A Study of Luke 2 Outlines to Get an Overview 1. Christ is Born (1-7). 2. The Angels Announce Jesus to the Shepherds (8-14). 3. The Shepherds Visit Jesus (15-20). 4. Christ is Circumcised (21-24). 5. Simeon s Prophecy (25-35). 6. Anna s Testimony (36-38). 7. Jesus Returns to Nazareth (39-40; cf., Matthew 2.19-23). 8. Jesus Celebrates the Passover (41-50). 9. Jesus Grows in Wisdom (51-52). --From NKJV Headings Characters to Meet 1. Augustus (1) the imperial title assumed by Octavius, or Octavianus, the successor of Julius Caesar, and the first peacefully acknowledged emperor of Rome. He was emperor at the birth and during half the lifetime of our Lord (B.C. 30 to A.D. 14), but his name occurs only once (Luke 2.1) in the New Testament [McLintock and Strong]. 2. Cyrenius (2) The Greek form of the Roman name of Quirinus. The full name is Publius Sulpicius Quirinus. He was consul, B.C. 12, and was made governor of Syria, after the banishment of Archelaus, in A.D. 6. He probably was twice governor of Syria; his first governorship extended from B.C. 4 (the year of Christ s birth) to B.C. 1. I twas during this time that he was sent to make the enrollment which caused Joseph and Mary to visit Bethlehem (Luke 2.2). The second enrollment is mentioned in Acts 5.37 [Smith s Bible Dictionary]. 3. Joseph (4) Son of Heli, and reputed father of Jesus Christ. All that is told us of Joseph in the New Testament may be summed up in a few words. He was a just man, and of the house and lineage of David. He lived at Nazareth in Galilee. He espoused Mary, the daughter and heir of his uncle Jacob, and before he took her home as his wife, received the angelic communication recorded in Matthew 1:20 [Smith s Bible Dictionary]. 4. Mary (5) The biography of the mother of Jesus is gathered about a brief series of episodes which serve to exhibit her leading characteristics in clear light. Mary appears in the following passages: the infancy narratives (Matthew 1 and 2; Luke 1 and 2); the wedding at Cana of Galilee (John 2.1-11); the episode of Matthew 12.46; Mark 3.21, 31ff; the incident at the cross (John 19.25ff); the scene in the upper chamber (Acts 1.14) [ISBE]. 5. Simeon (25) A devout Jew, inspired by the Holy Ghost, who met the parents of our Lord in the Temple, took him in his arms, and gave thanks for what he saw and knew of Jesus. Luke 2:25-35. There was a Simeon, who succeeded his father, Hillel, as president of the Sanhedrin, about A.D. 13, and whose son, Gamaliel, was the Pharisee at whose feet St. Paul was brought up. Acts 22:3. It has been conjectured that he may be the Simeon of St. Luke [Smith s Bible Dictionary].
Luke 1 Study Guide from: http://maplehillchurchofchrist.org Page 2 of 8 6. Anna (36) Grace, an aged widow, the daughter of Phanuel. She was a prophetess, like Miriam, Deborah, and Huldah (2 Chronicles 34:22). After seven years of married life her husband died, and during her long widowhood she daily attended the temple services. When she was eighty-four years old, she entered the temple at the moment when the aged Simeon uttered his memorable words of praise and thanks to God that he had fulfilled his ancient promise in sending his Son into the world (Luke 2:36-37). [Easton s Bible Dictionary]. 7. Jesus (43) The name Jesus (Greek) is the same as Joshua (Hebrew) and means Jehovah saves. The Gospel of Luke is largely the unfolding of what is implied in this name. Jesus Christ is God come to save sinners [Frank Stagg, Studies in Luke s Gospel, p. 25]. God s Attributes to Learn and Cherish 1. Redeemer (7) The birth of Jesus meant glory to God, for God s glorious character as redeemer would shine through this newborn one [Stagg, 24]. 2. Glorious (9) the glory of the Lord shone round about them Our God is so glorious that those who are in His presence (i.e., the angel), when they leave carry some of that glory with them. 3. Is to be praised (13) This heavenly host was PRAISING God and continued to do so before these shepherds. We are told that when the shepherds returned to their fields, they were doing the same thing that the angelic host had been doing Luke 1.20 glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. One of the great opportunities Christians have each Lord s Day is to unite their voices in song (Colossians 3.16 and Ephesians 5.19) to praise God in a similar way. 4. Wants men to be saved (30-31) Luke 2.30-31 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people. Simeon was so thrilled to have had the opportunity to see and hold the promised Messiah that he was now ready for his life to end. God has had a plan for redeeming man from the beginning. He wants none to be lost 2 Peter 3.9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 5. Is a God of grace (40) This text tells us that the grace of God was upon the child Jesus as He was maturing in that Nazareth home. Ephesians 2.8-9 assures us that we are saved by grace. Surely the fact that our God is a God of grace (unmerited favor) should cause us to rejoice and praise Him! 6. He had BUSINESS on earth (49) The word BUSINESS is in italics in the KJV. This means there is no word in the original Greek for it. It was the judgment of the translators of the KJV that the word business best expressed the meaning here. ASV and other versions use IN MY FATHER S HOUSE. The word HOUSE is not in the original either. Whether business or house is used, the fact remains that Jesus came to seek and to save that which was LOST (Luke 19.10). It ought to thrill our hearts to know that the Almighty God and Creator of the Universe has interest in things that are happening on this earth! He wants us to be saved and He provides His truth to make it possible for us.
