Luke 2 Jesus' Birth and Boyhood

Luke 2 begins with one of the most frequently read Bible passages which describes the birth of Jesus. 

With Mary’s time fast approaching, she and Joseph make their way to his hometown—Bethlehem. Around the world, in homes and churches wherever Christ’s followers gather, the story is told and re-told during the Christmas season just as it has been for centuries using the details Luke provides.

Mary “gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manager, because there was no guest room available for them” (Luke 2:7).

Shepherds minding their sheep are startled by the appearance of an angel with a message: “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, he is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). They waste no time, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about” (Luke 2:15). After visiting the baby in the manger, the shepherds are unable to contain themselves, They tell everyone about their life-changing experience. Luke’s summary of the first eight days of Christ’s life, also includes Mary’s response to the amazing events:

“But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19).

One verse tells so much, and invites us to engage with Luke and consider his story from Mary’s unique perspective. This will also prompt us to consider Joseph’s thoughts even though Luke doesn’t mention them. Instead he pauses, and replaces words with silence. By not saying anything at all, Luke demonstrates one of his strengths as an author. When you read Luke, watch for moments of silence and the times when Luke refrains from embellishing his story.

In this chapter he explains where Jesus was born (Luke 2:1-21), then describes how his parents took him to the temple for the purification rites (Luke 2:22-40) before returning home to Nazareth in Galilee.  

While they are in the temple, two new characters are introduced.  One is Simeon a righteous and devout Spirit-filled man  “It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah” (Luke 2:26). Simeon goes to the temple and takes the baby Jesus in his arms, and praises God saying “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel” (Luke 2:9-32).

Anna, an eighty-four year old widow and prophet is the second new character. Anna lives in the temple, worshiping night and day, fasting and praying. She comes up to Joseph and Mary, giving thanks to God, and “Spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem” (Luke 2:38).

After fulfilling the requirements of the Law, Joseph and Mary travel back to Nazareth. As Luke notes, “the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him” (Luke 2:40).

Doctor Luke then breaks off, leaving us a blank page with a gap of a dozen years without a word. Here Luke remains silent. 

In Luke 2 he resumes his story when Jesus’ parents take him (now twelve years old) to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover, a festival that lasted for eight days. When it’s time to return home, Joseph and Mary leave without realizing that Jesus is not with them. Instead of joining all his parents’ relatives for the journey home he stayed behind in Jerusalem. 

When Joseph and Mary realize what has happened they go back and find Jesus “in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 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’ ” (Luke 2:45-48).

Jesus replies “Why were you searching for me? . . . Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house? But they did not understand what he was saying to them” (Luke 2:49-50).

As Luke concludes, we hear an echo of Mary’s thoughtfulness expressed in Luke 2:19. The reunited family turns for home “Then he [Jesus] went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:51-52).

Spoiler alert: now there's another period of silence, an eighteen year gap that Luke doesn't even attempt to fill. 
As you review all you've read in Luke 2, ask yourself What title would you use for Luke's second chapter? Is there one title for the whole chapter: Jesus' Birth and Dedication; How Old Testament Prophecies were Fulfilled; or Searching for Jesus. Or would you give a different title to each of the main sections? Finally, what verse or passage is your favorite, and how could you make application from it in the week ahead?

Take a Weekly Walk with Luke & Friends in 2018

Nine men invest an hour a week connecting with each other, reading and discussing a book written in the first century.

We are engineers, researchers, a winemaker, a financial advisor, and active retirees. We meet weekly over coffee to study the gospel according to Luke. We begin by reading this week’s passage aloud.

You are invited to join us on our journey. The first chapter is packed with unusual stories and surprising details:

A temple priest named Zechariah becomes speechless after a conversation with an angel named Gabriel.

The same angel—Gabriel—predicts two miraculous births, and assigns a name for each child:

One boy will be born by Zechariah’s wife Elizabeth an older woman who suffers the shame of being childless;

Elizabeth’s son will become known as John the Baptist. Zechariah recovers his ability to speak eight days after his son’s birth, when he is filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesies:

“And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace” (Luke 1:76-79).

The second son will be born by Mary a young unmarried virgin engaged to Joseph, a descendant of David.

According to Gabriel, Mary will “conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end” Luke 1:31-33).

Mary initially questions Gabriel “How will this be since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34). Gabriel answers, “The Holy Spirit will come on you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). After telling her how her cousin Elizabeth is also going to have a baby, Gabriel reassures Mary by saying “no word of God will ever fail” (Luke 1:36).

These are just some of the details Luke packs into his account. Known as the apostle Paul's "beloved physician." Doctor Luke's writings (the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts) are addressed to the same person—Theophilus. We do not know if Theophilus was a real person—possibly a Roman governor or local official—or simply a literary device Luke uses to speak to any "lover of God" (the Greek meaning of Theophilus). 

Luke himself was an educated Gentile from Antioch in Syria. He is the only Gentile writer of any book in the Bible. He joined the Apostle Paul’s second missionary journey, and spent time in Antioch, Jerusalem, Caesarea, and Rome. Luke is recognized as the “father of Christian history” based on his work as a careful historian as seen through his writing of the gospel that provides the most complete picture of the life and work of Jesus. 

