Original Meaning
IN THE ANCIENT world, if anyone had asked if there was a more important person than Caesar, the emperor and ruler of the vast Roman empire, the answer surely would have been no. Yet it is the birth of a little boy in a rural Judean village that causes the angels to launch into praise. The circumstances of Jesus’ birth are so basic and humble in origin that it is hard to appreciate just who it is that is born here. Most regal figures are born with great ceremony and celebration. But Jesus’ birth is as average as it comes. His birthplace is determined in part by the need to fill out a census—probably a means to register for paying taxes.1 The journeying of everyone “to his own town to register” appears to be a sensitive decision by the Romans that allowed the Jews to follow their own custom of going to one’s ancestral home.2 So Joseph and Mary go to Bethlehem, a place identified as “the town of David,” because of Joseph’s lineage in the family. Mary, who did not have to go, goes anyway, possibly because Joseph wants to be present at the birth of her child, soon to happen.
The birth takes place in humble circumstances, for the child is born in either a stable or a cave.3 The wrapping of his fragile limbs in cloths was common in the ancient world to keep them protected and in place. They are in this strange birthing room, “because there was no room for them at the inn.” Though modern renditions dramatize a search for a room, the text tells the story with exceptional brevity. Such inns would have been either the second story of a house that housed animals below or a one-story building with a stable next to it. Since no such locale has a vacancy, the couple finds shelter where they can. Jesus therefore enters the world in as mundane a way as possible. His first hours of human existence are spent in a manger. The agent of God lives without pretense.
The testimony to Jesus’ birth from the angelic host to shepherds is significant in scope. Creation has no more mysterious and exalted beings than angels, who represent the testimony of the heavens to what is occurring. Moreover, there are no more “normal Joes” in ancient culture than shepherds. They represent the lowly and humble who respond to God’s message, for their vocation is seen positively in Scripture (Matt. 18:12; Mark 6:34; Luke 15:4; John 10; Eph. 4:11; Heb. 13:2; 1 Peter 2:25). Thus, heaven meets and greets the average person through the angelic announcement to these pastoral figures. Jesus’ birth is more than a family affair.4 The announcement of “good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (v. 10) indicates that God desires to speak to every person about the coming of Jesus, since all humanity is impacted by his coming.
The announcement by an unnamed angel is the third such announcement in the infancy material (see Luke 1:5–25, 26–38). The narrative follows a standard form: appearance (v. 9a), fear (v. 9b), a “do not be afraid” remark (vv. 10–11), and the announcement of a verifying sign (v. 12). The angel informs the shepherds of what God is doing through Jesus. The glory of God’s presence surrounds the heavenly witness, adding drama to the scene. Like the fear that gripped earlier participants (1:12, 29), the visible presence of heavenly authority makes the shepherds nervous.
After calming the shepherds’ fears, the angel declares what God is doing. Humanity has nothing to fear when God moves in grace. The text refers to the announcement as “good news,” using the verbal form of the word from which we get the term gospel.5 The term is not culturally insignificant, since the birth of the emperor Augustus was announced with a report of “good news” and the arrival of a “savior.”6 Luke’s remarks intend a similar declaration of this baby’s greatness. This is why all people can be filled with joy. Jesus may be lying in an animal trough, but heaven is present at his birth.
The titles the angel uses for the newborn child are significant. “Savior” (soter) reflects the call of Jesus to deliver his people, as Mary’s and Zechariah’s hymns had declared (cf. 1:46–55, 67–79). This term is rich in Old Testament roots, especially as a figure for divine deliverance (Deut. 20:4; Josh. 22:22; Pss. 24:5; 25:5; Isa. 25:9). In Greek culture, all types of figures were called saviors, from doctors and rulers to philosophers.7 “Christ” (from the Greek word for “Anointed One”) is indicative of his role as the promised Messiah. “Messiah” (Hebrew for “Anointed One”) is a rare term in the Old Testament. Psalm 2:2 is the main technical regal use, and Luke’s use looks back to Luke 1:27, 31–35, 68–72, 79; 2:4.8 What about “Lord”? Of the three titles, this one is left unexplained in this context. One could well argue that the rest of this Gospel and the book of Acts serve to explain the nature of Jesus’ authority and lordship, as well as the extent of the exercise of his power in overcoming sin and the forces of evil.
