Luke 1
Lu 1:1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us,
Has anyone ever expressed such conviction as to the absolute truthfulness of what he is about to relate as does Luke here in his introduction? ‘Things which have been fulfilled among us … from the beginning … eyewitnesses … ministers of the word … a perfect understanding of all things from the very first … an orderly account … that you may know the certainty … of those things in which you were instructed.’
Many have undertaken - Much emphasis has been placed on the reliability or otherwise of oral tradition in passing down accounts of Jesus’ life and teaching. But ‘there is no a priori reason why written records of Jesus’ teaching and actions may not have been preserved from shortly after the events themselves. Most scholars in fact speak of a written source or sources (in addition to Mark) used by Matthew and Luke. It is not clear why this lost ‘document’ (known for convenience as ‘Q’) should be the only or the earliest such record. May we not give more weight to Luke’s statement {Lu 1:1} that ‘many’ had already attempted to compile accounts of Jesus’ ministry?’ (R.T. France)
Things that have been fulfilled among us – They have not merely ‘happened’; they have been ‘fulfilled’. Luke shows his awareness at the outset of God’s redemptive purpose. This signals that he will have a theological interest as well as a historical interest.
Lu 1:2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.
Luke makes it clear that he is using three main sources: eyewitness accounts, oral traditions, and documentary material.
‘Eyewitness testimony was highly regarded in his day, for many ordinary purposes and especially in Roman law. There was a time, too, when eyewitness testimony was highly regarded by historical researchers. It was an important feature of Thucydides history, for example, that he himself played a leading part in the earlier stages of the Peloponnesian War which he records.’ (F.F. Bruce, in Jesus of Nazareth, Saviour and Lord)
Lu 1:3 Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,
An orderly account - ‘We must carefully observe that this expression does not imply that Luke followed the chronological order of the chief events in our Lord’s history, more than the other Evangelists. It rather signifies that he grouped together, and classified in an orderly way, the principal facts which he was inspired to record. Watson remarks, “Luke has less regard to chronological order than Matthew or Mark, and rather classifies the events, than narrates them in a series – a method of composing history not uncommon with the writers of antiquity.” A. Clarke gives an example of this in the life of Augustus, by Suetonius. Cambell says that the word translated ‘in order,’ does not necessarily relate to time. The proper import of it is ‘distinctly, particularly, as opposed to confusedly, generally.” (J.C. Ryle)
Luke does give many indications of time in his Gospel, Lu 1:5,26,36,56,59 2:42 3:23 9:28 22:1,7 etc. But at other times his account is orderly in the sense that he maintains a logical and thematic unity in presenting his material.
‘Ancient biographers and historians did not feel constrained to write from detached and so-called objective viewpoints. They did not give equal treatment to all periods of an individual’s life. They felt free to write in topical as well as chronological sequence. They were highly selective in the material they included, choosing that which reinforced the morals they wished to inculcate. In an era which knew neither quotation marks nor plagiarism, speakers’ words were abbreviated, explained, paraphrased and contemporized in whatever ways individual authors deemed beneficial for their audiences. All of these features occur in the Gospels, and none of them detracts from the Evangelists’ integrity.’ (Blomberg, DJG)
‘The primary cultural milieu for the gospels is Jewish, and prominent among Jewish literary techniques of the early Christian period is midrash /13/. This category has been applied to the gospels, with the suggestion that the source of much that they attribute to Jesus is a scripturally-inspired imagination rather than historical tradition. It must be insisted, however, (a) that ‘midrash’ (however that slippery word is defined) was far from being the dominant factor in Jewish writing about recent history, however strongly it may have influenced their retelling of ancient, sacred stories, and (b) that while the framework around which midrash was composed was a pre-existing sacred text, the framework of the gospels is a narrative about Jesus, into which scriptural elements may be introduced as the narrative suggests them, rather than vice versa. There may be much to be learned by comparing the gospel writers’ methods with those of midrashists, but there is no meaningful sense in which the gospels in themselves can be described in literary terms as midrash.
It is in fact widely agreed that there is no pre-existing literary category into which the gospels will fit. While they may use elements of existing techniques, and may in various respects resemble other genres, in themselves they are sui generis, a specifically Christian literary development. This means that their aims and methods are to be assessed not by extrapolation from those of other literature, but by studying them in their own terms.’ (R.T. France)
Most excellent Theophilus - It is the same expression which Paul used in addressing Felix and Festus, Ac 24:3,26:5.
Lu 1:4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
So that you may know the certainty of the things - ‘Some writers may toy with the fancy of a “Christ-myth,” but they do not do so on the ground of historical evidence. The historicity of Christ is as axiomatic for an unbiased historian as the historicity of Julius Caesar. It is not historians who propragate the “Christ-myth”.’ (F.F. Bruce, The New Testament Documents)
The things you have been taught - Suggesting that Theophilus had already received some instruction in the Christian faith.
‘The amount of detail in Luke-Acts devoted to faithfulness, Jewish-Gentile relations and clinging to the hope of Jesus’ return suggests a Gentile who was experiencing doubt about his association with the new community. This setting is also suggested in the controversy over table fellowship, the issue of Gentile inclusion, the detailed examples of how rejection was faced in the early church and the amount of attention devoted to ethical exhortation. Theophilus appears to be a man of rank. {Lu 1:3} Having associated himself with the church, he is undergoing doubt whether in fact he really belongs in this racially mixed and heavily persecuted community. The Gospel openly includes Theophilus in the new community, calling him to remain faithful, committed and expectant, even in the midst of intense Jewish rejection.’ (DJG)
It is, of course, quite wrong to regard Luke’s Gospel (or any of the others) as biographies in the modern sense. Luke’s purpose is not so much to present a complete account of the life of Jesus, nor yet to write a piece of apologetics, but, as he states in v4, to provide sufficient information about the life, teaching and work of Jesus that his reader(s) may be convinced of the truth of what they have already been taught.
