Luke 3:7-17

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7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 9 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” 10 “What should we do then?” the crowd asked. 11 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” 12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” 13 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them. 14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.” 15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. 16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” ~ Luke 3:7-17

John the Baptist's message was designed to prepare the people for the Messiah and to introduce the Messiah to the people. In v.7, John says, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?" John's message of good news that God will forgive our sins is framed up by the bad news that we were born into sin and we need God's help. John's message is harsh, and his approach, although difficult for the proud to receive, was truthful and liberating. 

At the heart of John's message was a call for sinners to repent. Repentance is turning away from our ideas on how to live our lives, and turning to God's definition of things. In this first message from John the Baptist, we can identify five characteristics of repentance.

The first characteristic of repentance is admitting that we are sinful. John likens the people to "vipers." These Jews to whom John is speaking knew full well the story of the Fall in Genesis 3 where Satan took on the form of a "viper" and deceived Eve. True repentance requires an admission of one's sinfulness, that we were conceived into sinfulness, and, as a result, we do not get life right apart from God.

The second element of repentance is a recognition of the wrath of God. In v.7, John asks a question, "Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?" John said this in order to prepare the people for the Good News that would follow. The absence of God's love is His wrath. The Good News of forgiveness of sin is not effective in the hearts of those who do not have a proper understanding of their hopelessness. We are all sinful and until our sinfulness is atoned for, we are objects of God's wrath. Admitting our sinfulness creates a measure of brokenness that allows the Gospel to do its work in our hearts most effectively.

The third element of repentance is the rejection of religious ritual. In v.7, when John said,  "Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?," he meant, “Did you think that by this rite of baptism you would escape the wrath to come? It doesn't do you any good to come down here and go through the water. That is not enough. You have to reject religious rituals and seek God with an honest heart.” No ritual saves anyone, not even baptism. We cannot avoid God's wrath without His forgiveness.

In v.8 John says, "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” We cannot bring forth the fruit of God apart from a personal relationship with Him. "Fruit in keeping with repentance" illustrates that God has come into our lives. Baptism is an outward sign of something that has happened in the heart, and John knew it could be an outward sign of lifelessness in the heart.

The fourth element of repentance is also found in v.8. John said, "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father." Salvation is not genetic. John's hearers thought, "we are Jews, we are the people of the promise, we are automatically God's children." But they failed to remember that their faith in the God of the Bible was essential. Repentance is an element of our faith in the God of the Bible. It doesn't matter what our parents believe, their faith in the God of the Bible isn't automatically passed to us. God does not have grandchildren.

In v.9, we read, "The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." Repentance is the work of God, it is the result of Him making us alive to Him. And, if He has not made us alive to Him, we are dead to Him and not in His family.

The fifth and final element of biblical repentance is receiving the Lord Jesus as our Savior. In v.15-17, we read, "15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. 16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." 

In Acts 4:12, we read, "Neither is there salvation in any other name than the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth." No matter what kind of repentance a person makes, there is no salvation unless there is trust in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross for the forgiveness of our sin. So, that's the capstone on John's preaching.  He preaches repentance from self toward the Messiah.

John is saying I can't save you, nor can I damn you.  I can't give you the Holy Spirit, nor can I bring you to eternal punishment. So, the Messiah who is coming is none other than God.  And He will do what no prophet, no man, even the greatest man who ever lived up until his time, could even begin to think to do.

In v.17, we read, “His winnowing fork is in his hand.” A winnowing fork is a large, wooden farm implement. It was used to sweep through the wheat and discharge the heads into the air. The heavier, good kernels of grain would fall back to the ground almost exactly where they were cut, and the lighter, worthless chaff would be blown away in the wind. The good grain would be gathered into the barn and the chaff would be burned in the fire. The picture that John is painting is of dividing the  good from the bad. The question is: what makes anything good? It is the presence of God. It is His presence that makes anything holy. John is saying there are two kinds of people in the world: those who will receive the free gift of new life through the Messiah, and those who will reject it.

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Luke 3:1-6

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1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— 2 during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. 5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. 6 And all people will see God’s salvation.’” ~ Luke 3:1-6

Luke 3:1-2 we are informs us that John the Baptist's ministry began when he was about thirty years old. John's dad, Zachariah, served as a priest in the temple when the angel Gabriel spoke to him that his wife Elizabeth, though old, was going to have a child. Since his dad was a priest, John was born into the priestly line. But, he wasn't your run of the mill priest. When he comes on the scene, he is living in the desert, wearing a camel's hair garment, and his diet was locusts and wild honey. .  

At the end of v.2, we read, "The word of God came to John." This word "word" in the Greek, is rehma which is an experiential word, only recognized in a personal relationship. Rehma means "the spoken word of God." The rehma of God is a personal and special statement from God launching John into his calling.

Every follower of the Lord Jesus has a calling. In Romans 12:2, we read, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Discerning the call of God assumes a renewed mind. To “be renewed in our mind” means to have our minds framed up by the word of God. And, out of a renewed mind, we are able to discern God's calling on our lives.

