Luke 2.15-21
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ 16So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Jesus Is Named
21 After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
Firstly, notice where Jesus was born. The prophet Micah had prophesied that the event would take place in Bethlehem[1] - and sure enough, it took place in Bethlehem. This reminds us of the wonderful truth that God is in control. He controlled the secular ruler Augustus and directed him through thoughts, events and ideas, to decree that all people needed to be registered. As a result, he, Augustus decreed that Mary and Joseph should travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem. The Roman emperor did not know that he was a pawn in God's hands and that he was only doing what God was allowing him to do.[2]
God is in control. As God intervened and changed the course of history using Caesar Augustus as a pawn to do what he willed, so can he intervene and use earthly rulers and others as pawns to bring about his purposes on this earth. But people need to respond in obedience.
Secondly, notice who the first people were who received the wonderful news of Christ's birth - simple ordinary shepherds, not priests, rulers, theologians, scribes or pharisees. This is not meant to imply that people who are learned or who have position were excluded. The visit of the Magi - the wise men who followed the shepherds - bears testimony of this. But all too often, simple people, poor people feel that they do not know enough to be able to draw close to God. Nothing could be further from the truth. What is important is not wealth, position or knowledge - but faith.
God offers to all people faith as a free gift.[3] All people have to do is respond by accepting it. Whether you are a university professor, a mechanic, housewife, millionaire, street-sweeper, unemployed - no matter what one's station in life is - all people are afforded the opportunity to draw close to God through faith in Jesus Christ.
Thirdly, notice the message the angels brought with them. They said:
The spiritual darkness that had covered the world for thousands of years was about to be rolled away and God was to be revealed in all his fullness through Christ; the way in which sin could be forgiven was to be made available for all people; people can defeat the power of Satan, temptation and sin in their lives and so be enabled to experience wholeness and restoration while living on this earth; people were about to be enabled to experience peace with themselves, peace with others and peace with God. Indeed, the birth of Jesus is 'good news' and should make 'everyone happy'. Because of Jesus there is hope, because of Jesus there is power, because of Jesus people can be restored to God.
Fourthly, notice how prompt the shepherds were in responding in obedience to what they were told. We read in verse 16:
They hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and they saw the baby lying in the manger.
They responded immediately. They never debated, questioned, doubted or even hesitated - they did something - they hurried off to find Jesus.
May our spirit be like the shepherd's. May we believe implicitly, act promptly and wait for nothing - let us all come to Christ so that like the shepherds, the journey we begin in faith may end with praise.
Lastly verse 21 deals with the time when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the Temple to present him to the Lord. Mary was also required by the Law of Moses to go through a purification rite as all woman, after childbirth, were considered ritually unclean. While at the Temple, they met an old man called Simeon, who had some interesting things to say about their child Jesus.
Verse 21 tells us of how Jesus was circumcised. Every Jewish boy was required by the Law of Moses, to be circumcised eight days after his birth. This ceremony was considered so important that it was even permissible to perform this rite on the Sabbath, if that turned out to be the eighth day.[5] In order for our salvation to be achieved it was necessary that the saviour obey every single aspect of the law in its entirety. We read in Galatians 4:4:
... when the time was right, God sent his Son, and a woman gave birth to him. His Son obeyed the Law so he could set us free from the law, and we could become God's children.
It is encouraging to be reminded that, even in the smallest detail, Jesus fulfilled every aspect of the Law and so won our salvation for us.[6] We do not need to practice circumcision today, nor do we need to become slaves to the thousands of other laws of the Old Testament because Jesus has set us free from the Law and all its requirements. Rather, instead of being circumcised in the flesh, Christians should live showing that they are continually cutting sin out of their lives in the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul explains this in Colossians 2:11:
Christ has also taken away your selfish desires, just as circumcision removes flesh from the body.
Again in Romans 2:29 Paul explains:
True circumcision is something that happens deep down in your heart, not something done to your body.
Because Jesus fulfilled the Law for us, we are not bound by its requirements. Jesus did everything that no human could achieve and so liberated us from all the requirements of the Law. How wonderful this is. Because of Christ we have been set free. Paul explains in Galatians 5:1:
Christ has set us free! This means we are really free. Now hold on to your freedom and don't ever become slaves to the Law again.
There was nothing that the law demanded that Jesus did not fulfill, not even the smallest detail. Jesus fulfilled everything and so earned salvation for all people who accept it. And so it was appropriate that he was given the name 'Jesus' which simply means 'Saviour'.
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