Luke 1 Study Guide from: http://maplehillchurchofchrist.org Page 3 of 8 7. One can increase in FAVOR with Him (52) Jesus came to do the Father s will (John 6.38). As He perfectly did that will He was increasing in the Father s favor. Jesus is to be our example. We are to follow His example (1 Peter 2.21). When we follow His example, the same blessing will accrue to us. We can also increase in favor with God! Commands to Obey Fear not (10) This is a command (imperative mood) given to the shepherds in the fields. They were receiving a revelation from God and there was nothing for them to fear. Instead, the message was concerning the greatest joy. The announcement had to do with the birth of the Savior. Though this command is not given directly to us, we do find in Scripture these words 2 Timothy 1.7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. For someone who is truly WALKING IN TRUTH, there is no place for fear! If we are following the Lord s will, then we are making the proper preparation for what Solomon calls the LONG HOME (Ecclesiastes 12.5). The days spent here on this earth are infinitesimally SMALL in number in comparison to that LONG HOME toward which we march! Warnings to Heed I found no warnings in this chapter. Promises to Treasure 1. Good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people (10) The news that was passed on to the shepherds in the field was good news! It was for them and it is for us today, as well. That the God of Heaven could love us so much that He would send His only begotten Son into this world to live and die that we might have life is an exceedingly precious promise to treasure (cf., 2 Peter 1.4). 2. A light to lighten the Gentiles (32) Simeon s prophecy contained good news for the Gentiles. What Jesus would do/did do on the cross was to bring NIGH those who were once far off Ephesians 2.13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. The gospel is for all. Salvation is for all. This is a precious promise to treasure! Truths to Share 1. The gospel is for all (1-2) Luke s concern for a gospel for all people is reflected in the fact that he put the story of Jesus birth in a world setting. Although Jesus was born into a thoroughly Jewish home, he was also born into the larger world which he came to save. Jesus was born under the Roman as well as under the Jewish law [Stagg, 23]. 2. God LOVES man (7) The birth of Jesus also was conclusive evidence that man is the object of God s good will. God is for us (Romans 8.31), not against us and not indifferent to us [Stagg, 24]. Ideas to Ponder 1. The shepherds are a worthy example to follow (15-20) the shepherds understood that Bethlehem was to be the place. They wanted to go and verify what they had heard and
Luke 1 Study Guide from: http://maplehillchurchofchrist.org Page 4 of 8 verse 16 points out that they did it with haste. If everyone would with haste seek the truth and verify what man says with the Bible, more would come to a correct knowledge of the truth (John 8.32; Acts 17.11). They were pleased to find it so and began to spread the word. Likewise, when we find the truth, we should go forth and spread the word (Acts 8.4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word). The people wondered about the turn of events and how the shepherds were so minute in details and surmised it was not by chance. Mary pondered or meditated upon what had transpired and how her life had been blessed. The result of all the events made the shepherds to rejoice and praise God. Truth is enough to make anyone rejoice and praise God (1 Thessalonians 1.13; Psalms 119 [Ray W. Peters, Luke: That You May Understand the Saviour, Edited by William S. Cline, 41]. 2. Joseph and Mary were poor (24) The offering of a pair of turtle doves and [or, DRL] two young pigeons (2.24) indicates that Joseph and Mary were poor. The offering called for a lamb, but mothers who could not afford a lamb were permitted to substitute the less costly offering (Leviticus 12.8) [Frank Stagg, 25]. This would be a pretty stunning fact for Jews expecting such a different type of Messiah. 3. Before Jesus can be Savior, He must be Lord (26) The name Jesus declares that Jehovah saves. The term Christ declares that God reigns in and through Jesus. He is Saviour and Lord. He is the Lord Christ, and before Him every knee must ultimately bow (Philippians 2.10). Even the lost must finally answer to Him as Lord. One cannot know Jesus as Saviour only; He is Lord and Saviour. The lordship of Christ must be acknowledged by those who would follow Him [Stagg, 25-26]. 