Session 4
Luke 2:1-15
Memory Verse: Luke 1:31-32
Not all biblical firsts are found in Genesis. For example, this session focuses on a “first” that serves as the pinnacle event for every other first-an incredibly important date circled on God’s calendar of redemption. The previous session focused on the fall into sin. Today’s study examines the birth of Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah and God in flesh and blood. The child born in Bethlehem was the centerpiece in God’s plan to remove the sin barrier that had been erected in the garden of Eden. A key element here is how God took the initiative to restore His relationship with humanity. He came to earth for all of us.
As you prepare to teach this Christmas lesson, help the adults in your group to understand the joy of a relationship with God through faith in Jesus. This is also a Sunday when you may see some new faces, which is great! Pray that God will use your teaching to lead someone separated from God by sin toward a saving relationship with Christ.
We sometimes form opinions based on what we hear about someone or something. Then when we actually experience that something or meet that someone, it’s not what we expected. Ever since the first sin in the garden of Eden and God’s promise of the woman’s offspring who would defeat the serpent, sin, and death, there was great anticipation for the coming of this great Conqueror. However, when Jesus finally came to earth, He came in a very unexpected way. (PSG, p. 37)
Luke, the traveling companion of the apostle Paul, stands alone among New Testament writers as a historian committed to pinpointing New Testament events in their historical context. Over time, the accuracy of Luke’s dating has been validated consistently by archaeology and biblical scholarship. Luke 2 is no exception.
Luke opened this chapter by noting the historical context of the events he was describing. He primarily did this by focusing on those in secular power. He listed specific governing officials whom we can date with certainty from other historical records.
Luke began his Gospel by placing the events surrounding the births of John the Baptist and Jesus during the reign of Herod the Great. Herod ruled as king from 40 BC to 4 BC. Next, in chapter 2, Luke mentioned Caesar Augustus, emperor of Rome. Augustus’s reign stretched from 31 BC to AD 14. The next mile marker in the dating of these events was Quirinius, governor of Syria, who evidently was in office on two different occasions, from 6 to 4 BC and again from AD 6 to 9. Each of these men are known to history and fit into the timeline suggested by Luke.
The final clue to historical dating and validation within Luke’s Gospel is his reference to a “first” registration or census. Scholars point to two different censuses associated with Quirinius while he was governor. Luke indicated that this Christmas narrative occurred during the first census of Quirinius, which affirms the widely accepted belief that Jesus was probably born between 6 and 4 BC.
The system of dating years as BC and AD was created around 525 by a monk named Dionysius Exiguus. While he provided the world with a great tool for understanding history, he miscalculated the date of Christ’s birth by somewhere between four and six years. We know this to be true partly because Herod the Great, who played such a prominent role in Jesus’s birth in Matthew 2, died in 4 BC. So, as odd as it seems, Jesus likely was born a few years “before Christ” in this common calendering format.
After describing the angelic announcements of the births of John and Jesus-as well as the subsequent birth of John-in chapter 1, Luke moved to the birth of Jesus. Just like Gabriel’s announcement to Mary emphasized the significance of this birth, chapter 2 highlights the announcement by the angel of the Lord to the shepherds.
Although not a part of this session, the remainder of Luke 2 highlights events that happened as the young Jesus grew toward adulthood. This chapter affirms that the Son of God became flesh and blood and grew like anyone of us. And the historical accuracy combined with the fulfillment of biblical prophecy, validates not only Luke’s Gospel, but also Jesus’s identity as the Messiah come to restore people to God.
As you read Luke 2:1-15, consider what God reveals about Himself through the birth of Jesus. (PSG, p. 38)
EXPLORE THE TEXT $
(vv. 1-2) Registered: This was a registration or census designed for taxation. Each male was to report to his ancestral home and have his name, occupation, property, and family members listed in a public register. In verse 2, Luke noted that this was the first registration that occurred during the term of Quirinius as governor of Syria. A second registration (mentioned in Acts 5:37) most likely took place in AD 6. Periodic registrations were common in the Roman world.
(v. 3) His own town: Two possible reasons have been proposed for why people were sent to their ancestral homes. One states that Joseph may have owned property in Bethlehem, which would have required him to return there for the registration. However, if Joseph had owned property in Bethlehem, he and Mary probably would have had a place to stay once they arrived.
A more likely explanation is that Jewish custom called for people to return to their ancestral home for such a registration. The Roman government would have made concessions for allowing this custom to be followed. The registration would have been carried out under the administration of Herod the Great, designated as “king” over the Jews. As a nominal Jew, Herod may have required these trips.
Nazareth
This village is not mentioned in the Old Testament and was of little importance until it was associated with Jesus. The town was located halfway between the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean Sea in the hill country of lower Galilee. The distance between Nazareth and Bethlehem was about ninety miles, so the trip would have taken several days on foot. While tradition holds that Mary rode a donkey, Scripture is silent on that detail.
(v. 4) Bethlehem: The town’s original name was Ephrath (Gen. 35:19), and its name means “house of bread.” In the Old Testament, Jerusalem was known as the city of David, but Luke identified Bethlehem with that title because it was the birthplace of King David (see Ruth 1:19; 4:13-17; 1 Sam. 16). Bethlehem was located about five miles south of Jerusalem.
The prophet Micah prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2). Luke helped readers see how God orchestrated events so that Jesus would be born there as predicted. This fulfillment of biblical prophecy adds validity to Luke’s claim that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah.
(v. 5) With Mary: One additional question discussed by scholars is why Joseph took Mary with him to Bethlehem for the registration. Some evidence exists that suggests women were also subject to taxation, not just the head of the household. A second potential reason was Joseph’s attempt to protect Mary by taking her away from the gossip and speculation of Nazareth.
However, while these explanations are possible, many scholars support a third option. Since Mary’s due date and the deadline for the registration aligned so closely, Joseph did not want to leave her alone at such a critical time.
(v. 5) Engaged: In the first-century Jewish world, engagement was almost as binding as marriage and equivalent to a legal contract. The engagement could only be broken through divorce, and couples had no physical consummation until the actual marriage took place. It was certainly more than just a verbal promise to marry. One common line of thought (based on Matt. 1:20) indicates that Joseph went ahead and took Mary as his wife without consummating the marriage until after Jesus was born.
6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
(v. 6) The time came: The typical picture of Jesus’s birth gives the impression that Joseph and Mary had just arrived in Bethlehem and that evening Jesus entered the world. While that paints a beautiful picture, Luke’s Gospel gives us no time reference other than it happened in Bethlehem in conjunction with the Roman registration. We have no knowledge of how long they had been in Bethlehem before His birth or whether it occurred before or after the registration.
For Luke, the vital piece of information was the Messiah’s birth in Bethlehem as predicted by the prophet. From details related to the wise men’s visit, Matthew’s Gospel indicates that the family stayed in Bethlehem for an extended time before fleeing to Egypt and eventually returning to Nazareth (Matt. 2).
Firstborn son
The Greek text literally says, “her son her firstborn son.” The implication is that Mary subsequently had more children. This is validated throughout the Gospels (see Luke 8:19-20 and Mark 6:3). Also, this term should not be confused with “one and only Son” (John 1:14,18; 3:16-18), which emphasizes His divine nature as the Son of God.
Paul spoke of meeting James, “the Lord’s brother,” and most scholars accept James as writer of the book of James. The writer of Jude also noted that he was a brother of James (v. 1), which means he was probably the brother called Judas in Mark 6:3.
Of course, any siblings of Jesus would have been half-brothers and half-sisters. Mary was the mother of them all, but Joseph was not Jesus’s biological. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:18-23; Luke 1:35).
(v. 7) Tightly in cloth: Traditionally, this refers to the long pieces of linen used to tightly wrap (or swaddle) an infant. This would prevent unnecessary movement. Swaddling cloth was also used as a bandage to bind or prevent broken limbs.
(v. 7) Manger: The Greek word used here refers to a feeding trough. While the common image involves a structure made from wood and similar in shape to a cradle, archaeological evidence suggests that many feeding troughs in the ancient world were made of either masonry or carved out of rock. A typical manger would measure about three feet long, 18 inches wide, and two feet deep. It would have been housed wherever the animals were kept.
(v. 7) Guest room: The image of an innkeeper turning away Joseph and Mary into the cold night is speculative. The text here does not include the usual Greek word for a public inn, such as what Jesus used in the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:34). Instead, it simply means a place of lodging or shelter.
Not finding appropriate shelter, Joseph and Mary were forced to take shelter where they could, perhaps in the section of a local home where animals were kept. This may explain the presence of the feeding trough. Most dwellings in those days had two levels-an upper level where the family lived and a lower level where the animals were kept.
Early Christian tradition from the second century AD states that this place of shelter was a cave used as a stable for animals. Again, much of what we imagine about the Christmas story is speculation from which Christmas traditions have grown.
8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors! 15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
(v. 8) Same region: This was the area around Bethlehem, just a few miles south of Jerusalem. Some Jewish writings indicate that sheep kept in the area between Bethlehem and Jerusalem were raised for sacrifice in the temple. Often, shepherds like these would bring their flocks together to jointly watch over them during the night.
(v. 8) Shepherds: Most scholars believe that shepherds were despised in the first century. If so, this is ironic since the most famous shepherds in Israel’s history were Moses and David.
Part of this negative attitude stemmed from a widely accepted belief that shepherds were dishonest. Also, they were considered ceremonially unclean since they were with sheep every day-often 24 hours a day. Interestingly, God is pictured as the Shepherd of His people and His spokesmen were often referred to as caring for God’s flock.
(v. 9) Angel of the Lord: The word angel is the Greek word for “messenger.” Thus, angels are heavenly messengers from God. Gabriel had delivered good news prior to the births of both John (Luke 1:19) and Jesus (Luke 1:26). This unidentified angel might also have been Gabriel because he also bore good news about the birth of the Messiah. The shepherds were startled by his appearance.
(v. 9) Glory of the Lord: This is the same radiating majesty of God that had appeared to Moses in the burning bush, to the Israelites in the pillar of fire and cloud, and in Solomon’s temple at its dedication. Most references to the manifest glory of God picture it as an extremely bright light.
Glory suggests the “weight” and majesty of God’s presence. Hence, these shepherds knew that they weren’t just in the presence of an angel, but they were also getting a taste of God’s own glory.
