2BeLikeChrist Bible Commentary - Luke Chapter 2
Commentary - Luke Chapter 2
Luke 2:1-3
Luk 2:1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.
Luk 2:2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
Luk 2:3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town.
This chapter is about the birth of Jesus, but before we can talk about Bethlehem and the manger, we have to get into some historical study.
We are going to have to spend some time digging into the details of these first three verse.
The reason is because they are some of the most often cited verses by Bible critics claiming they’ve found contradictions in the Bible.
The point of supposed contradiction isn’t immediately obvious unless you are really familiar with Roman history.
THE PROBLEM:
Jesus’ birth is typically dated around 6-4 B.C.
Augustus was emperor in Rome at that time, no problems there.
Matthew’s gospel places Jesus’ birth within the lifetime of Herod the Great. Herod died sometime around 4 B.C., so that isn’t a problem.
Quirinius became governor of Syria in 6 A.D. (served till 12 A.D.) when Judaea became a Roman Provence and the Herods were taken out of power.
Quirinius didn’t become governor until 8-10 years after the birth of Jesus.
Yet, Luke tells us he was already governing during the birth of Jesus.
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS:
Solution 1: Quirinius was governor in Syria twice:
From 9-7 B.C., Sentius Saturninus was governor of Syria.
From 7-4 B.C., Publius Quinctilius Varus governed the province.
The governor who followed Varus is unknown.
It is possible Quirinius filled the role of governor in Varus’ absence.
Luke’s gospel validates this view. 59
The Titulus Tibertinus (a stone inscription) also alludes to this possibility.
Titulus Tibertinus speaks of a man who was twice governor (legate) in Syria. Quirinius’ name is not mentioned on the stone (the stone is broken) but the description of the man’s accomplishments match those of Quirinius.
Solution 2: Quirinius served as procurator in Syria when Jesus was born.
The term translated “governor” in the ESV does not necessarily refer to the person holding the office of Legatus Augusti pro praetore (the imperial governor).
It means to “act as a ruler” or to “govern.”
The Greek word is “hegemoneuo.”
This allows the possibility that Quirinius was not the imperial governor of Syria, but was serving in a place of authority.
One potential role of authority Quirinius may have held was that of a procurator.
A procurator worked alongside the imperial governor.
He was not a subordinate of the imperial governor, instead he reported directly to the emperor.
The imperial governor was responsible for the management of the military and judicial matters.
The procurator was responsible for the financial affairs, including taxes.
This would make perfect sense considering Caesar’s command in verse 1 related to registration of property/people for tax purposes.
Question: Is it reasonable Luke would use the term “hegemoneuo” to refer to both the imperial governor and the procurator.
When examining the writings of the Jewish historian Josephus we find him using the term “president” to refer to both the imperial governor and the procurator.
When Saturninus was imperial governor (9-7 B.C.) and Volumnius his procurator, Josephus refers to them as the “presidents.”
“But Sylleus, who had laid Obodas aside; and managed all by himself; denied that the robbers were in Arabia, and put off the payment of the money. About which there was an hearing before Saturninus and Volumnius, who were then the presidents of Syria” (Antiquities 15.9.1).
In light of Josephus’ words, it is reasonable Luke might use “hegemoneuo” to refer to Quirinius governing as procurator.
Justin Martyr, born around 100 A.D., gives credibility to this theory. • He referred to Cyrenius (same as Quirinius) as the procurator of Judaea. • “Now there is a village in the land of the Jews, thirty-five stadia from Jerusalem, in which Jesus Christ was born, as you can ascertain also from the registers of the taxing made under Cyrenius, your first procurator in Judæa” (First Apology, chapter 34).
In my view, either of these possibilities dismiss the claim of a contradiction.
It is common to hear critics say, “There is no historical evidence to suggest such a tax/registration could have happened.
This is easily disprovable.
Similar registrations were done regularly throughout the empire.
We know Augustus decreed a registration when he accepted the title of “Father of the Country.”
This occurred around 2 B.C.
SIDE NOTE: Does the Bible (generally) and Luke’s writing (specifically) deserve the benefit of the doubt when it comes to points of historical debate?
Luke’s writings have been heavily scrutinized by Bible lovers and Bible critics alike and have been found to be historically accurate again-and-again.
Yes, Luke deserves the benefit of the doubt.