Integral to this is the development of our faith in the God of the Bible. I've mentioned this before but there are two things which create faith in the believer. First, trials that drive us to a position where we can hear God speak to us is the first part of this two step process. In 1 Peter 1:3-7, we read, "3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." This passage clearly shows us that when trials push us to look to the Lord and listen to Him, we will grow in our faith in Him.

The second step in this process is found in Romans 10:17, which reads, "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ." Hearing the spoken word of the Lord causes our faith or our hearts ability to see God to grow. John experienced this here in our text.

In v.3, we read, "He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." In v.3, John offers from God to the people "forgiveness of sins" in response to them turning back to God. This turning back to God is an offer for the people to have a personal relationship with God. This is what God had in mind from the very beginning.

And so we see in v.3, "He went into all the country around the Jordan," that is, the Jordan River. It's a river that stretches from north to south 156 miles. It's the eastern border of the country of Israel, Jordan being on the east side. "He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." The Jordan is very hot, murky, dirty, slimy water. 

This was the spot that the children of Israel crossed over into the land under Joshua. Nationally Israel had been baptized in that Jordan River years before. John takes this place as the place where he inaugurates his ministry. John's baptism was "a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins." Baptism was not a Christian ordnance in its origin. The Jews started it first. If someone wanted to become a Jew, they had to go through three steps: first, instruction by a scribe; second, male circumcision, and three, baptism in water, which illustrates cleansing. 

In v.4, we learn John becomes “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'"  And therein he announces the arrival of the Messiah. So, onto center stage comes John, the first prophet in Israel in over 400 years. And he has two tasks: first, to prepare the people for the Messiah; second, to present the Messiah to the people. 

Now, John the Baptist is the cousin of the Lord Jesus. His job is to set the stage for the Messiah, pointing the way to the One who was coming. And he's going to do so by baptizing people. John's baptism was a baptism of preparation. It is not a baptism of transformation. It is not the same baptism of that of Jesus; it is different. 

In v.4–6, Luke quotes Isaiah 40:3-5, which reads, "A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. 5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. 6 And all people will see God’s salvation." 

The Greek word for "salvation" in Luke 3:6 is a rare word that occurs in Luke's two volumes, Luke-Acts, only three times: here, in 2:30, and in Acts 28:28. The point in each place is to stress that now salvation is being made clearly available for Gentiles as well as Jews. 

In Luke 2:30-31 Simeon says of the baby Jesus, "My eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles." And in Acts 28:28 Paul says to the Jews who rejected the Gospel, "Let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen." As indicated throughout the scriptures, God's heart has always been for all people, Jewish and Gentile.

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Luke 2:41-52

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41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them. 51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. ~ Luke 2:41-52

At this point in this redemptive narrative, according to v.41-42, the Lord Jesus is twelve years of age. He and His family have made the seventy five to eighty mile trek to Jerusalem, again, in order to celebrate Passover. From day forty of His human life, the first twelve years of His life is covered in one verse. 

In Exodus and Deuteronomy, instructions are given on certain feasts that God ordained for Israel. These feasts were memorials to God's faithfulness to Israel, and there were many feast but the three main feasts were held every year. There was the feast of Passover in late March or early April, fifty days later there was Pentecost, and then, in October, the feast of Tabernacles. 

Combined with the Feast of Unleavened Bread was the feast of the Passover which was one day and the Feast of Unleavened Bread lasted seven days. During this feast, the nation of Israel commemorated the exodus of Israel from Egypt. During this week long celebration, the population in Jerusalem would swell considerably. In v.41, every year Jesus’ parents would make the 75-80 mile trek to Jerusalem. The trip would take them three to four days.

It was their custom to travel in large caravans with a large company of people. The Lord Jesus just one year away from his rite of passage into adulthood, which would happen at his thirteenth birthday, was in this caravan. In these large caravans children would often be mixed in with the other families who were relatives and friends. 

After the Passover, according to v.43-45, they traveled the full first day’s journey assuming that the twelve year old Jesus was just hanging out with other children or other families. But when they got ready to make camp that night, they could not find Him anywhere. Since at nighttime the travel was dangerous, they could not go back to Jerusalem until the next day. When they got back to Jerusalem to look for Him, they eventually find Him  “after three days” in the Temple.

According to v.48, there they find the twelve year old Lord Jesus seated with a company of people under the teachers and participated in the question/answer session. And, everyone was amazed that this boy had such a deep understanding of God’s Law and of God Himself. This subtle display of His deity underscores the fact that He is the Son of God come to be the Lamb of God.

In response to His parents, in v.49, the Lord Jesus said, “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” The Lord Jesus didn’t mean that they shouldn’t have come looking for Him, He is simply asking, “Why didn’t you come here first when I was missing? Shouldn’t you have assumed that this is where I would be? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house, doing my Father's will? ” He understood His unique calling as the Son of God, He knew that He was the ultimate Passover Lamb. He was there at the Temple to tell the people what His Father had in mind for them, a personal relationship with Him through the real Passover Lamb. 

