“Tell my story, Mama! Tell the story of the day I was born!” As our four children were growing up, on the morning of their birthdays, I would tell the story of their birth as they devoured their birthday pancakes. Each story was unique with details that made each child feel special and he/she hung on every word. At some point during the day we would look at the birthday kid’s baby book and remember some of their funny sayings as they acquired language or photographs of big moments - their first steps, first concert or play, first bike ride, and of course, each birthday party!
The second chapter of Luke reads much like a Jesus’ baby book, a scrapbook of many of the details of his unique birth story as well as his early years of development. I imagine Mary’s joy in retelling the story to Luke and him furiously writing it down, not wanting to miss a single detail. Luke, interrupting at times, a curious expression on his face asking Mary, “You seriously had Jesus in a barn? Tell me more about that.”
Today’s reading also includes Baby Jesus’ first visitors, not at all who you would expect. We also get a peek at Jesus’ baby book page when his parents presented Him in the temple and made the proper sacrifices to God on His behalf. There are two senior citizens in the temple courts who have been waiting for the Messiah to arrive and as soon as they see Baby Jesus, they know exactly who He is!
Read Luke 2:1-38
No Coincidences
Okay, Mary and Joseph are confident that the child she is carrying is the promised Messiah, but isn’t he supposed to be born in Bethlehem? Mary and Joseph are living in Nazareth, the Galilee region…how would they get to Bethlehem? “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered.” (v 1) God used the Emperor’s pride, desiring to know just how many people were under his control, to get the mother of Jesus where He had promised He would be born - in Bethlehem, the city of David, of the tribe of Judah. (A quick but important note here: Mary was not of the tribe of Judah, Joseph was; thus Joseph was just as intentionally chosen by God as Mary was.)
“Just as They Had Been Told”
In the same region as Bethlehem, in the fields along the short Sabbath journey from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, shepherds were out in the fields on night duty, tending their flocks. It is highly likely that these flocks were sacrificial sheep, raised to be killed and offered up as blood sacrifices in the temple, and therefore these shepherds had a very important responsibility. Suddenly, an unnamed angel of the Lord stood before them and the glory of the Lord (His light and presence) shone around them. Shaking all over, eyes big as saucers, barely able to stand on their feet, the shepherds were terrified!!
The angel saw how frightened the shepherds were and quickly spoke, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” (vv 10-11) I imagine that the shepherds were frozen in place, barely able to breathe because of what they were witnessing, so the angel continued with more details of the Baby’s birth, “This will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.” (v 12, emphasis mine) All babies back then were wrapped in swaddling cloths, but human babies were generally not placed in a feeding trough to sleep!
Suddenly, a whole choir of angels joined the one and praised God in four part harmony, (I don’t actually know that, but how could they not?) “Glory to God in the highest heaven and peace on earth to people he favors.” (v 14) After the concert was over and the angels left to return to heaven, the shepherd found themselves no longer terrified but super excited to go and see this baby! Sure enough, everything was just as they had been told. As they left the most unusual birthing center, the shepherds told everyone they saw what the Lord had done and they had witnessed! What a beautiful gift God gave these keepers of the sacrificial lambs - to be the first visitors of the last and final Sacrificial Lamb!
Two Surprise Visitors
At the appropriate time, Mary and Joseph brought Baby Jesus to the temple to be dedicated to the Lord and sacrifices made to the Lord on his behalf. As they were walking into the temple courts, a righteous and devout older man, Simeon, was guided to the temple by the Holy Spirit. Simeon was looking forward to the Messiah’s arrival, Israel’s consolation, and when he saw Mary and Joseph’s baby, he knew Baby Jesus was the One he had been waiting for. By now Mary was growing accustomed with strangers just appearing from seemingly nowhere to meet her baby, and speak words of life and encouragement over Him. That was about to take a strange and disconcerting turn. Taking the baby in his arms, Simeon prophesied over Jesus: Yahweh had allowed his servant to see His salvation, both a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to His people, Israel. Then, Simeon took Mary aside and told her that her child would cause the rise and fall of many in Israel and that He would be opposed. His very presence would cause the thoughts and schemes of many hearts to be revealed. I imagine Mary reflecting on that prophecy as she relayed that memory to Luke. She had been told that Jesus would have haters from the very start of His life…
Anna, an 84-year-old widow and prophetess who served in the temple day and night joined Simeon in thanking God for Jesus and told those milling about who this special baby was. Most of the worshipers and priests knew Anna and had grown numb to her predictions, but those who were actually looking forward to the redemption of Israel received her words as from the Lord. Mary and Joseph were coming to understand that Jesus wasn’t just theirs - they were to share Him willingly with others, with all.
Big Picture Questions for Today:
Think back on your life and consider all of the unique details of your story. God ordained specific happenings, meetings, visitors to draw you to Himself in His perfect time. If you can’t remember much, take some time today to reach out to someone who knew you while you were growing up - a parent, sibling, friend or teacher and ask them to “tell your story.”
Are you waiting with anticipation for the Lord’s second coming? Or are you mindlessly going through the motions of life, year after year wondering if there is a point to the chaos and division all around us?
Pray for the Lord to give you discernment and faith, as Simeon and Anna, to live in anticipation of Jesus’ return.
