Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:
(Luke 1:1) Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,
Luke was a physician and a friend and contemporary of the apostle Paul. He is said to have written both the books of Luke and Acts. He was also the only non-Jew to write in the New Testament, at least the only one clearly identifiable as non-Jew. Luke began his gospel account by acknowledging that many others had undertaken the task of writing about Jesus.
(2) Even as they delivered them to us, who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word; (3) It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus, (4) That you might know the certainty of those things in which you have been instructed.
Luke further acknowledged that those others who had written about Jesus and had handed down their accounts were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word. As Luke had a perfect understanding of all things about Jesus from the very first, surely inspired by the Holy Spirit, he felt he should write his own gospel account in chronological order. He wrote his account to Theophilus, and also his book of Acts was addressed to him. The Bible never specifies exactly who Theophilus was, but he apparently was a student of Christianity and Luke wanted him to know the full story of Jesus and the early church to confirm the things he had been taught.
(5) There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias of the course of Abijah, and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
Luke began his account telling about the priest Zacharias who ministered during the reign of Herod. When the priests became so numerous they could not all minister at the altar at once, they were divided into 24 courses, each one of which officiated for a week. Zacharias was of the course of Abijah. His wife was Elizabeth, a daughter of Aaron.
(6) And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
Both Zacharias and Elizabeth were righteous people following God's commandments and laws, and were said to be blameless, that is, no visible external fault was found in them.
(7) And they had no child because Elizabeth was barren, and they both were well advanced in years.
Zacharias and Elizabeth had no children because Elizabeth was barren, and at this time they both were well advanced in age.
(8) And it came to pass that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, (9) According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
The course of Abijah was the eighth course in order called to perform its priestly duties, and when it came Zacharias's course's turn to minister in the temple, the priests apparently cast or drew lots to determine which priest would do what, and Zacharias's lot was to burn incense.
(10) And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the time of incense.
A multitude of people had gathered outside the temple at the time of incense to pray.
(11) And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
There appeared to Zacharias an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense in the holy place of the temple.
(12) And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
No explanation being needed, Zacharias was afraid when he saw the angel.
(13) But the angel said to him, "Fear not, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son and you shall call his name John."
The angel told Zacharias not to be afraid, for he was just bringing him a message. He told Zacharias his prayer had been answered, although it was certainly not a prayer he presently prayed being in advanced age, but it was always an intense desire of Jews to have children so that their name would not die out. The angel told him his wife Elizabeth would bear a son and he was to call his name John.
(14) "And you shall have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth."
Zacharias and Elizabeth would be joyful at the birth of a son, and many of their friends and relatives would rejoice with them. However, it likely meant much more than that, that their son would grow to be a joyful honor to his family and many people would rejoice that he had been born as he would surely become a blessing to all mankind.
(15) "For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink, and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb."
The angel continued to detail how Zacharias's son would be great before the Lord and regarded by God as such. He would be a man who never drank wine or any strong intoxicating drink but would be "high" on the Holy Ghost only. The angel said he would be filled with the Holy Spirit from his birth, but even before while in his mother's womb, as we will later see in scripture.
(16) "And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God."
The angel told Zacharias that his son John would be the reason many people turned back to their Lord God in repentance.
(17) "And he shall 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 a people prepared for the Lord."
The angel continued; John would go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah. From the prophecy in Malachi 4:5, the people expected the prophet Elijah to come before the Messiah, and Jesus would later tell His disciples that Elijah had indeed come before Him in the form of John the Baptist (Matthew 17:12-13). John would come to reconcile those who were in quarrels with and grudges against others close to them, and to turn the hearts of obstinate sinners to the true wisdom of the just who were righteous before the Lord. He would prepare them the way of the Lord (Isaiah 40:3).
(18) And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man and my wife well stricken in years."
Zacharias asked the angel how he would know what the angel said was true because it did not seem possible since he and his wife were both old in age.
(19) And the angel answering said to him, "I am Gabriel who stands in the presence of God and is sent to speak to you and to show you these glad tidings."
The angel answered Zacharias and identified himself as the angel Gabriel who was sent to him with a message from God containing glad tidings of which Zacharias should have been joyful and thankful.
(20) "And you will be dumb and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed because you did not believe my words which shall be fulfilled in their season."
The angel Gabriel declared that Zacharias would be made "dumb" and unable to speak until what he had foretold would come to pass as he said. Every other translation of the Bible I read translated dumb as mute but that makes it redundant as mute and unable to speak are the same thing. It's not as if redundancy is not often the case in the Bible, but I truly believe this is meant to be "deaf" and dumb, unable to speak, as in later scripture Zacharias's friends had to make signs for him so that he would understand (Luke 1:62).
