Luke 2 - The Only Place Where There Was Room for Jesus Was on a Cross!

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Enduring Word Commentary

The Birth of Jesus

2 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[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.

In chapter 1, Luke stated that he had investigated the facts of the things about Jesus from many eyewitnesses. He continues with the story of the birth of Jesus, which begins with the Roman Emperor decreeing a census. He will introduce to two people who we will only meet in his gospel.

The story of Jesus’ birth began during the reign of one of the most remarkable men of ancient history. - Guzik

It seemed that the authority of this man changed the chaos of that time in a dramatic way. He brought three things that turned the tide miraculously. First, he brought peace because he had defeated all his rivals. Second, he brought political and administrative skill, perhaps even brilliance. Third, he brought vast sums of money from Egypt to pay the soldiers and to help the Roman economy. - Guzik

While Quirinius was governing Syria: This is another historical anchor, securing Luke’s account with the reign of known, verifiable historical people. - Guzik

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.

This verse contains the fulfillment of a few of the prophecties made about Jesus. First, Jesus would grow up in Nazareth. Second, because he was born in the line of David. Third, he would be born in Bethlehem. Not only would Jesus be born of the Davidic kingly line, but also how out Bethlehem would come a ruler for all of Israel. (From Micah 5:2)  Finally, Jesus would be born of a virgin. (Isaiah 7:14) 

Mary was expecting a child but not married yet due to the supernatural nature of Jesus' birth. Mary gave birth to Jesus and put him a manger. Due to the many people coming for the census, there was "no room for him at the inn". 

The trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem (just outside of Jerusalem) is about 80 miles. This was not a short distance in those days. It was a significant undertaking, costing time and money. - Guzik

According to the Roman law, Mary didn’t have to go with Joseph for the tax census; but it made sense for her to go with Joseph, especially because she was in the latter stages of a controversial pregnancy – surely the subject of much gossip in Nazareth.

“That there was no room in the inn was symbolic of what was to happen to Jesus. The only place where there was room for him was on a cross.” (Barclay)

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.”

We see throughout the gospels that God uses unlikely people in the story of His Son coming to earth. He uses ordinary fishermen, tax collectors, an engaged couple from Nazareth. In this passage he uses shepherds who are watching their sheep at night. Later, we will learn that Jesus is the Good Shepherd that lays down his life for his sheep. But for now the angels are the first ones to spread the Good News of Jesus' birth. 

Whenever angels appear in the bible they cause fear. Because they are heavenly beings, they are unlike any human being. In this case, the angels caused the Lord's glory to shine around the shepherds. The angel calmed the shepherds by telling them that he was bringing them good news of great joy. 

They brought "Good News" of "Great Joy". We always have to ask ourselves is the message we are preaching Good News. Sometimes Christians focus on the bad news. I.e. What happens to you if you don't believe. Instead the Good News is that God's kingdom is available to all of us. It is also good news of great joy. Sometimes Christians seem joyless. We sometimes focus more on the things we have given up for Jesus rather showing the joy of following Him. If you have no joy in your life,  you are now showing one of the fruits of the Spirit, which is joy. 

And there would be a sign. The baby would be wrapped in cloths and lying in a manager. 

“That there was no room in the inn was symbolic of what was to happen to Jesus. The only place where there was room for him was on a cross.” (Barclay)

"Many have said that a late December date is impossible, because shepherds would not have been out at night at that time of year. Nevertheless, warm winters are not unknown in Judea, which has a climate remarkably similar to Southern California." - Guzik

3 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.” 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

While many would not give glory to or worship Jesus, the multitude of angels appear with this angel to give glory to God. If one angel gave Mary and Joseph a scare, I can only imagine what hundreds of thousands of them looked like. The shepherds only response to this angelic concert was to go to Bethlehem to check out if this was really true. 

The angel told them to look for a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger (Luke 2:12). It wasn’t an unusual sign to see a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths, but it was strange to see a baby lying in a manger – a feeding trough. If the angel had not told them to look for such a specific sign, they would never have believed it.

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.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.

The bible says, "If you seek you will find". The shepherds proved that saying to be true. The found the angels story to be 100% accurate. They not only verified the angel's reports, but this also caused them to share this Good News. The people were amazed at the shepherd's testimony. After all for something like this to happen through lowly shepherds was not something anyone could have made up. 

