Thoughts on Luke 1-2
The first two chapters of Luke’s account of the good news contain a good bit of prophecy. It is the purpose of the present work to take a look at these prophetic passages. Literal translation. Scripture in italics – so words not in italics are not in the Greek text, but are added to make the meaning clear.
Since many put the hand to compile an account concerning the things having been accomplished among us, 2as those having been eyewitnesses and servants of the word from the beginning delivered to us, 3it seemed to me also having closely followed all things carefully from the beginning to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus, 4that you might know fully the accurate information concerning which things you were taught [catechized].
5There was in the days of Herod, King of the Jews, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah, and a wife to him of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. 6Now both were righteous before God, going blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. 7And there was not a child to them, for Elisabeth was barren and both were advanced in their days. 8Now it took place in his doing service in the order of his division before God 9according to the custom of the priestly office it fell his lot to burn incense, having entered into the Holy Place [Holy Place] of the Lord, 10and all the multitude of the people praying outside at the hour of the incense offering.
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11Now there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing at the right of the altar of incense, 12and Zacharias was troubled seeing it and fear fell on him. 13But the angel said to him, “Don’t be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer was heard and your wife Elisabeth will bear you a son and you will call his name John. 14And he will be joy and gladness to you, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15For he will be great before the Lord, and he will not drink wine and strong drink, and with Holy Spirit he will be filled even from his mother’s womb, 16and many of the sons of Israel he will turn back to the Lord their God. 17And he himself will go before him in the Spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn fathers’ hearts back to children’ [Mal. 4.6] and disobedient to the way of thinking of the righteous, to ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
These events marked an epochal time, a time of God’s intervention into history to bring about his eternal purposes. At the end of v. 20 we have the word “time”: “my words which will be fulfilled in their time.” There are two Greek words for “time” in the New Testament. One is chronos, from which we get “chronology.” It refers to passing time, seconds, minutes, days, weeks, months, years, decades, and so on. The other is kairos, and it is meaningful time, a time in which something of import is taking place. Kairos is the word in v. 20. The time in which the events of vs. 13-17 would take place were not just another day, another year. They were a time of great significance.
An angel appeared to Zacharias and told him that a son was to be born, and not just another son, if I may put it that way. All babies are important, but some have a specific calling from God for a higher purpose. Such was this son to be born to Zacharias and Elisabeth. God, not Zacharias, even gave him his name, John. It means “I AM is gracious” (I AM is the English translation of the Hebrew name of God, Ex. 3.14). This was a time of a fresh inbreak of God’s grace, of his undeserved love for his people, indeed for all people. He was in the process of providing something that every person needs, and not just needs, but must have. It has to do with one’s eternal destiny.
John would be joy and gladness to his parents, for they were childless and old, beyond the age of having children. They had never known the joy of a child and thought they never would. In addition, barrenness was considered a curse in that culture and Elisabeth had lived with that disgrace for most of her life. But God broke in with a miracle and gave her, and Zacharias, what they had long since given up on. John. Grace!
In addition, he would be joy and gladness to many others: “many will rejoice at his birth.” The friends and relatives of Zacharias and Elisabeth would rejoice at the birth, but much more joy would come as John grew to manhood and lived out God’s purpose for him. There would, of course, be sorrow also. A part of that joy was that he would be great before the Lord. Like an Old Testament Nazarite he would not drink wine and strong drink, for even from his mother’s womb he would be filled with Holy Spirit, not the world’s spirits. Many of the sons of Israel would know the joy of turning back to the Lord because of his work. He would go before this “Lord their God” “in the Spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn fathers’ hearts back to children’ [Mal. 4.6] and disobedient to the way of thinking of the righteous, to ready a people prepared for the Lord.” To ready a people prepared for the Lord. There was one coming after John who would be greater than John, for he was before John and ranked higher than John. Many, most, would reject that Lord, but there would be a people prepared to receive him, to receive this visitation of God. Yes, it was an epochal time.