(v. 10) Don’t be afraid: In all three announcements to Zechariah, Mary, and the shepherds, the angel spoke words of comfort and assurance. The gospel is designed to remove fear.
(v. 10) Good news: This is the same Greek word from which we get the English word “evangelize.” It carries the sense of proclaiming a message that should produce rejoicing or celebration. In this case, the news centered on the long-awaited birth of God’s Messiah, the One promised in Genesis 3:15 who would strike the decisive blow to the serpent (Satan).
(v. 11) Savior . . . Messiah . . . Lord: The angel used three titles for Jesus. First, He was called Savior, which implies the One designated to rescue humanity from sin. Second, Messiah is derived from the Greek word Christos and means “anointed one.” This points to Jesus as the eternal King. Finally, the angel used the term, Lord, which emphasizes authority. Jesus is absolutely in control and worthy of all obedience and worship.
(v. 14) Peace on earth to people he favors: This refers to the peace of salvation provided to all who are the object of God’s good pleasure. In Ephesians 1:5, Paul wrote that God adopted us “according to the good pleasure of his will.” This pleasure comes from His grace and not from anything we might do to please Him. It is His gift, and we cannot earn it.
God the Son
Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. (See Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:18-23.)
Connect Old Testament prophecy to New Testament fulfillment.
There are scores of Old Testament prophecies concerning Jesus Christ. Zero in on those related to His birth and connect the prophecy to the fulfillment. Read Isaiah 7:14 and Luke 1:30-35; 2:6-7. Also read Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:4-6; and Luke 2:4. 3 So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town.
1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered. 2 This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, 5 to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant.
Invite a volunteer to read aloud Luke 2:1-5 as the group listens for the location of Jesus’s birth. Highlight the emperor’s decree.
Highlight that Jesus’s birth in Bethlehem was the fulfillment of prophecy, and God orchestrated everything that happened. Explain the significance of Bethlehem as Jesus’s birthplace and His connection to King David. < >-- · (2:4) The prophet Micah prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2). Luke helped readers see how God orchestrated events so that Jesus would be born there as predicted. This fulfillment of biblical prophecy adds validity to Luke’s claim that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah. -->
The events in these verses, though they appear to have been initiated by humans, were orchestrated by God.
6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
Call for a volunteer to read aloud Luke 2:6-7, directing the group to listen for evidence of the simplicity of Jesus’s birth.
Display Pack Item 4 (Key Verse: Luke 1:31-32). Encourage the group to read the verses aloud two or three times and to memorize them during the week.
God demonstrates His authority through humble means. He also invites all people to witness His power.
8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors! 15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
Enlist a volunteer to read aloud Luke 2:8-15, while instructing the group to listen for the descriptions of Jesus.
Lead the group to identify what the angel of the Lord said about Jesus. Highlight the significance of the titles “Savior,” “Messiah,” and “Lord.” Briefly discuss how the angel’s message reveals the mission for which Jesus was coming to earth.
Encourage the group to think what it might have been like to have the multitude of angels praising God. Challenge them to consider their own praise and worship. Remind them that Christmas is a great time to seek God’s restoration and forgiveness if they are feeling disconnected from Him.
While the birth of Jesus garners a lot of attention at this time of the year, the reality of what God “gifts” us through Jesus, His Son, is something that should have an impact on our lives every single day. The gift of eternal life through Him is indeed the best gift one can receive.
Review these points from this week’s Bible passage:
Call for volunteers to share at least one way something in this session supports each of these statements.
Direct attention to the wrapped gift box.
Guide the group to discuss why it’s important to show that the birth of Jesus was the fulfillment of prophecy.
Close in prayer, thanking God for His incredible gift of eternal life through Jesus who was born as Savior, Messiah, and Lord.
Reinforce the session by purchasing candy canes at an after-Christmas sale. Visit each of the adults in your group between Christmas and New Year. Deliver the candy canes and share some of the various legends surrounding the candy cane. Challenge the adults to consider how sweet their relationship with Jesus can be and to start the new year by recommitting their hearts and lives to Him.
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Session 4
Luke 2:1-15
Memory Verse: Luke 1:31-32
Not all biblical firsts are found in Genesis. For example, this session focuses on a “first” that serves as the pinnacle event for every other first-an incredibly important date circled on God’s calendar of redemption. The previous session focused on the fall into sin. Today’s study examines the birth of Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah and God in flesh and blood. The child born in Bethlehem was the centerpiece in God’s plan to remove the sin barrier that had been erected in the garden of Eden. A key element here is how God took the initiative to restore His relationship with humanity. He came to earth for all of us.
As you prepare to teach this Christmas lesson, help the adults in your group to understand the joy of a relationship with God through faith in Jesus. This is also a Sunday when you may see some new faces, which is great! Pray that God will use your teaching to lead someone separated from God by sin toward a saving relationship with Christ.
We sometimes form opinions based on what we hear about someone or something. Then when we actually experience that something or meet that someone, it’s not what we expected. Ever since the first sin in the garden of Eden and God’s promise of the woman’s offspring who would defeat the serpent, sin, and death, there was great anticipation for the coming of this great Conqueror. However, when Jesus finally came to earth, He came in a very unexpected way. (PSG, p. 37)
Luke, the traveling companion of the apostle Paul, stands alone among New Testament writers as a historian committed to pinpointing New Testament events in their historical context. Over time, the accuracy of Luke’s dating has been validated consistently by archaeology and biblical scholarship. Luke 2 is no exception.
Luke opened this chapter by noting the historical context of the events he was describing. He primarily did this by focusing on those in secular power. He listed specific governing officials whom we can date with certainty from other historical records.
Luke began his Gospel by placing the events surrounding the births of John the Baptist and Jesus during the reign of Herod the Great. Herod ruled as king from 40 BC to 4 BC. Next, in chapter 2, Luke mentioned Caesar Augustus, emperor of Rome. Augustus’s reign stretched from 31 BC to AD 14. The next mile marker in the dating of these events was Quirinius, governor of Syria, who evidently was in office on two different occasions, from 6 to 4 BC and again from AD 6 to 9. Each of these men are known to history and fit into the timeline suggested by Luke.
The final clue to historical dating and validation within Luke’s Gospel is his reference to a “first” registration or census. Scholars point to two different censuses associated with Quirinius while he was governor. Luke indicated that this Christmas narrative occurred during the first census of Quirinius, which affirms the widely accepted belief that Jesus was probably born between 6 and 4 BC.
The system of dating years as BC and AD was created around 525 by a monk named Dionysius Exiguus. While he provided the world with a great tool for understanding history, he miscalculated the date of Christ’s birth by somewhere between four and six years. We know this to be true partly because Herod the Great, who played such a prominent role in Jesus’s birth in Matthew 2, died in 4 BC. So, as odd as it seems, Jesus likely was born a few years “before Christ” in this common calendering format.
After describing the angelic announcements of the births of John and Jesus-as well as the subsequent birth of John-in chapter 1, Luke moved to the birth of Jesus. Just like Gabriel’s announcement to Mary emphasized the significance of this birth, chapter 2 highlights the announcement by the angel of the Lord to the shepherds.
Although not a part of this session, the remainder of Luke 2 highlights events that happened as the young Jesus grew toward adulthood. This chapter affirms that the Son of God became flesh and blood and grew like anyone of us. And the historical accuracy combined with the fulfillment of biblical prophecy, validates not only Luke’s Gospel, but also Jesus’s identity as the Messiah come to restore people to God.
As you read Luke 2:1-15, consider what God reveals about Himself through the birth of Jesus. (PSG, p. 38)
EXPLORE THE TEXT $
(vv. 1-2) Registered: This was a registration or census designed for taxation. Each male was to report to his ancestral home and have his name, occupation, property, and family members listed in a public register. In verse 2, Luke noted that this was the first registration that occurred during the term of Quirinius as governor of Syria. A second registration (mentioned in Acts 5:37) most likely took place in AD 6. Periodic registrations were common in the Roman world.
(v. 3) His own town: Two possible reasons have been proposed for why people were sent to their ancestral homes. One states that Joseph may have owned property in Bethlehem, which would have required him to return there for the registration. However, if Joseph had owned property in Bethlehem, he and Mary probably would have had a place to stay once they arrived.
A more likely explanation is that Jewish custom called for people to return to their ancestral home for such a registration. The Roman government would have made concessions for allowing this custom to be followed. The registration would have been carried out under the administration of Herod the Great, designated as “king” over the Jews. As a nominal Jew, Herod may have required these trips.
Nazareth
This village is not mentioned in the Old Testament and was of little importance until it was associated with Jesus. The town was located halfway between the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean Sea in the hill country of lower Galilee. The distance between Nazareth and Bethlehem was about ninety miles, so the trip would have taken several days on foot. While tradition holds that Mary rode a donkey, Scripture is silent on that detail.
(v. 4) Bethlehem: The town’s original name was Ephrath (Gen. 35:19), and its name means “house of bread.” In the Old Testament, Jerusalem was known as the city of David, but Luke identified Bethlehem with that title because it was the birthplace of King David (see Ruth 1:19; 4:13-17; 1 Sam. 16). Bethlehem was located about five miles south of Jerusalem.
The prophet Micah prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2). Luke helped readers see how God orchestrated events so that Jesus would be born there as predicted. This fulfillment of biblical prophecy adds validity to Luke’s claim that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah.
(v. 5) With Mary: One additional question discussed by scholars is why Joseph took Mary with him to Bethlehem for the registration. Some evidence exists that suggests women were also subject to taxation, not just the head of the household. A second potential reason was Joseph’s attempt to protect Mary by taking her away from the gossip and speculation of Nazareth.
However, while these explanations are possible, many scholars support a third option. Since Mary’s due date and the deadline for the registration aligned so closely, Joseph did not want to leave her alone at such a critical time.
(v. 5) Engaged: In the first-century Jewish world, engagement was almost as binding as marriage and equivalent to a legal contract. The engagement could only be broken through divorce, and couples had no physical consummation until the actual marriage took place. It was certainly more than just a verbal promise to marry. One common line of thought (based on Matt. 1:20) indicates that Joseph went ahead and took Mary as his wife without consummating the marriage until after Jesus was born.
6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
(v. 6) The time came: The typical picture of Jesus’s birth gives the impression that Joseph and Mary had just arrived in Bethlehem and that evening Jesus entered the world. While that paints a beautiful picture, Luke’s Gospel gives us no time reference other than it happened in Bethlehem in conjunction with the Roman registration. We have no knowledge of how long they had been in Bethlehem before His birth or whether it occurred before or after the registration.
