Begin with 2 minutes of silence and stillness before God.

Imagine for a moment that you are the God of the entire universe. You created the Heavens and the Earth along with all that dwells within them with just your spoken words. You are all-knowing, all-powerful, and your glory is undefinable.

Got it in your head?

Now imagine that you, the almighty God of everything created, are to be reborn as the Son of Man in a stable and laid in a manger fashioned into a bed. It seems a little too simple of an entrance, right? How wild is it that this is exactly the way it happened? Unlike the book of John chapter one, Luke chapter two dives into the oddities of the birth of Jesus with very little detail. Luke, the writer of this book, was a physician. He was an educated man who surely had keenly studied the Law of Moses. Akin to the intellectual he was, his writing focuses on the high points of Jesus' beginnings on Earth. Luke spends much of the first half of this chapter skimming through the story of the nativity only giving as much information as is needed to understand the basics of the lowly environment into which Jesus is born. In eighteen verses, he summarizes one of the most vital parts of the entire gospel.

His lack of adjectives isn’t wasted. It serves as a simple and easy-to-grasp base which he builds upon and highlights certain aspects of the story of the beginning of Jesus’ reformational efforts in the temple. His absence of elaboration comes to a dead halt once we get to verse twenty-two. Here we begin to see Luke’s main interest for chapter two - the law. Jesus’ parents followed the “Law of Moses” precisely. This further adds to Jesus’ testimony while maintaining the prophecies about Jesus fulfilling the law to the last iota. One of these laws is alluded to in verse twenty-four where a ceremonial sacrifice is made on Jesus’ behalf by Mary and Joseph. The law itself reads:

“And if she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering.”

This further emphasizes that Christ was born into a poor family. Luke then transitions to focus on Jesus’ beginnings in the temple quoting Simeon, a righteous man, as well as a prophetess named Anna and their encounters with Christ. We really begin to see Jesus’ influence on the temple become evident in verses forty through forty-nine. Here we see Jesus voluntarily staying behind in Jerusalem without his parents’ knowledge (big time “Home Alone" vibes). Despite His humble beginnings, Jesus’ knowledge and wisdom at the young age of twelve impress the leaders in the temple. You could almost see this as the beginning of His ministry.

I wonder what roadblocks exist in our own walks with God. We are human. That means that we often let our situations define us and prevent us from becoming who God wills us to be. I am thankful today for a Savior who broke through those roadblocks and barriers so that we could have a relationship with Him regardless.

Reflections:

• Grab some pen and paper and jot down some “roadblocks” or barriers you face when completely pursuing God.
• Next to your barriers, brainstorm some spiritual habits which will help you overcome your obstacles and posture yourself towards God and His will for your life.
• Spend some time in prayer asking the Lord for guidance and reflecting on His grace.

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.

Family Application: Luke 2

Author: Jana Whittington

Today, we are reading from Luke chapter 2 verses 41-52. This is a story about when Jesus was a young boy.  Very little is known of the childhood of Jesus. This story is a glimpse into the life of twelve-year-old Jesus, which is definitely interesting. When Jesus was 12, he traveled with his parents to Jerusalem for Passover. Usually, when traveling to the Passover Feast, the families would travel in groups to help avoid danger on their journey.  Mary and Joseph assumed Jesus was with the group of travelers, but when they realized that Jesus was not with the group, they returned to Jerusalem. They found Jesus in the temple with the teachers where He was learning and teaching! This passage in Luke shows that even from a young age, people could tell that Jesus was special. He spoke with real wisdom and authority as He sat among the teachers in the temple. 

Mary and Joseph were very surprised to find Jesus in the temple.  Mary asked Jesus why He would do this and make them worry and search for Him.  Let’s read Jesus’ reply. Luke 2:49 says, “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” Jesus explains that they did not need to look for Him because the most logical place for Him to be is in His Father’s house.  Mary and Joseph thought Jesus was lost, but He was where He belonged. 

Luke tells us that Jesus went to Nazareth with Mary and Joseph, and He was obedient to them. This story reminds us that Jesus was aware of His identity as the Son of God, but He also obeyed His parents. Jesus teaches us the importance of following God and also obeying our earthly parents.  

• Prayer: God, thank You for Jesus! Thank You for the wise people in my life who I can learn from. Help me to be a good listener and be obedient. I love You! In Jesus’ name, Amen.