Introductory remarks:
Matthew presents Christ as King; Mark presents Christ as a servant; Luke presents Christ in His humanity; and John presents Christ in His deity. "The special emphasis of Luke is the humanity of Jesus, representing Jesus as the Son of God. Luke features His Kindness towards the Weak, the Suffering, and the Outcast.
While each of the Gospels was intended ultimately for all Mankind, Matthew seems to have in immediate view the Jews; Mark the Romans; and Luke the Greeks.
Jewish civilization had been built around their Scriptures. Therefore, Matthew appeals to their Scriptures.
Roman civilization glorified the idea of Government, Power, as exhibiting His Superhuman Power.
Greek civilization represented Culture, Philosophy, Wisdom, Reason, Beauty, and Education. Therefore, to appeal to the Thoughtful, Cultured, Philosophic Greek Mind, Luke in a complete, orderly, and classical story, which has been called the Most beautiful Book Ever Written, depicts the glorious Beauty and Perfection of Jesus, the ideal, Universal Man.
Then to these three Gospels [the synoptic], John added his, to make it clear and unmistakable that Jesus was GOD in Human Form" (Bible Handbook - Halley).
This chapter may be outlined as follows: dedication to Theophilus vv. 1-4; the birth of John the Baptist foretold vv. 5-25; the birth of Jesus foretold vv. 26-38; Mary visits Elisabeth vv. 39-45; Mary's song of praise vv. 46-56; the birth of John the Baptist vv. 57-66; The prophecy of Zechariah vv. 67-80.
Dedication to Theophilus
Verse 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,"
LGT "Forasmuch as many took in hand to draw up a narration concerning the things done, which have been fully believed among us,"
Luke begins with this first verse letting the reader know that others had taken the task of writing other writings concerning the Christ that were believed among us, that is, among the believers. Luke in no way includes the apocryphal gospels that never were accepted into our Canon of Scriptures except by heretics and the Roman Catholic Church. "The careful language of Luke here really pays tribute to those who preceded him in their narratives concerning Christ" (Robertson).
Verse 2, "Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;"
LGT "Just as they delivered [them] to us, the ones from [the] beginning, having been eyewitnesses and attendants of the Word,"
Luke is not only referring to written narratives but also oral witnesses to the Life of Christ. Luke was not an eyewitness, but he did receive word from the Apostle Paul.
Edersheim notes:
"Our Lord Jesus Christ was a Jew according to the flesh, and the story of His life and teaching was preserved after the Jewish method. That method was oral transmission, and its efficiency is attested by the amazing fact that it was not at the earliest until the fifth century of our era that the Rabbinical literature was reduced to writing. It was at least a century before the birth of Jesus that the Halacha and Haggada came into existence, and during all those centuries that voluminous and ever-growing literature was carried in the memories of the Rabbis and their disciples and orally transmitted from generation to generation. . . . The diligence of the Rabbis was directed to the immaculate transmission of the Oral Law. Raise up many disciples was their motto, and their disciples were drilled in the multitudinous precepts of that interminable tradition until they had them by heart. The lesson was repeated over and over till it was engraved upon their memories, and hence the term for Rabbinical instruction was Mishnah, [repetition]."
Verse 3, "It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,"
LGT "It seemed good also to me, having traced exactly everything from the first, in a continual order to write to thee, most excellent Theophilus,"
Luke had traced everything that was given by Oral Tradition, which was believed by the Christian Community, before he began to write his account of Christ's life. "Luke tells us that, in the face of so much orally transmitted truth in the face of so much written record, he felt it good after careful investigation to write to give believers an assurance concerning what they had heard. Oral tradition may accurately transmit truth but is not itself authoritative. Written records may accurately record truth but they are not, apart from inspiration, authoritative. Luke purposes to give to believers an authoritative record that may surely be believed of all that Jesus began to do and to teach (Acts 1:1). Now Luke purposes to gather that oral instruction and deliver it authoritatively to Theophilus. Luke is writing approximately a generation after the death of Christ to believers who have been instructed by itinerant teachers who taught on the basis of written records and oral tradition but without an authoritative Gospel to expound" (Pentecost).
These men that would go about teaching from the written records that were afforded them, along with being eye-witnesses of the accounts of Christ, were endowed with supernatural gifts, and therefore, when the Record was complete, the supernatural gifts ceased, for there was no longer a need for these gifts.
God used Luke, with his natural talents, to supernaturally inspire him to investigate and present this Gospel for the benefit of all the church in all his age and the ages to come.
Verse 4, "That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed."
LGT "In order that you might know the certainty of [the] Words, which you were instructed."
These first four verses give the reason Luke wrote this Gospel. Luke was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write this Gospel in order that Theophilus, and then all the Christians [for the name Theophilus means beloved of God], might have assurance concerning the facts about our Lord Jesus Christ.
Regarding the word "things" it is literally logon, which is Greek for words. Vincent writes concerning this word things: "If the word can mean thing at all, it is only in the sense of the thing spoken of; the subject or matter of discourse, in which sense it occurs often in classical Greek. Some render it accounts, histories; others doctrines of the faith. Godet translates instruction, and claims that not only the facts of the gospel, but the exposition of the facts with a view to show their evangelical meaning and to their appropriation by faith, are included in the word. There is force in this idea; and if we hold to the meaning histories, or even words, this sense will be implied in the context. Luke has drawn up his account that Theophilus may have fuller knowledge concerning the accounts, which he has heard by word of mouth. That his knowledge may go from the facts, to embrace their doctrinal and evangelical import; that he may see the facts of Jesus' life and ministry as the true basis of the Gospel of salvation."
