Luke eBook

CONTENTS

Editor’s Preface

Introduction to Luke

Preparation for service (1:1–4:13)

The Servant at work, getting people ready for God’s kingdom: preaching, teaching, healing, reaching, training (4:14–19:27)

The Servant at work, opening the doors of the kingdom: suffering, dying, rising again (19:28–24:53)

ILLUSTRATIONS

Luke

The Magnificat

The youth of Jesus

Raising of the widow’s son at Nain

The man at the plow

The woman who had an infirmity for 18 years

Lazarus at the rich man’s door

Paying taxes to Caesar

The people beat their breasts

The disciples on the road to Emmaus

EDITOR’S PREFACE

The People’s Bible is just what the name implies—a Bible for the people. It includes the complete text of the Holy Scriptures in the popular New International Version. The commentary following the Scripture sections contains personal applications as well as historical background and explanations of the text.

The authors of The People’s Bible are men of scholarship and practical insight, gained from years of experience in the teaching and preaching ministries. They have tried to avoid the technical jargon that limits so many commentary series to professional Bible scholars.

The most important feature of these books is that they are Christ-centered. Speaking of the Old Testament Scriptures, Jesus himself declared, These are the Scriptures that testify about me (John 5:39). Each volume of The People’s Bible directs our attention to Jesus Christ. He is the center of the entire Bible. He is our only Savior.

The commentaries also have maps, illustrations, and archaeological information when appropriate. All the books include running heads to direct the reader to the passage he is looking for.

This commentary series was initiated by the Commission on Christian Literature of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.

It is our prayer that this endeavor may continue as it began. We dedicate these volumes to the glory of God and to the good of his people.

INTRODUCTION TO LUKE

Jesus Christ is the heart and center of the Bible. The story of his life, death, and resurrection is told in the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. None of the writings which came to be called gospels had titles originally. But as collections of the New Testament books were made, each received a title.

The title gospel according to Luke is found at the end of the oldest existing papyrus Greek copy of Luke, dating from A.D. 175–225. Early Christian writers regularly spoke of Luke as the author of this third gospel. His name does not, however, appear in the writing itself.

Luke is named three times in the New Testament, all in letters of Paul. In Philemon verse 24, he is named with three other fellow workers. Paul sends greetings to the Christian church at Colosse from our dear friend Luke, the doctor (Colossians 4:14). Paul was in prison when he wrote his second letter to Timothy. He mentions that only Luke is with me (2 Timothy 4:11). Luke was obviously one who worked closely with Paul.

In considering the authorship of the third gospel, one must take into account the writing titled The Acts of the Apostles. Both of these writings are addressed to Theophilus (Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1). Reference is made in Acts to my former book. This can only refer to the third gospel.

In Acts there are a number of sections in which the author includes himself as he tells the story, the so-called we sections (16:10–17; 20:5–15; 21:1–18; 27:1–28:16). Here an eyewitness is reporting what he personally experienced with the apostle Paul.

Yet the writer of the third gospel explicitly disclaims his being an eyewitness of the events in the life of Jesus (Luke 1:2). He could not have been one of the twelve apostles. His reports come as a result of his having carefully investigated everything from the beginning (verse 3). Paul was in this same position of having to hear secondhand about the earthly ministry of Jesus.

Putting these facts together and accepting the universal testimony of the early church, there can be little doubt that Luke was the author of the gospel that bears his name. He likely was a Gentile, though one cannot be certain about this. He was a learned person, gifted as a writer, a physician by profession.

Luke, no doubt, intended his writing especially for the people whom Paul had reached in his mission journeys. These were predominantly Gentiles. Some were quite wealthy; many were women. Early church tradition suggests that Luke did his writing in the large and important city of Antioch, the home base for Paul in his mission journeys. It was in this city that the disciples of Jesus were first called Christians (Acts 11:26).

Luke himself does not call his writing a gospel. In his book he speaks of others who have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us (Luke 1:1). The Greek word that the NIV translates as account refers to various kinds of writings, especially the narration of historical events. The word literally means a written composition that leads through to an end. That is exactly what Luke did: beginning with the birth of Jesus, he leads through to the end, to Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Note especially that Luke speaks of the things that have been fulfilled among us. When Jesus appeared on Easter Sunday to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself (24:27). Later that evening Jesus told his assembled disciples that everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms (verse 44). Luke’s purpose was to show the early Christians, who examined the Scriptures every day like the Bereans (Acts 17:11), that Jesus Christ was truly the fulfillment of the Old Testament. This was a point of controversy for the Jewish religious teachers.

