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The Gospel of Luke Chapter One
Commentary by Timothy H. Burdick
In verse 1, we see that many people had taken it upon
themselves to write documents. Remember, the New Testament
as we know it was still being compiled at that time.
Archeologists have found many narratives from those early
centuries, containing both a mixture of truth and error.
This gives an insight as to what Luke was up against. One
example of fact and fiction is found in the so-called
"Gospel of Thomas." This was really not a Gospel at all, but
instead was promoted to advance heresy in the infant Church.
Luke tells us that the prophesies in the Old Testament
concerning Christ’s first coming to this earth have been
fulfilled. If he was talking to you on the telephone today,
Luke might say, this Man, this Jesus, had to be God. There
were more than 300 prophesies given by many different Old
Testament authors, which were accurately fulfilled.
Sometimes all of us forget that we serve a big God. He has
given us daily promises which will come to pass in your life
and mine. In 2 Timothy 3:16, Paul says much the same thing:
"All Scripture is God breathed (given by inspiration of
God), and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and
instruction in righteousness.” Luke 1:2 tells us that the
data compiled by Luke was the result of interviews with many
people. Some of these might well have been the disciples and
the mother of Jesus. Concerning Luke’s research, Ilene Burke
has this to say: "Like other writers, Luke would have had to
do research to get his information. The material in Luke 1
and 2, so familiar to many Christians, is a good example of
the kind of research Luke might have done."
Luke 1:3 tells us a little bit about Luke’s thinking. He
felt that since he had researched everything accurately, he
would send it too his friend, Theophilus. However, some
debate that he was a friend at all, saying that the name
“Theophilus” means “a lover of God,” and it might therefore
have been a general greeting to Christians. I personally
have no doubt that Luke was writing to his friend, but let’s
look at both sides of the issue. One author has this to say:
"In Luke’s writings, Theophilus could be a fellow Christian,
as the name is Greek for “God lover;” it could also be both
addressed to a specific person whether his name was that or
not, and also addressed to others as well." One writer notes
that Luke addresses both documents to "most excellent
Theophilus." This was how a Roman would greet a person of
noble birth.
Before we go on, let’s look at the background of the
writer. Very little is known about Luke. As stated in the
Introduction to Luke, it is thought that Luke was a Gentile
(non-Jewish) medical doctor. While this view has much to say
in its favor, let’s again look at the background of Luke.
Thomas S. Mc Call offers these thoughts: “The idea that Luke
was a Gentile (non-Jew) seems to be based more on tradition
than any strong Biblical evidence. In another place he tells
us why this debate is important. As observed by Mr. Mc Call,
Luke wrote more of the New Testament then either Paul or
John. It would seem to Mr. Mc Call’s point of view that for
Luke to be a Gentile it would be absurd in a canon that was
up until that time all Jewish.
We will look at Scripture about this in a moment, but I
would just like to say that the Gospel of Luke has an
extremely Gentile (non-Jewish) flavor. By this I mean that,
unlike Matthew for example, Luke is very much concerned
about the Gospel being heard by the Gentile world. Luke is
the only who talks about the Good Samaritan, the widow of
Zarafat, and Naaman the Syrian. Finally, Catholic-on-line
has this to say: "Luke the writer of the Gospel and the Acts
of the Apostles has been identified with St. Paul’s ‘Luke
the beloved physician’ (Colossians 4:14).” It goes on to
say, “We know few other details about Luke’s life from
Scripture and from early Church historians. It is believed
that he was born a Greek and a Gentile." In Colossians 4:11
& context, Paul mentions all of “those of the circumcision”
(Jews) that were with him. It is interesting that Luke is
listed separately.
In Verse 5, we are introduced to Zacharias and Elizabeth.
In this verse we are told three things. After listing them,
we will look at each one. First, we are told that this
couple appeared in history in the “days of Herod.” Secondly,
we are told that Zacharias was of the tribe of Abijah. For a
description of this tribe, see 1st Chronicles 4:10. Thirdly,
we see that Elizabeth was of the tribe of Aaron, who is
described in Exodus 4:14 and Exodus 6:20.