The Birth of John the Baptist
Verse 5, "There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth."
LGT "There was in the days of Herod the king of Judea, a certain priest, by name, Zacharias, of [the] course of Abia, and his wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name, Elisabeth."
Luke begins his historical account here in verse five. Herod was king of Judea, a title decreed to Herod by the Roman Senate on the recommendation of Antony and Octavius. After 400 years of silence God breaks through, and sends His angel Gabriel to John's father Zacharias a priest, married to the daughter of a priest. Of the course of Abia, "lit. daily service. The college of priests was divided into twenty-four courses. Each of these did duty for eight days, from one Sabbath to another, once every six months. The service of the week was subdivided among the various families, which constituted a course. On Sabbaths the whole course was on duty. On feast-days any priest might come up and join in the ministrations of the sanctuary; and at the Feast of Tabernacles all the twenty-four courses were bound to be present and officiate. The course of Abijah was the eighth of the twenty-four" (Vincent).
"His wife was of the daughters of Aaron. A descendant of Aaron, the high-priest of the Jews; so that John the Baptist was descended, on the father's and the mother's side, from priests. Our Savior was not on either side. John would have been legally entitled to a place among the priests; our Savior, being of the tribe of Judah, would not" (Barnes).
Verse 6, "And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless."
LGT "And they were both just before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless."
This is an Hebrew idiom meaning that they were dedicated to the Lord; they took the proper steps of sacrifice when they committed sin; this is commensurate with 1 John 1:9, If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We too walk blameless before our Heavenly Father if we keep short accounts with Him. True dedication to the Lord is internal communion rather than external show.
Verse 7, "And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were well stricken in years."
LGT "And there was not to them a child, inasmuch as Elisabeth was barren, and both were advanced in their days."
It was almost a disgrace for a Hebrew woman to be childless. They were both well advanced in years, and Elisabeth was past childbearing age, and had little hope of children.
Verses 8-10, "And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in order of his course, according to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the lord. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense."
LGT "And it came to pass, in his priestly service in the order of his course before
God, according to the custom of the priestly service, it fell to him by lot to burn incense, having entered into the temple of the Lord. And all the multitude of the people was praying without, at the hour of incense. "
"It was the time of the morning sacrifice (9 A.M.). The ponderous Temple gates swung open and three blasts of the silver trumpets of the Priests summoned the people of the city to a spirit of worship. The priests on the pinnacle of the Temple gave the signal for the beginning of the services of the day. One of the assistants of Zacharias reverently cleaned the altar and retired. A second as reverently placed the live coals taken from the burnt offering on the altar and, worshipping, retired. The organ sounded through the Temple. Zacharias entered the Holy Place, lit by the sheen of the seven-branched candlestick on the right, bearing in his hand the golden censer. On his left was the table of shew-bread. In front of him beyond the altar was the thick curtain, which separated the Holy of Holies. The people outside were prostrate in silent worship. Zacharias alone in the Holy Place awaited the kindling of the incense on the altar, when he too would bow in worship and then withdraw in reverence" (Shepherd).
Verse 11, "And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense."
LGT "And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at [the] right of the altar of incense."
It had been over four hundred years since the Lord had contacted His people, and this time, through His angel. Barnes notes:
"It had now been about four hundred years since the time of Malachi, and since there had been any divine revelation. During that time the nation was looking for the Messiah, but still with nothing more than the ancient prophecies to direct them. Now that he was about to appear, God sent his messenger to announce his coming, to encourage the hearts of his people, and to prepare them to receive him. On the ride side of the altar of incense: The altar of incense stood close by the veil, which divided the holy place from the most holy. On the north stood the table of shew-bread; on the south the golden candlestick. As Zacharias entered, therefore, with his face to the west, the angel would stand on the north, or near the table of shew-bread. That table was 18 inches square and three feet high. The top, as well as the sides and horns, was overlaid with pure gold, and it was finished around the upper surface with a crown or border of gold. Just below this border, four golden rings were attached to each side of the altar, one near each corner. The staves or rods for bearing the altar passed through these rings, and were made of the same wood with the altar itself, and richly overlaid with the same precious metal. Upon this altar incense was burned every morning and every evening, so that it was literally perpetual, Exodus 30:8. Neither burnt-sacrifice, nor drink-offering was permitted upon this altar; nor was it ever stained with blood except once annually, when the priest made atonement, Lev. 16:18,19."
Verse 12, "And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him."
LGT "And Zacharias was troubled, seeing [him], and fear fell upon him."
This appearance of the angel Gabriel was not an every day occurrence, so it is no wonder Zacharias was overcome with fear.
Verse 13, "But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John."
LGT "But the angel said to him, Fear not, Zacharias, because your supplication has been heard, and your wife Elisabeth shall bear to you a son, and you shall call his name John."
I can imagine that Zacharias and Elisabeth had been praying for a son for some time, and the angel assures him that his prayers have not gone unheeded. The name John means "God is gracious." This promise of a son was not only an answer to Zacharia's prayer for a son for his own, but it was a promise that would include all of Israel.
Verse 14, "And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth."
LGT "And he shall be to you joy and jubilation; and many shall rejoice at his birth."