Luke was presenting to the Roman world a person proclaimed by the Christians to be the Savior from sin and yet a person who had been crucified by order of the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. Luke argues the case that Jesus was innocent of all crimes deserving of death and that Jesus’ death was the result of scheming by the Jewish religious leadership. Yet ultimately the death of Jesus was the result of God’s set purpose and foreknowledge (Acts 2:23). The death of Jesus was divinely necessary, as it has been decreed (Luke 22:22), though caused by human beings. The Roman world needed to know the real reason for the death of Jesus on a Roman cross.

This gospel was written for a mission church. Luke includes many of the statements of Jesus that detail the responsibilities of those who will carry on the mission of preaching the good news in all the world. Many of the words and actions of Jesus were directed to his own disciples. His earthly ministry was their time of schooling in theology and mission.

Luke’s gospel abounds with familiar stories found nowhere else in the Bible: the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, Zacchaeus, and more. Luke takes special note of the importance of women in telling the story of Jesus: Elizabeth, Mary (mother of Jesus), Anna, Mary and Martha, the widow of Nain, and others. The opening chapters resound with songs the church has continued to sing over the centuries: the Magnificat, the Benedictus, the Gloria in Excelsis, the Nunc Dimittis.

In presenting a brief outline, the word servant has been chosen to characterize the entire life of Jesus. On the night before his death on the cross, Jesus said to his disciples, I am among you as one who serves (22:27). Jesus trained a body of servants and sent them into the world as his witnesses. Every believer is a servant of the greatest of all servants, Jesus Christ. Reading the gospel of Luke will help one appreciate more fully the service which Jesus rendered. It will help all who follow Jesus to become better servants.

Outline

Theme: Jesus Christ, the Servant of God

   I.   Preparation for service (1:1–4:13)

A.   Preface to Luke’s gospel (1:1–4)

B.   The births of John and Jesus (1:5–2:40)

C.   The introduction of God’s Servant (2:41–4:13)

  II.   The Servant at work, getting people ready for God’s kingdom: preaching, teaching, healing, reaching, training (4:14–19:27)

A.   Service in Galilee (4:14–9:50)

B.   Service on the way to Jerusalem (9:51–19:27)

 1.   Jesus urges people to get ready for the coming kingdom (9:51–13:21)

 2.   Jesus reveals some surprises as to who will inherit the kingdom (13:22–17:10)

 3.   Jesus wants people to be aware that the work of the kingdom is going on right now (17:11–19:27)

III.   The Servant at work, opening the doors of the kingdom: suffering, dying, rising again (19:28–24:53)

A.   Jesus arrives in Jerusalem (19:28–21:38)

B.   Jesus suffers and dies (22:1–23:56)

C.   Jesus rises and ascends into heaven (24:1–53)

Luke

PART ONE

Preparation for Service

(1:1–4:13)

Preface to Luke’s Gospel

Introduction

Luke 1:1–4

1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, ²just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. ³Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, ⁴so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

Luke is the only one of the four evangelists who introduces his gospel with a kind of personal foreword. He clearly states the purpose of his writing: that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. Luke does not want his readers to be in doubt about the truth concerning Jesus Christ, the Servant of God. By the time Luke wrote his gospel, other reports of the life and teachings of Jesus were beginning to circulate. Luke assures his readers that he has investigated everything from the beginning and now provides this orderly account of the truth.

Who is Theophilus, to whom Luke addresses this gospel? The name literally means lover of God. Perhaps Theophilus was a prominent Christian in the early church; some suggest he may have paid for the parchment on which this gospel was written. However, it is possible that the name could be symbolic and refer simply to any believer, any lover of God. The name occurs again in the second volume of Luke’s writings, the book of Acts. That book begins, In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach. Each person who reads this gospel must hear himself addressed as the lover of God who seeks to know the truth about Jesus Christ.

The Births of John and Jesus

The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

Luke 1:5–25

⁵In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. ⁶Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly. ⁷But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.

