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The Bible Breakdown: Daily Bible Reading
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Welcome to "The Bible Breakdown," where we break down God’s Word so we can know God better. I'm your host, Brandon Cannon, and I'm here to guide you through the pages of the Bible, one day at a time.
Each day, we'll read through a section of the Bible and explore key themes, motifs, and teachings. Whether you're new to the Bible or a seasoned veteran, I guarantee you'll find something insightful or inspiring. My hope is to encourage you to dive deeper and deeper.
So grab your Bible, your journal, your coffee, and join me on this journey of faith and discovery. And don't forget to hit that subscribe button to stay up-to-date with our daily readings and breakdowns.
Remember, as we journey through the pages of the Bible together, we're not just reading a book, we're unlocking the secrets to eternal life. The more we dig, the more we find! Let's get started!
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The Bible Breakdown: Daily Bible Reading
Luke 02 Round Two: Most Famous Chapter?
Dive into the remarkable story of Jesus' birth and early years through the investigative lens of Luke, the physician-turned-historian. This episode unpacks Luke 2, arguably the most beloved chapter in the New Testament outside of John 3.
What makes Luke's account so compelling is his meticulous attention to detail and historical context. Working as an ancient investigative journalist, Luke interviewed eyewitnesses—possibly including Mary herself—to document the extraordinary events surrounding Jesus' birth. We explore the humble circumstances of the nativity, examining archaeological evidence about whether Jesus was born in a cave outside Bethlehem or the lower level of a house where animals were typically kept.
One of the most striking aspects of this narrative is who received the announcement first. Not kings or religious leaders, but shepherds—considered unreliable and looked down upon by society. This pattern of God including the overlooked runs throughout the chapter: from poor young parents and elderly prophets to a twelve-year-old boy who stunned religious teachers with his wisdom. The offering of turtledoves rather than a lamb confirms Mary and Joseph's humble economic status, suggesting the wise men with their expensive gifts hadn't yet arrived.
The episode concludes with the only biblical glimpse into Jesus' childhood—his visit to the temple at age twelve. His statement, "Didn't you know I must be in my Father's house?" reveals his early awareness of his divine mission, while the final verse about Jesus growing "in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and all the people" provides a perfect model of holistic human development.
Join our growing community of Bible explorers! Like and share this episode, and continue the conversation in the comments below. Remember, the more we dig into God's Word, the more treasure we find.
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The More We Dig. The More We Find.
Welcome to the Bible Breakdown Podcast. Every day, we take one chapter of the Bible, dig deeper and discover that the more we dig, the more we find. You can find out more at thebiblebreakdowncom. Now let's grow in God's Word together. Well, hello everybody. Welcome back to the Gospel of Luke, chapter 2. This is me, pastor Brandon, and we are just reading through this together. It's me, you a cup of coffee, pastor Brandon, and we are just reading through this together. It's me, you a cup of coffee, the Bible and a whole bunch of Jesus. Man, I am so excited about this. So if you've got your NLT Bible, we're going to be reading this together. I want you to get it out and we're going to get into Luke, chapter 2.
Speaker 1:Now to review from chapter 1, we talked about how Luke was, by trade, a doctor, but he is being paid. His benefactor is a guy named Theopolis, from probably the city of Rome, and he has sent Luke into the Judean countryside, back to where Jesus lived when he was on this earth, and the goal of it is to prove what Theopolis has heard. He's heard the stories from Luke and from Paul and Peter and all of these, and now he's like hey, I want you to go prove it. Like I'm not able to be there, but I want you to go prove all these things are true and come back and tell me. And so the Bible says the first part is that Luke acts as an investigative journalist and because he is a doctor by trade, we're going to see him spend more time talking about some of the miracles and the different things and all this kind of stuff, because that's what he's already naturally interested in. But he just investigates all of it. He goes and he interviews people and I'm curious, when it comes to chapter two, who he interviewed for this. Like in my mind I've got Luke sitting around with Mary and just talking through this and maybe a couple of Jesus brothers. I don't know if you know that, but Jesus actually had several brothers and sisters, because after Jesus was born, mary and Joseph had a family and I wonder if maybe he sat around with some of them or maybe he saw a couple of the shepherds that were still alive. As he's going through the countryside, he's just collecting stories and all of this and just talking through all of these different things, because what we're going to read today is the most popular chapter in the New Testament Other than John, chapter 3, we have John 3.16, probably the most, because if you've ever got a Christmas card, you've ever went to a Christmas play.