The coming of a prophet will certainly be a reason for rejoicing for all Israel, for they had been over four hundred years without one. His birth will not only be a reason for Zacharias and Elisabeth to rejoice that they have a son, but the reason of his birth will give many reason for rejoicing.
Verse 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."
LGT "For he shall be great before [the] Lord, and wine and strong drink in no way shall he drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from [the] womb of his mother."
John was to be a Nazarite from his birth; the use of the double negative means that John will never drink wine, nor use strong drink (Numbers 6:3). In contrast to this, John would be filled with the Holy Spirit. "Then Gabriel made a most amazing statement concerning John, saying, He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. The ministry entrusted to John was of such significance that a special gift of the Holy Spirit for empowerment in his ministry was to be given to him. This divine empowerment explains why John was able to quickly point so many to the Messiah whom he introduced. He did not function by natural power but by supernatural power" (Pentecost).
Verse 16, "And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God."
LGT "And many of the sons of Israel shall he turn to [the] Lord their God."
This will be the ministry of John the Baptist, as the forerunner of the Lord Jesus Christ, to turn many back to their God. John will preach repentance to the lost sheep of Israel.
Verse 17, "And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, 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."
LGT "And he shall go forth before Him, in [the] spirit and power of Elias, to turn hearts of fathers to children, and [the] disobedient to [the] wisdom of [the] righteous, to make ready for [the] Lord, a people prepared."
This verse precisely describes the mission and ministry of John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Lord Jesus Christ; first he was to go forth with the same Holy Spirit that enabled Elijah. He will be the first true prophet in Israel for over four hundred years; secondly he would turn the hearts of the fathers to care for the children; thirdly to turn the disobedient Israelite to the wisdom of the righteous; and lastly, to prepare the people to receive the Lord Jesus Christ.
Barnes notes:
"Shall go before him; before the Messiah. The connection here leads us to suppose that the word him refers to the Lord their God in the previous verse. If so, then it will follow that the Messiah was the Lord God of Israel - a character abundantly given him in other parts of the New Testament. In the spirit and power of Elias (Elias is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Elijah). To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children; in the time of John the Jews were divided into a number of different sects. They were opposed violently to each other, and pursued their opposition with great animosity. It was impossible but that this opposition should find its way into families, and divide parents and children from each other. John came that he might allay these animosities and produce better feeling (but only through conversion; reform never precedes regeneration). By directing them all to one Master, the Messiah, he would divert their attention from the causes of their difference and bring them to union. He would restore peace to their families, and reconcile those parents and children who had chosen different sects, and who had suffered their attachment to sect to interrupt the harmony of their households. The effect of true religion on a family will always be to produce harmony. It attaches all the family to one great Master, and by attachment to him all minor causes of differences are forgotten. And the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; the disobedient here are the unbelieving, and hence the impious, the wicked. These he would turn to the wisdom of the just, or to such wisdom of the just, or to such wisdom as the just or pious manifest - that is, to true wisdom. To make ready a people, &; to prepare them for his coming by announcing that the Messiah was about to appear, and by calling them to repentance. God has always required men to be pure in a special manner when he was about to appear among them. Thus the Israelites were required to purify themselves for three days when he was about to come down on Mount Sinai, Ex. 19:14,15. And so, when God the Son was about to appear as the Redeemer, he required that men should prepare themselves for his coming. So in view of the future judgment - the second coming of the Son of man - he requires that men should repent, believe, and be pure, 1 Pet. 4:7; 2 Pet. 3:11,12." (One thing Barnes leaves out is the fact that John's baptism was exactly that, a washing of the repentant in order to be washed clean for meeting the Lord; today, Christ has already died and all who believe are cleansed and have no need of that external cleansing, for Christ has imputed on all believers His perfect righteousness; isn't this grace of ours a beautiful thing.
Verse 18, "And Zechariahs said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years."
LGT "And Zechariahs said to the angel, According to what shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife advanced in her days."
Here we have an amazing verse of Zechariah's unbelief. He had been praying for years for a son, and now God tells him, through Gabriel, that He has answered his prayer, and Zack says, I don't belief it possible; for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in her days.
Verse 19, "And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings."
LGT "And the angel answering said to him, I am Gabriel, the one who stands before the God, and I was sent to speak to you, and announce these glad tidings to you."
Gabriel identifies himself as the angel who stands before God and receives his orders directly from the Father; here Gabriel delivers a rebuke to Zechariah for his doubting. "The name Gabriel means man of God. In Jewish tradition the guardian of the second treasury. Michael (see Jude 9) is the destroyer, the champion of God against evil, and the minister of wrath. Gabriel is the messenger of peace and restoration. See Daniel 8:16; 9:21. The former is the forerunner of Jehovah the judge; the latter of Jehovah the Savior (Godet)" (Vincent).
Verse 20, "And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season."
LGT "And lo, you will be silent and not able to speak, until the day which these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which shall be performed in their season."
Gabriel tells Zechariah in the first part of this verse that he will be unable to speak until his son is born, and in the last part of the verse, Gabriel explains to him the reason for the curse, that he refused to believe the word of the Lord.
"Zechariah, who has been so vocal, will be dumb for a period of time. Unbelief is always dumb. That is, it never has a message. I agree with Elizabeth Barrett Browning who said that one without faith should be silent. There are many babblers around who are everlastingly spouting off about their unbelief. If they haven't anything to say, they should keep quiet. Let the man speak who believes in God and has something to say" (McGee).
