<<< Go back to Luke chapter one <<<
(14) A humble beginning (Luke 1:80-2:7, 18th November 2007)
(15) Excitement from heaven to earth (Luke 2:8-2:20, 9th December 2007)
(16) Jesus, the perfect law-keeper (Luke 2:21-2:39, 13th January 2008)
(17) Simeon and Anna (Luke 2:21-2:39, 20th January 2008)
(18) A new and greater Samuel (Luke 2:40-52, 27th January 2008)
>>> Go on to chapter three >>>
This sermon examined two questions. (1) “In what way did the Lord come into the world?” (2) “What does the way in which he came, tell us about the Lord?” In answer to the first, four things in the passage describe him as coming in humility. To start with, chapter 1 verse 80 describes the type of servant whom the Lord sends to prepare the way. It is John: an isolated man, living a quirky life out in the desert. Since the Lord himself will come in humility, he sends a humble servant first, not one marked by pomp and grandeur. Secondly, the Lord's humility is seen in the way he is pushed around by worldly powers. Chapter 2 opens with a description of Caesar and one of his top officials controlling people in the Roman empire, and the Lord allows himself to be one of those who is pushed around! Thirdly, the family which is chosen by the Lord as his family is one marked by humble circumstances. His step-father Joseph lives in backwoods Nazareth and does not own land, as he's supposed to, in his tribal home of Bethlehem. Indeed when sent to Bethlehem by Caesar's census, Joseph cannot even find space for his family at the inn. So when Mary delivers Jesus, he has to be placed in an animal's feeding trough – the Lord sleeps in a manger! Fourthly, Luke points out that Jesus starts his life like King David, in Bethlehem. The point is that David was a nobody in Bethlehem. Even his own family didn't think to call him in when Samuel came to anoint the next king of Israel (1 Samuel 16). Instead they left him with the animals outside of the home, just as Jesus is left outside of the inn, with the animals. The Lord is like David, starting life as a nobody in the eyes of the world. But what do these humble circumstances tell us about God? Firstly, it points us to the heart of God. When the Son of God came into this world he didn't come with self-seeking and self-promoting plans. He came with a passionate concern for others and his humble beginnings express just that. Secondly, these things show us that the Lord wants humble people and so sets the example. As Mary said in chapter 1, those who are greedy, proud and selfish will end up with nothing. But those with a heart for God – knowing they have nothing to offer God but longing to have his blessing – such people will be greatly blessed by the coming of the Lord. Thirdly, the Lord's humble beginnings remind us that the road to glory is narrow and difficult. For him it goes via the cross of shame where our sin must be dealt with. We too must walk the narrow road, to gain glory.
(1) Think about how you react to the Lord's humbling of himself and coming to humble people. For Mary it was a matter of great rejoicing. Do you feel the same way?
(2) Is you own heart a reflection of God's heart? Are you willing to give up all for the sake of others? Do you really believe that the path to glory is a narrow way?
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Heavenly excitement marked the coming of the Son of God into this world and it was an excitement which was infectious. Luke tells us of a group of shepherds: working men who – like King David once was – are outsiders. But God sends heavenly messengers to them in the night, at a time when the contrast with heavenly glory would be at its brightest. The shepherds are awestruck by the event: meeting with God or his messengers is never something casual or feeble; God is the holy maker of all. But the angel reassures them that he brings not terror but good news and it's for unimportant people like them, indeed it's for all God's chosen people of every sort. To show how good the news is, the angel uses three terms to describe Jesus: he is the Saviour, the Christ and the Lord. These titles incorporate all the great hopes of the Old Testament which Jesus is going to fulfil. He will rescue people from the control of others; he will establish a new kingdom in which they may live safely; he will have all the authority of God and meet all the promises made by God, for he is God's son. But the heart of this new activity is not Jerusalem as one might expect. Rather Bethlehem is now the city of David: the place where David's dreams of God living with his people, comes true. Why? Because wherever Jesus is to be found, there is the Lord with his people. And then to emphasise that the Lord really is coming to all his people, the shepherds are told they'll find this baby in a manger. He's just like them, having a home amongst the animals! He really is for them. At which point heaven cannot contain itself any longer and there is a burst of angelic delight across the sky, for God and man are being reconciled: peace is being made between heaven and earth. The two have long been at war due to sin, with the barrier of God's fiery anger between them. But now peace has been declared. However, this is only the beginning and only in one place have earth and heaven come together, namely in the baby in the manger who is both God and man. So the angels must leave for now and the shepherds rush off to Bethlehem to see Jesus. In the town they find the baby as promised, and become as excited as the angels. They tell everyone they can find about what they've seen out in the countryside and there in the stable. Then they return to their work praising God. This is what God does to people when he comes to them: he changes them from people of earthly minds to people of heavenly minds. These shepherds are thrilled by the living God who is their Lord.