What Luke sets before us, then, is not merely ‘the reasonableness or the truth of ethical and spiritual ideas, nor even the holiness and beauty of a life, but the testimony of a religious society to one in whom redemption had been experienced, and for whom faith, obedience, love and worship are unqualifiedly claimed.’ (W. Manson, Q by Geldenhuys)
‘Gospel studies have often introduced a false dichotomy between history and theology. One group of scholars seeks to harmonize all of the data of the four Gospels in order to create a composite, comprehensive life of Christ which blurs the unique emphases of each Gospel in its own right. Another group so emphasizes the theological distinctives of each individual Evangelist that it rejects the possibility of constructing any kind of plausible harmony. The two clearest statements in the Gospels about their authors’ own intentions suggest that history and theology both played important roles. {Lu 1:1-4 Joh 20:31} In fact, it is often precisely when one recognizes the theological emphases of a particular Gospel that one can understand why it differs from the others and can see those differences as complementary rather than contradictory.’ (Blomberg, DJG)
Lu 1:5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.
Here begins the ‘orderly account’ that Luke has promised. This new section ‘is separated from the dedicatory preface (1:1-4) by a shift both from literary Greek to heavily Semitic Greek and from studied secularity to a tone of intense Jewish piety.’ (WBC) The author launches into a comparison of John and Jesus, showing how both represent the fulfillment of promises made by God. John the Baptist is like Elijah, {Lu 1:17} but Jesus has Davidic roles to fulfill and possesses a unique supernatural origin (1:31-35). John is forerunner, but Jesus is fulfillment. Everything in Luke 1-2 points to the superiority of Jesus.
Jesus’ birth takes place in humble circumstances, but all the figures surrounding his birth are pious and responsive to the hope of God. Only the word of Simeon to Mary gives an ominous ring. {Lu 2:34-35} Jesus is the salvation of God (2:30), but in the midst of hope is the reality that fulfillment comes mixed with pain. This section, dominated by OT allusions, opens the Gospel with the twin themes of fulfillment and divine direction. These themes continue throughout the Gospel.’ (DJG)
The passage which begins here and goes on to the end of ch 2 is said to be the most Hebraistic (Aramaic) in Luke’s writings. This would be consistent with a use of written or oral sources, such as Mary herself might have provided. Luke, as a doctor, would have been particularly interest in the story of Jesus’ conception and birth. Accordingly, Luke tells the story of Jesus’ birth from Mary’s point of view, whereas Matthew gives an account from Joseph’s perspective.
The first two chapters of Luke’s Gospel form a diptych which demonstrates the parallels between John and Jesus but also the subordination of the former to the latter.
‘Taken alone, the Baptist infancy material would celebrate the greatness of John and his connections with the eschatological purposes of God. But Luke does not allow us even for a moment to take them alone. He interrupts the Baptist account immediately after its first episode to set alongside it the annunciation of the birth of Jesus, follows this up with the meeting of the two mothers, and has the prophecy of Zechariah to be more a celebration of the Davidic savior than of his prophetic precursor, John. The significance of the account of John’s origins is controlled by being clamped closely together with that of Jesus’ origins (the two promised sons represent the one purpose of God). By this means, at every stage, as the accounts are allowed to unfold in parallel, it is shown that this one than whom none greater has been born of woman (7:28) is, nevertheless, to be totally overshadowed by the coming of the one who is mightier than he (3:16).’ (WBC)
Herod the Great reigned from 37-4 BC. He was only half Jewish, and was installed by the Roman senate as king of the Jews. Eager to please the Romans, he beautified the temple in Jerusalem, but placed a Roman eagle over the entrance. It was this Herod who ordered the massacre of children in an attempt to kill the infant Jesus, who was being heralded as the new ‘king of the Jews’, Mt 2:16-18. The time referred to here was probably around 7 or 6 BC.
The reference to Herod is, of course, partly to fix the historical background to the events surrounding the births of John and Jesus. But also, it is to show how far the sceptre had departed from Judah, before Shiloh should come, Ge 49:10; how low the family of David had sunk, prior to the coming of the Messiah, Isa 53:2. We should not despair of spiritual revival, even when the true faith has long ceased to be nationally recognised or protected.
A Jewish priest was employed at the temple, managing its upkeep, teaching the Scriptures, and leading worship. There were at this time around 20,000 priests in the country. Therefore, they served on a roster, 1Ch 24:1-6.
The division of Abijah - From the time of David, the priests were organised into 24 divisions, Abija being the head of one of these priestly families, Ne 12:12. Actually, only four of these divisions, or courses, had returned from the Exile, Ezr 2:36-39, but these had been divided up to make the 24 again, retaining the old names. Each division was on duty twice a year, for a week at a time.
Elizabeth was also of priestly descent. To be a priest and married to the daughter of a priest was a double honour for Zacharias.
Lu 1:6 Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly.
See here that individual faith can still flourish when a nation is at a low ebb. This couple had grace and faith when such qualities were rare. They observed the ancient ceremonies from the heart, when the great majority had reduced them to their mere outward form. The true faith resided in the hearts of these two, as it did in the hearts of Mary and Joseph, and of Simeon and Anna.
‘Such a household as that of Zacharias and Elisabeth would have all that was beautiful in the religion of the time: devotion towards God; a home of affection and purity; reverence towards all that was sacred in things Divine and human; ungrudging, self-denying, loving charity to the poor; and tenderest regard for the feelings of others…above all, intense faith and hope in the higher and better future of Israel.’ (Edersheim)
Often, although not invariably, great men and women of God are born of godly parents. So Augustine, Luther, and Wesley.
Lu 1:7 But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.
