Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: LUKE #4 - 2:1-21)
III. 2:1-52 JESUS: FROM BIRTH TO TWELVE
A. 2:1-20 BIRTH AND WITNESS TO JESUS
1. 2:1-7 BIRTH OF JESUS IN BETHLEHEM
a. 2:1 THE ENROLLMENT DECREE: TO FULFILL PROPHECY
E-GEne-to de en tais heMErais eKEInais, eXELthen DOGma [1378]paRA KAIsa-ros AuGOUstou,
Now it came to pass in those :days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus,
a-poGRAphes-thai [583] PAsan ten oi-kouMEnen [3625].
that all the inhabited earth be enrolled.
b. 2:2 This was thefirst enrollment made when Quirinius was governor of :Syria.
HAUtea-po-graPHE[582] PROteeGEne-to he-ge-moNEUon-tos [2230]teSuRIas Ku-reNIou.
c. 2:3 And all went to be enrolled, each to his own :city.
kai e-poREUon-to PANtes a-poGRAphes-thai, HEka-stos eis ten he-auTOU POlin.
d. 2:4-5 BETHLEHEM: JOSEPH'S PLACE OF ENROLLMENT
aNEbe de kai IoSEPH aPO tes Ga-liLAIas, ek POle-os Na-zaRET, eis ten IouDAIan,
And Joseph also went up from :Galilee, out of thecity of Nazareth, into :Judea,
eis POlin DauID, HEtis kaLEItai [2563] Beth-leEM,
to David's city, which is called Bethlehem,
diA to EInai auTON ex OIkou kai pa-triAS [3965] DauID; a-poGRApsas-thai sun Ma-riAM,
because he was of David's house and family; 5to enroll himself with Mariam,
te em-ne-steuMEne [3423] auTO, OUse enKUo [1471].
who was betrothed to him, being great with child.
e. 2:6 And it came to pass, while they were there, the days were fulfilled that she should be delivered.
eGEne-to de, en to EInai auTOUS eKEI, ePLESthe-san [4130] hai heMErai tou teKEIN [5088] auTEN.
f. 2:7 THE HUMBLE NATURE OF JESUS' BIRTH
kai Ete-ken ton huiON auTES ton proTOto-kon [4416];
And she was delivered of her :firstborn :son;
kai es-parGAno-sen [4683] auTON kai eNEkli-nen [347] auTON en PHATne [5336],
and they swaddled him and laid him in a manger,
di' HOti ouk en auTOIS TOpos [5117] en to ka-taLUma-ti [2646].
because there was no room for them in the inn.
2. 2:8-20 SHEPHERDS' PART
a. 2:8 THE PROXIMITY OF SHEPHERDS
Kai poiMEnes [4166] Esan en te CHOra [5561] te auTE a-grauLOUNtes [63],
And shepherds were in the same :country abiding in the field,
kai phuLASson-tes [5443] phu-laKAS [5438] tes nukTOS ePI ten POIMnen [4167] auTON.
and keeping watch by :night over their :flock.
b. 2:9 THE LORD'S GLORY WITH THE ANGEL OF THE LORD
kai AGge-los [32] KuRIou ePEste auTOIS,
And the Lord's angel stood by them,
kai DOxa [1391] KuRIou pe-riElam-psen [4034] auTOUS: kai e-phoBEthe-san [5399] PHObon MEgan.
and the Lord's glory shone about them: and they were sore afraid.
c. 2:10-11 ANGEL'S MESSAGE: BIRTH OF JESUS' ANNOUNCED
kai EIpen auTOIS ho AGge-los, Me phoBEISthe;
And the angel said to them, Be not afraid;
iDOU gar, eu-ag-geLIzo-mai [2097] huMIN chaRAN [5479] meGAlen [3173]
for lo, I bring you good tidings of great joy
HEtis EStai panTI to laO: HOti eTECHthe [5088] huMIN SEme-ron soTER [4990],
which shall be to the whole people: 11for this day is born to you in David's city a Savior,
HOS es-tin ChrisTOS KUri-os, en POlei DauID.
who is Christ theLord.
d. 2:12 And this isa sign for you: You shall find a child swaddled, and lying in a manger.
kai TOUto huMIN seMEIon: heuREse-te BREphos e-spar-ga-noMEnon [4683], kai KEIme-non en PHATne.
e. 2:13-14 THE HEAVENLY CHORUS
kai eXEPHnes [1810] eGEne-to sun to agGElo PLEthos [4128]
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude
stra-tiAS [4756] ou-raNIou aiNOUNton [134] ton TheON, kai leGONton,
of the heavenly host of those praising :God, and saying,
DOxa [1391] en huPSIStois [5310] TheO, kai ePI ges eiREne en anTHROpois eu-doKIas [2107].