(1) During the Christmas period, what will you be doing to try and recapture the heavenly excitement of God's son coming to the earth?
(2) Mary took time to ponder the things that she saw and heard. Every week we listen to God's word on Sunday and then have the following days to ponder. What time do you make for pondering? How could it be improved?
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Luke began his gospel with many unexpected happenings, as seen particularly in Zechariah's reaction in the temple. However, Luke has also shown Jesus to be the fulfilment of prophecies and promises made by God in Old Testament days. And in verses 21 onwards Luke develops that further by showing that Jesus is the perfect keeper of God's Old Testament agreements and the hope of reliable, godly, Israelites. With regard to God's agreements, Luke shows firstly that Jesus is circumcised and therefore inherits God's covenant with Abraham, made in Genesis 17, which promises the overturning of the curse upon sin. Indeed, as Luke reminds us, Jesus is just like Abraham's first son of inheritance because like Isaac Jesus is named not by an earthly father but by God himself. After Abraham, however, God then gave a covenant to the Israelites which bound them to his law and so Luke shows that Jesus keeps God's law perfectly, even as a baby. That's seen in his circumcision and then how, subsequently, Mary goes up to the Temple to offer a sacrifice in accordance with Leviticus 12. It's also seen in Luke's comment about Jesus being “consecrated to the Lord” which is outworking of Exodus 13 where the Israelites are commanded to do this with their firstborn sons, in memory of the passover when God punished the Egyptians but saved them. In the Old Testament Hannah is a great example of this when she gives her son Samuel to serve in the temple. Luke will present Jesus as another Samuel, as will be seen in verse 40. So all of this shows that Jesus is a true Israelite, perfectly faithful to God's laws, and to drive that home Luke brings out two witnesses: Simeon and Anna. Both are reliable witnesses – Simeon is a righteous man who has the Holy Spirit; Anna is a prophetess who speaks for God – and they testify that the God of the Old Testament is now at work through this baby. But why does Jesus' faithfulness to God's covenant with Israel matter? Firstly, because Luke knows where his story will end up in the last chapter of Acts: with Jesus' followers in Gentile Rome! And some Jews might say that therefore Jesus cannot have been their Messiah – God's king. But Luke is carefully showing that Jesus really is the completion of God's plans. Secondly, Jesus must go to the cross and be the sacrifice which eternally saves his people from the punishment of God. But only an unblemished sacrifice could provide such salvation and Luke is showing us that Jesus was just that.
(1) Jesus' perfect life meant that he could be a perfect sacrifice for our sins. But in what other ways does his perfection help us? How might it affect and encourage our prayers for God to make us holy in every way?
(2) Imagine you are talking to a Jewish person about Jesus. How could you make use of today's verses to show the person that Jesus is God's Messiah?