4. Simeon s prophecy anticipated that Jesus would be rejected (34-35) Luke recorded Simeon s prophecy about Mary s own soul being pierced as was the case when Jesus was rejected and crucified. 5. At age twelve, Jesus seems aware of His relationship to God (49) The ASV and others here have Jesus saying: knew ye not that I must be in my Father s house? To deny that Jesus pondered His own identity and what was to be His work would be to make Him less than man. At the age of twelve, he had an awareness of His relationship with God as His Father. This seems to have been the starting point or core to His growing understanding of His identity and role or work. By the time of His baptism, Jesus saw Himself not only as God s Son; but also as one who was to accomplish His work in terms of the Suffering Servant depicted in Isaiah (Luke 3.23) [Stagg, 28]. Read Luke 4.20-30. Words to Understand 1. Swaddling clothes (7) In this verse and in verse 12 of this chapter only do we find the word swaddling ; it is often found in medical writing. Swaddling clothes were bands of cloth which were wrapped around infants at their birth; the language indicates that Mary did this herself [H. Leo Boles, Commentary, 51]. 2. Consolation of Israel (25) A messianic title, evidently derived from verses like Isaiah 25.9; 40.1-2; 66.1-11 [The MacArthur Study Bible, 1515].
Luke 1 Study Guide from: http://maplehillchurchofchrist.org Page 5 of 8 3. And he came by the Spirit into the temple (27) The Holy Spirit prompted Simeon to go to the temple at this time; the Holy Spirit moved Simeon to come to the temple at the opportune moment when Joseph and Mary brought the child Jesus, just as the Holy Spirit brought Philip and the eunuch together on the road to Gaza (Acts 8.26-31) [H. Leo Boles, Commentary, 61]. 4. Widow of about fourscore and four years (37) Liefeld uses a footnote to point to E.J. Goodspeed s conclusion that the most natural way of understanding this expression is that Anna was 84 years old [Expositor s Bible, Volume 8: Matthew, Mark, Luke, 851]. Though some see it as saying she was a widow for 84 years, which would make her at least 105 years old. 5. Day s journey (44) The length of a day s journey depended somewhat upon the distance they had to go in order to encamp where there was a supply of good water. From twenty to thirty miles is probably a fair estimate of an average day s journey with baggage, animals, and women and children. A day s journey (Numbers 11.31; 1 Kings 19.4; John 3.4) was far different to a Sabbath day s journey, which was about three-fourths of a mile. 6. My Father s business (49) The Greek text is elliptical here and reads, I must be in the of my Father, without specifying a place or activity. Either Jesus must be about the work of God, as the translation suggests; or He must be in the house of God, discussing God s truth. In the end the two possibilities are not very different [Neslon s NKJV Study Bible, 1692]. 7. Was subject unto them (51) His relationship with His Heavenly Father did not override or nullify His duty to His earthly parents. His obedience to the fifth commandment was an essential part of the perfect legal obedience He rendered on our behalf (Heb. 4.4; 5.8-9). He had to fulfill all righteousness [The MacArthur Study Bible, 1517]. Difficulties to Challenge 1. Cyrenius (Quirinius) was governor of Syria (2) Some think that Quirinius was twice governor, and that this enrollment came during his first term in office. There seems to be some confusion as to when this census was made; profane historians are not agreed. When such is the case, believers in the Bible take the record as found in the inspired book, and leave all conflicts and difficulties in profane records to be worked out by those who believe those records [H. Leo Boles, Commentary on the Gospel According to Luke, 48-49]. A fuller discussion of this difficulty is given by Gene Burgett in: Studies in Luke, edited by Dub McClish, a record of the 2003 Annual Denton Lectures, on pages 509-13. 2. Chronology of the birth of Christ (12) The exact day and year of the birth of Jesus cannot be ascertained with certainty. Dionysius Exiguus, an abbot of Rome, in the year A.D. 532 arranged the scheme of counting dates from the birth of Jesus. He calculated that the year of Jesus birth was 753 from the founding of Rome. It has long been admitted that Dionysius made an error of at least four years. Jesus was born before the death of Herod the Great (Matthew 2.1, 19), which took place about the year of Rome 753; this is definitely fixed by an eclipse of the moon which is mentioned as occurring a little before the death of