But Mary and Joseph did not understand, despite the fact that they went through the miraculous sequence of events, angelic visitations, the virgin birth, angels’ appearing to shepherds, and meeting Simeon Anna. This is one reason the Lord emphasizes the ceremonies that enable us to remember what He has faithfully done in the past.

When the Lord Jesus embraced the calling for which He has been born, He was misunderstood by other people, even His parents. This serves as a reminder that when we walk in the paths that are laid out for us by God, many will not understand, even those who are closest to us.

As parents, if we are going to encourage our children to really be devoted to God, then we have to be willing to endure the pain of letting them go. In our last blog, Joseph and Mary brought the Lord Jesus to the temple to be dedicated to the Lord. They met Simeon, who offered a word of prophecy and encouragement to them, but then Simeon turned to Mary and said these telling words: “And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” 

God may take our children to places that we would have never designed for them, had the choice been ours. That pain is part of the process of letting our children go and trusting Him with them. And because we’re going to have to learn to endure the pain of letting our children go, we have to learn to trust God with them, to believe that God and His call on our lives and the lives of our children is completely trustworthy.  

Do we look at our lives with a sense of calling? Do we see our lives as marked out by God, as a gift for God, to be lived for His glory? Do we believe that we are not here randomly but He has created us for a purpose, to love Him and to love others in His name? 

In v.49, the Lord Jesus said, “I have to be in My Father's house," and He is sending a major message to His parents that a transition is taking place, that they're not going to have the same parental oversight over Him as they did before. Now, God His Father is going to determine His life and what He does, and how He does it.

According to v.51, we are told that Mary "treasured all these things in her heart." This verse shows that Luke got much of his writing of this gospel narrative from Mary. Luke often throughout this Gospel gives inside perspective of how Mary saw these things and how she felt about it.

Finally, In v.52, we read, "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." God could have sent a full-grown Christ, but He didn’t. The two greatest commands are to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves. True human growth is not Godward at the expense of love. True human growth is not man-ward at the expense of love. No human, not even the God-man Himself, skips the growth and maturation process, and no true growth is one-dimensional, but both toward God and man, with all the love and the problems and pains that come with it. Even the negative plays a role in the redemption of man and the glory of God.

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Luke 2:36-40

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36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. 39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him. ~ Luke 2:36-40

In v.36, we read, "There was also a prophetess, Anna." The name "Anna" means grace.  She had been graced by God to be a prophetess who is somebody who speaks God's truth. She was a teacher of the Old Testament to other women. 

Anna was the daughter of Penuel, another Old Testament name, of the tribe of Asher who was one of the ten tribes of the northern kingdom. The kingdom was split after Solomon's reign. Ten tribes went north, two tribes stayed south and the south was Judah and Benjamin. All the other ten tribes went to the north. In 722 B.C. the northern kingdom was taken into captivity by the Assyrians. The ten tribes went north and in 722 B.C. Assyria came under Sargon II and destroyed them and carried them away captive. Their capital city was Damascus. The northern kingdom was taken captive and never returned.

Anna, of the tribe of Asher, comes eight centuries later. In 722 B.C. the ten northern tribes were taken into captivity, but prior to that there had been a steady migration of people into the southern kingdom. The Northern Kingdom was steeped in idolatry. There wasn't one good king. This is part of the reason the northern kingdom went into captivity when they did, they did not honor God or His word.

Anna was old and she never left the temple, she lived there. Around the temple grounds there were some apartments. They were normally dwelling places for priests, around the outer court. When the priests came to do their two weeks of service at the temple, they needed a place to stay. And they had quite a number of these apartments around the temple. It just may well have been that because she was a widow so many years and because she was continually at the temple, they just decided that they would just provide a place for her. She was serving night and day with fastings and prayers.

In v.38, we read, "Coming up to them at that very moment." The very moment that Simeon was uttering this prophecy. I'm sure Simeon knew Anna because he was a regular temple goer.  And anybody who had been there that long would have been well known and would have known  everyone who frequented the Temple. Anna had been there literally for decades.  

You can only imagine after all these many years of one focus in life, God and His glory, praying and fasting for the salvation of Israel. She was one of those looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. There wasn't going to be any redemption in Jerusalem until the Redeemer came. She had been praying and fasting all those years for the Messiah to come and bring the promised redemption and fulfill the Abrahamic and the Davidic Covenants.

According to v.38, after Anna comes up, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem." Like Simeon, God had answered prayer. The Messiah had come and Anna knew who He was. God's timing is always amazing. Anna was probably sensitized to the coming of the Lord due to the fact that she spent so much time in prayer and fasting and in His word.

