Luke 2:1-20
The Birth of Jesus
1In 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.
The Shepherds and the Angels
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.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem...His parents had traveled to Bethlehem from Nazareth...They went to Bethlehem, because that was Joseph's proper place to be registered in a census, that was required by the Roman officials...The family would later return to Nazareth...This was in the region of Galilee, in the country of Judea...Jesus thus would be called a Galilee...Jesus would rightfully be called a Nazarene, also a Galilean and born in Bethlehem...
When they reached Bethlehem, they inns were full...This was probably, because Bethlehem was a small town and the census required people registering in their hometowns...The others who traveled there to register for the census were probably in the inns... Although many people, especially the shepherds, slept outside...Shepherds slept outside by necessity, to keep watch over their flocks by night...
While they were there for the census, Mary went into labor, and Jesus' time had come to be born...He was born in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn...He was wrapped in cloths and He was placed in a manger...
The shepherds wandered from place to place, looking for grass and such for their flocks...They were nomads...They lived in tents...Life was rough for the shepherds...Some people looked down on the shepherds, who were the lower class of society...But not Jesus, He would later call Himself the Good Shepherd...But God's plan was to let the shepherds first know that Jesus had been born and let them see Him first...
An angel came to the nearby shepherds and told them the good news...That today a Child is born in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ our LORD...The sign of this Child, is that He is wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger...Then a company of angels from heaven appeared with the original angel and told the shepherds, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men whom His favor rests"...
The curious shepherds went off to Bethlehem to find the Christ, the newborn...They found Jesus lying in a manger...After they had seen Him, they would leave and spread the word of Him and His birth...The shepherds would glorify God for what they had heard from the angels and what they had seen with their eyes... These poor humble shepherds would be one of the first to identify the baby, as Christ the LORD...
God created the world...From the dust of the ground, God made man...God has a Son...His Son is born to an unmarried young girl... Her Baby would not be born, even in her home town around familiar, comfortable surroundings...The Baby would be born in a manger...The Baby would be seen by poor shepherds in the fields...How humble a beginning...
So in the small town of Bethlehem, we have the birth of a Child in a manger...His parents were poor people from Nazareth...It is natural for the poor to envy the rich, and the rich to look down upon the poor...But Jesus was born poor and would not envy or look down upon anyone...He would call Himself the Good Shepherd and take away all of our sins, rich or poor...
God did not have Jesus born in a great palace or come into this world with great fanfare...God made the surrounding birth of Jesus, in humble circumstances...
In the history of man, the birth of Jesus and His life would be discussed, studied, documented, read about and reviewed more than any other man on earth...