Luke
Chapter
2
{The
Census and the Birth of Jesus}
2:1``
Now it came to pass, in those days
a
decree went out from Caesar Augustus
to
'take a census'/'register all the empire for taxes'.
2:2``
This was the first census taken
while
Quirinius/Cyrenius {name means warrior}
was
governor of Syria.
2:3`` Everyone went to his own town to be registered.
2:4``
So Joseph also went up
from
the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea,
to
the city of David called Bethlehem,
because
he was of the house and family line of David.
2:5``
He went to be enrolled/registered with Mary,
who
was promised in marriage to him,
and
who was expecting a child.
2:6``And
it came to pass,
while
they were there,
the
time came for her to deliver her child.
2:7``
And she gave birth to her first-born son
and
wrapped him in strips of cloth
{sparganoo- burial clothes}
and
laid Him {the baby Jesus}
in
a feeding-trough/manger {phatne},
because
there was no place for them in the inn/'lodging place'.
{The
Shepherds' Receive a Visit}
2:8~~And
in the same region
there
were shepherds bivouacking/living
'out
in the field'/'under the open skies' {camped out} . . .
keeping
guard over their flock by night.
2:9~~And
the angel of the Lord
{the King/Officer of Arms in the Angelic College of Heralds -
Powerful angel of Revelation Chapter 10}
stood
before them . . .
and
the glory of the Lord shined around them . . .
and
they {the shepherds} were extremely frightened
{took a lot to frighten these hardy shepherds!}.
2:10~~And
the angel {King/Officer of Arms} said to them,
"Stop
being frightened!
For
BEHOLD . . . I bring you good news . . . of great Happiness.
It shall be for ALL people.
11~~Because
today in the city of David
there
has been born for you a Savior . . .
Who
is Christ the Lord."
12~~And,
this will be the sign for you . . .
you
will find a baby
wrapped
in strips of cloth {sparganoo - burial clothes}
and
lying in a feeding trough.
{Note: The 'sign' was something unusual . . . babies are not usually found in feeding troughs! However, the REAL unusual thing was wrapping a baby in 'strips of cloth'. Strips of cloth were usually found on the DEAD (like we see on Egyptian mummies)! This again was a foretelling that the death on the cross was the primary reason for the birth of Christ.}
13-14~~Suddenly
there appears
with
the angel {King/Officer of arms}
a
large number of soldiers from heaven
{elect angels - Army of the Lord} . . .
praising
God and saying, 14~~
"Glory
to God in the highest,
and
on earth
peace
among people
with
whom He is pleased!"
{Note: You can not give in worship what you do NOT have. For example, money . . . you can not donate money if you do not have money. This is the same with 'glory'. You can not give 'glory' to the Lord because you do not HAVE any glory. But the elect angels do have glory! We will have 'glory' in our resurrected bodies and then can give praise and glory to the Lord.}
15~~So
it was, when the angels had 'passed in review'/'gone away'
from
them into heaven,
that
the shepherds began speaking face to face to one an other,
"Now,
let us go obey the mandate,
straight
through to Bethlehem with out stopping
and
see this word of doctrine for ourselves . . .
which
has come to pass . . .
which
the Lord has made known to us
{through the teaching of the King of Arms of the Angelic Army}.
{Note: Shepherds understood authority, recognized true authority, operated under authority, obeyed authority and had self-control. They listened to the message, heard the message, obeyed the message and moved out immediately.}
16``And
they came with haste
and
found Mary and Joseph,
and
the Babe lying in a feeding trough {Is. 1:2-3; Heb.10:6-10}.
{Note: They persisted in their search, making good decisions from a position of strength (from humility and the motivational virtue of love for God) - doing a right thing in a right way - from a right scale of values . . . no looking back . . . no indecisiveness. They moved out immediately and did not quit until they found the baby.}
17``
And, having seen this {the sign},
they
made known {to others}
concerning
the word/doctrine,
which
had been told them
concerning
the child.
18``And
all who heard it marveled/wondered
concerning
what the shepherds told them.
19``But
Mary kept on guarding/treasuring in her 'right lobe'/heart
all
these doctrines and pondered them in her heart.
2:20``So
the shepherds returned,
glorifying
and praising God for all they had heard and seen,
and
saw just as it was told to them.
2:21``
And when eight days were completed
at
the end of the period He was circumcised.
His
name was called Jesus
{Iesous - is the Greek version of the Hebrew Joshua. The name
means 'God saves' or Savior},
the
name given by the angel
before
He was conceived in the womb.
{Jesus'
Presentation at the Temple
and the Meetings with Simeon and Anna}
2:22-24``Now
when the time came for their purification
according
to the law of Moses,
Joseph
and Mary brought Jesus up to Jerusalem
to
dedicate/present Him to the Lord 2:23``
(just
as it is written in the law of the Lord,
"Every
firstborn male
will
be called separated/holy to the Lord"), 2:24``
and
to offer a sacrifice
according
to what is specified in the law of the Lord,
"a
pair of doves/turtledoves or two young pigeons."
2:25``And
behold, there was a man in Jerusalem,
whose
name was Simeon
and
this man was righteous/just {dikaios}
and
'one who reverenced God'/devout {eulabes},
looking
expectantly toward
'that
which will afford comfort and refreshment' {paraklesis}
for
Israel . . . and the Holy Spirit was on him
{notice 'on him' not 'in him' - this was still pre-Church Age and
this
man had the enduement of the Holy Spirit, not the indwelling of
Him}.
