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001

Luke

Chapter 2
{The Census and the Birth of Jesus}
2:1`` Now it came to pass, in those days
a decree went out from Caesar Augustus
to 'take a census'/'register all the empire for taxes'.

2:2`` This was the first census taken
while Quirinius/Cyrenius {name means warrior}
was governor of Syria.

2:3`` Everyone went to his own town to be registered.

2:4`` So Joseph also went up
from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea,
to the city of David called Bethlehem,
because he was of the house and family line of David.

2:5`` He went to be enrolled/registered with Mary,
who was promised in marriage to him,
and who was expecting a child.

2:6``And it came to pass,
while they were there,
the time came for her to deliver her child.

2:7`` And she gave birth to her first-born son
and wrapped him in strips of cloth
  {sparganoo- burial clothes}
and laid Him {the baby Jesus}
in a feeding-trough/manger {phatne},
because there was no place for them in the inn/'lodging place'.

{The Shepherds' Receive a Visit}
2:8~~And in the same region
there were shepherds bivouacking/living
'out in the field'/'under the open skies' {camped out} . . .
keeping guard over their flock by night.

2:9~~And the angel of the Lord
  {the King/Officer of Arms in the Angelic College of Heralds -
  Powerful angel of Revelation Chapter 10}
stood before them . . .
and the glory of the Lord shined around them . . .
and they {the shepherds} were extremely frightened
  {took a lot to frighten these hardy shepherds!}.

2:10~~And the angel {King/Officer of Arms} said to them,
"Stop being frightened!
For BEHOLD . . . I bring you good news . . . of great Happiness.

It shall be for ALL people.

11~~Because today in the city of David
there has been born for you a Savior . . .
Who is Christ the Lord."

12~~And, this will be the sign for you . . .
you will find a baby
wrapped in strips of cloth {sparganoo - burial clothes}
and lying in a feeding trough.

{Note: The 'sign' was something unusual . . . babies are not usually found in feeding troughs! However, the REAL unusual thing was wrapping a baby in 'strips of cloth'. Strips of cloth were usually found on the DEAD (like we see on Egyptian mummies)! This again was a foretelling that the death on the cross was the primary reason for the birth of Christ.}

13-14~~Suddenly there appears
with the angel {King/Officer of arms}
a large number of soldiers from heaven
  {elect angels - Army of the Lord} . . .
praising God and saying, 14~~
"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth
peace among people
with whom He is pleased!"

{Note: You can not give in worship what you do NOT have. For example, money . . . you can not donate money if you do not have money. This is the same with 'glory'. You can not give 'glory' to the Lord because you do not HAVE any glory. But the elect angels do have glory! We will have 'glory' in our resurrected bodies and then can give praise and glory to the Lord.}

15~~So it was, when the angels had 'passed in review'/'gone away'
from them into heaven,
that the shepherds began speaking face to face to one an other,
"Now, let us go obey the mandate,
straight through to Bethlehem with out stopping
and see this word of doctrine for ourselves . . .
which has come to pass . . .
which the Lord has made known to us
  {through the teaching of the King of Arms of the Angelic Army}.

{Note: Shepherds understood authority, recognized true authority, operated under authority, obeyed authority and had self-control. They listened to the message, heard the message, obeyed the message and moved out immediately.}

16``And they came with haste
and found Mary and Joseph,
and the Babe lying in a feeding trough {Is. 1:2-3; Heb.10:6-10}.

{Note: They persisted in their search, making good decisions from a position of strength (from humility and the motivational virtue of love for God) - doing a right thing in a right way - from a right scale of values . . . no looking back . . . no indecisiveness. They moved out immediately and did not quit until they found the baby.}

17`` And, having seen this {the sign},
they made known {to others}
concerning the word/doctrine,
which had been told them
concerning the child.

18``And all who heard it marveled/wondered
concerning what the shepherds told them.

19``But Mary kept on guarding/treasuring in her 'right lobe'/heart
all these doctrines and pondered them in her heart.

2:20``So the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen,
and saw just as it was told to them.

2:21`` And when eight days were completed
at the end of the period He was circumcised.

His name was called Jesus
  {Iesous - is the Greek version of the Hebrew Joshua. The name
  means 'God saves' or Savior},
the name given by the angel
before He was conceived in the womb.

{Jesus' Presentation at the Temple
  and the Meetings with Simeon and Anna}
2:22-24``Now when the time came for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
Joseph and Mary brought Jesus up to Jerusalem
to dedicate/present Him to the Lord 2:23``
(just as it is written in the law of the Lord,
"Every firstborn male
will be called separated/holy to the Lord"), 2:24``
and to offer a sacrifice
according to what is specified in the law of the Lord,
"a pair of doves/turtledoves or two young pigeons."

2:25``And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem,
whose name was Simeon
and this man was righteous/just {dikaios}
and 'one who reverenced God'/devout {eulabes},
looking expectantly toward
'that which will afford comfort and refreshment' {paraklesis}
for Israel . . . and the Holy Spirit was on him
  {notice 'on him' not 'in him' - this was still pre-Church Age and this
  man had the enduement of the Holy Spirit, not the indwelling of
  Him}.