⁸Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, ⁹he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. ¹⁰And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

¹¹Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. ¹²When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. ¹³But the angel said to him: Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. ¹⁴He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, ¹⁵for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. ¹⁶Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. ¹⁷And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

¹⁸Zechariah asked the angel, How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.

¹⁹The angel answered, I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. ²⁰And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time.

²¹Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. ²²When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.

²³When his time of service was completed, he returned home. ²⁴After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. ²⁵The Lord has done this for me, she said. In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.

Luke parallels the births of John and Jesus. In each case the angel Gabriel makes the announcement foretelling the birth; both the mother of Jesus and the father of John sing hymns of praise—one before and one after the births of their sons; then comes the description of the two births and the rite of circumcision that follows. While there are some parallels between John and Jesus, above all we must recognize how much greater Jesus is than John. Both are servants of God, but the service that Jesus renders is far superior to anything John does. Above all, Jesus is the Son of God; John is only the blessed offspring of two very pious and aged human parents.

Zechariah and Elizabeth prayed earnestly to the Lord that he would grant them a child. However, Elizabeth had reached the point in her life when women normally no longer can conceive children. So when the angel Gabriel announces to Zechariah that he would father a child, this old man is dumbfounded—and he does not believe. As a chastisement from God, Zechariah is unable to speak for the entire nine months of his wife’s pregnancy.

Gabriel describes the special role this John (which means the Lord has shown favor) is to fulfill: He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.… Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. John would be like the great Old Testament prophet Elijah; his calling was to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

Zechariah was serving his turn as priest in the temple when the angel appeared to him. Aaron had 24 grandsons; one was named Abijah (1 Chronicles 24:10). John was born from this priestly family. He grew up very conscious of the requirements of the law. In the plan of salvation, he was just the right person to serve as the forerunner of the Savior.

The birth of John took place in the time of Herod king of Judea. This is the same Herod who slaughtered many innocent boys after the birth of Jesus. The announcement of John’s birth is linked to the reign of a king who was quite insignificant in comparison to the great Caesar in Rome. The birth of Jesus will be related to the actions of the great world leader Caesar Augustus (2:1).

We dare not leave this story without mentioning the joy of Elizabeth and her acknowledgement of the Lord’s gracious action: The Lord has done this for me.… He has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people. Here is a mother-to-be who truly anticipates the birth of her child as a blessed gift of the Lord!

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

Luke 1:26–38

²⁶In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, ²⁷to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸The angel went to her and said, Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.

²⁹Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰But the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. ³¹You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. ³²He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, ³³and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.

³⁴How will this be, Mary asked the angel, since I am a virgin?

³⁵The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. ³⁶Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. ³⁷For nothing is impossible with God.

³⁸I am the Lord’s servant, Mary answered. May it be to me as you have said. Then the angel left her.

Six months have passed since Gabriel’s announcement to Zechariah. Now the Lord sends his messenger on another mission. This time Gabriel goes not to the holy city of Jerusalem but to a humble town in Galilee; not to a temple but to a house; not to an aged man but to a young and vibrant maiden. The promised child to Zechariah and Elizabeth was in answer to many prayers; the promised child to Mary was a total and complete surprise. A child born of a virgin—here is something altogether new. Not an old couple finally having their first son, but a maiden bearing an infant conceived by the Holy Spirit—this is surely the greater miracle!

Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, a descendant of David. She herself also came from that royal family; her son would be given the throne of his father David. But more than that—the promised child would be Son of the Most High, the Son of God. His kingdom would never end.

Hard to believe? Without a doubt! Yet the faith of Mary shines brightly in contrast to the doubts of the priest Zechariah: I am the Lord’s servant.… May it be to me as you have said. Zechariah was also a servant; he did his duty in the temple. Mary’s service was special and unique: to be the mother of God.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

Luke 1:39–45

³⁹At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, ⁴⁰where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴²In a loud voice she exclaimed: Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! ⁴³But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!

When the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she was to become the mother of a child, Mary was also told that Elizabeth had conceived. Mary wasted no time but hurried to pay a visit to her aged relative. She journeyed from her own city of Nazareth to the hill country of Judea. She hardly expected the kind of welcome she received from Elizabeth.