I have often wondered why Zacharias's questioning how he and his wife could have a child at their advanced age was any different than Mary questioning how it could be that she was pregnant when she had not been with a man. I just decided that God knows the hearts and did not question it, but now seems a good time to examine both occasions. Mary merely asked how it would be since she was a virgin and the angel told her how and she answered that she was God's handmaiden and would do as the Lord wished. In Zacharias's case he didn't ask how this could be since he and his wife were both so old to which he might have received an answer that was said at the end of Mary's explanation, "For with God nothing shall be impossible" (Luke 1:37). However, Zacharias asked how he would know that this supposed angel of God was telling him the truth and he indeed received an answer that would serve to prove to him that this was indeed an angel of the Lord bringing him a prophecy. And again, the Lord does know the heart, and in Mary's case, she was a very willing servant as soon as she understood, but in Zacharias's case, not only was he a priest who should have been more in tune to the Spirit of God, God may have known he would persevere in doubt and express it verbally, so he was struck deaf and dumb and unable to do that.
(21) And the people waited for Zacharias and marveled that he tarried so long in the temple.
The people who had been praying outside the temple waited for Zacharias and wondered why he had been in the temple for so long.
(22) And when he came out, he could not speak to them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.
When Zacharias did exit the temple, he was most likely supposed to deliver a prayer but he was unable to speak. The people perceived that he had seen a vision for he used sign language to express what had happened.
(23) And it came to pass that as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.
When Zacharias's course or shift of administering in the temple was complete, he left the temple and went to his house.
(24) And after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived and hid herself five months, saying, (25) "Thus has the Lord dealt with me to take away my reproach among men."
Elizabeth did indeed conceive as the angel Gabriel had said, and she hid herself for five months. She delighted in the blessing of the Lord to take away her reproach among men, because barrenness was seen as a reproach among the Jews. Because she so delighted, I don't believe she was necessarily trying to conceal her pregnancy, but rather was retiring from public to rest and privately enjoy her blessing from the Lord. Perhaps because it was a marvelous thing to happen to her in her advanced age, she wanted to protect her baby in her womb and just take it easy.
(26) And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
At the time of Elizabeth's sixth month of pregnancy, the same angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth.
(27) To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
Continuing to describe Gabriel's newest mission, he was sent specifically to a young virgin named Mary who was betrothed to Joseph from the lineage of David.
(28) And the angel came to her and said, "Hail, highly favored, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women."
The angel came to Mary addressing her as highly favored by the Lord and blessed among women.
(29) And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying and deliberated in her mind what manner of salutation this might be.
It seems that fear wasn't Mary's first response but rather she was bewildered and wondered what the angel's greeting to her could mean.
(30) And the angel said to her, "Fear not, Mary, for you have found favor with God."
The angel told Mary not to be afraid of his presence and of how he had greeted her, but reassured her that she had found favor with God.
(31) "And behold, you shall conceive in your womb and bring forth a son and shall call His name JESUS."
The angel then gave Mary the prophetic message from the Lord that she would conceive and bear a child, a son, and would call His name Jesus. This would be fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14 which said, "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel." The name Immanuel literally meant "God is with us." Jesus would certainly be called that. The literal meaning of the name Jesus was "Jehovah saved." Certainly Jesus is Savior. He is also called Lamb of God and Son of Man. Another mention of the prophecy of the birth of Jesus by Isaiah is found in Isaiah 9:6, "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be called by many names, so I don't believe he was prophesying Jesus's given name. The angel Gabriel told Mary she would give her baby the name of Jesus.
(32) "He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God shall give Him the throne of His father David."
The angel went on to tell Mary that her Son would be great and would be called the Son of the Highest, or the Son of the Most High, as God was called, and of the Highest, more than any man or angel could ever be. God would give her Son the throne of David, called His father because He descended directly from him. We were told in verse 27 that Joseph descended from David, but Mary did also. David's throne was in God's kingdom and was a symbolic type of God's spiritual kingdom of which Jesus came to fulfill on earth.
(33) "And He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."
Mary's Son would reign on that throne of David over the house of Jacob, meaning all the descendants of Jacob from all of the twelve tribes, and His kingdom would never end. He would reign in the hearts of His people until the end of the world and for all eternity in heaven.
(34) Then Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be seeing I know not a man?"
Mary asked the angel how it could possibly be that she would bear a child when she had never intimately been with a man.
(35) And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon you and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you; therefore also that holy One who will be born of you shall be called the Son of God."
The angel explained to Mary that the Holy Spirit of God would come upon her and make her conceive. Therefore her Son would also be known as the Son of God.
(36) "And behold, your cousin Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren."
Elizabeth was from the tribe of Levi and Mary from the tribe of Judah, so they must have been kin through their mothers' sides. Perhaps as encouragement and also as confirmation that what the angel had said was true, he told Mary that her cousin Elizabeth was in her sixth month of pregnancy with her son, even as impossible as that might seem in her old age.
(37) "For with God nothing shall be impossible."
The angel concluded that nothing was impossible with God. Just as barren Elizabeth could bear a son in her old age, so could the virgin Mary bear a Son, the Son of God.
(38) And Mary said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
Mary declared herself to be the handmaid of the Lord, completely submissive and obedient to His will as spoken by the angel, and the angel then left her.
This is a very long chapter, so I think this is a good stopping place for now. The rest of the first chapter of Luke will be studied in the next post.
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