2BeLikeChrist Bible Commentary - Luke Chapter 1
Commentary - Luke Chapter 1
Luke 1
Who was Luke?
Luke was a traveling companion of Paul the Apostle. o
In Colossians 4:14, Paul calls him the “beloved physician.”
He was a doctor by trade.
Luke may have been a Gentile.
Colossians 4:10-14 seems to suggest he wasn’t Jewish (there is still some debate on the issue).
Col 4:10-14: “Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him) and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas.”
If Luke was a Gentile, it means a Gentile wrote more of the New Testament than any single Jewish author.
Luke wrote the book of Luke and the book of Acts.
Together they combine to a length slightly longer than the writings of Paul.
Why was Luke written?
Luke’s reason for writing is explained in verses 1-4. He wanted the give “Theophilus” confidence about the things he had come to believe.
The book of Luke and the book of Acts are addressed to this “Theophilus.”
We know very few details about this “Theophilus.”
The name Theophilus means “friend of God.”
Luke referred to him with the title “most excellent.”
Paul addressed Felix and Festus with this title (Acts 24:2; 26:25).
Like Felix and Festus, Theophilus may have been a Roman official.
Some people suggest the book of Luke and the book of Acts may have been used as part of Paul’s defense when he was on trial in Rome. Such a suggestion is plausible, especially considering the book of Acts ends with Paul awaiting trial in Rome.
If Luke was addressed to just one man, how did it become so popular in the Church?
Luke didn’t specifically tell Theophilus to share his writings with others, but this was very common in the early church.
Paul intended some of his writings to be shared and sent from congregation to congregation.
He wrote a letter to the Church in Colossae.
Col 4:16: “And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea.”
Whether Luke originally intended this letter to be shared or not, the Holy Spirit intended the writing to traverse the globe in the upcoming centuries.
It’s important to note, Luke wrote with a Gentile reader in mind.
In contrast, Matthew’s gospel was written for Jewish readers.
Luke excluded many of the “Jewish details” included by Matthew because they wouldn’t have meant as much to a Gentile reader.
Both offer unique insights into Jesus’ life and work.
In a sense, all modern Christians must become a little bit Jewish and a little bit first-century Gentile.
We must learn the Old Testament Jewish scriptures and customs.
We must learn about the culture and practices of the first-century Gentile world.
Luk 1:1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us,
Luk 1:2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us,
Luk 1:3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,
Luk 1:4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.
I find the language in these first 4 verses to be a bit challenging.
Perhaps a paraphrase will be helpful. I’ve attempted to put verses 1-4 into my own words:
Paraphrase: “Many people have tried to compile a narrative about Jesus’ life based on eye witness accounts. Having followed all of these events closely myself, I thought it would be to your benefit, Theophilus, if I did the same for you.
Luke addressed his book to Theophilus with the intent of giving him clarity and confidence about the things he believed.
Theophilus may have come to faith in Christ after listening to someone preach an oral sermon.
Luke wanted to give him a written record of the events surrounding Jesus.
Having a written record would have given Theophilus something to reference when teaching others and would have been a huge blessing for all the Christians in that area.
Luke was not one of the original 12 Apostles, but he spent a significant amount of time with an Apostle called Paul (we will meet him in the book of Acts). Additionally, he would have had opportunity to interact with some of the original 12, along with other eye witnesses of Jesus’ ministry.
By the time Luke wrote his book (probably around 60 AD) many other records of Jesus’ life had been written.
SIDE NOTE:
Were the 4 gospels in our Bible the only inspired accounts of Jesus’ life?
It is possible but not certain.
The Holy Spirit may have inspired other people to write about Jesus’ life, but only intended their records to serve the Church in the short-term.
There is no question Luke had some very unique insights into the early Church, not only the events occurring in Jerusalem where it all began, but the events of the gospel frontier as the message made its way across Europe.
Application:
Luke’s gospel accomplishes the same thing for us that it did for Theophilus.
It gives us confidence we can know who Jesus was, what He accomplished during His ministry, and what He taught.
Luke’s gospel is especially good at giving the reader confidence about the historicity of Jesus. o Luke includes a lot of details not mentioned by the other gospel writers.
Historical details.
Geographic details.
Etc.
These details are valuable when it comes to authenticating Luke’s writing.
When a person’s writing includes a lot of details, those details can be fact checked, and Luke’s details have been fact checked by Bible students and Bible critics alike and have been found to be accurate.
A book that can withstand scrutiny gives confidence to the reader.
Confidence is exactly what Luke was trying to give Theophilus.
Luk 1:5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
Where was Judea?
Where are we in history?
The events we are about to read about happened around 1 AD. 18
Our modern way of recording the years revolves around Christ’s birth (Before Christ) to AD (Anno Domini, “In the year of our Lord”).