He opens his gospel account by clearly stating his purpose: "since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught" (Luke 1:3-4).

Like Jesus, Luke is ahead of his time and pays special attention to women with stories that are only found in his gospel. Children are also given more attention by Luke than by the other three gospels. Like Jesus he considers the plight of the poor and oppressed, and shows how Jesus healed people, befriended sinners and extended sympathy to the outcast and unfortunate. 

I was surprised to learn about a legend suggesting Luke may have been an artist. This may not be factually accurate, but imaginatively speaking it sits well with Luke’s graphic writing style. As J.B. Phillips writes “we owe him a definite enrichment and enlargement of the story of Jesus that gives the impression of an artist’s sensitivity.”

Starting Over . . . New Year's Day 2015

In today's One Year Bible readings, I was reminded of one of the major reasons why I find it essential to read and re-read a book that I try to read through every year.  Read to learn from the wisdom of the Proverbs:

"Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair . . . Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser" 

(Proverbs 1:2-5).

The power of reading well is expressed in the following observation by author Susan Cain: "Proust called these moments of unity between writer and reader 'that fruitful miracle of a communication in the midst of solitude.'" (From Quiet, The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, Broadway Books, New York.)

Take time to read, reflect, and apply what you learn in 2015.  Happy New Year!

Learn to Master Time

"I think we must do exercises in stopping time and in standing in the present, in this 'now' which is my present and which is also the intersection of eternity with time," writes Orthodox Archbishop Anthony Bloom in Beginning to Pray.

He then suggests a way to do this: "sit down and say 'I am seated, I am doing nothing.  I will do nothing for five minutes', and then relax and continually throughout this time . . . realize, 'I am here in the presence of God, in my own presence . . . just still, moving nowhere.'

"Learn to master time, and you will be able--whatever you do, whatever the stress, in the storm, in the tragedy, or simply in the confusion in which we continuously live--to be still, immobile in the present, face to face with the Lord, in silence or in words.

"If you use words, then you can bring to God all that is around you, all the storm.  If you are silent, you can rest in the 'eye' of the cyclone or the hurricane, in the calm there, but leaving the storm around you to rage, while you are where God is, at the only point of total stability.

"But this point of total stability is not a point where nothing happens.

"It is the point where all the conflicting tensions meet and are counterbalanced by one another and are held in the powerful hand of God."

(Beginning to Pray, Paulist Press, 1970, pages 83-91.)

Ocean Splendour . . . a Visual Post for the New Year

As the New Year begins, here is my Happy New Year greeting . . . enjoy a glimpse of the beauty of creation as seen along the Coast of Northern California last weekend.  Ocean Splendour, a two minute video, now available on YouTube.  To view the video, just click on the link: Ocean Splendour.

A short introduction to spiritual reading

Torrent: a swift, violent stream--like an Oregon waterfall--rushing along and spreading with "impetuosity and abundance."

Continuing a thematic approach, from standing firm like a rock in a mountain torrent to another kind of torrent. This post introduces a simple way to read the classic devotional works by Christian writers through the ages.

  “God’s grace is like a torrent.  When it is stopped from taking its ordinary course, it looks for another outlet, and when it finds one, it spreads out with impetuosity and abundance,” Brother Lawrence’s classic,

The Practice of the Presence of God as quoted by Marjorie J. Thompson.

   “God has infinite treasures to give us. Yet a little tangible devotion, which passes away in a moment satisfies us.  How blind we are, since in this way we tie God’s hands, and we stop the abundance of His grace! But when He finds a soul penetrated with living faith, He pours out grace on it in abundance.”

   “Spiritual reading can be applied to texts other than scripture, especially to devotional literature or good religious poetry. Great spiritual classics may be read in small portions, savored, and reflected upon for personal nurture,” Thompson comments: “Now go back into these words with a mind seeking connections to your own life, and a heart open to being addressed by God in your current situation . . . Pause . . . allow questions to surface:

·       God do you really have infinite treasures to give me?

·       Do you desire to pour these out in my life?

·       Visualize—what happens when a torrent of water is blocked from its normal flow?

·       What blocks do I put in the way of God’s grace?

·       Am I satisfied with too little?

·       How do I become “a soul penetrated with living faith?     

  “Allow prayer to surface spontaneously from the meditations of your heart . . .

then take a few moments to rest in confidence that your desires are known and received

in the heart of God.  Find joy and peace in this assurance.  You have just completed a

process of spiritual reading.”

Soul Feast: An invitation to the spiritual life, chapter 2, by Marjorie J. Thompson

(Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, Kentucky, © 1995, 2005).

Stand firm! A reminder for Timothy from the apostle Paul.

"Stand firm! Like a rock in a mountain torrent,"
   John Stott's summary of Paul's charge in 
   2 Timothy 3:14.

Earlier today I spoke with one of my Paul's.  
We exchanged some ideas around different 
ways of blogging.  This is one way.  


What are others?  Do you blog, or read blogs?  
What do you look for while searching or 
browsing online?  I'm interested in hearing 
your ideas!