Unfortunately, you will almost never hear a Bible critic acknowledge Luke’s spotless track record.
As soon as the critic comes across a difficult text, they throw their hands up in faux exhaustion and announce to everyone around them, “This text can’t be reconciled.”
The only real contradiction is that these “educated” men are claiming to be Bible scholars but aren’t putting in the historical study to understand the text properly.
Critics of the Bible once claimed the city of Jericho didn’t exist and the Bible writers made it up… until archeologists discovered it’s remains.
Critics once claimed the Bible made up the Hittite nation… until archeologists dug up their civilization.
Application:
Be careful whenever someone presents something to you and acts as if the case is closed.
A person without an open mind isn’t worthy of your trust.
These people appear in college classrooms all around the country.
They appear in church buildings and religious debates.
People will present their biased side of an argument and pretend they’ve given the complete picture.
We need to practice critical thinking.
We need to question what we hear, especially when it’s about a topic as important as eternity and the destiny of our souls.
In summary, there is no reason to believe that Luke, who so accurately records the 1st Century world, opened his gospel with a glaring error.
Possible explanations are not lacking.
Claims of an irreconcilable contradiction are invalid.
Additional archeological finds in the future may give additional clarity and answers.
Luke 2:4-7
Luk 2:4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,
Luk 2:5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
Luk 2:6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.
Luk 2:7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
In order to complete the registration, which was probably similar to a modern census, Joseph, Mary’s betrothed husband, had to travel back to the city of his lineage.
In Joseph’s case, that city was Bethlehem, the city of David.
Bethlehem is called the city of David because it was David’s hometown.
In 1 Samuel 16:4, Samuel went to Bethlehem to the house of Jesse to anoint his youngest son, David, king of Israel.
Joseph’s family line is recorded in Luke chapter 3, David specifically in verse 31.
Mary was very pregnant when they set out on their journey of approximately 90 miles to Bethlehem.
The Romans must not have given the Jews a lot of flexibility with the registration window, otherwise you would think Joseph would have waited to make the trip until the baby was born.
No doubt the registration’s time, place, and requirements were providentially arranged by God.
The Messiah had to be born in Bethlehem according to an Old Testament prophecy.
It just goes to show God rules over the nations.
The Roman government decreed a registration because they believed it in the interest the Roman kingdom, but God was using it to introduce the world to a new King whose kingdom would outlast the Romans.
Application:
Imagine all the people who thought the Roman census of Luke 2 was just a huge inconvenience.
Most of them likely never found out God had used it to bring a Savior into the world in Bethlehem.
To them it was just another government mandate.
God was and still is working in secret for our good even though we may be clueless as to His affect on the world.
When Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem, their son was ready to make His appearance.
Luke doesn’t tell us exactly where Mary delivered the baby, but we are told she put Him in a manger after His birth.
A manger is an animal feeding/watering trough.
Why would a couple put their newborn baby in a manger?
Luke tells us there was no rooms left in the inn, the stable was apparently the next best thing.
It isn’t surprising that all the lodging places would be full when you think about all the other visitors who would have been travelling on account of the census.
Due to being 9 months pregnant, Mary and Joseph probably would have been travelling at a slower pace than the others and would have arrived later than most.
Mary and Joseph wrapped Jesus in swaddling cloths.
When you swaddle a baby, you wrap its arms and legs tightly in cloth or blankets.
This restricts the baby’s movement.
Swaddling is still practiced today but is less common than it was a few centuries ago.
Some people suggest it helps the baby sleep and gradually acclimate to life outside the womb (where its movement was restricted).
Some suggest it has health benefits and keeps the baby from scratching or injuring itself.
It’s basically a little baby cocoon.
We will discuss these “swaddling cloths” in the upcoming verses.
Isn’t it interesting, God could organize all the necessary events of history to have Jesus born in Bethlehem, but didn’t bother saving Mary and Joseph a room at the inn?
Of course, it wasn’t an oversight. o So why did He do it?
I think, in part, to show the humility of the Messiah.
Jesus, the Lamb of God, wasn’t born in a palace like a normal king.
He was born where the animals ate.
Luke 2:8-12
Luk 2:8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
Luk 2:9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.
Luk 2:10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
Luk 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Luk 2:12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
In the fields around Bethlehem that night shepherds were watching their sheep.
An angel appeared to them.
The glory of the God “shone around” the shepherds.
