Luke 1
Gabriel’s Announcements And The Birth of John
Luke began his carefully investigated account of the life and ministry of Jesus by recording the events surrounding the births of both John the Baptizer and the promised Messiah.
Introduction
Luke put himself in the community of Christians who believed and received the accounts of Jesus’ life. Luke was a companion of Paul (Acts 16:10-11; 2 Timothy 4:11; Philemon 1:24) and Paul called him the beloved physician (Colossians 4:14). - David Guzik
Luke’s introduction contrasts with Matthew’s genealogy, Mark’s title statement, and John’s theological prologue. It would have been what a cultured Greek would have expected to find at the beginning of a reputable historical work. It is all one sentence in Greek. - Thomas Constable
Original Eyewitnesses
Vs. 1-2 - Many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as the original eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed them down to us.
Luke tells us that when he wrote his Gospel there were already several written accounts of Jesus’ ministry, perhaps including the Gospels of Matthew (A.D. 40-70) and Mark (A.D. 63-70). Luke’s statement here does not imply that the existing accounts were necessarily deficient. He simply wanted to write one that was orderly and based on reliable research. - Thomas Constable
Carefully Investigated
Vs. 3 - I have carefully investigated everything from the very first
Of the four Gospel writers, Luke is the only one who introduces his book by setting out briefly the circumstances of his writing. He wanted to prepare an account of the life and ministry of Jesus, but unlike others who prepared similar books, he was not an eyewitness of the things about which he wrote. He therefore could prepare his book only after careful research. - Don Fleming
Luke wrote his introduction to assure his readers that there was a factual basis for their faith. The gospel tradition was and is reliable. Luke was the only Gospel writer who stated his purpose at the beginning of his book. - Thomas Constable
Most Honorable Theophilus
Vs. 3 - to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable Theophilus
There is much speculation, but nothing is known certainly about the “most honorable Theophilus.” If an individual, he was likely a high-standing Greek man whose name meant “lover of God.” But some commentators believe the name was merely a representation for Luke’s Gentile audience.
Gabriel Predicts John’s Birth
Zechariah and Elizabeth
Vs. 5 - In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest of Abijah’s division named Zechariah. His wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
Only Luke introduced his readers to Zechariah and Elizabeth and recorded this account of the miraculous announcement and birth of John. Most commentators believe that he likely received the details from Mary, who was related in some way.
Zechariah was a priest, and scholars note that this opportunity to enter the temple would have been one of the most important days of his life.
Each morning and each evening one priest was chosen by lot to go into the temple and burn incense while the people outside prayed. Priests valued this duty as something they would probably do only once in a lifetime; but for Zechariah the joy of the occasion was mixed with personal disappointment, as his own prayers had not been answered. He and his wife Elizabeth had prayed for many years that God would give them a child, but they were still childless. - Don Fleming
Vs. 6 - Both were righteous in God’s sight, living without blame according to all the commands and requirements of the Lord.
Zechariah and Elizabeth were described as sincere and obedient, and Elizabeth’s barren womb was not a judgment from God but rather the providential plan of God.
The Angel of The Lord
Vs. 11 - An angel of the Lord appeared to him
Vs. 19 - The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and tell you this good news.
The angel Gabriel is mentioned four times in scripture, twice in Daniel and twice in Luke 1. He delivered Messianic messages to Daniel, Zechariah, and Mary.
Gabriel is one of only two named good angels in the Protestant Bible, the other one being Michael. Michael is called an archangel (Jude 9), but Gabriel is not mentioned as such.
Each time Gabriel appears in the Bible, it is in the role of a messenger. However, this should not give the impression that he is a cute little messenger boy. When Gabriel appeared to Daniel, Zechariah, and Mary, all three were stricken with awe. He had to reassure each of them before continuing with his messages, raising Daniel back to his feet and telling Zechariah and Mary, “Do not be afraid” (Luke 1:13, 30). - Alyssa Roat
Zechariah and Elizabeth were similar to Abraham and Sarah, to Jacob and Rachel, to Elkanah and Hannah, and to Samson’s parents. In each case, there was a divine announcement of the birth of an unusual child. - Thomas Constable
The Spirit of Elijah
Vs. 17 - And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people.
Vs. 5 - I am going to send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.
Gabriel explicitly connected Zechariah and Elizabeth’s child to the 400-year-old sermons of the prophet Malachi.
Malachi 3:1 - See, I am going to send my messenger, and he will clear the way before me.
Malachi 4:5-6 - Look, I am going to send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers.
Jesus also directly quoted Malachi to describe John:
Luke 7:27 - This is the one about whom it is written: See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you.
Matthew 11:9-14 - What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you.
Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has appeared, but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been suffering violence, and the violent have been seizing it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if you’re willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who is to come.
