Luke 1

     Luke wrote more pages in the NT than anyone else (this gospel and Acts,) assuming Paul did NOT write Hebrews.

1:1-4.  The meaning of names is very important in Scripture all the way back to Genesis (Gen.2:19; 3:20).  Nowhere are names more significant than in Luke 1.  For example, this gospel (and the book of Acts) is addressed to Theophilus (Friend of God).  Was he a real individual, or Luke’s way of addressing any true believer?  No one knows, but either way it is a most appropriate way to address any friend of God, so that they might know the exact truth (4).

     1:5.  Different languages have different forms of the same name, of course.  Zechariah becomes Zacharias in the N.T., which means “Jah (i.e. Jehovah) has Remembered”.  Elizabeth (God of the Oath) is named after Aaron’s wife, Elisheba.  The significance of these two names in this context is obvious (see Heb. 6:17-18).

     1:6-7.   Childlessness was a great reproach among men (25; Gen.30:23), yet this is a blameless couple.  Barrenness so often precedes God’s great intercessions in Israel’s history.  It is a kind of metaphor for the barrenness of mankind, and the pain and travail of Eve and her daughters to bring forth the promised Seed.  Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Manoah’s wife, and Hannah (the mothers of Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Samson, and Samuel) were all barren for many years.  Like Sarah, Elizabeth was well past the time when a child was even possible, barring a miracle.

     1:8-10.  There were 24 divisions of priests, each division served two weeks each year.  There were so many priests that this was a once in a lifetime honor.  Zacharias’ duty was to enter the Holy Place morning and evening to trim the lamps and burn incense upon the altar of incense (Ex.30:7-8).  The smoke symbolized the prayers of the people rising to God.

     1:11-25.  The angel was standing “to the right of the altar of incense”.  Imagine being in the Holy Place where, on pain of death, only you are allowed to be.  What exactly did Zacharias see?  Perhaps he was tending to the incense, and became aware of a shadow?  a brilliant light?  When he turned around, to his right, between him and the lamp stand, stood a most dreadful warrior!

     V.13.  The angel said, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias [Jah has Remembered!], for your petition has been heard”.  No doubt it had been many years since Zacharias had petitioned God for a child.  Cf. 1 Sam.1; esp. vv. 19-20,  Hannah (Favored) and the birth of Samuel (Heard of God).  The name John (Jah Favored) is a reminder of Hannah and her son Samuel, who like John, was a forerunner of the anointed king.

     V.15.  John was under the Nazirite vow, and was filled with the Holy Spirit (41) while yet in his mother’s womb.

     1:16-17.  See Mal.4:5-6.  Elijah (Strength of Jehovah) was to come to preach repentance, and thus end the estrangement of the Patriarchal covenant fathers with their disobedient children, much like the prodigal son who returned in repentance to his father’s house, and was greeted with joy.  And just as in the case of that son, the repentance that John preached was not salvation.  It was preparation to meet the Lord.  Salvation came to the prodigal when the father came to meet his returning son (cf. also Luke 19:9-10).  ” ‘Return to Me, and I will return to you,’ says the LORD of hosts.”  (Mal.3:7).

     1:18.  Cf. v. 34.  But it will take more than the word of even this angel to make this old man dare to hope again that such a thing will happen.  “How shall I know this?”  After all these years!  (Cf. Hab.2:3, “…though it tarries, wait for it….”).

     1:19-20.  Gabriel (Valiant man, or warrior, of God) is the angel’s name.  He stands in the very presence of God to guard his holiness.  He gives Zacharias his sign.  Cf. Ps.46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God” (KJV), and Mal.3:3, “He shall purify the sons of Levi….”

     1:26-38.  Cf. Mt.1 and notes.

     In Elizabeth’s sixth month, Gabriel is sent to Mary (26-27).  Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth is told from Joseph’s point of view, and includes his genealogy.  This establishes, by adoption, Jesus’ royal line back to David through Solomon.  Luke, on the other hand, tells Mary’s story.  Her patronymic genealogy is discussed at 3:23 ff.  It establishes that Jesus is, through her, the fulfillment of God’s covenant with David (Beloved) that the eternal kingdom would be given to one from his very bowels (margin, 2 Sam.7:12ff.), and from David it continues (with many gaps) all the way back to Adam.  The purpose being to make clear that Jesus was very man of very man.