Speaker 1:You have saw some poor soul dressed up like a shepherd playing Joseph and all this kind of stuff. That was me. Okay, I had to be Joseph, I had to be a shepherd. Once, sometimes, I was a shepherd and Joseph at the same time. If any of y'all ever been to a small church Christmas play, that's just what we had to do One day. One time I was a soldier, I was Joseph and I was a shepherd, and then I was a disciple later. Hey, we do what we got to do, right, but in this scene, once upon a time, I was Joseph.
Speaker 1:And I wonder, though, back in the original time, if Luke is sitting down with Mary and Mary is just kind of reminiscing about the most important day of her life. I mean, it's just amazing to think about. So let's read this. I want you to get that mental picture of maybe Luke sitting with Mary and her just telling him. I don't know what to tell you other than what happened, and this is what she said. That happened In Luke 2, verse 1,.
Speaker 1:The Bible says At this time, the Roman Emperor Augustus decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria. All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for the census, and, because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem, in Judea, david's ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, who he was engaged and she was now expecting a child, and while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging for them or available for them.
Speaker 1:Now, real quick, what happened in this moment is what would have happened is there wasn't any room for them, and so there's two different trains of thought on this. If they had have went to an area where the stables would have been, there's two options that may have been here. One is the stable areas where the animals would have been kept would have been in a cave off outside of the area, and so that's entirely possible. It's also entirely possible that during this time, especially in the city of Bethlehem. The lower level of the house is where the animals were allowed to stay. So there have been some archaeological finds that actually show that some of these houses they had like two stories. The top story is where all the people would be, all the stuff would be. The top story is where all the people would be, all the stuff would be. The bottom story would be where the hay would be, the animals, the horses, all this kind of stuff. And so some of the newer archeological finds are saying, yes, jesus may have been born in like a legit, like cave out somewhere. Or he may have been born technically in the house, but in the bottom level of the house, which still wouldn't have been good. It was still a place for the animals and he was still put in a manger, not in a proper bed, but just kind of an interesting mental image. As I wonder if Luke is hearing this from Mary.
Speaker 1:The Bible says in verse 8, that night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. Don't be afraid. He said. I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior, yes, the Messiah, the Lord, has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David. You will recognize Him by this sign. You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth lying in a manger. Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others, the armies of heaven, praising God and saying Glory to God in the highest heaven and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased. And when the angels have returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other let's go to Bethlehem, let's see the thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about. And they hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph and there was the baby lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about the child. All who heard the shepherd's story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 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.
Speaker 1:Now pause. Did you notice that? It said that the angels were the armies of heaven. You know, what I've always wondered is why do you think the angels had got there? I always had this idea in my mind that the angels had escorted Jesus from the throne of heaven to that manger the birth of the Messiah and then they were still there and while they were still there they celebrated the coming of their king before they went back to heaven. I don't know, that's just me using my imagination. Either way, they were there and they were celebrating the birth of the king and I love that. They celebrated it to the shepherds.
Speaker 1:And the reason why I love that is because shepherds during the time was considered to be an undesirable trait. I heard a guy one time. He was a career truck driver and he said, hey, you can't pick on me, but I can pick on me. And he said I know a lot of people think less of truck drivers. They think that we just are an unsavory type and all this kind of stuff. And he's like that's exactly what the shepherds were. They're the ones that other people look down on, but while all y'all were sleeping, we're doing the hard work, and that's kind of the mental image of what shepherds were like is they were looked down on by most of society, even though they were taking care of all these other things and it was the ones that nobody else thought about that the angels came to first and said even you have reason to celebrate. Even though you've been forgotten by everybody else, you're the first ones to know about the coming king. I think that's amazing. All right, let's pick back up.
Speaker 1:The Bible says in verse 21,. Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, and the name that was given to him by the angel even before he was conceived. Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of the child. So his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, as the law says. If a woman's first child is a boy, he to the Lord. As the law says, if a woman's first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord. So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord a pair of turtle doves and two young pigeons.
