Lesson From Doctor Luke – Luke 2

Devotions

by Bill Spaans:

We know from history that Luke was probably a gentile, and a medical doctor, and that he committed to leaving behind a detailed summary of the life of Jesus (the gospel of Luke) and of the early church (the book of Acts).  As Dr. Luke himself wrote in Luke 1: 1-3

“Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account —.”

So we can assume that Luke left an accurate record of the life of Jesus!  It records the birth of Jesus, which we most often read at Christmas time. As a friend of mine noted, “this passage of Scriptures is considered one of the most familiar in the whole Bible. The list of characters spans from Caesar to Anna, the shepherds, the teachers in the temple and the angels and of course Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. In it, God chose Mary and Joseph, humble and godly to be Jesus parents. God chose the outcast shepherds to be the first to hear of the birth of the Messiah. God chose Simeon and Anna two old, devout worshippers to prophecy about the baby Jesus and his eventual ministry. God did not choose Caesar or Quirinius or the teachers in the temple to tell the world that a Saviour has been born.”

When I read the passage I was reminded of a Christmas hymn where we sing:

Thou calmest, O Lord, with the living word
That should set Thy people free;
But with mocking scorn, and with crown of thorn,
They bore Thee to Calvary.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.

In this hymn we are reminded that the King of all creation came as a helpless baby to reveal God’s love to the world He had created, and the world rejected Him. And the world still rejects Him today.

We are now past the halfway mark to next Christmas (sorry for the reminder!).  So what does this Christmas scripture have to teach us today, in the middle of summer? For me, it reminds me of two important truths:

  1. First, today, in the busyness of our crazy, upset lives, it is important to make room for Jesus!  We may social distance from each other, but we must not, and can not, social distance from the omni-present God.
  2. And secondly, God chooses to tell the world that the Saviour has indeed come, through everyday people like us doing daily life through the power of the Holy Spirit.

So this summer let us live into our mission statement, striving to “know Christ more fully”.  And lets also find ways “to make Him known”! 
To God be the glory!