Luke 2:1–7 The Bible tells the story of the birth of the Messiah from the perspective of a number of human individuals, including His parents, the shepherds, and the Magi. Jesus came as the messenger of God’s love in the form of a human baby—and, at the same time, the Messiah for all nations. As a descendant of David and a member of the tribe of Judah, Joseph left the region of Galilee with his wife Mary to travel to his ancestral home in Bethlehem in the region of Judea to register in the required census. The direct travel route would have taken them through Samaria, about a 90-mile uphill journey. The Jews, however, preferred to avoid Samaria and normally took an indirect route along the east side of the Jordan River. The journey, which usually took three days, would have been especially difficult for a pregnant woman. Joseph found the only accommodations available in a stable where animals were kept. There, Mary gave birth to her son. She named the baby Jesus in obedience to God’s command (Matt. 1:21, 1:25; Luke 1:31) and used a manger, or feeding trough, as the baby’s bed. She wrapped Jesus in strips of fabric to keep Him warm. Jesus’ birth in a stable suggests Mary and Joseph’s poverty while simultaneously emphasizing Jesus’ humble beginnings.
Luke 2:8–15 The angels appeared to the shepherds in the first public announcement of Jesus’ birth. Shepherds were low on the social order––they were despised as unclean because they often ignored Mosaic Law requiring ritual cleansing, and they were considered to be unreliable witnesses as well as dishonest. Yet God honored this group with the news of His Son’s birth. Known for the bravery, the shepherds quaked with fear before the angel. The angel told the shepherds where and how they could find the baby and proclaimed the birth of God’s Son by using titles like “Savior,” “Christ,” and “Lord.” Savior can be taken to mean healer or deliverer, Christ means Messiah, and Lord can be understood to describe the divine nature of Jesus. Then, a large group of angels—the word host literally means army—suddenly appeared and voiced praises to God for what He had done. The heavenly army also pronounced a blessing of peace to anyone “on whom [God’s] favor rests.”
Luke 2:16–20 After hearing of Jesus’ birth, the shepherds went in haste to the newborn. They were immediate witnesses to His birth and praised God for what they saw and heard. Not only were they the first witnesses of the Christ-child in the manger, they were also the first to share the news with others. Luke wrote that Mary “treasured these things in her heart” (v. 19). This precise wording may have been used because Luke considered Mary’s recollection of events as the source of what he wrote regarding the story of Jesus’ birth. Interestingly, Luke used the same wording again in Luke 2:51.
Matthew 2:1-8 The Magi’s visit to Jesus took place sometime after Christ’s birth, possibly arriving when Jesus was about two years old. Matthew suggested the star had appeared to the Magi some time earlier (v. 7) and referred to Jesus as a child instead of a baby (vv. 9, 11). Matthew also documented that the Magi came to the house where Jesus was (v. 11). Little is known about the Magi. In term is used in the New Testament to describe men involved in astrology, dream interpretations, or magic. They traveled from the east, most likely from Babylon. The Magi recognized that the star they followed was supernatural. They stated that they had seen “His star in the east” and had come to worship Him (Jesus).
It is easy to understand Herod’s concern about the Messiah and his fear about rivals to his throne. His position as an appointee of the Roman government was vulnerable to the claims of a true king of the line of David. Out of his anxiety, Herod called together individuals who were knowledgeable of the Old Testament to ask them where Christ was to be born. The location of the birth of King Jesus was well known: Bethlehem of Judea or Judah (quoted in Mic. 5:2). The addition of the phrase “land of Judah” further emphasizes Jesus’ lineage from a royal tribe. Herod’s next course of action was a deceptive attempt to gain detailed information about the Messiah from the Magi, telling them that he wanted a report on His whereabouts so he might also worship the Messiah.
Matthew 2:9–12 The star the Magi followed continued to move, coming to a stop directly above where the Christ-child was. This was divine communication from God to the Magi. They found the house where Jesus was and visited with Mary and Jesus. They also brought gifts to the child. The gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh were the most valuable imported items of the time and reflected the value that the Magi placed on the child. The reason that many people today think of three Magi visiting Jesus is because there were three gifts given; in reality, however, to travel such a great distance from the East would likely have entailed a much larger caravan in order to guard against highway robbery. Revelation by dreams was likely a part of the culture in which the Magi lived. Thus, they obeyed God by returning to their own country by another route in order to avoid telling King Herod about Jesus’ location.