Verse 21, "And the people waited for Zechariahs, and marveled that he tarried so long in the temple."
LGT "And the people were expecting Zechariahs, and they wondered at his delaying in the temple."
The Talmud says that the priest spent a very brief time in the temple, so the people were wondering what was the cause of Zechariahs' delay.
"According to the Talmud, the priests, especially the chief priests, were accustomed to spend a short time in the sanctuary, otherwise it was feared that they had been slain by God got unworthiness or transgression" (Vincent).
Verse 22, "And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless."
LGT "But having come out, he was not able to speak to them: and they recognized that he had seen a vision in the temple: and he was making signs to them, and continued dumb."
Zechariah came out from the temple, after being detained by the angel some time, was not able to tell the people what a wonderful thing had been told him by the angel, he could only make signs to them; the word "signs" in the Greek is a participle and it means that he kept on making signs. "The worshippers outside the temple realized that Zechariah was being detained. Even though Zechariah's heart may have been bursting to communicate to this people the glorious message that the Messiah was on His way, he could not speak because his power of speech had been taken away. Zechariah was not to be the introducer, the one who would bring glad tidings to Israel. It was John who would introduce the Messiah to the nation" (Pentecost).
Verse 23, "And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house."
LGT "And it came to pass, when the days of his ministration were fulfilled, he went away to his house."
Zechariah had finished with his ministerial duties in the temple, and now it was time for his vacation, so he went away to spend some time with Elisabeth.
Verse 24, "And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,"
LGT "Now after these days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,"
The Greek word for hid means that she was in complete seclusion for five months; the reason she stayed in complete seclusion from the public might have been that she was alone with her husband praising God for His mercies.
Verse 25, "Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men."
LGT "Because the Lord has done to me in [the] days in which He looked upon [me] to take away my reproach among men."
The reproach Elisabeth is referring to is naturally her bareness; "Keenly felt by a Jewish wife because the husband wanted an heir and because of the hope of the Messiah, and because of the mother's longing for a child" (Robertson). "Elisabeth assigns the reason for her peculiar seclusion. Her pregnancy was God's work, and she would leave it to Him also to announce it openly to take away her reproach. Hence the specification of five months, after which her condition would become apparent. Fully expressed, the sense would be: she hid herself, saying (I have hid myself) because, etc." (Vincent).
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
Verses 26, 27, "And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary."
LGT "And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee, whose name was Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of [the] house of David, and the name of the virgin [was] Mary."
The same angel, Gabriel, was sent to Zechariah and Elisabeth (vv. 19) is sent to Mary, in the sixth month after Elisabeth's conception. Mary was betrothed [engaged] to Joseph; an engagement in the O.T. lasted a year, and unfaithfulness was punishable with death (Deut. 23:24f.).
"Mary lived in Nazareth, a town in Galilee. The Galileans were looked down on by the Jews in Jerusalem as an inferior people. Only occasionally were they able to attend the services and ceremonies of the temple, and thus they were considered second-class citizens. The Jews had a saying that expressed their feeling: If a man would be rich, let him go to Galilee; if he would be wise, let him go to Jerusalem. Since the Sanhedrin sat in Jerusalem, this city was considered the fountain of all knowledge. Those who did not live there could not expose themselves to the wisdom of the teachers. Galilee provided grain and fish, which were the staples of the Jewish diet. It was possible for one to become wealthy by leaving Jerusalem and going to Galilee. Those who settled there were considered materialistic and to have forfeited spiritual privileges for material gain" (Pentecost).
Verse 28, "And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women."
LGT "And the angel coming to her said, Hail [thou] favored one, [enriched with grace], the Lord [is] with thee."
The oldest manuscripts do not have blessed art thou among women here, but they do in verse 42. The term "highly favored" means enriched with grace. It is correct to say that "Mary was full of grace which she received, but wrong to say she is full of grace to bestow" (Plummer).
Shepherd writes:
"The salutation of Gabriel, Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with thee! Has been made the basis of pagan misinterpretation constituting Mary a fountain of grace to be dispensed to others by her. Hail, Mary! Thou art full of grace. She was highly favored above all women in being permitted to be the mother of the Lord and Savior. But the Gospel narratives attribute to her none of the special titles ascribed to her by later so-called Christianity. The worship of Mary is not warranted by the simple salutation of the angel here recorded. The Ave Maria, which is the daily prayer of millions, has no basis in the Gospels. Much as we may admire and honor the virgin- Mother, we may not pray or worship her in any way. Mariolatry is but one form of idolatry. The mother merits all honor but her Son our worship."
Verse 29, "And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be."
LGT "But she was troubled at the word, and began to reason what kind of salutation this might be."
Mary's reaction to Gabriel's appearance was a natural one. She became anxious and fear overcame her at his words. Mary began to reason in her mind what kind of salutation he gave her.
Verse 30, "And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God."
LGT "And the angel said to her, Fear not, Mary, for you have found grace with God."
The word "favor" is charin "grace". This word does not occur in Matthew or Mark. Grace has a variety of meanings, sweetness, charm, loveliness, joy, and delight. Applied here as coming from God, it has the meaning of a favor from God that is free; everything that is bestowed upon a believer from God that creates an attitude of thanksgiving is free. Grace is one of the attributes of God, and the believer is a beneficiary of His divine favor. Here Mary is overwhelmed by God's grace.
Verse 31, "And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS."
LGT "And lo, you shall conceive in [thy] womb and bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS."