Luke tells us that the Holy Spirit filled the soul of Elizabeth, and she exclaimed, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! She goes on to wonder at the great favor shown to her that the mother of my Lord should come to visit. Elizabeth knew this truth because of a special revelation by the Holy Spirit. The child in her womb joins the praise by leaping for joy. Later in the gospel, Jesus urges his disciples to do the same: Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven (6:23).

Above all, Elizabeth praises the faith of Mary. Remember that at this time no sounds were coming from the lips of Zechariah because of his unbelief. Elizabeth had good reason to marvel at the faith of Mary.

To honor Mary in the way that Elizabeth does is certainly God pleasing. Her praise was motivated by the Holy Spirit. We Christians today also honor Mary as an example of faith and service. But we do not go beyond this and regard Mary as someone more holy than us, for she too was sinful. The child to be born of Mary was as much her Savior from sin as he is our Savior from sin.

Mary’s Song

Luke 1:46–56

⁴⁶And Mary said:

"My soul glorifies the Lord

⁴⁷and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

⁴⁸for he has been mindful

of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,

⁴⁹for the Mighty One has done great things for me—

holy is his name.

⁵⁰His mercy extends to those who fear him,

from generation to generation.

⁵¹He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;

he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

⁵²He has brought down rulers from their thrones

but has lifted up the humble.

⁵³He has filled the hungry with good things

but has sent the rich away empty.

⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel,

remembering to be merciful

⁵⁵to Abraham and his descendants forever,

even as he said to our fathers."

⁵⁶Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

The Magnificat

Mary had heard Elizabeth heap praise on her. She responds with her own hymn of praise to the Lord. She points away from herself; she had no special merit or worth. She has been favored by the Lord and breaks into this marvelous hymn magnifying him.

The Latin Bible translation of the song of Mary begins, Magnificat anima mea Dominum. The opening word, Magnificat, has named this canticle (song), which early found a place in the daily evening (vespers) worship of the church. Composers, including Bach, have set these words to exalted music. Here are words for every Christian to sing.

Verses 46 to 49 center on the personal blessings that have come to Mary. Notice the personal pronouns my and me. Mary recognizes her humble status as a servant. She will be praised by future generations because of what the Mighty One has done for her. However, not the name of Mary but the name of the Lord is holy. It is as if Mary foresees the excessive adoration that some would heap on her in the coming centuries, and she seeks to defuse such adulation.

In verse 50 Mary turns her attention to those who fear him. The word fear is a common biblical term. It refers to the holy awe and respect one has for the Mighty One of whom Mary has just spoken. Such fear will call forth worship and obedience. Mary herself is an example of one who fears the Lord. The Lord’s mercy surrounds those who reverence him.

Mary continues by recalling some of the Lord’s great acts of mercy, how he works in contrasting ways. The proud he brings down, but he lifts up the humble. The hungry he fills with good things, but the rich he sends away empty. His mercy to Israel, his servant, goes back to the time of Abraham. The theme of Mary’s Magnificat will be fully developed in the ministry of her son. In a way far surpassing anything of Old Testament history, the saving work of Jesus Christ unfolds the mercy of God to those who fear him, from generation to generation.

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months, right up to the time when John was to be born. She was a good companion for her aged relative and took the place of Zechariah in household conversation. What happy times these two women must have spent together, each looking forward to the birth of sons totally unexpected!

The Birth of John the Baptist

Luke 1:57–66

⁵⁷When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. ⁵⁸Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.

⁵⁹On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, ⁶⁰but his mother spoke up and said, No! He is to be called John.

⁶¹They said to her, There is no one among your relatives who has that name.

⁶²Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. ⁶³He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, His name is John. ⁶⁴Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God. ⁶⁵The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. ⁶⁶Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, What then is this child going to be? For the Lord’s hand was with him.

At last the time came for the child of Zechariah and Elizabeth to be born. Neighbors and relatives shared the mother’s joy; Zechariah hardly seems to be in the picture. But his time is coming.

The Old Testament law decreed that sons were to be circumcised on the eighth day. God had said to Abraham, Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you (Genesis 17:10, 11). No uncircumcised male was to eat of the passover (Exodus 12:48). Circumcision took place in the home, and the child was named at the same time.

On the day of circumcision, the eighth day after birth, the neighbors and relatives again gather. They propose to Elizabeth that she give her child the name of his father (perhaps to cheer up old Zechariah?). But Elizabeth needed no advice from others as to what name this child should have. The name had already been given by the angel: You are to give him the name John (verse 13). No amount of persuasion could change her mind.