For Luke, the vital piece of information was the Messiah’s birth in Bethlehem as predicted by the prophet. From details related to the wise men’s visit, Matthew’s Gospel indicates that the family stayed in Bethlehem for an extended time before fleeing to Egypt and eventually returning to Nazareth (Matt. 2).
Firstborn son
The Greek text literally says, “her son her firstborn son.” The implication is that Mary subsequently had more children. This is validated throughout the Gospels (see Luke 8:19-20 and Mark 6:3). Also, this term should not be confused with “one and only Son” (John 1:14,18; 3:16-18), which emphasizes His divine nature as the Son of God.
Paul spoke of meeting James, “the Lord’s brother,” and most scholars accept James as writer of the book of James. The writer of Jude also noted that he was a brother of James (v. 1), which means he was probably the brother called Judas in Mark 6:3.
Of course, any siblings of Jesus would have been half-brothers and half-sisters. Mary was the mother of them all, but Joseph was not Jesus’s biological. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:18-23; Luke 1:35).
(v. 7) Tightly in cloth: Traditionally, this refers to the long pieces of linen used to tightly wrap (or swaddle) an infant. This would prevent unnecessary movement. Swaddling cloth was also used as a bandage to bind or prevent broken limbs.
(v. 7) Manger: The Greek word used here refers to a feeding trough. While the common image involves a structure made from wood and similar in shape to a cradle, archaeological evidence suggests that many feeding troughs in the ancient world were made of either masonry or carved out of rock. A typical manger would measure about three feet long, 18 inches wide, and two feet deep. It would have been housed wherever the animals were kept.
(v. 7) Guest room: The image of an innkeeper turning away Joseph and Mary into the cold night is speculative. The text here does not include the usual Greek word for a public inn, such as what Jesus used in the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:34). Instead, it simply means a place of lodging or shelter.
Not finding appropriate shelter, Joseph and Mary were forced to take shelter where they could, perhaps in the section of a local home where animals were kept. This may explain the presence of the feeding trough. Most dwellings in those days had two levels-an upper level where the family lived and a lower level where the animals were kept.
Early Christian tradition from the second century AD states that this place of shelter was a cave used as a stable for animals. Again, much of what we imagine about the Christmas story is speculation from which Christmas traditions have grown.
8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors! 15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
(v. 8) Same region: This was the area around Bethlehem, just a few miles south of Jerusalem. Some Jewish writings indicate that sheep kept in the area between Bethlehem and Jerusalem were raised for sacrifice in the temple. Often, shepherds like these would bring their flocks together to jointly watch over them during the night.
(v. 8) Shepherds: Most scholars believe that shepherds were despised in the first century. If so, this is ironic since the most famous shepherds in Israel’s history were Moses and David.
Part of this negative attitude stemmed from a widely accepted belief that shepherds were dishonest. Also, they were considered ceremonially unclean since they were with sheep every day-often 24 hours a day. Interestingly, God is pictured as the Shepherd of His people and His spokesmen were often referred to as caring for God’s flock.
(v. 9) Angel of the Lord: The word angel is the Greek word for “messenger.” Thus, angels are heavenly messengers from God. Gabriel had delivered good news prior to the births of both John (Luke 1:19) and Jesus (Luke 1:26). This unidentified angel might also have been Gabriel because he also bore good news about the birth of the Messiah. The shepherds were startled by his appearance.
(v. 9) Glory of the Lord: This is the same radiating majesty of God that had appeared to Moses in the burning bush, to the Israelites in the pillar of fire and cloud, and in Solomon’s temple at its dedication. Most references to the manifest glory of God picture it as an extremely bright light.
Glory suggests the “weight” and majesty of God’s presence. Hence, these shepherds knew that they weren’t just in the presence of an angel, but they were also getting a taste of God’s own glory.
(v. 10) Don’t be afraid: In all three announcements to Zechariah, Mary, and the shepherds, the angel spoke words of comfort and assurance. The gospel is designed to remove fear.
(v. 10) Good news: This is the same Greek word from which we get the English word “evangelize.” It carries the sense of proclaiming a message that should produce rejoicing or celebration. In this case, the news centered on the long-awaited birth of God’s Messiah, the One promised in Genesis 3:15 who would strike the decisive blow to the serpent (Satan).
(v. 11) Savior . . . Messiah . . . Lord: The angel used three titles for Jesus. First, He was called Savior, which implies the One designated to rescue humanity from sin. Second, Messiah is derived from the Greek word Christos and means “anointed one.” This points to Jesus as the eternal King. Finally, the angel used the term, Lord, which emphasizes authority. Jesus is absolutely in control and worthy of all obedience and worship.
(v. 14) Peace on earth to people he favors: This refers to the peace of salvation provided to all who are the object of God’s good pleasure. In Ephesians 1:5, Paul wrote that God adopted us “according to the good pleasure of his will.” This pleasure comes from His grace and not from anything we might do to please Him. It is His gift, and we cannot earn it.
God the Son
Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. (See Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:18-23.)
Connect Old Testament prophecy to New Testament fulfillment.
There are scores of Old Testament prophecies concerning Jesus Christ. Zero in on those related to His birth and connect the prophecy to the fulfillment. Read Isaiah 7:14 and Luke 1:30-35; 2:6-7. Also read Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:4-6; and Luke 2:4. 4 Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee,
1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered. 2 This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, 5 to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant.
Invite a volunteer to read aloud Luke 2:1-5 as the group listens for the location of Jesus’s birth. Highlight the emperor’s decree.
Highlight that Jesus’s birth in Bethlehem was the fulfillment of prophecy, and God orchestrated everything that happened. Explain the significance of Bethlehem as Jesus’s birthplace and His connection to King David. < >-- · (2:4) The prophet Micah prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2). Luke helped readers see how God orchestrated events so that Jesus would be born there as predicted. This fulfillment of biblical prophecy adds validity to Luke’s claim that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah. -->
The events in these verses, though they appear to have been initiated by humans, were orchestrated by God.
6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
Call for a volunteer to read aloud Luke 2:6-7, directing the group to listen for evidence of the simplicity of Jesus’s birth.
Display Pack Item 4 (Key Verse: Luke 1:31-32). Encourage the group to read the verses aloud two or three times and to memorize them during the week.
God demonstrates His authority through humble means. He also invites all people to witness His power.
8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors! 15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
Enlist a volunteer to read aloud Luke 2:8-15, while instructing the group to listen for the descriptions of Jesus.
Lead the group to identify what the angel of the Lord said about Jesus. Highlight the significance of the titles “Savior,” “Messiah,” and “Lord.” Briefly discuss how the angel’s message reveals the mission for which Jesus was coming to earth.
Encourage the group to think what it might have been like to have the multitude of angels praising God. Challenge them to consider their own praise and worship. Remind them that Christmas is a great time to seek God’s restoration and forgiveness if they are feeling disconnected from Him.
While the birth of Jesus garners a lot of attention at this time of the year, the reality of what God “gifts” us through Jesus, His Son, is something that should have an impact on our lives every single day. The gift of eternal life through Him is indeed the best gift one can receive.
Review these points from this week’s Bible passage:
Call for volunteers to share at least one way something in this session supports each of these statements.
Direct attention to the wrapped gift box.
Guide the group to discuss why it’s important to show that the birth of Jesus was the fulfillment of prophecy.
Close in prayer, thanking God for His incredible gift of eternal life through Jesus who was born as Savior, Messiah, and Lord.
Reinforce the session by purchasing candy canes at an after-Christmas sale. Visit each of the adults in your group between Christmas and New Year. Deliver the candy canes and share some of the various legends surrounding the candy cane. Challenge the adults to consider how sweet their relationship with Jesus can be and to start the new year by recommitting their hearts and lives to Him.
##
Session 4
Luke 2:1-15
Memory Verse: Luke 1:31-32
Not all biblical firsts are found in Genesis. For example, this session focuses on a “first” that serves as the pinnacle event for every other first-an incredibly important date circled on God’s calendar of redemption. The previous session focused on the fall into sin. Today’s study examines the birth of Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah and God in flesh and blood. The child born in Bethlehem was the centerpiece in God’s plan to remove the sin barrier that had been erected in the garden of Eden. A key element here is how God took the initiative to restore His relationship with humanity. He came to earth for all of us.
As you prepare to teach this Christmas lesson, help the adults in your group to understand the joy of a relationship with God through faith in Jesus. This is also a Sunday when you may see some new faces, which is great! Pray that God will use your teaching to lead someone separated from God by sin toward a saving relationship with Christ.
We sometimes form opinions based on what we hear about someone or something. Then when we actually experience that something or meet that someone, it’s not what we expected. Ever since the first sin in the garden of Eden and God’s promise of the woman’s offspring who would defeat the serpent, sin, and death, there was great anticipation for the coming of this great Conqueror. However, when Jesus finally came to earth, He came in a very unexpected way. (PSG, p. 37)
Luke, the traveling companion of the apostle Paul, stands alone among New Testament writers as a historian committed to pinpointing New Testament events in their historical context. Over time, the accuracy of Luke’s dating has been validated consistently by archaeology and biblical scholarship. Luke 2 is no exception.
Luke opened this chapter by noting the historical context of the events he was describing. He primarily did this by focusing on those in secular power. He listed specific governing officials whom we can date with certainty from other historical records.
Luke began his Gospel by placing the events surrounding the births of John the Baptist and Jesus during the reign of Herod the Great. Herod ruled as king from 40 BC to 4 BC. Next, in chapter 2, Luke mentioned Caesar Augustus, emperor of Rome. Augustus’s reign stretched from 31 BC to AD 14. The next mile marker in the dating of these events was Quirinius, governor of Syria, who evidently was in office on two different occasions, from 6 to 4 BC and again from AD 6 to 9. Each of these men are known to history and fit into the timeline suggested by Luke.
The final clue to historical dating and validation within Luke’s Gospel is his reference to a “first” registration or census. Scholars point to two different censuses associated with Quirinius while he was governor. Luke indicated that this Christmas narrative occurred during the first census of Quirinius, which affirms the widely accepted belief that Jesus was probably born between 6 and 4 BC.
