Luke 2 Luke 2:1–5 Augustus taxes all the Roman empire: Joseph goeth with Mary to be taxed at Bethlehem. Luke 2:6–7 The birth of Christ. Luke 2:8–14 An angel bringeth news thereof to the shepherds: the heavenly host praise God.

Octavius Caesar (called Augustus, for his prosperous achievements) was the first Roman emperor properly so called, (for Julius Caesar had but the title of perpetual dictator), in the forty-second year of whose reign Christ was born, (Josephus saith, in the one and thirtieth year, Antiq. cap.

This was the occasion of Joseph’s coming to Bethlehem, who either for fear of Herod, or for the convenience of his trade, (though he belonged to the tribe of Judah), was removed into Galilee; but he yieldeth obedience to the civil magistrates, and cometh to be enrolled in the court books belonging…

It is Bucer’s note, that in the Greek it is not her firstborn Son, but τον υιον αυτης τον πρωτοτοκον, her Son, the firstborn; he was truly her Son, and her Son firstborn, but he was not called προωτοτοχος upon that account merely, for he was the firstborn of every creature, Col.

Bethlehem was a place about which were pastures for sheep, as appears from 1 Sam. 17:15. There were shepherds abroad in the night (for so the word signifieth) watching over their flocks; whether the phrase signifieth (as some think) successive watches, such as are kept by soldiers, and by the…

Christ was promised to men who by their occupation were shepherds, Gen. 47:3. He himself was the chief Shepherd, and the true Shepherd, John 10:11. The first publication of his birth is made to shepherds; not to shepherds that were idle, but busied in their honest vocations, keeping their flocks.

Though God, in his appearances to his people, was wont so to appear, as to show them cause to revere his majesty, yet he always supported them, that their spirits might not fail under those apprehensions and consternations.

The nativity of our Saviour was published first by one angel, but it must be celebrated by a multitude of angels, who appear praising God upon this occasion. These are called the Lord’s host, Ps.

It was night, yet they delayed not to go and make a search, according to the revelation of the angel; and not in vain, they found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe. Divine revelations never deceive the soul that gives credit to them.

The different effect of these things upon the generality of the people, upon Mary, and upon the shepherds, is worthy of our notice. The people only wondered, thinking the story of the shepherds a strange story.

The time prescribed by the Divine law for circumcision was the eighth day. Gen. 17:12, Lev. 12:3. He was indeed the lawgiver, and as such not tied to the observance of the law. But he was also made of a woman, made under the law, Gal. 4:4; and the law was, Lev.

In these verses is a record of the virgin’s obedience to two laws, the one concerning the purification of the woman after child birth; the other concerning the presenting of the male child before the Lord. We have the law concerning purification, Lev. 12 throughout.

Interpreters have spent much pains in fortifying their conjectures (for they can be no more) that this Simeon was Rabban Simeon, the son of Hillel, the father of Gamaliel, but to what purpose I cannot tell; it can hardly be thought that a man of that note should do such a thing as this so openly,…

The song consists of an eulogium of Christ, whom Simeon here calls: 1. The Lord’s salvation; 2. A light to lighten the Gentiles; 3. The glory of Israel; and a petition, that now the Lord would let him depart in peace. But I shall take the words in order.

Brentius notes on this text, Non admirantur quia non credunt, sed quia credunt ideo admirantur, They did not admire because they did not believe, but because they believed therefore they marvelled.

Simeon blessed them: some may question how it was that Simeon blessed Christ, whereas the apostle tells us, The less is blessed of the better, Heb. 7:7. But we must distinguish between: 1.

God took care that our Saviour’s nativity should be fully attested. To the testimony of the angels, the wise men, the shepherds, Simeon, here is added another. It is that of Anna, who is described here by her tribe and by her father.

If the wise men, mentioned Matt. 2:1, had been with Herod before this time, it is more than probable that Herod would have made an end of Christ at this time, therefore certainly it was after this time. Luke saith nothing of what we have Matt. 2:13–15, Matt.

This verse shortly sums up all that we have in the Gospel of the history of the first twelve years of our Saviour’s life. Though there could be no accession to the perfection of the Divine nature in Christ, yet as to his human nature he was (as we are) capable of accession of habits, and wisdom and…

The law of God enjoined all the males of the Israelites to appear at Jerusalem before him three times each year, of which the feast of unleavened bread was one; but the women seem not to have been all under the same obligation, but many of them went, of which Mary was one, but we read not of…

It is said by those who are learned in the Jewish writings, that till a child was of this age he was not obliged by the law to go. We have in Scripture nothing to ascertain us in the case; it is certain that our Saviour went at this age, after the custom of the feast, that is, so as to be there…

The feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread, held seven days, during which time Joseph and Mary stayed in Jerusalem, and then returned. They usually both went to and returned from these feasts in great troops, or companies.

What was the subject matter of the doctors’ and Christ’s discourses is vainly questioned, only in the general we may be assured it was something about the Divine law; what the particular themes or subjects were is not material for us to inquire.

Though something must be allowed to a woman’s passions and a mother’s indulgence, yet one would think that, especially considering where they found him, and what doing, she should not have spoken thus unto him, had she had a clear and distinct knowledge of his Divine nature, in union with her…

Some read it—that I must be in my Father’s house? Then the sense must be, why did you seek me in any other place than the temple, that is, my Father’s house, there lieth my business. But the phrase seemeth rather to signify as we translate it.

We left him at Nazareth, after Mary’s purification, Luke 2:39; we find him at Nazareth now at twelve years old. We shall now read no more of him till Luke 3:23, when he came to be about thirty years of age.

If any ask how he, who was the eternal Wisdom of the Father, (who is the only wise God), increased in wisdom, they must know that all things in Scripture which are spoken of Christ, are not spoken with respect to his entire person, but with respect to the one or the other nature united in that…