Having failed to budge mother, the well-meaning family friends turn their attention to the long silent Zechariah, hoping that he might overrule his wife. To the astonishment of all, Zechariah writes the words on a tablet: His name is John.

At once the tongue of Zechariah is loosed, and words of praise flow from his mouth. Here is conversion—doubt turned to faith, skepticism replaced by adoration. No wonder the people of the hill country of Judea talked of hardly anything else for quite a spell. What then is this child going to be? It was a question the new father would answer.

Zechariah’s Song

Luke 1:67–80

⁶⁷His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:

⁶⁸"Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,

because he has come and has redeemed his people.

⁶⁹He has raised up a horn of salvation for us

in the house of his servant David

⁷⁰(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),

⁷¹salvation from our enemies

and from the hand of all who hate us—

⁷²to show mercy to our fathers

and to remember his holy covenant,

⁷³the oath he swore to our father Abraham:

⁷⁴to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,

and to enable us to serve him without fear

⁷⁵in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

⁷⁶And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;

for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,

⁷⁷to give his people the knowledge of salvation

through the forgiveness of their sins,

⁷⁸because of the tender mercy of our God,

by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven

⁷⁹to shine on those living in darkness

and in the shadow of death,

to guide our feet into the path of peace."

⁸⁰And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.

For too long Zechariah had been unable to speak; now he is filled with the Holy Spirit to voice his faith. The song of Zechariah also gets it name from the Latin: Benedictus Dominus; the NIV translates it as Praise be to the Lord. This canticle has been used for centuries in the daily morning service (matins) of the church.

We need to take the word prophesied in verse 67 very seriously. Zechariah speaks of the salvation that will come through Jesus as a fact which has already been accomplished. And this before Christ is even born! We are at the very end of the Old Testament, the time of promise. With Luke chapter 2 we enter the New Testament, the time of fulfillment.

Zechariah praises the Lord because he has come and has redeemed his people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David. David himself in Psalm 18 said of the Lord, He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold (verse 2). Now Zechariah uses this same term, horn of salvation, to refer to the Messiah. Jesus came from the house of David, and as the Servant of the Lord, he will bring salvation from all enemies. The rescue effected by Christ will enable God’s people to serve him. The priest Zechariah had devoted his life to serving the Lord by representing the people in the temple. Now he sees a new era when all believers as priests will worship their Savior.

After speaking of the coming Messiah and the Messiah’s work, the father turns his attention to his newborn son and the task that will fall to John. John’s ministry will be one of preparing the way before the Lord. By his preaching he will give to people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of sins. On those living in darkness, on those in the shadow of death, the sun is rising. And John is sent to make the way ready. His calling is to guide feet into the path of peace. So sang old Zechariah.

Chapter 1 of Luke’s gospel concludes with the note that the child grew and became strong in spirit. John’s growth is more than just physical; his spiritual fibers were toughened for the task before him. He made his home in the desert till his time of service came. No doubt, his father and mother had died before that ministry began. But they had seen with the eyes of faith, and that was sufficient.

The Birth of Jesus

Luke 2:1–7

2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ²(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³And everyone went to his own town to register.

⁴So 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. ⁵He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷and 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.

No event in the history of the world has been so celebrated in word and song as the birth of Jesushrist! Yet this story is told by Luke in a totally undramatic fashion. The significance of what happens here in Bethlehem’s manger was already revealed in chapter 1 with the angel’s announcement to Mary. The actual birth of the babe is told in the simplest words: she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. So the Son of God enters our world in utter humility and without fanfare.

It was a census ordered by Caesar Augustus, ruler of the Roman Empire from 27 B.C. to A.D. 14, which brought Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem. The purpose of this census is indicated by the translation in the King James Version: to be taxed. Everyone went to his own town to register on the tax rolls. Mary and Joseph made this journey of about 80 miles from their home city in Galilee to the ancient city of Bethlehem, family home of the famous King David. Here this child, whose kingdom would be far greater than that of his ancestor, was born. It was to fulfill God’s Old Testament promise that the Messiah was born in Bethlehem, not Nazareth.