God is sometimes pleased to lay heavy afflictions on those he loves. They had no children. To such a Jewish couple this would have been a matter for bitter sorrow, Ge 30:1 1Sa 1:10. Fertility was seen as a sign of God’s blessing, De 7:14 Ps 113:9, whereas infertility was considered to be an indication of God’s displeasure. Their ‘righteousness’ did not excuse them from this sadness. And this couple had now given up hope, because they were well advanced in years.
A number of notable Bible characters were born to relatively aged parents: Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Samson, Samuel, and John. In this way God makes the child especially precious to the parents. In keeping his people waiting for a long-for blessing, God sometimes rewards their patience by doubling its worth when it comes.
Lu 1:8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,
Here is the background to the scene, derived principally from Edersheim. It was the time of the Morning Sacrifice. As the great gates of the temple swung open, a triple blast from the silver trumpets of the Priests awakened the city from its slumber. The Priest on the highest pinnacle of the temple had watched for the first light of dawn, and then given the signal for the daily services to begin. There would have been about 50 priests on duty, their various responsibilities apportioned by lot.
Lu 1:9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
One of the duties of the priest was to burn incense twice a day on the altar in the temple. This privilege occurred very infrequently, and sometimes never, since it was determined by lot. On this particular day Zechariah had been chosen to burn the incense. This was the biggest moment of his life. When the incense burned, the people prayed, the smoke of the incense symbolising the rising of the prayers to heaven.
Luke has a number of temple passages peculiar to himself: Lu 1:5-23 2:22-35,36-38,41-51 18:9-14 21:37-38 24:53.
Lu 1:10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
Incense - A mixture of aromatic spices prepared to be burned in connection with the offering of sacrifices. {Ex 25:6} The word also refers to the smoke produced by the burning. The incense used in worship was to be prepared according to exacting specifications and was to be offered only by the high priest.
Lu 1:11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.
The coming of John the Baptist was announced by a supernatural visitor. We should appreciate the importance of the appearance of the angel and of his message. To any pious Jew, it was a momentous event. It was the first communication from God to Israel for four centuries. It was the harbinger of the long-expected Messiah, the seed of Abraham in whom all the nations of the earth would be blessed.
Ryle quotes Bishop Hall as saying, “The presence of angels is no novelty, but their apparition. They are always with us, but rarely seen, that we may awfully respect their messages when they are seen.”
The ministry of angels is a deep and mysterious subject. Of the Gospel writers, it is Luke who takes particular notice of them. From him we learn that angels were very active during the time of our Lord’s earthly life, and especially at the time of his entry into this world. This fact testifies eloquently to the uniqueness of the person and work of the Lord Jesus. If these mighty beings take such interest in the birth, life, and sufferings of Christ, then so should we. If angels rejoice to see a sinner repenting, then so should we.
‘God comes at last when we think he is farthest off.’
‘God comes to see without ringing the doorbell.’ Spanish Proverb
The altar of incense - It was of cedar, overlaid with gold 1Ki 6:20 1Ch 28:18 was a cubit (about two feet) in length and breadth, and two cubits high; it stood in the Holy Place before the veil which separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies.
Lu 1:12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.
‘The celebrant Priest, bearing the golden censer, stood alone within the Holy Place, lit by the sheen of the seven-branched candlestick. Before him – somewhat further away, towards the heavy Veil that hung before the Holy of Holies, was the golden altar of incense, on which the red coals glowed. To his right (the left of the altar – that is, on the north side) was the table of shewbread; to his left, on the right or south side of the altar, was the golden candlestick. And still he waited, as instructed to do, till a special signal indicated, that the moment had come to spread the incense on the altar, as near as possible to the Holy of Holies. Priests and people had reverently withdrawn from the neighbourhood of the altar, and were prostrate before the Lord, offering unspoken worship, in which record of past deliverance, longing for mercies promised in the future, and entreaty for present blessing and peace, seemed the ingredients of the incense, that rose in a fragrant cloud of praise and prayer. Deep silence had fallen on the worshippers, as if they watched to heaven the prayers of Israel, ascending in the cloud of “odours” that rose from the golden altar to the Holy Place. {Re 5:8 8:1-4} Zachariah waited, until he saw the incense kindling. Then he also would have “bowed down in worship,” and reverently withdrawn, had not a wondrous sight arrested his steps. On the right (or south) side of the altar, between it and the golden candlestick, stood what he could not but recognise as an Angelic form.
Fear fell upon him - such was the reaction of Moses at the burning bush, of Daniel at the river of Hiddekel, of the women at the tomb, of John on the island of Patmos. To come face to face with a messenger from God leads to a sense of awe arising from a feeling of weakness and sinfulness.
Lu 1:13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.”
Your prayer has been heard - lit. ‘was heard’: Zacharias, now being well advanced in years, had perhaps long since ceased to pray for offspring. God always answers prayer in his own way and in his own time. Prayers are not necessarily rejected, because their answers are long delayed. We should remember this when we kneel down to pray. God used an ‘impossible’ situation not only to deal graciously with Zacharias and Elizabeth, but to bring the forerunner of Christ into the world.
‘Prayers of faith are filed in heaven, and are not forgotten, though the thing prayed for is not presently given in. Prayers made when we were young and coming into the world may be answered when we are old and going out of the world.’ (Henry)
The words of the Angel, 13-15, are poetic in style, like Lu 1:30-33,35-37,42-45,46-55,68-70 2:10-12,14,29-32,34-35. It is quite possible that these early stories were turned into hymns by early believers and it is these sources that Luke has collected and collated.
Luke 1:14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,
Lu 1:15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.
“He will be great in the sight of the Lord” - This is the meaning and measure of true greatness. The world calls great those who have power, money, intellect, skill. Such greatness is not recognised by God. True greatness is to do great things for the Lord. See Mt 11:11. Yet John’s was not an ostentatious greatness: he knew how to retire into the background, Joh 3:30. Jesus himself always links true greatness with humility, Lu 7:6,9 9:46-48.
