Quirinius was the governor of Syria. c 3 Everyone, then, went to register himself, each to his own home town. d 4 Joseph went from the town of Nazareth e in Galilee to the town of Bethlehem f in Judea, g the birthplace of King David. Joseph went there because he was a descendant of David. 5 He went to register with Mary, h who was promised in marriage to him. She was pregnant, 6 and while they were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have her baby. 7 She gave birth to her first son, wrapped him in cloths i and laid him in a manger j – there was no room for them to stay in the inn. k
Interesting Stuff:
a Luke is the only Gospel writer who relates his story to the historical events that were taking place at that time. Caesar Augustus was the first and, according to many, greatest Roman emperor. He ruled from 31 B.C. to A.D. 14.
b Censuses were taken for taxation purposes and to determine who were eligible for serving in the Roman army. Jews, however, were exempt from military service. This census probably took place around 4 B.C.
c Judea, Samaria and Galilee were located in the Roman province of Syria.
d This refers to one’s ancestral home. In Joseph’s case, because he was from David’s line, he had to return to Bethlehem, the city where David was born.
e Nazareth was a town in lower Galilee. It was Joseph’s home town and this was where Jesus grew up (see 4:23).
f Bethlehem means ‘the house of bread’. It was about 10 km (6 miles) south of Jerusalem. God used the census ordered by a pagan emperor to fulfil the prophecy of Mic 5:2 that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.
g Judea here refers to southernmost province in Palestine (see ‘Map of Palestine’, p. xxv).
h Mary was also of the house of David and probably was required to enrol as well. In Syria, women 12 years of age and older were required to pay tax and therefore to register.
i Long strips of cloth were used to wrap snugly around the body of a newborn child for protection and warmth.
j A manger is a long narrow container which is open at the top. Food is placed in it for animals to eat.
k Bethlehem was most likely crowded with people who had gone there to be registered. The only available place for Mary and Joseph was one usually occupied by animals. It might have been a cave, as tradition suggests, that was used as a stable. But it
could also be some part of a house or inn. It was common for animals to be kept in the same building as the family quarters.
Questions:
- Why did Joseph take Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem (vv. 1-5)?
2. Who was the emperor of the Roman Empire and the governor of Syria at that time (vv. 1-2)?
3. Where did Mary give birth to Jesus (v. 7)?
What did she do after she gave birth to him (v. 7)?
Summary of Section:
- The birth of Jesus took place during the time of the census ordered by the Roman Emperor Augustus.
- The governor of Syria at that time was Quirinius.
- Everyone had to go to his home town to be registered.
- Joseph took Mary, who was pregnant and promised in marriage to him, from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea, the birthplace of King David, his ancestor.
- While they were there in Bethlehem, the time came for her to give birth. Because there was no room for them in the inn, she gave birth in a place where the animals stayed.
- She wrapped her son in cloths and laid him in a manger.
Nuggets of Wisdom
- Luke is the only Gospel writer who relates his story to dates and actual historical figures in world history. His purpose was to give a historical setting for the birth and ministry of Jesus. From Luke’s account, scholars have estimated that Jesus’ birth occurred around 4 B.C.
- Luke records only very briefly the story of Jesus’ birth. But we can learn two important things from his account:
i) Earthly kings are still subject to God’s sovereign purpose. God used the emperor’s decree to bring Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem at the right time in order to fulfil the prophecy about the birthplace of Jesus (Mic 5:2).
ii) God chose to let His Son be born quietly, unknown to the whole world, and under very poor and humble conditions – something totally opposite to what we would do for an important person or someone precious to us.
The Angels Appear to the Shepherds (vv. 8-20)
8 There were some shepherds l in that part of the country who were spending the night in the fields, taking care of their flocks. m 9 An angel of the Lord n appeared o them, and the glory of the Lord shone over them. They were terribly afraid, 10 but the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid! o I am here with good news for you, which will bring great joy to all the people. p 11 This very day in David’s town q your Saviour r was born – Christ s the Lord! 12 And this is what will prove it to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great army of heaven’s angels appeared with the angel, singing praises to God: t
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace u on earth to those with whom he is pleased!”