The name Jesus means 'the Lord saves.' Our salvation is God's gift to all who will receive Him, by means of grace. Here Mary is given the favor of God to bear this great gift of God's grace that is offered to mankind. Through Jesus the Lord saves all who come to Him through faith by means of His grace. Adam was saved by grace; Mary was saved by grace; and every Christian that ever lived has been saved by grace.
Verses 32, 33, "He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end."
LGT "He shall be great, and He shall be called Son of [the] Most High, and the Lord God shall give Him the throne of His father David. And He shall reign over the house of Jacob to the ages, and of His Kingdom there shall be no end. "
This is the hope of all Israel, that the Messiah, the son of the Most High, coming from the Kingly line of David will restore their Kingdom. These verses answer the prophecy of Isaiah 9:6,7 and 2 Samuel 7:16; "This was an announcement as clear as it was possible to make it that Mary's Son would come into this world to fulfill the promise given to David that one of David's sons would sit on David's throne and rule over David's kingdom. Jesus would come not only to be the Savior, but also to be the Sovereign" (Pentecost).
McGee adds:
"This is plain language. There is no way of misinterpreting it. This passage is quite literal. Those folks who deny the Virgin Birth also do not believe that the Lord is going to sit on the throne of His father David. Apparently it was understood that what Luke is writing about is literal. The virgin's womb is literal and the throne of David is literal. He shall literally reign over the house of Jacob and of His kingdom there shall be no end. That kingdom is also a reality."
Verse 34, "Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?"
LGT "But Mary said to the angel, How shall this be since I know not a man?"
The Virgin Birth is a mystery first of all to Mary, and the angel would have to explain it to her. A doctrine such as the Virgin Birth and the Trinity of the Godhead, may be a mystery to us, but we can find the answer in the Word of God, if we believe by faith; a person must be born again in order to rightly divide the Word of Truth; The natural man cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God.
Verse 35, "And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."
LGT "And the angel answering said to her, [The] Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and power of [the] Most High shall overshadow you: wherefore also the Holy Thing born shall be called Son of God."
The only possible way that the Son of God could be born into this world retaining His undefiled Holiness is by way of the Virgin Birth. Human pro-creation can only produce a sinful creature. We all came into being by human birth; the Holy Child, the only Son of God came into this world by way of a Spiritual Birth.
McGee wrote:
"No man had anything to do with the birth of Jesus Christ. We are told in the Book of Leviticus that the birth of a child caused a woman to be unclean because she brought a sinner into the world. Mary is told that she is not bringing a sinner into the world; He is holy. The union of man and woman can only produce a child with a sin nature. By the Virgin Birth is the only way God could get that Holy Thing into the human family. In Psalm 51:5 David said, Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Mary's Son would be different. He would be virgin born.
You can deny the Virgin Birth if you want to. If you are an unbeliever, I would expect you to deny it. If, however, you write and tell me that you are not a Christian but you believe the Virgin Birth, I will be terribly upset. If you are not a Christian, of course you don't believe it. However, you cannot say that the Bible does not teach the Virgin Birth, because it does.
Do you know why this Baby is going to be called the Son of God? Because He is the Son of God. Remember that Dr. Luke approaches his Gospel from the scientific point of view. He states that he examined Jesus of Nazareth, and his findings are that Jesus is the Son of God. Luke came to the same conclusion that John came to in his Gospel, but his procedure and technique were different. Dr. Luke has used plain, simple language to present his findings and if we cannot understand his message, we need to go back and learn our ABCs again."
Pentecost adds:
"Jesus Christ would be conceived by the Holy Spirit. He would not have a natural father. A natural father transmits the nature, which he received from Adam. No one who has received such a nature from Adam could become the Redeemer for fallen mankind. Since Christ was to be the Savior, He had to be without sin. The only way He could be born a sinless One was to be conceived by God, who is sinless. Thus, the conception of Jesus Christ in the womb of Mary was to be not by natural but supernatural means. The creative power of the Most High would overshadow her, as the cloud of Shekinah-glory had rested on the Tabernacle of Israel in the desert.
As a result of the conception by the Holy Spirit, The holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Through the miracle of the Virgin Birth, the eternal Son of the eternal God reached out and took to Himself a true and complete humanity without diminishing His essential deity. He united deity and humanity inseparably and eternally in one person."
Verse 36, "And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren."
LGT "And lo, Elisabeth, your kinswoman, she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is [the] sixth month to her who [was] called barren:"
The nature of the relationship between Elisabeth and Mary is unknown; the term suggenis simply means "kinswoman." Gabriel gives this good news to Mary in order to give her strength to face her blessing. It was as improbable [naturally speaking] for Elisabeth to have a son, as for Mary, a virgin, to birth a son. "Elisabeth is described as one who is still being called barren, though six months gone in pregnancy, because people have had no means of knowing her state" (TEGT).
Verse 37, "For with God nothing shall be impossible."
LGT "Because no word [lit. Every] shall be impossible with God."
The literal translation of this verse is every word of God shall not be powerless. This is given in order to strengthen Mary's faith. "Many people use this verse as a cliché to cover up the fact that they want their own selfish desires. Nothing is impossible with God but there is a great deal that is impossible with you and me. When a man says nothing is impossible with God and fails at some task he claims the Lord gave him to do, it causes unbelievers to ridicule God. Anything God determines to do He can accomplish, because there is nothing impossible with God. But that does not mean He will do everything believers want Him to do, because some things are not included in His plan. Let us put everything in proper perspective before we do a lot of talking that will hurt and harm the cause of Jesus Christ rather than help it" (McGee).