It seems from this that John would be a Nazirite, Nu 6:1-4; as were Samson, Jud 13:4-6, and Samuel, 1Sa 1:11.
“He will be filled with the Holy Spirit” - the first mention of the Holy Spirit by Luke, who mentions him more than any other Gospel writer. For the opposition of wine and the Holy Spirit, see also Ac 2:15-17 Eph 5:18.
Luke 1:16 Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God.
Lu 1:17 “And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous-to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
John resemble Elijah in his appearance, manner and life-style. But he would also be a prophet of repentance, as Elijah had been, Mal 4:5-6. John will deny that he is actually Elijah in person, as they expected, {Joh 1:21} but Jesus will call him Elijah in spirit. {Mr 9:12 Mt 17:12}
“To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children” - Perhaps, figuratively, the patriarchs will look with pleasure on the repentance brought about by John’s preaching to the current generation. Or, more simply, the preaching of repentance would restore harmony between parents and children.
“A people prepared for the Lord” - fulfilling Isa 40:3-5. Cf. Lu 3:4-6. ‘This John did. This is a marvellous forecast of the character and career of John the Baptist, one that should have caught the faith of Zacharias.’ (A.T. Robertson) This mission was successful in part, but, of course, both the forerunner and the Messiah himself would be hounded to death.
Lu 1:18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”
“How can I be sure of this?” - The best of men are prone to doubt the word of God. Zechariah asked for a sign, as had Abraham, Ge 15:8; Gideon, Jud 6:17; and Hezekiah, 2Ki 20:8. He had prayed for this, and now he doubted that his prayer could possibly have been answered. When we are similarly tempted to think that what God has promised in impossible, we should remember what he has already achieved in history, and how he has achieved it. God is not bound by the narrowness of our vision or by our human failings and limitations.
An apocryphal writer would, no doubt, have given a very different and much more enthusiastic account of the reaction of Zacharias. Edersheim reminds us that ‘there are moments of moral faintness, so to speak, when the vital powers of the spiritual heart are depressed, and, as in the the case of the Disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration and in the Garden of Gethsemane, the physical part of our being and all that is weakest in us assert their power.’
‘Let us note that there is a wide distinction between this question asked by Zacharias, and that asked by the Virgin Mary, at verse 34. The question of Zacharias implies a doubt of the whole thing announced by the angel. The question of Mary implies no doubt of the event, but is only directed to the manner of its accomplishment.’ (J.C. Ryle)
Examples of similar scepticism are found in Ge 3:6 2Ki 2:16-18 Lu 24:37-38 Joh 20:24 Ac 12:12-15 2Pe 3:4.
Lu 1:19 The angel answered, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.”
“Gabriel” - the name means ‘God is my hero’, or ‘Mighty man of God.’ See Da 8:16 9:21. Michael is the only other angel named in Scripture, Da 10:13,21 Jude 9 Re 12:7. Michael is the destroyer, the champion of God against evil, the minister of wrath. Gabriel is the messenger of peace and restoration. ‘The former is the forerunner of Jehovah the Judge; the latter of Jehovah the Savior’ (Godet).
“I stand in the Presence of God” - This description of himself is a rebuke to the disbelief of Zacharias. The very word of such a messenger should have been sign enough. According to Mt 18:10 other (possibly all) angels behold the face of the Father in heaven.
‘Angels serve as God’s messengers. Angels are spirit beings who live in God’s presence and do his will. Only two angels are mentioned by name in Scripture-Michael and Gabriel-but there are many who act as God’s messengers. Here, Gabriel delivered a special message to Zechariah (1:19). This was not a dream or a vision. The angel appeared in visible form and spoke audible words to the priest.’ (HBA)
Lu 1:20 “And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time.”
“You will be mute” - Zecharias would get a sign, but not the one he expected. One effect of this would be that Zecharias would not be able to spread doubt about God’s word. There is a sober reminder for us not to doubt what God has promised, however unlikely it may seem to our human understanding.
But the judgement was temporary, for God’s justice is mixed with mercy.
Lu 1:21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple.
They were waiting for him to come out from the Holy of Holies and pronounce the Aaronic Blessing, Nu 6:24-26. According to the Talmud, the priests, especially the chief priests, were accustomed to spend only a short time in the sanctuary, otherwise it was feared that they had been slain by God for unworthiness or transgression.
Lu 1:22 When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.
He could not speak - They perceived this immediately from his inability to pronounce the Aaronic Blessing. It seems from verse 62 that he was rendered deaf as well.
Lu 1:23 When his time of service was completed, he returned home.
The time of his service - each priest was responsible for a week of service at the temple every six months. The underlying Gk expression has come down to us as the word ‘liturgy’.
Lu 1:24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.
His wife Elizabeth became pregnant - It has been pointed that the number of gynaecological words used by Luke, is almost as large as that used by Hippocrates. Compare Lu 1:31 1:24 2:5 1:7 20:28. All of these, except 1:24, are peculiar to himself, and all were in common use among medical writers.
For five months remained in seclusion - Until such time as her pregnancy was noticeable, and it would be obvious to all that God had taken away her reproach, v25.
Lu 1:25 “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
“The Lord has done this for me” - ‘Blessings should not only be counted. They should be traced to the Giver, so that scknowledgement and thanskgiving may result.’ (Hendriksen)
“My disgrace” - Childlessness was not only a social disgrace; it was regarded as a sign of divine disfavour. Compare: Sarai: Ge 16:2; Rebekah: Ge 25:21; Rachel: Ge 30:23; Hannah: 1Sa 1:1-18.
Lu 1:26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,
Sixth month – the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy.
God sent the angel Gabriel – The good angels are characterised by unfailing readiness to do God’s will. Recall the picture in Ezekiel, of each cherub with four faces, their chariot having ‘wheels within wheels’: the idea is that these angels are willing move immediately in any direction in response to God’s bidding. Hendriksen draws a parallel with the third petition of the Lord’s Prayer – ‘Thy will be done, on earth as in heaven.’
