Luke 2
COMMENTARY:
: 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped HIM in swaddling clothes, and laid HIM in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. (4416 “firstborn” [prototokos] means first begotten, birthright, existing before, or superior.)
DEVOTION: Have you ever given it any thought that Jesus was in heaven before HIS birth. HE was ruling and reign over the universe with the Father and Holy Spirit. HE was listening to the angels sing praise. HE was involved in the creation of the world. HE owned the cattle on a thousand hills. Heaven is mentioned to have precious jewels and a golden street. Money was no problem.
Now HE comes to earth as a little baby and where does HE stay? HE stays in a stable. HE is born around animals. HE doesn’t have clothes made by a famous designer. HE was reaped in strips of cloth.
What did the LORD give up to come to this world as a baby? HE gave up heaven. HE limited HIS attributes. HE emptied HIMSELF to come to this world. HE was no longer omnipresent. HE no longer was omniscient. HE no longer was omnipotent. HE set them aside when HE took on a human form. HE was still God and man. HE was sinless. HE was in direct communication with the Father. HE knew what HIS message was to be to those who followed HIM.
Can we fully understand how HE could be fully God and fully man? Not really. HE did it and we need to believe it. Were the attributes still available to HIM? YES!! The mount of transfiguration showed this possibility.
HE is coming again to take HIS own into heaven before the Tribulation. HE is coming back after that seven years to rule and reign on this earth for a thousand years.
CHALLENGE: WE need to believe that HE is still on the throne no matter what is going on in our world.
: 17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. (3708 “known” [horao] means take heed, perceive, to see, to perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight, pay attention to, concern oneself with, understanding, or cause to happen.)
DEVOTION: The shepherds were minding their own business when the angels appeared to tell them the news of the birth of Jesus. They were giving information and singing the praise of the birth of the Savior of the World.
The shepherds were amazed. They didn’t understand fully what was happening. They were used to their quiet evenings next to a fire. What a amazing sight it had to be to see the angels and hear their voices.
Once they had left they went to see if something had really happened in Bethlehem. They went to the sable and saw Jesus. They worshiped HIM and then.
Then they went out and told everyone they saw about what had happened. Some didn’t believe them. Others went to see if it was true. What would you have done? We could do nothing about announcing our Savior’s birth. We could just tell close friend. Or we could tell the world about what was happening.
The choice is ours each day. If we truly believe that Jesus came to save the world we would want to do something if we are a follower of HIM. The shepherd told all they met.
CHALLENGE: Once we are introduced to Jesus we need to make a commitment to HIM and tell others about HIM.
: 37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. (3000 “served” [latreuo] means worship, minister to, to perform sacred services, to offer gifts, to devote, or homage.)
DEVOTION: Here is a woman who lived eighty-four years serving the LORD in the Temple. Once her husband died, after seven years of marriage, this is what she dedicated her life to. During those years she was regularly fasting and praying. The Pharisees fasted twice a week. She seemed to do it more.
She was used of the LORD to as a prophetess. She knew who Jesus was. She came at the same time that Simeon was making his statements about finally seeing the child who was set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel.
Her message was that Jesus was going to redeem the children of Israel. The LORD blessed her ministry with the knowledge of who Jesus was and what HE was going to do for Israel.
As you read this account of a woman who was serving the LORD she set a standard for those who want to dedicate their life to service. She was willing to be alone. She was willing to put food and drink aside to service. She wanted to gain understanding in the work of the LORD. It took a long time but she was honored for her ministry. She never gave up.
She was there when Jesus came into the Temple to be dedicated to the LORD. Jesus had opened the womb of Mary and the firstborn child was always to be dedicated to the LORD for service.
Commitment is what the LORD honors. We have two examples of that we met at the Temple. Simeon and Anna were honored for their years of service with an answer to their prayers. They saw the Messiah.
We have to have the same commitment to our service to the LORD. It is not just a pray that we say or attendance at church or baptism or giving of our money. It is a combination of them all but more. It is yielding ourselves to the Holy Spirit and being available to serve no matter what comes along. Total commitment gives glory to the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Our sacred services are to be given to the LORD each day. If we live to be an hundred we can serve the LORD. No retirement age allowed.
: 51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. (5293 “subject” [hupotasso] means to arrange under, to subordinate, to put in subjection, obey, to submit to one’s control, or to yield to one’s admonition or advice.)
DEVOTION: The hypostatic union of Christ is an interesting study. Here we have God and man in one person. Yet this God/man is without sin. HE is sinless. No other human was sinless except Adam and Eve before the fall. Now every human being is sinful. Without exception all have sinned and come short of the GLORY of God. Some think they have not sinned too much. Those individuals think that everyone else is a worse sinner than them. They are wrong because they are guilty of the sin of Satan – Pride.
In this chapter we have the birth of Christ until HE becomes a man. During this time period HE never sinned. HIS mother and Joseph left HIM behind in Jerusalem but then they found HIM three days later in the Temple asking questions and giving answers at the age of twelve. All the doctors or scholars were amazed at HIS knowledge.
