The Gospel According to Luke – Part 2
The Life and Infancy of Jesus
Luke 2:1-7
by Paul George
The Birth of Jesus: Jesus was born in the days of
Caesar Augustus, when Cyrenius the Roman governor of Syria ruled Judea. “Now in
those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all
the inhabited earth…And all were proceeding to register for the census, everyone
to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth to
Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because it was the house
of David, in order to register, along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was
with child” (Luke 2:1, 3-5 – NASB).
Caesar Augustus is one of the characters involved in the birth of Jesus that is
often overlooked. Why would anyone consider a pagan emperor being involved in
the birth of Jesus? It has to do with the fulfillment of Micah 5:2. The
fulfillment of the prediction of the birthplace of the Messiah, Micah 5:2
required the birth of Jesus to take place in Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph lived in
Nazareth. To fulfill the prediction Mary and Joseph must be in Bethlehem when
Jesus comes into this world. Common sense tells us Joseph would never take Mary
from Nazareth to Bethlehem when the time was near for her to deliver the baby
she was carrying in her womb. Something must happen that would force Joseph to
take Mary to Bethlehem. This is where God intervenes. Watch what happens.
Caesar Augustus issues a decree at the right time requiring all the subjects of
Rome to register for the purpose of taxation and a census in the place where
they were born. This was the first time the subjects of the Roman Empire were
required to go to the birthplace of their ancestors or their birthplace.
Augustus did not know God, though the Holy Spirit motivated him to issue the
decree when he did. Joseph had no choice he had to go to Bethlehem and he took
Mary with him. It is God placing everyone in the place they must be to fulfill
the prediction of the birth of the Messiah. Today God is putting everyone and
every thing in the proper place for the return of Jesus. Just as it was, when
Jesus was born in Bethlehem the world is not prepared for, watching for or
praying for the return of Jesus.
Since God is to bring to fulfillment of Micah 5:2 it would seem He would have
provided a proper place for the birth of the Messiah. Luke tells us there was no
room for Mary and Joseph in the inn. The promised Messiah, the King of kings,
Lord of lords, will be born in a stable. His bed will be a manger, instead of a
cradle. Interesting, the Messiah, the King of kings, Lord of lords will be born
in the humblest of humblest places.
“In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and
keeping watch over their flocks by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly
stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were
terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold,
I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today
in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior who is Christ the
Lord” (Luke 2:8-11- NASB).
The angel was not sent to the chief priests or the elders; they were not
prepared to receive the “good news of great joy”, but to a company of poor
shepherds. The angel did not wake up the innkeeper, anyone occupying the rooms
in the inn or any of the residents of Bethlehem; they were not sleeping, they
were keeping watch over their flocks. When the angel announced this good news to
them from heaven above, they were wide-awake, and therefore could not be
deceived in what they saw and heard. They were keeping watch over their flock,
to secure them from thieves and beasts of prey. Interesting, what should pastors
be doing, watching over their flocks, driving away thieves and beasts of prey.
The appearance of the angel surprised them and terrified them. When Jesus
returns there will be a great multitude that will be surprised and terrified.
The last thing the shepherds expected to see was an angel, they were not
expecting to hear good news when the angel appeared. There are multitudes of
religious people that will not hear good news when Jesus returns.
Before they can receive the message of good news, the shepherds must set aside
their fear because there is nothing in the message that creates fear. The intent
of the message is to fill the heart of the shepherds with joy. One of the
greatest fears of men and women today is death. They fear death because they do
not know there is good news in death. The good news is Jesus has removed the
sting of death.
The good news is the Savior that has been so long expected, which is Christ the
Lord, the Messiah, the Anointed, Lord of all, the heir to David’s throne, God
incarnate, has been born in the city of David. He is a Savior, and He will be a
Savior to those who accept him for their Lord. The Savior is born, he is born
this day; and this is a matter of great joy to all people, do not keep it a
secret, and proclaim it to the entire world. He is born in the place predicted
in Micah 5; 2, unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. To men, not to
angels He did not take on the nature of angels. He took on the nature of man.
This is a matter of joy, great joy. Let heaven and earth rejoice.
The angel gives the shepherds a sign for confirming what they have heard, “you
will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12 –NASB).
They will not find the heir of David’s throne dressed in fancy robes, and lying
in a bed in one of the best houses in the town, they will find Him wrapped in
swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger.
The message was no sooner delivered by one angel than suddenly there was with
that angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God (Luke 2:13-14) for
extending His good will to men manifested in sending the Messiah who will
introduce His peace to the world and end the enmity that sin had raised between
God and man. He will introduce His peace, a peace the world cannot give or take
away. All the peace we have, or hope for, is the result of God's good will.
Peace will never be achieved in any way that is inconsistent with the glory of
God. This was the peace proclaimed by the angel to the shepherds. It is on earth
and extended to all who will accept it according to God’s terms and not man’s.