In v.39, we read, "When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth." Sensitivity to God is not an automatic thing. We must be regular in His word and in prayer. When we are, we will be modulated to hear Him when He speaks or to follow Him when He leads. It's like that AM transistor radio I had when I was a little boy. I had to really work with the tuning button on it to get a clearer message out of it. I have found it works the same way with God. And, the moduling button is prayer and reading the word of God.

In v.40, we read, "And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him."  The word "grace" means the favor of God was on Him.  The greatest testimony that will ever be given to the identity of Jesus Christ comes not from Joseph and Mary, comes not from Simeon and Anna, comes not from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The greatest testimony ever given to the identity of Jesus Christ comes from the Father whose favor was on Him. Same is true of you and me, and the nice part is when the Father looks at us, having believed on his Son, He sees us through the lens of His Son.

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Luke 2:25-35

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25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation. 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel. 33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” ”~ Luke 2:25-35

In our text, we are introduced to Simeon of whom little is known. In v.25 the Holy Spirit was on Him. In v.26, the Spirit had revealed to him that he would not see death until he saw the Messiah. Then in v.27, the Spirit moves him to enter the temple at just the right moment to see the Lord Jesus who was a forty day old child. Simeon, a man of great faith, declares the word of the Lord over the baby Jesus, and is ready to die in peace. His peace was the product of the coming of Messiah and that the word of God is sure. 

"Simeon" means "God has heard."  All of his life Simeon cried to God to send  the Messiah. This was no doubt the cry of Simeon's heart. Wonderfully in the end, God heard, and the Messiah came. 

Most likely Simeon was an old man who was near death. This is why, in v.29, he told the Lord that he was ready to die.  He was ready to depart in peace. Could you see yourself spending a lifetime waiting for the appearance of the Messiah and it happen? We could see His appearing any day now. I am no prophet and I am not saying that we are in the last days, but I would not be surprised at all to see His next coming soon.

In v.25 we read, "Simeon was righteous and devout." Simeon was "righteous" means he was justified by his faith in the God of the Bible. He did not earn his righteousness, that's impossible. God declared him righteous based on His faith in Him. God is the only One who declares sinners righteous when we trust in Him for forgiveness, and we will never be declared righteous on the basis of our own works.  God applied the sacrifice of Jesus Christ which hadn't even happened yet to Simeon because Simeon looked forward in faith to the God of the Bible and he rested in His promises of a Messiah who would take away his sin.

Simeon was also "devout" which means he was sanctified. He took the word of God serious and he was defined by God, accordingly. In fact, in v.25 "He was waiting for the consolation of Israel." This means he was looking for the help or comfort of Israel. Luke uses the Greek word "paraklesis," which means he had a hope in the coming of the Messiah who would suffer the penalty that our sinfulness created. He was anticipating the fulfillment of everything promised to Abraham and to David. 

In v.25 we read, "And the Holy Spirit was on him." In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit came upon people, and when He did, through the anointed the recipient was given a special responsibility.  Most often it had to do with speaking for God. Simeon was not a priest. He was just one righteous, devout man with an accurate theology believing in the literal prophecies of the Old Testament being fulfilled in the coming of the Messiah. 

In v.26 we learn that sometime in the past the Spirit of God revealed to Simeon that he wouldn't see death before he had seen the coming of Messiah. He was convinced Messiah would come before he died. He lived in constant expectancy of that promise.  

In v.27, we learn that "Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required." It is clear the Spirit was leading Simeon. Everything is coming to its climax, forty days after the birth of the Lord Jesus. God providentially had named Simeon "God has heard," and, God, by His Spirit, providentially prompts his heart and he decides to go into the Temple courts at the exact moment Mary and Jospeh brought the Lord Jesus into the Temple courts. Joseph and Mary didn't know anything about Simeon.  

Mary and Jospeh were there to do that which was required by the law. According to v.28, Simeon took the Lord Jesus into his arms, "and praised God." He knew in that moment that in his arms was the Messiah. 

According to v.29-30 Simeon breaks out into a song of satisfaction. So firm is his theology that he recognizes the Messiah was this forty day old baby. So firm was his conviction, as a result, he is ready to die. The waiting was over, the watching was over. Simeon had prepared his heart and soul for this the arrival of the Lord God.

Like Simeon, we await the coming of the Lord. Like Simeon, we need to live on our tiptoes, wide-eyed and waiting for the one who would come to save His people. In 2 Timothy 4:8, we read, "Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing."

To love His appearing means to live in the light of His coming, to live as if He were coming today. It means we set our affections on things above, not on things on the earth. 

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Luke 2:21-24

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21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived. 22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons. ~ Luke 2:21-24

Today's text is technical and minute. It is bent on accuracy. This is why God chose Luke to write it, and it underscores our confidence in its accuracy. In v.21, we read, "On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child..."  Mary and Joseph were careful to obey the Law of Moses and the conditions of the covenants. I've often observed that when a couple has a baby, if they are given to faith in the God of the Bible, the instructions of God take on a more important role in their lives. As well they should. We innately know that the truth of God is the best for us and our children. The problem is that most of us lose sight of walking in the definitions of God, and before we know it we are not training our children in the ways of the Lord.

