Luke 2
Summary for Luke 2:1-7: 2:1-7 a Having described John’s birth, Luke gives a parallel account of Jesus’ birth, with emphasis on its lowliness. Although he was the glorious Messiah, Jesus entered the world in humble circumstances. 2:1 b Caesar Augustus, whose given name was Octavian, ruled the Roman Empire from 27 BC to AD 14. Prior to his time, Rome was a republic ruled by a senate. The Roman senate gave Augustus supreme authority as emperor, and the republic became an empire. Augustus secured the empire’s borders and established the Pax Romana (“Roman Peace”), a period of unprecedented stability and prosperity in the Mediterranean world.• A census registered the people for tax purposes.
2:2 c Quirinius was governor of Syria: Quirinius held this post AD 6–9. In 6–4 BC, Quirinius also had authority over Judea, possibly through some kind of joint rule. He may have begun the census. Historical accounts mention three other censuses at that time (in Syria, Gaul, and Spain), and there was no reason not to have one in Judea, though it is not mentioned in secular records. Jesus was born around 6–4 BC, before Herod the Great died in 4 BC (see Matt 2:1-19 d).
Summary for Luke 2:3-4: 2:3-4 e Since Joseph was a descendant of King David, he returned to David’s hometown of Bethlehem (1 Sam 17:12 f, 58 g; 20:6 h), a tiny village in Judea five miles south of Jerusalem, where Mic 5:2 i predicted that the Messiah would be born.
2:5 j Mary, to whom he was engaged: See study note on 1:27.
2:7 k wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth: This common practice showed motherly love and care (see Ezek 16:4 l).
• A manger was a feeding trough for animals.
• no lodging available for them: This is a more accurate translation than the traditional “no room in the inn.” The word translated lodging does not mean an inn (there were no inns in tiny Bethlehem), but either a guest room in a private house or a public shelter for travelers. Since there was no normal lodging, Joseph and Mary moved to an area reserved for animals.
2:8 m Shepherds were sometimes portrayed in Judaism as drifters and dishonest troublemakers. This stereotype was not universal, however; in the Old Testament, shepherds are usually viewed positively (e.g., Ps 23:1 n). Jesus came to common people such as these poor and humble peasants.
• staying in the fields: This suggests warmer months of the year, perhaps March through November, though some shepherds stayed out year-round. The actual month of Jesus’ birth is unknown.
• They were guarding their flocks against thieves and wild animals.
Summary for Luke 2:9-10: 2:9-10 o terrified: As with Zechariah and Mary, the angelic presence was glorious and frightening. The angel told the shepherds, “Don’t be afraid” (cp. 1:11-13 p, 28-30 q).
• I bring you good news: This verb (Greek euangelizō, “I evangelize”) is from the same root as the word for “Good News” (Greek euangelion, sometimes translated gospel; e.g., Gal 2:5 r, 7 s, 14 t). Isaiah’s prophecies describe God’s salvation as good news (see, e.g., Isa 52:7 u; 61:1 v).
• to all people (literally to all the people): In Luke’s writings, “the people” (grammatical singular) always refers to the people of Israel. The shepherds were being told that Israel’s salvation had arrived. It would ultimately go to all nations.
2:11 w The Messiah (Greek Christos, a translation of Hebrew mashiakh) means “Anointed One” and refers to the coming savior from David’s line (see study note on 1:32-33). As the Good News moved from a Jewish context to the Gentile world, Christians began to use Christos less as a title and more as a name.
2:12 x this sign: Shepherds would appreciate the paradox and incongruity between the security of strips of cloth and the lowly circumstances of lying in a manger. Seeing a baby in such a setting was very unusual—a fitting sign that God was at work.
2:13 y The armies of heaven reveal God’s sovereign power and authority (2 Kgs 6:17 z; Ps 148:2 aa). “Lord of Heaven’s Armies” is a common Old Testament name for God (e.g., 1 Sam 1:11 ab; 17:45 ac; 2 Sam 7:8 ad; Isa 5:16 ae; Rom 9:29 af; Jas 5:4 ag).
2:14 ah Glory to God in highest heaven: This short hymn is known as the Gloria in excelsis Deo from the first line of the Latin translation. The Messiah’s coming brings glory to God in the heavens and peace to humans on earth.
• peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased: Peace indicates total well-being, not just the absence of hostility. The traditional translation, “on earth peace, good will toward men” (KJV), is based on the reading of some late manuscripts. The NLT text follows more reliable early manuscripts. Peace comes to the recipients of God’s grace.
2:19 ai Mary kept all these things in her heart: Perhaps Mary reflected on the significance of these events and wondered about Jesus’ destiny. It is also possible that Luke says this because Mary was his source of information on these events.
2:20 aj Glorifying and praising God are major themes throughout Luke’s Gospel (e.g., 1:64 ak; 2:13 al, 28 am; 5:25-26 an; 7:16 ao; 13:13 ap; 17:15 aq, 18 ar; 18:43 as; 19:37 at; 23:47 au; 24:53 av).
2:21 aw Eight days later ... circumcised: See study note on 1:59.
2:22 ax time for their purification offering: The law of Moses prescribed a forty-day period of ritual purification for women following childbirth (Lev 12 ay), after which an offering was made (Luke 2:24 az).
