Luke 2: 21-52 Fulfilling the law…

The hymn is under praise and worship at the end now

This especially easy English version of Luke was translated directly using a Greek “interlinear” Bible, (with acknowledgments for a proofreading text to the King James Bible.) However, if you should find an error, do email me. 

Luke’s Gospel in intermediate English with highlights.

Blue = Words from heaven

Purple (for Divine Kingship) = Jesus’ words

Orange = human interaction

Green = Saints speaking by the Holy Spirit

Brown = devils

Black = narrative.

21-35 Circumcision and Simeon

²¹When the child was eight days old and circumcised, he was named ‘Jesus’, according to the instructions from the angel before His mother was pregnant. ²²After the waiting time had passed, set by the law of Moses for new mothers to become clean again, they brought Him to Jerusalem to offer Him to the Lord, ²³because it is written in the law of the Lord,

“Every male born will be called holy to the Lord”.

²⁴They then had to offer a sacrifice, according to the law of the Lord, of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. ²⁵Now in Jerusalem there was a godly man called Simeon, waiting for the time when Israel was to be helped, and the Holy Spirit was on him. ²⁶The Holy Spirit had shown him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Christ, ²⁷and so the Holy Spirit brought him into the temple, at the same time that Jesus was also brought into the temple, to present Him to God, according to the law. ²⁸As soon as he saw this, he took Him up in his arms, worshipping God, saying,

²⁹“Lord, I can die in peace now, just as you said; ³⁰for now I have seen your salvation, ³¹which you have done for all to see. ³²A light to lighten the non-Jewish world, and who is also the glory of your people Israel.”

³³Well, Joseph and His mother could hardly believe what they had heard said about Him, ³⁴and Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother,

“This child will cause the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and they will speak against Him,³⁵and the pain will reach you too. Then even the thoughts inside men will become known.”

36-38 Anna the prophetess recognises the infant Jesus.

³⁶The old prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, from the tribe of Aser, who had only been married to her husband for seven years from her virginity,³⁷and had been a widow for about eighty-four years, never left the temple, serving only God, by fasting and praying night and day.³⁸Just then, she arrived, and she came into the temple thanking the Lord and spoke about Him to anyone who wanted Jerusalem to be saved, and who would listen. ³⁹Then, as soon as they had finished doing what the law of the Lord required, they went back to Nazareth in Galilee.

40-52 Handover from mother to father…

⁴⁰As the child grew physically He also grew strong spiritually, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on Him. ⁴¹His parents went to Jerusalem every year for the Passover feast. ⁴²According to custom for twelve-year-old boys, they went up to Jerusalem, after the Passover feast. ⁴³When they completed the time set for this custom, they started to return home, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, and Joseph and His mother didn’t know. ⁴⁴They both assumed that He must be with each other, and had gone a whole day’s journey before they started asking where He was. ⁴⁵When they couldn’t find Him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for Him. ⁴⁶They found Him three days later in the temple, sitting with the learned men, both listening to them and asking questions of them. ⁴⁷Everyone who heard Him speak could hardly believe how much He understood and how well He answered. ⁴⁸When they eventually found Him, they were so surprised but His mother said emotionally,

“Why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been searching everywhere for you in great distress.”

⁴⁹He replied, 

“But why? Didn’t you know that I have now started doing the work of my Father?”

⁵⁰But they didn’t know what He was talking about. ⁵¹Anyway, He went with them to Nazareth, and obeyed them, but His mother was carefully remembering everything He said. ⁵²As Jesus grew physically, He grew in wisdom, and was highly thought of, by both God and men who were very pleased with Him. 

—Summary

“This child will cause the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and they will speak against Him,³⁵and the pain will reach you too. Then even the thoughts inside men will become known.” (v.34-35)

• Today’s Verse…

“But why? Didn’t you know that I have now started doing the work of my Father?” (v.49)

• Today’s Challenge

… His mother was carefully remembering everything He said. (v.51)

Prayer suggestions;-

1. The world. (ie ‘For those in authority.’)
2. The ‘suffering church.’ https://barnabasfund.org/nz/pray/daily-prayer/#previous-dates
3. Your own situation. (Suggest ‘needs’ rather than ‘wants’.)

“… He went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.” Matthew 14:23. 

Jesus taught His disciples what we call ‘The Lord’s Prayer’; (Luke 11).

Listen here to Albert Malotte’s ‘The Lord’s Prayer’. 

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, 

thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread. 

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever;- Amen.

Pray along with the Hallelujah chorus from Handel’s Messiah