January 12 - Luke 2

Please find my reflections following the verses in bold, purple print.

Luke 2

New Living Translation (NLT)

The Birth of Jesus

2 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee.5 He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant.

6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

My 8 year old granddaughter assisted me with a Christmas Eve Birthday celebration for Jesus.  The family gathered around, and while I read Luke's version of the Birth of Jesus, she, dressed as an angel, put the nativity scene in place in the order in which people arrived at the stable.  I read from Matthew 2 for the story of the wise men coming to visit Jesus, to honor Him as King (gift of gold); as Deity/God (gift of frankincense); and as our Sacrifice/Savior (gift of myrrh).  

It was interesting to research the meaning of the gifts.  The family participated by singing the verses of "We Three Kings", which was written by Rev. John Henry Hopkins, Jr., who was the music director at the General Theological Seminary (Episcopalian).  He wrote the song in 1857 for a pageant in New York City.  Once I better understood the meaning of the gifts, the song made so much more theological sense to me as it explicitly states how the gifts were fitting for the Newborn King, Jesus.

The Shepherds and Angels

8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in highest heaven,
    and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

I was very privileged to be part of a class of 25 from Lee University in Cleveland, TN which took a study tour of Israel for class credit.  One of our stops was Shepherds' Field, located outside the city of Bethlehem.  There were rock ledges in this hillside country where shepherds and animals could gather for safety from storms.  It was such a peaceful setting, so open to the sky.  One could almost imagine a host of angels praising God and singing.  

Jesus Is Presented in the Temple

21 Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived.

22 Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. 23 The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.”[a] 24 So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord—“either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”[b]

The Prophecy of Simeon

25 At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him 26 and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, 28 Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,

29 “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace,
    as you have promised.
30 I have seen your salvation,
31     which you have prepared for all people.
32 He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
    and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

33 Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but he will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. 35 As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”

What a blessing for Simeon to hold God's Son in his arms, the fulfilling of God's promise to him.  However, what a heart-rendering message he delivered to Mary, that a sword will pierce her soul because of what her son must endure.  Mothers have a nurturing nature that does not want anything bad to happen to their children.  They will do what is necessary to protect them, but in some cases they cannot.  I think Mary probably realized many things would happen in the life of her son that she would have to give over to God to relieve her pain of seeing her child rejected and abused and slandered, and, finally, crucified.  

The Prophecy of Anna

36 Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. 37 Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four.[c] She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. 38 She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.

39 When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee. 40 There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him.

Jesus Speaks with the Teachers

41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. 42 When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. 43 After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him at first, 44 because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends.

45 When they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. 46 Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. 47 All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
48 His parents didn’t know what to think. “Son,” his mother said to him, “why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.”
49 “But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?”[d]50 But they didn’t understand what he meant.
51 Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart.
52 Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.

Jesus grew mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially.  In ways we all must grow.  We eat, we go to school, we are among friends and family, but what about our spiritual growth?  How do we attain that?  Hopefully we attend church regularly, but it takes so much more than going into a public building.  Spiritual growth is nurtured by an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.  It is influenced by the words of scripture, which we are to read and obey.  Worship is a communion with God that we can enter into and be renewed.  I am also an advocate of journaling, writing down thoughts that are God-inspired.  Without a doubt communication is the key to depth in all relationships, and prayer is how we communicate with our Father.  It should be as natural as breathing to us.  He knows our hearts and our thoughts, but He wants us to share them with Him from our lips...take the time to acknowledge His daily presence with us.

Footnotes:

1. 2:23 Exod 13:2.
2. 2:24 Lev 12:8.
3. 2:37 Or She had been a widow for eighty-four years.
4. 2:49 Or “Didn’t you realize that I should be involved with my Father’s affairs?”