Luke 2 Bible study: Born to you today

Luke opens with a decree: "Now in those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled" (2:1). Joseph goes up "to David’s city, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David" (2:4), "to enroll himself with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him as wife, being pregnant" (2:5). The birth itself is told in one verse: "She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no room for them in the inn" (2:7) (tap feeding trough). The news is told to "shepherds in the same country staying in the field" (2:8). An angel of the Lord tells them, "Don’t be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people. For there is born to you today, in David’s city, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (2:10-11) (tap Savior and today). The sign he gives them is a baby: "you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a feeding trough" (2:12). They go, and find it as they were told: "They came with haste and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby was lying in the feeding trough" (2:16). They returned, "glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told them" (2:20).

Exodus 13:2→leads toLuke 2:22-23

The LORD says, "Sanctify to me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb" (13:2). Mary "gave birth to her firstborn son" (Luke 2:7), and he was brought to Jerusalem "to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord’)" (Luke 2:22-23). Luke's words echo this chapter (13:2, 13:12) and the law's repeat of it in 34:19 rather than quoting one verse. "When they had accomplished all things that were according to the law of the Lord", they went home to Nazareth (Luke 2:39).

σωτήρsotersay so-TARE

Strong's: "a deliverer". Thayer: "savior, deliverer; preserver". The angel tells the shepherds, "For there is born to you today, in David’s city, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (2:11). Luke's Greek has the word twice; the other is in Mary's words in chapter 1 (1:47). The New Testament has it 23 times (counted in RP2018, the Byzantine text the WEB translates), and of the other Gospels only John has it, once: "this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world" (John 4:42). In Acts, Peter and the apostles say, "God exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior" (Acts 5:31).