Nazareth – a humble town, not even mentioned in the OT.
On the humility of Mary and her background, cf. 1Sa 16:7.
This verse, and those that follow, remind us of the humble circumstances of Jesus’ birth. He was to be born in an obscure town, of a woman of no social standing. Time and again, God takes the side of the poor and afflicted of this world. And nowhere do we see this more clearly than in the incarnation, 2Co 8:9. Let us admire his condescending love, and seek to imitate him in his voluntary humility.
Lu 1:27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
Betrothal usually lasted a year. It was a solemn promise made before witnesses and to break it required divorce. Unfaithfulness on the part of the bride was punished with death. {De 23:24-25}
Lu 1:28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
The translation of these words as, “Hail Mary, full of grace,” is misleading, suggesting that Mary is a source of grace to other people, whereas the meaning is simply that God’s favour rests upon her. “Rejoice, so highly favoured!” (JB). The Vulgate ‘gratiae plena’ “is right, if it means ‘full of grace which thou hast received’; wrong, if it means ‘full of grace which thou hast to bestow”‘ (Plummer)
‘The angel salutes the virgin; he prays not to her. He salutes her, as a saint; he prays not to her as a goddess. For us to salute her as he did wer gross presumption, for neither are we as he was, neither is she as she was. If he that was a spirit, saluted her that was flesh and blood here on earth, it is not for us that are flesh and blood to salute her which is a glorious spirit in heaven. For us to pray to her in the angel’s salutation, were to abuse the virgin, the angel, and the salutation.’ (Bishop Hall)
There is no warrant for the exaggerated claims made by the Roman Catholic church, who insist on Mary’s immaculate conception, perpetual virginity, and assumption. Still, we should not forget the immense privilege accorded to Mary. No woman has ever been so highly honoured. But, again, whover does the will of God, is Christ’s brother, sister and mother, and, blessed as the womb was that bore the Son of God, more blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it (Mr 3:35 Lu 11:27.
Lu 1:29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
Mary was greatly troubled = ‘greatly troubled or agitated’. Shocked partly by the appearance of this shining angel, but even more so that she, a young woman of humble social position, should be singled out by the Lord as the object of special favour. But see Ps 138:6 Isa 57:15.
Lu 1:30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.”
“Found favour” – ‘Same root as chair (rejoice) and charito in verse 28. To find favour is a common O.T. phrase. ChariV is a very ancient and common word with a variety of applied meanings. They all come from the notion of sweetness, charm, loveliness, joy, delight, like words of grace, Lu 4:22, growing grace, Eph 4:29, with grace, Col 4:6. The notion of kindness is in it also, especially of God towards men as here. It is a favourite word for Christianity, the Gospel of the grace of God {Ac 20:24} in contrast with law or works. {Joh 1:16} Gratitude is expressed also, {Lu 6:32} especially to God.’ {Ro 6:17} (RWP)
In the angel’s message we have,
- An assurance, “Do not be afraid.”
- A promise, “You will bring forth a son.”
- A command, “You shall call his name JESUS.”
- A prophecy, “He shall be great, the Son of the Highest; he shall sit on David’s throne; he shall reign forever.”
Lu 1:31 you will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.
“…and you are to give him the name Jesus” – ‘JESUS! the name that refreshes the fainting spirits of humbled sinners; sweet to speak and sweet to hear, Jesus, a Saviour! We know not his riches and our own poverty, therefore we run not to him; we perceive not that we are lost and perishing, therefore a Saviour is a word of little relish. Were we convinced of the huge mass of guilt that lies upon us, and the wrath that hangs over us for it, ready to fall upon us, it would be our continual thought, Is the Saviour mine? And that we might find him so, we should trample on all that hinders our way to him.’ (MHCC)
Lu 1:32 he will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,
“He will be great” – a greater prophet than Moses; a greater priest than Aaron; a greater king than David.
“The throne of his father David” – a confirmation of his descent from David, from the human point of view.
Lu 1:33 “and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”
“He will reign over the house of Jacob forever” – Ryle says: ‘Let us beware of spiritualizing away the full meaning of these words. “The House of Jacob” does not mean all Christians. The “Throne of David” does not mean the office of a Saviour to all Gentile believers. The words will yet receive a literal fulfilment, when the Lord Jesus comes the second time, and the Jews are converted. The promise of Gabriel is parallel with Jer 30:9. The kingdom of which he speaks, is the glorious kingdom foretold in Da 7:27, before which all other kingdoms are finally to be overthrown at Christ’s second coming.’
“His kingdom will never end” – not an earthly kingdom, of course, but the rule of God in people’s hearts and lives – ‘righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,’ Ro 14:17. The ultimate manifestation of this kingdom will be the new heaven and earth. This is an eternal kingdom: ‘When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun, We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise Than when we first begun.’
Lu 1:34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
Zechariah’s response to Gabriel was one of disbelief; Mary’s is one of puzzlement.
Some suggest that this verse reflects a vow to remain a life-long virgin. But this is to read a meaning into the text which is not there, and which, moreover, is contradicted by what we read about the brothers of the Lord.
Lu 1:35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” – Marshall notes that the verb ‘to overshadow’ is ‘used of God’s presence resting on the tabernacle in the cloud’, Ex 40:35, and ‘metaphorically protecting his people’, Ps 91:4 140:7, and concludes: ‘The description culminates in the phrase Son of God, here undoubtedly in it sfull sense of one begotten by God.’ (Quoted by Peter Lewis, The Glory of Christ, 138)
The manner of the virginal conception is spoken of with great reverence and discreetness. There is no question of some crude mating between Mary and the Holy Spirit, such as was common in the Greek myths. The nearest allusion is the the Shekinah glory, which spoke of the awesome presence of God. We also think of the Spirit of God hovering over the waters at the time of creation, Ge 1:2. But here is a mystery, and we do well to avoid speculation beyond what has been revealed. Even natural conception is shrouded in mystery, Ps 139:13-16. It is enough for us to know that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, Joh 1:14; that he took on our flesh and blood, Heb 2:14; that he was born of a woman, Ga 4:4. But beyond this we may not go. The method by which these things took place has been hidden from us. True faith must of necessity contain mystery, and the incarnation is one of these.