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18And Zacharias said to the angel, ”How will I know this, for I am an old man and my wife is advanced in her days?” 19And answering the angel said to him, “I am Gabriel who has been standing before God, and I was sent to speak to you and to tell you the good news of these things. 20And behold you will be silent and not able to speak until which day all these things have been done, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their time [kairos].”
21And the people were expecting Zacharias, and they were marveling at his delay in the Holy Place. 22But having come out he was not able to speak to them, and they knew that he had seen a vision in the Holy Place. And he was making signs to them and remained unable to speak. 23And it took place when the days of his service ended, he went to his home. 24But after these days Elisabeth his wife conceived, and she was keeping herself in seclusion five months, saying, 25“Thus has the Lord done unto me in the days in which he took notice of me to remove my disgrace among men.”
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26Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee by the name of Nazareth 27to a virgin betrothed to a man by the name of Joseph from the house of David, and the name of the virgin was Mary [Mariam]. 28And having entered in to her, he said, “Greetings, favored one, the Lord is with you.” 29But at the word she was perplexed and was wondering what kind of greeting this might be. 30And the angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary, for you found favor with God, 31and behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a Son, and you will call his name Jesus. 32This one will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob into the ages, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34But Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I do not know a man?” 35And answering the angel said to her, “Holy Spirit will come upon you and power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy One begotten will be called Son of God. 36And behold, Elisabeth your kinswoman has herself also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month with her, the one called barren. 37For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38Now Mary said, “Behold the Lord’s slave. Be it to me according to your speaking.” And the angel departed from her.
“Now in the sixth month”: in v. 24 Luke writes that Elisabeth was in the fifth month of her pregnancy, so this sixth month was the sixth month of Elisabeth’s pregnancy, as v. 36 tells us. At this time the angel Gabriel, who had appeared to Zacharias in the Holy Place, was sent by God to Nazareth in Galilee to a virgin who was betrothed to Joseph, from the house of David, and her name was Mary. We do not know exactly how, but Nazarite and Nazareth are related in Scripture (Mt. 2.23), so this was a part of the fulfillment of prophecy that was taking place.
The fact that Mary was a virgin is also of great importance, for she was to be the fulfillment of the prophecy of Is. 7.14: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: behold a virgin will conceive and bear a son, and will call his name Immanuel.” Mary and her betrothed, Joseph,
were from the house of David. This, too, was of utmost importance, for this one to be born of her would be the King of the Jews, and indeed, the King of everything, and kings of the Jews must be descended from the tribe of Judah through David. Betrothal in biblical times was much like our engagement, but it was a more legal arrangement. If the betrothal were broken it was called a divorce.
Mary was perplexed when the angel Gabriel appeared and greeted her. I imagine she was also surprised and shocked! How many times does an angel appear to a person? He said to her, “Greetings, favored one, the Lord is with you.” The Greek word for “favored” can mean “graced” or “favored.” Favored seems to me to fit the statement better. “The Lord is with you” is true of everyone everywhere, but when the Bible uses this term it means that God is there in a particular way to accomplish some purpose (1 Sam. 20.13 is an example). And what was the purpose? Mary would conceive as a virgin and have a baby boy whose name would be Jesus, which means in Hebrew “I AM saves.” He would be great and would be called Son of the Most High, and God would give to him the throne of his father David, and he would reign over the house of Jacob into the ages, and of his kingdom there would be no end. That is the eternal purpose that God was initiating at the time, kairos, of these events.
We said that the fact that Mary was a virgin was important because she was to be the fulfillment of the prophecy of Is. 7.14, but it is important for another reason. The fact that Mary was a virgin means that Jesus was not begotten by a human father, a fallen son of Adam, but was begotten by the Holy Spirit, God, and thus was not a born sinner. All humans since Adam and Eve are born sinners. We have not yet sinned at birth, but we will sin because we are sinners. A person is not a sinner because he sins. He sins because he is a sinner. This is the law of sin and death of Rom. 8.2: we will sin and we will die. Thanks be to God that the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death. But I am getting ahead of myself. The Lord Jesus could live a sinless life, and he did so because he chose to obey his Father at every point. Because he was an unblemished Lamb he was an acceptable sacrifice for our sins, and could be raised from the dead because death is the penalty of sins and he had no sin, and could bring forgiveness about by his death and resurrection. I am still ahead of myself!