According to v.21, the Lord Jesus was circumcised. This eighth-day circumcision was prescribed by God in the Mosaic law. It was introduced by God to Abraham in Genesis 17 where Abraham was circumcised as an adult. Circumcision has always been God's reminder to those who would be defined by Him of His commitment to them. This activity does not earn God's favor. No, it is like the ring on a married person's finger, it is a reminder of their loved one's commitment to them.

The day of the Lord Jesus' circumcision and naming was on the seventh and final day of the Feast of Tabernacles. The first six days of the feast were for celebrating Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. On the last day of the feast, called Hoshana Rabba, the people would reflect on what God had done for them in times past and all that God had promised to do in the future.

These events prove the Lord Jesus was not born on December 25 as traditionally celebrated, but on the day when the Feast of Tabernacles began. The Feast begins at sunset on Tishrei 15, which, depending on the year, falls in late-September to mid-October. 

In the remainder of v.21, we read, "he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived." The Lord Jesus was named by God. I know, it says the angel named Him, but the angel got his orders from God. Subtle here is a valuable lesson about life, and it is: We must be defined by God. And, the more we are defined by God the more we will experience life as God intended us to experience it. In other words, we will be more whole, secure, mature, and satisfied. We will be less defined by the lesser, and we will be less empty, insecure, immature and dissatisfied.

In accordance with the prescriptions of the Law, in v.22-23 Joseph and Mary took the Lord Jesus to the Temple to be dedicated. The rite of purification was a seven day ritual. It also included, according to Leviticus 12:1-4 another thirty-three day waiting period until the mother could return to temple worship. At that time the rite of purification would be done. This rite included an offering of a lamb as a burnt offering and a turtle dove as a sin offering. If they could not afford a lamb, then they, according to Leviticus 12:6-8, would bring two pigeons or two turtle doves for these offerings.

To fulfill this dedication, all baby boys who were born to the tribe of Levi would automatically be a part of the priestly class. For firstborn baby boys from other tribes, parents were required to bring a small offering in place of the service of the priests. This redemption price was five shekels according to Numbers 18:1-16. This law was a result of the tenth plague in Egypt, when God struck dead all the firstborn sons of the Egyptians, and any of the firstborn sons of Israel who did not have the blood of the Passover lamb smeared on the door posts of their house. In light of the Passover events, God wanted Israel to set apart all the firstborn animals and all the firstborn males for Himself. According to Leviticus 27, the parents of firstborn males could be bought back by paying five shekels of silver to the Levites for their son.  

The point of the Old Testament sacrificial system was to point us to the One who would take away our sinfulness once and for all. His blood didn't just cover our sinfulness, His blood washing our sinfulness. This baby born to Jospeh and Mary was the fulfillment of all the sacrifices ever performed in the Old Testament.

In v.24, Luke returns to the idea of the purification of Mary, by stating that the sacrifice she brought was according to the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” With this statement, Luke reveals that Mary and Joseph were poor. Typically, the purification sacrifice required a lamb and a turtledove or pigeon. But those who were poor could bring two turtledoves or two pigeons instead (Leviticus 5:11; 12:6-8). Mary and Joseph could not afford to bring a lamb for sacrifice. 

Mary and Joseph are a picture of us and our inability to pay our debt to God. However, God gave us the Lamb who was born to this couple. They raised Him and He grew up to be the fulfillment of all those Old Testament sacrifices. He is our sacrifice, He paid the price we could not pay.

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Luke 2:15-20

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15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. ~ Luke 2:15-20

When the angel told Mary that she would give birth to the Messiah, she said “let it be to me according to your word.” And now, the shepherds have heard the same message that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem. The message spoken to Mary is confirmed by the shepherds.

According to v.15-16, after the shepherds heard the news of the birth of the Lord Jesus, the first thing they did was come and see Him for themselves. They found their way to the baby Jesus lying in a trough. No pomp and circumstance. No lights and music. Nothing extravagant at all. 

And yet somehow, according to v.17, the shepherds were compelled by what they saw. They went and told everyone about what they had seen and heard. This response of the shepherds confirms the message of the angel. These, first to get the news of Messiah’s birth is the model that God uses to build His church.

Now, when I think about how I first came to hear about the Lord Jesus, a dear friend came and saw the Lord Jesus for himself. Then, he went and told me about his experience with the Lord. The pattern is: come and see; go and tell. And then I came to see the Lord Jesus for myself. Experiencing a personal encounter with the Lord, then I went about telling others about my story with Him. This is how God spreads the Good News, the very same news that the angels announced to the shepherds.

But, something happens between come and see and go and tell. Something happens that moves us from coming to see the Lord Jesus to actually going out to tell others about Him. The key is discovered in v.18, it is discovered in what it means to be amazed, in what it means to be captivated.

