CHAPTER 1

(A.D. 1)

INTRODUCTION

¹Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration (means many were attempting at that time to write accounts of the Life and Ministry of Christ, which proved to have no inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and consequently, were unreliable) of those things which are most surely believed among us (proclaims the Gospel as a narrative concerning facts fully established),

²Even as they delivered them unto us (concerns those who were there, and actually observed what took place), which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the Word (probably concerned members of the Twelve and the Seventy, as well as others);

³It seemed good to me also (moved upon by the Holy Spirit to do such), having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first (means that he made absolutely certain of the reliability of these eyewitness accounts), to write unto you in order (refers to an orderly design, not necessarily in chronological order), most excellent Theophilus (it is not known exactly as to who this man was; he was evidently a Gentile of high rank in the Roman world of that day, who had accepted Christ as his Saviour),

⁴That you might know the certainty of those things (means that he could rely on what Luke told him), wherein you have been instructed (he will now be able to sort the facts from the fiction; Luke writing this Gospel to Theophilus has helped millions to know the certainty of these things).

JOHN THE BAPTIST

⁵There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea (Herod the Great; the event concerning the birth of John the Baptist took place towards the end of his reign), a certain Priest named Zacharias (should be pronounced, Zechariah; it means remembered of Jehovah), of the course of Abia (pertains to the twenty-four courses for Temple service; each of the twenty-four courses lasted for one week [I Chron. 24:1]; Zacharias was especially distinguished by belonging to the first of the twenty-four courses or families): and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth (meaning that both the husband and the wife traced their lineage back to Aaron, the first High Priest a coveted distinction in Israel).

⁶And they were both Righteous before God (tells us that at this time, there were precious few who were actually Righteous before God), walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless (proclaims a lifestyle of Righteousness which not many had; what an honor to be called by the Holy Spirit, blameless!).

⁷And they had no child (they desperately wanted children), because that Elisabeth was barren (placed her in the same category as Sarah), and they both were now well stricken in years (Elisabeth was now beyond the age of child bearing; consequently, Johns birth was just as miraculous as that of Isaac [Rom. 4:17-21; Heb. 11:11]).

⁸And it came to pass, that while he (Zacharias) executed the Priests office before God in the order of his course (some think this was the month of July, if so, Jesus was conceived six months later [Lk. 1:26], which would have been in January, consequently, being born nine months later in October),

⁹According to the custom of the Priests office, his lot was to burn Incense when he went into the Temple of the Lord (this was done by coals of fire taken from the Brazen Altar, a Type of Christ and His Crucifixion, and taken to the Altar of Incense, with coals placed on the Altar, with Incense poured over the coals; this was done twice a day at the time of the morning and evening Sacrifices).

¹⁰And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of Incense.

¹¹And there appeared unto him an Angel of the Lord (Gabriel) standing on the right side of the Altar of Incense (the right side is the side of propitiation, which, in effect, means that God accepts the Sacrifice [Heb. 1:3]).

¹²And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

¹³But the Angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for your prayer is heard (the Greek translation should read, was heard, implying that it was no longer offered because of their age; but every prayer prayed in the Will of God is always heard by the Lord, and will be answered in His due time); and your wife Elisabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John (John means, Jehovah shows favor or grace; it was an apt description of the one who would introduce the Lord of Glory).

¹⁴And you shall have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth (the rejoicing would be because he would introduce the Messiah).

¹⁵For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord (his greatness would come because of his introduction of Christ), and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink (meant that he was a Nazarite [Num., Chpt. 6]); and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mothers womb (has no reference to the Acts 2:4 experience, which had not yet come to pass; he would have unusual help from the Holy Spirit due to his mission, which was to introduce Christ).

¹⁶And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God (he would be the first Prophet since Malachi, a time span of about four hundred years; there would be a great move of the Spirit under his Ministry).

RIGHTEOUSNESS

¹⁷And he shall go before Him (Christ) in the spirit and power of Elijah (John could have been Elijah to the people, thereby ushering in the Kingdom Age, if Israel had only accepted Christ), to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children (that the Israel of Johns day might have the Righteousness of the Godly Patriarchs of the past), and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just (God and His Word); to make ready a people prepared for the Lord (preparation for the coming Messiah, Whom John would introduce).

¹⁸And Zacharias said unto the Angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years (a posture of unbelief).

¹⁹And the Angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel (the same Angel who had come to Daniel [Dan. 8:16; 9:21], and shortly would be sent to Mary [Lk. 1:26]), who stands in the Pres ence of God (may well represent the highest rank of all among Angels); and am sent to speak unto you, and to show you these glad tidings (sent from the throne of God).

²⁰And, behold, you shall be dumb (there is some indication in the Greek Text that he would be both deaf, and dumb), and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed (he had asked for a sign and had been given one most painful), because you believed not my words (unbelief is a sin), which shall be fulfilled in their season (irrespective of your unbelief, it shall happen).

