FOCUS ON JESUS
Week of December 19, 2010
Bible Verses: Luke 2:8-20,33-35.
Lesson Focus: This lesson is about God’s plan to bring change to the world through His
Son, Jesus, and how we can become involved in furthering that plan.
Embrace the Message: Luke 2:8-16.
[8] And in the same
region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by
night. [9] And an angel of the Lord
appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were
filled with fear. [10] And the angel
said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy
that will be for all the people. [11]
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is
Christ the Lord. [12] And this will be a
sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths
and lying in a manger." [13] And
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 those with whom he is pleased!" [15] When the angels went away from them into
heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem
and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to
us." [16] And they went with haste
and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.
[8-9] Luke turns from the birth to its
proclamation. The account shifts attention to shepherds who hear a heavenly
announcement of Messiah’s coming. This is the third announcement passage in the
first two chapters of Luke [1:5-25 and 1:26-38]. The announcement is not just
to a family member, but to people who represent all people. The verse reveals
the setting of the proclamation. Shepherds are in the field at night watching
over their flock. The shepherds kept night watches in turn as they protected
the sheep from robbers and wild animals. The shepherds are a picture of the
lowly and humble who respond to God’s message. The heavenly announcement begins
with the angel’s arrival. The structure of the announcement is in a standard
sequence: appearance, fear, a “do not fear” announcement and a sign. A word of
testimony comes from heaven with the arrival of an angel of the Lord. The angel
is not named and is not to be confused with the Old Testament “angel of the
Lord.” The term, appeared, used by Luke is a common one to describe
angelic or supernatural appearances. With the messenger came the bright
presence of the Lord’s glory surrounding the shepherds. Such glory will appear
again at key points in Luke and Acts in association with Jesus. Such a bright
light in the midst of the evening would have been an impressive sight. The
response to this stirring divine sign was a natural one: great fear. Such fear
is emphasized by Luke’s they were filled with fear. It is like the fear
that overcame both Zechariah and Mary when the angel came to them [1:12,29],
and such fear gripped the disciples at the transfiguration [9:34]. The
encounter with the divine is initially startling and unsettling. With the
angel’s coming and God’s bright presence, the announcement follows.
[10-12] The angel begins his announcement by calming
the shepherds’ fear, as is common in such appearances. The initial encounter
with God or His messenger frightens most who experience it, but the grace of
God is such that this fear is quickly removed as an obstacle. God wishes to
interact with His creation. The announcement itself contains two descriptions.
The announcement is good news, and the birth causes great joy. The placing of joy
next to salvation is a key idea in Luke’s Gospel. Clearly the good that God is
about to do should meet with great expectation. The joy is for all the
people, which is not a statement about both Jews and Gentiles at this point
in Luke’s gospel. The entire context up to this point in Luke has been about
the people of Israel. Thus, the reference here speaks of blessing Israel. The
relationship of Jesus’ coming for Gentiles is something that Luke presents
later in his two volumes, especially in Acts. For now, Luke is interested in
how Jesus fulfills national expectations, a focus clearly controlled by
historical concerns. Of course, the nature of this blessing for the nation is
tied very much to the nature of the person who comes, the angel’s next topic.
The announcement is significant for three reasons. First, it explains that the
reason (for) the message is good news and a cause for great joy is that
a messianic Savior is born. This event is not a distant reality; it comes even
now. Second, Luke repeats the note of fulfillment [2:4] that the birth occurs
in the city of David. Third, the description of Jesus contains three key
Christological terms – Savior, Christ, and Lord. The shepherds as common people
benefit from the Savior’s birth (unto you). The reader should identify
with the shepherds’ perspective as they hear this good news. The personal
nature of the address to the shepherds is significant, since it individualizes
the message: from good news … for all the people [10] to unto you
(the shepherds). What is currently taking place in Bethlehem is of timeless
significance. The combination of titles used here is unique. Savior, Christ and
Lord do not appear together in any other New Testament text. All three titles
appear frequently in the Old Testament, which supplies important background to
their meaning here. The Savior word group, when referring to people in the Old
Testament, describes a deliverer from enemies, such as a judge. Its primary Old
Testament reference, however, is to God, who delivers from various types of
peril: enemies that seek to destroy and disease that seeks to kill [Deut. 20:4;
Joshua 22:22; Ps. 24:5; 25:5; Isa. 25:9]. Luke intends the reader to see the
meaning of Savior in terms of rescue or delivery from peril, in both its
physical and spiritual senses. In 1:47, Savior is used to describe the God who
delivers by sending Messiah. He is the God who remembers Israel and exalts the
humble who fear him, while casting down rulers [1:47-55]. In Zechariah’s hymn,
God is praised for sending the horn of salvation to the nation [1:69]. Since
Jesus is the one who brings God’s salvation, He can be called Savior in His own
right. He is God’s deliverer for God’s people. It is significant that Jesus is
described by a title (Savior) that is often applied to God, but the
major point here is Jesus’ function as deliverer. The combination Christ the
Lord serves to further describe the Savior. There is no explicit Old
Testament allusion present in this combination but the individual titles do
draw on general Old Testament ideas. For Luke the term Christ or Messiah
clearly has regal, Davidic, and messianic connotations. What does the third
term, Lord, mean? The use of Lord for Jesus has occurred so far only in 1:43,
where it indicates that Elizabeth realizes that Jesus is a more significant
figure than John the Baptist. Otherwise, the term in the infancy material is
used of God as sovereign deity, which fits its predominant Old Testament usage.