King Herod was an important person at the time of the
birth of Jesus. There are other Herods mentioned in the New
Testament, but this one is known as “Herod the Great.” Luke
tells us that he ruled over the Southern Kingdom (the Roman
Province of Judea). Herod ruled in Palestine from 73 BC to 4
AD. He was known for his cruelty as well as his excellent
building program. The Temple of Jerusalem witnesses to both
the cruelty and the beauty in what he did. It was most
likely built with forced labor. Joan Landering says about
him, "It comes as no surprise that Herod sometimes had to
resort to violence, employing mercenaries and the secret
police to enforce order."
Now let’s take a detailed look at Zacharias. As we have
already seen, Zacharias is from the priestly tribe of Abijah,
and Luke records this fact. There were 24 divisions in the
priesthood, and Abiijah was listed as number 8. A daughter
of Aaron, Elizabeth was also of the priestly line. It was
not uncommon for a man to have a wife who was also descended
from Levitical Priests. This was thought to be an indication
of God’s favor.
Someone has said that “there is power in words.” I would
like to pay careful attention to this idea, and look at some
of the words in verse 6. These words include “walking” and
“righteousness.” Zacharias and Elizabeth did not achieve the
standing of righteousness because of anything they had done,
but they had instead trusted in the finished work of Christ.
Just as we look backward in time to the cross, they looked
forward in time to the cross.
The human condition is one in which we are all marked by
sin. Isaiah 64:6 tells us that “all our righteousness is as
filthy rags.” But before we move on, let’s look at the
concept of “walking.” Here are some of my thoughts, but
before you read them, ask yourself: What does “walking with
God” mean to you? Does the fact in this verse that two
people walked blamelessly and righteously have any bearing
on your life? I would say emphatically YES, because
“walking” in this verse denotes lifestyle. This couple
walked before God and man in righteousness. Such a lifestyle
is possible in the Lord for you and me, just as it was for
them.
Let’s look at a few examples from Scripture. The Bible
tells us that “Enoch walked with God” (Genesis 5:21-23).
Genesis 6:8-10 tells us about the life of Noah, who “found
grace in the eyes of the Lord.” Lastly, the Apostle Paul
says that “if we live in the Spirit, let us walk in the
Spirit.” Walking with God is crucial to the Christian life.
Let me explain what I mean. Once I heard a preacher say, “a
wise man lives by priorities.” To have a Christian walk
where we grow and flourish, we must put God first. Jesus
tells us in Matthew 6:33, that if we seek God first, all of
these things will be added to our lives. In other places in
the New Testament, we hear about love, joy and peace - these
are the qualities that Jesus is talking about.
Luke 1:7 tells us that the couple (Zacharias and
Elizabeth) were both elderly and didn't have a child. About
this, Pastor Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel said, “In that
culture it was considered a curse for a woman not to bear
children, and it was legal grounds for divorce." Luke 1:8-9
tell us that Zacharias was chosen to go into the Temple and
burn incense. Being selected to burn incense before the Lord
in that culture was considered an awesome privilege. This
honor was bestowed on a person maybe once or twice in a
lifetime. Again, Pastor Chuck Smith gives some insight into
this practice. "At this particular time, in Israel, there
were about twenty thousand male descendants from the
priestly tribe of Levi. Being involved in the priesthood,
each family had their turn twice during the year for one
week.” When it came time for your family to serve, they
would cast lots to find out what office you would fulfill."
One author says about this: "The practice of casting lots
is mentioned seventy times in the Old Testament and seven
times in the New Testament. In spite of the many references
to casting lots in the Old Testament, nothing is known about
the actual lots themselves. They could have been sticks of
various lengths, flat stones like coins, or some kind of
dice. But their exact nature is unknown." Note that while
Zacharias was selected to go into the Holy Place, he was not
allowed to go into the Holy of Holies. Another author said
about this: "On the Day of Atonement it was uniquely the
High Priest’s responsibility to take the blood of the
sacrificed goat into the Holy of Holies on behalf of all
God’s people for forgiveness of their sins."