15 When the angels went away from them back 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.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and saw the baby lying in the manger. 17 When the shepherds saw him, they told them what the angel had said about the child. 18 All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said. 19 Mary remembered all these things and thought deeply about them. 20 The shepherds went ack, singing praises to God for all they had heard and seen; it had been just as the angel had told them.
Interesting Stuff:
l Shepherding was a lowly occupation and shepherds were much looked down upon. Their work kept them from observing the ceremonial laws. They were considered untrustworthy and were not allowed to give testimony in the law courts. Yet it was to such people that God sent His angels with the good news.
m Shepherds had to be watchful especially at night. They had to keep a lookout for robbers as well as protect the flocks from the attacks of predators like lions and bears. These flocks were most likely kept for the Temple sacrifices because the flocks reserved for the Temple sacrifice were kept in the fields near Bethlehem throughout the year.
n It is believed that this was the angel Gabriel.
o Fear was the common reaction to angelic appearances and encouragement was needed. This was the same greeting of assurance given to Zechariah and Mary.
p Here ‘the people’ refers to the people of Israel and not to people in general. Although God’s good news of salvation was for everyone, it came firstly to God’s people.
q This was Bethlehem.
r Many Jews were looking for a political saviour to deliver them from Roman rule. Others were looking for a saviour to deliver them from sickness and physical hardship. But the Saviour whom God was sending would deliver them from sin and death.
s The word ‘Christ’ comes from the Greek word Christos which means ‘Anointed one’. It is the Greek equivalent for the Hebrew word Messiah. In ancient Israel, both objects and people, e.g., priests and kings, which were set apart for special or sacred services, were anointed with oil. The Jews were expecting that God would one day send a very special deliverer who would chase out their conquerors and establish once again a kingdom like that of David. He would not simply be an anointed, but would be ‘the’ anointed – the Christ or the Messiah.
t The song of the angelic choir is traditionally called the Gloria in Excelsis Deo, after the Latin translation of the opening words ‘glory to God in the highest’. The angels recognised the glory and majesty of God by giving praise to Him.
u At that time, the Roman world was experiencing peace. But the angels were proclaiming a peace that is deeper, a peace of mind and soul that only the Saviour can bring. Thus those who believe in Jesus the Saviour will receive this peace and these are the people with whom God is pleased.
Questions:
- Who did the angel appear to this time (vv. 8-9)?
2. What was the angel’s good news (vv. 10-11)?
3. What would prove to them that the message was true (v. 12)?
4. Describe what happened after the angel had finished giving his message to the shepherds (vv. 13-14).
5. What did the shepherds do in response to the angel’s good news (vv. 15-20)?
Summary of Section:
- An angel of the Lord appeared to some shepherds who were spending the night in the fields in that part of the country, taking care of their flocks.
- The shepherds were terribly afraid. But the angel told them not to fear because he came with good news which would bring great joy to all the people.
- The good news to the shepherds was that “. . . This very day in David’s town your Saviour was born – Christ the Lord!”
- The angel told them that they would find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger as proof that his message was true.
- Then a great army of angels appeared with this angel, singing praises to God, saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased.”
- The shepherds hurried into Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in the manger as told by the angel.
- They shared with Mary and Joseph all that the angel had said and everyone who heard it was amazed.
- Mary remembered all these things – all that had been told to her by the shepherds – and thought deeply about them.
- The shepherds then went back, singing praises to God for all they had heard and seen for it had been just as the angel had told them.
Nuggets of Wisdom
- In Jewish society, shepherds were peasants, located at the bottom of the ladder of power and privilege. Other Jews also looked down on them, seeing them as untrustworthy people who did not follow zealously the Jewish law. Yet, God chose shepherds to be the first to hear His Good News, not those with wealth and power.