Who was Herod?
He reigned for 34 years in Judea.
He was a half-Jew.
He convinced the Romans he could maintain peace in Judea.
The Romans gave him the title “King of Judea.”
He was a ruthless killer who murdered many of his own family members to remain in power.
He spent a lot of time and money rebuilding the Temple of the Jews in Jerusalem.
He had at least two reasons for wanting to rebuild the Temple:
To win favor with the Jews (who were his subjects).
He had a love of accomplishing great architectural feats.
Verse 5 introduces us to a few of chapter 1’s main characters, Zechariah and Elizabeth.
Zechariah and Elizabeth were Jews.
In fact, most of the characters in this book are Jews.
The story Luke is about to tell us takes place primarily among Jewish people, in Jewish culture, and it’s a story that begins where Jewish history (the Old Testament) left off.
Zechariah was a special kind of Jew, he was a priest.
The priests came from a specific Jewish tribe (there were 12 tribes), the tribe of Levi, and they were in charge of taking care of religious worship at the Temple in Jerusalem.
THE 12 TRIBES OF THE JEWS:
Gad
Issachar
Reuben
Levi
Simeon
Joseph
Judah
Zebulun
Benjamin
Asher
Naphtali
Dan
The Levite priests were then broken down into smaller divisions and they worked in rotating shifts at the Temple.
Zechariah was from the division of Abijah (1 Chronicles 23-24). o Zechariah’s wife was from the same tribe (Levi), but she wasn’t a priest (only men could be priests).
Out of all the priests, there was one High Priest.
Aaron, Moses’ brother, was the first High Priest.
He lived 1500 years before Luke wrote his book.
Luk 1:6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the 20 commandments and statutes of the Lord.
Luk 1:7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.
They were both very spiritually-minded people and they kept God’s commands.
The “commandments and statutes of the Lord” mentioned here refer to the religious system given by God to the Jews.
God gave the Jews a set of religious laws back during the time of Moses and all the Jews were supposed to be obedient to those laws.
That old religious system can be read about in books like Exodus and Leviticus.
It goes by many names in the Bible: the Law, the Law of Moses, the Old Covenant, the Old Testament, the Law and the Prophets, the Scriptures, etc…
They were very godly people but they had a problem…
Elizabeth was barren (couldn’t have children) and they were both old, so their hope of having children was dwindling, if not completely evaporated.
To a modern reader, not having children might not seem like a big deal.
But it was a really big deal during this time and in this culture.
In fact, women who couldn’t have children were stigmatized.
They were looked down on.
It was considered a shame on a woman if she couldn’t have kids.
In verse 25, Elizabeth describes her barrenness as a “reproach.”
Reproach = “the expression of disapproval or disappointment” (Oxford).
As she got older, her fate of being a childless woman must have seemed unescapable.
Luk 1:8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty,
Luk 1:9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
Luk 1:10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.
It was Zechariah’s turn to serve in the Temple and on this particular day he was selected to offer the sacrifice of incense.
The Temple Complex:
cubit = approximately 18-inches or 45-centimeters
Zechariah was selected “by lot.”
We don’t know the exact process of “casting lots.”
It may have been similar to drawing straws or rolling dice.
But we know there were times when God providentially used it to accomplish His will.
This was one of those times (as we will see in the upcoming verses).
Pro 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.
Exodus chapter 30 describes the priest’s daily practice of burning incense in the Temple.
Incense is a combination of spices and perfumes which give off a pleasing smell when burnt.
The recipe for this specific incense was given in Exodus 30:34-35.
Exo 30:34 The LORD said to Moses, “Take sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, sweet spices with pure frankincense (of each shall there be an equal part), and make an incense blended as by the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy.
Stacte = gum/resin, probably from the myrrh tree.
Onycha = identity debated
some believe it to be the shell of a sea snail
others suggest it’s the gum of the Cistus plant
Galbanum = gum/resin from Ferula trees
Frankincense = gun/resin from the frankincense tree
The incense was burnt every morning and evening on an altar specifically designed for this purpose.
stacte = gum/resin probably from the myrrh tree
Onycha = identity debated; some believe it’s the shell of a sea snail, while others suggest it is the gum of the Cistus plant (pictured below)
Frankincense = gum/resin of the frankincense tree
Luk 1:11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
Luk 1:12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.
While Zechariah was going about the business of making the incense sacrifice, an angel appeared to him.
Zechariah was the only one who saw the angel because he was the only one inside the Temple at the time.
The appearance of the angel struck fear into Zechariah.
This was the most common response to seeing an angel, per the other Biblical accounts.
The appearance of angels was overwhelming and frightening to almost everyone who saw them (apparently, they don’t look like little baby angels with wings).
We aren’t told exactly what this angel looked like.