²¹And the people waited for Zacharias (pertained to the usual custom of the Priest finishing his duties, then coming out and pronouncing a blessing upon the people), and marvelled that he tarried so long in the Temple (marveled does not show impatience, but rather anticipation; they were not to be disappointed!).

²²And when he came out, he could not speak unto them (the sign had already begun): and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the Temple (probably referred to a possible glow on his countenance): for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.

²³And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished (it was about a week), he departed to his own house.

²⁴And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived (we arent told how old she was, just well-stricken in years [Vs. 7]), and hid herself five months, saying (she hid herself in order to seek the Lord regarding how this child was to be raised, and how he should be trained),

²⁵Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men (she would no longer be childless, but in fact would give birth to the greatest Prophet who ever lived).

MARY

²⁶And in the sixth month (refers to six months after Elisabeth had conceived; consequently, John was six months older than Jesus) the Angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth (strangely enough, Nazareth was held in scorn by Israel at that time),

²⁷To a virgin (in the Greek Text is parthenos, which refers to a pure virgin who has never known a man, and never experienced a marriage relationship; in the Hebrew, the word is Ha-alma, which means, the Virgin the only one who ever was, or ever will be a mother in this way) espoused (engaged) to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David (he was in the direct lineage of David through Solomon); and the Virgins name was Mary (Mary went back to David through another of Davids sons, Nathan; so their lineage was perfect as it regards the Prophecies that the Messiah would come from the House of David [II Sam., Chpt. 7]).

²⁸And the Angel came in unto her, and said (presents the greatest moment in human history, the announcement of the coming birth of the Lord of Glory in the Incarnation, i.e., God becoming man), Hail, you that are highly favoured (means much engraced, not full of grace, as the Catholic Church teaches, but one who, herself meritless, had received signal Grace from God), the Lord is with you (signals her position of humility): blessed are you among women (does not say above women, as the Catholics teach; however, she definitely was much blessed).

²⁹And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying (a total disturbance; not a partial, or light agitation), and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be (she in no way understood the reason that he addressed her as he did).

³⁰And the Angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for you have found favour with God (should have been translated, you have received Grace from God).

³¹And, behold, you shall conceive in your womb (should have been translated, You shall forthwith conceive in your womb, meaning immediately), and bring forth a Son (proclaims the Incarnation, God manifest in the flesh, God with us, Immanuel [Isa. 7:14; 9:6]), and shall call His name JESUS (the Greek version of the Hebrew, Joshua; it means Saviour, or The Salvation of Jehovah).

³²He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest (actually means The Most High, and refers to Jehovah): and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David (II Sam., Chpt. 7):

³³And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His Kingdom there shall be no end (this will begin at the Second Coming, and will last forever; it could have begun at the beginning of His Ministry, but He was rejected by Israel; but at the Second Coming, they will accept Him as their Saviour, Messiah, and King [Zech., Chpts. 12-14]).

³⁴Then said Mary unto the Angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? (She was probably in her late teens.)

³⁵And the Angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon you (has the same connotation as, the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters [Gen. 1:2]), and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you (has the same reference as, And God said, let there be light: and there was light [Gen. 1:3]): therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God (constitutes the Incarnation, God becoming Man; He would be Very God and Very Man).

³⁶And, behold, your cousin Elisabeth (the word, cousin, in the Greek Text is suggenes, which means countryman, and not necessarily a cousin in the sense of a blood relative; however, Mary definitely could have been personally kin to Elisabeth), she has also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

³⁷For with God nothing shall be impossible (what is impossible with man is very much possible with God).

³⁸And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord (beautifully portrays the humility of this young lady; I think she would be greatly grieved at the unscriptural manner in which Catholicism has elevated her even to the place of Deity); be it unto me according to your word (she gives this consent in a word that was simple and sublime, which involved the most extraordinary act of Faith that a woman ever consented to accomplish). And the Angel departed from her.

MARY VISITS ELISABETH

³⁹And Mary arose in those days (concerned the time immediately after the appearance of the Angel Gabriel), and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah (tradition places this at Hebron);

⁴⁰And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth (she was welcomed wholeheartedly).

⁴¹And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary (the account that the Angel Gabriel had given to Mary concerning the birth of Jesus), the babe (the one who would be known as John the Baptist) leaped in her womb (at the mention of Jesus, the Holy Spirit moved upon this unborn child and it responded; it doesnt mean that the unborn child had comprehension); and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit (filled in the Greek Text is pletho, and means to imbue, influence or supply; it does not have the meaning of that which happened on the day of Pentecost, referring to Acts 2:4):

⁴²And she (Elisabeth) spake out with a loud voice and said, Blessed are you (Mary) among women (not above women as the Catholics claim; however, Mary was truly blessed, as would be obvious), and blessed is the fruit of your womb (Jesus Christ was that fruit!).

⁴³And whence is this to me (why am I honored in this way?), that the mother of my Lord should come to me? (She used the word Lord in its highest sense; great as her own child was to be in the sight of the Lord, here was the mother of One yet greater, even the Lord Himself.)