The system of dating years as BC and AD was created around 525 by a monk named Dionysius Exiguus. While he provided the world with a great tool for understanding history, he miscalculated the date of Christ’s birth by somewhere between four and six years. We know this to be true partly because Herod the Great, who played such a prominent role in Jesus’s birth in Matthew 2, died in 4 BC. So, as odd as it seems, Jesus likely was born a few years “before Christ” in this common calendering format.
After describing the angelic announcements of the births of John and Jesus-as well as the subsequent birth of John-in chapter 1, Luke moved to the birth of Jesus. Just like Gabriel’s announcement to Mary emphasized the significance of this birth, chapter 2 highlights the announcement by the angel of the Lord to the shepherds.
Although not a part of this session, the remainder of Luke 2 highlights events that happened as the young Jesus grew toward adulthood. This chapter affirms that the Son of God became flesh and blood and grew like anyone of us. And the historical accuracy combined with the fulfillment of biblical prophecy, validates not only Luke’s Gospel, but also Jesus’s identity as the Messiah come to restore people to God.
As you read Luke 2:1-15, consider what God reveals about Himself through the birth of Jesus. (PSG, p. 38)
EXPLORE THE TEXT $
(vv. 1-2) Registered: This was a registration or census designed for taxation. Each male was to report to his ancestral home and have his name, occupation, property, and family members listed in a public register. In verse 2, Luke noted that this was the first registration that occurred during the term of Quirinius as governor of Syria. A second registration (mentioned in Acts 5:37) most likely took place in AD 6. Periodic registrations were common in the Roman world.
(v. 3) His own town: Two possible reasons have been proposed for why people were sent to their ancestral homes. One states that Joseph may have owned property in Bethlehem, which would have required him to return there for the registration. However, if Joseph had owned property in Bethlehem, he and Mary probably would have had a place to stay once they arrived.
A more likely explanation is that Jewish custom called for people to return to their ancestral home for such a registration. The Roman government would have made concessions for allowing this custom to be followed. The registration would have been carried out under the administration of Herod the Great, designated as “king” over the Jews. As a nominal Jew, Herod may have required these trips.
Nazareth
This village is not mentioned in the Old Testament and was of little importance until it was associated with Jesus. The town was located halfway between the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean Sea in the hill country of lower Galilee. The distance between Nazareth and Bethlehem was about ninety miles, so the trip would have taken several days on foot. While tradition holds that Mary rode a donkey, Scripture is silent on that detail.
(v. 4) Bethlehem: The town’s original name was Ephrath (Gen. 35:19), and its name means “house of bread.” In the Old Testament, Jerusalem was known as the city of David, but Luke identified Bethlehem with that title because it was the birthplace of King David (see Ruth 1:19; 4:13-17; 1 Sam. 16). Bethlehem was located about five miles south of Jerusalem.
The prophet Micah prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2). Luke helped readers see how God orchestrated events so that Jesus would be born there as predicted. This fulfillment of biblical prophecy adds validity to Luke’s claim that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah.
(v. 5) With Mary: One additional question discussed by scholars is why Joseph took Mary with him to Bethlehem for the registration. Some evidence exists that suggests women were also subject to taxation, not just the head of the household. A second potential reason was Joseph’s attempt to protect Mary by taking her away from the gossip and speculation of Nazareth.
However, while these explanations are possible, many scholars support a third option. Since Mary’s due date and the deadline for the registration aligned so closely, Joseph did not want to leave her alone at such a critical time.
(v. 5) Engaged: In the first-century Jewish world, engagement was almost as binding as marriage and equivalent to a legal contract. The engagement could only be broken through divorce, and couples had no physical consummation until the actual marriage took place. It was certainly more than just a verbal promise to marry. One common line of thought (based on Matt. 1:20) indicates that Joseph went ahead and took Mary as his wife without consummating the marriage until after Jesus was born.
6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
(v. 6) The time came: The typical picture of Jesus’s birth gives the impression that Joseph and Mary had just arrived in Bethlehem and that evening Jesus entered the world. While that paints a beautiful picture, Luke’s Gospel gives us no time reference other than it happened in Bethlehem in conjunction with the Roman registration. We have no knowledge of how long they had been in Bethlehem before His birth or whether it occurred before or after the registration.
For Luke, the vital piece of information was the Messiah’s birth in Bethlehem as predicted by the prophet. From details related to the wise men’s visit, Matthew’s Gospel indicates that the family stayed in Bethlehem for an extended time before fleeing to Egypt and eventually returning to Nazareth (Matt. 2).
Firstborn son
The Greek text literally says, “her son her firstborn son.” The implication is that Mary subsequently had more children. This is validated throughout the Gospels (see Luke 8:19-20 and Mark 6:3). Also, this term should not be confused with “one and only Son” (John 1:14,18; 3:16-18), which emphasizes His divine nature as the Son of God.
Paul spoke of meeting James, “the Lord’s brother,” and most scholars accept James as writer of the book of James. The writer of Jude also noted that he was a brother of James (v. 1), which means he was probably the brother called Judas in Mark 6:3.
Of course, any siblings of Jesus would have been half-brothers and half-sisters. Mary was the mother of them all, but Joseph was not Jesus’s biological. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:18-23; Luke 1:35).
(v. 7) Tightly in cloth: Traditionally, this refers to the long pieces of linen used to tightly wrap (or swaddle) an infant. This would prevent unnecessary movement. Swaddling cloth was also used as a bandage to bind or prevent broken limbs.
(v. 7) Manger: The Greek word used here refers to a feeding trough. While the common image involves a structure made from wood and similar in shape to a cradle, archaeological evidence suggests that many feeding troughs in the ancient world were made of either masonry or carved out of rock. A typical manger would measure about three feet long, 18 inches wide, and two feet deep. It would have been housed wherever the animals were kept.
(v. 7) Guest room: The image of an innkeeper turning away Joseph and Mary into the cold night is speculative. The text here does not include the usual Greek word for a public inn, such as what Jesus used in the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:34). Instead, it simply means a place of lodging or shelter.
Not finding appropriate shelter, Joseph and Mary were forced to take shelter where they could, perhaps in the section of a local home where animals were kept. This may explain the presence of the feeding trough. Most dwellings in those days had two levels-an upper level where the family lived and a lower level where the animals were kept.
Early Christian tradition from the second century AD states that this place of shelter was a cave used as a stable for animals. Again, much of what we imagine about the Christmas story is speculation from which Christmas traditions have grown.
8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors! 15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
(v. 8) Same region: This was the area around Bethlehem, just a few miles south of Jerusalem. Some Jewish writings indicate that sheep kept in the area between Bethlehem and Jerusalem were raised for sacrifice in the temple. Often, shepherds like these would bring their flocks together to jointly watch over them during the night.
(v. 8) Shepherds: Most scholars believe that shepherds were despised in the first century. If so, this is ironic since the most famous shepherds in Israel’s history were Moses and David.
Part of this negative attitude stemmed from a widely accepted belief that shepherds were dishonest. Also, they were considered ceremonially unclean since they were with sheep every day-often 24 hours a day. Interestingly, God is pictured as the Shepherd of His people and His spokesmen were often referred to as caring for God’s flock.
(v. 9) Angel of the Lord: The word angel is the Greek word for “messenger.” Thus, angels are heavenly messengers from God. Gabriel had delivered good news prior to the births of both John (Luke 1:19) and Jesus (Luke 1:26). This unidentified angel might also have been Gabriel because he also bore good news about the birth of the Messiah. The shepherds were startled by his appearance.
(v. 9) Glory of the Lord: This is the same radiating majesty of God that had appeared to Moses in the burning bush, to the Israelites in the pillar of fire and cloud, and in Solomon’s temple at its dedication. Most references to the manifest glory of God picture it as an extremely bright light.
Glory suggests the “weight” and majesty of God’s presence. Hence, these shepherds knew that they weren’t just in the presence of an angel, but they were also getting a taste of God’s own glory.
(v. 10) Don’t be afraid: In all three announcements to Zechariah, Mary, and the shepherds, the angel spoke words of comfort and assurance. The gospel is designed to remove fear.
(v. 10) Good news: This is the same Greek word from which we get the English word “evangelize.” It carries the sense of proclaiming a message that should produce rejoicing or celebration. In this case, the news centered on the long-awaited birth of God’s Messiah, the One promised in Genesis 3:15 who would strike the decisive blow to the serpent (Satan).
(v. 11) Savior . . . Messiah . . . Lord: The angel used three titles for Jesus. First, He was called Savior, which implies the One designated to rescue humanity from sin. Second, Messiah is derived from the Greek word Christos and means “anointed one.” This points to Jesus as the eternal King. Finally, the angel used the term, Lord, which emphasizes authority. Jesus is absolutely in control and worthy of all obedience and worship.
(v. 14) Peace on earth to people he favors: This refers to the peace of salvation provided to all who are the object of God’s good pleasure. In Ephesians 1:5, Paul wrote that God adopted us “according to the good pleasure of his will.” This pleasure comes from His grace and not from anything we might do to please Him. It is His gift, and we cannot earn it.
God the Son
Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. (See Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:18-23.)
Connect Old Testament prophecy to New Testament fulfillment.
There are scores of Old Testament prophecies concerning Jesus Christ. Zero in on those related to His birth and connect the prophecy to the fulfillment. Read Isaiah 7:14 and Luke 1:30-35; 2:6-7. Also read Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:4-6; and Luke 2:4. to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem,
1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered. 2 This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, 5 to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant.
Invite a volunteer to read aloud Luke 2:1-5 as the group listens for the location of Jesus’s birth. Highlight the emperor’s decree.
Highlight that Jesus’s birth in Bethlehem was the fulfillment of prophecy, and God orchestrated everything that happened. Explain the significance of Bethlehem as Jesus’s birthplace and His connection to King David. < >-- · (2:4) The prophet Micah prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2). Luke helped readers see how God orchestrated events so that Jesus would be born there as predicted. This fulfillment of biblical prophecy adds validity to Luke’s claim that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah. -->
The events in these verses, though they appear to have been initiated by humans, were orchestrated by God.
6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
Call for a volunteer to read aloud Luke 2:6-7, directing the group to listen for evidence of the simplicity of Jesus’s birth.
Display Pack Item 4 (Key Verse: Luke 1:31-32). Encourage the group to read the verses aloud two or three times and to memorize them during the week.
God demonstrates His authority through humble means. He also invites all people to witness His power.
8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors! 15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
Enlist a volunteer to read aloud Luke 2:8-15, while instructing the group to listen for the descriptions of Jesus.