Angels appeared in different forms at different times.
They acted as the messengers and servants of God.
Luk 1:13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
Luk 1:14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth,
Luk 1:15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.
Luk 1:16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God,
Luk 1:17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”
Although Zechariah was afraid, he soon realized the angel brought good news.
Zechariah’s prayers had been heard by God and God had decided to give him a son.
The child would be named John and would have a special place in God’s plan.
John was to abstain from wine, which was a common practice for Jews who dedicated themselves to the Lord.
He was going to be “filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Who or what is the Holy Spirit?
The Bible talks about 3 “beings” who share the characteristics of God.
God the Father
Jesus Christ
Holy Spirit
These 3 are commonly referred to as the Godhead or the Trinity.
Each played a unique role in the plan to save mankind from sin.
In the Bible, we commonly see the Holy Spirit empowering men and women to accomplish God’s work.
John would be empowered by the Holy Spirit to do the job God was going to give him.
John’s job was to announce the arrival of the Messiah.
The Messiah was a hero figure who had been prophesied about by the Jewish prophets.
The Messiah was to “save” the Jewish people.
Save them from what?
Well, the Jews thought the prophecy was about a Messiah who was going to save them from oppressive political rule (i.e. the Romans).
They thought the Messiah would raise an army and overthrow their conquerors.
They thought he would raise the Jewish nation to world prominence.
But God’s intention was to use the Messiah to save the Jews from their greater enemy, their spiritual enemy, Satan, and from the consequences of their disobedience to God (sins).
The Jews thought the Messiah was an earthly deliverer.
God intended the Messiah to be a spiritual deliverer.
John’s job was to announce the arrival of the Messiah.
He would prep the people for the Savior’s arrival and prepare their minds for what was coming.
The Holy Spirit would enable John to prophecy about the Messiah’s imminent arrival.
John’s preaching would be a cause for rejoicing among the people.
Many people would be drawn to the Messiah on account of John’s message.
SPOILER: Jesus = Messiah.
In verse 17, the angel told Zechariah, John would go before the Messiah in the “spirit and power of Elijah…”
Who was Elijah?
Elijah was one of God’s prophets to the Jewish people in the Old Testament.
You can read about him in 1 Kings and 2 Kings.
There was a prophecy in the Jewish scriptures that God would send Elijah to the Jews before the Messiah arrived.
Malachi 4:5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers…”
The angel was quoting from this prophecy when talking to Zechariah about his future son.
God wasn’t going to resurrect the old prophet Elijah from the dead.
He was going to send a man who was like Elijah in spirit to prepare the way for the Messiah.
This may have been difficult for many of the Jews to understand because their scribes appear to have taught a literal/physical return of the prophet Elijah.
Mat 16:14 “And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’”
Mat 17:10 “And the disciples asked him, ‘Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?’”
What does it mean that God would use John to “turn the hearts of the fathers to the children” (verse 17).
There is some debate about this, but two possibilities seem likely to me:
It may be a general statement about the reconciliation of relationships. John was going to announce a message that had the power to reconcile even the most bitter relationships. The gospel of Jesus has the power to mend broken hearts and broken relationships.
The “fathers” mentioned here may be a reference back to the patriarchs, the fathers of the Jewish nation. The fathers of the Jewish nation were men of great faith (Abraham, Joseph, David, etc), but their children/ancestors repeatedly turned away from God. The repentance brought about by John’s message would allow the Jewish fathers to look favorably upon their children again.
As mentioned above, Malachi wrote about turning the hearts of the fathers to the children (Mal 4:5).
At the end of the book of Malachi, the need for reconciliation had never been greater.
The Jews had abandoned God and strayed very far from their fathers’ example.
Luke begins his book by announcing the time for reconciliation had come.
God was prepared to send the right people with the right message to make reconciliation possible.
Key takeaways from these verses:
Zechariah and Elizabeth were going to have a son.
Their son would be dedicated to the Lord and filled with the Holy Spirit.
He would announce the arrival of the Savior/Messiah.
We will discuss John’s work further in chapter 3.
Luk 1:18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”
Luk 1:19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.
Luk 1:20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.”
Zechariah had some doubts about the angel’s promises.
He was old. His wife was old. How were they going to have a child?
Do you remember another couple in the Bible who had a child in their old age?
Abraham and Sarah in the book of Genesis.
The angel isn’t pleased with Zechariah’s doubts.
Evidently, the presence of the angel should have been enough to cause him to believe.
Not to mention the angel knew about his prayers for a son. o And this wasn’t just any angel.
This was Gabriel who stood in the presence of God.
He had been sent from the presence of God to speak good news to Zechariah.
But because Zechariah didn’t believe, he wouldn’t be able to speak until the angel’s words came true.
