Bible Study Series: Luke 2:1-7. Now God’s ultimate and highest rescue mission to save humanity is set in motion for real.
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In the next link to the original chapter, I comment more and offer the Greek text. At the bottom you will find a “Summary and Conclusion” section geared toward discipleship. Check it out!
In this post, links are provided for further study.
Let’s begin.
Scripture: Luke 2:1-7
1 It happened in those days that a decree from Caesar Augustus was issued to register the whole world. 2 This registration was the first while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 Everyone came to be registered, each to his ancestral hometown. 4 Joseph went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, the town of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was from the dynasty and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, who was betrothed to him. And she was pregnant. 6 It happened that while they were there, the days of her delivery were completed, 7 and she birthed her firstborn son and wrapped him snuggly in strips of cloth and laid him in a feeding trough because there was no room for them in the guestroom. (Luke 2:1-7)
Comments:
The birth narratives do not originate in pagan literature, but in Genesis. The next parallels between Gen. 11-21 and Luke 1:5-2:52 are amazing. Luke shaped his historical and true narrative according to the first book of the Bible.
See this link for full tables of info:
Luke’s Birth Narrative: Pagan Myth or Sacred Story?
1-2:
Caesar Augustus was born Gaius Octavius (Octavian) (ruled 31 BC to AD 14). He changed his name to Gaius Julius Caesar after Caesar’s death. He was known as Octavian, until he was granted the title Augustus in 27 B.C.
Bock on 2:1: “Luke portrays Augustus as the unknowing agent of God, whose decree leads to the fulfillment of the promised rise of a special ruler from Bethlehem (Mic. 5:1-2). In the period of the emperor known for his reign of peace, God raises up the child of peace. For many interpreters, Luke is not only placing Jesus’ birth in the context of world history, but he also is making a play on the theme of the peaceful emperor … The real emperor of peace is Jesus, not Octavian. But in the absence of Lucan comment about Augustus, the point, if present, is subtle” (p. 203).
Green: “The explicit naming of Caesar Augustus in 2:1 is also of interest, for this refers to Octavian, recognized in antiquity as ‘the savior who has brought peace to the world.’ That in this very context Jesus is presented as Savior Lord, the one through whom peace comes to the world (2:11, 14), can hardly be accidental” (p. 58).
Does the governorship of Quirinius pose any insurmountable historical problems for Luke’s account? Does this period of the registration for tax purposes pose any insurmountable historical problem? In other words, was Luke wrong or creating a literary fiction about a census under Governor Quirinius?
Garland says the commanded tax does not refer to one tax, but was simply part of a coordinated, empire-wide policy of Augustus to exert control.
Was Luke’s Report about a Worldwide Census Wrong?
3-4:
As noted under v. 1, the Romans probably allowed the Jews to register based on genealogical concerns.
Bethlehem is David’s birthplace (1 Sam. 17:12; 20:6; Ruth 1:2; 2 Sam. 7:8-16). It is about five miles (eight km) south of Jerusalem, the birthplace of King David. Mic. 5:2 says that the future king of Israel would come from Bethlehem: “But you Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come from me one who will be ruler of Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times” (Mic. 5:2, NIV).
Some scholars say that, because there is a Bethlehem of Galilee, so it is more likely that Jesus was born there. However, the text clearly says the Bethlehem where Jesus was born was in Judea (Matt. 2:1). Here in v. 4 Joseph and Mary traveled down to Judea and to his family town of Bethlehem because Joseph was of the lineage of David. I follow the biblical text.
Prophecies must be fulfilled. This is one area of the Old Testament that can be studied with great spiritual benefit and blessing. Jews of this time and before were concerned with Bible prophecies, and it is amazing how exactly the Messiah fulfilled, is fulfilling, and will fulfill them. Bible prophecies can be an ongoing process.
The above link has a large table of quotations between the OT and NT, but OT prophecy can also be fulfilled by bigger types and shadows. Jesus fulfills the whole temple ritual sacrifices, for example. He fulfills the entire law and replaces the Sinai covenant.
What Does the New Covenant Retain from the Old?
Why was Mary with Joseph? The Greek verb for betrothed could mean “unconsummated,” implying they were married, but had not had marital relations. So the betrothal means she was required to go with him. Or recall that betrothal was much stronger than our modern engagement, so she went with him in her covenant to him. Liefeld and Pao have the simplest (and best) observation: “It is possible that he used the emperor’s order as a means of removing Mary from possible gossip and emotional stress in her own village. He had already accepted her as his wife (Mt 1:24), but apparently they continued in betrothal (v. 5, ‘pledged to be married’) till after the birth.” Then they write about her previous trip to Elizabeth’s house: “Since she had stayed three months with Elizabeth, Mary was at least three months pregnant. It is possible that they went down during her last trimester of pregnancy, when the social relationships in Nazareth would have grown more difficult. They may have stayed in a crowded room in the home some poor relative till the birth of the baby necessitated their vacating it for privacy and more space. And such reconstruction is, however, merely speculative” (comments on vv. 4-5).