The angelic revelation of a sign implies that the angel wanted the shepherds to go and see the child for themselves. They will recognize the child when they see a newborn baby in the town of David “wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” As with all prophetic declarations of a sign, a visible physical reality confirms the announcement. This is the third sign in the infancy material (1:19–20, 36).
As if the announcement were not enough, the heavenly choir strikes up in praise to God, giving him honor for what is taking place. The angels’ refrain serves as a commentary on the flow of events. Glory should be given to God in the most exalted of ways, while on earth one should see that this child means peace for those “on whom his favor rests.” The picture of being a person of God’s favor was a Jewish way of saying that someone was numbered among God’s chosen people, much like the “God-fearers” of 1:50–53. This remark makes it clear that salvation and its fullness are not automatic for everyone. Only those who respond to God’s grace and follow the path lit by the rising sun will experience the peace into which that path leads (1:78–79). Jesus comes for all, but not all respond to and benefit from his coming.
The shepherds decide to take a look at what God is doing. They find the child in the manger, just as the angel has said. Once again God is shown to keep his word. The shepherds share their story with those present. They respond with obedience and cannot contain themselves from testifying to what God has done in making Jesus’ presence evident to them. Luke’s reader is supposed to identify with their response to God’s first revelation of this birth to the human race.
As is often the case when God’s work is reported, those who hear their testimony are amazed (cf. 1:21, 63; 2:33), while Mary simply ponders it all. The event closes with the shepherds’ returning to their flocks and giving glory and praise to God, for things were just as he said. God will perform his word. This is the final note that Jesus’ birth should bring.9
Jesus is circumcised as any eight-day-old Jewish boy would be (Gen. 17:11–12; Lev. 12:3) and is officially given his name, “Jesus.” His parents reflect the characteristics of those who follow God’s law and obey him (cf. 1:31). Jesus’ family roots are steeped in Jewish piety and faithfulness.
Bridging Contexts
HOW DO WE learn from Scripture? One way is through reading the text and seeing how its assessment of people and what is important contrasts with the ways we make such assessments today. Such instruction tends to emerge in the major themes of a passage, not in its minor details of description. In other words, sometimes the portrait of Scripture screams out in its contrast to the way we do things. It asks whether something in our life or value structure needs reflection and revision. The present passage is such a text. The arrival of the incarnated Son of God is a study in contrast between how God did it and how we might have done it.
Thus, the key bridge to our context is gained from reflecting on the contrasts of this text. In Luke 1, the angel announced that Mary’s child would be a king of an everlasting kingdom. Zechariah noted that the Coming One would be like the rising sun, who provides light to guide our feet in the way of peace. Yet the birth of the Christ child is so simple and is located in as average a village as one can have. This is no normal setting for the birth of a king; Jesus’ birth is almost a story of the “rags of royalty.” When his parents wrap Jesus in cloths to keep his limbs straight and lay him in the manger, the humble emptying of the Christ has begun (Phil. 2:5–11). Importance is not a matter of one’s environment or the supposed status that things bring. Rather, importance is a function of one’s role in God’s work. Jesus is important not because of the setting of his birth, but because of who he is before God. For one moment, the center of God’s activity resides in an animal trough. The dignity of this event comes from the person lying at the center. Sometimes God’s work goes on quietly in hidden locales.
Another significant note is the sense of community and involvement God gives to this event. Though in one sense this is a private moment for Mary and Joseph, in another it involves others, such as shepherds and angels. God is not a God of isolation. He seeks to involve himself with creation. The birth of the Son of God involves the response of all the parts of creation, from those who tend sheep to those who watch over them from heaven.
Noteworthy too is the choice of shepherds to be among the first to hear about the new child and see him. Some commentators argue that the shepherds symbolize God’s meeting the despised, but this negative reputation for shepherds is later than the first-century Judaism.10 The biblical shepherd imagery is mostly positive, and the association of shepherds with these events adds an image of everyday living to the scene. God is involved not just with the special or the great, but with all people. His announcement of the child’s arrival to everyday folk shows his commitment to the mass of humanity. Those “on whom God’s favor rests” include those whose claim to fame may be nothing more than that they wake up each day and pursue a living in service to God.