Mary asked Gabriel how this could be since she had not known a man. His answer was that that the Holy Spirit and the power of the Most High would cause her to conceive so that the child would be called the Son of God. Then he told her that Elisabeth, her kinswoman, another woman who could not bear children, was also pregnant and was in her sixth month. “For nothing [rema] will be impossible with God.” A barren aged woman and a young virgin could get pregnant miraculously.
Mary showed her yieldedness before God, probably a factor in her having found favor with him, by saying, “Behold the Lord’s slave. Be it to me according to your speaking [rema].” I have put
the Greek word rema in brackets just above and here to show that it can have at least two meanings. It can mean “thing” as above. It is often translated “word,” as in Lk. 2.29. You will see there that I have translated it not as “word,” but as “speaking.” When rema means “word” it is usually referring to a spoken word. It is different from the word most are familiar with, logos. Logos can have a number of meanings, but for our purposes here let us just say that it is the written word. The Bible is the written word of God. Anyone who can read can read it, but it may mean nothing to him – in one ear and out the other. Or he may not believe it. Or he may believe it, but get nothing from it. Rema, however, means a spoken word, something that the Lord has said to someone, not in the sense of new Scripture (no such thing!), but in taking a written word from the Bible and speaking it to someone. I am sure you have all had the experience of reading a verse or a passage that you have read several times without it speaking to you personally, but then it suddenly comes alive to you. It is as though the Lord were speaking out loud to you, though it probably will not be out loud, but in your mind and heart (though God could speak it out loud). This is rema, and this is Mary’s way of saying that the message came through loud and clear: God spoke to her through Gabriel. (Mary probably spoke Aramaic and may or may not have known Greek, but the fact that the word of God uses the word rema in this place shows that this is what took place.) Having accomplished his purpose, Gabriel departed.
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39Now in these days, Mary, having arisen, went to the hill country with haste to a city of Judah, 40and entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elisabeth. 41And it took place when Elisabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elisabeth was filled with Holy Spirit, 42and she called out with a great voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43And from where is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped with joy in my womb. 45And happy is she who had faith that there will be a fulfillment to the thing spoken to her from the Lord.”
Having heard of Elisabeth’s pregnancy, Mary hastened to visit her. When she entered the house of Zacharias she greeted Elisabeth, and when Elisabeth heard the greeting the baby leaped in her womb. Lk. 1.15 tells us that John would be filled with Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb, and here is an evidence of it. I suppose the Holy Spirit in John responded to Mary’s greeting and caused him to leap for joy. At the same time Elisabeth was filled with Holy Spirit. Apparently without being told of Mary’s news that she, Mary, was blessed among women, and blessed was the fruit of her womb, she knew that Mary was the mother of her Lord. Was this a word of
knowledge? She closed with the statement that Mary would be happy because she had trusted in what the Lord said to her.
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46And Mary said,
47My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoiced in God my Savior,
48For he looked on the low estate of his slave. For behold, from now on all generations will call me happy.
49For the Powerful One did great things for me, and holy is his name,
50And his mercy is for generations and generations to those who fear him [Ps. 103.17]. 51He did strength with his arm; he scattered the proud in the thought of their heart. 52He put down rulers from thrones and exalted the humble.
53The hungry he filled with good things [Ps. 107.9], and those being rich he sent away empty. 54He helped Israel his servant to remember mercy,
55As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed, into the age.
56Now Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.
Next comes what has come to be known as the Magnificat, from the Latin for “My soul magnifies the Lord.” In this stirring passage Mary gives praise to God for what he had done and would do for her, and for delivering Israel from her enemies and blessing them with good things.
“My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoiced in God my Savior.” In her rejoicing Mary refers to both soul and spirit, and of course, she has given her body to the Lord as his instrument for bringing his Son into the world. Her soul (psyche in Greek) is her psychological aspect, mind, emotions, will, personality, and so forth. Her spirit is her means of communicating with God. She throws her whole self into praise to God for his great blessings. He has looked on her low estate, she even seeing herself as a slave, and now she will be highly regarded by all generations.