Luke 1 Study Guide from: http://maplehillchurchofchrist.org Page 6 of 8 Herod; this eclipse, by astronomical calculation, took place in the year of Rome 753, or four years before our common era; but Jesus was born somewhat earlier. The error Dionysius Exiguus made was not discovered until many years afterwards, and no attempt has been made to correct the error [H. Leo Boles, Commentary, 55-56]. 3. And Jesus increased (52) Jesus did not cease being God or divest Himself of divine attributes in order to become man. Rather, He took on a human nature (an addition, not a subtraction), and submitted the use of His divine attributes to the will of the Father (John 5.19, 30; 8.28; Phil. 2.5-8). Therefore, there were times when His omniscience was on display (Matt. 9.4; John 2.24-25; 4.17-18; 11.11-14; 16.30) and other times when it was veiled by His humanity in accordance with the Father s will (Mark 13.32). Christ was therefore subject to the normal process of human growth, intellectually, physically, spiritually, and socially [The MacArthur Study Bible, 1517]. Figures to Imprint 1. God used the Passover as a figure to the Jews (41) The law required that every male go to Jerusalem for the Feasts of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles (Ex. 23:14-17; 34:23; Deut. 16:16). Because of the wide dispersion of the Jews over the world from the time of the Exile, this law could not be observed strictly. Most Palestinian Jews tried to attend one feast each year. Women were not required to attend; but, out of piety, women like Mary did go to the feasts. The Passover celebrated God s deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage, and it was a rekindling of hopes that He would again send a Deliverer to Israel [Stagg, 27]. Thus, when Jesus went to Jerusalem here, He was both participating in the memorial and was the Deliverer to which the Feast pointed the minds of Jews. False Teaching to Refute 1. Perpetual Virginity of Mary (7) Had Luke wished to teach that Mary had no other children following her firstborn (prototokos), he could have used the word ONLY (monogenes). That Mary did have other children is explicit in 8.19-20 and in Mark 3.31-35) [Stagg, 23-34]. 2. Docetism (40, 52) Luke affirmed that Jesus grew (2:40, 52). Both the divinity and humanity of Jesus are taken seriously in Luke s Gospel. There were no Doscetics (those who said that Christ only seemed to have a body) among those who knew Jesus in the days of His flesh. Luke affirmed both. Jesus was begotten of the Holy Spirit (1:35), and grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men (2:52) [Stagg, 28]. DRL Note: BIBLIOGRAPHY of Works Cited can be reached by clicking H-E-R-E. Questions to Test True or False 01. Traveling to Jerusalem was an unusual event for Joseph and Mary.
Luke 1 Study Guide from: http://maplehillchurchofchrist.org Page 7 of 8 02. Joseph was a Levite. 03. On the way back to their fields, the shepherds were glorifying and praising God. 04. Simeon held the baby Jesus. 05. Luke tells about an event that happened when Jesus was twelve years old. Fill in a Name that MATCHES the Description 06. Increased in wisdom. 07. Made a decree about taxation. 08. Said: Glory to God in the highest. 09. Said: Now lettest thou thy servant die. 10. Daughter of Phanuel. Fill in the Blanks 11. What Jesus said He must be about:, OR from the ASV: in my. 12. This was upon the child as He grew:. 13. A was traveled before Joseph and Mary realized that Jesus was not with them. 14. For unto you is born this day in the city of a, which is Christ the. 15. At the appearance of the angel, the shepherds were. Each Question is worth 7 Points My Score is: Answers will be found on next week s handout ANSWERS to Introduction to Luke 1 Questions 1) True, 27; 2) False, 46; 3) True, 11; 4) True, 50; 5) False, 77; 6) John the Baptist, 14; 7) Zacharias, 68; 8) Elisabeth, 57-58; 9) John the Baptist, 41; 10) Zacharias, 21; 11) troubled, fear, 12; 12) dumb, speak, 20; 13) for, ever, end, 33; 14) Zacharias, 59; 15) spirit, deserts, showing, 80.]
Luke 1 Study Guide from: http://maplehillchurchofchrist.org Page 8 of 8 Luke 2 (KJV) 1 2 3 4 U 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 ACROSS 01) The decree went out from Caesar. 04) Pondered. 07) Shepherds returned to the fields doing this. 08) Jesus was born in the city of. 10) Place to which Joseph, Mary, and Jesus returned. 13) Simeon was waiting for the of Israel. 14) A light to the Gentiles. DOWN 02) One acceptable offering was a pair of them. 03) Describes the size of the heavenly host. 05) Anna was one. 06) Shepherds were sore. 09) Simeon would not die till he had seen the Lord s. 11) Every that openeth the womb. 12) The angel brought good tidings of great.