- The shepherds attributed to ‘the Lord’ what was spoken to them by the angel – they took the angel’s message as the words of God Himself. Because they believed, they were able to discover that what the angel told them was true. With joy and excitement, they became the first evangelists to share what they saw.
- Although the coming of the Messiah, the Christ, was promised to the Jews, it was also God’s Good News for all people. When the great angelic hosts proclaimed God’s peace to all those with whom He is pleased, it was not meant only for the Jews. They were saying that in the birth of this child, God’s mercy has fallen on the whole world.
- The normal response to something miraculous is amazement. It does not mean that people understand what is happening and is responding in faith to God. Constantly throughout his Gospel, Luke uses the word ‘amaze’ for the response of the crowd who had not really understood or believed yet. Here, the crowd was amazed but not Mary. She wanted to reflect to appreciate more fully the meaning of all that had happened.
Jesus Is Presented in the Temple (vv. 21-40)
21 A week later, when the time came for the baby to be circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name which the angel had given him before he had been conceived.
22 The time came for Joseph and Mary to perform the ceremony of purification, v as the Law of Moses commanded. So they took the child to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, 23 as it is written in the law of the Lord: “Every first-born male is to be dedicated to the Lord.” w
24 They also went to offer a sacrifice of a pair of doves or two young pigeons, x as required by the law of the Lord.
25 At that time there was a man named Simeon living in Jerusalem. He was a good, God-fearing man and was waiting for Israel to be saved. The Holy Spirit was with him 26 and had assured him that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s promised Messiah. 27 Led by the Spirit, Simeon went into the Temple. When the parents brought the child Jesus into the Temple to do for him what the Law required, 28 Simeon took the child in his arms and gave thanks to God:
29 “Now, Lord, you have kept your promise, and you may let your servant go in peace.
30 With my own eyes I have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples:
32 A light to reveal your will to the Gentiles y and bring glory to your people Israel.”
33 The child’s father and mother were amazed at the things Simeon said about him. 34 Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, “This child is chosen by God for the destruction and the salvation of many in Israel. Z He will be a sign from God which many people will speak against a’ 35 and so reveal their secret thoughts. And sorrow, like a sharp sword, will break your own heart.” b’
36-37 There was a very old prophetess, a widow named Anna, c’ daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher. She had been married for only seven years and was now eighty-four years old. She never left the Temple; d’ day and night she worshipped God, fasting and praying. 38 That very same hour she arrived and gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were waiting for God to set Jerusalem free.
39 When Joseph and Mary had finished doing all that was required by the law of the Lord, they returned to their home town of Nazareth in Galilee. 40 The child grew and became strong; he was full of wisdom, and God’s blessings were upon him.
Interesting Stuff:
v According to Jewish ceremonial law, a woman becomes ceremonially unclean at the birth of her child (see Lev 12:1-8). If she gives birth to a boy, she is unclean for seven days. On the eighth day, the boy is to be circumcised. After that she must wait 33 days to be purified from her bleeding.
After 40 days then, she is to bring to the priest a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or dove for a sin offering. If she is poor, she can bring two doves or two pigeons instead. The priest will offer them before the Lord to make atonement for her and then she will be ceremonially clean from her flow of blood.
w The first-born of both man and animal is to be dedicated to the Lord (Ex 34:19-20) . The animals are sacrificed but the human babies are to be redeemed or bought back. The Leviteswere called by God to serve Him in place of all the first-born males of Israel (Nu 3:11-13).
Thus two separate ceremonies were involved here, the presentation of the child and the purification of the mother.
x Being poor, Joseph and Mary could only offer the two birds (Lev 12:8).
y That God’s salvation was offered to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews is one of the main themes that Luke emphasises for his Gentile readers. Simeon’s words echo the prophecies of Isaiah found in chap 40-66.
z After blessing the parents, Simeon solemnly warned Mary that because of Jesus, many in Israel would either be saved or judged by God depending on whether they accept or reject him.
a’ Many cannot accept that God would send such a Saviour, one who would die on the cross. Thus they would oppose him and all that God would be doing through him.
b’ This rejection of Jesus would cause much suffering and pain to Mary as well as to Jesus (in some versions, the word ‘too’ is found after the word ‘heart’).
c’ This is the same name as ‘Hannah’ which means ‘gracious’.
d’ Herod’s Temple was very large and had rooms for many uses. It is possible that Anna might have been allowed to live in one of them.