‘The child born to Mary is to be hailed Son of the Most High and given the eschatological throne of David (1:32-33), because he will be no child of ordinary wedlock (1:35). As Fitzmyer now admits, following the semi-miraculous conception of John the Baptist to his aged parents in 1:5-25, the ascending parallelism of the narrative requires that this means a virginal conception of Jesus by the creative activity of the Holy Spirit. The angelic oracle asserts that through the action of the Spirit (perceived as the new creation “power of the Most High” cf. 1:35b) that which is born shall be “holy, the Son of God.” As G. Schneider puts it: “Jesus is not merely filled with the Spirit, like John, rather his very being is attributed to the Spirit”. (DJG)
“The Son of God” – It is the title used by the Father at the baptism {Lu 3:22} and on the Mount of Transfiguration. {Lu 9:35}
Lu 1:36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.
“Elizabeth your relative” – we know that Elizabeth was descended from Aaron, v5, and that Mary was descended from David v32. May may therefore suppose that one of Mary’s parents was of Aaron’s family and one of David’s.
‘We should mark how graciously the angel helps the faith of the Virgin Mary, by telling her of a fact which may serve to assist her in receiving his message. This is the manner of God’s dealings. He knows our weakness. It is like our Lord calling for meat, and eating of a broiled fish and honey-comb, to satisfy his disciples of the material reality of his risen body.’ (J.C. Ryle)
Lu 1:37 “For nothing is impossible with God.”
Here is a great reminder for us all. We are prone to limit God in so many ways. But there is no sin so black that it cannot be pardoned. There is no heart so stubborn that it cannot be renewed. We can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. The grace of God is sufficient for us. Christ’s words never pass away. When God is for us, who shall be against us?
Lu 1:38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.
“I am the Lord’s servant” – The word means ‘slave’. We see here Mary’s complete acquiscence in the will of God.
“May it be to me as you have said” – There is amazing faith expressed here. She was not yet married, and Joseph did indeed think of divorcing her, Mt 1:19. The penalty for adultery was death, although it seems that this may not have been enforced very frequently. Still, Mary could expect to suffer, if not to die. But she rested in the will of God. Contrast with the reaction of Zecharias, Lu 1:18.
‘Let us seek in our daily practical walk Christianity to exercise the same blessed spirit of faith which we see here in the Virgin Mary. Let us be willing to go anywhere, and do anything, and be anything, whatever be the present and immediate inconvenience, so long as God’s will is clear and the path of duty is plain.’ (Ryle)
‘We need the humility of Mary. She accepted God’s purpose, saying, “May it be to me as you have said.”…We also need Mary’s courage. She was so completely willing for God to fulfil his purpose, that she was ready to risk the stigma of being an unmarried mother, of being thought an adulteress herself and of bearing an illegitimate child. She surrendered her reputation to God’s will. I sometimes wonder if the major cause of much theological liberalism is that some scholars care more about their reputation than about God’s revelation. Finding it hard to be ridiculed for being naive and credulous enough to believe in miracles, they are tempted to sacrifice God’s revelation on the altar of their own respectability.’ (John Stott, Authentic Christianity, 121f)
Lu 1:39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,
Mary responds to the angel’s message by hurrying to see Elizabeth.
Luke 1:40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth.
Lu 1:41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
‘It is natural that sudden joy, on the part of a pregnant woman, should cause a motion of the child in her womb; but Luke intended to express an extraordinary occurrence. No good purpose would be served by involving ourselves in intricate questions, if the child was aware of the presence of Christ, or felt an emotion of piety: it is enough for us that the babe started by a secret movement of the Spirit. Luke does not say that the feeling belonged to the child, but rather intimates that this part of the Divine operation took place in the mother herself, that the babe started in her womb. The expression, she was filled with the Holy Ghost, means that she was suddenly endued with the gift of prophecy to an unusual extent: for the gifts of the Spirit had not formerly been wanting in her, but their power then appeared more abundant and extraordinary.’ (Calvin)
The baby leaped in her womb – ‘Both Testaments refer to the fetus in terms routinely applied to the young child, {Ge 25:22 38:27-30 Job 1:21 3:3,11-16 10:18-19 31:15 Ps 51:5 Isa 49:5 Jer 20:14-18 Ho 12:3 Lu 1:15,41,44 Ro 9:10-11} implying continuity between the two and distinct individuality for the fetus. Alongside birth, conception and gestation stand as important parts of one’s personal history. Nowhere is this more clearly shown than in the prebirth rivalry between Jacob and Esau, and in the encounter between John and Jesus recorded in Luke’s birth narrative. Jacob’s struggle with Esau in the womb prophetically anticipated events later in life, {Ge 25:21-26} and when John the Baptist, as a fetus of six months, leapt in the presence of the newly conceived Jesus, he inaugurated his witness to the one who is to come. {Lu 1:39-45} Finally, there is evidence from the incarnation itself. As the Word become flesh {Joh 1:14} and the last Adam (1Co 15:45; cf. Lu 1:22 Ro 5:14), Jesus fully embraced humanity to redeem it. But unlike the first Adam who emerged fully formed from the earth, Jesus’ entrance into humanity was as a zygote in Mary’s womb. The incarnation took place not in a Bethlehem stable but nine months earlier in Nazareth, as the Holy Spirit caused a virgin to conceive.
