NOTES for Luk 2:1-20
There is nothing sentimental or saccharine in the account of the birth of Jesus Christ in a manger, with the cave, shepherds, and angels. Instead, there is much that is majestic and solemn. We should not be troubled by the modest setting of a country stable or the poverty of the guests—this is a true messianic feast. Everything here points to Jesus' distant ancestor and the most famous anointed king—that is, in Greek, christ—David: his native city Bethlehem, the shepherds' occupation (David himself was a shepherd for his father), and the astonishing parallels with the One who will likewise be a Shepherd for His Father. He too is born to be King, Anointed One, Christ; He too, like the “youngest of the brothers,” will miraculously defeat the Enemy by God's power and “remove the disgrace from Israel” (compare 1 Samuel 17 or Psalm 151). Knowing the entire subsequent story, the evangelist was able to discern glory in the ordinary, impoverished life of a family overtaken by childbirth at night in a stable. We too know this story: do we know how to see truly?