Application:
God can use ordinary people in extraordinary ways.
Zechariah and Elizabeth weren’t famous.
There is no indication they were that much different than any other priestly family.
But they were faithful to God.
Our small faith can be used powerfully by God.
Application:
God’s servants aren’t perfect people.
They don’t always have bulletproof faith.
In the Bible, it was pretty common for God to tell someone He was going to work through them to accomplish something, only to have them turn around and start expressing their doubts.
Moses
Jeremiah
Gideon
Zechariah
All these men doubted their competence to complete the task God gave them.
But in every case, the task was accomplished.
God can work powerfully in weak people.
He does it in part so He gets the glory.
We need to be willing in our imperfection to let God use us for His purpose.
We should be willing to take on big, challenging, difficult, maybe even seemingly impossible things in God’s service and rely on Him to give us what is needed to finish the job.
God probably won’t work through a person who refuses to accept God’s ability to overcome their inadequacy.
Luk 1:21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple.
Luk 1:22 And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute.
Luk 1:23 And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.
Luk 1:24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying,
Luk 1:25 “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”
While Zechariah was talking to the angel, the multitude of people were standing outside waiting for him and wondering what was taking him so long.
When he finally came out, he couldn’t speak and resorted to sign language.
Remarkably, he stayed to finish his working shift at the Temple.
We don’t know how many days he had left or if he was able to tell Elizabeth what had happened.
Here is a man who received the correction of the Lord well.
Zechariah was corrected by the angel for doubting his words.
Instead of getting angry that the Lord for making him mute, he accepted the correction and continued on doing God’s work.
Zechariah went home after his time at the Temple was complete and Elizabeth got pregnant.
Elizabeth chose to keep the pregnancy private for the first 5 months.
The reasons for this aren’t 100% clear.
She may have dedicated those 5 months to praising God as she does in verse 25.
God had answered her prayers, taken away the stigma of barrenness, and given her a son.
Application:
Just because God doesn’t immediately answer your prayer doesn’t mean He isn’t going to answer it.
Gabriel told Zechariah his prayers had been heard.
Zechariah was an old man.
He and Elizabeth had probably been praying that prayer for years.
They may have assumed God wasn’t going to answer it.
God gave the couple a son when the time was best.
He gave them a son that was unmistakably a miraculous gift.
He gave them, not just a son, but the privilege of bearing a son who would be used by God in important ways.
They were faithful to God even though God hadn’t given them a child.
That may have been part of the reason He chose to bless them.
Unanswered prayers (even prayers that go unanswered for years) are not always an indication God is refusing our request.
They may be a set up for a greater blessing.
While you wait, live a life of faithfulness like Zechariah and Elizabeth.
Side Note:
God using barren women to bear important children is a theme in Scripture.
Sarah
Rachel
Hannah
Elizabeth
Luk 1:26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
Luk 1:27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary.
Luk 1:28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”
Luk 1:29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.
Luk 1:30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
6 months after Elizabeth got pregnant, Gabriel made another appearance.
God sent him to the city of Nazareth to find a young virgin girl named Mary.
Mary was betrothed to a man named Joseph.
Betrothal is often compared to modern day engagement but was likely much more binding.
A betrothal may have involved formal agreements between the involved families and the exchange of a dowry.
The union was not consummated until after the betrothal period.
Joseph was from the “house of David.”
King David is one of the most famous kings of Israel and lived approximately 1,000 years before Jesus.
Joseph was from the “house of David” meaning he was a Jew, specifically from the tribe of Judah.
The fact that Joseph is from the tribe of Judah is significant because the Messiah was prophesied to come from the tribe of Judah.
It was also prophesied the Messiah would sit on David’s throne.
But we are getting ahead of ourselves.
Gabriel said to Mary, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”
You may recognize the KJV rendering of the angel’s greeting “Hail.”
The text says Mary was initially troubled at the appearance of the angel. She wasn’t exactly sure what was happening (an understandable response).
I’m going to jump ahead and tell you what Gabriel is going to tell Mary:
Mary was going to be the earthly mother of Jesus.
Jesus was the Messiah.
Jesus was the Son of God.
He was God born as a man to live on earth in order to be the Savior.
The privilege being given to Mary was even greater than the one given to Elizabeth.
Bearing children was an honor to all women.
Bearing a son was a greater honor.
But bearing the Messiah/The Son of God was a privilege given to one woman out of the billions of women born into the world.
Why was she favored? Why her out of the billions?
Was she famous? No.
Was she from a family of high status? No.
We don’t really know why God selected Mary.
We know Mary trusted God and was unquestionably obedient to Him (per the upcoming verses).
Other than that, we aren’t told anything more than “she found favor with God” (verse 30).
The Bible doesn’t spend a lot of time telling us about Mary.