This was probably something like a bright light.
The shepherds were terrified.
The angel told them not to be afraid because he had come to bring them good news, not just good news for them, but for the whole world.
That very day, the Savior had been born, the Christ (anointed one).
They were to go find Him and they would know it was Him when they found Him wrapped in swaddling cloths and laying in a manger.
SIDE NOTE:
*I am still researching the historical validity of the following idea but wanted to include it for your consideration.*
Some believe Jewish shepherds used to wrap the lambs they intended to use as Passover lambs in swaddling cloth.
In order for a Passover lamb to be acceptable for sacrifice, they had to be “without blemish” (Exodus 12:5).
In order to keep a newborn lamb from flailing around and potentially injuring itself, thereby disqualifying itself from use, it was wrapped by the shepherd in swaddling cloth after birth and laid in the manger.
If true, this would be a powerful image to the shepherds.
Jesus would later be known as the Lamb of God and He would be killed (on the cross) at Passover time.
Luke 2:13-14
Luk 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
Luk 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
After telling the shepherds about Jesus, suddenly a “multitude of the heavenly host” became visible to the men.
These heavenly beings were praising God saying, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased.”
This is the gospel message in a nutshell:
Jesus came to the earth to die for the sins of the world so humans could have peace with God.
And God is to be praised and glorified because He has done this for us.
As we see, this was an important event for mankind, but it was also being celebrated in the spiritual world.
God’s plan to save men had existed for a long time.
Peter tells us in 1 Peter 1:19-20, God had come up with this plan before the world ever existed (because God knows everything and can see into the future).
The angels and “heavenly host” were praising God because the time had finally come for Jesus to save the world.
Why do we call Jesus the “Savior”?
From what do we need saving?
We need to be saved from the consequences of our sins and for violating the purity of the world God in which God created us.
The Bible tells us God hates sin and because all human beings have sinned God’s justice demands they be punished.
We call Jesus the Savior because He sacrificed Himself to pay the price for our sins and to fix our relationship with God, giving us peace.
Application:
Apart from Jesus there is no way to have peace with God.
Jesus is the only solution to our sin problem.
Luke 2:15-20
Luk 2:15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
Luk 2:16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.
Luk 2:17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.
Luk 2:18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.
Luk 2:19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.
Luk 2:20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
The angels left and the shepherds determined to go to Bethlehem to find this special baby.
When they found Jesus in the exact condition the angel described Him, they told those who were there about their encounter with the angel and the heavenly host.
Verse 18 seems to imply there were more people present than just Mary and Joseph.
Everyone who heard the shepherd’s words marveled.
Mary is specifically said to have pondered these things in her heart.
No doubt, even for the mother of Jesus, many of the events surrounding His life were a wonderful mystery.
Other things were probably a terrible mystery to her.
She had to watch her son be crucified.
She was at the foot of the cross as He died.
It must have been a terrible mystery to her to see the child she knew had been miraculously born of God dying on a cross.
I can’t imagine what was going on in her head as she was trying to put all the pieces together.
After seeing Jesus, the shepherds returned to their flocks and worshipped God as they went.
Application:
We ought to be as excited about a Savior as the shepherds.
They dropped everything and went to see Jesus as soon as they heard the news.
We need to have similar priorities, especially considering we don’t know how much longer we will be alive.
There isn’t anything more important than having peace with God.
Luke 2:21
Luk 2:21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
Just like John and all Jewish males, Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day.
And just like John, Jesus received His name on the eighth day.
Jesus means “deliverer.”
The name was fitting considering His future work to “deliver” mankind from sin.
Although it isn’t recorded in Luke’s gospel, Matthew tells us about an angel who appeared to Joseph and explained why God wanted Mary’s son to be called Jesus.
Matthew 1:21 “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
SIDE NOTE:
Luke doesn’t record anything about the star that stood over Bethlehem or the wise men from the east that used it to find Jesus.
You can read about those details in Matthew’s gospel.
Luke 2:22-24
Luk 2:22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord
Luk 2:23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”)
Luk 2:24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”
A bit of time goes by between verse 21 and 22.
In order to understand what is going on in these verses we need to know a little bit about God’s religious law for the Jews.
Many of the details and commands of the Law are found in the book of Leviticus.
The details relevant to verse 22 and 24 are found in Leviticus 12:1-8.