Lead the group to identify what the angel of the Lord said about Jesus. Highlight the significance of the titles “Savior,” “Messiah,” and “Lord.” Briefly discuss how the angel’s message reveals the mission for which Jesus was coming to earth.
Encourage the group to think what it might have been like to have the multitude of angels praising God. Challenge them to consider their own praise and worship. Remind them that Christmas is a great time to seek God’s restoration and forgiveness if they are feeling disconnected from Him.
While the birth of Jesus garners a lot of attention at this time of the year, the reality of what God “gifts” us through Jesus, His Son, is something that should have an impact on our lives every single day. The gift of eternal life through Him is indeed the best gift one can receive.
Review these points from this week’s Bible passage:
Call for volunteers to share at least one way something in this session supports each of these statements.
Direct attention to the wrapped gift box.
Guide the group to discuss why it’s important to show that the birth of Jesus was the fulfillment of prophecy.
Close in prayer, thanking God for His incredible gift of eternal life through Jesus who was born as Savior, Messiah, and Lord.
Reinforce the session by purchasing candy canes at an after-Christmas sale. Visit each of the adults in your group between Christmas and New Year. Deliver the candy canes and share some of the various legends surrounding the candy cane. Challenge the adults to consider how sweet their relationship with Jesus can be and to start the new year by recommitting their hearts and lives to Him.
##
Session 4
Luke 2:1-15
Memory Verse: Luke 1:31-32
Not all biblical firsts are found in Genesis. For example, this session focuses on a “first” that serves as the pinnacle event for every other first-an incredibly important date circled on God’s calendar of redemption. The previous session focused on the fall into sin. Today’s study examines the birth of Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah and God in flesh and blood. The child born in Bethlehem was the centerpiece in God’s plan to remove the sin barrier that had been erected in the garden of Eden. A key element here is how God took the initiative to restore His relationship with humanity. He came to earth for all of us.
As you prepare to teach this Christmas lesson, help the adults in your group to understand the joy of a relationship with God through faith in Jesus. This is also a Sunday when you may see some new faces, which is great! Pray that God will use your teaching to lead someone separated from God by sin toward a saving relationship with Christ.
We sometimes form opinions based on what we hear about someone or something. Then when we actually experience that something or meet that someone, it’s not what we expected. Ever since the first sin in the garden of Eden and God’s promise of the woman’s offspring who would defeat the serpent, sin, and death, there was great anticipation for the coming of this great Conqueror. However, when Jesus finally came to earth, He came in a very unexpected way. (PSG, p. 37)
Luke, the traveling companion of the apostle Paul, stands alone among New Testament writers as a historian committed to pinpointing New Testament events in their historical context. Over time, the accuracy of Luke’s dating has been validated consistently by archaeology and biblical scholarship. Luke 2 is no exception.
Luke opened this chapter by noting the historical context of the events he was describing. He primarily did this by focusing on those in secular power. He listed specific governing officials whom we can date with certainty from other historical records.
Luke began his Gospel by placing the events surrounding the births of John the Baptist and Jesus during the reign of Herod the Great. Herod ruled as king from 40 BC to 4 BC. Next, in chapter 2, Luke mentioned Caesar Augustus, emperor of Rome. Augustus’s reign stretched from 31 BC to AD 14. The next mile marker in the dating of these events was Quirinius, governor of Syria, who evidently was in office on two different occasions, from 6 to 4 BC and again from AD 6 to 9. Each of these men are known to history and fit into the timeline suggested by Luke.
The final clue to historical dating and validation within Luke’s Gospel is his reference to a “first” registration or census. Scholars point to two different censuses associated with Quirinius while he was governor. Luke indicated that this Christmas narrative occurred during the first census of Quirinius, which affirms the widely accepted belief that Jesus was probably born between 6 and 4 BC.
The system of dating years as BC and AD was created around 525 by a monk named Dionysius Exiguus. While he provided the world with a great tool for understanding history, he miscalculated the date of Christ’s birth by somewhere between four and six years. We know this to be true partly because Herod the Great, who played such a prominent role in Jesus’s birth in Matthew 2, died in 4 BC. So, as odd as it seems, Jesus likely was born a few years “before Christ” in this common calendering format.
After describing the angelic announcements of the births of John and Jesus-as well as the subsequent birth of John-in chapter 1, Luke moved to the birth of Jesus. Just like Gabriel’s announcement to Mary emphasized the significance of this birth, chapter 2 highlights the announcement by the angel of the Lord to the shepherds.
Although not a part of this session, the remainder of Luke 2 highlights events that happened as the young Jesus grew toward adulthood. This chapter affirms that the Son of God became flesh and blood and grew like anyone of us. And the historical accuracy combined with the fulfillment of biblical prophecy, validates not only Luke’s Gospel, but also Jesus’s identity as the Messiah come to restore people to God.
As you read Luke 2:1-15, consider what God reveals about Himself through the birth of Jesus. (PSG, p. 38)
EXPLORE THE TEXT $
(vv. 1-2) Registered: This was a registration or census designed for taxation. Each male was to report to his ancestral home and have his name, occupation, property, and family members listed in a public register. In verse 2, Luke noted that this was the first registration that occurred during the term of Quirinius as governor of Syria. A second registration (mentioned in Acts 5:37) most likely took place in AD 6. Periodic registrations were common in the Roman world.
(v. 3) His own town: Two possible reasons have been proposed for why people were sent to their ancestral homes. One states that Joseph may have owned property in Bethlehem, which would have required him to return there for the registration. However, if Joseph had owned property in Bethlehem, he and Mary probably would have had a place to stay once they arrived.
A more likely explanation is that Jewish custom called for people to return to their ancestral home for such a registration. The Roman government would have made concessions for allowing this custom to be followed. The registration would have been carried out under the administration of Herod the Great, designated as “king” over the Jews. As a nominal Jew, Herod may have required these trips.
Nazareth
This village is not mentioned in the Old Testament and was of little importance until it was associated with Jesus. The town was located halfway between the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean Sea in the hill country of lower Galilee. The distance between Nazareth and Bethlehem was about ninety miles, so the trip would have taken several days on foot. While tradition holds that Mary rode a donkey, Scripture is silent on that detail.
(v. 4) Bethlehem: The town’s original name was Ephrath (Gen. 35:19), and its name means “house of bread.” In the Old Testament, Jerusalem was known as the city of David, but Luke identified Bethlehem with that title because it was the birthplace of King David (see Ruth 1:19; 4:13-17; 1 Sam. 16). Bethlehem was located about five miles south of Jerusalem.
The prophet Micah prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2). Luke helped readers see how God orchestrated events so that Jesus would be born there as predicted. This fulfillment of biblical prophecy adds validity to Luke’s claim that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah.
(v. 5) With Mary: One additional question discussed by scholars is why Joseph took Mary with him to Bethlehem for the registration. Some evidence exists that suggests women were also subject to taxation, not just the head of the household. A second potential reason was Joseph’s attempt to protect Mary by taking her away from the gossip and speculation of Nazareth.
However, while these explanations are possible, many scholars support a third option. Since Mary’s due date and the deadline for the registration aligned so closely, Joseph did not want to leave her alone at such a critical time.
(v. 5) Engaged: In the first-century Jewish world, engagement was almost as binding as marriage and equivalent to a legal contract. The engagement could only be broken through divorce, and couples had no physical consummation until the actual marriage took place. It was certainly more than just a verbal promise to marry. One common line of thought (based on Matt. 1:20) indicates that Joseph went ahead and took Mary as his wife without consummating the marriage until after Jesus was born.
6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
(v. 6) The time came: The typical picture of Jesus’s birth gives the impression that Joseph and Mary had just arrived in Bethlehem and that evening Jesus entered the world. While that paints a beautiful picture, Luke’s Gospel gives us no time reference other than it happened in Bethlehem in conjunction with the Roman registration. We have no knowledge of how long they had been in Bethlehem before His birth or whether it occurred before or after the registration.
For Luke, the vital piece of information was the Messiah’s birth in Bethlehem as predicted by the prophet. From details related to the wise men’s visit, Matthew’s Gospel indicates that the family stayed in Bethlehem for an extended time before fleeing to Egypt and eventually returning to Nazareth (Matt. 2).
Firstborn son
The Greek text literally says, “her son her firstborn son.” The implication is that Mary subsequently had more children. This is validated throughout the Gospels (see Luke 8:19-20 and Mark 6:3). Also, this term should not be confused with “one and only Son” (John 1:14,18; 3:16-18), which emphasizes His divine nature as the Son of God.
Paul spoke of meeting James, “the Lord’s brother,” and most scholars accept James as writer of the book of James. The writer of Jude also noted that he was a brother of James (v. 1), which means he was probably the brother called Judas in Mark 6:3.
Of course, any siblings of Jesus would have been half-brothers and half-sisters. Mary was the mother of them all, but Joseph was not Jesus’s biological. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:18-23; Luke 1:35).
(v. 7) Tightly in cloth: Traditionally, this refers to the long pieces of linen used to tightly wrap (or swaddle) an infant. This would prevent unnecessary movement. Swaddling cloth was also used as a bandage to bind or prevent broken limbs.
(v. 7) Manger: The Greek word used here refers to a feeding trough. While the common image involves a structure made from wood and similar in shape to a cradle, archaeological evidence suggests that many feeding troughs in the ancient world were made of either masonry or carved out of rock. A typical manger would measure about three feet long, 18 inches wide, and two feet deep. It would have been housed wherever the animals were kept.
(v. 7) Guest room: The image of an innkeeper turning away Joseph and Mary into the cold night is speculative. The text here does not include the usual Greek word for a public inn, such as what Jesus used in the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:34). Instead, it simply means a place of lodging or shelter.
Not finding appropriate shelter, Joseph and Mary were forced to take shelter where they could, perhaps in the section of a local home where animals were kept. This may explain the presence of the feeding trough. Most dwellings in those days had two levels-an upper level where the family lived and a lower level where the animals were kept.
Early Christian tradition from the second century AD states that this place of shelter was a cave used as a stable for animals. Again, much of what we imagine about the Christmas story is speculation from which Christmas traditions have grown.
8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors! 15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
(v. 8) Same region: This was the area around Bethlehem, just a few miles south of Jerusalem. Some Jewish writings indicate that sheep kept in the area between Bethlehem and Jerusalem were raised for sacrifice in the temple. Often, shepherds like these would bring their flocks together to jointly watch over them during the night.