The gospel writers are focused on her Son, Jesus.
That is important because there are some in the Christian world who make more of Mary than the gospel writers make of her and more than God made of her.
We’ve been through all 4 of the gospels now and while it is undeniable that Mary was favored by God and highly honored by God, there is no evidence to suggest she is an integral part of our relationship with Jesus and God the Father.
SIDE NOTE:
We are so familiar with the Bible story that some of the details are sometimes lost on us.
God’s actions here are odd by almost any human standard.
God is initiating this unique event of incalculable importance to the human race and He places in the center a girl of no societal importance who lives in a nowhere town.
This isn’t how I would have written the story.
Luk 1:31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
Luk 1:32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,
Luk 1:33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Luk 1:34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
Luk 1:35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.
Mary was going to have a baby and she was to name Him “Jesus.”
This was shocking news to Mary as she was still a virgin.
Gabriel told her the child wouldn’t be conceived the natural way (man and a woman).
Instead the power of God would put the child inside of her.
It was done miraculously by the Holy Spirit, the same being who was going to empower John (verse 15).
Jesus was both man and God.
Miraculously placed inside a woman by God.
He grew inside His mother and was born like every other man.
There is definitely some mystery in how the process worked.
The angel is in no way vague about the greatness of this child.
Jesus would be called the Son of the Most High.
There were princes and children of dignitaries but Jesus was going to be the Son of the highest King.
God would set Him on the throne of David.
In 2 Samuel 7, God promised David his throne and his son’s throne would be established FOREVER.
2 Sa 7:13 “He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”
But if you know anything about Jewish history, you’ll know their was no longer a king in Israel or Judah who was a relative of David.
So how was God’s promise to David in 2 Samuel 7 true?
Well, the throne was empty but it had only been vacated for a period of time.
It was awaiting a new King.
That new King was Jesus.
When Jesus took the throne it would be occupied forever.
Jesus never dies, nobody ever throws Him off the throne, He is the permanent ruler.
The child in Mary’s womb was that king.
That may be a difficult concept to grasp for us Gentiles, but the significance of this would have been immediately clear to a Jewish person.
They were waiting for the Messiah King to rule.
The Messiah King whose reign would have no end.
The “Jacob” mentioned in verse 33 was one of the prominent patriarchs of the Jewish nation.
The families of his 12 sons became the 12 tribes of Israel (Jews).
You can read about him and his sons in the book of Genesis.
Luk 1:36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.
Luk 1:37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”
Luk 1:38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Elizabeth’s pregnancy had remained a secret, even from her relative Mary.
Gabriel tells Mary about Elizabeth’s miraculous pregnancy as a sign God would have no problem accomplishing all he had just told her.
I find Mary’s response incredible.
Without hesitation or question (unlike Zechariah who was many years her senior) she gave her life over to the will of God.
Her trust in God doesn’t faulter.
Keep in mind, Mary is almost certainly in her teenage years when this takes place.
Many historians believe she was between 12 and 15.
Jewish customs allowed for betrothal at 12.
That may seem shockingly young to modern Bible students, especially because Mary is almost never portrayed as being that young in pictures or movies.
But if you look back through history, not just Jewish history, it is very common to read about women/girls getting engaged and married in the early teenage years.
Not only is the strength of her faith relative to her age impressive, but the social stigma she was willing to take on to do God’s will is admirable.
Neighbor Lady — “Mary, how did you get pregnant? Was it Joseph? Or some other man?”
Mary — “God miraculously put this child inside me.”
Was anyone going to believe that?
Would your parents have believed it?
Would you believe it if your child told you that?
The stigma surrounding Elizabeth was removed when she was blessed with a child.
The stigma surrounding Mary was just beginning when she was blessed with a child.
To have people look down on you in your early years for something you didn’t do and then to have people hate your son and kill Him in your later years… that isn’t an easy life!
So yes, Mary was blessed to be the mother of Jesus but it didn’t come without a price.
Yet no record of her faith wavering exists.
Joseph deserves a great deal of credit for his decision to remain with Mary.
He probably did not imagine his new married life involving a scandal of either premarital sex or betrothal unfaithfulness.
There was no easy way out of the situation for Joseph.
Either people assumed the child was his and he had had a sexual relationship with Mary before their marriage
Or, people assumed Mary had been with another man during her betrothal.
Either possibility would have reflected badly on Joseph but rather than run from the situation, he embraced the role God gave him to play.
Application:
God can turn your life upside down in a very short period of time.
All of a sudden, Mary goes from being an obscure women to being an integral part of God’s world changing plan.
The same thing could potentially happen to me.
But my question for myself is, “Would I let Him?”
Most of us like living our lives in a predictable way.
We have a plan for how we think things will go.
But what if God wants to use us in a different way?
