Luke 2:1-20
WHY IS THE STORY OF THE BIRTH OF JESUS SO IMPORTANT TO OUR FAITH?
WHAT IS THE MOST INTERESTING PART OF JESUS’ BIRTH STORY TO YOU?
1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger because there was no place for them in the inn.
8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
EXAMINATION
(v1.) …that all the world should be registered.
It was common during censuses for people to travel to their ancestral homes. During this time the Roman empire was undergoing some reorganization. The census was ordered so the empire would know how to administer taxation.
(v.2) …when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
Some critics say Quirinius was not governor at the time of Jesus’ birth, because the historian Josephus records a different set of dates for Quirinius’ administration. However, if Luke had been in error here, then certainly, the historians of his day would have faulted Luke. But we have no such evidence.
WHEN SOMETHING FROM HISTORY CONTRADICTS THE BIBLE, WHY DO WE DISREGARD THE BIBLE?
Whenever there comes a claim from a source to contradict the Bible on some historical issue, the point is always made that since the writing contradicts the Bible, the Bible must then be in error. But why do we always assume that it is the Bible that is wrong? Could not the other so-called evidence also be wrong? As an example, Josephus was known for making other errors in his writing. So, why must we take his word regarding Quirinius? So far in history, no biblical reference has ever been controverted.
(v.4) …he was of the house and lineage of David.
The reference to the “House and lineage of David” is a political one. Luke is saying that through Joseph, Jesus has a claim to the throne. However, the two accounts of the birth of Christ leave us with a problem. Matthew and Luke both claim royal lineage, but their lineages are completely different.
One of the most popular solutions says that Luke’s genealogy for Jesus is really from Mary’s line. But the text doesn’t say that. Additionally, royal lineages in Israel were not counted through women but only through men.
I favor a solution to these lineages through something called Levirate marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5-10). Levirate marriage was the most popular explanation for the genealogies from the 3rd century. We find examples of Levirate marriage in the OT:
- Judah and Tamar (Genesis 38)
- Boaz and Ruth (Ruth).
In Levirate marriage, if a brother died without children, his sibling was to marry the widow and raise up children in the name of the dead brother. This was the common practice not only in the Old Testament, but also in other Ancient Near East societies. Interestingly, all of the examples of Levirate marriage in the Bible come from the line of Judah, the kingly line.
Under Levirate marriage it was possible for Joseph to have two male lineages, both leading to King David and both being legitimate and legal ways of showing Jesus had a legal, genealogical claim to the throne. Here’s how it could have worked.
Matthan (Matthew 1:15) married a woman and the two of them had a son named Jacob. But at some point, after Jacob was born, Matthan died. Since Matthan had a son, the law of Levirate Marriage did not apply to him and his widow was free to marry someone else outside the family line. After a time, she married a man named Matthat who we find in Luke’s genealogy in Luke 3:24. The two of them have a son named Heli, found in Luke 3:23. This makes Jacob and Heli half-brothers. Then Heli died without having any sons. Jacob then steps up to fulfill his brotherly obligations as found in Deuteronomy and he and Heli’s widow have a son named Joseph. Therefore, Joseph is the son of Jacob in the royal line from Matthew’s account and he is the son of Heli through the law of Levirate Marriage.
Thus, both genealogies are true according to the laws under which their culture lived at the time. In this explanation, in this cultural practice of the day, there is no contradiction, and all is considered legal and honorable.
(v.7) …because there was no place for them in the inn.
Some scholars note that this may have been a nearby cave used as a stable. Other modern depictions show the family in a stable like a barn. However, there is some thought that this referred to a part of the inn where animals were kept.
(v.8) …there were shepherds out in the field
Shepherds were the dishonored in Jewish society. Though they performed an important function for raising animal sacrifices and food, they smelled bad, were dirty, and weren’t known for godliness. For God to send angels to shepherds to announce Jesus’ birth was remarkable.
Another contrast: the shepherds were likely caring for sheep that would be destined for temple sacrifices for sin. Ironically, these same shepherds were told to see the baby Jesus, who would become the sacrificial lamb on our behalf.
IF YOU SAW GOD IN HIS GLORY, RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD YOU FEEL? FEAR?
(v.9) …and they were filled with great fear.
Most of the time, when God or an angel appears before a person in the Bible, they were struck with great fear. Fear is the natural reaction to holiness.
- Israel experienced this with Moses in Exodus 19.
- Manoah and his wife, Samson’s parents, were struck by fear when they realized it was the Lord.
- Isaiah and Ezekiel experienced this.
- Daniel was so scared he collapsed.
- John experienced this in Revelation.
