Another Layer to the Christmas Story

Luke 2

            Luke 2 contains some of the most familiar stories in all the Gospels, especially the first 20 verses, which are the Christmas story. One of the issues with that kind of familiarity are that we stop hearing everything the story has to say. As an example, we aren’t always able to hear the anti-imperial rhetoric in the story, the challenge to the powers that dominate this fallen age of the world. Consider that the birth of Caesar Augustus was considered a day of ‘good news for the world.’ ‘Savior’ and ‘Lord,’ were likewise associated with Caesar. And peace, well, Caesar brought peace, the Pax Romana, to the world. So, here is the apparatus of world domination, enforced by the might of the Roman legions, opposed by another king, born in poverty, in a backwater town, who by the end of the Gospel will reign from a cross and create peace not by His victory but by His death. Caesar can make his claims, but Jesus is the one who is truly the Savior, who brings peace.

Infancy Narrative

Luke 1

            Luke is often described as the Gospel for the Gentiles, and there is sense in which that is true. The book is addressed to Theophilos, a Gentile name if there ever was one. (It’s a Greek word which mean lover of God.)

            On the other hand, Luke throws us right into the deep end of the Old Testament. We are instantly supposed to understand about priests and the temple and sacrifices. Zechariah and Elizabeth are described in a way that calls Abraham and Elizabeth to mind. Maybe more specifically, it calls to mind Manoah and his wife, Samson’s parents, because John will also share characteristics of being a lifelong Nazirite.

            There is also the assumption that we will understand Israel’s national hopes, hopes which took shape in the era between the Testaments. For example, in 1:13 the angel announces that Zechariah’s prayers have been heard. Now, it is apparent that Zechariah has not been praying for a child; he has given that up as no longer a possibility—hence his doubt at the angel saying Elizabeth would conceive. No, what Zechariah and the people outside are praying for is ‘the redemption of Israel’ (2:25). Israelites in this period understood such redemption in terms of, say, Isaiah 60:3 and the nations streaming to Israel. They were looking for the throwing off of the yoke of foreign powers and becoming the chief power of the earth themselves. Note this is not some merely human kingdom; they legitimately believed that the Lord would reign in their midst, so there was a spiritual component, too. I’ll have to explain more about that in Bible class on Wednesday.

            The announcement of Jesus’ birth likewise drips with Old Testament language—of David and his kingdom (Ps. 2; 1 Sam. 7). But with Jesus things are different. The Lord regularly blessed barren woman with children (Sarah, Samson’s mom, Hannah), but that a virgin would conceive without the help of a man—now that’s new ground! The structure of chapters 1 and 2 make this point again and again: John is extraordinary, a miraculous child with a distinct purpose; but Jesus is even more extraordinary, more miraculous, and with a greater purpose. John is forerunner; Jesus is gift. Jesus puts it this way, “I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he” (Luke 7:28). John is the end of the Old Testament prophets, but Jesus is their fulfillment.