Nativity

LUKE — LESSON 2

Scriptures for this lesson are taken from Luke 2, Matthew 1, Isaiah 7.

In Lesson 1 we studied about preparation. God prepared Zechariah and Elizabeth for the birth of their son, John, who would be the last of the Old Covenant prophets and the forerunner of the Messiah. He prepared Mary for the conception and birth of Jesus who was the Messiah. Then John the Baptist was born. In lesson 2 we will begin with God preparing Joseph who was Mary’s betrothed, to accept that Mary was a virgin and would give birth to the Messiah. This passage is told in Matthew. Matthew was a tax collector from Capernaum who collected taxes for the Romans. He was called to be an Apostle by Jesus.

[Matthew 1:18-25] (18) This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. (19) Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. (20) But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. (21) She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (22) All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: (23) “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). (24) When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. (25) But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

We learn from this passage that when Joseph and Mary were engaged but not living together yet, Mary became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. As we learned in last week’s lesson, according to the law, Mary should have been stoned to death. But Joseph cared about Mary and did not want to disgrace her and ruin her life, so his plan was to divorce her as quietly as possible. Before he could do this, an angel came to him in a dream. Most likely this was, Gabriel, who had appeared to Elizabeth and to Mary. The angel assured Joseph that Mary had not been with another man but had conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and that Joseph should take her as his wife. The child that she carried would be the long awaited Messiah as foretold by the prophet, Isaiah.

[Isaiah 7:14] Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Jesus was to be called Immanuel; He was called Jesus and the Christ. Immanuel means God with us. Jesus is Greek for the Hebrew Joshua which means Deliverer. Christ is Greek for the Hebrew, Messiah. So, we have, God with us as our deliverer. All three of these names describe who Jesus was and what His ministry was. God came to earth as a man in order to deliverer us from our sins.

Matthew also told us here, that Joseph was from the tribe of Judah and was a descendant of King David. This was God’s covenant with David that his kingdom would last forever as given in 2 Samuel 7:16. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever. Jesus fulfilled this covenant.

[Luke 2:1-3] (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.

Ceasar Augustus was the first Roman emperor after the Roman Republic was destroyed by the dictatorship of Julius Caesar. Following the death of Herod the Great in 4 BC, the Jews in Jerusalem rebelled against Rome in reaction to the execution of the Scribes Judas and Matthias. Roman troops came into Jerusalem and massacred much to the local population. Herod’s heir who had taken control of Israel after his death was then banished to Gaul and Judea and Samaria were incorporated into the Province of Syria. At that time, Caesar Augustus, as ruler of the Roman Empire needed a census to bring in taxes for his newly formed empire. Quirinius was the Governor of Syria, Samaria and Judea and he was responsible for the registration in that area.

[Luke 2:4-7] (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 in the inn.

Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth but they had to go to Bethlehem to register for the Roman tax. In Israel the Jews were to register according to their lineage. Since Joseph descended from King David who was from the tribe of Judah, and David’s home was Bethlehem, Joseph had to go to Bethlehem which was about 75 miles from Nazareth. This was a very long journey for a woman who was nine months pregnant. Can you imagine being 9 months pregnant, riding nearly 100 miles on the back of a donkey? But Joseph chose to take Mary with him and not leave her at home. I believe that decision was God’s will considering the danger that lay ahead for the baby Jesus.

[Luke 2:8-14] (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.”

An Angel of the Lord, probably, Gabriel, had come to announce to Israel that the long awaited Messiah had been born and was lying a manger in Bethlehem. The greatest news for all time was not given to a king but to lowly shepherds living in the fields with their sheep. The announcement of the angel was followed by a host of Heavenly beings who had come to praise God and the tiny infant who was God on earth with men.

[Luke 2:15-20] (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.

The shepherds found Jesus with His parents and they spread the word telling what the angel said to them about Jesus. Mary listened as the shepherds told of the angel who had come down from Heaven to tell them that the Messiah had been born. Can you imagine how excited they were when they described the Heavenly Host that appeared to them? Mary pondered, wondered about all the things the shepherds told them. The shepherds returned to their flocks telling everyone they saw on the way, praising and glorifying God.

[Luke 2:21-24] (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. (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.”

A child was not considered to be a living person until it had lived seven days. Seven is the number for completeness and there was a very high mortality rate for infants when they were first born in those early times. On the eighth day a child was named and male babies were taken to the temple to be circumcised so that they could be a part of the covenant family of God. Also, the mother was considered unclean because of her flow of blood following childbirth. If she had a male child she could enter the temple and go through a cleansing ceremony on the eight day, if it was a female child she had to wait two weeks. In verse 23, we have reference to the firstborn male. Since Jesus was Mary and Joseph’s firstborn, according to the Law, He belonged to God and had to be redeemed with money when He was thirty days old. This law came about from Israel’s firstborn being saved from the death angel in Egypt before the exodus.

[Luke 2:27-35] (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.”

Simeon was an old man who had the Holy Spirit with him and had promised him that he would see the Messiah before he died. He was guided into the temple by the Holy Spirit at the time that Mary and Joseph brought Jesus in for the temple rituals and Simeon knew that this was the Messiah. He praised God and prophesied that this child would be a light to the gentiles, meaning that the gentiles would come to know God through this child. Jesus would be the glory of Israel. Mary and Joseph again marveled, were amazed at what was said about their tiny baby. Even though they knew that Jesus was conceived through the power of God, they did not fully understand what it all meant. “The falling and rising of many in Israel” referred to the Jewish religious leaders who would reject Jesus but some would accept Him as the Messiah and bring salvation to the gentiles. Buy Mary’s own soul would be pierced when she watched her son die on the cross. I am sure she remembered Simeon’s words as she stood on Golgotha the day Jesus was crucified.

[Luke 2:36-38] (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.

The scripture tells us that Anna was an eighty-four year old woman who had been a widow for fifty years. She stayed at the temple all the time fasting, praying and worshiping God day and night. Can you imagine? She was very close to God and recognized the Messiah and gave thanks to God for His coming.

[Luke 2:39-40] (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.

We know very little about Jesus’ early life, but Luke tells us here that Mary and Joseph went back to their home in Nazareth and Jesus grew up there. However, Matthew, in his gospel tells that when the wise men from the east came looking for the newborn king of the Jews, they went to Herod the Great looking for a king’s son. Herod then had all the baby boys in Bethlehem killed that were two years old and under, trying to get Jesus killed. God, however, had warned Joseph to take his family to Egypt which he did until the death of Herod. The long awaited Messiah is born from the tribe of Judah as prophesied.

Lessons for us from Luke chapter 2:

1. God sent His only son to save us from our sins.

2. We need to share the good news!

3. We need to be obedient to God’s word.

4. Like Simeon and Anna, we need to be patient and wait for God to answer.

5. Study God’s word and follow His leadership.

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