Are we open to that?
Or would we be resistant to God coming into our lives and turning things upside down.
Who knows what we will miss if we don’t give God control!
Luk 1:39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah,
Luk 1:40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
When Mary had received the news of Elizabeth’s pregnancy and her own miraculous conception, she went to visit Elizabeth at her home in the hill country.
It is hard to lock down the exact location because the “hill country” is a somewhat broad term.
The hills of Israel run all along the west side of the Jordan River, stretching from Galilee to the Dead Sea.
The book of Joshua refers to the hill country as running from Kedesh to Hebron (see map).
Jos 20:7 “So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.”
Verse 39 indicates the town was in Judah (the southern region).
Nazareth to the southern hills would have been an 80-100 mile trip.
the hills of Judea
Luk 1:41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,
Luk 1:42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
Luk 1:43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
Luk 1:44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
Luk 1:45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
Elizabeth was at least 6 months pregnant when Mary arrived at her house.
When Mary greeted her, the baby insider of her “leaped.” o I’m not sure what that felt like but it must have been unique.
It was more than the baby kicking.
How did the baby know Jesus and his mother had arrived?
It must have been miraculous.
Application:
o Isn’t it interesting God chose an unborn baby to be the first person to recognize the Messiah?
That stands in stark contrast to the opinion of many who consider babies in the womb to be disposable clumps of cells.
Elizabeth is then “filled with the Holy Spirit” and speaks to Mary.
This is the same Holy Spirit who was foretold to empower Jesus and John.
It now empowers Elizabeth giving her knowledge of the situation and an understanding of the blessing that has been given to Mary.
She blesses Mary and the baby inside her.
She is honored that the mother of her “Lord” would come to visit.
She calls Jesus her Lord even though He hadn’t been born.
We don’t know how much Mary told her before arriving (if anything) but it is clear a lot of this information and her comprehension of it is coming via the Holy Spirit.
It’s possible the Holy Spirit gave this knowledge to Elizabeth so her words would encourage Mary and confirm the Lord’s work through her.
Finally, in verse 45, she blesses Mary for believing that God would accomplish all He told her through His angel messenger.
Application:
Do we believe the things God tells us through His words (the Bible)?
One might say, “Well, I would believe too if an angel appeared to me and told me!”
But we have the complete revelation of God.
We have the full gospel story which confirms the faithfulness of God’s words across centuries of history.
Precedent upon precedent.
Application:
Don’t think miracles are what you need to see to believe.
A lot of people, including myself, have thought, “Well, if I could see a miracle, I would never question God.”
The Bible was given to us to learn about human nature.
Again and again in the Bible we read about people who witnessed incredible miracles…
The 10 plagues on Egypt (book of Exodus).
Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11).
Etc.
There were people who were eye witnesses of those events who in a shockingly short amount of time started questioning the faithfulness and power of God.
The precedent of history is that miracles aren’t a guarantee of faith.
Luk 1:46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord,
Luk 1:47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
Luk 1:48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
Luk 1:49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
Luk 1:50 And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.
Luk 1:51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
Luk 1:52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate;
Luk 1:53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.
Luk 1:54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,
Luk 1:55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
Luk 1:56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.
Mary’s response is the correct response when someone complements us for something God is accomplishing through us.
She didn’t say, “Yeah, I know I’m pretty special. They don’t let just anybody be the mother of the Messiah.”
Her thoughts weren’t fixed on her own greatness, they were focused on God’s greatness.
She magnified God and rejoiced in the blessing given to her and the blessing that Jesus would be to her Jewish countrymen.
She recognizes the privilege given to her.
She knew it was a high privilege.
It was a once in the universe privilege.
She was right in saying, “from now on all generations will call me blessed.”
That is why we are here 2,000 years later talking about a girl from an obscure town that otherwise would have quickly been lost to history.
She understood the blessing was a result of God’s goodness, not her super awesomeness.
“for He who is mighty has done all things for me, and holy is His name” (verse 49).
Application:
In verse 47, Mary says “my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”
In what does your spirit rejoice?
Most people’s spirit rejoices in themselves, what they’ve accomplished, what they’ve done.
Even Christians can spend more time rejoicing in their accomplishments than in God as their Savior.
We can go to worship on Sunday and rejoice because we’ve had a pretty good week, kept most of the rules, haven’t committed any terrible sins.
But that shouldn’t be the primary reason for our rejoicing, we don’t go to worship to rejoice about how good we’ve been, we go to worship to worship God for His goodness.
We are the ones who need saved!
Our hearts rejoice in the fact that God is a Savior.
Mary was rejoicing because God was coming to the earth as a Savior.
What does your heart rejoice in?
Application:
God definitely doesn’t look at people the way we look at people. Otherwise he wouldn’t have chosen a woman of “humble estate” for such an incredible work.