For her part, Mary treasured up these things in her heart. It also confirmed what the angels had told her. Mary's faith was rewarded. Her long journey had ended with the birth of our Savior. In obedience to the angel, Mary and Joseph gave their baby boy the name "Jesus", which means "God saves". In obedience to Moses' law they circumcised Jesus on the 8th day. We will see this throughout Jesus' life that he was raised according the Jewish Law and when he got older obeyed the laws himself. 

The shepherd’s good news amazed all who heard it. Even if they didn’t really understand it, they recognized that something significant had happened. - Guzik

“God, to show that he respected not persons, revealed this grand mystery to the shepherds and the wise men; the one poor, the other rich; the one learned, the other unlearned; the one Jews, the other Gentiles; the one near, the other far off.” (Trapp)

This was done so Jesus might fulfill every aspect of the law (as commanded in Leviticus 12:2-3). It also shows that Joseph and Mary were truly devout, obedient parents. They obeyed God’s command in Leviticus 12, so Jesus obeyed it also.

Jesus Presented in the Temple

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”[b]), 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.”[c]

Once Mary and Joseph did everything according to the Jewish Law with their newborn baby boy. 

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[d] 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.”

Once again we meet a fairly obscure character in Luke's gospel account. Simeon had been waiting for the Messiah, and the Holy Spirit revealed to him that he would not die until he saw im. Remember Luke's emphasis on the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was "on him". Fifty days after Jesus' resurrection at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit would not just be on the apostles but in them. 

This same Spirit moved Simeon to the temple where he took Jesus into his arms and praised God. These verses from 29-32 are called the "Nunc Dimitis" which are often chanted in traditional churches. 

The Nunc dimittis[1] (English: /nʊŋk dɪˈmɪtɪs/), also known as the Song of Simeon or the Canticle of Simeon, is a canticle taken from the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke, verses 29 to 32. Its Latin name comes from its incipit, the opening words, of the Vulgate translation of the passage, meaning "Now you let depart".[2] Since the 4th century it has been used in Christian services of evening worship such as Compline, Vespers, and Evensong.[3] (wikipedia)

Note Jesus was a light and revelation for all people both Jews and Gentiles alike. 

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 gave a more ominous blessing to Mary. He told her Jesus would cause the falling and rising of many and a sword would pierce her heart too. I wonder what she thought about this prophecy from Simeon. 

It was important for Mary to know that mothering the Messiah would not be all sweetness and light. It was both a great privilege and a great burden. Possibly no other human agonized as much over Jesus’ rejection and suffering as His mother did. This was not only because of the natural love of a mother, but also because His rejection was her rejection. Wonderfully, His vindication was hers also.- Guzik

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.[e] 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.

We meet yet another obscure character Anna, who was a prophetess. If prophets speak the Word of God, it would appear that women can and do speak God's Word. She was a widow for many years. If her husband only lived 7 years and she got married at 17, like a lot of young Jewish girls did, then she was a widow for 60 years. 

She was quite a devout woman, as evidenced by the fact she was at the temple 24/7, fasting and praying. Now that's devotion!  Anna had waited for this specific moment and now made the most of it. She gave thanks, and gave her testimony about the Jesus, who she had fasted and prayed for. He was now here. Her prayers were answered!

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.

Again we see Mary and Joseph's obedience to the Jewish Law. They went back to Nazareth, which later would be the place Jesus started his earthly ministry some 30 years later. Jesus grew physically and spiritually. God's grace and wisdom filled his heart and mind! 

The Boy Jesus at the Temple

41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 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.”49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”[f] 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them. 51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

It was common for groups of families to travel together on the way to the Passover festival. There were probably other families from Nazareth in Galilee who went with them. When the festival was over on the way home discovered Jesus was not with them. Again given the numbers who traveled en masse it was not unthinkable for Mary and Joseph to lose track of him. 

But when you realize they lost him for three days in Jerusalem, it makes you wonder a little about their parenting skills. Jesus was holding his own in the temple, teaching the elders when his mom and dad found him. Apparently he was quite the whiz kid, as the elders were amazed at his knowledge, and he was also pressing them with questions. 

When his mother asked Jesus why he had treated them like this, he answered matter of factly, "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" 

To make it clear Luke adds that Jesus was obedient to them once they got home. As Mary saw Jesus grow in wisdom and stature, she treasured all these things in her heart. It sort of like your kid gets in trouble for something you have to discipline him for, but then realize he is mature beyond his years. Jesus was not only a good teacher but also had incredible relational skills.  He not only had a great relationship with his father in heaven, but all people. There was something about Jesus that drew people to him. This will only increase with each chapter of Luke.