Luke 1:11 tells us about the appearance of the angel who
showed himself to Zacharias. If you will allow me a little
commentary here, I think that sometimes we have the wrong
view of angels. I think that we need to be very careful
about our views concerning these beings, as sometimes ideas
about them can be un-Biblical. Those who are not careful can
be drawn into worship of these beings, assigning to them the
attributes of God. Paul warns about this in Colossians 2:18,
where he says, “Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize
by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the
angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated
without cause by his fleshly mind."
The English word “angel” comes from the Greek word “angelos,”
which simply means “messenger.” Martin G. Collins has this
to say about the function of these beings: "Angels are
personal spirit-beings, each having a mind of greater
capacity and ability than ours. They are capable of
attitudes and intentions. But as wonderful and powerful as
angels are, they have no authority apart from God." The
Bible also tells us that angels are designed to praise God.
One example of this can be found in Psalm 148:2, where it
says, “Praise Him, all His angels.” Looking at Luke 1:11 and
12 together, put yourself in the place of Zacharias. He was
terrified, gripped by fear. Remember, at that time there had
been a stony silence on the part of God toward those in
Israel for a long time. In the 21st century, that is hard to
imagine. We have our Bibles readily available, and we take
them for granted. God speaks to us all the time.
In the next verse, we see the angel encouraging
Zacharias. You may be asking, “What does this verse have to
do with me personally?” I think that there is a principle
here. No matter what you are going through, God intends to
encourage you. When times get rough, one of my favorite
verses is this: "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe
in God, believe also in Me” (John 14:1). In still another
place Jesus says, “I have told you these things so that in
Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble,
but take heart, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). The
next word of encouragement from the angel was that the
prayer of Zacharias had been answered. This Godly couple had
prayed for years for a child. And they believed in God.
Aside from the encouragement that we have already
mentioned, in Luke 1:13-18, we see the angel giving detailed
plans and instructions. God works behind the scenes many
times, but He does not leave anything to chance. Even if
things don't seem to fit together and you are in a state of
grief, know that God has a plan for your life. Jeremiah
29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you says the
Lord; plans to prosper you, and not to harm you. Plans to
give you a hope and a future." Things haven't always been
rosy for me. I am blind and have had to do many jobs that I
hated just to earn income. Many times, I lost sight of His
plan all together, getting angry. While there are still many
things I don't understand, I have to conclude that God had
the best in mind for me and knew what He was doing all
along. I think that sometimes we make mistakes, and then
blame them on God.
We live in a very discontented culture where we want to
make our own plans. Many times we think that waiting on God
is just too slow for us. In Ephesians 4:11, Paul talks about
a quality of life that we need. He said, “Not that I speak
in respect of want, for I have learned in whatsoever state I
am, to be content." It is when we go our own way though,
that we experience discontentment that cannot be satisfied.
It is like trying to find water in the desert. We need to
find this contentment in God rather than in things that
don't last. How do you think God can become more real in
your life?
In verse 15, the angel tells Zacharias three things:
First, that the child to be called “John the Baptist” would
be a great man. Jesus spoke about the kind of greatness the
angel referred to in Mark 10:42-43, where He called them
together and said, “You know that those who are regarded
rulers of the Gentiles, lord it over them, and their great
ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so
among you, but whoever desires to become great among you
must be your servant." Is serving others important to you
today? One author says about service, "Our relationship with
others is merely a reflection of our relationship with God.
As we serve God and serve in His house, we'll learn the
secrets of greatness and find ourselves influencing a city,
a community, and others around us for God and His kingdom."
Secondly, when the angel said that John the Baptist would
not participate in wine or strong drink, he was making
reference to the Nazarite vow. This can be found in Numbers
6:2-5, where the Lord said, "Speak unto the children of
Israel and say unto them, when either man or woman shall
make a special vow, the vow of a Nazarite to separate
himself unto Jehovah, he shall separate himself from wine
and similar drink. He shall drink neither vinegar made from
wine, nor vinegar from similar drink. Neither shall he drink
any grape juice, nor eat fresh grapes or raisins. All the
days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is of the
grapevine from seed to skin." This scripture sheds a little
more light on the kind of lifestyle that John the Baptist
was to live.