Mary quotes from a great psalm of mercy, Ps. 107, in saying that his mercy is for generations. This a prophecy of the ongoing mercy of God from her time on. The proud and exalted he puts down and the humble he exalts. She was one of these humble ones, a young girl in a conquered land, under the thumb of the mighty Roman Empire. Again this could be seen as prophetic of the end of that empire and of all such exaltations by men of themselves down through history. That will reach it fulfillment in the return of the Lord to put down all such proud expressions of men and take the throne of the world himself to rule in righteousness in a kingdom that will never be put down. In the midst of this evil Roman Empire the Lord has remembered to help
Israel as he promised Abraham: “In you will all the families of the earth be blessed” (Gen. 12.3). That prophecy has been and will be fulfilled in the one born of Mary. It has been at the cross and the empty tomb in providing salvation to all who will trust in him. It will be at his return when all the evil of the world will be done away with in a reign of righteousness that will last for a thousand years, and then throughout all eternity.
And so Mary returns home to await her own delivery of a baby.
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57Now the time for Elisabeth to give birth was fulfilled and she bore a son. 58And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord was magnifying his mercy to her, and they were rejoicing with her. 59And it took place on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they calling him by the name of his father Zacharias. 60And answering his mother said, “No indeed, but he will be called John.” 61And they said to her, “There is no one of your relatives who is called by this name.” 62But they were making signs to his father, what he would wish him to be called. 63And having asked for a writing tablet he wrote saying, “John is his name.” And they all marveled. 64And his mouth was immediately opened, and his tongue, and he was speaking blessing God. 65And fear came on all those dwelling around them, and in all the hill country of Judea all these things were being talked about, 66and all those having heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” And indeed the hand of the Lord was with him.
When the time came that John was born there was great rejoicing. When the eighth day came John was to be circumcised according to Jewish law. This was also the time at which a baby was named. Those celebrating assumed that he would be called Zacharias after his father, but, of course, Gabriel had told Zacharias that the baby’s name would be John, “I AM is gracious.” Elisabeth said, “… he will be called John.” Then the people made signs to Zacharias asking about the baby’s name. Why they made signs to Zacharias I do not know. He was not deaf, but unable to speak. Anyway, he asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name.” Gabriel had said that Zacharias would be unable to speak until what he told him took place, and when Zacharias said, “John is his name,” his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed and “he was blessing God.” These things became the subject of talk all around and the people wondered what this child would be. And Luke reports that the hand of the Lord was with John, but does not give any information about that.
Then, as Mary had done, Zacharias began his prophecy. Elisabeth had been filled with Holy Spirit at Mary’s visit and now Zacharias was filled with Holy Spirit.
67And Zacharias his father was filled with Holy Spirit and prophesied saying,
68Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he visited his people and brought about redemption for his people,
69And raised up for us a horn of salvation in the house of David his servant,
70As he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from ages,
71Salvation “from our enemies and from the hand of all those hating us” [Ps. 106.10], 72To show mercy with our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,
73The oath which he swore to Abraham our father, to give to us, 74having delivered us from the hand of enemies, to serve him without fear 75in respect for God and righteousness before him for all our days.
76And you child will indeed be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before him to prepare his way,
77To give knowledge of salvation to his people in forgiveness of their sins,
78Because of the affections [bowels] of mercy of our God, with which the sunrise from on high will visit us,
79To give light to those sitting in the darkness and shadow of death [Is. 9.2], to guide our feet into the way of peace.
80And the child was growing and being made strong in spirit, and he was in the desert places until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
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2. Now it took place in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the inhabited earth be enrolled. 2This enrollment first took place when Quirinius was governor of Syria, 3and all were going to enroll themselves, each to his own city. 4Now Joseph also went up from Galilee from the city of Nazareth to Judea to the city of David which is called House of Bread [Bethlehem], because he was from the house and family of David, 5to be enrolled with Mary, the one having been betrothed to him, she being pregnant. 6And it took place while they were there that the days were fulfilled for her to give birth, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, for there was not room for them in the inn.
