Luke 1:1-4
We don't know much about Luke. He was a gentile, a doctor and a servant. The only details of himself or his personal life are vague and only spoken of as they pertain to ministry. He was a companion of the Apostle Paul so we can know the kind of life he lived and the amazing things he saw. The book of Luke is book one of a two volume work. Since book two, Acts, ends while Paul is still imprisoned, it is believed Luke wrote this in Rome while Paul was imprisoned. That sets the date to 60-61A.D.
Luke knew of the 'many' who had written of Christ. He was probably aware of Mark and Matthew's gospel. Luke apparently felt he had something different to add, something to say others had not said. He wrote to Theophilus, meaning 'friend of God'. This may have been a specific person but was more likely a reference to the church. Luke wrote to us so we may know the certainty of those things. In writing an 'orderly' account he wasn't hinting the others were disorderly, only that his account was in order, or on a timeline.
Luke 1:5-7
At the close of the Old Testament, the Jews had been partially restored to the land, but under Persian rule. The New Testament opens with the Jews still dwelling in the land but greatly multiplied. They are under Roman rule but have an Edomite king who had jurisdiction over part of their land. From the end of Malachi to the birth of Christ was around 400 years; often called the 'silent years'. It was a spiritually dark time during the days of Malachi. The people had separated themselves from the external evils, yet their hearts remained very far from the Lord. Faithfulness and obedience could be seen but relationship was rare. For four hundred years there was no word from the Lord. Entire generations came and went with only a longing for their messiah and no word from the prophets. They remained faithful and obedient but their relationship with the Lord was either cold and distant or nonexistent. America is not yet 250 years old and think of how much has changed religiously, politically, technologically and culturally. While there was no new prophetic word, God's word was still at work in the world.
Those 400 silent years brought the fall of the Persians empire and the rise of the Greek empire. The Geek culture was brought to Israel, bringing with it Helenism. The Old Testament was translated to Greek; known as the Septuagint. As the Greek culture came about, many Jews chose to remain 'orthodox' and fight against these changes. The pollical and cultural changes had an effect on their religion. For a long time, there were two factions in Israel:
- The weaker of the two were those clinging to the law and its observance. However, they were adding to it and becoming more legal all the time. This party eventually became the Pharisees.
- The dominant party was the faction driving Hellenizing. They sought to abandon the old ways and take on the Greek culture; including its philosophy and religions. The high priest during these days tried to remove the wall of separation at the temple that marked the separation between the Jews and gentiles. These folks are the predecessors of the Sadducees.
- A third party came about, the appellation party. They were the feeble, poor and afflicted that rejected the heathen Greeks and their ways but also refused the legalisms of the Pharisees. They clung tightly to God's word and looked for their messiah. These folks became the Essenes.
- Another group came to prominence during the intertestamental time, the Scribes and Rabbis. Many believed the previous scattering of the Jews came about because a lack of knowledge and obedience to the law. The Scribes became experts in the law. The rabbis were the teachers of this knowledge.
Another religious change that came about was the presence of the synagogue. This was the place of worship and teaching during the diaspora, when there was no temple. Even after Zerubbabel rebuilt the temple, the synagogue continued to be used because not all Jews returned to Israel.
It was 63B.C. when Rome stepped into the scene and became the authority in Palestine. The Greek powers were too segregated and became their own power and authority over a wide region. They were weakened as Rome was coming to power, another fulfillment of Daniel's prophecies.
The darkness remained, the deep longing severe. Evidence was piled on evidence that mankind was incapable of ruling himself. Sin always intervened; pride got in the way, greed for money and lust for power were constant sources of trouble. What the world needed was a new kind of king; a king who would rule and reign in perfect justice. The world needed a king with insight, love, compassion but also a warrior, courageous and strong. Some understood He was coming. They waited and longed for Him and watched.
