Luke 2:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

NIV: The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

NASB: And the shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

CSB: The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told.

NLT: The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

KJV: And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

NKJV: Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Many cultures celebrate Jesus' birth: the Christmas holiday. A common tradition in those celebrations is a "nativity scene:" a set of miniature figures representing Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and others on the night of His birth. Most nativity scenes include sheep and cattle, as well as the wise men who came from the east (Matthew 2:9–11). However, the Bible itself only directly mentions Jesus, His family, and the shepherds. This passage certainly allows for others to be there (Luke 2:18), however.

The shepherds are heading back to their fields after visiting a newborn Jesus and His mother (Luke 2:16–19). They came in response to angelic messengers (Luke 2:8–15) who announced that Messiah had been born in Bethlehem (Luke 2:1–7). It's fitting that God's first public proclamation about Jesus was delivered to common people. Rather than announcing Christ's birth to kings, scholars, or priests, the angels went to "ordinary" persons (1 Corinthians 1:26–30). The message of the gospel is universal, and accessible to all—a fact echoed in the way angels first carried it to everyday laborers in humble circumstances.

Luke 2:8–21 describes shepherds who are visited by numerous angels. These beings proclaim the birth of Christ and explain where He can be found. The men follow the angels' directions and find Jesus, Joseph, and Mary just as predicted. Jesus' family celebrates these events, as God continues to use simple people to proclaim His most important truths. When Jesus is eight days old, in accordance with Jewish tradition, he is circumcised and officially given His prophesied name.

The early part of this chapter is famously read at Christmas, while celebrating the birth of Jesus. Luke gives a relatively brief description of how Mary came to give birth in a stable, laying Jesus in a feeding trough. Nearby shepherds are informed of the news by multiple angels. Two people speak in praise of God at Jesus' circumcision. Years later, Joseph and Mary lose track of Jesus on the way back from Jerusalem, only to find Him astounding teachers in the temple with His wisdom.

Luke began his well-organized account by explaining the conceptions of Jesus Christ and John the Baptist, in chapter 1. In chapter 2, he briefly summarizes Jesus' birth and the arrival of shepherds directed by angels. Prophecies and prayers celebrate His dedication at the temple. After briefly losing track of a twelve-year-old Jesus in the temple, Jesus' parents take Him home to Nazareth. There, He grows up relatively normally. Chapter 3 leaps forward many years to the beginning of John the Baptist's preaching. This is followed by Jesus' genealogy. Chapter 4 relates Jesus' temptations by Satan and the start of His public ministry.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.