The actual birth of the Lord Jesus is described very briefly and with little detail. We are told only that she gave birth, wrapped the baby in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, a feeding trough for livestock. No, Jesus was not born in a manger. Luke also notes that there was no room for them in the inn.
Going back to vs. 4-5, we see that Joseph took Mary and went to Bethlehem, which is the city of David, because he was descended from David. We saw the necessity of this earlier in that kings of Israel must be descended from David. You noticed that I called Bethlehem House of Bread.
That is what the word means, and it is significant that the Bread of Life would born in the house of Bread. The Bible is full of such symbolism.
8And shepherds were in the same region, being outdoors keeping watch by night over their flocks. 9And an angel of the Lord stood over them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they feared a great fear. 10And the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which is to all the people, 11for there was born to you today in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord, 12and this is a sign to you: you will find a baby having been wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” 13And suddenly there was 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 of his good pleasure.”
15And it took place when the angels went from them into Heaven that the shepherds were saying to one another, “Let us go then to the House of Bread [Bethlehem] and see this thing that has taken place which the Lord made known to us.” 16And they went hurrying and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. 17And having seen, they made known concerning the thing spoken to them about this child. 18And all those having heard marveled at the thing spoken by the shepherds to them. 19But Mary was keeping all these things, pondering in her heart. 20And the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things which they heard and saw as it was spoken to them.
The birth of the Lord Jesus was a fulfillment of prophecy, for example, Is. 7.14, which we have already seen, and Is. 9.6. When this prophecy was fulfilled, an angel came to announce it to shepherds who were pasturing their flocks outside Bethlehem. Great glory shone around the shepherds and they were naturally afraid at such an uncommon sight, but the angel told them not to be afraid and made his announcement. The one born was a Savior, Christ the Lord. “Christ” is the Greek form of the Hebrew “Messiah.” The angel was telling the shepherds that the prophecies of the coming of the Jewish Messiah was beginning to be fulfilled in the birth of this baby. Then the angel told the shepherds that a sign of the truth of what he had announced was that they would find the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. Then suddenly the great host of Heaven appeared praising God. We always assume that they were singing, but someone pointed out that there in nowhere in the Bible that says angels sing! Surely they do. But they were saying their announcement, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men of his good pleasure.” This last phrase has been variously translated. I take it to mean that the peace of God comes to those with whom God is pleased. Could we really expect to have the peace of God if he were not pleased with us? Could we expect those who reject God and his Christ to have his peace? The peace of God comes to those who trust Christ as Lord and Savior and live in obedience to him. Even Christians, who have peace with God (Rom. 5.1), know what it is not to have the peace of God (Phil. 4.7) when they are disobedient or out of fellowship with him. We are told in 2 Sam. 12 about Nathan’s confrontation of David about his sins of adultery and murder and David’s response: “I have sinned against I AM,” and in Ps. 51 David
writes in his prayer for forgiveness and restoration, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation.” David was a man of God, but he had lost his joy, and I can assure you he had lost his peace, too.
It is only natural that when the angelic host left them the shepherds would go to Bethlehem to see for themselves what had taken place. They said that it was the Lord who had made it known to them. It was not just angels. It was a message from the Lord. Having gone they found things just as they were told. There was the sign, the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. Apparently there were others there also, for when the shepherds told about the angels, they all marveled. With all the marveling going on, Mary just kept these things in her heart and pondered them. She knew what Gabriel had said to her at the beginning of this series of events. She knew that Elisabeth’s baby leaped in her womb when she heard Mary’s greeting. She knew that she was a virgin when she gave birth. What did all these mysterious happenings mean? The shepherds, meanwhile, left, glorifying and praising God.
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21And when eight days were fulfilled to circumcise him, his name was called Jesus, the name called by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. 22And when the days of their cleansing were fulfilled according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, 23as it has been written in the law of the Lord, “Every male opening the womb [lit. mother] will be called holy to the Lord” (Ex. 13.2, 12, 15) 24and to give a sacrifice according to what has been said in the law of the Lord, “a pair of doves or two young pigeons” (Lev. 12.8).