14Glory to God in thehighest, And on earth peace among men of good pleasure.
f. 2:15 SHEPHERD'S DECISION: TO INVESTIGATE THE REPORT
Kai eGEne-to, hos aPELthon ap' auTON eis ton ou-raNON hoi AGge-loi,
And it came to pass, when the angels went away from them into :heaven,
hoi poiMEnes eLAloun pros alLElous, DiELtho-men [1330] de HEos Beth-leEM,
the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem,
kai Ido-men [1492] to 'REma [4487] TOUto to ge-goNOS, HO ho KUri-os egNOri-sen [1107] heMIN.
and see this :saying that is come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.
g. 2:16 JESUS AND PARENTS FOUND
kai ELthan SPEUsan-tes [4692], kai aNEUran [429] ten te Ma-riAM kai ton IoSEPH,
And they came with haste, and found both :Mariam and :Joseph,
kai to BREphos [1025] KEIme-non en te PHATne [5336].
and the babe lying in the manger.
h. 2:17 SHEPHERDS ANNOUNCE THEIR DISCOVERY
iDONtes de, egNOri-san [1232] peRI tou 'REma-tos
And when they saw it, they made known concerning the saying
tou la-leTHENtos auTOIS peRI tou paiDIou [3813]TOUtou.
which was spoken to them about this :child.
i. 2:18 And all that heard itwondered at the thingsspoken unto them by the shepherds.
kai PANtes hoi aKOUsan-tes eTHAUma-sanpeRI ton la-leTHENton huPO ton poiMEnon pros auTOUS.
j. 2:19 But Mary kept all these :saying, pondering themin her :heart.
hede MaRIa PANta su-neTErei [4933]ta 'REma-ta [4487]TAUta, sunBALlou-sa [4820]en tekarDIa auTES.
k. 2:20 THE JOY AND WORSHIP OF THE SHEPHERDS
kai huPEstre-psan hoi poiMEnes, doXAzon-tes [1392] kai aiNOUNtes [134] ton TheON
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising :God
ePI PAsin hois Ekou-san kai EIdon, kaTHOS e-laLEthe pros auTOUS.
for all things that they had heard and seen, even as itwas spoken unto them.
B. 2:21 CIRCUMCISION AND NAMING OF JESUS
Kai HOte ePLESthe-san [4130] heMErai okTO tou pe-ri-teMEIN [3813] auTON,
And when eight days were fulfilled for :circumcising him,
kai eKLEthe [3563] to Ono-ma IeSOUS [2424], to kleTHEN
his name also was called JESUS, which was socalled
huPO tou agGElou pro tou sul-lemphTHEnai [4865] auTON en te koiLIa [2836].
by the angel before he was :conceived in the womb.
NOTE: 2:-21 - There are some 9 windows in the Gospels into the life of Jesus starting here: 1) His Virgin-Birth, the Incarnation; 2) His Bar Mitzvah at 12; 3) His two-fold baptisms: into water by John; in the holy Spirit by the descending Dove; 4) The Transfiguration; 5) the Crucifixion at Passover; 6) The Resurrection on the third day; 7) the Ascension 40 days after Passover; 8) The pouring out of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost from the Father through the Son - 50 days after Resurrection; 9) The Coming Again of Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles at the end of the church age.
See how the Father arranged for His Son to be portrayed as a humble servant through 1) His humble parents; 2) His humble birth; 3) His humble upbringing; 4) His humble ministry; 5) His humble death; 6) but - His glorious Resurrection and Ascension.
2:9-14 - It is possible that “the Lord's angel” who made the announcement of Jesus' birth to the shepherds was the same angel Gabriel who made the announcement to Zacharias and Mary. The Heavenly Choir of angels that confirmed and punctuated this announcement was amazing. Mrs. Maria Woodworth-Etter in the early 1920's experienced this heavenly choir joining in with human voices in her meetings.
2:19 - The pondering of Mary at these unusual confirmations from God is a good example for us. We should make note of all things pre-eminently from God - and like Mary - ponder them.
2:21 - Jesus came into the world just like any other Jewish baby: His conception was half human; His birth was wholly human; His circumcision was typically Jewish; His presentation at the Temple 40 days after His birth was typically Jewish; His Bar Mitzvah was typically Jewish; His synagogue attendance was part of a normal Jewish life; but - from the time of His baptism - both by water and the Spirit - followed by the 40 days of fasting and testing - introduced Him into a unique way as the Son of God as well as the Son of :man.
Certainly then - Luke 2:1-21 is a beginning window into the life of Jesus that is unique, illuminating, and eminently instructive. May God be blessed for His infinite wisdom in planning all of these things on behalf of His only begotten Son - and for our edification. J.A.W.