Zacharias and Elizabeth were among those who longed for their messiah and watched for him. They lived during the time of Herod the Great who reigned as a representative of Rome in Israel 37-4B.C. The first 24 years of Herod's reign had been rather successful. He brought peace to the land and magnificence to the temple beyond that of Solomon's day. There were jobs for the working class due to the large building projects. But his final nine years as king were not as glorious. He became known as a tyrant due to his political intrigue, executions, family disputes, war, and clashes with Rome. This was the setting of life for Zechariah and Elizabeth, this was their normal. Zacharias was a priest and Elizabeth was also from the tribe of Aaron. The were devoted to the Lord, walking with him and keeping the law.
The burden of their hearts was that they had never had a child. They had grown old and got used to the whisper and shame cast on them. A women without a child was looked at as a woman who had angered God and been cursed by Him. But that was not the case; the time had not come. One source said the Jewish Rabbis excommunicated 7 people from God and the list began with a Jew who had no wife, or a Jew who had a wife but no child. This had to have made life difficult for this couple. Nevertheless, God had began to break the silence of 400 years with Zacharias and Elizabeth whose lived were steeped in righteousness. Zechariah means 'Jehovah remembers' and Elizabeth means 'the oath of God'. The Lord God did remember his oath and would bring the promised blessing to the world. But first, one would come and announce the work. The child of Zachariah and Elizabeth would be special, he would be the one to break the 400 years of silence.
Luke 1:8-10
They say there were 18,000 priests in 24 divisions, each division served in the temple twice a year for a week. Lots were cast to determine the service. By lot, Zacharias was chosen to burn incense in the temple. The was a tremendous opportunity, one that came only once in a lifetime. The burning of incense happened at 9am and 3pm daily. Offering incense was prayer and the picture of intercessory prayer rising up to Him.
Let my prayer be set before You as incense,
The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. (Psalm 141:2)
To make his offering, he went into the Holy place before the altar of incense which was between the Table of Showbread and the Golden Lampstand, right before the veil separating him from the Holy of Holies (Exod. 30:34–38). What a humbling moment, but what an honor. The very presence of God was in the Holy of Holies; this was where God met man and where man worshiped the Lord. While he was in the Holy place making his offering, a multitude gathered outside to pray. While this was a special day for Zacharias, it looked like any other day in the temple.
Luke 1:11-17
The angel Gabriel (named later) appeared to Zacharias standing on the right side of the altar of incense. To say 'fear fell upon him' was probably putting it mildly. This would have been an intense moment anyway. He was by himself and focused on doing this once in a lifetime service when suddenly an angel is standing near him. They didn't use terms like 'he jumped out of his skin' or 'troubled' would have likely been translated that way.
Gabriel assured him there was no call for fear. His prayer was heard. It's presented as if his prayer was for a son, however he was old and had likely given up hope of a child. His prayer was likely for Israel, for messiah or for deliverance from Rome. These were the matters of the day. What a shock it must have been to hear this messenger from God tell him he would have a son. He was to be called John meaning 'Yahweh has shown favor'. This precious gift would be found great in the sight of the Lord. What a great thing for this priest to hear. Like Samson and Samuel, John the Baptist was to be a Nazirite from Birth (Numbers 6). He was set apart for the Lord and not drink certain things, not to come in contact with the dead and not to cut his hair. The work of John's life would be as a forerunner to the Lord:
- To turn many of the people of Israel to God.
- To turn the hearts of fathers to children
- To turn the disobedient to the wisdom of the just
All this would be done to get people ready for the Lord. This is what Malachi referred to:
Behold, I send My messenger,
And he will prepare the way before Me.
And the Lord, whom you seek,
Will suddenly come to His temple,
Even the Messenger of the covenant,
In whom you delight.
Behold, He is coming,"
Says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:1)
Most made the assumption this messenger would be Elijah.
5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet
Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. (Malachi 4:5)
The messenger was also confirmed in the other gospels that he was the forerunner. Isaiah also spoke of him:
The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
"Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make straight in the desert
A highway for our God. (Isaiah 40:3)
Luke 1:18-20
This day started as a special and important day in the religious life of Zacharias and continued to develop to an even greater day when he doubts the word of Gabriel. Sure believed in a all-powerful God; sure he knew God could do miracles; but why would He do anything so crazy for him? He and Elizabeth were nothing special, undeserving of such a thing. Surely not, surely this messenger had the wrong person. After all, he was an old man. It was just too hard to believe.