When a male child was born, the mother was considered ceremonially unclean 7 days.
On the eighth day the child was to be circumcised.
If the child was male, the mother’s uncleanliness lasted an additional 33 days.
(Be careful not to think being unclean was always a bad thing. God decreed it as part of the good and natural process of giving birth and it wasn’t meant to as a shame upon the woman.)
So, in Mary’s case, she was ritually unclean for 40 days follow the delivery.
When the 40 days were complete, Mary went to Jerusalem to offer a sacrifice at the Temple.
This is described in Leviticus 12:6-8.
Lev 12:6-8 “And when the days of her purifying are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb a year old for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering, and he shall offer it before the LORD and make atonement for her. Then she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who bears a child, either male or female. And if she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be clean.”
Those who had money were instructed to offer a lamb and a pigeon or turtle dove.
Those who didn’t have a lot of money weren’t required to bring the lamb, but were to offer two turtledoves or two pigeons.
Although I’m not sure we can know for sure, Luke seems to imply Mary and Joseph offered two turtledoves or two pigeons.
You’ll notice he quotes the sacrifice of the poor rather than the sacrifice of the well-off.
Application:
In the scriptures, God repeatedly shows His care and concern for the poor.
He accounted for them in His Old Testament laws.
He repeatedly condemned those who mistreated the poor.
Men and women have a tendency to look down on poor people.
But God honored the poor when He determined a poor family in Nazareth was fit to raise a King.
In chapter 1, Mary praised God for honoring her even though she wasn’t a significant person in the eyes of many.
If the eyes of God looked into a poor home in Nazareth and deemed it fit to raise the King of Glory, let us think twice before our eyes look down on the poor.
The Old Testament details relevant to verse 23 can be found in Exodus 13 and Numbers 18.
According to God, all firstborn males, humans and animals alike, belonged to Him.
The firstborn of sheep and oxen were to be sacrificed to the Lord.
Other animals had to be “redeemed.”
They were redeemed with money.
Almost as if the owner of the newborn animal was buying their animal back from the Lord.
Firstborn male children were also redeemed with money.
Numbers 18:15-17 “Everything that opens the womb of all flesh, whether man or beast, which they offer to the LORD, shall be yours. Nevertheless, the firstborn of man you shall redeem, and the firstborn of unclean animals you shall redeem. And their redemption price (at a month old you shall redeem them) you shall fix at five shekels in silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs. But the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat you shall not redeem: they are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar and shall burn their fat as a food offering, with pleasing aroma to the LORD.”
This practice was designed to remind the Jews of how God had delivered them from slavery in Egypt.
Exodus 13:14-15 “And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ You shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’”
In the book of Exodus, God brought 10 plagues on the nation of Egypt.
The final plague killed all the firstborn of the Egyptians.
But God provided a way for the firstborn of the Jews to be saved.
The redeeming of the first born was meant to remind the people of what God did for them.
SIDE NOTE: This “redeeming” command is still practiced by some Jewish communities today.
All that to say, 40 days after Jesus’ birth, Joseph and Mary went to Jerusalem to make a sacrifice of two turtledoves or two pigeons and 5 shekels of silver to “redeem” their firstborn Son.
Application:
The Jews were required to pay a price to redeem their firstborn.
God gave His firstborn (only begotten) as the price to redeem the world from Satan and sin.
God paid for us (Christians) and now we belong to Him
Luke 2:25-26
Luk 2:25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
Luk 2:26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
This is a very interesting text and this man’s encounter with Jesus is only recorded in Luke’s gospel.
A “righteous and devout” man named Simeon was in Jerusalem when Mary and Joseph arrived.
He was waiting for the “consolation of Israel.”
Consolation = a person or thing providing comfort to a person who has suffered (Oxford).
Simeon was waiting for a person who would bring comfort to Israel (the Jews).
Their nation had fallen on some hard times.
They were no longer the great nation of 1,000 years previous when David and Solomon sat on the throne.
They had been conquered and oppressed by many nations. o And a lot of that was their own doing.
They had turned away from God, and as He had promised them, He gave them into the hands of their enemies to punish them.
But, like a parent who disciplines a child, God still loved them, and He wasn’t going to break His promise to send the Messiah.
The Messiah was going to bring comfort to His broken people.