Mary had been told in 1.31 to name her baby Jesus, a name which we saw means “I AM Saves,” and she so named him at his circumcision, on his eighth day. So we have John, “I AM is gracious,” and Jesus, “I AM saves.” For thirty-three days after the circumcision, the new mother would be unclean, and then she was to go to the temple in Jerusalem to present a burnt offering and a sin offering to the priest, after which she would be cleansed of her impurity from the flow of her blood in childbirth (See Lev. 12.1-8). Luke notes that the parents also presented Jesus to the Lord, as required by Jewish law in the verses in Exodus noted in the previous paragraph.
25And behold a man was in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and careful with the things of God [eulabes], waiting for the consolation of Israel, and Holy Spirit was on him. 26And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he was not to see death before he saw the Lord’s Christ. 27And he came in the Spirit into the temple grounds, and the parents of the child entered for them to do according to the custom of the law concerning him, 28and he himself took him into the arms and blessed God and said, “Now you are letting your slave depart in peace, Master [Despot], according to your speaking [rema] [see v. 26], 30for my eyes saw your salvation, 31which you prepared in the presence [face] of all the peoples, 32a light for revelation of Gentiles and glory of your people Israel.” 33And his father and mother were marveling at the things being said about him, 34And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary
his mother, “Behold, this one is set for falling and rising of many in Israel and for a sign to be spoken against, (35and a sword will go through your own soul), that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.
36And there was Anna, a prophetess, a daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, this one being advanced in many days, having lived with a husband seven years from her virginity, 37and she was a widow until eighty-four years of age, who was not leaving the temple grounds, serving with fastings and prayers night and day. 32And at this hour, having approached, she was giving thanks to God and speaking concerning him to all those waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
While the little family were at the temple to do according to the law, there was a man there named Simeon. Luke tells us that he was a righteous man and careful with the things of God. This word “careful with the things of God” is my translation of a Greek word that literally means “well received.” It is as though someone were given a valuable gift, one that was breakable, and he would receive it well, that is, carefully. This word is used four timed in the New Testament
and is usually translated “godly, devout, reverent,” but I think it is helpful to show what it is at its root. Such a person would be godly, devout, and reverent, but that is because he has learned to be careful with the things of God. They are precious, and they are breakable. If we are careless with the spiritual things God gives us we may lose them. Simeon was a man who valued highly the things of God and was careful with them. That being the case along with his righteousness prepared him for the great blessing he was about to receive.
He had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he saw the Messiah, the Lord’s Christ. Israel had waited many centuries for their Messiah. Perhaps some had given up on ever seeing him. One day Simeon came into the temple grounds. There are two Greek words translated “temple.” One refers to the temple building itself, containing the Holy of Holies, the part of the tabernacle or temple containing the Ark of the Covenant with the cherubim, that only the High Priest could enter, and that only once a year on the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, and the Holy Place, where the priests would enter to take care of the altar of incense, the golden lampstand, and the bread of the presentation, the literal name of the loaves of the table. The other word refers to the temple grounds with the court of the Gentiles, the court of Jewish women, the court of Jewish men, and the court of the Levites, male descendants of Levi who were not descendants of Aaron, and therefore not priests. Only the priests could enter the Holy Place. Simeon would have been on the temple grounds.
About the time Simeon entered the temple grounds Joseph, Mary, and Jesus entered. When he saw them, being in the Spirit he knew that he had seen the Lord’s Christ. His prophetic promise had been fulfilled. He took the baby into his arms and blessed God in those poignant words: “Now you are letting your slave depart in peace, Master, according to your speaking [rema, see v. 26], 30for my eyes saw your salvation, 31which you prepared in the presence of all the peoples….” He went on to say, “32a light for revelation of Gentiles and glory of your people
Israel.” This statement perhaps shows his knowledge of prophetic Scripture. Is. 42.6 and 49.6 say that God intended for the Jews to be a light to the nations, to the Gentiles, and 49.6 adds, “to be my salvation to the end of the earth” (Young’s Literal Translation). The Jews apparently overlooked these verses and looked down on the Gentiles, but Simeon realized that this “Lord’s Christ” was the Messiah and Savior of the Gentiles as well as the Jews.