Speaker 1:Now, for those of you who've been reading the book of Leviticus with us, that is the gift to be given for a male child, for people who were poor. So that also lets us know that Mary and Joseph were not wealthy, but they were actually poor because they were not able to afford the more expensive gift. They had to do the cheaper gift. By the way, that also lets us know that, most likely, the wise men that came that offered him gold, frankincense and myrrh had not arrived yet Many historians think that Jesus might have been up to two years old before the wise men arrived. And this is one of the verses that they use, because after he had received gold, frankincense and myrrh, joker would have had plenty of money to take care of what needed to be done. But since they didn't have those means anymore, they had to offer the less expensive option. All right, let's keep going. Verse 25.
Speaker 1:At that time, there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly awaiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him and he had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Messiah. That day, the Spirit of the Lord led him to the temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord, as the law requires, simeon was there and he took the child in his arms, praising God, saying Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations. He is the glory of your people, israel.
Speaker 1:Jesus' parents were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and he said to Mary, the baby's mother this child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him and, as a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed and a sword will pierce your very soul. Two things about this. One. Number one it blows my mind that, over and over again, mary and Joseph are shocked that people are calling Jesus the Messiah. They literally had angels come and tell them Mary has Jesus as a virgin, and they are shocked. I don't understand that at all. But then at the end of that verse it says A sword will pierce your very soul. Many scholars think what that is saying is that it's letting her know Jesus is going to be martyred and it is going to crush her. So he's prophesying that Jesus will not die an unpainful death, if that makes sense. Verse 36,.
Speaker 1:Anna, a prophet, was also there in the temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel in the tribe of Asher and she was very old. Her husband died when she had been married for only seven years and she lived as a widow to the age of 84. She never left the temple, but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph. Alright, let's finish it up Verse 41. There the child grew healthy and strong and was filled with wisdom, and God's favor was on him. All right, let's finish it up Verse 41.
Speaker 1:Every year, jesus' parents returned to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. When Jesus was 12 years old, they attended the festival as usual. After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn't miss him at first because they assumed he was among the other travelers, but when he didn't show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends, and when they couldn't find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. Three days later, they finally discovered him in the temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. His parents didn't know what to think. "'son', his mother said to him. "'why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic searching for you everywhere'". But why did you need to search, he asked. Didn't you know that I must be in my father's house? But they didn't understand what that meant. And then he returned to Nazareth with him and was obedient to them, and his mother stored all these things in her heart.
Speaker 1:Jesus grew in wisdom and in statue and in favor with God and all the people. What an amazing beginning. It starts with the birth of Jesus and it ends with Jesus getting in trouble because he stayed in the temple. But the Bible said he grew in wisdom and in statue and in favor with God and all the people. And I just have this picture of Luke sitting at a table and Mary is just reminiscing about this opportunity that they had. And you know what I really take away.
Speaker 1:My big idea from this whole chapter is that God includes the least of these. This started with Mary and Joseph, two poor young people. Mary was probably 13, joseph probably 16, 17 maybe, and they go to this unknown town it was just an ancestral town they have a baby in humble circumstances. The least of these, the shepherds, are first told about the coming Messiah, then an old man named Simeon who's about to die. He's told and given a chance to prophesy. This lady named Anna was told and given an opportunity, and it's just amazing how God includes all of us as part of the story of what he is doing in this world, and I love how it ends with. Jesus grew in wisdom and the statue and in favor with God and all the people you imagine. Ever since Genesis, chapter 3, when sin separated God from man, god had been waiting to be back among His people. He tried it in Exodus, chapter 18 and 19, but there was this separation where then the people had to stay separate and Moses had to go, and finally Jesus is with his people. God, the invisible form of the invisible God, is now with his people. Jesus had been waiting for this for who knows how long, and now he's here and the story is just beginning.
Speaker 1:I hope you enjoyed this so much. If you did, I want you to like this video. I want you to share this video with everybody and let's continue the conversation down in the comments below. What did you find the most interesting? Let me know what you searched. Let me know what you found. Maybe look at some of the different ideas and some of the historical documents, the census that happened and why the census had happened. There's a lot of really good stuff there as well. There is a podcast called the BEMA podcast, b-e-m-a. That is very, very good and it goes into some deeper things as well. Also, the Bible Project is really really good on some of this. I highly recommend that to you. But don't forget, the more you dig, the more you find Hope. You enjoy your search through God's word.