Announcing him Himself as Gabriel, the bringer of good tidings, he also gave him the sign he sought. He would be unable to speak until he saw with his eyes what his disbelief kept from his heart. He would not be able to speak of this moment until he fully believed by seeing with his eyes.
Luke 1:21-25
The folks praying outside the temple were probably beginning to wonder what happened to him. They admired him and were excited for him as he offered incense. When he finally came out and couldn't speak, they knew he must have seen a vision. He was speechless and made hand signals to them that he could not speak.
The remaining days of the week serving at the temple must have been anticlimactic after that day. When his week ended, he went home and soon after Elizabeth was pregnant. As to why she went into seclusion can only be speculated upon. Perhaps she thought it too incredible to believe. As the reality of becoming a mother set in, she declared that God had taken away her reproach. Those that whispered about her being cursed by God would be silenced.
Luke 1:26-28
Six months had passed since the announcement of John. God sent his messenger angel Gabriel to the city of Nazareth in Galilee. Nazareth was 60 plus miles north of Jerusalem, southwest of the Sea of Galilee. This little city didn't have much going for it. It wasn't spoken of in the Old Testament and not much is known about it in the New Testament days. It was just a town, a normal town where families lived and made a life. The option of some was that nothing good could come from Nazareth.
Gabriel was sent to the virgin Mary. She was betrothed to Joseph. Marriages were arranged in those times. Once an agreement was reached, they were betrothed. It was as if they were married. Betrothal period was normally around a year at which time they had the wedding and the marriage was consummated. So it was in this betrothal period that Gabriel brought his announcement to Mary. The age of betrothal could be as early as twelve but it was likely fourteen or fifteen when the marriage occurred. This was the age a woman would be married; Mary would have been 14-15.
Gabriel called her the highly favorable one. When he said 'the Lord is with you' he drew a link to the Isaiah 7:14 prophecy of the sign, Immanuel, God with us. God was with her and made her blessed. Mary was not sinless; she was not special in any way; she was simply chosen by God. She is not to be venerated, put on a pedestal of spiritual authority. She could not then, and cannot now, forgive sins. She also needed a savior to die for her sins. While she was blessed among women, her life was about become very different.
Question: How did Luke know it was Gabriel? Gabriel didn't specifically announce himself to Mary that we are aware of. It doesn't appear Mary knew it was Gabriel. She could have drawn that conclusion from Zacharias's experience since he knew it was Gabriel.
Luke 1:29-33
As we can imagine, Mary was deeply troubled, first with the sight and then with the greeting. The greeting was strange to her because she would never have seen herself as 'highly favored'. Gabriel had been sent to Galilee, specifically to Nazareth, specifically to Mary. The angel Gabriel was polite enough not to shock or surprise; there's no indication he appeared in a locked room or private setting. He was not there to be recognized, only to announce. She had found 'favor'; the word is 'charis' meaning grace.
If the greeting troubled her, Gabriel was about to rock her world. Conceive? Had ne misspoken? Or was he just mistaken, giving his message to the wrong person. She would love to have a son, it was surely in her plans°. in time. It was just not possible; he must have been mistaken. That was surely it. After all, she was only betrothed, not even fully married yet. This child was to be named Jesus, the equivalent of the Hebrew name Joshua. He would be:
- Great, this is stated absolutely. This not 'great' compared to anyone else or on the scale the world uses. He wasn't as great as someone else, He would be 'great' absolutely and unchanging.
- Called Son of the Highest; this was another way of saying He would be called the Son of God. They didn't speak the word 'God' out of reverence, so 'the Highest' is God. To be the Son was to be like the Father, speaking of Christ's divinity.
- He would sit on His father David's throne; He would be Son of the Father but also Son of David. This is His humanity, of the line of David, of the tribe of Kings, Judah. It also points to him as a King, THE KING.
