Luke 2:1-20 - Christmas in July
- Chad Werkhoven
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
Christmas is just one chapter in God’s salvation story.
Gospels: Week 1 - Jesus' Incarnation and Birth
We begin the New Testament by, of course, tracking through the Gospel Narratives - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. We'll spend the rest of the summer in these gospels, and each day we'll be in a different book as we work through Jesus' birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension chronologically.
Luke 2:1–20 (NASB95)
1 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth.
2 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.
3 And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city.
4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,
5 in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.
6 While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth.
7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.
10 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;
11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12 “This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
15 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.”
16 So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger.
17 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child.
18 And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.
20 The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.
Heidelberg Catechism
Q&A 15
Q. What kind of mediator and deliverer should we look for then?
A. One who is truly human and truly righteous,
yet more powerful than all creatures,
that is, one who is also true God.
Summary
Just so that you're aware, we're now closer to the upcoming Christmas Day than we are to the one we just celebrated last December. But it's good for us to dwell on this classic Bible passage here in the light of summer, set free from the typical trappings our society typically encompasses the Christmas story with.
And what we see here in the Bible's only narrative of Jesus' birthday is nothing more than a culmination of everything we've already seen as we've read through the Old Testament so far: An Almighty LORD who sovereignly controls every sphere and realm of reality in order to save His people.
We see the LORD working through one of history's most powerful men - Caesar Augustus, whose census decree forced Joseph and his very pregnant fiancée to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, the very place the prophet Micah had indicated that the Messiah would be born.
And we get a glimpse into the angelic realm who come bringing good news of great joy which will be for all the people, right before a multitude of the heavenly host - that is, the very angel army of the LORD - who had been assembled at God's command to pour out His righteous wrath against sinful humanity now shouts forth in exuberant praise because today, in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Dig Deeper
God continued to demonstrate His sovereignty in choosing one of society's least significant elements to be recipients of the greatest announcement ever - some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. These same shepherds would go on to become the Church's first evangelists, as they went out and made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. But detail oriented Luke gives no evidence that anybody did anything but wonder about the things which were told them by the shepherds.
Then there's the humble, quiet evidence of God's sovereign action in Mary's life, which we read about yesterday - the virgin who delivered her son in a strange place, wrapped Him in cloths and laid Him in a manger. Today's chapter gives a bit of insight as to why God so highly favored Mary, for she treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.
But we see God's sovereignty the clearest here in this famous second chapter of Luke from the One who says and does the least (in this chapter). It's seen in the person and work of the God-Man, the second person of the Trinity, who emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and was made in the likeness of men, who would go on to humble Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Phil 2:7-8).
It's good that our society still makes a big deal out of celebrating Christmas each December, even if most of its rationale for doing so is far more secular than Biblical. Luke here records one of history's most significant events, which deserves the attention it gets. But don't forget that what happened that night so long ago was just one more chapter in the unfolding story of how God sovereignly saves His people.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who sovereignly orchestrates all of history for our salvation;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that, like Mary, you will treasure all these things, pondering them in your heart;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