One of the most mind-blowing things about the incarnation is that the baby that lay there in that trough was the all-powerful God of heaven and earth. He was a baby who is the very same God who spoke the stars into existence. He is the very same God who breathed, and life began. He is the same God who holds the universe together, who keeps the laws of physics operating as they do, who keeps our hearts beating. This is the same God who dwells within you and me.

In Psalm 27:4 David wrote: "One thing, I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple." An encounter God is nothing new in this world. Since the LORD was in the house of the LORD, David went there to experience a personal encounter with Him.

Some people go about seeking God as if He is elusive, but the presence of God through the abiding Holy Spirit, is a given. With this in mind, we must approach each day with the anticipation of encountering God. We must expect Him to not only be in our lives, but that He is interacting with us through the normal experiences that we have in a day. He is closer to us than we are to ourselves.

The birth of the Lord Jesus highlights the humility of God. It wasn’t accidental that the all-powerful God became a defenseless baby. It was intentional. In 1 Peter 1:20 we learn this was God’s plan before the foundation of the world.

He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and He chose to put Himself in a situation where someone changed his diaper. That’s humility! But that was just the start of His humility. This baby grew to be a man who was a servant to all. He hung out with dirty, smelly people, some of whom had infectious diseases. He was friends with people that no one else would even look in the eye, with no regard for His own reputation.

When his enemies rose up against Him, He didn’t defend himself. Rather, He chose to make himself vulnerable. He took the beatings. He took the insults. He willingly gave up His life on the cross. He bore the very wrath of God though He had done nothing to deserve it. That’s humility. Unimaginable power and unimaginable humility, all wrapped up in this one little child. 

He chose to create you because He loves you and wants a relationship with you. He chose to become one of us because He wanted to know us and be with us. He gave up His life for us because that’s what it took to save us.

The writer of Hebrews tells us that "it was for the joy set before him that Jesus endured the cross" (Hebrews 12:2). That joy is joy in us. It’s joy because of the chance to be in a loving relationship with us for all of eternity. 

So come, come and behold him. Let the Lord Jesus captivate you today. Let Him amaze you. Let Him overwhelm you with His power, with His humility. Then go and tell others all that you have seen and heard. Invite them to come and see for themselves. 

Earlier, when the angel greeted Mary, she “tried to discern” the meaning of the greeting. Now, when she hears the shepherds convey what the angel has told them, according to v.19, "Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." She valued the happenings, tucking them away in her heart for ongoing reflection. The time will come when she will need those words in her heart because, according to Simeon, a sword will pierce her soul (Luke 2:35).

Like Mary, we must ponder what we have experienced in our hearts. We must be in the practice of tucking God's truth away in our souls for safekeeping, because we’ll need the insight later, when a sword pierces our souls.

In v.20, we read, "The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told." Like these shepherds, once we have experienced an encounter with the God of the universe, the only natural response is praise and worship. The evidence of our encounter is obvious when we share it with others.

The amazing thing is what the shepherds heard and saw in the fields was confirmed by what they had seen in Bethlehem: the Christ had been born. The shepherds return to their fields, doing what the heavenly host did before them, “glorifying and praising God.” In so doing, they confirmed the message from the angels. And, they were never the same because they had experienced an encounter with God.

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Luke 2:8-14

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8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” ~ Luke 2:8-14

The birth of Jesus Christ shook up heaven and earth. In v.8, we see the "shepherds living out in the fields nearby." These shepherds were on the lower rung of the socio-economic ladder in their world. On the other hand, in v.13, "Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel."  These angels were poised to announce that God was doing a new thing in the world of men. 

These shepherds, according to v.8 were keeping watch over their sheep "at night." So much happens in our lives at night. Sometimes it is good, but I'd venture to say that most of the time, it is scary. The old song went, "Hello darkness my old friend, I've come to talk with you again..." As Simon and Garfunkel clearly point out, the darkness, used by the Lord, teaches us much. The most important lesson delivered from this absence of light is the startling message that we desperately need God.

We’ve all been where these shepherds were that night. Each of us knows what it’s like to search the night for a light, standing outside of the emergency room or on the manicured grass of a cemetery. We’ve asked our questions. We’ve wondered why God does what He does. But, when we give Him time, His purposes come to fruition and we are dumbfounded!

In v.9, these shepherds were alerted concerning the birth of the Savior. An angel and the visible presence of God appeared to these seemingly insignificant tenders of the sheep. God appeared to these shepherds in order to lead them to the His lamb who would take away the sin of the world. The Christian life is a journey whereby God wants to train us to be led by His Spirit. And, the process is more important than the result.

The angel, in v.10, reassures the shepherds and conveys to them the “good news” of the birth of Christ, the Messiah. The Good News, or Gospel, in this case concerns the birth not of a Roman king but the birth of a Jewish king, the true “Savior” and “Lord.”