Verse 38, "And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her."
LGT "And Mary said, Behold, the bondmaid of [the] Lord: let it be to me according to your word. And the angel went away from her."
What an example of immediate submission to the will of the Lord. There is so much emphasis today on Christians working for the Lord; Christians do not work for the Lord. The Lord does all the work by His Holy Spirit through yielded sons and daughters. The Lord does all the work, and then in eternity He rewards His children. There is entirely too much keeping track of how much we accomplish for Jesus; the Lord will compute what He has done and bring it all out to us at the Bema-Seat; it is completely superfluous for us to testify to the fact of how much the Lord is doing in our lives.
Mary Visits Elisabeth
Verse 39, "And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah;"
LGT "And rising up in those days, Mary went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah,"
"The region in the vicinity of Jerusalem, commonly called the hill country of Judea. It was probably a Levitical city, and the residence of Zechariahs when he was not employed in the temple" (Barnes).
Verse 40, "And entered into the house of Zechariahs, and saluted Elizabeth."
LGT "And entered into the house of Zechariahs, and saluted Elisabeth."
One look at Elisabeth and Mary saluted her, knowing the truth spoken by the angel.
Verse 41, "And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost."
LGT "And it came to pass, as Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb, and Elisabeth was filled with [the] Holy Spirit."
The hearing of the salutation, and Elisabeth being filled with the Holy Spirit, caused this miraculous leaping of John in Elisabeth's womb. "What we are dealing with here is miraculous, and there is no use trying to offer a natural explanation. You either believe what happened in these verses or you do not. I am so weary of people today, especially preachers, who try to appear intellectual by attempting to explain away the miracles in the Bible. You either accept the miracles of the Bible or you do not, and what took place in these verses was a miracle. This woman is filled with the Holy Spirit, and the babe leaps in her womb" (McGee). The Expositor' Greek NT says: "commentators discuss the connection between the maternal excitement and the quickening of the child-which was cause and which effect. Let this and all other questions in reference to the movement denoted be passed over in respectful silence."
Verse 42, "And she spake out with a loud voice and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb."
LGT "And cried out with a loud cry and said, Blessed thou among women, and blessed the fruit of your womb."
At this point Elisabeth becomes a prophetess; being filled with the Holy Spirit she is prompted to make this loud prophetic blessing on Mary.
Verse 43, "And whence is this to me, that the mother of the Lord should come to me?"
LGT "And whence this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?"
This is proof that Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit; for how could she have possibly known that Mary was to be the mother of the Lord.
Verse 44, "For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy."
LGT "For, lo, as the voice of thy salutation came into my ears, the babe leaped in exultation in my womb."
Elisabeth's personal testimony of John leaping in her womb should put all skeptics to rest.
Verse 45, "And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord."
LGT "And blessed [is] she who believed, because there shall be a fulfillment of the things spoken to her from the Lord."
Mary truly believes, and brings about her song of praise. Zechariahs doubted the Lord and was struck dumb; however, not Elisabeth, for she truly believed and now is able by the filling of the Holy Spirit to bless Mary. Now that Mary had conceived, Christ's incarnation is in progress, and is no longer future, and Mary breaks forth with song.
Mary's Song of Praise
Verse 46, "And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord."
LGT "And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord."
The first time I expounded on this verse I involved myself in the age-long controversy of man's make-up of being a tripartite being over a dual being. It matters little to me at this point, so I will keep my comments brief and to the point. Here Mary praises God for the Christ she is carrying.
Verse 47, "And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior."
LGT "And my spirit exults in God my Savior."
Here Mary acknowledges she is a sinner and the she needs a Savior. She also sings about the deity of Christ; she sings that Christ is God, and that she is carrying the Son of God in her womb.
Verse 48, "For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed."
LGT "For He looked upon the humiliation of His maid. For, behold, from this point on [lit. from the now] all generations will count me blessed."
Note that Mary does not say all generations will worship me, but simply count me blessed. I believe all Christians certainly do regard Mary with high esteem, and certainly blessed of God.
Verse 49, "For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name."
LGT "For the One who is Mighty, has done to me great things: and Holy is His name,"
Pentecost quotes Arndt:
"In the first place, Mary declares that inwardly she is filled with joy and praise of God. The terms Lord and Savior refer to God in general. She admits she is a lowly maiden. She is not prominent in society, and the man to whom she is betrothed is a humble carpenter. Davidic descent in that period was not necessarily joined with high social station and with wealth. For the sentiment cf. Psalm 113:7. All the more she is moved by God's favor, who has given her the highest honor conceivable for any woman, an honor which will be forever remembered. But there is not the shadow of an attitude of self-righteousness in her words, no hint that she believes she had deserved the high distinction, which has come to her [by the Church in Rome]. All glory is given to God, whose name is holy, that is, perfect Himself, and whose name therefore must be treated with reverent awe. Cf. Psalm 111:9. She wishes to declare what a great God the Lord is; hence she adds another quality of His, His mercy, manifesting itself in the case of all that fear Him, that are truly His own. Cf. Psalm 103:17."
Verse 50, "And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation."
LGT "And His mercy [is] unto generations and generations to the ones fearing Him."