Thirdly, we see that the angel says that John would be
filled with the Holy Spirit. But you might ask, why is this
important to me? Just as being filled with the Spirit was
crucial to John’s ministry, so it is to yours. In Ephesians
5:18, the apostle Paul says about this: “Be not drunk with
wine in which is dissipation, but be filled with the
Spirit." Bill Bright spoke about being filled with the
Spirit in these words: “To be filled with the Spirit means
to be filled with Christ." Another author says about this,
"To be filled with the Spirit implies His freedom to occupy
every part of our lives, guiding and controlling us. His
power can be exerted through us so that what we do is
fruitful to God."
Look at Luke 1:16. Just as John the Baptist was to be a
witness, so are we. Jesus would later say, "Go ye therefore,
and make disciples of all nations. Baptizing them in the
name if the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit"
(Matthew 28:19). Luke 1:17, tells us that John would be sent
in the spirit and power of Elijah. In other words, John was
a “type” of Elijah and would do a work similar to Elijah’s.
What John was to do, is taken directly from Malachi 4:6 -
"And you shall turn the heart of the fathers to the
children, and the heart of the children to the fathers lest
I come and smite the earth with a curse." One author says
about the Elijah role that John was to play: "Some have been
confused concerning this prophecy, because John the Baptist
himself denied to the Jewish leaders that he was the
expected Elijah. We see this in John 1:21, as the Pharisees
questioned John about his identity." Let’s look at this
verse and try and understand. "They asked him, “Are you
Elijah?” And he replied, “I am not." The author quoted above
goes on to say, "In a sense, John’s denial was accurate
because He was not the final fulfillment of this prophesy.
But John clearly identified himself with the prophesied
messenger who was to come before the Messiah (Christ) by
quoting from Isaiah 40."
In Luke 1:18, we see Zacharias questioning how these
things would come to pass. He needed the wisdom of God.
Again, we can all learn from this. As James says, "If any of
you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all
liberally, and without reproach, and it will be given to
him" (James 1:5). We see the culmination of Zacharias’
encounter with the angel, in Verse 20, when he was rendered
mute. Don Swagger says about this, “The angel somewhat
wisely put Zacharias in his place before God’s mighty
action. He became speechless until the day the infant was
dedicated to the Lord and given the name John." This
muteness might have been necessary for a number of reasons,
but I like to think that one of them might have been, to
enhance his time of reflection upon God. The same author
goes on to say, "When God draws us into His presence, He
wants us to be still and quiet before Him as he speaks to
our hearts and reveals His mind to us."
In Luke 1:23, we see a principal. It tells us that
Zacharias fulfilled his duties. He didn't give up because of
his muteness. Although you and I may have special needs, we
must not give up. We must complete the task in front of us.
Remain faithful to what God has called you to do, even if it
seems small. I found a quote I would like to share with you.
Thomas Edison said, "Our greatest weakness lies in giving
up. The most certain to succeed, try just one more time."
Verses 24-25 contain more encouragement. For just as God was
with Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, He is with
you and me. Have you ever thought about what it means for
God to be with you?
Jesus said about this, "Are not five sparrows sold for
two pence, and not one of them is forgotten in the sight of
God. But the very hairs of your head are numbered. Fear not,
ye are of more value than many sparrows" (Luke 12:6-7). Now,
let’s look at Luke 1:27-34. In Verse 27, the Bible tells us
first of all that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a virgin
and this is very important. We will look at this more in
Verse 35.
Secondly, Verse 27 tells us that Mary and Joseph were
engaged to be married. Therefore, in order to understand
this verse fully, we must take a look at engagement in that
time and culture. The type of “engagement” that they
experienced together was drastically different then the
engagement that we know today. For one thing, in that
culture, marriages were arranged. Their reasoning was that
young people didn't have enough wisdom and life experience
to pick a mate. About this concept, Fred Mc Donald says, "It
is important to note that betrothal was of a much more
formal and a far more binding nature than engagement is in
our “modern” culture. Indeed it was held to be part of the
transaction of marriage and, indeed the most binding part."