The notes of praise that have filled the opening chapters continue in this section. The need to praise God is universal, no matter what era we belong to. The notes of praise underline the importance of verbal praise to God. These heavenly notes lift up the soul and open us up to be receptive to God. Praise given to God benefits those who offer that praise by refreshing their souls.
Another key issue is the presence of the supernatural in the story. Such detail is hard for many in the modern world to swallow. But the modern world has a strange love-hate relationship with the supernatural. Many dive into astrology, believing in forces at work behind the stars, but they pause at angels. They deny the existence of these unseen forces, but only until a crisis comes and they cry out to them out of their helplessness. They challenge the existence of the God of the Bible, but rush headlong into bookstores to discover the latest about the spirits at work in nature or devour the most recent New Age craze. Does such schizophrenia make sense?
The discussion of angels in Scripture (or demons, for that matter) is like heaven pushing back the curtains on a world behind the scenes. When Paul says in Ephesians 6:12 that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, we learn something about invisible but real forces with which we must deal blindly unless we walk in the faith. We must realize that not every spiritual force in the world is a good one that roots us in our relationship to God, as these angels in Luke 2 (see Eph. 2:2!). Hebrews 1:14 tells us that good angels are ministering spirits who serve God. We cannot see them, but they do labor on our behalf, and in that we can rejoice.
Now, one should not be preoccupied with the angels’ existence, nor with the existence of Satan and his demons. Rather, as Ephesians 6:10–18 argues, we should stand faithful with our armor on, walking with God to resist whatever obstacles such hostile forces might raise against us. As we walk with God, we possess ample resources to resist the devil.
Contemporary Significance
THE BIRTH OF Jesus is a lesson in God’s faithfulness, but it also reveals God’s heart and character. For God identifies with the human race, and this birth reflects such identification. The most humble birth for the most exalted figure ever born shows that the key values of life are found in the life itself, not in the accouterments that come with life.
The note of humility surrounding this birth of Jesus issues a major challenge to our culture, where braggadocio and self-promoting public relations are often a way of life. Such tensions can hit us at a personal or corporate level. I choose a corporate example, because personal applications, involving competition and jealousy, seem more obvious. As a theological school we are told that in order to “sell” ourselves to our potential constituency, we must have a “niche,” something that says we are unique. We have to demonstrate to people why they would want to study with us. Churches can face similar situations. But how does such a quest meet the humility test? Scripture tells us we are all special and that we all have a niche in the body. Competition is something God abhors. Institutions—colleges, theological schools, churches, etc.—should present themselves as servants, as partners with many other agencies that also serve God. Some students God calls to study with us; others he will call elsewhere. Humility means essentially faithfully serving God with integrity in ministry. One can pursue excellence without hoping to run others into the ground. Ministries do need serious affirmation, but we must avoid the temptation to shout about our presence. If credit comes, let God and others bring it. If we are doing a solid job of presenting and reflecting truth, let others note it. Trumpets are best left in the hands of angels, not ourselves.
The birth of Jesus also shows that greatness is not a function of the size of one’s bank account or one’s social résumé. Status does not make the person, for God recognizes the quality of the inner person. In Jesus, of course, that was a given, but God also makes a point about status by the way he introduces Jesus into the world. The Incarnation displays divine values by how the most powerful person ever born entered the world, in total simplicity and humility. Simplicity has a divine power all its own. God shows his greatness walking with us as we are where we are, not in elitist isolation and insulation, which is often the way the powerful live in the world. We learn to see things the way God does if we do not pay attention to addresses, clothes, bank accounts, or résumés, but consider who honors God (James 2:1–5).
In a real sense, the story of Jesus is our story, told to us and for us just as if we had been among the angels on that night near Bethlehem. What the angels announced to the shepherds that night is announced on behalf of all humanity. Their journey to see these things should be every person’s journey to see what God is up to in Jesus. When people see that everything happened according to what God had told the shepherds, they and we should sense that God does what he says. Their sense of amazement should be matched by our own. The best way we show our amazement is with the response of a grateful, faithful walk that has ample donations of praise.