The fear of the Lord is not a fear that a person has of a terrible unmerciful master, but one for a merciful Master, that is, in not pleasing Him. We want to please the Lord, and we have a fear that we do not. The term from generations and generations, means to every preceding generation that fear Him.
Barnes notes:
"This mercy of the Lord extends from one age to another-that is, it is unceasing; it continues and abounds. But it means also more than this. It means that God's mercy will descend on the children and the children's children of those that fear Him and keep His commandments, Exodus 20:6. In this respect it is an unspeakable privilege to be descended from pious parents; to have been the subject of their prayers, and have received their blessing. It is also a matter of vast guilt not to copy their example and to walk in their steps. If God is disposed to show mercy to thousands of generations, how heavy will be the condemnation if the children of pious parents do not avail themselves of it and early seek His favor!"
Verse 51, "He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts."
LGT "He made strength with His arm. He scattered [the] arrogant in [the] thought of their heart:"
The arm of the Lord is always a symbol of His might. "He scattered the proud; He has often done it in time of Battle and war. When the proud Assyrian, Egyptian, or Babylonian had come against the people of God, He had often scattered them and driven away their armies. In the imagination of their hearts; Those who were lifted up or exalted in their own view. Those who thought themselves to be superior to other men" (Barnes).
Verse 52, "He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree."
LGT "He put down rulers from thrones, and exalted [the] lowly,"
God put down such rulers as the Pharaoh of Egypt, and he was drowned in the Red Sea, and Nebuchadnezar crawl around on all fours with the beasts of the field. He also raised a shepherd boy, David, to be king of all Israel.
Verse 53, "He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away."
LGT "[The] hungry he filled with good things, and the rich He sent away empty."
Those who depend on God have always had their needs met; but the proud and haughty He left to their own vain imaginations, and often they have been left destitute.
Verse 54, "He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy:"
LGT "He helped Israel His servant, to remember mercy,"
The word "holpen" means that God laid hold of with a view to helping, and in so doing He displays His mercy.
Verse 55, "As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever."
LGT "Just as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed for ever."
Here God remembers His unconditional covenant He mad with Abraham years earlier. "The promise particularly here referred to is that respecting the Messiah which was now about to be fulfilled; but there is no doubt that there was also included the promises respecting all the other mercies which had been conferred on the children of Israel" (Barnes). The word forever shows the unconditional element in God's promise to Abraham and to his seed.
Verse 56, "And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house."
LGT "And Mary remained together with her about three months, and returned to her house."
Mary left Elizabeth near the time of her confinement.
The Birth of John the Baptist
Verse 57, "Now Elizabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son."
LGT "Now to Elizabeth was fulfilled the time that she should bring forth, and she bore a son."
The birth of John the Baptist arrived in due coarse of nature.
Verse 58, "And her neighbors and her cousins heard how the Lord had showed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her."
LGT "And the neighbors and the kinfolk heard that [the] Lord magnified His mercy with her, and they rejoiced with her."
Here we have a wonderful picture of Jewish life, the neighbors and kinfolk that lived around her. This is one of the reasons that when the Lord says to the Jews, that they should love their neighbor, we believe He is saying, they should love other believers, for they lived in an Israelites commune, that is, they lived separate from the heathen world. Now when the Jew became disobedient, they intermarried among the heathen nations and then and only then did they incur the wrath of God.
Verse 59, "And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father."
LGT "And it came to pass on the eighth day they came to circumcise the little child, and would have called it after the name of his father, Zacharias."
All of this was very natural, they would have called John, Zachariah; it was common that the child would be named at his circumcision, and that the eldest son would be given the name of his father. The circumcision was a sign of the covenant God made with Abraham of the perpetuity of their race, so all was in order, according to the custom of the Jews.
Verse 60, "And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John."
LGT "And his mother answering, said, No, but he will be called John."
Elizabeth was being obedient to the angel of the Lord that told Zachariah that the baby was to be named John.
Verse 61, "And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name."
LGT "And they said to her, that no one is among your kinfolk who is called by this name."
Those at the circumcision ceremony stubbornly insisted that John should be named after his father. "The Jewish tribes and families were kept distinct. To do this, and to avoid confusion in their genealogical tables, they probably gave only those names, which were found among their ancestors. Another reason for this, common to all people is the respect which is felt for honored parents and ancestors" (Barnes).
Verse 62, "And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called."
LGT "And they made signs to his father what he might wish him to be called."
Zachariah was still dumb so they spoke to him in sign language, asking him what he would wish him to be called, if he could speak. The people did not know whether he could hear them or not because he was unable to speak, so they made signs to him.
Verse 63, "And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marveled all."
LGT "And having asked for a writing tablet he wrote, saying, John is his name."
"The table denoted by this word was usually made of wood and covered with wax. The ancients used to write on such tables, as they had not the use of paper. The instrument for writing was an iron pen or style, by which they marked on the wax, which covered the table. Sometimes the writing-table was made entirely of lead" (Barnes).
Verse 64, "And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God."
LGT "And his mouth was immediately opened, and his tongue [loosed], and he spoke, blessing God."
"The word immediately [parachrama] occurs nineteen times in the New Testament, and seventeen of these in Luke. Thirteen of the seventeen are in connection with miracles of healing, or the infliction of disease or death. Used in a similar way by medical writers" (Vincent). The first words out of Zachariah's mouth were praise to God.
Verse 65, "And fear came on all that dwelt around about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judea."
LGT "And fear came on all them that dwelt around them, and in the whole hill country of Judea, all these things were talked of."