All of this strongly affirms the humanity of the unborn and portrays a God hard at work forming and protecting preborn life. Attempts to thwart this divine process would clearly be attempts to usurp God’s role by destroying the human life God has begun to create and hence morally wrong.’ (EDBT)
Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit – ‘Luke develops several distinctive themes of the Spirit’s work. Most characteristic are his references to people whom the Spirit “fills.” Consistently such individuals quickly proceed to speak inspired words or otherwise boldly proclaim God’s Word. With Elizabeth, {Lu 1:41} Zechariah, {Lu 1:67} and Simeon, {Lu 2:25-27} the Spirit comes with temporary power as in the Old Testament. From Pentecost on, however, the Spirit becomes a permanent possession of God’s people, yet believers may still be repeatedly “filled” in order to speak courageously for Christ (the 120 – Ac 2:4 Peter Ac 4:8; all Jerusalem believers – Ac 4:31; Saul – Ac 9:17 13:9). On the other hand, Luke reserves the expression “full of the Spirit” to refer to a mature, godly character (the first “deacons” – Ac 6:3,5; Barnabas – 11:24).’ (EDBT)
Lu 1:42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!”
She spoke out with a loud voice – Elizabeth’s mood is one of great excitement. Mary’s by contrast will be one of calmer joyousness.
“Blessed are you among women” – A hebraism for “most blessed of women.” Note the complete absence of jealousy in Elizabeth’s attitude. She had been signally blessed by God, but Mary had been yet more highly favoured. But Elizabeth showed no resentment.
Lu 1:43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
“The mother of my Lord” – Only divine inspiration could have told her this.
Lu 1:44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
But John would not recognise Jesus as Messiah until the baptism, Joh 1:32-33.
Lu 1:45 “Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”
‘It was a high honour to be the mother of him that should redeem mankind. It is from that honour that the Roman Catholics have determined that it is right to worship the Virgin Mary and to offer prayers to her-an act of worship as idolatrous as any that could be offered to a creature. For-
1st. It is not anywhere commanded in the Bible.
2nd. It is expressly forbidden to worship any being but God, Ex 34:14 20:4,5 De 6:13,14 Isa 45:20.
3rd. It is idolatry to worship or pray to a creature.
4th. It is absurd to suppose that the Virgin Mary can be in all places at the same time to hear the prayers of thousands at once, or to aid them. There is no idolatry more gross, and of course more wicked, than to worship the creature more than the Creator, Ro 1:25.’ (Barnes)
Lu 1:46 And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord”
THE MAGNIFICAT
The name comes from the Vulgate, as is the case with the other hymns in Luk 1-2.
The wording of the song may possibly belong to some later poet. However, the four days’ journey to see Elizabeth would have provided the opportunity for reflection on the story of Hannah and for her to compose her own inspired song. Luke clearly wishes us to know that it is Mary’s prophecy, and came substantially her Mary’s lips.
Consider this hymn with respect to Mary’s faith.
1. Mary’s knowledge of Scripture. There are a number of parallels with the song of Hannah, 1Sa 2:1-10. ‘Every idea here occurs in the Old Testament, showing that Mary’s mind was full of the spiritual message of God’s word.’ (Robertson) Mary was not a scholar, yet her mind was stored with Scripture. So it was natural for her to vent her feelings in scriptural language. We, too, should strive so that God’s word would dwell in us richly, Col 2:16. More…
Note the following forms of parallelism in the Magnificat:-
(1) synonymous parallelism
My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior {Lu 1:46-47}
(2) synthetic parallelism
He has performed mighty deeds with his army
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts {Lu 1:5}
(3) antithetical parallelism
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble {Lu 1:52}
Lu 1:47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
2. Mary’s joy and thankfulness. “My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour” – The note of thankfulness is very dominant in the Magnificat: Mary praises God on her own behalf, for he has shown great favour to her, but also on behalf of others. So it is in the writings of David, 1Sa 7:12, and of Paul, Php 4:6. We ought to cultivate an habitual attitude of thankfulness.
‘Let us not fail to notice the Virgin Mary’s expression of need of salvation. It would be difficult to find a more complete answer to the Romish doctrine respecting her, and especially the doctrine of the immaculate conception, than her language in this hymn.’ (Ryle)
Lu 1:48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed,
3. Mary’s humility. “He has has been mindful of the humble state of his servant” – Such is God’s habit and pattern, to lift up to himself those who are brought down in, and by, the world. So Leah, Ge 29:31; Hannah, 1Sa 1:19.
“All generations will call me blessed” – To called Mary ‘blessed’ is a very different thing from worshipping her. The word for ‘blessed’ is makarizo (to pronounce or esteem fortunate), not eulogetos (worthy of adoration). Cf. 1:45; 11:27.
Lu 1:49 for the Mighty one has done great things for me-holy is his name.
4. Mary’s awareness of God’s ways with men. She meditates on three of the divine attributes: (a) power; (b) holiness; (c) mercy. Let us study God’s former acts, for what he has done in the past, he is likely to do in the future.
Lu 1:50 his mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.
His mercy – ‘The OT record of God’s mercy forms the context for its manifestation in the NT. His steadfast, covenantal, electing love for Israel is conspicously reflected in the Lukan infancy canticles. The birth of the Messiah reveals God’s covenantal mercy and faithfulness to save his unworthy people (Lu 1:50,54,72,78; cf. Ps 103:17).’ (ISBE)
Those who fear him – Reverential awe, as in Ac 10:2 Col 3:22. Such fear sums up the OT idea of spirituality.
Lu 1:51 he has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
“He has…” – Note the repeated past tense. It is typical of the Messianic prophecies that future divine acts are viewed as though that had already taken place. ‘God’s promises are as good as ready money any day.’