Simeon was waiting to see the consolation of his people and had been promised by the Holy Spirit his eyes would see the Lord’s Christ (anointed) before he died.
SIDE NOTE:
We don’t know how many people God communicated with throughout history.
I have a tendency to think God only directly communicated with the people we read about in the Bible.
But we actually know that wasn’t the case. o God probably spoke to people and revealed things to them that we will never know about.
Melchizedek in Genesis 14 is a good illustration of this point o The wise men who came from the east and gave gifts to Jesus are another example.
We don’t know how they knew about the star.
We don’t know how they knew it pointed to the “king of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2).
The Bible writers were focused on the history of the Jews and pointing us to Jesus, they weren’t trying to write down everything God had done throughout all time (if they had the Bible would probably be one million pages long).
Luke 2:27-32
Luk 2:27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law,
Luk 2:28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
Luk 2:29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;
Luk 2:30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
Luk 2:31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
Luk 2:32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”
God’s Spirit led Simeon into the Temple and somehow gave him the ability to recognize Jesus was the Messiah.
Simeon took Jesus in his arms and worshipped God for letting him see Him.
Verse 32 is noteworthy because Simeon mentioned that Jesus was going to be a blessing to both the Jews and the Gentiles (non-Jews).
The Jews thought the Messiah was coming for their benefit and their benefit alone.
Even throughout Jesus’ ministry most Jews didn’t consider the idea His life was intended to be a blessing to all nations.
Simeon, with insight from the Holy Spirit, mentioned this important detail.
The promise God gave to Abraham (the father of the Jewish nation) in Genesis was clear about this.
Gen 22:17-18 “I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”
It is easy to look back and wonder how the Jews missed it.
It shows the power of tradition and assumptions.
Application:
Preconceived ideas and biases can blind us to what should be obvious.
This can be dangerous when studying the scriptures.
We need to ask God for help and consciously work to discard any ideas we hold that might hinder us from seeing what God wants us to see.
Luke 2:33-35
Luk 2:33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him.
Luk 2:34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed
Luk 2:35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
It must have been an adventure to be in Mary and Joseph’s position, never knowing what was around the corner or what God was going to do next.
They didn’t know this man, but somehow, he knew their Son.
They marveled at Simeon’s words.
Simeon blessed Mary, but his blessing can be a little bit hard to understand.
Let’s break it down piece by piece:
“Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel…”
Jesus’ life and teaching in Israel would literally and figuratively turn tables.
He would elevate the poor and lowly to positions of greatness.
The humble, who had been trampled on by the proud, were pronounced the greatest in the Messiah’s kingdom.
The men who were closest to Jesus were common men, but He spoke of the honor God bestowed on them.
In contrast, Jesus condemned the proud powerholders of Israel.
He didn’t honor them as they expected the Messiah would do.
He told them their abuse of power was not unnoticed and would not go unpunished by God.
Jesus’ life would bring about the rise of those who were willing to accept God’s plan and the fall of those who refused to accept it.
Most of the Jews were expecting an earthly king who would sit on a physical throne and rule over the nation of Israel, bringing it back to world prominence.
But God had a bigger work in mind.
Jesus would invite all people (not just Jews) to be a part of a spiritual kingdom, one He would rule from heaven.
This truth brought about the fall of many Jews who weren’t willing to give up their dreams of an earthly king.
But those who were willing to trust that what God was doing was better than anything they could have imagined, were given the privilege of being a part of a kingdom greater than any physical Jewish kingdom could have ever been.
They were raised to a privilege higher than they could have ever imagined, adopted children of God.
Gal 3:26-27 “for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
At the end of time, all men will either rise to glory with God in heaven or fall to destruction with Satan in hell.
The way a person responds to the instruction of Christ will be the deciding factor.
John 12:47-48 “If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.”
“and for a sign that is opposed…”
Jesus was a sign of God’s love and faithfulness, but He was opposed by the Jews.
His enemies worked vigorously to contradict His message.
“and a sword will pierce through your own soul also, so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
Remember who Simeon was speaking to…
These words were directed to Mary.
Jesus’ message was going to be so violently opposed that Jesus would be crucified by His enemies.
No matter how much Mary knew about the crucifixion and the ultimate work of God, watching her Son be tortured and crucified would have been like a sword through the soul/heart.
I think this is the meaning behind Simeon’s words.
Through the opposition of her son…
Through the events that would break her heart…
The thoughts of many hearts would be revealed.
