Luke 1
It is a rare occasion where I start with a nearly blank sheet in front of me. I say nearly blank because it’s supposed to be a Christmas message. Obviously, that narrows things down a bit. I had been thinking about using Luke 1 as a basis for the message, but the title did not come about until David asked me what to put on the sign last Sunday.
We are going to take a look into the first chapter of the book of Luke. It’s a long chapter, 80 verses. So, we won’t be taking the whole chapter into view but rather the messages that Gabriel brings to Zechariah and Mary and then the prayers of Mary and Zechariah as a result of what God had done.
Let’s take a moment and pray and then we’ll jump right into the word.
Dear Jesus, thank You that You came from heaven to earth to show us the way. Thank You that you are the Way. That You came as a little baby, and You lived a sinless life. Then, You gave Your life for us on the cross so that we could be a part of Your family forever. Thank You Jesus, Amen.
We’ll pick up the reading at Luke 1:11. The first few verses are Luke’s introduction. Then, we are told of Zechariah, a priest who lived during the time when Herod was king of Judea. His wife’s name was Elizabeth. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God and observed the Lord’s commands and decrees. But, they didn’t have any children. We are told that Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and now they are both very old. The expression here is the same as used to describe Anna in Luke 2. Anna was at least 84 years old. So, Zechariah and Elizabeth are old enough that any hope of having a child is gone.
Zechariah is in Jerusalem working in the temple as his division was on duty. He is chosen to go into the temple to burn incense. While there, an angel of the Lord appears. Remember, Zechariah went in to burn incense. It says the angel is standing at the right side of the alter of incense. The altar of incense is not big. I didn’t find dimensions for the temple in Jesus time, but in the tabernacle, it was only a foot and a half by a foot and a half. In the temple of Ezekiel’s vision it’s three feet square. Either way, the angel is “right there.” When Zechariah saw him, “he was startled and gripped with fear.”
But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." – Luke 1:13-17
Gabriel starts by saying: Your prayer is heard. (A prayer of long ago.) Elizabeth will bear a son. You are to call him John. (The Lord is gracious.) He will be a joy and delight to you. Many will rejoice at his birth. He will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is to be set apart for righteousness (no wine or fermented drink). He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring many of the people of Israel back to the Lord. He will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children. (A prophecy in Malachi 4:6 of the Elijah before the Lord comes.) He will turn the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous.
Why? To make ready a people prepared for the Lord. John will prepare. He is a forerunner.
Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years." The angel said to him, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time." – Luke 1:18-20
Zechariah doesn’t ask the angel how it can happen. He wants to know how he can know, how can he be sure that what the angel told him is true. Gabriel answers.
I am Gabriel (mighty one of God). I stand in the presence of God. (Contrast with Zechariah’s words “I am an old man.”) I have been sent to speak to you. (This doesn’t happen every day.) I have been sent to tell you this good news. Without Zechariah, there is no John the Baptist. If there is no John the Baptist, there is no herald who announces the coming of the Messiah. If there is no herald, the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah are not fulfilled. If any of the prophecies aren’t fulfilled, then the Jesus doesn’t fulfill all things. If Jesus doesn’t fulfill all things, then God’s plan for our redemption for us is not completed. This message from Gabriel to Zechariah is good news.
Zechariah is going to lose his voice for about 9 months. Already when he comes out of the temple, the people are waiting because he has been inside too long, he cannot speak. How difficult it must have been to be unable to speak at the moment of the greatest good news. After his time of service, Zechariah returns home, and lo and behold, Elizabeth becomes pregnant. She stays in seclusion for five months. We aren’t told why. Maybe she is afraid she will lose the child. But maybe she is secluded in joy, devotion, and gratitude to the Lord. She is convinced that the Lord has allowed her to have a son. “The Lord has done this for me. In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
Now in Elizabeth’s sixth month of pregnancy, Gabriel is sent again by God with a message. This time it is not to the big city of Jerusalem, but to a small village in Galilee. Not to a priest but to a young virgin named Mary. Mary is pledged to marry Joseph, a far descendant of King David. But Joseph is not a king, not even a wealthy many, he is a carpenter in a small village in the remote northern region of Galilee.
The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever; his kingdom will never end." – Luke 1:28-33
Gabriel opens saying: Greetings, you who are highly favored. The Lord is with you. Do not be afraid Mary. You have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son. You are to call him Jesus. Yeshua, Savior. He will be great. He will be called the Son of the Most High. The divine Son of God, and the Messiah born in time. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. (Another promise to the Messiah from the Old Testament.) He will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever. His kingdom will never end.