We need to make sure a non-Christian world isn’t defining the Church’s criteria for competence.
Otherwise we will never evaluate a person’s potential the way God does.
Many of God’s greatest servants would never have been considered for the job if the world had been conducting the interviews.
“And His mercy is for those who fear Him in every generation.”
Jesus’ work on earth was going to be to extend mercy to every person, no matter what generation, century, millennia they were/are a part of.
God’s mercy is extended to anyone who “fears” Him.
The Bible uses “fear” in the sense of respect, those who properly respect God, who treat Him and His words with the reverence they deserve.
“He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate.”
Jesus’ life was going to be a display of God’s strength.
Jesus was coming to establish God’s reign/kingdom on earth.
God’s Kingdom has and will outlast every earthly kingdom.
Jesus was to be the king of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus’ reign was to be a display of God’s supremacy over everything, even the most powerful human institutions.
Those who fight against the Kingdom of Heaven, the “proud” of verse 51, will be scattered and humbled.
Jesus would invite all people, regardless of their social status to be a part of His Kingdom and reign with Him forever.
He would give “those of humble estate” the right to be exalted as children of God.
“He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty.”
This seems to be a general statement about God’s care for those who are so often denied care.
No matter what period of history you research, it’s common to see the rich abuse the poor.
The rich have the resources, but aren’t especially concerned with the welfare of the have-nots.
Not so with God, the One who possesses the storehouses of mercy pours out the abundance of His blessings on those who need it most.
He cares for the spiritual have-nots.
Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
Luke 6:21 “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.”
On account of Jesus’ life, those with nothing would be given much, but those with much, those who abused the poor, and cared nothing for the needy would be brought to judgement.
Luk 6:24-25 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry.”
Application:
Is selfishness something we need to take seriously?
Is generosity something we need to take seriously?
God seems to take both very seriously!
Jesus’ life was a selfless sacrifice and the world’s most generous gift.
Our lives need to reflect those qualities.
“He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
If you are familiar with the Old Testament, you’ll know why the nation of Israel 46 needed God to remember His mercy.
The 800-900 years leading up to Jesus’ birth weren’t a bright spot in Jewish history.
God continually sent the Jews reminders to keep His commands, but His people continually disobeyed Him.
Bad king after bad king led the nation into ruin.
It was only by God’s mercy the nation still existed (no exaggeration).
On top of the mercy already extended to them, God was going to send Jesus as His greatest act of mercy.
Incredibly, God had foretold this gift of grace before the Jewish nation ever existed.
All the way back in the book of Genesis, God promised Abraham, the father of the Jews, He would bless the world through His descendants.
Genesis 12:2-3 “And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
When you study the Old Testament, you’ll find it all points to Jesus.
The more you understand the Old Testament the more you’ll understand how Jesus’ birth, life, and death complete the picture God began painting at the beginning of time.
The Old Testament isn’t just a bunch of random stories about the nation of Israel.
I know it can feel that way.
But it is actually full of storylines, plots, characters, and events meant to lead the reader to the Messiah.
It was designed to show Jews and non-Jews their need for a Savior.
Mary’s words here in Luke 1 give us some insight into the work Jesus is going to accomplish in the rest of the book.
Application:
When was the last time you took 5 minutes to magnify the Lord?
To praise Him for blessing you.
For caring for the needy.
For using you to accomplish His work.
For being a powerful king.
For giving you a place in His kingdom.
For remembering His promises and His mercy.
Do we ever take time out of day to tell God how great He is?
Application:
Are we as honored as Elizabeth and Mary to participate in God’s work?
They acted as if was an awesome blessing.
Sometimes we act like working for God is a hardly bearable responsibility.
Luk 1:56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.
Mary stayed with Elizabeth three months before returning to home to Nazareth.
I suspect she stayed to see John’s birth.
If not, she must have left just days before.
Luk 1:57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son.
Luk 1:58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.
Luk 1:59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father,
Luk 1:60 but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.”
Luk 1:61 And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.”
Luk 1:62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called.
Luk 1:63 And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered.
Just as Gabriel had said, Elizabeth gave birth to a baby boy, and all of her neighbors and relatives rejoiced with her.
God had instructed all the Jews to circumcise their male babies on the eighth day after birth (Leviticus 12:1-3).
Apparently, that was also the day they named their children..
All the relatives wanted to name the child “Zechariah,” but Elizabeth told them they were going to name him John.
That didn’t make any sense to any of them, so they made signs to Zechariah for confirmation.
This text seems to suggest Zechariah was both unable to speak and unable to hear.
If he could hear why would his relatives need to make signs to him?
Acquiring a writing tablet, Zechariah confirmed Elizabeth’s words, “His name is John.”