As one would think, Joseph and Mary were marveling at what Simeon said, but he had more, including a personal word for Mary: “And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘Behold, this one is set for falling and rising of many in Israel and for a sign to be spoken against, (and a sword will go through your own soul), that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.’” Is it not so true that the Lord Jesus brought about the fall and rise of many in Israel, experiencing rejection and reception from the Jewish people? He himself was a sign, a sign of God’s intervention in history to provide salvation, but as such he was spoken against by most of the leaders of the Jews, and by so many since. Their response to him revealed the thoughts of their hearts. He was much more, but the Lord Jesus was a prophetic figure, no, more, a prophet, the Prophet (Dt. 18.15).
Simeon’s word to Mary was indeed very touching. With all the joy she knew at bearing this son, she would know a sword going through her own soul also. She would experience the pain of seeing him rejected and persecuted, and ultimately crucified. She was called on by the Lord to experience great favor, great joy, in becoming the mother of the Son of God, the Savior of the world, but she was called on to experience great suffering in the process. How deep is the Bible’s teaching on the place of suffering in our lives in dealing with our flesh and conforming us to the image of his Son.
39And when they completed all the things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their city, Nazareth.
*****
40Now the child was growing and being made strong, being filled with wisdom, and God’s grace was on him.
We know little of the Lord’s childhood. He was growing as any normal boy would, but he was also being made strong. This could refer to physical strength or inner strength or both. Certainly it pointed to inner strength. No one could endure what he experienced on the cross, and not just the physical suffering, but the bearing of our sins and the turning away of his Father, which I think was his experience of hell, without great inner strength. It took much more strength to stay on the cross than to have summoned angels and come down from it.
He was being filled with wisdom. What a great place wisdom holds. Many have knowledge with no wisdom. Wisdom is knowing what to do with the knowledge, knowing what to do in a difficult situation. The entire book of Proverbs is a monument to wisdom and points to the Lord Jesus, especially in chapter 8, as wisdom personified. Did the residents of Nazareth not ask, “From where did this one get this wisdom and the powers?” (Mt. 13.54) How wise he was in dealing with the efforts of the chief priests, scribes, and Sadducees to trap him in a statement in Lk. 20. No one dared to ask him any more questions after that. But then he asked them a question that they were unwilling to answer because it would trap them! The boy Jesus was being filled with this wisdom.
Obviously God’s grace was on him.
*****
41And his parents were going according to custom to Jerusalem to the Feast of the Passover. 42And when he became twelve years old, they going up according to the custom of the Feast 43and the days having been completed, in their returning the boy Jesus remained in Jerusalem, and his parents did not know. 44But supposing him to be in the company they went a day’s journey, and they were looking for him among the relatives and the friends, 45and not finding him they returned to Jerusalem looking for him. 46And it came about after three days that they found him in temple grounds sitting in the midst of the teachers and listening to them and questioning them. 47And all those hearing him were astonished at his understanding and answers. 48And having seen him they were amazed and his mother said to him, “Child, why did you do so to us? Look, your father and I were looking for you, being deeply worried.” 49And he said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for me? Had you not known that I must be about the things of my Father?” 50And they did not understand the thing that he said to them. 51And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and he was being submitted to them. And his mother was keeping all the things in her heart. 52And Jesus was progressing in wisdom and stature and favor with God and men.
Again we have reference to the wisdom of the boy Jesus when he was among the teachers listening and asking questions and they were astonished at his understanding and answers. How he puzzled his parents when they found him, saying, “Why is it that you were looking for me? Had you not known that I must be about the things of my Father?” They did not understand. But he submitted himself to them and continued ”progressing in wisdom and stature and favor with God and men.”
Thus concludes the story of Luke chapters 1 and 2.
Copyright © 2019 by Tom Adcox. All rights reserved. You may share this work with others, provided you do not alter it and do not sell it or use it for any commercial purpose. “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10.8). Also you must include this notice if you share it or any part of it.
Old Testament quotations are my update of the American Standard Version unless otherwise noted. New Testament translations are my own unless otherwise noted.