2:26``
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that
he would not die {thanatos}
before
he had seen the Lord's Christ.
2:27-32``So,
directed by the Spirit,
Simeon
came into the temple/outer courts
and
the parents brought in the child Jesus
to
do for Him what was customary according to the law . . . 2:28``
and
Simeon took Him up in his arms
and
eulogized/praised God, saying, 2:29``
"Master
{despotes},
now
permit your slave to depart in peace,
according
to Your word . . . 2:30``
for
my eyes have seen your salvation 2:31``
that
you have prepared in the presence of all peoples . . . 2:32``
a
light for revelation to the Gentiles . . .
{Revelation 1:1 starts "The apocalypse/revelation (apokalupsis -
(singular)) of Jesus Christ . . ." the ONE topic of the book is
our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ}
and
for glory to Your people Israel."
2:33``
So the child's father and mother were marveling/amazed
at
what was said about Him.
2:34-35``Then
Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary,
"Take
note, this child is appointed for the falling
and
rising of many in Israel,
and
to be a sign/'miraculous attestation'
that
will be opposed/'constantly refused 2:35``
and,
moreover, a sword will pierce through your own soul too
so
that the deliberations/thoughts of many 'right lobes'/hearts
will
be revealed/uncovered."
2:36``And,
there was also a prophetess,
Anna
the daughter of Phanuel - of the tribe of Asher.
She
was very old, having lived with her husband
seven
years after her virginity
{parthenia - meaning her marriage}, 2:37``
and
then as a widow eighty-four years.
She
never left the temple,
worshiping
with fasting and prayer night and day
{nesteia - is translated 'fast'. What it means is to replace the
normal activities of life - eating, drinking, social life, business
on
and on with intense concentration in spiritual activities - here in
prayer but is also used when that time is taken in intense study
of the Word}.
2:38``She
came up at that very moment
and
began to give thanks to God,
and
continued to speak of Him to all
who
were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
2:39``
So when Joseph and Mary had performed everything
according
to the law of the Lord,
they
returned to Galilee,
to
their own town of Nazareth.
{The
Pattern/'Prototype Life' Jesus Christ Left for All Church Age Believers}
2:40~~And
the child/infant {paidion - referring to Jesus Christ}
kept
on growing
and
kept on receiving 'strength in self-discipline' {krataioo} . . .
filled
{pleroo} with wisdom
{sophia - bible doctrine resident in His human soul} . . .
and
the grace {charis} of God kept on being upon Him.
{Note: Pleroo is the verb meaning to 'fill up a deficiency'. Here it is our understanding of divine viewpoint that is deficient. The intake of doctrine fills that deficiency. In other verses, pleroma refers to one with an 'edification complex of the soul'. See also Romans 8:4.}
{Note: Paul tells us to imitate Paul as he imitated Christ. How did Paul imitate Christ? Both 'kept on growing'. This had a double meaning. Not only did the child Jesus Christ grow physically but this verse also tells us His Humanity kept on 'filling the deficiency' of bible doctrine in His human soul. He learned doctrine though much faster and much earlier in life then the rest of us. But this is the pattern. First comes the intake of divine viewpoint, then later, once the wisdom is in place, then is the application to life's experiences. And, throughout the process, the grace of God kept on being on Him - the same with all believers who are growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (the bible IS the Mind of Christ).}
{Jesus
in the Temple}
2:41``
Now His {Jesus'} parents went to Jerusalem
every
year for the feast of the Passover.
2:42``And,
when He was twelve years old
they
went up according to custom of the feast.
2:43-44``And,
having completed their stay
during
the days of the feast,
while
they were returning home,
the
boy Jesus lingered/stayed behind in Jerusalem.
His
parents did not know it, 2:44``
but
because they assumed that he was in their group of travelers
they
went a day's journey.
Then
they conducted an intensive search for Him
among
their relatives and acquaintances.
2:45``And,
when they did not find Him,
they
returned to Jerusalem
searching
diligently for Him.
2:46``And
it came to pass after three days,
they
found Him in the temple courts,
sitting
among the teachers,
both
listening to them
and
asking them questions.
2:47``
And all who heard Jesus were astonished
at
His understanding {sunesis}
and
His answers {apokrisis}.
2:48``And,
having seen Him,
they
{His parents} were struck with astonishment.
And,
His mother said to him,
"My
Child, why did You treat us in this manner?
Look, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously."
2:49``And He replied, "Why were you looking for Me?
Didn't
you know that I must be 'about My Father's work'?"
{idiom: literally; 'about My Father'}
2:50``However,
they themselves
did
not understand the remark He made to them.
2:51``Then
He went down with them and came to Nazareth,
and
was constantly obedient to them.
But his mother kept/guarded all these words in her 'right lobe'/heart.
2:52~~And
Jesus kept on increasing in wisdom {sophia}
and
stature {physical strength},
and
in grace {charis} . . . from the immediate source of God
and
mankind
{anthropos - meaning human communicators of the Word -
His Humanity studied and learned Doctrine because
by His own free will, He agreed not to use His own Deity in the
incarnation)}.
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