5:
“and she was pregnant”: as noted under v. 1, Mary was either betrothed to Joseph (most likely) or married to him after pregnancy (less likely). Either way, the relationship was not consummated. So how would Joseph’s family in Bethlehem respond to Mary’s pregnancy? Did they know they were only betrothed, or did they believe they were married? If they believed the couple were only betrothed, does this explain why there was no room for them? The Greek noun for the standard “inn” could be translated as “guestroom” in the family home. Would his relatives shut their doors to them because of public shame? Unknown, but it is a possibility.
For a deeper theological discussion on how God could dwell in a baby, look for Luke 1:35 and the notes there.
6:
Why would Mary travel while pregnant? Apparently, people back then were not as concerned about such sensitivities. They were tough. And they may have left early and planned to stay until the birth.
People who push for a fall date for the birth point out that the outdoor scene with the shepherd does not indicate a hard winter (see 2:8-18). They usually belong to the Hebrew Roots Movement and insist that his birth match up with the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) and the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). Perhaps they are right. They cannot be contradicted, but neither can their view be confirmed. But one thing is certain: no one should imagine a blizzard in first-century Israel, so the absence of a hard winter is no proof. If anyone has visited Southern California in the winter, it is often the case that no one has to wear jackets or come in from snowfall! Israel’s weather is very much like that. But if people insist on a fall date, I won’t quarrel with them.
“Peasant homes normally consisted of two rooms, with one used exclusively for guests (see Matt. 5:15, where the lamp of the lampstand gives light in all the house; cf. also Luke 15:8)” … The family “cooked, ate, slept, and lived’ in the main room, and any animals were also brought in for the night and kept at the lower level of the living room, where the feeding trough would be” (Garland, comments on 2:6-7).
“The couple stayed in the animal quarters of the home of a relative or acquaintance because someone who ‘outranked’ them occupied the upper room in an overcrowded home” (Garland, comment on 2:6-7).
7:
“firstborn”: So why would Luke use this term? Is it theological or just about birth? Here are some options. First, it indicates that Mary had other children who were born after Jesus (Matt. 12:46-47; Luke 8:19-20). Second, Luke 2:23 says every firstborn son must be presented in the temple, so v. 7 anticipates this. Third, Catholics says it means “only begotten or born,” so they reason that Jesus’s brothers and sisters were his step-siblings from Joseph’s previous marriage (he was a widower). Fourth, as the firstborn, Jesus can inherit the Davidic throne. Fifth, Jesus could inherit his father’s goods, though it is easy to imagine that he passed them on to his brothers before his public ministry (Bock, ibid., p. 207). All of them are correct at the same time, except the only born (the third), in my opinion.
“feeding trough”: the fancier translation is “manger” (compare French word manger, which means “to eat”). But it was a simple feeding trough. No doubt Mary spruced it up a little bit, so she could put the baby there.
“guestroom”: as noted, this word could be translated as “inn” or “public shelter” or the “guestroom” of someone’s house, specifically Joseph’s family’s home in the area. It is odd that there was no vacant room for a pregnant woman. Apparently, Joseph’s other family members got there first or the families at Bethlehem shut the doors to them because of her ‘ambiguous’ pregnancy (see v. 5 and Garland’s comments on 2:6-7). In any case, a public inn is probably not in view here, but a guestroom.
Where was Jesus born? It was a place for animals below a house, which could be turned into a guestroom, probably in his family’s house. A basilica was erected over a cave under Constantine (ruled 306-39), where the church of the Nativity now stands. But a cave is probably not what is happening here.
GrowApp for Luke 2:1-7
1.. Jesus had a very humble birthplace. His mother’s pregnancy was ‘ambiguous.’ Did you have humble origins? How has God lifted you out of them?
2. Study 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Philippians 3:13 to find out more about redemption from your old background.
RELATED
Luke’s Birth Narrative: Pagan Myth or Sacred Story?
11. Eyewitness Testimony in Luke’s Gospel
3. Church Fathers and Luke’s Gospel
2. Archaeology and the Synoptic Gospels
1. The Historical Reliability of the Gospels: Introduction to Series
SOURCES
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