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Two reliable, Spirit-taught, Israelite witnesses are presented by Luke, in these verses, to tell us about who Jesus is. But sitting behind their testimony is the Old Testament and particularly the ideas found in Isaiah's prophecy. Simeon and Anna are faithful believers, as seen in various ways. They are both found in the temple in Jerusalem. Simeon is described as living in God's ways (righteous) and being a man who is deeply concerned about God (devout). Anna has lived at the temple, determined to seek the Lord's blessing upon Israel through prayer and fasting. We're told that Simeon has had dealings with the Holy Spirit and Anna is a prophetess: a person inspired to speak for God. Both of them have been waiting for God's salvation to come and in fact Simeon has been told that he will see God's promised king. This is often God's way: he makes us wait before the best things come to us. In particular Simeon longed for Israel's consolation. He wanted her years of trouble, punishment and exile to end with fresh comfort from God as described in Isaiah 40. When Simeon meets the baby Jesus he speaks, like Zechariah in Luke 1, of God's salvation and of a light coming into Israel's darkness and shining for Israel's glory, which also reminds us of Isaiah – chapter 60. However, Simeon says more than Zechariah when he reflects Isaiah 60's words about nations outside of Israel seeing the Lord's bright salvation as well. Furthermore, Isaiah 52 speaks of the Lord's salvation coming for the comfort of Israel and the redemption (deliverance from domination) of Jerusalem: which Luke tells us were the two concerns of Simeon and Anna. But again Isaiah 52 also speaks of this salvation spreading to the ends of the earth. So Simeon doesn't stop with hope for Israel but makes plain to Mary that her son will bring blessing to the Gentiles as well, just as God promised long before. In all their words, Simeon and Anna show themselves to be full of trust in God. He has kept them waiting for this good news and they will die before it is realised, but neither is sad or bitter. Anna is thankful and telling everyone; Simeon is able to die in peace. They know God has done all things well and trust him. However, Simeon also knows other parts of Isaiah's prophecy such as chapter 53. So he is sure that division and sadness are also coming to Israel. He doesn't say how, but he warns Mary of the heart-splitting pain which lies ahead. This will be the pain of Jesus' rejection and crucifixion. But, as Isaiah said, those events are key to God's plan.
(1) What has God asked you to wait for in your life? What lessons have you learned from that waiting? Have you prayed for, and learned, patience?
(2) Over the next couple of weeks, why not read through from Isaiah 40 onwards and see how that Old Testament prophet looks forward to the coming of the Lord Jesus? Use the prophecies to pray and give thanks to God.
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In these verses we're told about the Lord Jesus as a boy of 12. Much of it reminds us of Samuel in the Old Testament, who went to live at the temple from a young age. To start with Luke frames his story between verses 40 and 52, which describe Jesus in similar ways to 1 Samuel 2 verses 21 and 26. Samuel was a remarkable child conceived by the intervention of God who was brought by his mother, Hannah, to live at the temple, from a young age. Hannah considered his birth to bring in a time of great hope. In the temple, Samuel served God well at a time when the existing priests had turned away from the Lord. In particular, Samuel was able to hear God speak and so spoke for God to the people – something which had been rare in the land. However, his first words were those of judgement upon the priests who had committed great sins. Luke shows us that Jesus is like Samuel, but greater. Jesus goes up, as a boy, to the temple and he goes with his parents for a festival – just as Samuel did. Also like Samuel, Jesus is left behind when his parents leave, although this isn't done on purpose. Rather with all the people moving together, and extended families in one another's company, they only realise Jesus is absent after a whole day's travelling away from the city. It then takes another day's travelling to get back so that they only find him on the third day – presumably he has slept in the Temple in the meantime. When they find him, Jesus is listening to the Temple teachers and answering their questions; in doing so he shows remarkable understanding. Just as Samuel listened to Eli and yet surpassed him by speaking for God, so the Temple leaders are stunned by what they hear from Jesus. His parents are also amazed but surprised, too, by him being there. But Jesus asks them why they are surprised. Mary should have known enough from Jesus' days as a baby, to realise his role would be like that of Samuel. However, Jesus also makes plain he is greater than Samuel. Firstly, the boy Samuel spoke of God as his master (1 Samuel 3:9) but Jesus identifies God as his Father. Jesus has come from heaven: he is not just the son of Mary but the son of God. But then secondly, Samuel needed to be at the temple to do his priestly work whereas Jesus can return to Nazareth. God's work can now be done wherever Jesus is to be found: in the future no temple will be needed. Like Mary believeres should treasure these things. Jesus is seen here as the perfect man, growing up well in every way. That's because he's God's son who brings new hope into the world.
(1) What things about the Lord Jesus do you especially treasure up? Which parts from the gospels come especially to mind when you think about Jesus? Why is that?
(2) Why not read the story of Hannah and Samuel in the Old Testament book 1 Samuel? Look at how Samuel is described, what happens to him and how God speaks with him. Think about how this compares with Jesus.
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