by:
08/12/2025
0
“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus ...” (v1). The birth of Jesus happened during the time of a powerful emperor whose decrees made impact all over the Roman Empire. However, Jesus was born to a simple Galilean family, and common shepherds were his first visitors. Two aging believers, Simeon and Anna, affirmed that the child was God’s salvation, a “light to the Gentiles” and the “glory of Israel” (v32).
“And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths ...” (v12). God’s great salvation did not come in the form of political might, but instead as a vulnerable baby in a manger. God’s way of making the world right confounds human wisdom and power.