The document provides context and commentary on Luke 2:1-17, which describes Jesus' birth in Bethlehem. It discusses the historical background, including the Roman census that brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem. It notes that Luke wanted to emphasize the ordinary and humble nature of Jesus' birth, contrasting with the power of Rome. The document also analyzes the angel's announcement to the shepherds, emphasizing that the good news was for all people, including the lowly shepherds who were the first to hear of Jesus' birth.

1. LUKE 2:1-17
JESUS’ BIRTH

2. CONTEXT
Luke the historian had many sources at his
disposal when, under inspiration, he wrote the
story of Jesus' birth. In his day, many things were
known about Jesus that have since been
forgotten.
The purpose of Luke's account of the birth of
Jesus is to show the surprising ordinariness, even
poverty, of the birth of the world's greatest king.

3. CONTEXT
As Luke tells it, Jesus’ birth marks a sharp contrast
between two kinds of power.
One is the military and economic might of the Roman
Empire; the other is the power of Jesus, the king
whom God sent. He was God incarnate but He
deliberately assumed a position of humility, lowliness,
even poverty.
Beginning in that unlikely position, He conquers the
world.

4. CONTEXT
These ideas intersect with Luke’s story of Jesus’
birth. The power of Rome is portrayed through its
power to tax. We glimpse the oppression of Israel
in the poverty of Jesus’ family.
The promise of God is clear as we hear again of
David, who’s promised Son is to rule over all.

5. CONTEXT
Think of how many people Joseph and Mary
passed on their journey from Nazareth to
Bethlehem!
They no doubt passed right through Jerusalem.
Surely, a lot of people saw them, but it seems
unlikely that many took note of them.

6. CONTEXT
The Bible's first reference to Bethlehem occurs in
Genesis 35:19.
"And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to
Ephrata, which is Bethlehem." Rachel died about
1900 B.C., so Bethlehem is an ancient town.

7. CONTEXT
The story of Boaz and Ruth also occurred in
Bethlehem (Ruth 1:1, 22).
This became a crucial event in the town's history,
since they were direct ancestors of David (4:2122). David's father, Jesse, was called the
Bethlehemite. (I Sam. 16:1).

8. CONTEXT
David watched the sheep near Bethlehem (I Sam.
16:11), and that was where Samuel anointed him king
of Israel (vs. 13). Jews called Bethlehem "the city of
David," as recognized in Luke 2:4.
The Prophet Micah identified Bethlehem as the place
of Messiah's birth (Mic. 5:2), which the Jewish chief
priests and scribes knew at the time of Jesus' birth
(Matt. 2:3-6).

9. CONTEXT
The circumstances of life seemed to over-take this
burdened couple. They had the apparent
misfortune of receiving their firstborn child under
very austere conditions.
However, their misfortune represented blessing
for the whole world. That is the irony.

10. CONTEXT
The birth of Jesus is foundational to our faith.
Without the birth of Jesus, there is no life.
Without the life of Jesus, there is no death.
Without the death of Jesus, there is no
resurrection. Without the resurrection of Jesus,
we have no faith, no forgiveness of sins, no
eternal life, and no hope.

11. CONTEXT
There is no culture, no people group, and no
nation where He is not the most needed, most
important gift that can be given. More than food
for the hungry or deliverance from oppression,
the good news of salvation is the best Christmas
gift that can be given to the world.

12. CONTEXT
It is the only gift that lasts for all eternity, the one
gift that gives people not only peace for today but
also hope for tomorrow, lasting freedom, and
eternal joy.
It is a story worth telling!

13. Luke 2:1-2 (CEV)
Luke 2:1-2 (CEV)
1 About that time Emperor Augustus gave orders
for the names of all the people to be listed in
record books.
2 These first records were made when Quirinius
was governor of Syria.

14. Luke 2:1-2 (CEV)
Luke examined many documents when he wrote
his gospel. Still, he may have learned the
approximate time of Jesus’ birth from Mary
herself. Luke does not give us an exact date for
Jesus’ birth.
He said Jesus began His ministry when He was
about 30 years old (Luke 3:23).