For Luke this title will become the key Christological term to describe Jesus.
For now, Luke is content merely to present the term from the angelic
announcement and not explain it. The term will clearly come to refer to the
absolute sovereignty and divine relationship that Jesus possesses as the one
who brings salvation. The title does not detract from the main declaration of
Jesus as the Davidic Messiah; but its presence here suggests that there is more
present in Jesus than his merely being Messiah. Luke now presents a sign of the
birth. The sign’s unusual character, the baby lying in a manger,
confirms the announcement’s truth. Thus the shepherds are to look for a newly
born child lying in a feed trough. What is amazing in the announcement and the
sign is who the child is and where he is. One hardly expects to find the
Messiah in an animal room. But the Messiah’s humble and common origins fit
nicely with the task that He shall bear for all His people, including
especially the humble, hungry, and poor [1:50-53]. The Messiah’s life will
contain an unusual bookend for a king, since He was born in an animal room and
will die with robbers.
[13-14] The shepherds see a portion of the angelic
host praising God. Suddenly often refers in the New Testament to actions
associated with the supernatural world. It is difficult to translate because
the emphasis is as much on the unusualness of the action as it is on how
quickly it occurs. The multitude is a select group that comes from the entire
heavenly body of angels. They reveal to the shepherds through praise what the
result of Jesus’ coming should mean. Heaven addresses earth about Jesus’
significance. The angels offer a brief heavenly note of commendation. While
heaven offers praise or glory to God, humans on earth are to have peace. Peace
here refers to the harmonious relationship that can exist between God and
humans. The peace that God provides in Jesus is a key concept for Luke. God’s
peace is limited to those with whom he is pleased, which is almost a
technical phrase in first-century Judaism for God’s elect, those on whom God
has poured out His favor. In this context, God’s elect would be the God-fearers
mentioned in the Magnificat [1:50-53], those who will respond to Jesus’ coming.
Thus Luke indicates a difference between those whom Jesus comes for (all
people [2:10]) and those who benefit from His coming (those with whom he
is pleased [2:14]). In summary, the angelic praise contains two basic
ideas: (1) the heavens rejoice and praise God for salvation’s outworking and
(2) the people to whom God draws near through Jesus will experience the harmony
and benefits that God bestows on His own.
[15-17] The angels’ departure leads the shepherds to
discuss what they have heard, and their discussion resolves into the decision
to go to Bethlehem in order to see this very thing that God has made known.
The announcement sets off a chain reaction. First, the shepherds respond in
faith and go to find the child [16]. They tell others what caused them to seek
the child [17]. The shepherds’ response in faith and testimony is similar to
Mary’s instant response to the word in 1:39. The shepherds’ reaction causes the
audience to react to their testimony [18], which in turn leads to a response by
Mary [19]. The shepherds move hastily to find the child. What the shepherds see
is exactly what the angel promised, a baby lying in a manger. The shepherds
reflect a vibrant faith, where the sequence is God’s word, faith, and then
testimony. When God’s word comes to pass, testimony should follow. When they
had seen the sign of the baby in a manger, the shepherds made known all that
the angel had said about the child. Mary, Joseph, and others hear that this
child shall be a Savior for them, Christ, the Lord. The full understanding by
people will come later. But for now to the voices of the angels is added to the
testimony of humans. What they see and hear, they report.