(v. 8) Shepherds: Most scholars believe that shepherds were despised in the first century. If so, this is ironic since the most famous shepherds in Israel’s history were Moses and David.
Part of this negative attitude stemmed from a widely accepted belief that shepherds were dishonest. Also, they were considered ceremonially unclean since they were with sheep every day-often 24 hours a day. Interestingly, God is pictured as the Shepherd of His people and His spokesmen were often referred to as caring for God’s flock.
(v. 9) Angel of the Lord: The word angel is the Greek word for “messenger.” Thus, angels are heavenly messengers from God. Gabriel had delivered good news prior to the births of both John (Luke 1:19) and Jesus (Luke 1:26). This unidentified angel might also have been Gabriel because he also bore good news about the birth of the Messiah. The shepherds were startled by his appearance.
(v. 9) Glory of the Lord: This is the same radiating majesty of God that had appeared to Moses in the burning bush, to the Israelites in the pillar of fire and cloud, and in Solomon’s temple at its dedication. Most references to the manifest glory of God picture it as an extremely bright light.
Glory suggests the “weight” and majesty of God’s presence. Hence, these shepherds knew that they weren’t just in the presence of an angel, but they were also getting a taste of God’s own glory.
(v. 10) Don’t be afraid: In all three announcements to Zechariah, Mary, and the shepherds, the angel spoke words of comfort and assurance. The gospel is designed to remove fear.
(v. 10) Good news: This is the same Greek word from which we get the English word “evangelize.” It carries the sense of proclaiming a message that should produce rejoicing or celebration. In this case, the news centered on the long-awaited birth of God’s Messiah, the One promised in Genesis 3:15 who would strike the decisive blow to the serpent (Satan).
(v. 11) Savior . . . Messiah . . . Lord: The angel used three titles for Jesus. First, He was called Savior, which implies the One designated to rescue humanity from sin. Second, Messiah is derived from the Greek word Christos and means “anointed one.” This points to Jesus as the eternal King. Finally, the angel used the term, Lord, which emphasizes authority. Jesus is absolutely in control and worthy of all obedience and worship.
(v. 14) Peace on earth to people he favors: This refers to the peace of salvation provided to all who are the object of God’s good pleasure. In Ephesians 1:5, Paul wrote that God adopted us “according to the good pleasure of his will.” This pleasure comes from His grace and not from anything we might do to please Him. It is His gift, and we cannot earn it.
God the Son
Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. (See Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:18-23.)
Connect Old Testament prophecy to New Testament fulfillment.
There are scores of Old Testament prophecies concerning Jesus Christ. Zero in on those related to His birth and connect the prophecy to the fulfillment. Read Isaiah 7:14 and Luke 1:30-35; 2:6-7. Also read Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:4-6; and Luke 2:4. because he was of the house and family line of David,
1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered. 2 This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, 5 to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant.
Invite a volunteer to read aloud Luke 2:1-5 as the group listens for the location of Jesus’s birth. Highlight the emperor’s decree.
Highlight that Jesus’s birth in Bethlehem was the fulfillment of prophecy, and God orchestrated everything that happened. Explain the significance of Bethlehem as Jesus’s birthplace and His connection to King David. < >-- · (2:4) The prophet Micah prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2). Luke helped readers see how God orchestrated events so that Jesus would be born there as predicted. This fulfillment of biblical prophecy adds validity to Luke’s claim that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah. -->
The events in these verses, though they appear to have been initiated by humans, were orchestrated by God.
6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
Call for a volunteer to read aloud Luke 2:6-7, directing the group to listen for evidence of the simplicity of Jesus’s birth.
Display Pack Item 4 (Key Verse: Luke 1:31-32). Encourage the group to read the verses aloud two or three times and to memorize them during the week.
God demonstrates His authority through humble means. He also invites all people to witness His power.
8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors! 15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
Enlist a volunteer to read aloud Luke 2:8-15, while instructing the group to listen for the descriptions of Jesus.
Lead the group to identify what the angel of the Lord said about Jesus. Highlight the significance of the titles “Savior,” “Messiah,” and “Lord.” Briefly discuss how the angel’s message reveals the mission for which Jesus was coming to earth.
Encourage the group to think what it might have been like to have the multitude of angels praising God. Challenge them to consider their own praise and worship. Remind them that Christmas is a great time to seek God’s restoration and forgiveness if they are feeling disconnected from Him.
While the birth of Jesus garners a lot of attention at this time of the year, the reality of what God “gifts” us through Jesus, His Son, is something that should have an impact on our lives every single day. The gift of eternal life through Him is indeed the best gift one can receive.
Review these points from this week’s Bible passage:
Call for volunteers to share at least one way something in this session supports each of these statements.
Direct attention to the wrapped gift box.
Guide the group to discuss why it’s important to show that the birth of Jesus was the fulfillment of prophecy.
Close in prayer, thanking God for His incredible gift of eternal life through Jesus who was born as Savior, Messiah, and Lord.
Reinforce the session by purchasing candy canes at an after-Christmas sale. Visit each of the adults in your group between Christmas and New Year. Deliver the candy canes and share some of the various legends surrounding the candy cane. Challenge the adults to consider how sweet their relationship with Jesus can be and to start the new year by recommitting their hearts and lives to Him.
##
Session 4
Luke 2:1-15
Memory Verse: Luke 1:31-32
Not all biblical firsts are found in Genesis. For example, this session focuses on a “first” that serves as the pinnacle event for every other first-an incredibly important date circled on God’s calendar of redemption. The previous session focused on the fall into sin. Today’s study examines the birth of Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah and God in flesh and blood. The child born in Bethlehem was the centerpiece in God’s plan to remove the sin barrier that had been erected in the garden of Eden. A key element here is how God took the initiative to restore His relationship with humanity. He came to earth for all of us.
As you prepare to teach this Christmas lesson, help the adults in your group to understand the joy of a relationship with God through faith in Jesus. This is also a Sunday when you may see some new faces, which is great! Pray that God will use your teaching to lead someone separated from God by sin toward a saving relationship with Christ.
We sometimes form opinions based on what we hear about someone or something. Then when we actually experience that something or meet that someone, it’s not what we expected. Ever since the first sin in the garden of Eden and God’s promise of the woman’s offspring who would defeat the serpent, sin, and death, there was great anticipation for the coming of this great Conqueror. However, when Jesus finally came to earth, He came in a very unexpected way. (PSG, p. 37)
Luke, the traveling companion of the apostle Paul, stands alone among New Testament writers as a historian committed to pinpointing New Testament events in their historical context. Over time, the accuracy of Luke’s dating has been validated consistently by archaeology and biblical scholarship. Luke 2 is no exception.
Luke opened this chapter by noting the historical context of the events he was describing. He primarily did this by focusing on those in secular power. He listed specific governing officials whom we can date with certainty from other historical records.
Luke began his Gospel by placing the events surrounding the births of John the Baptist and Jesus during the reign of Herod the Great. Herod ruled as king from 40 BC to 4 BC. Next, in chapter 2, Luke mentioned Caesar Augustus, emperor of Rome. Augustus’s reign stretched from 31 BC to AD 14. The next mile marker in the dating of these events was Quirinius, governor of Syria, who evidently was in office on two different occasions, from 6 to 4 BC and again from AD 6 to 9. Each of these men are known to history and fit into the timeline suggested by Luke.
The final clue to historical dating and validation within Luke’s Gospel is his reference to a “first” registration or census. Scholars point to two different censuses associated with Quirinius while he was governor. Luke indicated that this Christmas narrative occurred during the first census of Quirinius, which affirms the widely accepted belief that Jesus was probably born between 6 and 4 BC.
The system of dating years as BC and AD was created around 525 by a monk named Dionysius Exiguus. While he provided the world with a great tool for understanding history, he miscalculated the date of Christ’s birth by somewhere between four and six years. We know this to be true partly because Herod the Great, who played such a prominent role in Jesus’s birth in Matthew 2, died in 4 BC. So, as odd as it seems, Jesus likely was born a few years “before Christ” in this common calendering format.
After describing the angelic announcements of the births of John and Jesus-as well as the subsequent birth of John-in chapter 1, Luke moved to the birth of Jesus. Just like Gabriel’s announcement to Mary emphasized the significance of this birth, chapter 2 highlights the announcement by the angel of the Lord to the shepherds.
Although not a part of this session, the remainder of Luke 2 highlights events that happened as the young Jesus grew toward adulthood. This chapter affirms that the Son of God became flesh and blood and grew like anyone of us. And the historical accuracy combined with the fulfillment of biblical prophecy, validates not only Luke’s Gospel, but also Jesus’s identity as the Messiah come to restore people to God.
As you read Luke 2:1-15, consider what God reveals about Himself through the birth of Jesus. (PSG, p. 38)
EXPLORE THE TEXT $
(vv. 1-2) Registered: This was a registration or census designed for taxation. Each male was to report to his ancestral home and have his name, occupation, property, and family members listed in a public register. In verse 2, Luke noted that this was the first registration that occurred during the term of Quirinius as governor of Syria. A second registration (mentioned in Acts 5:37) most likely took place in AD 6. Periodic registrations were common in the Roman world.
(v. 3) His own town: Two possible reasons have been proposed for why people were sent to their ancestral homes. One states that Joseph may have owned property in Bethlehem, which would have required him to return there for the registration. However, if Joseph had owned property in Bethlehem, he and Mary probably would have had a place to stay once they arrived.
A more likely explanation is that Jewish custom called for people to return to their ancestral home for such a registration. The Roman government would have made concessions for allowing this custom to be followed. The registration would have been carried out under the administration of Herod the Great, designated as “king” over the Jews. As a nominal Jew, Herod may have required these trips.
Nazareth
This village is not mentioned in the Old Testament and was of little importance until it was associated with Jesus. The town was located halfway between the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean Sea in the hill country of lower Galilee. The distance between Nazareth and Bethlehem was about ninety miles, so the trip would have taken several days on foot. While tradition holds that Mary rode a donkey, Scripture is silent on that detail.
(v. 4) Bethlehem: The town’s original name was Ephrath (Gen. 35:19), and its name means “house of bread.” In the Old Testament, Jerusalem was known as the city of David, but Luke identified Bethlehem with that title because it was the birthplace of King David (see Ruth 1:19; 4:13-17; 1 Sam. 16). Bethlehem was located about five miles south of Jerusalem.