15. Luke 2:1-2 (CEV)
Rome controls much territory, there are areas to the
north, east, and south that the Romans know of but
cannot conquer. Even so, the Romans commonly boast
of their accomplishments, so they make exaggerated
claims such as control of the whole world.
Luke uses this claim to set the stage for a
confrontation. Who will rule the entire world, Rome or
God?

16. Luke 2:1-2 (CEV)
Rome controls much territory, there are areas to the
north, east, and south that the Romans know of but
cannot conquer. Even so, the Romans commonly boast
of their accomplishments, so they make exaggerated
claims such as control of the whole world.
Luke uses this claim to set the stage for a
confrontation. Who will rule the entire world, Rome or
God?

17. Luke 2:1-2 (CEV)
The Bible teaches that the heart of the king is in the
hand of the Lord: “The king’s heart is a stream of
water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever
he will” (Proverbs 21:1).
The Lord could have moved the Emperor Augustus to
issue his decree so Jesus would be born in Bethlehem
in fulfillment of prophecy and His birth firmly dated
and established in world history (see Micah 5:2).

18. Luke 2:1-2 (CEV)
Because a census could take several years in
Roman times, God might have also sent an angel
to confirm to Joseph and Mary that it was time to
go to Bethlehem, because God works in many
ways and the Bible does not tell us everything we
might like to know.

19. Luke 2:1-2 (CEV)
By decree of the emperor, King Herod ruled over
Judea, but the emperor also sent Roman governors to
make certain that his commands were obeyed by all
and that Roman rule was not threatened externally or
internally. The emperor would use whatever force was
necessary to put down a rebellion, and he expected
those who lived in occupied Roman territory to pay
taxes to Rome.

20. Luke 2:1-2 (CEV)
We have clear evidence that a census for taxation
was taken when Cyrenius (Quirinius) was
governor; this led to riots (Acts 5:37) and a
reorganization of Roman government in the
region.

21. Luke 2:1-2 (CEV)
The territory of Syria included Nazareth in Galilee
of Judea. The capital of Syria was Antioch. “It was
in Antioch that the disciples were first called
‘Christians’” (Acts 11:26).

22. Luke 2:3-4
Luke 2:3-4 (CEV)
3 Everyone had to go to their own hometown to be
listed.
4 So Joseph had to leave Nazareth in Galilee and go to
Bethlehem in Judea. Long ago Bethlehem had been
King David's hometown, and Joseph went there
because he was from David's family.

23. Luke 2:3-4
Roman taxes that involve a census or enrollment
constitute a kind of property tax. Every person with a
claim to land must enroll in the tax ledger and pay the
required amount. For most people, that means
enrolling very close to home.
But if a person owns property in another place, the
tax census means a journey to that place for
enrollment lest the property be forfeited.

24. Luke 2:3-4
Joseph may or may not have been born in
Bethlehem, but he was a distant descendant of
King David. Therefore, in order to count everyone,
the emperor ordered that everyone go to their
ancestral towns to be counted.
The religious authorities in Judea and Jerusalem
would need to cooperate to make certain this part
of the emperor’s decree was truly obeyed.

25. Luke 2:3-4
Since Joseph’s ancestors were from Bethlehem
and he is going back there for the taxation
enrollment, then Joseph likely has inherited a
small piece of land in that area.

26. Luke 2:3-4
This registration also included tax implications for
the conquered people of Israel. Historical
circumstances and records indicate that a census
could take several years to complete, and
administratively could be overseen by a Roman
governor to secure and ensure completeness.

27. Luke 2:3-4
Luke emphasized that Joseph was a descendant
from the house of David, and the Messiah was to
be a member of the house of David. Jesus was
legally of the house of David, because Joseph
adopted Jesus as his son.
Jesus also said that He was Lord of David and the
root and descendant of David in actual fact
(Matthew 22:42-46; Revelation 22:16).

28. Luke 2:3-4
The prophet Micah declared that Jesus the
Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem, but His
origin was “from of old, from ancient days” (Micah
5:2).
As the Son of God, Jesus was from of old, from
ancient days before He was born in Bethlehem.
Bethlehem was about 4 1/2 miles from Jerusalem
and about 90 miles from Nazareth.

