Lesson #10: The Lord Has Come! (Luke 2:1-38)

The Lord Has Come!
Luke 2:1-38

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. 21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. 22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first 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.” 25 Now 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. 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 in 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, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, 29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation 31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” 33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” 36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

The Advent of the Son of God (Lk. 2:1-7)

1. V. 1 – Decree went out from Caesar Augustus. Caesar Augustus was born with the name Octavian. He was adopted by his great uncle, Julius Caesar. After he was murdered, Octavian split the empire of Rome with Mark Antony and Lepidus. Before the birth of Jesus, the battle of Actium was fought between Octavian and Antony (with the help of Cleopatra). Octavian won the battle, and in celebration, changed his name to Caesar Augustus (“The Great”). Kenneth Latourette (Historian), “Jesus was born in the reign of Augustus. After a long period of wars which had racked the Mediterranean and its shores, political unity had been achieved and the Roman Empire had become roughly coterminous with the Mediterranean Basin. Here and there it was soon to spread beyond it. Augustus was the first Emperor. Building on the foundations laid by his uncle, Julius Caesar, he brought peace and under the guise of the chief citizen of a restored republic ruled the realm which for several generations Rome had been building. The internal peace and order which Augustus achieved endured, with occasional interruptions, for about two centuries. Never before had all the shores of the Mediterranean been under one rule and never had they enjoyed such prosperity. The Pax Romana made for the spread of ideas and religions over the area where it prevailed.” Decree or census – registration for records; tax purposes; ordinance (mentioned by Josephus)

2. V. 2—Quirinius was governor of Syria. possibly his second governorship or another ruler with the same name; he ruled over a large province (including Palestine).

3. V. 4 – Lineage of David. The trip from Galilee to Bethlehem is about 80 miles. Joseph returned to the land that his ancestors received when Joshua divided up the land (Joshua 13:1-18:28). Bethlehem – “House of Bread” (prophetic, Mic. 5:2)

4. VS. 5-7 – Time for her to give birth. Almost 700 years before Jesus’ birth, a prophecy was given in Micah 5:2, “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, who’s coming is from old to everlasting.” We are not only told what city Jesus was born, but the conditions of his birth. Jesus was not born in a palace. He was not born in the most prestigious of hospitals. He wasn’t born at home. Jesus was not even born in a Holiday Inn. He was born in a cave-like shelter that kept the animals, with mangers or feeding troughs. Luke mentions “manger” descriptions three times in Luke 2. But what’s a manger? 1st century Bethlehem homes were usually built over a basement cave. The top floor was all the activity (cooking, working, and sleeping), and there usually was a kataluma (GK, guest room) on the side. Below was the cave where the animals stayed. This is where Jesus was born. So the real translation shouldn’t be “there was no room in the inn” (Lk. 2:7) – as though it was like Joseph and Mary were looking for a hotel to stay at. The Bible states that the Romans had demanded everyone go back to “his own town” to register. So, in essence, Joseph’s family and friends didn’t have any room for him and his pregnant wife. Perhaps they were all too crowded already. Some even believe no one wanted to make room for them because Mary was pregnant with a child, and yet Joseph and Mary weren’t officially married yet. Another explanation that is given is since Mary was pregnant (according to Leviticus 12:1-4), she would be considered unclean, having given birth. Putting the rest of those in the same house at risk of becoming impure.

The Shepherds Receive an Angelic Message (2:8-14)

1. Why did the angels appear to the shepherds? The announcement to the shepherds is in keeping with the humble birth of Jesus, who was born in a feeding trough. Shepherds were considered outcasts, according to the Rabbis, as being a shepherd was seen as a lowly job. God sent angels to the shepherds to demonstrate His love to the whole world. Jesus didn’t come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom. Jesus came for everyone, the rich and the poor, and everyone in between. Another point about angels appearing before the shepherds is that they were announcing the arrival of the ultimate Good Shepherd. It's worth noting that David, who also came from Bethlehem (the "House of Bread"), was a shepherd as well. Moreover, when you dive into Luke 2 and read the description of the shepherds, we are told that they were out in the “field keeping watch by night” (in Greek they were out in the agricultural fields living among the sheep). These weren’t ordinary sheep. “The Mishnah records a Jewish law that stipulates that all flocks be kept in the wilderness, except for the temple services, which were kept at Bethlehem. These shepherds, then, were probably guarding sacrificial lambs, many of which would become Passover lambs, when the ultimate Passover Lamb was born!” And finally, the angels revealed themselves to these shepherds to send a message of joy.

The Shepherds Go to Bethlehem (2:15-20)

1.   V. 17 – They made known the saying - The shepherds were the first evangelists. Their immediate response to the angelic message showed great faith. They did not hesitate or question the message; instead, they hurried to Bethlehem to witness the fulfillment of the prophecy. This demonstrated their eagerness and belief in the divine revelation. Their journey led them to the exact location described by the angel, affirming the truth of the heavenly message. Finding Jesus in the manger aligned with the angel's sign further solidifies their faith.

 The Adoration of Baby Jesus (2:21-38)

1.  V. 21 – Circumcised. This was according to the law (Lev. 12:1-4). Jesus came to fulfill the law.

2. V. 22 – Purification. A process to remind us that we are born in sin (Ps. 51).

3. VS. 25-35 – Simeon. Simeon was a righteous man who declared that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, who would die for the sins of His people.

4. VS. 36-38 – Anna. An old prophetess who spent her life praying and fasting and faithfully awaiting the revealing of the Messiah.

Application: Why did Jesus come to earth?

 Dr. Charles Ryrie provides a theological description of the purposes of the Incarnation in his Basic Theology. First, the purpose of the Incarnation was to reveal God to us (John 1:18; 14:7-11). Second, provide an example for our lives on how we ought to live (1 Peter 1:21; 1 John 2:6). Third, provide a ransom for our sins (Hebrews 10:1-10) that we might be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:19). Fourth, fulfill the Davidic covenant (Luke 1:31-33) and destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). Fifth, engage with us as a sympathetic High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16). Sixth, take on the role of qualified judge so that Jesus can have the final say on everything (John 5:22, 27). Hence, the eternal value that Christ brings through the Incarnation necessitates a response from mankind to receive the redemption that comes from the physically resurrected body of Jesus Christ.