• to present him to the Lord: Every firstborn, whether human or animal, was to be offered to the Lord; humans were bought back with a redemption price (see Exod 13:1-2 ba, 15 bb; 34:19-20 bc; Num 3:11-13 bd; 18:15-16 be; Neh 10:35-36 bf).
2:24 bg a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons: This quote from Lev 12:8 bh pertains to the purification ceremony after childbirth; Joseph and Mary offered the sacrifice prescribed for the poor.
2:25 bi Simeon was righteous and devout, like Zechariah and Elizabeth (1:6 bj). They represent the righteous remnant of Israel that awaited God’s salvation (Isa 10:20-22 bk). Some have assumed that Simeon was a priest; the text says only that he was a devout man in Jerusalem.
• eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel (literally awaiting Israel’s consolation): This is an allusion to Isa 40:1 bl, which promised comfort to Israel after returning from exile.
• The Holy Spirit was upon him: See study note on Luke 1:41.
2:26 bm the Lord’s Messiah (or the Lord’s Anointed): This title, often used of David, came to refer to the Messiah, who would come from David’s line.
2:27 bn to the Temple: This was the Temple compound, not the sanctuary. See study note on 1:8-9.
Summary for Luke 2:29-32: 2:29-32 bo This third great hymn of the birth narrative is called the Nunc dimittis (“now dismiss”), from the first words of the Latin translation. The hymn praises God for allowing Simeon to see God’s salvation.
2:30 bp I have seen your salvation: The phrase echoes Isa 52:12 bq.
2:31 br The grammatical plural of people means all people, Jews and Gentiles (cp. study note on 2:9-10).
2:32 bs The prophet Isaiah predicted that the coming Kingdom of God would bring salvation to all the nations (Isa 42:6-7 bt; 49:6 bu).
• the glory of your people Israel! This quote from Isa 46:13 bv says that God’s salvation will bring glory to Israel. Israel’s role in the Old Testament was to bring glory to God by revealing God’s light to the nations.
2:34 bw to cause many in Israel to fall: Many Israelites rejected Jesus as the Messiah (see Isa 8:14-15 bx).
• a sign from God: See Luke 11:29-30 by; cp. Isa 8:18 bz.
2:35 ca the deepest thoughts of many hearts: Israel’s true heart—whether for God or against him—would be revealed through their response to Jesus.
• a sword will pierce your very soul: Mary would experience great pain at seeing her son rejected and dying on the cross.
Summary for Luke 2:36-38: 2:36-38 cb Anna is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew name Hannah, Samuel’s mother (1 Sam 1–2 cc). Jewish tradition identified seven Old Testament women as prophets: Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Huldah, and Esther. Anna was another prophetic witness to Jesus’ identity as the Messiah.
• The tribe of Asher, one of the ten northern tribes of Israel, was named after Jacob’s eighth son (Gen 30:12-13 cd). Most of those who returned from Babylonian exile were from the tribe of Judah; other Israelites also knew their tribal ancestry in Jesus’ day. For instance, the apostle Paul was from the tribe of Benjamin (Phil 3:5 ce).
2:37 cf she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four: In the ancient world, great age was associated with wisdom and honor.
• She never left the Temple: This is probably hyperbole; we might say, “She was there all the time,” reflecting her total dedication to God.
2:40 cg filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him (cp. 1:80 ch; 2:52 ci): The twin statements about Jesus’ wisdom (2:40 cj, 52 ck) frame the story about Jesus’ extraordinary wisdom at an early age.
Summary for Luke 2:41-51: 2:41-51 cl Jesus’ visit to Jerusalem when he was twelve is the only account from Jesus’ childhood recorded in the Gospels. Its main theme is Jesus’ early spiritual insight, including his growing awareness both of his unique father-son relationship with God and of his unique mission. 2:41 cm Every year ... the Passover festival: Passover, celebrating Israel’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt, was one of three great annual festivals that Jewish men were expected to attend (Exod 23:14-17 cn; Deut 16:16 co). Jesus’ family was devout and observant.
2:42 cp Jesus was twelve years old: A Jewish boy entered into his covenant responsibilities at age thirteen (the bar mitzvah ceremony developed later to express this custom). With this visit, Jesus’ parents were preparing him to fulfill his role in the covenant community.
2:44 cq they assumed he was among the other travelers: Joseph and Mary were probably traveling with a large caravan of relatives and friends from Galilee. Jesus probably spent a lot of time with his friends and relatives, so his parents were not worried at first.
2:46 cr The three days probably included one day traveling from Jerusalem, one day traveling back, and one day searching.
• in the Temple: He was in the Temple compound, not the sanctuary.
• listening to them and asking questions: Jesus was in the role of a student. In rabbinic instruction, a teacher responded to a student’s question with a series of counter-questions. Jesus’ insightful questions and answers amazed the teachers.
2:47 cs amazed at his understanding and his answers: Jesus fulfilled Isa 11:2 ct.
2:49 cu Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house? Jesus was aware that his greatest loyalty belonged to his Father in heaven.
2:51 cv Although Jesus recognized his relationship to his heavenly Father, he was obedient to his earthly parents.
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