29. Luke 2:5-7
Luke 2:5-7 (CEV)
5 Mary was engaged to Joseph and traveled with
him to Bethlehem. She was soon going to have a
baby,
6 and while they were there,
7 she gave birth to her first-born son. She dressed
him in baby clothes and laid him on a bed of hay,
because there was no room for them in the inn.

30. Luke 2:5-7
Mary had returned to her home after her visit
with Zechariah and Elizabeth. Because she was
only engaged to Joseph, she remained in her
home until Joseph came to take her to Bethlehem
as his wife, where they knew the Messiah was to
be born.
We know that Mary was so close to the delivery of
her child that the trip would have been difficult.

31. Luke 2:5-7
Few, if any, in the family circles of Joseph and
Mary are likely to believe a story of a miraculous,
virginal conception. Thus Mary and Joseph’s
situation is difficult not only because of the
taxation burden of Roman rule, but also because
of social ostracism they face.
Their situation is lowly indeed!

32. Luke 2:5-7
The Bible does not tell us how long they were in
Bethlehem before Jesus was born, or how long it
would take for those going to Bethlehem to actually
be counted by those doing the registration.
We tend to think that she arrived in Bethlehem at
night shortly before the birth of Jesus, but that is from
our traditions and nativity plays, not from the Bible.

33. Luke 2:5-7
Luke does not tell us how much time elapses
between Joseph and Mary’s arrival in Bethlehem
and the birth of Jesus. But we do see that the one
who will prove to be David’s great son is born in
David’s own town (1 Samuel 16).

34. Luke 2:5-7
Jesus was Mary’s first born son and God’s only
begotten Son (John 3:16). The New Testament
indicates that she and Joseph had other sons.
Consider what Matthew wrote, “Someone told
him *Jesus+, ‘Look, your mother and your brothers
are standing outside, wanting to speak to you’”
(Matthew 12:47).

35. Luke 2:5-7
Joseph adopted Jesus, and God the Father has
adopted as sons and daughters those who accept
Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Jesus had humble
origins and was laid in a manger because of a
crowded inn, not because the innkeeper was
mean and selfish.
Traditions, not the Bible, say the stable was in a
cave and there were animals in the stable with
Jesus and His parents.

36. Luke 2:5-7
Mention of an inn brings to modern minds the image
of a place where overnight accommodations can be
rented. But the word translated inn can refer more
broadly to “a place of human habitation.”
Most Jewish travelers in Judea do not rent sleeping
quarters such as we might in a modern motel. Rather,
the custom is to extend to travelers the hospitality of
one’s home (compare Judges 19:12–21).

37. Luke 2:5-7
Perhaps at that time a lower room used as a
stable would have been more private and clean
(or could have been made more clean) than a
crowded inn for the birth of a baby.

38. Luke 2:8-9
Luke 2:8-9 (CEV)
8 That night in the fields near Bethlehem some
shepherds were guarding their sheep.
9 All at once an angel came down to them from
the Lord, and the brightness of the Lord's glory
flashed around them. The shepherds were
frightened.

39. Luke 2:8-9
The hill country around Bethlehem is suitable
pastureland for sheep and goats (compare 1
Samuel 16:4, 11). The nighttime scene suggests
tranquility, but that is about to change.

40. Luke 2:8-9
King David was a humble shepherd before he became
king over Israel.
God cares for the humble and the poor, and the Bible
says that God’s children must care for widows and
orphans:
“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the
Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their
distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world
(James 1:27).

41. Luke 2:8-9
No one is so needy or underprivileged that God
does not care for them, and God expects His
followers to care for them too. The shepherds
may have been the neediest and most despised
people at that time, and Jesus came to bless all
people, the rich and the poor.

42. Luke 2:8-9
One angel appeared and terrified them. The heavenly
host (a multitude of angels) only appeared after the
shepherds no longer feared the consequences of an
angelic visitation. The angel did not tell his name, but
Gabriel, as an angel of the Lord, appeared to
Zechariah and Mary; therefore, the angel might have
been the angel Gabriel.