People’s true colors would be shown by the way they treated the child in Simeon’s arms.
Religious phonies would be exposed.
Genuine believers would be revealed.
The haters of God would be distinguished from the lovers of God.
SIDE NOTE: You have to wonder if Mary recalled Simeon’s words when she was standing by Jesus’ cross three decades later.
SIDE NOTE: Can you imagine Simeon holding Jesus in his arms as Jesus was simultaneously holding up the universe. (Colossians 1:17).
Luke 2:36-38
Luk 2:36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin,
Luk 2:37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.
Luk 2:38 And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
Luke now introduces us to another very intriguing character at the Temple, Anna the prophetess.
A prophet or prophetess is a person who receives a message from God and shares it with others.
How she became a prophetess, we aren’t told.
She was from the Jewish tribe of Asher.
She was “advanced in years” (we would say, “she was really old”).
She was married but her husband died after 7 years.
She was 84 when she encountered Jesus’ family in the Temple.
She was very devout and loved God.
She worshiped, fasted, and prayed day and night.
She never left the Temple.
Evidently, she came up to Jesus in the Temple (we don’t know if Simeon was still there or not).
She began giving thanks to God and telling everyone the salvation of Jerusalem had arrived.
The whole city of Jerusalem (really the whole world) was dependent on this tiny baby.
Luke 2:39-40
Luk 2:39 And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.
Luk 2:40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.
The Bible gives us very limited information about the childhood of Jesus.
In my curiosity, I would love to know if Jesus was a well behaved baby, how much He knew and when He knew it, did He perform miracles as a child, did He get straight A’s in school, did He read His parent’s minds, what happened to Joseph, etc…
But the Bible is focused on the important events of God’s salvation story, not the interests of our curiosity.
The story recorded in the last few verses of this chapter is only found in Luke’s gospel and is the last insight we get into Jesus’ life until He is around 30 years old.
Luke 2:41-45
Luk 2:41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.
Luk 2:42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom.
Luk 2:43 And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it,
Luk 2:44 but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances,
Luk 2:45 and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him.
When Jesus was 12, He, His family, and people from their town went down to Jerusalem (approximately 70 miles) to celebrate the annual Passover feast (March/April).
On their way back home, Mary and Joseph didn’t know the exact whereabouts of Jesus but assumed He was travelling along with them in the caravan of relatives and acquaintances.
After a day of travelling, they realized their assumption was wrong.
Nobody knew where Jesus had gone.
Imagine Mary’s terror when she realized she had lost God’s miracle child.
Mary and Joseph split off from the others and returned to Jerusalem in search of their Son.
Luke 2:46-52
Luk 2:46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
Luk 2:47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
Luk 2:48 And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.”
Luk 2:49 And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?”
Luk 2:50 And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them.
Luk 2:51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.
Luk 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.
It took them three days to find Him!
No GPS
No texting
No phones
Can you imagine trying to find one person in a big city without any of those things?
Eventually, they found Him sitting in the Temple listening to the religious teachers and asking them questions.
Those who observed Him were amazed at His comprehension.
Mary had a question of her own for Jesus. The text indicates she was frustrated with Him.
“Son, why have you treated us so?”
Jesus would have known His parents were departing Jerusalem to go home.
Why had He not come with them?
Why had He made His parents search three days for Him?
Sons generally aren’t supposed to cause “great distress” to their mothers intentionally.
Jesus responded, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
It’s easy to read these words with a tone of disrespect, but undoubtedly, they weren’t said that way.
I believe Jesus was taking this opportunity to educate His parents and us about His divine mission, nature, and purpose.
Jesus had no greater loyalty than that of His parents, save one.
His greatest loyalty and devotion were, not to His earthly father, but to His heavenly father.
He implies they should have known where to look for Him.
Where else do you find a child than in His Father’s house?
Mary and Joseph had been attempting to take Jesus back to His earthly father’s house in Nazareth.
Instead, Jesus’ priority was to go to the house of His heavenly Father.
His parents didn’t understand what He was trying to say.
Nevertheless, we are told Mary stored the event away in her mind, just as she had done with the visit of the shepherds 12 years ago.
Jesus returned to Nazareth with Joseph and Mary (this is the last we hear of Joseph).
The next 18 years of Jesus’ life are summed up in the phrase, “Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.”