Critics of the Bible have found fault with Luke’s mention of Quirinius as being governor of Syria when this census was taken. Historical records list Quirinius as the governor of Syria about 10 years after the death of King Herod; a census was taken at that time (A.D. 6/7). Since Jesus was born while Herod was king (who died about 4 B.C.), some claim that Luke makes a mistake here. But before coming to this conclusion, one must take into account several possibilities: (1) Luke calls this the first census while Quirinius was governor of Syria; Quirinius may have had an earlier tour of duty in Syria, a hint of which is found in an ancient document. (2) Some learned Greek scholars suggest that the word first might better be translated as prior; the translation would then be: "this census was prior to Quirinius being governor of Syria. We moderns hardly have all the facts available to us from two thousand years ago; we dare not stand in judgment of Luke, who writes by inspiration of God’s Spirit and has carefully investigated everything from the beginning" (1:3).

After the birth of Jesus, his mother wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger. The Old English word swaddle (found in the KJV) means to bind an infant in lengths of bandage. This was the normal way of clothing an infant; today we would diaper a child. Only at the end of the story do we find out that the inns were all full in Bethlehem. This necessitated their using a less suitable place for shelter. So it was among the animals that Jesus was born; he was bedded in a manger, a feeding trough for cattle. Is it any wonder that this scene has captured the imagination of artists and poets! But we must not be so fascinated by romanticized versions of this event that we miss its true significance: here is the Word of God made flesh for us and for our salvation. Glory be to God on high!

The Shepherds and the Angels

Luke 2:8–20

⁸And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. ¹²This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

¹³Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴"Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

¹⁵When 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.

¹⁶So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

We must assume that very few people in Bethlehem were aware of that baby lying in a manger; only Mary and Joseph were in on the secret of his divine origin. That all changes as God goes public with the good news. His salvation is not just for Zechariah and Elizabeth and Mary. Jesus Christ is the Savior of all people. The first audience to hear the good news is a band of shepherds living out in the fields near Bethlehem. King David had been a shepherd out on those same fields. Now news of the birth of one greater than David is broadcast to shepherds.

The darkness of night is shattered by the bright light of angelic beings. This is the third appearance of angels in Luke’s gospel. Angels serve as messengers of God to interpret events that would otherwise go unnoticed or be misunderstood. The shepherds are told that the baby wrapped in such ordinary cloths and lying in a manger is none other than the Savior, Christ the Lord!

This is the first occurrence of the name Christ in Luke’s gospel. This is a Greek translation of the Hebrew word Messiah, meaning Anointed One. The word is found, for example, in Psalm 2:2, where we are told that the kings of the earth take their stand against the Lord and against his Anointed One. In the Greek translation, one would find the word Christ here. Since it was customary to anoint kings in the Old Testament, the word Christ has reference to the fact that Jesus is a king, descended from David and destined to rule forever. The birth of Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament promise that God would send a king, a messiah, to save his people.

This good news of great joy is amplified by the sudden appearance of a multitude of the heavenly host singing praises to God. Their song is familiar to us from our Sunday worship, where we continue to sing the Gloria in Excelsis (Glory in the Highest). The song of the angels has a double focus: in the highest heavens there is resounding glorious praise to God for his generous gift of a Savior; on earth there is peace for people on whom God’s favor rests. This last phrase differs from the familiar translation of the KJV: good will toward men. The ancient Greek texts of the New Testament account are divided here, which leads the NIV to translate it as on whom his favor rests.

As suddenly as the angels had come, so suddenly they left. The shepherds are once more alone with their flocks. But they can hardly go on with their night watch as if nothing had happened. They hurry off to Bethlehem to see this thing that the Lord had told them about.

The angel had given them a sign so that they could recognize the baby: one lying in a manger. What they searched for, they found. We don’t know how long they stayed. We don’t know what was said. But we do know that the shepherds did not keep the news to themselves; they spread the word. Their message was not so much about the baby in a manger; rather, they shared the angel’s message: A Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. No wonder the people who heard the shepherds’ talk were amazed. They may have questioned whether perhaps these sheep herders were not a bit unhinged. Yet the shepherds knew what they had heard and seen. And they echoed the angels’ praise with their own earthly songs as they returned to their waiting flocks.

Mary’s reaction to all these happenings is much more subdued. We are told that she treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. Her treasures were not any earthly relics—a bit