- Reign over the house of Jacob forever. The 'house of Jacob' is Israel. He will be their messiah king they longed for. He will rule over them from David's throne.
- His kingdom won't end. The kingdom is not like the kingdom's we'd previously seen. Man's kingdoms were great in man's eyes. Many great things were done by these kingdoms. They formed and framed the world as we know it, but they all passed away. This kingdom will be a different kind, it will be eternal standing apart from any other.
Luke 1:34-38
In its politeness, the NKJV uses the euphemism of 'know a man' where most other translations simply translate it that she is a virgin. The most literal understanding was that she's never had sex with a man. Therefore, this wasn't possible. As far as Mary was concerned it was 'case closed'. No one ever had a child apart form a man. She probably expected this messenger to beg her pardon for the mistake and move on.
The angel went on though; the Holy Spirit would 'come upon' her and 'overshadow' her. This is to say He would bring an 'influence' and a supernatural act on her life. To be in the shadow of God is to be under his care and influence. This was to have the shekinah glory settle over her. She would have pictured the cloud of God's glory entering the tabernacle in Moses' day. Because of the miraculous conception, he would be called the Son of God.
Gabriel points to the miraculous pregnancy of Elizabeth for Mary. As the child would be a forerunner for Christ, Elizabeth was 6 months ahead of Mary in her pregnancy. She would be a source of comfort and a confirmation of the miraculous. Maybe Mary was thinking it, maybe she said it out loud; people are still saying today, as they always will, "This isn't possible!!" Gabriel initiated her into a new way of thinking, one she would have to get used to; nothing was impossible. Mary presented herself as the 'maidservant of the Lord'. This is her submission to His will. While she had no idea what all was entailed in this or how utterly crazy her life would become, she trusted God. She would need to remember that nothing was impossible with the Lord.
Luke 1:39-45
Mary faced the stigma of an unwed mother and may have been staying out of social settings to avoid embarrassment. She was probably very eager to make her way to see Elizabeth; this was about a 3-day trip to Judah. Elizabeth had believed the words spoken to Zacharias. Her belief was confirmed when her child jumped for joy in her womb when in the presence of Christ. John would have been about 12 inches long and weighed a couple pounds. Yet, even so small, and in from the womb, verse 15 tells us John would be filled with the Spirit even in the womb. For John to be filled with the Spirit, Elizabeth had to also be.
We can imagine her excitement. This was really happening. The Christ was coming, He was right before her. All those years, all the waiting and longing would come to an end. All the hope for the messiah to rule and reign was about to begin playing out. Elizabeth was humbled that the mother of the Lord would come to her.
Jesus would have been about an inch long. The head that would bear a crown of thorns would be apparent. The mouth that spoke the words that changed the world would be developing. The blood that would be shed for the remission of sins was beginning to circulate. The hands and feet that would have nails driven through them were being formed.
Note: Joseph isn't mentioned going to stay with her these 3 months. Of course, since they aren't married, he likely wouldn't have.
Luke 1:46-56
This passage is called the Magnificat. This is the latin word meaning 'My Soul Magnifies' from the first line. It is in our bible as if it were poetry because it is believed to be a hymn, although we don't know that for sure. Mary may be identifying somewhat with Hannah based on the similarity of the beginning phrase and considering herself in a lowly state as Hannah.
She exalts the Lord for the great work of His hands. He is holy. He is merciful. He judges the heart in dealing with the proud. He puts down those who oppress. He lifts up the lowly and gives them a provision. She acknowledges God's hand on Israel as He did to the Patriarch's by which God made the covenant promises regarding such. All the nations would be blessed by the offspring of Abraham. And here Mary was, carrying that blessing in her womb.
Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about 3 months. This would have been about the time John the Baptist was born.
Luke 1:57-60
Mary was staying with Elizabeth until around the time that she delivered her son. While Elizabeth had been shamed by others for being barren, Mary would have been shamed by the same folks for having a child when she had not been married. She was probably avoiding other folks as much as reasonable. They came to rejoice with Elizabeth for the mercy of the Lord on her.