Questions:
- What did Joseph and Mary do after the birth of Jesus in order to fulfil all that was required by the Jewish law (vv. 22-24)?
2. Who was Simeon (vv. 25-26)?
3. Who was Anna (vv. 36-37)?
What did she do when she met Joseph and Mary with the baby (v. 38)?
4. What was Jesus like during his early childhood years (v. 40)?
Summary of Section:
- Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day following the Law and was given the name ‘Jesus’ as instructed by the angel Gabriel.
- Then when the time came for Mary and Joseph to perform the ceremony of purification as commanded by the Law, they took him to the Temple in Jerusalem.
- They presented him to the Lord because he was the first-born male. There they offered a sacrifice of a pair of doves or two young pigeons as required by the Jewish law.
- Luke presents two more righteous and God-fearing Jews to testify to the importance of Jesus. Both had been waiting for the coming of the Messiah.
- The first is Simeon who was a good, God-fearing man. God had promised him through the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the promised Messiah. And God kept His promise. The Holy Spirit led Simeon into the Temple to meet with Joseph and Mary.
- Simeon took the child in his arms and thanked God for keeping His promise to let him see the promised Messiah.
- In his song of praise, he proclaimed that God’s salvation was not only for the Jews but also for the Gentiles. He forewarned Mary that her son would be the cause for many to either be saved or to be destroyed ultimately. Because of this, he would be rejected and scorned. And just as he would suffer much pain and anguish, so would she.
- Although it is not known whether the same was promised to Anna the prophetess, we see God’s goodness to her in bringing her into contact with Jesus as well.
- Anna was an eighty-four year old prophetess and widow who had been married for only seven years. She was the daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher and lived in the Temple.
- She never left the Temple, but day and night she worshipped God in fasting and prayer. She came up to Mary and Joseph and spoke about the child to all who were waiting for God to set Jerusalem free.
- When Joseph and Mary had done everything according to the Law, they returned to Nazareth.
- Jesus grew in all areas – he grew strong (physically), he was full of wisdom (mentally) and God’s blessings were upon him (spiritually).
Nuggets of Wisdom
- Throughout this section, the focus is on Jesus. He does nothing but all the words and deeds of Mary, Simeon and Anna are oriented around him.
- Luke points out Mary and Joseph’s obedience to the Law repeatedly and that as a result of their obedience, they were used by God to accomplish His purposes. The encounter with Simeon and Anna was not by chance but their obedience to the Law, and Simeon and Anna’s obedience to the Spirit, enabled God to bring them together at just the right time. Thus although God works through His Word, the Law, and His Spirit to achieve His plans, the final outcome is dependent on the obedience of His people.
- Luke presents both Simeon and Anna as God-fearing people, reliable witnesses whose testimony about Jesus was reliable. They were both greatly pious and were waiting for God’s redemption of His people. They recognised in Jesus the coming of God’s salvation and thus responded in praise (and not amazement like the others) to God. Both together, man and woman, represent the faithful Israel who is looking forward to the salvation promised by God for His people.
- In Simeon’s words to Mary, we get the first indication that God’s plans would face opposition. Jesus’ mission would be surrounded by conflict and the opposition would arise from God’s own people.
- Luke ends this section by emphasising Mary and Joseph’s obedience to the Law again, reminding us that Jesus would be reared in a home headed by godly parents who stand on the side of God’s purposes.