“When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying
to one another, ‘Let us go straight to Bethlehem then and see this thing that
has happened which the Lord has made known to us. So they came in a hurry and
found their way to Mary and Joseph and the baby as He lay in the manger” (Luke
2:15-15 – NASB). They immediately went to Bethlehem. It is possible the
shepherds told Joseph and Mary of the vision of the angels they had seen, and
the song of the angels they had heard, which would be a great encouragement to
Mary and Joseph. It is also probable that Joseph and Mary told the shepherds
what visions they had had concerning the child; and so, by exchanging
information they strengthened one another's faith.
The shepherds saw nothing in the child that should cause them to believe that He
was Christ the Lord. What they saw agreed with the sign that the angel had given
them. So they made known abroad the whole story of what was told them concerning
this child, that he was the Savior, even Christ the Lord that in Him there is
peace on earth. This they told every body, and agreed in their testimony
concerning it. What impression did this have upon the people? We are told all
which heard it wondered at those things that the shepherds told them.
The shepherds were plain, downright, honest men. Those who heard what they heard
and saw could not suspect them of spreading a rumor. What they had said
therefore was likely to be true, and, if true, they could not but wonder at it
that the Messiah should be born in a stable and not in a palace, that an angel
should bring news of it to poor shepherds and not to the chief priests. They
wondered, but never inquired any further about the Savior, but went about doing
their own things. Are we following the example of the shepherds?
Mary made them the matter of her private meditation. She said little, but kept
all these things, and pondered them in her heart. The truths of Christ are worth
keeping; and the way to keep them safe is to lay them up in the heart. The
shepherds made them the matter of public praises. They returned, glorifying and
praising God. If others would disregard the report they made to them, God would
accept the thanksgivings they offered to him. They praised God for what they had
heard from the angel, and for what they had seen, the baby in the manger. They
thanked God that they had seen Christ. To some, Christ born in a stable is
foolishness and an obstacle, but others see in it the wisdom of God and the
power of God.
In Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus God used the issuing of a decree by a
pagan emperor in the fulfilling of Micah 5:2. Angels announced the fulfillment
of Micah 5:2 to shepherds. The first to proclaim the good news of the
fulfillment of Micah were the shepherds and not the religious of the day.
However, there is a third party involved in the birth of Jesus.
Matthew 2:1-2, “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of
Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He
who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have
come to worship Him.’” They did not ask if the King of Jews was born, they asked
where he is born. When Herod heard the wise men from the east were looking for a
newborn king, he was greatly troubled and so were the people. Herod was troubled
because he saw in this newborn king his power slipping away. The people were
troubled because they did not know how Herod would react to the announcement of
a newborn king.
Just as God used a pagan emperor to prepare the way for the birth of the
Messiah, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, Satan will use Herod in an
attempt to destroy the One who will bruise his head.
Herod holds a staff meeting; he asks them where the Messiah was to be born. They
told him in Bethlehem of Judea. The proof they produced to prove Bethlehem is
the place where the Messiah will be born is Micah 5:2. Herod meets with the wise
men without his staff who told him when the star appeared. Herod sends the wise
men to Bethlehem with instructions to find Jesus and report their finding to
him. Now this might seem suspicious if Herod had not hid his true intentions
from the wise men. What is hard to understand is that Herod puts his trust in
the wise men and not his staff. He does not know if the reason given by the wise
men for coming to Jerusalem seeking the place of the birth of this newborn king
is their true reason for coming to Jerusalem. It sounds as if Herod is faced
with the same situation as that of Nebuchadnezzar’s court; he did not trust his
advisors.
The wise men leave Jerusalem and the star they saw in the east went before them
and “stood over the place where the Child was” and when they went into the house
they saw Jesus and His mother, Mary, and fell down and worshipped Him (Matthew
2:11). They did not worship Mary. Then they opened “their treasures” and
“presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They did not give
gifts to Mary.
When the wise men did not return to Jerusalem and reveal whereabouts of Jesus
Herod was enraged and ordered the killing of all male children in Bethlehem and
the surrounding area that were two years old and younger. This was Satan’s first
attempt on the life of Jesus through his agents. In a dream, an angel told
Joseph to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt where they remained until the death of
Herod. After the death of Herod an angel, in a dream told Joseph it was safe to
return to Israel.
Once again we see God working out His plan for the salvation of man. Following
the death of Herod the Romans divided his kingdom among his three sons. Was it
by chance Rome gave Herod’s son Archelaus authority over Judah and Samaria?
“When Joseph heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father
Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being warned by God in a dream, he
left for the regions of Galilee, and came and lived in a city called Nazareth”
(Matthew 2:19-23 – NASB).
Jesus, “continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace
of God was upon Him” (Luke 2:40).
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