We continue with the infancy narrative from Luke’s gospel. The event described here was a legal requirement of Jewish law. The author combines two requirements, the purification ceremony after childbirth and the concentration of the first-born to the Lord.

Earlier in this gospel account, the shepherds and said to be terrified at the appearance of the angels. It is now clear that the good news of the birth of the messiah has alleviated those fears as they go to be the first to pay homage to the newborn messiah.

As is the tradition in the Gospel of Luke, the poor and oppressed are held up. In this story, only told in Luke’s gospel, the shepherds are the first to have the news proclaimed to them of the birth of the messiah. Most likely being nomads, it would be especially good news to them that the messiah would come from such humble beginnings.

Later tradition says that Jesus was born in a cave, but the text from Luke’s gospel indicates it was in a outdoor space near the inn. From Luke’s gospel comes the tradition that Joseph and Mary could not stay in the comfort of the inn because there was no room for them. We can contemplate on what we do in our lives to not make room for Jesus. Not making room for Jesus can be in the spiritual sense, but it can also be in the physical sense. Jesus comes to us in many form, many time in people might despise in simple not have time or room for them. In that same way, we are telling Jesus that there is no room in the inn that we control.

Henri J.M. Nouwen, in his book “Advent and Christmas Wisdom,” reminds us that when we journey, like Mary and Joseph did, God is with us. “God came to us because [God] wanted to join us on the road, to listen to our story, and to help us realize that we are not walking in circles but moving towards the house of peace and joy. This is the great mystery of Christmas that continues to give us comfort and consolation: we are not alone on our journey.”

In this rather short passage from the Gospel of Matthew, the trust and faith of Joseph is demonstrated. The word came to Joseph, about the conception of Jesus trough the Holy Spirit, through a dream. Like Joseph, we are also called to listen for the word of God in our lives and to have the trust to follow that word

The author of Luke’s gospel focused on Mary prior to the birth narrative, the author of Matthew’s gospel tells the story form Joseph’s point of view. The name Jesus is derived from the Hebrew name Yeshua, which means “to deliver” or “to rescue.” Thus, the last sentence in this passage.

The text from the passage of scripture is popularly know as the Canticle of Zechariah. Like the Canticle of Mary, it is largely composed of phrases from the Septuagint and is likely Jewish-Christian hymn. It does not directly answer the question Zechariah was asked in verse 66, because it appears to apply to Jesus instead of John.

The author of the Gospel according to Luke gives us the first birth narrative of Christian scripture; John in born to Elizabeth and Zechariah. John is one of the important characters of the Advent season because it was he who would prepare the way for the Lord, as foretold by Isaiah and recounted in the Gospel of Matthew.

The beautiful and humble prayer attributed to Mary in the Gospel of Luke is prayed daily at Vespers.

We read, in the Gospel of Luke, of the joy felt by both Elizabeth and the child in her womb, who would grow up to become John the Baptist. Do we too feel that sense of overwhelming joy in the presence of Jesus?