Christmas According to Luke

Matthew placed Jesus in Jewish history. Luke places Jesus in world history. He puts it in time – Caesar Augusts taxes the world during the time Quirinuis was governor of Syria . His genealogy ends with Adam.

Luke has carefully researched the events around Christ’s birth – and he starts with the events around Jesus’ cousin’s birth – the miraculous birth of John.

Luke gives fuller accounts of angels – Matthew talks about angels appearing in dreams (more acceptable to a first century Jewish audience) while Luke is writing to Theopilus -either a Greek patron or a group of Greek believers that were known as “God Lovers”. The Greeks were more accustomed to stories of the gods interacting with humans and so would be interested in angelic encounters. He writes about the angel coming to Zachariah who didn’t believe He could become a father and so had his mouth shut until the prophecy was fulfilled. Luke talks about everything Mary hid in her heart about Gabriel’s visit. He reveals the story of the shepherd in the field keeping watch over their flocks by night and lo, the angel of the Lord stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were terrified… sorry got lost in a Sunday School production… oh it’s too good, let’s keep going… and the angel said to them – “Fear Not, for behold I bring you news of great joy that shall be for all people, for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you ‘you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger.” And suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly hosts singing “Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace to all men on whom his favor rests”…

Wow, that takes me back… don’t you love Christmas pageants when you can’t hear the kids and don’t care if their lines get mixed up? I don’t care for the professional pageants – but hey if you like them, don’t let me stop you. I know the work that goes into them needs to be appreciated… where was I? OH yah, Luke…

Luke mentions the accounts of women – Mary, Elizabeth, Anna. He’s  the one to talk about the sheep herders in the field. He’s the one who makes sure we know they laid the child in a manger because there was no room in the inn. He makes sure to let you know the Angels said this is “great joy for all people”.

Luke was writing to Greek speaking believers who needed to know the Jewish Messiah was for them. You don’t have to be born into the right family. You don’t need to be the top of society. You don’t need to be a man to be loved by God.

It’s a message we need to get out to people every day. Why do non-Christians describe Christians as “Judgmental”? Because too often we are. As long as we have it right, it doesn’t matter who’s going to hell. That’s not the message of Luke.

Christmas according to Luke is Jesus came for all.