Then they obeyed, God led them to the Savior of the world. Can He do the same for and through us? The Gospel message was completed after He was crucified, resurrected, and enthroned in heaven. The birth of this king was and is “good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”

When Mary wrapped her son in swaddling cloths and placed him in a feeding trough, she didn’t know that she was doing so as a sign so that shepherds could identify him as the Christ, but that’s exactly what she was doing. The shepherds were conditioned to look for the Savior and they found Him in His low estate. Perhaps this is why it was shepherds, people who had a low enough view to see the Savior.

In v.13, we read, “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God.” The birth of the Son of God  means “peace” in our daily and eternal existence. It is not automatic, we must respond to the message of salvation with accepting faith. God's peace yields human wholeness in our relationship with Him and will render a certain measure of health in our relationships with others. 

Much of life consists of routine. In this context, God has been known to show up in our largely darkened lives with brilliant light. The fact is, He is far more involved than you and I are aware of at any given moment, just like the shepherds in the middle of their field. God shows up all the time through the good and bad, and through it all, He shows us that He can be trusted, disturbing decrees and developments notwithstanding.

If the worst fear, the fear of death, has been taken away through the death and resurrection of Christ, then surely God does not want us to fear the lesser things in life: job insecurity, COVID-19, failing a test in school, being rejected by our friends. The greatest message ever is "fear not!" God is ruling the world, and this will result in the greatest good for us, His children. 

In v.14, we read, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests." There is a somber note sounded in the angels' praise: "Peace among men with whom he is pleased." Without faith it is impossible to please God. Not all know His peace. "This is the judgment," the Lord Jesus said, "that the light has come into the world and men loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds are evil." 

It was only to his disciples that Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." The key that unlocks the treasure chest of God's peace is faith in the God of the Bible and His promises. And when we do trust God's promises, we will KNOW His joy, peace and love. It is at this point that God is glorified. 

Finally, believe, rest on His promises: "Fear not for I am with you. Be not dismayed for I am your God. I will help you; I will strengthen you; I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness . . . Do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall wear . . . Cast all your anxieties on God because he cares for you . . . The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life: of whom shall I be afraid?"

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Luke 2:1-7

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1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. ~ Luke 2:1-7

The Roman leader Caesar Augustus was hailed by the Romans as their “savior” and proclaimed him to be “the beginning of the good news for the world.” His father, Julius Caesar, had been declared a god, and so, Augustus called himself the “son of a god.” Caesar was a title like king, or emperor. It was not his name. It was his people's description of him. Caesar means revered, highly esteemed, highly regarded, honored.

Caesar Augustus, according to v.1, ordered a census requiring “the entire Roman world” to register for the purpose of raising taxes. The reason Luke tells us this is to help us pinpoint the time of the birth of the Lord Jesus and that this is a historical event. So, Joseph and a very pregnant Mary made the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, Joseph’s ancestral home, to register. 

In fulfillment of the prophesy in Micah 5:2-5, God uses Caesar’s census to move a seemingly insignificant couple to Bethlehem for the birth of the king of Israel, who will become the Lord of the whole world. The birth of God in human form then is the most important moment in all of history.

This census is called "the first census" in v.2, because Caesar Augustus called for a series of censuses in fourteen-year intervals. In fact, we can track these series of censuses all the way back to the year 270 A.D.  Every fourteen years there was a census.

In v.3, we read, "And everyone went to their own town to register." This sets the scene. The Romans would normally register people in their own place of residence. They didn't make them go back to their initial homeland. But, there was a Jewish custom to go back to their ancestral hometown, so, the Jews went back to their tribal area, back to their family home area, back to their father's village. This sets the scene perfectly, to put Joseph and Mary in Bethlehem when the baby is born.

In v.4-5, we read, "4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child." Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem in the ninth month of her pregnancy. Since Micah prophesied the Messiah was going to be born in Bethlehem, this is no small thing and is very important. So, a forced journey to Bethlehem was necessary for the Word of God to be fulfilled. Had they not made this trek, it would have thrown a wrench in the plans of God.

And, when they arrived in Bethlehem, all the rooms were taken. Nine months pregnant, in a matter of a few days to deliver a baby, and no place to stay.  No relatives awaiting with a warm home. In what seems to be the last minute, they found a room which was near a feeding trough for animals. The word translated “manger” in v.7 is not a stable, it is a feeding trough for animals. After the birth of the Lord Jesus, the feeding trough serves as a crib.

On a night like every other night in Israel, with no fanfare, no celebration, the Savior of the world was born was born.  It was a night like any other night but He wasn't a child like any other child. He was the Lord Jesus Christ, both God and man fused together in indivisible oneness. This birth was so monumental that it became the apex of history. All history before His birth is B.C., Before Christ. All history since is A.D., Anno Domini, which is Latin for "the year of our Lord."

In v.7, we read, "She wrapped Him in cloths." This sentence is best translated, "She swaddled Him."  Mary treats the Lord Jesus like any other baby. And then it says, most interestingly, "and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them."  The Savior of the world born to redeem sinful mankind was not expected by the common man, especially being born to this couple. This speaks volumes of the God we serve. 

