Christmas Season · Holy Name of Jesus · Year A
Luke 2:15-21
The Shepherds and the Angels
January 1, 2026
Overview & Insights
“He was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.” (Luke 2:21)
With this scene, the fulfillment of the angel Gabriel’s announcements (1:11–20, 26–37) is complete. Both John and Jesus have been unexpectedly conceived, celebrated in prophetic songs, and born in remarkable circumstances. Each is already revealed as having a central role in God’s plan of salvation, but the angel’s words now emphasize that the good news is centered on the Messiah rather than on his forerunner. Historical and Cultural Background Luke’s account of an empire-wide census does not fit comfortably into the period when Herod was still king of Judea (1:5; cf. Matt. 2:1). The first recorded Roman census in Judea (not in the empire as a whole) was in AD 6, ten years after Herod’s death, when Judea had been newly incorporated into the Roman province of Syria, under Quirinius.
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Take it further: Luke 2:15-21
Commentary
Luke 2:15-21Lk 2:15-21 Working Preacher
A Luther Seminary scholar joins the shepherds' proclamation to the eighth-day naming, and what the name Jesus (Yahweh saves) says about his mission.
Mary, Holy Mother of God Loyola Press · Sunday Connection
A Catholic reflection for the January 1 Solemnity, reading Luke 2 through Mary's pondering with discussion questions and prayer prompts.
The Semiotics of Jesus Sermons That Work · Episcopal Church
An Anglican Holy Name Day sermon on how a name signifies identity and calling, a preached take on the naming in Luke 2:21.
Luke 2Lk 2 Enduring Word · David Guzik
An evangelical verse-by-verse commentary covering the shepherds' witness and the circumcision and naming of Jesus.
Background & Word Study
The Church Fathers
Questions preachers ask
What is the Holy Name of Jesus, and why does it have its own day?
On the eighth day the child was circumcised and named, as the law required, and the name he was given was the one Gabriel had specified: Jesus, ‘the Lord saves’. The day marks the moment the purpose of the birth is stated out loud in a single word.
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