Luke 2:1-20 - The Birth of the Savior

Manger images used in presentation

     Throughout the New Testament, at least five chapters mention the birth of Jesus,[1] whereas no less than sixty-six mention His death.[2] This shows the writers of New Testament Scripture, under the guidance of God the holy Spirit, placed an emphasis on Jesus’ crucifixion and death, which was an atoning sacrifice for our sins, for He “died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God” (1 Pet 3:18). However, the importance of Jesus’ birth cannot be understated, for it was His incarnation as the God-Man that made His perfect life and atoning sacrifice a possibility. Luke tells us about the events surrounding the birth of Jesus, and Matthew informs us about an attack on Jesus while He was a child.

• "Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child." (Luke 2:1-5)

     Luke treats the birth of Jesus as occurring in time and space. That is, Jesus was born into a real world, with real people, living in real places, and engaging in real activities. The Bible treats the events and birth of Jesus as historical fact, not myth. God used the decree by Caesar Augustus (Luke 2:1-3) to bring the young couple to the city of Bethlehem in order to fulfill the prophecy given by Micah the prophet (Mic 5:2). This reveals that God was controlling the events of Jesus’ birth, and that none of this was happening by chance. Remember, prophecy is not God looking down the corridor of history and telling us what will come to pass; but rather, what He causes to happen because He is controlling the events of history to direct it to the place He desires. 

• "Augustus Caesar was ruling, but God was in charge, for He used Caesar’s edict to move Mary and Joseph eighty miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem to fulfill His Word…God had promised that the Savior would be a human, not an angel (Gen 3:15; Heb 2:16), and a Jew, not a Gentile (Gen 12:1–3; Num 24:17). He would be from the tribe of Judah (Gen 49:10), and the family of David (2 Sam 7:1–17), born of a virgin (Isa 7:14) in Bethlehem, the city of David (Mic 5:2)."^[3]

     The question is raised as to why Mary was traveling with Joseph at a time when she was advanced in her pregnancy? Perhaps because she knew the baby would be born soon, and did not want to be away from her husband, or because she knew they were traveling to Bethlehem and she knew about the prophecy given in Micah that foretold the birthplace of the Messiah, or simply because she wanted to get away from the wagging tongues of those who knew she was pregnant while still claiming to be a virgin. Whatever her motivation, ultimately it was the hand of God that brought her Bethlehem, which in the Hebrew means “the house of bread” a fitting place for the One who referred to himself as the “Bread of Life” (John 6:35).

• "While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." (Luke 2:6-7)

     Mary gave birth to her “firstborn son,” implying there were others (Matt 12:46). The place of Jesus’ birth could not have been more lowly and humble; yet, it was like the holy of holies because Messiah was there. The Son of God, born of a virgin, lay that night in a manger. As a baby He was helpless, relying on His mother to feed and clothe Him, and yet as God He was holding the universe together by His power. Here was the God-Man, Jesus the Christ. Luke informs us Mary wrapped the baby in strips of cloth to keep Him warm and placed him in a manger. “Many scholars believe that our Lord was born in a cave where animals were sheltered and not in a wooden shed such as you see in modern manger scenes.”^[4] The image of a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and placed in a feeding trough might well have symbolized the death and burial of Jesus. 

• "In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.  And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”  And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” (Luke 2:8-14)

     The shepherds were low on the social order of Jewish life and would have been rejected by those who were higher in society. Yet, it was these lowly shepherds that God called to witness the coming of the Savior into a world of darkness. It is no small thing to note that God did not call kings, nobles, priests, or mighty men, but rather the shepherds in the fields surrounding Bethlehem, who spent their days caring for the animals used in the sacrificial worship of Israel, which lambs symbolized Messiah Himself. The shepherds who watched over the sacrificial lambs night after night would soon gaze upon the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Today God is still calling those who are insignificant by worldly standards (1 Cor 1:26-29).

• "The shepherds were afraid at the first sight of the angels (Luke 2:8-9); however, their fear abated when the angel said, “"Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). The shepherds were given the sign that they would “find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12). With this news, there suddenly appeared “a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.’” (Luke 2:13-14).

     When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them. (Luke 2:15-20)

     Today people rush around seeking gifts to give each other, whereas the shepherds rushed to find the gift of God lying in a lowly manger. The shepherds accepted the message and by faith went to visit the baby Jesus. The shepherds had perhaps checked several animal stables before they found the one which housed the Messiah. Their motivation was to “see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known” (Luke 2:15). Without revelation from God, man can know nothing about God or His workings in history.

     Upon finding Jesus in the place where the angels had said He would be, the shepherds shared their experiences with Joseph and Mary, and then went back to their place of work praising God “for all that they had heard and seen” (Luke 2:20). The Holy Spirit tells us that Mary “treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). I suspect she went her entire life thinking about the night she gave birth to the Savior, recalling the sounds and smells of the nearby animals, and hearing the report by the shepherds. 

     It is a wonderful thing that God sent His only Son into a world of darkness, born miraculously of a virgin, in the line of David, according to the promise of Abraham, in the prophesied place of Bethlehem, at the time of history when God chose. The birth of Messiah meant God was executing His plan to bring the perfect sacrifice to atone for the sins of the world so that sinners could have salvation and hope for a future. Praise be to God for His wonderful promises and provisions!

 

[1] Two in the Gospels (Matt 1:25; Luke 2:7), twice in the epistles (Rom 1:3; Gal 4:4), and once in Revelation (Rev 12:5).

[2] Twenty-four times in the Gospels (Matt 16:21; 17:9; 20:18-18; 24:6-7; 26:2; 27:1-2; 28:4-5; Mark 8:31; 9:9; 10:32-34; 14:27-28; 15:39; 16:6; Luke 18:31-33; 23:33; 24:20; John 2:22; 10:17-18; 12:32-33; 18:14; 19:18, 23, 33; 20:9; 21:14), nine times in Acts (Acts 2:23; 3:15; 4:2; 5:30; 10:41; 13:29-30; 17:2-3; 25:18-19; 26:23), thirty times in the epistles (Rom 1:4; 4:25; 5:6-10; 7:4; 8:11; 10:9; 14:9; 1 Cor 1:23; 2:2; 8:11; 11:26; 15:1-4; 2 Cor 4:10; 5:14-15; 13:4; Gal 1:1; 2:20-21; 3:1; 6:14; Eph 1:20; Phil 2:8; Col 2:12; 1 Th 1:10; 4:14; 5:10; 2 Tim 2:8; Heb 2:9; 13:20; 1 Pet 1:21; 3:18; 1 John 3:16), and three times in Revelation (Rev 1:18; 2:8; 11:8).

^[3] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 175.

^[4] Ibid., 175.