2:26`` It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he would not die {thanatos}
before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

2:27-32``So, directed by the Spirit,
Simeon came into the temple/outer courts
and the parents brought in the child Jesus
to do for Him what was customary according to the law . . . 2:28``
and Simeon took Him up in his arms
and eulogized/praised God, saying, 2:29``
"Master {despotes},
now permit your slave to depart in peace,
according to Your word . . . 2:30``
for my eyes have seen your salvation 2:31``
that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples . . . 2:32``
a light for revelation to the Gentiles . . .
  {Revelation 1:1 starts "The apocalypse/revelation (apokalupsis -
  (singular)) of Jesus Christ . . ." the ONE topic of the book is our
  Lord and Savior Jesus Christ}
and for glory to Your people Israel."

2:33`` So the child's father and mother were marveling/amazed
at what was said about Him.

2:34-35``Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary,
"Take note, this child is appointed for the falling
and rising of many in Israel,
and to be a sign/'miraculous attestation'
that will be opposed/'constantly refused 2:35``
and, moreover, a sword will pierce through your own soul too
so that the deliberations/thoughts of many 'right lobes'/hearts
will be revealed/uncovered."

2:36``And, there was also a prophetess,
Anna the daughter of Phanuel - of the tribe of Asher.

She was very old, having lived with her husband
seven years after her virginity
  {parthenia - meaning her marriage}, 2:37``
and then as a widow eighty-four years.

She never left the temple,
worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day
  {nesteia - is translated 'fast'. What it means is to replace the
  normal activities of life - eating, drinking, social life, business on
  and on with intense concentration in spiritual activities - here in
  prayer but is also used when that time is taken in intense study
  of the Word}.

2:38``She came up at that very moment
and began to give thanks to God,
and continued to speak of Him to all
who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

2:39`` So when Joseph and Mary had performed everything
according to the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee,
to their own town of Nazareth.

{The Pattern/'Prototype Life' Jesus Christ Left for All Church Age Believers}
2:40~~And the child/infant {paidion - referring to Jesus Christ}
kept on growing
and kept on receiving 'strength in self-discipline' {krataioo} . . .
filled {pleroo} with wisdom
  {sophia - bible doctrine resident in His human soul} . . .
and the grace {charis} of God kept on being upon Him.

{Note: Pleroo is the verb meaning to 'fill up a deficiency'. Here it is our understanding of divine viewpoint that is deficient. The intake of doctrine fills that deficiency. In other verses, pleroma refers to one with an 'edification complex of the soul'. See also Romans 8:4.}

{Note: Paul tells us to imitate Paul as he imitated Christ. How did Paul imitate Christ? Both 'kept on growing'. This had a double meaning. Not only did the child Jesus Christ grow physically but this verse also tells us His Humanity kept on 'filling the deficiency' of bible doctrine in His human soul. He learned doctrine though much faster and much earlier in life then the rest of us. But this is the pattern. First comes the intake of divine viewpoint, then later, once the wisdom is in place, then is the application to life's experiences. And, throughout the process, the grace of God kept on being on Him - the same with all believers who are growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (the bible IS the Mind of Christ).}

{Jesus in the Temple}
2:41`` Now His {Jesus'} parents went to Jerusalem
every year for the feast of the Passover.

2:42``And, when He was twelve years old
they went up according to custom of the feast.

2:43-44``And, having completed their stay
during the days of the feast,
while they were returning home,
the boy Jesus lingered/stayed behind in Jerusalem.

His parents did not know it, 2:44``
but because they assumed that he was in their group of travelers
they went a day's journey.
Then they conducted an intensive search for Him
among their relatives and acquaintances.

2:45``And, when they did not find Him,
they returned to Jerusalem
searching diligently for Him.

2:46``And it came to pass after three days,
they found Him in the temple courts,
sitting among the teachers,
both listening to them
and asking them questions.

2:47`` And all who heard Jesus were astonished
at His understanding {sunesis}
and His answers {apokrisis}.

2:48``And, having seen Him,
they {His parents} were struck with astonishment.

And, His mother said to him,
"My Child, why did You treat us in this manner?

Look, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously."

2:49``And He replied, "Why were you looking for Me?

Didn't you know that I must be 'about My Father's work'?"
  {idiom: literally; 'about My Father'}

2:50``However, they themselves
did not understand the remark He made to them.

2:51``Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth,
and was constantly obedient to them.

But his mother kept/guarded all these words in her 'right lobe'/heart.

2:52~~And Jesus kept on increasing in wisdom {sophia}
and stature {physical strength},
and in grace {charis} . . . from the immediate source of God
and mankind
  {anthropos - meaning human communicators of the Word -
  His Humanity studied and learned Doctrine because
  by His own free will, He agreed not to use His own Deity in the
  incarnation)}.

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