- Peter, James, and John experienced it on the Mount of Transfiguration.
- Even Peter was afraid after his big catch of fish. He said, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man” (Luke 5:8).
So too, the shepherds experienced fear when seeing the angel. But they were given encouragement.
(v.10) Fear not.
This is usually the first thing said after God or angels have appeared to a person. They are struck with fear and the one being revealed says, “Fear not,” or something similar. I imagine that when we each see the Lord after we die that we will be struck with fear. But we also have a promise, “Perfect love casts out fear” (I John 4:18).
(v.10) …good news of great joy.
Throughout Luke’s writing he associates joy with salvation. This is why we have joy, because we know we have a Savior who has freely given us God’s forgiveness and eternal life.
(v.10) …for all the people.
The good news of salvation is given to all, not just a few. Not all will respond, but the message of salvation is offered to all freely.
(v.11) …a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
The prophesied King of Israel laying in a feeding trough. It doesn’t get more humble than this. “Savior” refers to Jesus’ spiritual mission. “Christ” refers to his political mission.
(v12) And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.
Important because shepherd’s use to wrap their unblemished lambs and put them in mangers for protection. This was done to lambs that would be destined to be sacrificed for sin at the temple.
For the shepherds, seeing the Messiah put in a manger was a well-understood symbol to the shepherds. Jesus was the perfect lamb to be sacrificed for their sins.
(v.17) …they made known the saying that had been told them.
The shepherds told those present about the angelic vision that drove them to come see Jesus. Those present responded with wonder, wondering what to make of these things. But notice this…
(v.18) And all who heard it.
In Christmas pageants, plays, picture books about Christmas, and movies about Jesus, the situation is usually depicted as Joseph and Mary alone with Jesus in the stable. But this is not likely what took place.
Joseph and Mary were not alone. This would make sense since the text says there was no room for them at the inn. This was probably true for many people coming because of the census. And this was a normal practice. Visitors were usually sent to the stable overnight if the inn had no more room. Thus, it’s likely there were several people with them when Jesus was born.
(v.19) …pondering them in her heart.
The language used here is the same elsewhere in John’s gospel in John 17 when Jesus prayed telling the Father that he “kept” the disciples from harm, that he wanted the Father to “keep” them in his name, and to “keep” them from the Evil One. The reference here is protection. Mary protected the memory of what was happening by turning over these events in her mind.
(v.20) …glorifying and praising God.
A contrast: the sight of the angels brought great fear (v.9), but the sight of Jesus in a manger brought great praise (v.20).
(v.20) …as it had been told them.
A repeated phrase. Here it denotes that everything that they had been told about the coming of Jesus was found true when they visited the stable and saw Jesus for themselves.
INTERPRETATION
Looking at our passage as a whole, we can deduce a three-fold change in the situations being presented.
Verses 1-5 The Political Situation Caesar, census, rulers, lineage of David.
Verses 6-15 The Spiritual Situation The Messiah announced and sought.
Verses 16-20 The New Situation Glorifying & Praising God for a Savior.
What is Luke’s Big Idea?
Jesus changes our situation.
Every person who encountered Jesus was changed in some form, whether they were saved or condemned. You cannot have an encounter with Jesus and not be changed in some way.
The political situation was changed because the prophesied king of Israel was born, which threatened the Roman status quo. That’s why Herod tried to kill Jesus by killing all males two years of age and under.
The spiritual situation was changed because the Messiah had come to open up the way to the Father. At his birth, people sought him out. The shepherds sought him. The wise men sought him.
The new situation was that with Jesus’ coming the promises to Israel, both political and spiritual, were finally in the process of being fulfilled.
APPLICATION
Recognize your situation without Christ.
WHAT IS YOUR SITUATION WITHOUT CHRIST?
Everyone has a pre-Christ situation. Our situation is that we are dead in our trespasses and sins. We have no means to acquire God’s forgiveness and eternal life on our own.
Submit yourself to the spiritual situation.
If you are without Jesus, you are without the Father. Jesus came to change our situation, to go from being without God and without hope to being with the Father and to experience his love and forgiveness.
How do you submit yourself to a new spiritual situation?
Establish a new situation in your life. Through submission to Christ, your life can be radically altered.
A famous tract says, “God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.” This is true, but it’s a new life for eternity, not just in the now.
Jesus breaks through all of that and gives us what we need by his grace.
Just as Jesus broke into Israel’s situation and began to forever change things, so too, when we come to Christ, he changes our situation—our desires, vision, behavior, thoughts, and feelings. If you have not had a radical transformation through Jesus entering your life, then you may want to do a spiritual inventory to discover if you truly belong to him.