Luk 1:64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God.
Luk 1:65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea,
Luk 1:66 and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.
If I were Zechariah I think I would have been a little worried when my tongue wasn’t loosed at John’s birth.
God made him wait 8 more days for the restoration of his voice.
I find it interesting, the first thing he did with his voice was bless God.
Application:
Hopefully our tongues mature like Zechariah’s.
Zechariah went from expressing his doubts in God’s promises (1:18) to blessing God for His faithfulness (1:64).
The news of John’s birth and the events surrounding it spread throughout the hill country of Judea.
People took note that God was at work.
They didn’t exactly know what God was doing, but they knew something special was taking place.
Luk 1:67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,
Luk 1:68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people
Luk 1:69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,
Luk 1:70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
Luk 1:71 that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us;
Luk 1:72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,
Luk 1:73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
Luk 1:74 that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear,
Luk 1:75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
Luk 1:76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
Luk 1:77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins,
Luk 1:78 because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
Luk 1:79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
It is not specifically stated that Mary was filled with the Holy Spirit when she spoke the words in verses 46-55, but I think we are meant to understand she was.
Here, Zechariah is filled with the Holy Spirit and begins to prophecy about what the Lord is going to accomplished with his son, John, and ultimately through Mary’s son Jesus.
You’ll notice a lot of similarities between Mary and Zechariah’s words.
Let’s work though Zechariah’s words phrase-by-phrase:
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people”
John was going to prepare the people for the arrival of God (Jesus).
God was literally going to visit the earth for the purpose of redeeming people.
Redeem = gain or regain possession of (something) in exchange for payment.
Jesus was going to sacrifice Himself and give His blood as payment to fix the relationship between sinners and God.
“and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old,”
This may be an odd statement for most modern readers.
Was God going to take an animal horn and give it some kind of saving power?
No, “horn” in the Bible symbolizes power and strength.
Zechariah is saying God is going to give His people a powerful salvation through a strong Savior.
And that Savior is going to come through the house of David.
As we mentioned, the Messiah/Savior was prophesied to be a descendent of King David and to sit on David’s throne forever.
“that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us;”
Zechariah mentioned salvation from enemies…
What did God’s people need saved from?
In a sense, Jesus will save people from their earthly enemies and the earthly troubles those enemies bring on them.
But in a greater sense, God intends to save us from our spiritual enemy, Satan.
Satan wants people to be separated from God forever.
He wants them to be destroyed by their sins, which is why he tempts people.
The Savior was going to overthrow the power of Satan, save His people from the Devil’s hand, put them in His own hand, and ensure their safety forever.
“to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant, the oath that He swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.”
In this verse, Zechariah mentions a promise God made to Abraham.
God had just kept a promise to Zechariah that had taken 9 months, but in doing so, He was keeping a promise He had made to Abraham 1,500 years earlier, to send a Savior to the world from Abraham’s family.
Application:
Our stories may be used to impact those who come a 1,000 years after us.
Our stories may be the culmination of a work God has been orchestrating for the past 1,000 years.
It can be beneficial to take a step back and think about how we fit into the bigger Christian story.
To appreciate the things God has done in the past to place us where we are.
And to think about how God might use us to benefit future generations.
I don’t think we should see the Bible story as separate from modern history.
It’s all one unified work of God.
Zechariah continued, “And you child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people in the forgiveness of their sins, because the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Zechariah turned to his son and prophesied he would become God’s prophet.
John would proceed the arrival of the Messiah and steer people towards Him when He finally arrived.
John would preach that forgiveness for sins was available on account of what the Messiah was going to do.
John would call Jesus the “Lamb of God.”
The Jews sacrificed Lambs as part of their religious system.
Jesus was the Lamb given to them by God.
Jesus was the perfect sacrifice whose blood had the power to save/redeem men.
If I understand it correctly, the “sunrise” mentioned by Zechariah was also a picture of the Messiah.
In the gospel of John, Jesus calls Himself the light of the world.
The world was in darkness until Jesus came and brought the light.
Every morning, the sun gives us a picture of what Jesus did for the world.
At night the world is dark.
Then the sun rises and fills it with light.
Spiritually speaking, the world was stuck in darkness until Jesus arrived.
When you are in the dark you can’t see where you are going.
Jesus arrived to light the way for us.
To show us how to walk in the “way of peace.”
Peace with who?
Peace with God.
People who live in sin are enemies of God because God hates sin.
Rom 5:10 “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”
Zechariah prophesied that the Messiah was going to make it possible for sins to be forgiven and for the forgiven to live at peace with God.
Luk 1:80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
We aren’t told hardly anything about John’s early years.
All we know is what is mentioned in this verse.
He lived in the wilderness until he began preaching about the arrival of the Messiah.