Elisabeth having a child in her old age, and Zachariah struck dumb, and now being able to speak, struck a reverential awe in the people that they began to speak to one another of these wonderful miracles of God.
Verse 66, "And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him."
LGT "And all who heard laid [them] up in their heart, saying, What then will this little child be? And [the] hand of [the] Lord was with him."
This expression laid them up in their hearts signifies that these great events had a very deep and religious affect on all those that witnessed and also those who heard of these things. They all recognized that God's hand was upon this little child, and that he had a great future in store.
The Prophecy of Zechariah
Verse 67, 68, "And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,"
LGT "And Zacharias his father was filled with [the] Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, Blessed be [the] Lord God of Israel, because He looked upon and wrought redemption for His people,"
Zachariah could only prophesy as he was filled with the Holy Spirit. The first thing he does is praise God for the physical deliverance of the Jews, and then the fact that God had visited them with spiritual salvation. John the Baptist was to be the forerunner of the promised Messiah, who was about to be born.
Verse 69, "And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David."
LGT "And raised up a Horn of Salvation for us in the house of David His servant,"
The "Horn of Salvation" is a Jewish symbol representing power; and also that kings were anointed with oil from a horn, and the horn of the animal represented his power. Jesus was about to be born of the Virgin Mary from the Kingly line of David.
McGee adds:
"At John's birth, Zacharias, who has been dumb for about nine months, is not only able to speak, but he will sing a solo. Elisabeth sang the first song, Mary sang the second one, and now it is quite proper that Zacharias sing a song. His song is one of prophecy. Although Zacharias is not in the line of David, he does recognize that his son is going to be the forerunner of Jesus Christ, as foretold by Malachi and Isaiah. John is to be the one to announce the coming of the Messiah. The presence of the forerunner indicates that the Messiah is not far behind. He is coming soon."
Verse 70, "As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:"
LGT "Just as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets,"
The last phrase, which has been since the world began, is not in the better manuscripts. It would be better read, as Robertson points out, "From of Old."
Barnes notes:
"All the prophets are said to have referred to the Messiah, from the beginning of the world. The most striking of these were Jacob (Gen. 49:10); Moses (Deut. 18:15); Isaiah 9:6,7; 13). Since the world began, this is not to be taken literally, for there were no prophets immediately after the creation. It is merely a general expression, designed to denote that all the prophets had predicted the coming of the Messiah."
Verse 71, "That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;"
LGT "Salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all the ones who hate us."
This prophecy points to the immediate physical deliverance of Israel, but also the future final restoration of the Jews when Christ will rule over them.
Verse 72, "To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;"
LGT "To fulfill mercy with our fathers, and to remember His holy covenant."
The Jews did not deserve God's favor because of their sinfulness; however, God is faithful to His promises made to Abraham.
Verse 73, "The oath which he sware to our father Abraham."
LGT "[The] oath which He swore to Abraham, our father,"
This oath is recorded in Genesis 22:16-18: And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord; for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son; that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice.
Verse 74, 75, "That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life."
LGT "To give us [that] without fear, being saved out of [the] hand of our enemies, we should serve Him in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life."
These two verses give the intended behavior the Jews were supposed to follow, but it was only observed by Abraham himself. Man has never been able to live up to the righteousness God demands; this is why Christ had to die in order to impute on all His children His righteousness. For Israel this will only happen to them nationally during the thousand-year reign of Christ.
Verse 76, "And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;"
LGT "And thou, little child, shall be called prophet of [the] Highest: for thou shall go before [the] face of the Lord to prepare His ways,"
This is a direct address to the little child, prophesying what he will be for the rest of his life; he would be a prophet preparing the way for the Messiah.
Verse 77, "To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,"
LGT "To give knowledge of salvation to his people, in remission of their sins,"
"The prophet was God's messenger with His message to His people (the Jews). This was the function that John would fulfill. Like the Old Testament prophets, John came with God's message to his generation. But John was to have a privilege that no Old Testament prophet had. Whereas they anticipated the coming of the Messiah, John was privileged to introduce Him personally to the nation" (Pentecost).
Verse 78, "Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from high hath visited us,"
LGT "Through the bowels of compassion of our God, in which springing up from on high, has visited us."
Zachariah is saying that God in His everlasting compassion, lit. From His bowels of mercy, is sending the Redeemer as the Light of the world, as the day springs eternal.
Verse 79, "To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."
LGT "To shine upon those sitting in darkness and in [the] shadow of death, to direct our feet into [the] way of peace."
"This song of Zacharias is exceedingly beautiful. It expresses with elegance the great points of the plan of redemption, and the mercy of God in providing that plan. That mercy is great. It is worthy of praise - of our highest, loftiest songs of thanksgiving; for we were in the shadow of death - sinful, wretched, wandering - and the Light arose, the gospel came, and men may rejoice in hope of eternal life" (Barnes).
Verse 80, "And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel."
LGT "And the little child grew, and was strengthened in spirit, and was in the deserts until [the] day of his showing to Israel."
"The boy, as he grew, may have gone up to the Passover and may have seen the boy Jesus (Luke 2:42-52), but he would not know that He was to be the Messiah. So these two boys of destiny grew on with the years, the one in the desert hills near Hebron after Zacharias and Elisabeth died, the Other, the young Carpenter up in Nazareth, each waiting for his showing unto Israel" (Robertson).
We move now to the birth of Jesus in the next chapter.
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