Luke 2:1-52
Hope is Born on Christmas Day
1 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.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
4 So 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. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15 When 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.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.
Jesus Presented in the Temple
22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”
33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.
The Boy Jesus at the Temple
41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”
49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them.
51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
Hope is Born on Christmas Day with the arrival of the King of Kings...On Christmas Day, the long-awaited promise of the ages finally became a tangible reality as Jesus Christ, our Savior and LORD, was born in the humble town of Bethlehem...The "Word of Life" that had been with the Father from the beginning stepped into time, not with the fanfare of an earthly monarch, but with the quiet dignity of a servant...As we reflect on this Christmas Day, we see that the large crowds that had gathered for the census were largely oblivious to the miracle unfolding in their midst and very near to them...The streets were filled with the noise of commerce and the chatter of travelers, yet in a quiet stable, the Light of the World was beginning to shine...This birth marks the moment when Hope was Born on Christmas Day—a hope that is not based on our circumstances, but on the "Solid Rock" of God’s faithfulness to His Word...
In thinking about Jesus' Birth we see a Great Paradox of the Manger and the hustling busy crowds...The scene in Bethlehem on that first Christmas Day was one of profound contrast; the town was bursting with people registration for the census, yet there was "no guest room available" for the King of Kings...While the crowds focused on their own survival and the demands of the Roman state, Mary and Joseph were occupied with the holy task of caring for the Son of God...Jesus was wrapped in swaddling cloths and placed in a manger—a feeding trough for animals—proving that God’s ways are not the world’s ways...This humble beginning was a direct challenge to the "patterns of this world" that equate value with power and prestige...Even though the crowds did not initially welcome Him with a parade, the very atmosphere of Bethlehem was being sanctified by His Presence...The rejection at the inn was not a failure of God’s Plan, but the opening act of a Gospel that would always seek out the humble, the overlooked, and the weary...
The heavenly welcome would come from the poor shepherds in the nearby fields...While the city remained preoccupied, the heavens could not contain the joy of the Savior’s arrival...To a group of humble shepherds living out in the fields, the Glory of the LORD appeared, and an angel declared the "good news of great joy" that would be for all the people...The welcome that the busy crowds failed to give was provided by a "great company of the heavenly host," praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests"...The shepherds, practicing an "action-oriented faith," did not hesitate; they hurried to Bethlehem to see this thing that had happened...When they found the Baby lying in the manger, they became the first human witnesses to the "Lavished LOVE" of the Father made manifest in the flesh...Their reaction was one of pure sincerity and trust, as they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this Child, causing all who heard it to wonder...
This would culminate with the fulfillment in the Temple and the growth of Jesus' Words of wisdom...As we look at the full scope of Luke 2, we see that the birth was just the beginning of a life lived in perfect obedience to the Father’s will...When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law, Mary and Joseph took Jesus to Jerusalem to present Him to the LORD...There, the "King of Kings" of prophecy was confirmed by Simeon and Anna, who recognized that this Child was the long-awaited consolation of Israel and a "Light for revelation to the Gentiles"...Simeon’s blessing reminds us that the "Word of Life" came to be a sign that would be spoken against, revealing the internal motives of many hearts...From the manger to the Temple, and eventually back to Nazareth, Jesus grew and became strong; He was filled with wisdom and Great Teaching Lessons, and the Grace of God was on Him...This growth proves that the "surpassing righteousness" He would later preach in the Sermon on the Mount was a life He lived from His very earliest days...
Jesus' Birth would anchor our hearts in the Hope of Christmas...Today, as we celebrate that Hope was Born on Christmas Day, we find strength for our own most troubled times when our faith feels shaken...The lessons of the birth teach us that being a Child of God means resting in His daily provision, even when the world around us is in a state of lawless confusion and often chaos...Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man...He is the Son of God, yet so very humble in His Ways, and He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life...
Just as Mary and Joseph stayed anchored in their trust despite the crowded inn and the humble stable, we are called to move forward with the same sincerity and patience as they did on their ninety mile journey...The Father’s LOVE is not found in the earthly comforts of a busy city, but in the arrival of the Son who comes to walk in the Light with us in our good times and in our challenges...We anchor ourselves in this Truth, knowing that the "Word of Life" who was born in a manger is the same Savior who carries us through every storm...On this Christmas Day, let our hearts be the "guest room" that is always open to Him, as we live out the True Gospel with joy, kindness, and unwavering expectation...