Perhaps after almost two thousand years of publicity about Jesus, the church takes the amazing involvement of God with us for granted. The world certainly rarely takes the time to really look and see what Jesus is all about. Usually it never gets past the story about the baby Jesus. Is that the church’s fault for failing to engage the world? Is the world too busy to stop and notice or too distracted by other appeals? Is it both? If the world does stop and look, it often sees Jesus as one teacher among many. But the teaching of the heavenly host rules out such a limiting view of Jesus. He is the Savior, who is Christ the Lord. He is no longer in a crib and no longer confined to a manger. He is now seated at the right hand of God, aware of what we do and say (Luke 22:69). Who the baby Jesus was is nothing compared to who he is. His birth and the testimony surrounding it tells us he was a special child. But his life, ministry, and resurrection secure the fact that he is unique. No wonder Mary pondered all these things in her heart, as even we should today. But she has seen nothing yet, and neither have we. God has only just begun to reveal his story of his involvement with us through Jesus.
The response of the shepherds and Mary involves both praise and obedience. Mary’s obedience extends to her naming of the child. When God spoke, Mary listened. The testimony to her obedience is short, but telling. Similarly, the announcement of the sign leads the shepherds not only to follow where God has led them, but also to share what God has shown them when they arrive to see God’s word come to pass. So also we should follow where God leads and with grace testify to his direction in our lives. When God guides us through trial, a vocational crossroads, or a decision involving a mate, our future, or our children, we should be prepared to speak about how he has impacted our lives. Often we share this with fellow friends in the church, but a word to anyone who might listen should not be shunned.
The variety of reactions to the birth of Jesus noted here should not surprise us. People respond to him differently. Some are amazed, but do not engage him at any deeper level. Others offer praise, while others ponder what Jesus means. There is no doubt that in this passage Mary and the shepherds are the central exemplary characters, reflecting the testimony and obedience that should characterize saints.
All of the figures in this story received a new revelation of who God is and what he is about. But we should never take God for granted, nor should praise become formal and routine. What an honor it is to know God and see him active in our lives. To regain the flame, we must turn to him and honestly admit where we are and ask him to open our cloudy eyes. Sometimes just the reflection that comes from the Christmas season or reflecting on Jesus’ story can renew our sense of relationship to God. The King, the Son of David, the Lord, the Savior, was sent from heaven to identify with us, walk with us, die for us, be raised for us, and to relate to us—that is the story of Jesus, a story worthy of praise and worthy to be told. No wonder the famous and beloved blind believer and hymn writer, Fanny Crosby, wrote:
To God be the glory great things He hath done!
So loved He the world that He gave us His son,
who yielded His life an atonement for sin
and opened the Lifegate that all may go in.
Here is the testimony of a woman who knew pain and yet saw God in her darkness. That is why the earth should hear his voice in our testimony to his love. That is why the world should see our testimony in a life that honors him. That is why we of all people should rejoice at the story of his coming.
The reason for our rejoicing starts with Jesus in the story of his birth, but it does not stop there. He is involved in our lives even now. By the Spirit his presence continues to express itself in us. In his care we see his hand working for us. Sometimes he works to reshape us, and the reworking means pain. But it is always done with an eye to our care. Now instead of our looking on his meekness as he is laid as a babe in a manger, he looks on our weakness as he cares for us as the Great Shepherd. The story of Jesus’ birth does not end with him wrapped in swaddling clothes. Often the beauty of the Christmas story gets treated as if it were the whole story about Jesus—God showing himself in the birth of a special child. But this story is only the beginning of God’s new work. That labor has continued century after century in fresh generations of believers who have shared in the blessing of relationship he provides. As believers we belong to a great train of witnesses spanning the ages, who have lifted their voices and offered their souls in gratitude for what this birth meant. One day in heaven, face to face with men and women of every generation and nation, we will offer thanks before him. There is nothing wrong with getting a little practice now!