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Luke 2:8-20
By J.D. Myers | May 13, 2009
Despite the humble birth and lowly beginnings of Jesus, God nevertheless brings glory and honor to Jesus, though once again, not in the way most people would expect or imagine.
2:8. In the same country, namely, the region around Bethlehem, there were shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. There is indication that the presence of shepherds around Jerusalem indicated that these events took place in late September, and that the flock of sheep were Passover lambs which were being tended for sacrifice about five months later (Edersheim 1988:186). Also, most of these shepherds were probably quite young, probably in their teens, as the tending of sheep was generally reserved for boys and young men. Also, shepherds were really outcasts in Israel (Wiersbe 1989:176). Their work not only made them ceremonially unclean, but their work also kept them away from the temple for weeks at a time so that they could not be purified. By announcing the birth of the Messiah to the shepherds first, God was “exalting the lowly” as Mary had proclaimed (1:52).
2:9. While the shepherds were watching over the Passover lambs in the still of the night, suddenly, an angel of the Lord stood before them. At first only one angel appears. Tradition says it was the angel Michael. Around him shines the glory of the Lord filling the night with brilliance. As a result of his appearance and the bright light, they were greatly afraid. As is often seen in Scripture, when angels appear before humans, the normal response is fear.
2:10. The angel fulfills his task by proclaiming a message. He first tries to calm the shepherds by saying, “Do not be afraid.” He is not there to strike them dead or to announce judgment. Instead, he brings good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. The term good tidings (Gk. euangelion) is often translated “gospel” and means “good news.” The angel is announcing part of the gospel to the shepherds, which, when it is proclaimed to others, will not cause fear and condemnation, but will bring great joy…to all people. The idea of bringing joy to all people was a distinctly Messianic expectation. When the Messiah arrived, all people would rejoice and be glad (cf. Ps 53:6).
2:11. The angel explains that the cause of joy is that the Messiah has been born to you this day. He has been born in the city of David, which in context refers not to Jerusalem, but the city of David’s ancestors, Bethlehem. The angel reveals that this child will be a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. As a Savior He was expected to deliver Israel from their bondage to Rome, and lead them forth to world prominence. “Salvation” as the modern concept of “forgiveness of sins so you can go to heaven when you die” was not in view. The term Christ is the Greek word christos and means “Messiah,” that is, the Jewish deliverer. Finally, the term Lord does not refer necessarily to the fact that this Messiah was divine, but to the fact that He would be King and Ruler. This would be especially significant for the shepherds, as they were most likely tending their sheep in the fields around King Herod’s immense summer palace. Possibly, as they heard that a new Lord or “King” had been born, their eyes shifted to the palace.
2:12. The angel tells them that this king will not be found in the palace, but elsewhere. He gives them a sign for how to find this newborn King. Signs were a way given to the Jewish people as a way to verify the truth of what a messenger had told them. The sign for these shepherds is that they will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger. One reason Luke put so much emphasis on swaddling clothes and the manger in verses 1-7 is that they serve as a sign for the shepherds. But beyond that, the location of the Messiah, not in rich robes, but in swaddling clothes, and not in a palace, but in a manger, revealed to the shepherds that this Messiah, though a King, would be for people like them, the poor and humble, rather than for the rich, powerful, and mighty.
2:13. Upon finishing the angelic pronouncement, suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God. The one angel is now joined by a multitude. Their appearance probably made the night shine brighter than the day, and with their glorious light, they gave praise to God.
2:14. The words which the angelic multitude sang were “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” The message was more good news. Glory was to be given to God because through this babe, lying in a manger, God had offered peace to earth. Though Caesar Augustas wanted to be hailed as god, and though he was praised for inaugurating the Pax Romana, the “Peace of Rome,” the Kingly Messiah was offering peace to the whole earth (Keener, Bible Background, 194). This peace was not enforced by power and might, but came through humility and service. It was true and lasting peace, because it was inner and spiritual The Stoic Philosopher Epictetus said, “While the emperor may give peace from war on land and sea, he is unable to give peace from passion, grief and envy. He cannot give peace of heart for which man yearns more than even for outward peace” (Wiersbe 1989:176).
However, this peace is not automatic or universal. Though offered to all people of earth, not all will experience it. The text of 2:14 might be better translated, “…and on earth peace to men of good will.” In other words, only people of goodwill will receive this peace (McGee 1983:253). Though all the world clamors for peace, it comes only to those who live according to the will of God in this world.
Isaiah 48:22 says that there is no peace for the wicked. Those who live in wickedness and sin will never have this peace, because peace only comes to those who live as God intended. Instead, peace with God comes through faith in Jesus Christ (Rom 5:1), and by living according to the will of God (Eph 2:14-18).
2:15-16. After the angels finished their pronouncement and had gone away…the shepherds decide to go to Bethlehem and see the newborn child. They responded with immediate obedience and went with haste. Bethlehem was not a large town, and so it probably did not take long for them to find Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.
2:17. Seeing the newborn Messiah was not the end of the matter, however. After they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. They became the first witnesses to spread the good news of the Messiah. The shepherds were so excited about what they had seen and heard, they spread the news to all the surrounding regions.
2:18. The result was that those who heard what the shepherds proclaimed marveled at what they heard. The term marveled (Gk. thaumadzo) indicates wonder, amazement, or astonishment. The term is used frequently by Luke to reveal the explain of the crowds to miraculous events. It occasionally implies belief (2:33; 24:12, 41), but is also used in the context of critical and doubtful surprise (cf. 4:22; 11:38). “At the most it is only a preliminary stage to faith, or, in psychological terms, the impulse which may awaken faith but which may also give rise to doubt’ (Kittel 1965:III,39). So it is uncertain if the multitudes who heard the account of the shepherds believed that the Messiah had been born, or if they simply discounted it as a wild story from crazy, gullible shepherds. This may be why there are no further records of other people coming to visit Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. Of course, it is just as likely that Luke chose not to write about such visits.
2:19. In contrast to the multitudes who only marveled at what they heard, Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Certainly the shepherds had informed her about the appearance of the angels and what the angel had said. Her response is to think and meditate upon them, and consider the significance of what these events meant. She is with good company in this regard (cf. Dan 7:28; Gen 37:11). She did not take it upon herself to proclaim how blessed and honored she was, but instead, quietly considered the things that were happening to her, and let others praise her. This shows, as the Scriptures say, that as God’s people humble themselves in His sight, He will lift them up (Jas 4:10).
2:20. After the shepherds had seen Jesus, they returned to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them. The task that had initially been given to the angels, that of proclaiming the birth of the Messiah and giving praise and glory to God as a result, was now picked up and carried on by the shepherds.
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