“His arm” – Ryle quotes Whitby as saying, ‘God’s great power is represented by his finger, – his greater by his hand, – his greatest by his arm. The production of lice was by the finger of God. Ex 8:19; – his other miracles in Egypt were wrought by his hand: Ex 3:20; – the destruction of Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, by his arm. Ex 15:6.’
The proud think they are so important, so secure, but God ‘scatters them’.
‘God will deal with the proud. His arm will be raised against them. {De 4:34 Ps 44:3 89:13 118:15} The promise of God’s judgment here recalls the exodus, when God exercised his power in total judgment. {Ex 6:1,6 De 3:24 7:19} Whatever earthly authority exists, it is nothing before the mighty, decisive exercise of divine authority. He has brought down rulers {Ps 68:1 89:10} but has lifted up the humble. {1Sa 2:7 Ps 147:6} he has filled the hungry with good things {1Sa 2:5 Ps 107:9 146:7} but has sent the rich away empty. {1Sa 2:5 Job 15:29 Jer 17:11} Here is God working on behalf of the pious downtrodden, a group the Old Testament called the.’ {Ps 9:11-12,17-20 10:1-4 12:1-5 18:25-29} (IVP NT Commentary)
Lu 1:52 he has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.
Rulers – Gk. dunastes, from which we get our word ‘dynasty’. Such people feel invulnerable, but God ‘puts them down’.
Lu 1:53 he has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.
The hungry…the rich – we should think particularly of spiritual hunger and riches, Mt 5:6 Re 3:17. God acts not only disappoints the expectations of the proud and the great in this world, but exceeds those of the poor and the humble. So with the scribes and the pharisees on the one hand, and the publicans and sinners on the other. Through Mary, God in his love gave the most valuable of all treasures – his own Son into the world to be its Saviour, Joh 3:16.
Lu 1:54 he has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful
He has helped his servant Israel – ‘Those that were sunk under the burdens of a broken covenant of innocency are helped up by the blessings of a renewed covenant of grace’ (Henry). There is a distinctive Christian interpretation of themes such as ‘Israel’, Lu 24:21-26 Joh 12:23 Ac 1:6 Ro 9:6; ‘servant’, and ‘seed’, Joh 8:39 Ga 3:16 29, which would not have been lost on Luke and his readers. The national deliverance of Israel from human oppressors ‘is a recurrent note in pre-Christian messianism. The New Testament writers do not deny it, but they redefine in and transfer it to Messiah’s parousia’ (Ellis).
Lu 1:55 “to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.”
5. Mary’s trust in God’s promises. “As he said to our fathers” – Mary had a firm grasp of Bible promises, and evidently regarded the great promise to Abraham, Ge 12:3 17:7-8 22:17-18, as about to receive its fulfilment in the birth of her Son.
Luke 1:56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
Luke 1:57 When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son.
Luke 1:58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.
Luke 1:59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah,
Luke 1:60 but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”
Luke 1:61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”
Lu 1:62 Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child.
This indicates that he was made temporarily deaf as well as dumb.
Luke 1:63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.”
Luke 1:64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God.
Luke 1:65 The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things.
Luke 1:66 Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.
Luke 1:67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
Lu 1:68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people.”
Zechariah’s song, vv68-79, is also known as the Benedictus. It is a hymn both of praise and of prophecy. It has some similarities with the song uttered by Simeon, 2:29-32: both were uttered by aged representatives of the faithful Jewish community.
‘The origin of the hymn is disputed. Some conservative scholars maintain that this and the other hymns of the infancy narratives were composed by the persons named in the narrative, in this case Zechariah. Others credit the hymn to Luke himself, believing that the Evangelist, like his Greek historian models, felt free to place appropriate speeches in the mouths of his characters. Still others believe that this hymn and the John the Baptist sections of the narrative originated in circles of DISCIPLES who venerated John as the Messiah. The purpose of this part of the Gospel, according to this theory, would be to persuade those people to recognize Jesus as the true Messiah (see CHRIST). Others believe that the hymn originated in an early Jewish-Christian community and was inserted by the Evangelist to enrich his narrative.’ (DJG)
We may think of revival as a divine visitation. One way of expressing God’s gracious intervention is to say that “he has visited…his people.” {Lu 1:68} The other side of this is that revival is a return to God by his people. {Ho 6:1}
Lu 1:69 he has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David
“A horn of salvation” – ‘The horn of an animal is its weapon for defense and vengeance, its ornament and beauty too. It is used therefore in the prophetic style, to denote the power of the strongest empires. In the same sense we are to understand it here. By this image the exceeding greatness of the Redeemer’s strength, and the never-ceasing exertion of it in behalf of his church are signified.’ (Henry Venn)
Lu 1:70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
“As he said through his holy prophets” – ‘Let us note that it is expressly said that “God spake” by the prophets. When we read their words, we read the words of God. ‘ (Ryle)
Lu 1:71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us-
“Salvation from our enemies” – Question: Which enemies are included here?
Luke 1:72 to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,
Luke 1:73 the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
Luke 1:74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear
Luke 1:75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
Luke 1:76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
Luke 1:77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,
Lu 1:78 because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
“The rising sun” – The underlying word carries a range of meanings, including the rising of a star and the shooting of a plant. The former is supported by the NIV translation. ‘This must mean Christ himself. He is called in Malachi, “the Sun of righteousness,” and in Peter, “the day-star,” and in Revelation, “the bright and morning star.” {Mal 4:2, 2Pe 1:19,Re 22:16} All are figurative expressions, teaching the same grand truth, that “Christ is the light of the world.”.’ {Joh 8:12} (Ryle) But the expression may refer to the ‘sprout’ or ‘root’ of David, Jer 23:5; cf. Zec 3:8 6:12. The two images are combined in Re 22:16.
Luke 1:79 to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
Lu 1:80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.
He lived in the desert – Although it is too much to assert that John was a member of the Qumran community, it is not unlikely that he developed an acquaintance with the teaching of that community or one similar to it.