This is a different level than John. It reminds me of John’s words about Jesus. “There is one coming after me whose sandals I am not fit to untie.” (Mark 1:7)
"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail." "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May your word to me be fulfilled." Then the angel left her. – Luke 1:34-38
Contrasted with Zechariah, Mary doesn’t ask for a sign or proof. She’s asking a question for understanding. How can a virgin have a baby?
Gabriel gives Mary’s humble question a full answer.
The Holy Spirit with come on you. It will be a supernatural conception, not a natural one like John. The holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. He is God’s Son from birth. Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age. Though she could not conceive, she is in her sixth month.
Why? For no word from God will ever fail. No word of God is without power to accomplish what He has said. The things Gabriel has said will come to pass.
At this point, Mary gets ready and goes to the home of Zechariah and Elizabeth in the hill country of Judea. Upon her arrival Mary greets Elizabeth, and the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaps and Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit. She exclaims with a loud voice, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her!” – Luke 1:42-45
Blessed are you among women. Blessed is the child you bear. Why am I so favored the mother of my Lord should come to me? (Again, a clear difference between John and Jesus.) Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her.
Here the emphasis is on Mary’s faith, and the work is the Lord’s, not Mary’s.
Mary’s Prayer:
Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me--holy is His Name. His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as He promised our ancestors." – Luke 1:46-55
My soul glorifies the Lord. My spirit rejoices in God my Savior. Mary considers her own need for a savior. Mary is favored by God, blessed by God. She is not divine.
Why? He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed.
Why? The Mighty One has done great things for me. Holy is His Name. His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds. He has scattered those who are proud. He has brought down rulers from their thrones. He has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things. (Beatitudes.) He has sent the rich away empty. (Physical and spiritual, John 6:35.) He has helped his servant Israel.
How? Remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as He promised. The Savior has come from and to Israel just as had been foretold.
Mary stays on with Elizabeth for about three months and then returns home. That means it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, and Mary stayed for the birth before departing. As Gabriel foretold, she gives birth to a son. Neighbors and relatives share her joy which was also foretold by Gabriel. At the time of circumcision on the eighth day, it is tradition to name the baby then. Everyone expects the baby is going to be called Zechariah Jr. after his father. But Elizabeth speaks up and says, “No! He is to be called John.” Now everyone is curious because John is not a family name. So they make signs to Zechariah which is a funny thing to me. Zechariah is not deaf, he just can’t speak. He gets a writing tablet and surprises everyone by writing, “His name is John.” At that moment, Zechariah’s speech is restored, and what does he do first? He praises God. Everyone is amazed and story goes throughout the region with everyone wondering who then will this child become, what is he going to do? Meanwhile back at the moment of getting his voice back …
Zechariah’s Prayer:
Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has come to His people and redeemed them. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David (as He said through His holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us-- to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember His holy covenant, the oath He swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days. And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for Him, to give His people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace." – Luke 1:68-79
Zechariah starts with praise as Mary did. Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel.
Why? Because He has come to His people and redeemed them. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David (as He said through His prophets long ago) He’s not talking about John but Jesus. He has raised up salvation from our enemies and the hand of all who hate us.
Why? To show mercy to our ancestors and remember His holy covenant, the oath He swore to Abraham.
Which oath? To rescue us from our enemies and enable us to serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days. You, my child, will be called prophet of the Most High. John will be a prophet. He is not the Son of God, like Jesus.
Why? You will go before the Lord and prepare the way for Him.
Why? To give His people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of sins
Why? Because of the tender mercy of our God by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.
It is clear that Zechariah is not speaking only about his newborn son John. He is speaking of Jesus, the one who John will go before. Jesus who will come from heaven to shine on those in darkness. Zechariah even includes himself in the ones living in darkness who will be guided into the path of peace by the Messiah. He says guide our feet. Both Mary and Zechariah recognize their need for a Savior.
People today have the same need for a Savior. And as we sang in the third verse of O Little Town of Bethlehem, “Where meek souls will receive him still, the dear Christ enters in.”
Luke 1 is a remarkable whirlwind of revelation. The last recorded prophecy had been the book of Malachi, 400 years prior to the events of Luke 1. Now, we have two visits and messages from God by way of Gabriel. And, the divinely inspired responses of Elizabeth, Mary, and Zechariah.
Their messages blend together and point to the arrival of the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior of the world. The already, but not yet. This is a moment of revelation and yet, we’re left holding our breath waiting for the real events to come.
Most if not all of us look forward to Christmas. To me, it somehow captures a similar feeling of anticipation combined with fulfillment in the same event. This is the place we live today. Jesus has come and he is coming. He is risen, and he will return.
Going back to the words of Gabriel in Luke 1:37, “No word of God will ever fail.” He will reign forever. His kingdom will never end. (Luke 1:32-33.)
This is good news!
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