⁴⁴For, lo, as soon as the voice of your salutation sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy (as stated, this was a manifestation of the Holy Spirit Who produced this response).

⁴⁵And blessed is she who believed (refers to Mary and her faith): for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord (the words shall be are a certitude of action).

THE MAGNIFICAT

⁴⁶And Mary said (the following actually constitutes a song, and is in the tradition of the song of Deborah [Judg. 5:1-31]), My soul doth magnify the Lord (she magnified the Lord, while the Catholic Church erroneously magnifies her),

⁴⁷And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour (disproves the theory of the Immaculate Conception, or the total absence of original sin in Mary; God was her Saviour, so she must have been a sinner, in order to be Saved; the Scripture says, all have sinned [Rom. 3:23]).

⁴⁸For He has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden (humility): for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed (the word blessed is a single syllable here, and simply means a recipient of Grace).

⁴⁹For He Who is mighty has done to me great things; and Holy is His Name (Holy is the essence of His Being, and speaks of God the Father).

⁵⁰And His Mercy is on them who fear Him from generation to generation (mercy is extended to those who truly revere, i.e., respect Him).

⁵¹He has showed strength with His arm (proclaims the Power of God in the manner in which it is used); He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts (proclaims the Messianic reversal of mans conception of what is great and little).

⁵²He has put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree (the Lord ignored the proud self-exaltation of the religious elite of Israel, and showered His Attention on a little handmaiden).

⁵³He has filled the hungry with good things (concerns they who hunger and thirst after righteousness [Mat. 5:6]); and the rich He has sent empty away (refers to those who claim to be rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing [Rev. 3:17]).

⁵⁴He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of Hismercy(regrettably, Israel didnt want His help, or His Mercy);

⁵⁵As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever (Marys song opens with magnifying the Lord, and closes with the Promises of God being remembered forever).

⁵⁶And Mary abode with her (Elisabeth) about three months, and returned to her own house (every indication is Joseph and Mary were married almost immediately after the appearance of the Angel Gabriel [Mat. 1:18-25]).

THE BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

⁵⁷Now Elisabeths full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.

⁵⁸And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shown great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.

⁵⁹And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child (this was the Command originally given to Abraham by the Lord [Gen. 17:10-12]); and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father (they referred to friends and relatives, not Zacharias and Elisabeth).

⁶⁰And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John (in obedience to what Gabriel had demanded).

⁶¹And they said unto her, There is none of your kindred who is called by this name.

⁶²And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called (shows that he could not hear or speak).

⁶³And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all (upon obedience, as the next verse proclaims, Zacharias could now hear and speak, and possibly related to them the account of the appearance of Gabriel).

⁶⁴And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, and praised God.

⁶⁵And fear came on all who dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea (God was moving again in Israel; the four hundred year prophetic drought was being broken; once again, they would hear, Thus saith the Lord...).

⁶⁶And all they who heard them(the predictions of Gabriel as related by Zacharias and Elisabeth) laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him (this is Lukes way of expressing all that would happen to John the Baptist through the entirety of his life).

ZECHARIAHS PROPHECY

⁶⁷And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit (pertains to the Holy Spirit helping him), and prophesied, saying (concerned what John the Baptist would do and be in his Ministry),

⁶⁸Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for He has visited and redeemed His people (the word Blessed, as used here, is a double syllable, Bless-ed, and means that God is full of Grace, and actually the dispenser of Grace; the great Redemption had long been a promise; now it is to be a reality!),

⁶⁹And has raised up an Horn of Salvation for us in the house of His servant David (an Horn of Salvation is another name given to Christ by the Holy Spirit);

⁷⁰As He spoke by the mouth of his Holy Prophets, which have been since the world began (this began with Gen. 3:15):

⁷¹That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us (proclaims Salvation by Grace, but as well to Israel, and will be fulfilled at the Second Coming);

⁷²To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember His Holy Covenant (Jesus is the bearer of that Mercy, actually He is Mercy!);

⁷³The oath which He swore to our father Abraham (this Oath is found in Gen. 12:3; 17:4; 22:16-17),

⁷⁴That He would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve Him without fear (pertains to Salvation and, as well, to the coming Kingdom Age),

⁷⁵In Holiness and Righteousness before Him, all the days of our life (will totally be fulfilled in the coming Kingdom Age).

⁷⁶And you, child (John the Baptist), shall be called the Prophet of the Highest: for you shall go before the Face of the Lord to prepare His ways (John the Baptist would be the forerunner of the King about Whom the Prophets had written);

⁷⁷To give knowledge of Salvation unto His people by the remission of their sins (which would be done by Jesus going to the Cross),

⁷⁸Through the tender Mercy of our God; whereby the Dayspring from on high has visited us (another name for Christ, The Dayspring from on High),

⁷⁹To give light to them who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace (Jesus is the Light of the world).

⁸⁰And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit (in the ways of the Lord), and was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel (he remained there until he was thirty years of age, before beginning his Ministry, which was the fulfilling of the Law [Num. 4:3]).