Share Your Experience: Luke 2:17-20.
[17] And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. [18] And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. [19] But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. [20] And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. [ESV]
[18-20] The response of all who heard the testimony
of the shepherds was wonder. This response of marvel or wonder occurs
frequently in the infancy section. However, its presence need not suggest the
presence of full faith. Rather, marveling reflects the surprise of those who
encounter God’s act or revelation. Luke’s choice of terms in verses 18-19
contrasts this corporate response and Mary’s private response. But [19]
presents Mary in contrast to the hearers in verse 18, and the use of wondered
to summarize the hearers’ response stands in contrast to treasured to
describe Mary’s ongoing meditation. This contrast indicates that she reflected
on the events in a way that the hearers did not. Luke is saying that the report
was circulated and caused a stir, but it is not certain that he is saying the
city responded concretely to the birth. The report tickles the crowd’s ears,
but it may have missed their hearts. However, the shepherds did believe [20]. Thus
Jesus’ birth brings a variety of responses. Mary treasured or engaged in
deep reflection on what was taking place. This reflection is described more
fully by the word pondering, which in this context refers to a type of
contemplation that attempts to put thoughts together into an understandable
whole. The shepherds, having seen the sign, returned home. But they returned
with their faith confirmed and deepened. All they had heard, they had also seen
come to pass. This produced a sense of joy in them, as they honored God with
glory and praise. The realization of the message led to praise, just as the
angels offered praise in 2:13-14. Glory can be offered in a variety of
relationships, but here it refers to verbally giving honor to God for His acts.
What the shepherds saw in Bethlehem was in agreement with what they had heard
from the angels. God’s message through the angels had come to pass, leading to
praise for God’s work. The shepherds had witnessed the start of God’s work in
Jesus and felt honored to share in the event.
Expect Opposition: Luke 2:33-35.
[33] And his father
and his mother marveled at what was said about him. [34] And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his
mother, "Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many
in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed [35]
(and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts
from many hearts may be revealed."
[ESV]
Did Joseph and Mary
marvel because Simeon’s prophecy in 2:31-32 revealed a new dimension to Jesus’
ministry not previously revealed to them? Or was this simply a normal reaction
in the experiencing of a divine revelation or the witnessing of a miracle? The
latter is more likely. Simeon addressed his words to Mary rather than to Mary
and Joseph. This may be because of Mary’s unique relationship to Jesus due to
the virginal conception or due to Joseph’s death pre-dating the crucifixion, so
that a sword could not pierce his soul. The prophecies concerning John the
Baptist given at his birth [1:68-79] are now paralleled by prophecies
concerning Jesus at His presentation in the temple. Luke may have been
referring here to one group that falls (humbles itself) and rises (is lifted up
by God). If so, this saying is to be interpreted positively and stands in
contrast to the sign being spoken against, which is negative. On the other hand
Luke may have been referring to two separate groups, one of which falls
(negative) and the other of which rises (positive). The latter appears more
likely and indicates that there is a double significance to Jesus’ ministry.
For the humble and poor it is positive, salvation; for the haughty and rich it
is negative, judgment. This twofold aspect of the coming Messiah is found both
in the Old Testament [Isaiah 8:14; 28:16-17] and the New Testament [Rom. 9:33;
1 Peter 2:6-8]. Jesus’ rejection by His people, which was already known to
Luke’s readers, was announced early in His infancy. This verse foreshadows such
passages as Luke 4:29; 13:33-35; 19:41-44,47-48; 20:14,17-19. Many here
and in 2:35 should be understood in the Semitic sense of “all.” Thoughts
from many hearts indicates one of the purposes for Jesus’ coming. This
should be understood negatively here because in its other uses in Luke (five
times) and in the rest of the New Testament (eight times) it is always used in
a negative sense of revealing sinful thoughts.
Questions for Discussion:
1. What are the three reasons for the
significance of the angel’s announcement? What is the meaning of each of the
three Christological terms: Savior, Christ, Lord?
2. Compare 2:10 to 2:14. How is the baby’s
birth good news to all people yet only those whom God is pleased will receive
His peace?
3. Compare and contrast the reaction of the people, Mary, and the shepherds to the angel’s announcement of who this baby was. Note that the birth of Jesus brings a variety of responses, just as it does today.
References:
Luke, Volume 1, Darrell Bock, ECNT, Baker Academic.
Luke, Robert Stein, NAC, Broadman.