Jesus Stays Back in the Temple (vv. 41-52)
41 Every year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. e’ 42 When Jesus was twelve years old, f’ they went to the festival as usual. 43 When the festival was over, they started back home, but the boy Jesus stayed in Jerusalem. His parents did not know this;
44 they thought that he was with the group, g’ so they travelled a whole day and then started looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 They did not find him, so they went back to Jerusalem looking for him. 46 On the third day h’ they found him in the Temple, sitting
with the Jewish teachers, i’ listening to them and asking questions. 47 All who heard him were amazed at his intelligent answers. 48 His parents were astonished when they saw him, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been terribly worried trying to find you.”
49 He answered them, “Why did you have to look for me? Didn’t you know that I had to be in my Father’s house?” j’ 50 But they did not understand his answer.
51 So Jesus went back with them to Nazareth, where he was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 Jesus grew both in body and in wisdom, gaining favour with God and men. k’
Interesting Stuff:
e’ All male Jews were required to go three times a year to Jerusalem to celebrate the three major festivals or feasts – Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles. Distance prevented many from attending all three, but most Jews tried to go at least at Passover. The Passover festival was to remind the Jews of how God delivered them from slavery in Egypt.
f’ At 13 years of age, a Jewish boy becomes a ‘son of the law’ or a full member of the synagogue. He would then assume adult responsibilities and in the eyes of Jewish law, become responsible for his own actions, spiritually and morally. At 12, boys began preparing to take their places in the religious community the following year.
It was considered helpful for a boy to attend the Jewish festivals one or two years beforehand to prepare them for their adult responsibilities in the community. It is not certain whether this was the purpose for Jesus’ visit or whether he was already following his parents in going every year.
g’ The people travelled in large groups or caravans. At Jesus’ age, he would either be travelling with the women and children, or the men and the older boys. It was thus easy for Mary and Joseph not to know where Jesus was in such a large group. They each probably assumed that he was with the other.
h’ The first day would be the travelling away from Jerusalem, the second day travelling back to Jerusalem. The third day would be looking for him.
i’ It was a common practice for the teachers or rabbis to hold their classes in the Temple (refer to ‘The Temple’, p. x). Jesus must have joined one of these classes. The way they taught was to encourage discussion of problems. This would give opportunities for a bright pupil to ask and answer questions. This was evidently what Jesus was doing.
j’ Jesus’ answer shows that early in his life he already knew the need for him to be in God’s house, and that he had a special relationship with God. There are no records of any Jew using that personal phrase ‘my Father’ other than Jesus.
k’ Although Jesus was God, there is no indication that he had all knowledge and wisdom from birth. Luke records that he matured like any other boy. He was obedient to his parents, and God’s grace and favour were with him.
Questions:
- Where was the Passover Festival held (v. 41)?
What was this festival to remind the Jews of?
2. What did Jesus do when the Passover Festival was over and his family left for home (v. 43)?
What did they do when they realised that he was not with them (vv. 44-45)?
3. How old was Jesus then?
What was the significance of reaching the age of 12 for a Jewish boy?
4. What was Jesus doing when his parents found him (v. 46)?
5. Why did Jesus stay behind (v. 49)?
6. What claims did Jesus make (v. 49)?
Why did he call God ‘my Father’?
7. What was the reaction of those who heard him (v. 47)?
8. What was his parents’ reaction when they saw him (v. 48)?
What was Jesus’ answer to his mother’s question (v. 49)?
9. What happened to Jesus after he went back with his parents to Nazareth (vv 51-52)?
Summary of Section:
- Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. When he was 12 years old, they went to the festival as usual.
- When they started back home after the festival, Jesus stayed behind. The parents thought he was with the group travelling back. They only looked for him among their friends and relatives after travelling a whole day.
- Then they went back to Jerusalem and on the third day found him among the Jewish teachers in the Temple. Jesus was listening to the teachers and asking them questions.
- All who heard him were amazed at his intelligent answers.
- His parents were astonished when they saw him. His mother asked why he had done this to them because they had been terribly worried trying to find him.