Also this verse in Luke states that Joseph, the adopted
father of Jesus would be from King David’s line. David was
the ancestor of Jesus. This is very important, as the Old
Testament says in many places that the Messiah would come
from this lineage. One example of this is Jeremiah 33:15
which says, "In those days and at that time, I will make a
righteous branch sprout from David’s line. He will do what
is just and right in the land.
Names in the Hebrew language were very expressive. Keep this
in mind as you read Luke 1:32 and 33. Hebrew names were
often descriptive of the person, revealing in advance their
mission in life. The name “Jesus” means “the Lord is
salvation.” The Catholic Encyclopedia says, "All Hebrew
names were supposed to contain significance as originally an
individual was called by a name expressive of some
characteristic in their personality.
Read Luke 1:34 through 36. Why do you think that the
angel dealt differently with Mary than with Zecharias?
Mary’s question was not based in unbelief. She was
surprised, but also simply pleased that God’s program would
be carried out.
I said we would deal with the virgin birth in Verse 35.
The virgin birth is essential to Christianity, because Jesus
had to be conceived by the Holy Spirit in order not to pass
along original sin. Isaiah 7:14 spoke of the virgin birth.
It says, "Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign,
behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall
call His name Immanuel” (God with us). In verse 38, meditate
on Mary’s response to the angel. She would have experienced
fear at the sight of this powerful being. She was only 14 to
16 years old. She knew that under the Law of Moses, she
could be put to death for having a child out of wedlock. Now
that you have thought about it, compare your responses with
that of Mary’s. In verse 41 we see mother (Elizabeth) and
baby (John the Baptist) being filled with the Spirit. In
Verses 42-45, We see the joy that they experienced. The
Spirit-filled life is a life of joy. In verses 46 through
49, Mary’s praise is more specific; that is, she was
thanking God for what He was doing for her. In verses 50
through 55, Mary’s praise was universal praise, speaking of
God’s dealings with mankind through the ages.
When I speak about universal and local praise I mean
that, in the first place, Mary praised God for what he was
doing in HER life, while in the second she included God’s
dealings with the nation Israel. In verses 52 through 55 we
see God’s sovereignty being emphasized.
Verses 54 and 55 make it clear that God has a special
love for Israel. The Scriptures tell us in no uncertain
terms that we need to be careful how we deal with God’s
chosen people. We can see an example of this in Genesis
12:3, which says, "I will bless them that bless thee and him
that curses thee will I curse: and in you all the families
of the earth will be blessed." Note that Luke 1:59, tells us
about the rite of circumcision. This was in direct
fulfillment of Genesis 17:12, which says, “For the
generations to come, every male who is 8-days old must be
circumcised, including those borne in your household or
bought with money from a foreigner, those who are not your
offspring."
In Luke 1:60 through 64, we see how this couple went
against peer pressure. This needs to have a carry-over to
our lives as well, especially when the Lord is leading us in
a direction different than our culture. Our lives must be
marked by obedience. This not a subject that is spoken about
very much today, but we all have to decide whether we will
follow God in a certain matter, or listen to our own
desires. In the early Church, look at what the apostles
Peter and John did when they were put into a compromising
situation. Look at Acts 4:19 and 20, where Peter said,
"Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to
obey you rather than God; for we cannot help speaking about
what we have seen and heard."
Look at Luke 1:65 carefully. You will see that one
consequence of obedience will be praise. We see the result
of the filling of the Holy Spirit being a lifting-up of
Christ. This is always true. The Holy Spirit will always
search out ways to exalt Christ. Jesus said about this, "He
shall glorify Me, for He shall take of Mine and declare it
unto you" (John14:16).
In Luke 1:67 through 79, Zecharias’ prophesy is similar
to Mary’s. He speaks about his son, John (the Baptist), but
also tells how God will deal with the nation through him. In
verse 69, King David is again mentioned. If you have never
studied the life of David, you owe it to yourself to do so.
About David, I. Gordon says, “David is a well-known type of
the Lord, especially in his role as king over Israel."
In conclusion, God talks about how John the Baptist was
not shown to the public until it was the right time. If you
feel like you have been put on the shelf, just know that God
often prepares his servants in this way.
Friday Study Ministries
The First Church On The Net
www.FridayStudy.org
www.FirstChurchOnTheNet.org
"While
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
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