The law prescribed circumcision on the 8th day. Calling the son Zacharias was an assumption that Elizabeth quickly corrected. She believed the message of Gabriel and she called him John.
Instead of 'remembered of the Lord' (Zacharias), he would be 'Yahweh has shown favor' (John).
Luke 1:61-66
They objected to Elizabeth's choice because John was not a family name. She was breaking tradition, something that wasn't done easily. It's not clear why they 'made signs' unless Zacharias was also deaf. Regardless, they appealed to him for the naming of his son. He confirmed his name was John. He had a son named John as Gabriel said. His mouth was opened and he spoke by praising God.
The other prophecies of Gabriel must have been on his mind as he saw his son and named him John. This little child would be a forerunner to the Lord and prepare people to receive Him by:
- Turning many of the people of Israel to God.
- Turning the hearts of fathers to children
- Turning the disobedient to the wisdom of the just
The people nearby knew something special, something significant was happening right before them. Not understanding exactly what, they grew fearful. The events were widely discussed in the area. They wondered what it all meant. We don't know when, but at some point they speculated he was the messiah (John 1:19-23).
Luke 1:67-80
Zacharias' longing to have a son was only eclipsed by his longing for the messiah. It was the profound longing for the perfect governor, king and savior. It was a longing to be free from oppression and bondage. It was a longing to be forgiven and not be burdened with sin. It was a longing for the fulfillment of the law. It was a longing that could not be summed up in words.
Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied to all within his hearing and to all who would read his words today. This passage is called Benedictus, latin for the first words 'blessed be'.
- Redemption is the purchase from bondage. It was the first step to complete salivation and deliverance. The eventual full work of the Messiah for Israel is anticipated.
- A descendant of King David, of the tribe of Judah, a powerful new King. The 'horn of salvation' is the power to save. He is mighty to save.
21 'In that day I will cause the horn of the house of Israel to spring forth, and I will open your mouth to speak in their midst. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.' "(Ezekiel 29:21)
- The messiah was coming, the one they had waited for. He was spoken of by the prophets of old. He would deliver them from their enemies.
Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord,
"That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness;
A King shall reign and prosper,
And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
6In His days Judah will be saved,
And Israel will dwell safely;
Now this is His name by which He will be called:
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS (Jeremiah 23:5-6)
- Not only would he be all powerful, he would full of mercy and grace.
- The mercy promised to their fathers was the promise of mercy for those who turned from their wicked ways, circumcised their hearts and humbled themselves, he would remember them (Lev 26:41).
- The covenant oath given to Abraham (Genesis 17) is that God would make from him a nation, they would be many nations and kings. They would dwell in the land. What Zacharias had in mind most of all was that all the world would be blessed by the descendant of Abraham, understanding this was messiah. The sign of the oath was circumcision, the reminder of God's covenant with Abraham.
For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:13-14)
Zacharias must have been holding his son, looking at him and speaking from verse 76. John would be the prophet of God, the prophet of God in the flesh. He was the final prophet of old covenant and first of the new. He would go before the Lord preparing the way, calling people to repentance, preparing their eyes to see and ears to hear their messiah. His 'tender mercy' is a deep compassion of which no one had seen. This love of God, coming to man by Jesus, would rise like the sun offering a new day and a new light for those in darkness and the shadow of death. He would guide his people to perfect peace.
Thirty years are encapsulated in verse eighty. John grew and was strong in spirit. God prepared him for that time and that day when he would begin his ministry. He wandered the desert wating for the promised One, like Israel wandered the wilderness until the day when they entered the promises land.
We know the mantle of Elijah fell on Elisha. But when Elisha died there was no successor. There is a legend that said the mantle of Elijah was installed in the temple and when Gabriel announced the birth of John, Zacharias was supposed to take the mantle of Elijah. When John started his ministry 30 years later, he would wear the mantle of Elijah.
©2019 Doug Ford
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