43. Luke 2:8-9
He appeared with heavenly glory, so no wonder
the shepherds were afraid. They may have felt
guilty before the angel and have thought “What
have we done!” fearing condemnation.

44. Luke 2:10-12
The Luke 2:10-12 (CEV)
10 But
the angel said, "Don't be afraid! I have good
news for you, which will make everyone happy.
11 This very day in King David's hometown a Savior was
born for you. He is Christ the Lord.
12 You will know who he is, because you will find him
dressed in baby clothes and lying on a bed of hay."

45. Luke 2:10-12
The accompanying glory of the Lord is a
miraculous display of light (compare 9:29).
The dark background of the night sky serves to
highlight the scene. Those who encounter angels
in the Bible commonly are afraid (Luke 1:12, 29;
etc.), and we can understand why the shepherds
are terrified!

46. Luke 2:10-12
The angel told them not to be afraid because he
was not bringing the judgment of God upon them.
Instead, he was bringing them good news – not
just good news but joy filled good news for all
people and that included the shepherds.

47. Luke 2:10-12
They were not the last to hear the good news
because of their poor or low station in life. Rather,
they were the first to hear God’s good news and
God’s good news would travel from the lowly to
the proud and those in high society.

48. Luke 2:10-12
The good news was specifically for the shepherds,
who heard it first outside of Mary’s family. The
good news included the shepherds and was for all
people.
The shepherds’ home was the city of David and
the angel emphasized that Jesus was born to be
their Savior, the Messiah, and their Lord.

49. Luke 2:10-12
The title “the Lord” emphasized the divine nature
of Jesus beyond His being the expected Messiah.
He was beyond all human expectations or
thoughts.
The shepherds had to ponder the meaning of
these three titles: Savior, Messiah, and Lord. They
may have thought more in military terms than in
moral and spiritual terms.

50. Luke 2:10-12
There are now two kings in the story: Caesar
Augustus and David’s great Son. There are also
two kingdoms: Rome’s empire and God’s
promised reign.

51. Luke 2:10-12
Israel may be a lowly nation and shepherds may
be lowly people, but the angel still says that the
child is born unto you.
He is born for the benefit of all the lowly who seek
refuge in God, as He will assume His position as
king by first taking the position of lowliness (Luke
22:25–27).

52. Luke 2:10-12
The angel told the shepherds how they would
find the newborn Messiah and how they could
distinguish Him from all of the other newborns in
the city of David. Jesus would be in a manger in a
stable (where mangers were usually kept).

53. Luke 2:10-12
The manger was a place that shepherds could
easily visit and enter; whereas a palace would
have been beyond their social status, their reach,
and intimidating to shepherds. Jesus was so new
born he was wrapped in swaddling clothes.

54. Luke 2:10-12
What an interesting sign for the shepherds!
Certainly, it is an identifier: the child they are to
seek will be found in an unusual place.
But it is also a description: the divine king is born
in a place of poverty, even rejection.

55. Luke 2:13-14
Luke 2:13-14 (CEV)
13 Suddenly many other angels came down from
heaven and joined in praising God. They said:
14 "Praise God in heaven! Peace on earth to
everyone who pleases God."

56. Luke 2:13-14
After the angel of the Lord had prepared them by
telling them good news, a multitude of angels
appeared praising God.
The word host refers to a great army (compare 1
Kings 22:19). In contrast with Rome’s military
might, this is the army of Heaven.

57. Luke 2:13-14
The heavenly host might be thought of best as an
angelic choir or an angelic army that belongs to
the Lord.
Though probably not in battle array, the host of
angels would affirm to the shepherds that they
had not experienced a deception but had learned
the truth about God and His Messiah from many
witnesses.

58. Luke 2:13-14
God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, deserve
all praise, honor, glory, and our total devotion to
their service. The good news included a message
of peace.
God will favor with peace those who believe the
good news that the angels proclaimed to the
shepherds.