The prophet Micah prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2). Luke helped readers see how God orchestrated events so that Jesus would be born there as predicted. This fulfillment of biblical prophecy adds validity to Luke’s claim that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah.
(v. 5) With Mary: One additional question discussed by scholars is why Joseph took Mary with him to Bethlehem for the registration. Some evidence exists that suggests women were also subject to taxation, not just the head of the household. A second potential reason was Joseph’s attempt to protect Mary by taking her away from the gossip and speculation of Nazareth.
However, while these explanations are possible, many scholars support a third option. Since Mary’s due date and the deadline for the registration aligned so closely, Joseph did not want to leave her alone at such a critical time.
(v. 5) Engaged: In the first-century Jewish world, engagement was almost as binding as marriage and equivalent to a legal contract. The engagement could only be broken through divorce, and couples had no physical consummation until the actual marriage took place. It was certainly more than just a verbal promise to marry. One common line of thought (based on Matt. 1:20) indicates that Joseph went ahead and took Mary as his wife without consummating the marriage until after Jesus was born.
6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
(v. 6) The time came: The typical picture of Jesus’s birth gives the impression that Joseph and Mary had just arrived in Bethlehem and that evening Jesus entered the world. While that paints a beautiful picture, Luke’s Gospel gives us no time reference other than it happened in Bethlehem in conjunction with the Roman registration. We have no knowledge of how long they had been in Bethlehem before His birth or whether it occurred before or after the registration.
For Luke, the vital piece of information was the Messiah’s birth in Bethlehem as predicted by the prophet. From details related to the wise men’s visit, Matthew’s Gospel indicates that the family stayed in Bethlehem for an extended time before fleeing to Egypt and eventually returning to Nazareth (Matt. 2).
Firstborn son
The Greek text literally says, “her son her firstborn son.” The implication is that Mary subsequently had more children. This is validated throughout the Gospels (see Luke 8:19-20 and Mark 6:3). Also, this term should not be confused with “one and only Son” (John 1:14,18; 3:16-18), which emphasizes His divine nature as the Son of God.
Paul spoke of meeting James, “the Lord’s brother,” and most scholars accept James as writer of the book of James. The writer of Jude also noted that he was a brother of James (v. 1), which means he was probably the brother called Judas in Mark 6:3.
Of course, any siblings of Jesus would have been half-brothers and half-sisters. Mary was the mother of them all, but Joseph was not Jesus’s biological. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:18-23; Luke 1:35).
(v. 7) Tightly in cloth: Traditionally, this refers to the long pieces of linen used to tightly wrap (or swaddle) an infant. This would prevent unnecessary movement. Swaddling cloth was also used as a bandage to bind or prevent broken limbs.
(v. 7) Manger: The Greek word used here refers to a feeding trough. While the common image involves a structure made from wood and similar in shape to a cradle, archaeological evidence suggests that many feeding troughs in the ancient world were made of either masonry or carved out of rock. A typical manger would measure about three feet long, 18 inches wide, and two feet deep. It would have been housed wherever the animals were kept.
(v. 7) Guest room: The image of an innkeeper turning away Joseph and Mary into the cold night is speculative. The text here does not include the usual Greek word for a public inn, such as what Jesus used in the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:34). Instead, it simply means a place of lodging or shelter.
Not finding appropriate shelter, Joseph and Mary were forced to take shelter where they could, perhaps in the section of a local home where animals were kept. This may explain the presence of the feeding trough. Most dwellings in those days had two levels-an upper level where the family lived and a lower level where the animals were kept.
Early Christian tradition from the second century AD states that this place of shelter was a cave used as a stable for animals. Again, much of what we imagine about the Christmas story is speculation from which Christmas traditions have grown.
8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors! 15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
(v. 8) Same region: This was the area around Bethlehem, just a few miles south of Jerusalem. Some Jewish writings indicate that sheep kept in the area between Bethlehem and Jerusalem were raised for sacrifice in the temple. Often, shepherds like these would bring their flocks together to jointly watch over them during the night.
(v. 8) Shepherds: Most scholars believe that shepherds were despised in the first century. If so, this is ironic since the most famous shepherds in Israel’s history were Moses and David.
Part of this negative attitude stemmed from a widely accepted belief that shepherds were dishonest. Also, they were considered ceremonially unclean since they were with sheep every day-often 24 hours a day. Interestingly, God is pictured as the Shepherd of His people and His spokesmen were often referred to as caring for God’s flock.
(v. 9) Angel of the Lord: The word angel is the Greek word for “messenger.” Thus, angels are heavenly messengers from God. Gabriel had delivered good news prior to the births of both John (Luke 1:19) and Jesus (Luke 1:26). This unidentified angel might also have been Gabriel because he also bore good news about the birth of the Messiah. The shepherds were startled by his appearance.
(v. 9) Glory of the Lord: This is the same radiating majesty of God that had appeared to Moses in the burning bush, to the Israelites in the pillar of fire and cloud, and in Solomon’s temple at its dedication. Most references to the manifest glory of God picture it as an extremely bright light.
Glory suggests the “weight” and majesty of God’s presence. Hence, these shepherds knew that they weren’t just in the presence of an angel, but they were also getting a taste of God’s own glory.
(v. 10) Don’t be afraid: In all three announcements to Zechariah, Mary, and the shepherds, the angel spoke words of comfort and assurance. The gospel is designed to remove fear.
(v. 10) Good news: This is the same Greek word from which we get the English word “evangelize.” It carries the sense of proclaiming a message that should produce rejoicing or celebration. In this case, the news centered on the long-awaited birth of God’s Messiah, the One promised in Genesis 3:15 who would strike the decisive blow to the serpent (Satan).
(v. 11) Savior . . . Messiah . . . Lord: The angel used three titles for Jesus. First, He was called Savior, which implies the One designated to rescue humanity from sin. Second, Messiah is derived from the Greek word Christos and means “anointed one.” This points to Jesus as the eternal King. Finally, the angel used the term, Lord, which emphasizes authority. Jesus is absolutely in control and worthy of all obedience and worship.
(v. 14) Peace on earth to people he favors: This refers to the peace of salvation provided to all who are the object of God’s good pleasure. In Ephesians 1:5, Paul wrote that God adopted us “according to the good pleasure of his will.” This pleasure comes from His grace and not from anything we might do to please Him. It is His gift, and we cannot earn it.
God the Son
Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. (See Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:18-23.)
Connect Old Testament prophecy to New Testament fulfillment.
There are scores of Old Testament prophecies concerning Jesus Christ. Zero in on those related to His birth and connect the prophecy to the fulfillment. Read Isaiah 7:14 and Luke 1:30-35; 2:6-7. Also read Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:4-6; and Luke 2:4. 5 to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant.
Highlight that Jesus’s birth in Bethlehem was the fulfillment of prophecy, and God orchestrated everything that happened. Explain the significance of Bethlehem as Jesus’s birthplace and His connection to King David. < >-- · (2:4) The prophet Micah prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2). Luke helped readers see how God orchestrated events so that Jesus would be born there as predicted. This fulfillment of biblical prophecy adds validity to Luke’s claim that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah. -->
The events in these verses, though they appear to have been initiated by humans, were orchestrated by God.
6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
Call for a volunteer to read aloud Luke 2:6-7, directing the group to listen for evidence of the simplicity of Jesus’s birth.
Display Pack Item 4 (Key Verse: Luke 1:31-32). Encourage the group to read the verses aloud two or three times and to memorize them during the week.
God demonstrates His authority through humble means. He also invites all people to witness His power.
8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors! 15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
Enlist a volunteer to read aloud Luke 2:8-15, while instructing the group to listen for the descriptions of Jesus.
Lead the group to identify what the angel of the Lord said about Jesus. Highlight the significance of the titles “Savior,” “Messiah,” and “Lord.” Briefly discuss how the angel’s message reveals the mission for which Jesus was coming to earth.
Encourage the group to think what it might have been like to have the multitude of angels praising God. Challenge them to consider their own praise and worship. Remind them that Christmas is a great time to seek God’s restoration and forgiveness if they are feeling disconnected from Him.
While the birth of Jesus garners a lot of attention at this time of the year, the reality of what God “gifts” us through Jesus, His Son, is something that should have an impact on our lives every single day. The gift of eternal life through Him is indeed the best gift one can receive.
Review these points from this week’s Bible passage:
Call for volunteers to share at least one way something in this session supports each of these statements.
Direct attention to the wrapped gift box.
Guide the group to discuss why it’s important to show that the birth of Jesus was the fulfillment of prophecy.
Close in prayer, thanking God for His incredible gift of eternal life through Jesus who was born as Savior, Messiah, and Lord.
Reinforce the session by purchasing candy canes at an after-Christmas sale. Visit each of the adults in your group between Christmas and New Year. Deliver the candy canes and share some of the various legends surrounding the candy cane. Challenge the adults to consider how sweet their relationship with Jesus can be and to start the new year by recommitting their hearts and lives to Him.
##
Session 4
Luke 2:1-15
Memory Verse: Luke 1:31-32
Not all biblical firsts are found in Genesis. For example, this session focuses on a “first” that serves as the pinnacle event for every other first-an incredibly important date circled on God’s calendar of redemption. The previous session focused on the fall into sin. Today’s study examines the birth of Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah and God in flesh and blood. The child born in Bethlehem was the centerpiece in God’s plan to remove the sin barrier that had been erected in the garden of Eden. A key element here is how God took the initiative to restore His relationship with humanity. He came to earth for all of us.
As you prepare to teach this Christmas lesson, help the adults in your group to understand the joy of a relationship with God through faith in Jesus. This is also a Sunday when you may see some new faces, which is great! Pray that God will use your teaching to lead someone separated from God by sin toward a saving relationship with Christ.
We sometimes form opinions based on what we hear about someone or something. Then when we actually experience that something or meet that someone, it’s not what we expected. Ever since the first sin in the garden of Eden and God’s promise of the woman’s offspring who would defeat the serpent, sin, and death, there was great anticipation for the coming of this great Conqueror. However, when Jesus finally came to earth, He came in a very unexpected way. (PSG, p. 37)
Luke, the traveling companion of the apostle Paul, stands alone among New Testament writers as a historian committed to pinpointing New Testament events in their historical context. Over time, the accuracy of Luke’s dating has been validated consistently by archaeology and biblical scholarship. Luke 2 is no exception.
