Scripture: In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Luke 2:1-7 ESV
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Observation: Recapping Yesterday’s Daily Focus, Luke chronicles Zechariah’s song of praise. Having regained his speech and being filled with the Holy Spirit, Zechariah prophetically speaks a blessing directed to God for fulfilling his covenant to the house of David in raising a horn of salvation (Christ), who will rescue Israel from its enemies and show mercy to his people so that they might righteously serve him without fear under the Abrahamic covenant. The second part of his blessing focuses on his son, for John the Baptist will be “the prophet of the Most High” and prepare the way for Jesus through his ministry of repentance and forgiveness of sins. It is the dawn of a new era where God is with his people through the incarnate Son, who will bring light to those lost in the darkness of unrepented sin and lead them into his way of peace.
Today’s reading commences with the narration of Christ’s birth. Luke begins with a timeline: Caesar Augustus’ decreed census, which took place before Quirinius’ registration. The above translation, as well as most, uses the more common meaning of the Greek word prōtē (“first”), but it may also mean “prior” or “before.” Thus this latter meaning better fits the text because these were two separate events. How so? Matthew tells us that Herod the Great resided in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus’ birth (see Matthew 2:1-12), and historical records support Herod’s death in 4 BCE. In contrast, Quirinius’ registration occurred in CE 6 (approximately ten years later), which Luke mentions in Acts 5:37 and the Jewish historian Josephus notes in his Antiquties (XVIII, 26 [ii.1]).
The rest of Luke’s birth story is without controversy. The decree required citizens to register in their place of birth, and Joseph, who lived in Nazareth then, returned to his hometown of Bethlehem with his betrothed, pregnant, and soon-to-be-wed bride, Mary. (As mentioned in our review of Matthew’s Gospel, a betrothal arrangement was binding and could only be severed by a writ of divorce (unlike our modern-day engagement). Luke adds that Joseph’s lineage traces to King David, who hails from Bethlehem. And coinciding with Matthew’s account, Mary gave birth to Jesus, swaddled him, and laid him in a manger (animal feeding trough) because the town had no vacancies.
Takeaway: The Greek word for “inn,” katalyma, is better translated as “guest room,” which Luke uses again when he writes about the Last Supper (22:11-12). The usual Greek word for “inn” is pandocheionas, which Luke uses in his account of the Parable of the Good Samaritan (10:34). So scholars and archeologists surmise that it was the lower chamber of a split-level house where the owners often kept their animals or a cave if the owner could not afford a home large enough to shelter their animals.
Regardless, Jesus’ birth story highlights two essential aspects of the Son of God’s birth: his lineage that fulfills messianic prophecy (Micah 5:2) and his humble station of life from birth onward. Indeed, throughout Jesus’ ministry, he would make do with minimal comforts regarding accommodations (9:58). And Isaiah foretells the Suffering Servant (the Messiah) “was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not” (Isaiah 53:3 ESV).
Our takeaway? First, as followers of Jesus, we must remember that our comforts are a privilege, not our right. If we sincerely desire to follow Jesus, he will meet all our needs but not necessarily our wants. Moreover, the Son of God has satisfied our most critical requisite in this mortal life: spiritual birth into his eternal kingdom, while all worldly desires will fade away. Secondly, Luke and Matthew beautifully portray the fulfillment of the Father’s gracious and sovereign plan: to become incarnate in the second person of our Trinity and dwell with us. And while others “esteem him not,“ our hearts are overwhelmed with gratitude and joy for our King, who humbled himself to become one of us and die for us. Indeed, Christ became poor so that we might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).
Prayer: Father God, thank you for your glorious Son who set aside his riches to enter our spiritually impoverished world to become poor for us so that we might become rich in his graces. We confess, though, that it is easy to lose sight of your Son’s incredible sacrifice for us amid life’s disappointments and stressors. So would you please help us foster gratitude for and contentment with all the riches you and your Son have poured out on us—starting with his incarnation? Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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