59. Luke 2:13-14
Rome’s empire has brought a certain peace to the
world. Pax Romana, Latin for “Roman peace,” is a
common slogan of the day. Rome imposes peace
through force, but only God can bring real peace.
His peace is not just the cessation of hostility.
It means positive goodwill, harmony, and love
among people.

60. Luke 2:13-14
The Book of Revelation teaches that Jesus the
Messiah will someday bring peace through
military means and conquer all the enemies of
God and His people. God favored the shepherds
with His peace when He sent the angels to them
to tell them the good news about Jesus’ birth.

61. Luke 2:13-14
God wanted them to tell others that He was
sending Jesus into the world as the Way of peace
and not as a military conqueror of the Roman
Empire.
When He returns, He will bring peace to the entire
world but this time thru judgment.

62. Luke 2:15-18
Luke 2:15-18 (CEV)
15 After the angels had left and gone back to heaven,
the shepherds said to each other, "Let's go to
Bethlehem and see what the Lord has told us about."
16 They hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and
they saw the baby lying on a bed of hay.
17 When the shepherds saw Jesus, they told his
parents what the angel had said about him.
18 Everyone listened and was surprised.

63. Luke 2:15-18
The angel told the shepherds how to find the
Messiah. The angel did not command them to go
and find Him; he left them with a choice to make.
They believed the report of the angel and the
confirmation of the good news by a multitude of
angels.

64. Luke 2:15-18
They knew God favored them by sending a
message of peace and goodwill to them; so, they
went into the city of David from the fields to find
the Messiah as the angel said they would find
Him.
When they found the Messiah as the angel said
they would, their experience confirmed for them
the truth of the angel’s message.

65. Luke 2:15-18
At that time, Bethlehem was not a large city and
the shepherds would have known the location of
every sheepfold and stable inside or outside the
city. The Holy Spirit may have guided them to the
exact stable, so they would not need to search for
very long to find Jesus.

66. Luke 2:15-18
They saw Jesus exactly as they had been told
about Him by the angels. They had an experience
that served as a witness for them and others that
the angels’ appearance was real. Joseph and Mary
may not have expected that God would have His
only Son born in a stable.

67. Luke 2:15-18
So, the angels’ message to the shepherds which
they conveyed to Joseph and Mary that Jesus was
their Savior, Messiah, and Lord would meet His
parents possible need for reassurance and the
knowledge that God was still with them, even in a
stable.

68. Luke 2:15-18
The shepherds could not keep their experience
quietly to themselves. They were so overjoyed at
the good news about the Messiah and having
actually seen Him and His parents as the angels
had described that they had to tell everyone they
knew.
That was so out of character.

69. Luke 2:19-21
Luke 2:19-21 (CEV)
19 But Mary kept thinking about all this and wondering
what it meant.
20 As the shepherds returned to their sheep, they were
praising God and saying wonderful things about him.
Everything they had seen and heard was just as the angel
had said.
21 Eight days later Jesus' parents did for him what the Law
of Moses commands. And they named him Jesus, just as
the angel had told Mary when he promised she would have
a baby.

70. Luke 2:19-21
Mary treasured all the words she heard about
Jesus and all the experiences surrounding His
birth; so, she was able to tell Luke or those who
wrote the documents that Luke used in writing his
gospel about all of these events. These words and
her experiences were so treasured that we can
trust their accuracy.

71. Luke 2:19-21
At the same time, Mary had learned truths about
Jesus worth thinking about; especially as the
mother of the Savior, the Messiah and the Lord.

72. Luke 2:19-21
Luke concluded his report of the shepherds visit to
Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus by saying that
they too glorified and praised God just as the
angels had done when they appeared to them.
They had confirmed the angels’ words by their
experience, and they made the response that
Jesus deserves when one hears the truth about
Him

73. Luke 2:19-21
Joseph and Mary moved into a house after Jesus’
birth. The shepherds saw Jesus the day He was born,
and the wise men saw Him in a house at some later
date (Matthew 2:11). Joseph and Mary obeyed the
law of God, and Joseph or Mary most probably
circumcised Jesus as was the custom of the day in
order to obey God’s law. They gave Jesus His name as
the angel Gabriel told them to do. The name Jesus
means “God is Savior” or “God is Salvation.”