     1:27.  Remember that an engagement in that culture was actually a covenant of marriage.  Any child would belong to Joseph as a legitimate heir, unless he renounced Mary and divorced her.  Joseph’s name means, “Let him (or Him) add!”  (The original O.T. Joseph received the double portion inheritance, because Reuben lost the birthright of the first-born, and it was added to Joseph).

     There are many language variants of the name Mary (see margin at 38; “Gr., Mariam; i.e. Miriam; so throughout Luke”).  Mary’s father was of Judah, but apparently her mother, being a blood relative of Elizabeth (36), was “from the daughters of Aaron” (5).  Thus Mary was named for Moses’ and Aaron’s sister Miriam.  The meaning of this word can mean rebellion, but not in Mary’s case.  It means bitter.  See these passages.  Ex.15:23; the waters of Marah were bitter.  2 Kings 4:27; the woman’s soul was bitter (margin), i.e. full of trouble and sorrow (not as we might mean – angry and resentful).  Ruth 1:20, “Do not call me Naomi (pleasant); call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me”.  In our Mary’s case, see Luke 2:34-35.  Simeon says to her, “…and a sword will pierce even your own soul….”

     But Gabriel calls her favored one (Hannah!), for she has found favor with God (28, 30).  She is to call her son Jesus (Jehovah is Savior), called the Son of the Most High, and the fulfillment of God’s promise to David (31-32; 2 Sam.7:12-21).

     1:31. “…you will conceive in your womb,” etc.  In his commentary, at Heb.2:17, Wm. Gouge says of Jesus’ humanity, “As other men, Christ at first was little”.  At what point in that littleness would he not be very man of very man?  At what point was he not Christ?  At what point could we draw off a few stem cells to experiment on with moral impunity?  (Cf. Rev.12:4-5).  The small are not without a Defender.

     1:34.  The margin reads, “How shall (not can) this be”.  Unlike the doubting tone of Zacharias (18), Mary believed (45), but wanted enlightenment.

     1:35.  Cf. Ex.40:34-35; Rev.21:3.  God came in the person of Jesus to tabernacle in the flesh among his people.  Cf. 1 Cor.3:16f.

      Also on v.35, see The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol.2, p.788.  This is a brief sample of some of his notes:  “The Virgin Mary, the mother of Christ, was a type of two things:  she was a type of the church, that is often in Scripture represented as Christ’s mother that travails in pain with him, and brings him forth; she brings him forth in the hearts of believers….  The church is also represented as a chaste, pure virgin, and she is often called his undefiled in the Canticles [i.e. Song of Sol.]….” Secondly, “And the blessed Virgin, in conceiving and bringing forth Christ, is an eminent type of every believing soul, who is Christ’s brother, and sister, and mother.  As Christ was formed in her, so is he in every true convert; he was formed in her by the Holy Ghost’s coming upon, and the power of the Highest overshadowing her; which is a lively representation of the manner in which the new creature is formed in the saints.”

     1:36-37.  Mary’s sign to strengthen her faith was that her aged relative Elizabeth had conceived (36), and the assurance that no word of God is impossible (37, margin).

     1:38.  In her humble submission, Mary “crowns him Lord of all”.  Cf. Song 3:11.

     1:39-56.  Mary hastened to see Elizabeth, and the Holy Spirit confirmed her faith by the inspired greeting of both Elizabeth and even John in the womb.  Mary also exalted in the Spirit, with her song of faith and thanksgiving, which also demonstrated her great understanding of Scripture, as well as her piety.  She stayed until Elizabeth was due to deliver (36, 56).

     1:57-66.  The place of the neighbors and relatives in the naming of the child seems odd to us, but cf. Ruth 4:17 and the naming of Obed.

     1:62.  Apparently Zacharias was deaf as well as mute, for they made signs to him.

     1:67-80.  Note esp. the references to Ps.105 & Ps.106, as well as Mal.4:2; Is.9:2;      60: 1-3.  At v.79, see also Ro.13:12; Rev.22:5.

     The striking thing about Zacharias’ words are that they are all a rejoicing about Mary’s child.  He never mentions his child, John, until v.76, and then only to rejoice in his role as the herald of the Savior, the “Sunrise from on high”.