- Jesus asked them why they had to look for him. He assumed that they would know that he had to be in his Father’s house.
- However, they did not understand his answer.
- Jesus then went back with his parents to Nazareth and remained obedient to them. Mary treasured all these things in her heart.
- Jesus grew both in body and wisdom and in favour with God and men.
Nuggets of Wisdom
- None of the other Gospels have any accounts of Jesus’ boyhood except for this one by Luke. Again we see how faithful both Joseph and Mary were in obeying the commands of the Law to go to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover Festival.
- As was the custom, they took Jesus with them to Jerusalem when he was 12 years old to prepare him before he turned 13. This was the age when they assumed the responsibilities of a ‘son of the law’, a full adult member of the Jewish synagogue.
- Under Jewish law, children are not obligated to observe the commandments although they are encouraged to do so as much as possible. At the age of 13 (12 for girls), a Jewish boy automatically becomes a bar mitzvah (bar is ‘son’ in Aramaic; mitzvah is ‘commandment’), a ‘son of the law or commandment’, the age for fulfilling the commandments and being held responsible for his actions.
- Even at this early age, Jesus knew that he had a special relationship with God and he needed to be in his Father’s house. He recognised that he must align himself with God’s purposes even if it appeared to affect his relationship with his parents. However, for the present, his earthly parents did not understand this and so he returned home and remained obedient to them.
- Like the incident with the shepherds, Mary did not understand but she did not forget. She thoguht about all these things as she stored them in her heart.
- Luke ends this part by telling us again of Jesus’s wholesome growth – he continued to grow up both physically (in body), mentally (wisdom), socially (people liked him) and spiritually (God’s favour was upon him).
- Like chapter 1, Luke chapter 2 is unique in that it has stories about the birth and childhood of Jesus that are absent in the other three Gospels. What is particularly significant about these are:
- The birth of Jesus
i) It happened as prophesied in Micah 5:2. God used someone who did not know Him, a Roman emperor, to accomplish His plans in bringing Mary to have her baby in Bethlehem.
ii) God’s ways are very different from ours – He allowed His Son to be born in one obscure little town in Judea to a very poor family, and in a place occupied by animals.
iii) He did not choose rich or important people to tell the Good News to but He chose humble and poor people whom society looked down upon.
Additional Nuggets of Wisdom
Like chapter 1, Luke chapter 2 is unique in that it has stories about the birth and childhood of Jesus that are absent in the other three Gospels. What is particularly significant about these are:
- The birth of Jesus
i) It happened as prophesied in Micah 5:2. God used someone who did not know Him, a Roman emperor, to accomplish His plans in bringing Mary to have her baby in Bethlehem.
ii) God’s ways are very different from ours – He allowed His Son to be born in one obscure little town in Judea to a very poor family, and in a place occupied by animals.
iii) He did not choose rich or important people to tell the Good News to but He chose humble and poor people whom society looked down upon. - The presentation of Jesus at the Temple
i) Again God’s ways are different from ours. In this chapter we learn a bit more about Joseph and Mary – they were a poor and humble couple, but they were faithful and obedient to God’s Law. God did not choose a wealthy background for Jesus so that he could be brought up in comfort. He chose a God-fearing couple who would bring him up to love and follow after God.
ii) Again God did not choose important people in the religious circles to witness the fulfilment of His promise to send the long-awaited Messiah. He chose two righteous and Godfearing old people, an old man who was led by the Holy Spirit, and an old woman who was a prophetess, who worshipped God day and night. - The childhood of Jesus
i) Jesus did not have complete knowledge and wisdom at birth. We are told that Jesus grew up in all areas of his development like a normal child – physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. God was with him and richly blessed him, especially in the area of wisdom. His answers and questions to the Jewish teachers had them all amazed at what he knew and understood even at such a young age.
ii) It would seem that quite early in his life Jesus was already aware that he had a special relationship with God.
iii) Jesus lived in obedience to his parents.
- The birth of Jesus
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