The gospel of Luke Fall 2011/Spring 2012
Chapter 1
The Gospel of Luke opens with a very formal introduction, constructed in a very
classical Greek style. This furnishes us with some critical information about
the construction of the book and its intended recipient. Luke shows he
researched all the material contained in this Gospel and he addressed it to
Theophilus, an otherwise-unknown Roman who must have attained to noble status.
Leon Morris, among others, considers him to have been Luke’s patron, who paid
all the expenses to have the Gospel published. If so, it would imply a run of
perhaps 50 copies, intended to be distributed in various cities. Regardless of
the identity of Theophilus, the purpose of this gospel account was to reassure
him of the “certainty of the things you have been taught.”
The first chapter breaks down into three (or four, some prefer) logical
sections.
The birth of John foretold—Luke 1:5-25
Luke locates the time of these events during the reign of Herod the Great, who
truly was King of Judea. A priest, Zechariah, and his wife, Elizabeth (also of
priestly descent!) remained childless. This was no mark of Divine disfavor; they
are specifically identified as righteous and obedient. However, it recalls to
mind the situation of Sarah, and Rebekah, and Rachel, and Hannah, all women who
were unable to conceive without God’s help yet all of whom produced sons who
were vital to God’s plans.
Zechariah was a part of the priestly division named for Abijah. In 2 Chronicles
24, David divided the numerous priests into 24 divisions so that Temple service
would routinely rotate among the priests. After the Babylonian exile, only eight
divisions remained but they were subdivided so that all 24 names would be
represented. The great number of priests meant that since each division would
serve one week, twice per year, it was likely that some priests would never gain
the privilege actually to serve in the Temple. Further, it was stipulated among
the priests that the offering of incense was a once-in-a-lifetime event, so it
was a great privilege for Zechariah to be chosen. All the other priests would
exit the Holy Place, leaving one alone to offer the incense, an event that would
go quickly. Then that priest would join the others on the outer steps to
pronounce the benediction on the worshippers.
In this case, while Zechariah waited alone, an angel appeared to him and
announced the good news: he would have a son and would name him, “John.” This
child of promise would be great, filled with the Holy Spirit, a prophet in the
spirit and power of Elijah. Consequently, he must never drink wine or other
fermented drink. Amazed, Zechariah answered with an echo of Abraham, “I am old.”
“I am Gabriel,” answered the angel, signifying his attendance in the presence of
God. And as a penalty for disbelief, Zechariah would suffer muteness until the
announcement was fulfilled. When he finally came out of the Temple, others
realized he’d seen a vision. He went to his home and his wife did conceive a
child, just as the angel had said. Elizabeth remained in seclusion five months.
The birth of Jesus foretold—Luke 1:26-56
In Elizabeth’s sixth month, Gabriel was dispatched again to deliver more news.
He went to Nazareth and appeared to Mary, who was pledged (betrothed) to Joseph.
This was a covenant obligation second only to marriage, itself. In effect, all
the negotiations about the relationship had been concluded successfully and the
only obstacle to the marriage was a specified time for gaining funds
or building a house or some other event that would be required before the couple
could celebrate their wedding and move in together. In this situation, Gabriel
appeared to Mary and declared her to be “highly favored” by God.
Mary’s initial reaction was internal agitation—in almost all cases in the Bible
an appearance by an angel was cause for great fear. The angel reassured her and
told her of her unique role in God’s redemptive plan—she would give birth to a
son. This son would be the King, the long-sought King of Israel to occupy
David’s throne, and he also would be the Son of the Most High, a common name for
the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Mary’s confusion, but not doubt, led her to
ask how this could be since she had no sexual relations with any man. The reply
made it clear that this would be the miraculous work of God, which would explain
how he would be called the Son of God. Evidence of this miraculous ability will
be found in the pregnancy of Elizabeth, who was already in her sixth month, “For
nothing is impossible with God.” In one of the most heroic submissions to God’s
will recorded in Scripture, Mary humbly replied, “May it be to me as you have
said.”
Mary then traveled southward to the hill country of Judea to the house of
Elizabeth and Zechariah. When she greeted Elizabeth, before she had opportunity
to share her news, Elizabeth burst into an inspired declaration of praise and
blessing, noting that the child Mary would bear is actually, “my Lord.” Mary’s
response was a song of praise, just as Hannah’s response had been some thousand
years before. All of the glory was directed toward God, who actually makes
everything possible. Mary stayed with Elizabeth another three months, leaving
for her own home just before the birth of John, apparently.
The birth of John—Luke 1:57-80
The birth of John was a time of great joy and celebration. Clearly God had done
a great thing for a deserving couple and the entire neighborhood was happy for
them. In normal obedience to the Law, on the eighth day the boy was to be
circumcised and, at the same time, his name recorded in the family genealogy. In
view of his father’s muteness, others were prepared to step forward and name the
child after his father, but Elizabeth intervened and said that his name must be
John. Those gathered were confused since nobody in the family had that name,
which meant “the Lord is merciful.” They appealed to Zechariah and he called for
a writing tablet, which was a thin slab of wood with a thin layer of wax applied
to one side. With a stylus, he wrote, “His name is John.”
Once Zechariah made it clear that the child’s name was already given to be John,
his speech was restored and he immediately began to praise God. Again, this
would be terrifically impressive to the nearby residents and they would
naturally speculate about the future of this child since his arrival was
attended by so many supernatural events. Meanwhile, Zechariah began to prophecy
about the redemption and salvation of God and plainly declared that this boy
would be a prophet of God (1:76). The final comment shows that John lived in a
sparsely settled area even as he developed into the great man of God that was
his destiny.
It must not be overlooked that others through Bible history had been specially
chosen servants supplied in fulfillment of God’s promises. When God promises a
son to a barren woman, it is because He has great plans for that son’s career—he
will be an Isaac or a Samson or a Samuel. When God designated a name for
somebody, that has great significance—so an Abram can become an Abraham or a
Jacob can be renamed Israel. Just as God made a point in the names of Hosea’s
children, He is making a point in the names of both John and Jesus. The names
point to the careers and the power within these two great figures of history.