Luke opened this chapter by noting the historical context of the events he was describing. He primarily did this by focusing on those in secular power. He listed specific governing officials whom we can date with certainty from other historical records.
Luke began his Gospel by placing the events surrounding the births of John the Baptist and Jesus during the reign of Herod the Great. Herod ruled as king from 40 BC to 4 BC. Next, in chapter 2, Luke mentioned Caesar Augustus, emperor of Rome. Augustus’s reign stretched from 31 BC to AD 14. The next mile marker in the dating of these events was Quirinius, governor of Syria, who evidently was in office on two different occasions, from 6 to 4 BC and again from AD 6 to 9. Each of these men are known to history and fit into the timeline suggested by Luke.
The final clue to historical dating and validation within Luke’s Gospel is his reference to a “first” registration or census. Scholars point to two different censuses associated with Quirinius while he was governor. Luke indicated that this Christmas narrative occurred during the first census of Quirinius, which affirms the widely accepted belief that Jesus was probably born between 6 and 4 BC.
The system of dating years as BC and AD was created around 525 by a monk named Dionysius Exiguus. While he provided the world with a great tool for understanding history, he miscalculated the date of Christ’s birth by somewhere between four and six years. We know this to be true partly because Herod the Great, who played such a prominent role in Jesus’s birth in Matthew 2, died in 4 BC. So, as odd as it seems, Jesus likely was born a few years “before Christ” in this common calendering format.
After describing the angelic announcements of the births of John and Jesus-as well as the subsequent birth of John-in chapter 1, Luke moved to the birth of Jesus. Just like Gabriel’s announcement to Mary emphasized the significance of this birth, chapter 2 highlights the announcement by the angel of the Lord to the shepherds.
Although not a part of this session, the remainder of Luke 2 highlights events that happened as the young Jesus grew toward adulthood. This chapter affirms that the Son of God became flesh and blood and grew like anyone of us. And the historical accuracy combined with the fulfillment of biblical prophecy, validates not only Luke’s Gospel, but also Jesus’s identity as the Messiah come to restore people to God.
As you read Luke 2:1-15, consider what God reveals about Himself through the birth of Jesus. (PSG, p. 38)
EXPLORE THE TEXT $
(vv. 1-2) Registered: This was a registration or census designed for taxation. Each male was to report to his ancestral home and have his name, occupation, property, and family members listed in a public register. In verse 2, Luke noted that this was the first registration that occurred during the term of Quirinius as governor of Syria. A second registration (mentioned in Acts 5:37) most likely took place in AD 6. Periodic registrations were common in the Roman world.
(v. 3) His own town: Two possible reasons have been proposed for why people were sent to their ancestral homes. One states that Joseph may have owned property in Bethlehem, which would have required him to return there for the registration. However, if Joseph had owned property in Bethlehem, he and Mary probably would have had a place to stay once they arrived.
A more likely explanation is that Jewish custom called for people to return to their ancestral home for such a registration. The Roman government would have made concessions for allowing this custom to be followed. The registration would have been carried out under the administration of Herod the Great, designated as “king” over the Jews. As a nominal Jew, Herod may have required these trips.
Nazareth
This village is not mentioned in the Old Testament and was of little importance until it was associated with Jesus. The town was located halfway between the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean Sea in the hill country of lower Galilee. The distance between Nazareth and Bethlehem was about ninety miles, so the trip would have taken several days on foot. While tradition holds that Mary rode a donkey, Scripture is silent on that detail.
(v. 4) Bethlehem: The town’s original name was Ephrath (Gen. 35:19), and its name means “house of bread.” In the Old Testament, Jerusalem was known as the city of David, but Luke identified Bethlehem with that title because it was the birthplace of King David (see Ruth 1:19; 4:13-17; 1 Sam. 16). Bethlehem was located about five miles south of Jerusalem.
The prophet Micah prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2). Luke helped readers see how God orchestrated events so that Jesus would be born there as predicted. This fulfillment of biblical prophecy adds validity to Luke’s claim that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah.
(v. 5) With Mary: One additional question discussed by scholars is why Joseph took Mary with him to Bethlehem for the registration. Some evidence exists that suggests women were also subject to taxation, not just the head of the household. A second potential reason was Joseph’s attempt to protect Mary by taking her away from the gossip and speculation of Nazareth.
However, while these explanations are possible, many scholars support a third option. Since Mary’s due date and the deadline for the registration aligned so closely, Joseph did not want to leave her alone at such a critical time.
(v. 5) Engaged: In the first-century Jewish world, engagement was almost as binding as marriage and equivalent to a legal contract. The engagement could only be broken through divorce, and couples had no physical consummation until the actual marriage took place. It was certainly more than just a verbal promise to marry. One common line of thought (based on Matt. 1:20) indicates that Joseph went ahead and took Mary as his wife without consummating the marriage until after Jesus was born.
6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
(v. 6) The time came: The typical picture of Jesus’s birth gives the impression that Joseph and Mary had just arrived in Bethlehem and that evening Jesus entered the world. While that paints a beautiful picture, Luke’s Gospel gives us no time reference other than it happened in Bethlehem in conjunction with the Roman registration. We have no knowledge of how long they had been in Bethlehem before His birth or whether it occurred before or after the registration.
For Luke, the vital piece of information was the Messiah’s birth in Bethlehem as predicted by the prophet. From details related to the wise men’s visit, Matthew’s Gospel indicates that the family stayed in Bethlehem for an extended time before fleeing to Egypt and eventually returning to Nazareth (Matt. 2).
Firstborn son
The Greek text literally says, “her son her firstborn son.” The implication is that Mary subsequently had more children. This is validated throughout the Gospels (see Luke 8:19-20 and Mark 6:3). Also, this term should not be confused with “one and only Son” (John 1:14,18; 3:16-18), which emphasizes His divine nature as the Son of God.
Paul spoke of meeting James, “the Lord’s brother,” and most scholars accept James as writer of the book of James. The writer of Jude also noted that he was a brother of James (v. 1), which means he was probably the brother called Judas in Mark 6:3.
Of course, any siblings of Jesus would have been half-brothers and half-sisters. Mary was the mother of them all, but Joseph was not Jesus’s biological. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:18-23; Luke 1:35).
(v. 7) Tightly in cloth: Traditionally, this refers to the long pieces of linen used to tightly wrap (or swaddle) an infant. This would prevent unnecessary movement. Swaddling cloth was also used as a bandage to bind or prevent broken limbs.
(v. 7) Manger: The Greek word used here refers to a feeding trough. While the common image involves a structure made from wood and similar in shape to a cradle, archaeological evidence suggests that many feeding troughs in the ancient world were made of either masonry or carved out of rock. A typical manger would measure about three feet long, 18 inches wide, and two feet deep. It would have been housed wherever the animals were kept.
(v. 7) Guest room: The image of an innkeeper turning away Joseph and Mary into the cold night is speculative. The text here does not include the usual Greek word for a public inn, such as what Jesus used in the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:34). Instead, it simply means a place of lodging or shelter.
Not finding appropriate shelter, Joseph and Mary were forced to take shelter where they could, perhaps in the section of a local home where animals were kept. This may explain the presence of the feeding trough. Most dwellings in those days had two levels-an upper level where the family lived and a lower level where the animals were kept.
Early Christian tradition from the second century AD states that this place of shelter was a cave used as a stable for animals. Again, much of what we imagine about the Christmas story is speculation from which Christmas traditions have grown.
8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors! 15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
(v. 8) Same region: This was the area around Bethlehem, just a few miles south of Jerusalem. Some Jewish writings indicate that sheep kept in the area between Bethlehem and Jerusalem were raised for sacrifice in the temple. Often, shepherds like these would bring their flocks together to jointly watch over them during the night.
(v. 8) Shepherds: Most scholars believe that shepherds were despised in the first century. If so, this is ironic since the most famous shepherds in Israel’s history were Moses and David.
Part of this negative attitude stemmed from a widely accepted belief that shepherds were dishonest. Also, they were considered ceremonially unclean since they were with sheep every day-often 24 hours a day. Interestingly, God is pictured as the Shepherd of His people and His spokesmen were often referred to as caring for God’s flock.
(v. 9) Angel of the Lord: The word angel is the Greek word for “messenger.” Thus, angels are heavenly messengers from God. Gabriel had delivered good news prior to the births of both John (Luke 1:19) and Jesus (Luke 1:26). This unidentified angel might also have been Gabriel because he also bore good news about the birth of the Messiah. The shepherds were startled by his appearance.
(v. 9) Glory of the Lord: This is the same radiating majesty of God that had appeared to Moses in the burning bush, to the Israelites in the pillar of fire and cloud, and in Solomon’s temple at its dedication. Most references to the manifest glory of God picture it as an extremely bright light.
Glory suggests the “weight” and majesty of God’s presence. Hence, these shepherds knew that they weren’t just in the presence of an angel, but they were also getting a taste of God’s own glory.
(v. 10) Don’t be afraid: In all three announcements to Zechariah, Mary, and the shepherds, the angel spoke words of comfort and assurance. The gospel is designed to remove fear.
(v. 10) Good news: This is the same Greek word from which we get the English word “evangelize.” It carries the sense of proclaiming a message that should produce rejoicing or celebration. In this case, the news centered on the long-awaited birth of God’s Messiah, the One promised in Genesis 3:15 who would strike the decisive blow to the serpent (Satan).
(v. 11) Savior . . . Messiah . . . Lord: The angel used three titles for Jesus. First, He was called Savior, which implies the One designated to rescue humanity from sin. Second, Messiah is derived from the Greek word Christos and means “anointed one.” This points to Jesus as the eternal King. Finally, the angel used the term, Lord, which emphasizes authority. Jesus is absolutely in control and worthy of all obedience and worship.
(v. 14) Peace on earth to people he favors: This refers to the peace of salvation provided to all who are the object of God’s good pleasure. In Ephesians 1:5, Paul wrote that God adopted us “according to the good pleasure of his will.” This pleasure comes from His grace and not from anything we might do to please Him. It is His gift, and we cannot earn it.
God the Son
Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. (See Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:18-23.)
Connect Old Testament prophecy to New Testament fulfillment.
There are scores of Old Testament prophecies concerning Jesus Christ. Zero in on those related to His birth and connect the prophecy to the fulfillment. Read Isaiah 7:14 and Luke 1:30-35; 2:6-7. Also read Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:4-6; and Luke 2:4.