Dec. 10, 2025

Dear Friends,

I hope you can join us tonight as we complete our study of Luke 2:1-21. Tonight we will focus on vv 10-21. Notes are attached.

After tonight, we will take a break. Bible studies resume on 1-14-2026.

LIVING THE CHRISTLIFE

WAYNE BARRETT

DECEMBER 10, 2025

The Birth of Christ

Luke 2:1-21

Pt. 2

10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for

all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a

manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and

saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

v 10 – “…for all the people”

From the very beginning, the coming of Jesus was for “all the people.” This may not have been

fully realized the time, the angel’s words notwithstanding.

v 11 – more lit. “For has been born to you today, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David.”

What & when, who, where

“to you”—the angel is speaking to the shepherds as representatives of all of mankind

From the very beginning, Jesus was a gift. He still is.

“a Savior”—the first was in which Jesus is described

The angel in a dream to Joseph: “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus,

for he will save his people from their sins.”—Matthew 1:21

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”—Luke 19:10

This has not changed

“who is Christ the Lord”

This was colossal in importance

This is not an honorific, this is a specific description of who the Savior is

Christ - Christos = Messiah, the Anointed One

Lord – Jesus is Lord, a recognition of his divinity and authority

“in the city of David.”

This was necessary for more than one reason

As appropriate to the announcement of the Christ—he comes from Bethlehem as

prophesied (cf Matthew 2:1-8, citing Micah 5:2)

Also, the shepherd needed to know where to go!

v 12 – “And this will be a sign …”

more lit. “And this [is] to you the sign”

“wrapped in swaddling cloths”—indicating that, in spite of appearances, this will be a baby

receiving loving care

“lying in a manger”—a sign for the shepherds, forever a sign for how Jesus came (and did not

come) into the world, and forever a sign of the welcome he received from the world.

vv 13-14 – “And suddenly there was with the angel …”

When stories are told, and the tellers make a point to say something happened suddenly, we

know it was unexpectedly quick

2

The Scripture says that there was a multitude [pléthos] of the heavenly hosts. It does not say if

they were in the sky or on the earth (although v 15 says “when the angels went away from

them into heaven …”). They may have covered the earth and the sky.

“praising God and saying”

It does not say that the angels were singing, but the words of the angels down through the

centuries have been considered to be a song (and often sung!)

Although the earth did not know, all of the heavenly host knew what had happened, and

this mighty act of God in love and in power was the cause of praise and great

rejoicing

“… and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

kai epi gēs eirēnē en anthrōpois eudokias

lit. his good pleasure

“Glory to God in the highest, and upon earth peace, among men — good will.” (YLT)

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (KJV)

Whatever the exact choice in English, the message should be one proclaiming that this is an act

of God, according to his good pleasure, for the joy and salvation of humanity. It is not a

proclamation—one at which the angels celebrate— suggesting that God is pleased with the

condition of people (or that he is pleased with some of the people)—in which case, they

would not need a Savior.

__________

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over

to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they

went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it,

they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it

wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in

her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as

it had been told them.

21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the

angel before he was conceived in the womb.

v 15 – “When the angels went away …”

“when” – hōs, as, in like manner, so more lit. “And it happened, just like the angels departed

from them into heaven, the shepherds were saying to one another, ‘We should indeed go over

to Bethlehem …’”

In other words, the angels departed and the shepherd said to each other, we need to depart as

well.

more lit. “and let us see this word that has come to be which the Lord has made known to us.”

v 16 – “And they went with haste …”

Actually, more lit. “And they came, having hurried …”

Now there seems to be a subtle shift in point of view of the narrative, it is now being told

“from” Bethlehem’s experience—the shepherds came, having hurried

and found – aneuriskó, to find out, to discover. They had to ask around …

“and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby, lying in the manger”

Not sure why some translations do not include “both” [te]

Whoever shared this with Luke (see below), it seems, wanted it made clear that they were

both together and with the child.

3

v 17 – “And when they saw it …”

more lit. “Now having seen, they made known [told many others] about the saying having been

told them about this child.”

This appears to mean, at least immediately, made it known in Bethlehem—where, of course,

there was an unusual gathering at the time, due to the census

v 18 – “And all who heard it …”

People marveled at what the shepherds told them

But … what did they do afterwards? We don’t know. There did not appear to be a great

groundswell of support for the child or for Mary and Joseph either.

v 19 – “But Mary treasured up all these things …”

This verse might be seem as an indication that much of the information Luke received came from

Mary—or from someone who got it from her. This is a long-standing observation.

Even for faithful Mary and Joseph, chosen by God for their roles, spoken to by God through

angels—even for them, the truth of Jesus was, initially, something more vast than they could

understand.

v 20 – “And the shepherds returned …”

This verse serves to indicate that v 17 was meant locally.

One day we may know the rest of their stories.

v 21 – “And at the end of eight days …”

Normally, the firstborn would more likely have been named after the father, or perhaps with a

family name of particular significance

God chose the name for his Son

This further affirmed Jesus’ divine nature—both Mary and Joseph (independently) had been told

by an angel to name the child Jesus