74. Luke 2:19-21
In Jesus’ day, the circumcision of a baby boy
would be at home and usually be performed by
the head of the family on the eighth day. The rite
of purification was done by a priest forty days
after the birth of a male child, according to
Leviticus 12: 1-8.

75. Luke 2:19-21
Jesus would have been taken to the temple 32
days after His circumcision when Mary could
legally enter the sanctuary for the priest to make
atonement for her.

76. Luke 2:19-21
Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to the temple in
Jerusalem to be seen by a priest for the ceremony. In
everything, they obeyed the Law of Moses. To present
Jesus to the Lord was to present Him to God, His
heavenly Father, which the law required of all
firstborn males (Exodus 13).
Knowing Jesus was the Son of God, Mary had much
more to ponder as she took part in the ceremony.

77. Luke 2:23-24
Luke 2:23-24 (CEV)
23 just as the Law of the Lord says, "Each first-born
baby boy belongs to the Lord."
24 The Law of the Lord also says that parents have to
offer a sacrifice, giving at least a pair of doves or two
young pigeons. So that is what Mary and Joseph did.

78. Luke 2:23-24
Each firstborn male was set apart for service to
the Lord, for service to God as “holy to the Lord.”

79. Luke 2:23-24
Joseph labored as a skilled carpenter, so he could
provide for his family financially probably
wherever they lived. The fact that Joseph and
Mary offered a sacrifice that the poor were
permitted to offer instead of a lamb indicates that
Jesus was born into a family of humble means that
obeyed God according to His requirements.

80. Luke 2:23-24
Jesus knows how people in poor families live and
how they need to depend on God for their daily
bread; because that is the way He lived growing
up from being a child to being a man.
Though poor, Jesus and His family obeyed the law
of God.

81. Conclusion
Roman domination was more than a political and
economic burden for the Jewish people. It was
also a religious problem: as long as Rome ruled,
God did not (or so it seemed). The reality of
Roman occupation was a constant reminder that
God had consigned Israel to a state of exile—even
“exile” within its own borders—for generations.

82. Conclusion
The faithful looked to the promises of Scripture
for hope. God had promised a great Son of David
to rule over His people (2 Samuel 7:12–16). He
had promised that beyond exile lay restoration
(Isaiah 51:11), like the exodus of Moses’ time. One
day the pagan powers would be destroyed, and
God would rule supreme over all nations (Daniel
7:1–14).

83. Conclusion
Our lesson is an illustration of what the Apostle
Paul wrote to the believers at Corinth when he
reminded them that God does not do things the
way people do. Paul told them to consider their
own calling. God does not call those who think
they are somebody; instead, in essence, He calls
nobodies and then makes them somebodies in
Christ.

84. Conclusion
Today, many around us seem similarly indifferent.
They take great note of Christmas, but little of the One
who was born so long ago, who has given the name to
this special holiday. We live in a man-centered and
self-centered world. Plans, dreams, and "thisworldliness" occupy the minds of many around us.
The birth and life of Christ so many years ago is still
easy to overlook.
In many places and in many lives, there is still no room
for Him.

85. Conclusion
All the publicity seems to go to powerful
governments, rich corporations, dynamic
businesspeople, and famous entertainers. Perhaps
we think that God’s message would be better
received if the church had a more powerful,
prominent identity.

86. Conclusion
But the power of God does not operate like the
power of the world. God’s work confounds how
we look at life. It turns life upside down, beginning
in a stable, leading to a cross, climaxing at an
empty tomb. It is the power to save for eternity.

87. Conclusion
Let us not fall into forgetfulness. Let us celebrate
the birth of Jesus. Let us go over the story again
and again. Let us remember that He is the Savior
of the world. And let us proclaim this to a sleeping
world so that perhaps God might awaken some
afresh today.

88. Conclusion
Christ is called here the "firstborn." Elsewhere in
God's Word He is called the firstborn of all those
who will be saved and glorified (Rom. 8:29).
May many more be born anew to salvation.