The last statement in v.7, "there was no guest room available for them," was a part of God's plan. We've all seen "no vacancy" signs posted outside motels. Joseph and Mary were concerned, their circumstances made the "no vacancy" sign in Bethlehem all the more severe since Mary was about to deliver a baby. After traveling about eighty-five to ninety miles from their home in Nazareth, there was no where for them to stay. When the Lord Jesus came into the world, He came in the most comfortless conditions. The conditions were smelly and filthy. This is the wonder of the grace of God! The Son of God became the son of man so that the sons of men might become the sons of God.

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Luke 1:67-80

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67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: 68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel because he has come to his people and redeemed them. 69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David 70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), 71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us—72 to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, 73 the oath he swore to our father Abraham: 74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear 75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, 77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven 79 to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” 80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel. ~ Luke 1:67-80

The theme of today's text is found in v.68 and v.78 with the twice-used word “come.” The opening and closing verses, of our text, speak of the God who has come to save His people. This Greek word is used only one other time in the New Testament. We get our English word “episcopal,” from this word meaning oversight, or government. The episcopacy of God that expresses itself in redemption through the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Zachariah, in this song of praise, is linking the Davidic covenant to the Abrahamic covenant, and then to the New Covenant. These covenants all have to do with our salvation.  The Davidic Covenant is universal, it describes the universal and eternal rule of Jesus Christ.  The Abrahamic Covenant is national, it deals primarily with promises made by God to the nation of  Israel.  And the New Covenant is personal, it deals with how God delivers forgiveness of sin in the life of an individual who chooses to believe.  Most of Zechariah's song focuses on the salvation the Messiah would bring. 

Nine months earlier Zechariah could not believe his wife would have a child. Now, filled with the Holy Spirit, he is so confident of God's redeeming work in the coming Messiah that he puts his words in the past tense. For the mind of faith, a promised act of God is as good as done. Zechariah has learned to take God at His word and as a result, speaks with an attractive confidence. Zechariah reminds us that for centuries the Jewish people of faith were awaiting the coming of the promised Messiah. Now, the long awaited visitation of God is about to happen.

In v.69 he tells us how this visitation and redemption will happen. God "has raised up a horn of salvation." This horn is none other than the Lord Jesus. This "horn" in the Old Testament described the deadly weapon made from the horn of the wild ox. It is used metaphorically to describe the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the only place in the New Testament where the Lord Jesus is called the "horn" which is a description of the strength and the means of His victory over our sin and death.

According to v.70 the coming of this "horn of salvation" was prophesied in Psalm 132:17, where God says, "There I will make a horn to sprout for David. I have prepared a lamp for my anointed. His enemies I will clothe with shame."The only two instances of the phrase "horn of salvation" in the Old Testament are references to God. The Messiah is God the Son.

The Lord Jesus is the horn of salvation and He is, according to v.71, the One God the Father uses to save His people from their enemies and all who hate them. According to v.74-75 the goal of God's redemption in raising up the Messiah is to "to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear 75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days." The goal is not merely to liberate an oppressed people, but to create a holy and righteous people who live in no fear because they trust Him.

In v.76-77, Zechariah turns his attention away from the Messiah to his baby son, John the Baptist. He reviews the promises of the angel Gabriel, and summarizes the identity and mission of John as “the forerunner” to the Messiah. John’s ministry, as a prophet, would be to prepare the nation of Israel for the coming of the Lord Jesus. This would include making them aware of their sinfulness and to arouse their hearts with the need for forgiveness of sin. 

In v.78-79, Zechariah answers two questions: why would God come to us?, and how God would come to us? In v.79, we are told that God will do this because of His “tender mercy,” meaning “bowels.” Have you ever been so affected by something that your insides churned or rejoiced? That captures the description of God’s compassionate response to lost humanity. God could not allow humanity to continue in our destructive lifestyles to which we are captive. This is why He came to us.

In v.79, a picture is painted of an ancient Near Eastern caravan traveling through the desert. This caravan of humanity of which we’re all a part, is lost in the desert. The black night descends. There is no moon or stars. We huddle together for warmth, fearing for our safety. Thoughts of death from exposure, wild animals, starvation, enter our minds and conversation. We wait through a seeming eternity of darkness for the coming of God's horn.

But just when things seemed most desperate, suddenly a bright star appears and lights up the desert. Filled with new courage and hope, we arise. The brilliance of the star helps us discover a road that will take us back to life itself.

The Lord Jesus is the “rising sun,” the life-giving star, the light that was promised centuries earlier. In Isaiah 60:1, we read, “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” He offers light in the place of darkness; life in the face of death; peace in the midst of chaos and confusion. Think of it, without darkness, death, chaos and confusion, would we cry out to God? I think not. The Lord Jesus settles our alienation from God, and our fear of death itself. His saving light introduces us to a personal relationship with God Himself. 

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