HE went home with Joseph and Mary submitting to them. HE worked in the carpenter shop with Joseph. Everyone in Nazareth saw HIM grow up but didn’t think about how obedient HE was. They didn’t see how different HE was from the other children. They probably thought HE was just a good kid.
But we need to think about this word that is used. This word is used in relation to the second person of the Godhead. HE had come to earth as a baby. HE had grown up in a household. HE turned twelve years old and was able to question the leading scholars of HIS day regarding the law of Moses and the teachings of the Old Testament.
Yet, when his mother and Joseph came to the temple to get HIM, he willing followed them home. HE stayed in Nazareth in the shop of Joseph until HE started HIS ministry at age thirty. So for eighteen years HE worked in the carpenter shop. When HE was in HIS ministry, the people of Nazareth didn’t want to listen to HIM because HE was from their hometown and they saw HIM grow up. They didn’t want to believe that HE was the Son of God.
The people that we grow up with or around have their faults. If we know them well, we know that they are sinners. Then comes a time that they want to be a teacher of the Word of God and we say “that’s only ____, we know him and all the things he has done in his life, why should we listen to him.” The problem is that if God is using him we should be listening.
We need to be obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives and sometimes that means listening to those we know the best and worst about. What is the LORD saying to us through them? Are we willing listeners? Are we submitting to those in our family that the LORD is using?
Jesus was submitting to his mother and Joseph until he reached the age of maturity in Jewish eyes. HE was also submitting to the Father in heaven. Can we even think that thought? Jesus was submitting to human beings during HIS lifetime here on earth.
Has anyone in our families reached the age of maturity in God’s eyes and are we willing to listen to them? We are sinners. Christ never sinned. Yet, God uses sinners to reach all of us for HIM.
CHALLENGE: Be willing to listen to those who love the LORD, even if, we know all their faults. IF the LORD is speaking through them – we need to hear!!!
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Anna fasting and praying in templeverse 37
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Anna fasting and praying in templeverse 37
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Sacrificeverse 24
Templeverses 27, 37, 46
Feast of Passoververse 41
Doctorsverse 46
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Law of Mosesverse 22
Law of the LORDverses 23, 24, 39
Custom of the lawverse 27
According to God’s wordverse 29
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Lordverses 9, 15, 22-24, 26, 29, 38, 39
Glory of the Lordverse 10
Glory to Godverse 14
Godverses 20, 28, 37, 40
Lord’s Christverse 26
Fatherverse 49
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
Firstbornverse 7
Sonverses 7, 48
Saviorverse 11
Christ verses 11, 26
Lordverses 11, 22
Christ the Lordverse 11
Babeverses 12, 16
Childverses 17, 21, 27, 34, 40, 43
JESUSverses 21, 43, 52
Present to the Lordverse 22
Holy unto the LORDverse 23
Lord’s Christverse 26
Child Jesusverses 27, 43
Salvationverse 30
Light to the Gentilesverse 32
Child grewverse 40
Waxed strong in spiritverse 40
Filled with wisdomverse 40
Grace of God was upon verse 40
Sitting in midst of the doctorsverse 46
Hearing doctorsverse 46
Asking questionsverse 46
Doctors astonished at understandingverse 47
Doctors astonished at answersverse 47
About Father’s businessverse 49
Subject to HIS parentsverse 51
Increased in wisdomverse 52
Increased in statureverse 52
Increased in favor with Godverse 52
Increased in favor with manverse 52
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Holy Ghostverses 25, 26
Holy Ghost was upon Simeonverse 25
Spiritverse 27
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Angel of the Lordverses 9-15
Multitude of heavenly hostverse 13
Praising Godverse 13
Angelsverse 15
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Caesar Augustusverse 1
Cyrenius (governor of Syria)verse 2
Shepherdsverse 18
All peopleverse 31
Gentilesverse 32
Thoughts of many heartsverse 35
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Fear notverse 10
Good tidingverse 10
Great joyverse 10
Praising Godverses 13, 20
Peaceverse 14
Glorifying Godverse 20
Sacrificeverse 24
Justverse 25
Devoutverse 25
Waiting for the consolation of Israelverse 25
Blessedverses 28, 34
Depart in peaceverse 29
Salvationverse 30
Serveverse 37
Gave thanksverse 38
Redemptionverse 38
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Josephverses 4, 33, 41, 43, 48
Galileeverses 4, 39
Nazarethverses 4, 39, 51
Judaeaverse 4
City of Davidverses 4, 11
Bethlehemverse 4
Davidverse 4
Maryverses 5, 19, 33, 34, 41, 43, 48-51
Shepherdsverses 8, 20
Circumcisingverse 21
Days of purification verse 22
Law of Mosesverse 22
Jerusalemverses 22, 25, 38, 41-43, 45
Present child to the Lordverse 22
Simeonverses 25-34
God’s people Israelverses 32, 34
Anna – prophetessverses 36-38
Daughter of Phanuel
Tribe of Asher
Great age
Widow for 84 years
Serve with fasting and prayers
Looking for redemption
Parents didn’t understandverse 50
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Heavenverse 15
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