John would turn the hearts of many Israelites back to God, as the prophets had done in Old Testament times. None of them was more successful or important than Elijah had been. He led the people back to Yahweh after Ahab and Jezebel had pushed Israel’s apostasy farther than it had ever gone by instituting Baal worship as Israel’s official religion. John would possess the same spirit and power that Elijah had. Moreover John would be the predicted predecessor of Messiah (Malachi 4:5-6; Malachi 3:1). Jesus later explained that John fulfilled the prophecy of Messiah’s forerunner (Malachi 3:1). He would have completely fulfilled the prophecy of Elijah’s return if the Jews had accepted Jesus (Malachi 4:5-6; Matthew 11:10; Matthew 11:14). - Thomas Constable
This quotation from Malachi 4:5-6 is meaningful for more than its reference to Elijah. These were essentially the last words in the Old Testament, and now God’s revelation is resuming where it had left off. Elijah was a man who called Israel to a radical repentance (1 Kings 18:20-40). - David Guzik
You Will Become Silent
Vs. 20 - Now listen. You will become silent and unable to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.
Zechariah and Elizabeth had likely prayed for a child for decades, so it is understandable that he would struggle to believe that God would accomplish this through him. But because he doubted, he became speechless for the next nine months.
My Disgrace
Vs. 24-25 - After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived and kept herself in seclusion for five months. She said, “The Lord has done this for me. He has looked with favor in these days to take away my disgrace among the people.”
Imagine the range of emotions this devout couple must have felt when, after years and years of praying and longing, they would finally become parents.
To be childless was considered a great reproach among the Jews, but verse six clearly shows that their failure to have children was not due to sin. - Thomas Schreiner
He (Zechariah) had probably completely given up on the idea of being a dad; it was a hope that was crushed over the years of disappointment. But God hadn’t given up on it, even though Zacharias and Elizabeth had. - David Guzik
Gabriel Predicts Jesus’ Birth
Joseph and Mary
Vs. 26-27 - In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
Here Luke introduced his readers to a young and humble couple from a small, insignificant town who were chosen to care for the Christ child. We know very little about them, their past, personalities, or parenting style, only that they willingly accepted the task set before them by the angel.
Virgin
The Greek word parthenos ("virgin") refers to a young, unmarried girl and implies virginity. - Thomas Constable
Betrothal
Betrothal often took place shortly after puberty. Consequently Mary may have been a young teenager at this time. - Thomas Constable
There were three stages to a Jewish wedding in that day.
Engagement (a formal agreement made by the fathers).
Betrothal (the ceremony where mutual promises were made).
Marriage (approximately one year later, when the bridegroom came for his bride at an unexpected time).
When a couple was betrothed, they were under the obligations of faithfulness, and a divorce was required to break the betrothal. This was not a casual promise. - David Guzik
Name Him Jesus
Vs. 31 - Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.
Could Mary have recognized Isaiah’s words in the angel’s announcement? Did she fully grasp, in that moment, that her son would be “Immanuel,” meaning “God with us.”
Isaiah 7:14 - Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: See, the virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.
In this section, Luke stressed Jesus’ divine sonship and His messianic role as ruler over God’s kingdom on earth. "Jesus" was a common name that came from "Joshua" (lit. Yahweh saves [or is salvation]; Matthew 1:21). As with John the Baptist, God exercised His sovereign prerogative by naming Jesus. Both names were significant in the light of salvation history. - Thomas Constable
His Father David
Vs. 32-33 - He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.
Gabriel explained to Mary that her son would be the fulfillment of God’s covenant promise to David.
2 Samuel 7:16 - Your house and kingdom will endure before me forever, and your throne will be established forever.
Jesus would become the Messianic King for Whom all of Israel had been waiting and longing for centuries.
Humanly speaking, Jesus' lineage would be traced legitimately through the royal family of David because Joseph, Jesus' adopted father, was a descendant of David. This made Jesus heir to David's throne according to God's Eternal Covenant (2 Samuel 7:13,16). - A. Boyd Luter
Overshadow
Vs. 35 - The angel replied to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
The words “come on” and “overshadow” in verse 35 do not imply sexual relations, and Luke here describes, with great delicacy, an incomprehensible event. - Thomas Schreiner
Luke mentioned the Holy Spirit filling and empowering multiple times in this account. But here, the Spirit would “cast a shade upon” Mary, providing a protective covering for the holy child she would carry. Scholars have, for millennia, interpreted this, and other passages, as descriptive of the Messiah’s miraculous conception in the womb of a virgin.
The angel was telling Mary that the power of God would become a protective shield over her so that nothing would contaminate the process. The baby in her womb was going to be holy, which is like saying that it would be absolutely pure, protected from any intrusion of sin and evil. - Dan Hayden
The Lord’s Servant
Vs. 38 - “See, I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary. “May it happen to me as you have said.”
Mary’s humble acceptance of her role as mother of the Messiah has astounded Luke’s audience since the beginning. She was so young yet so willing, and her song of praise to Elizabeth indicated that she came to fully understand the grace of God in the gift she would carry.
Mary’s favored status (28) does not imply any intrinsic worthiness; it merely means that she has been a recipient of God’s gracious activity. Nevertheless, Mary’s obedience and faith are clearly a model for Luke’s community. - Thomas Schreiner
Mary Visits Elizabeth
This section brings the parallel stories of John’s birth and Jesus’ birth together. The two sons had their own identities and individual greatness, but Jesus was superior. John began his ministry of exalting Jesus in his mother’s womb. - Thomas Constable
The Holy Spirit
Vs. 41 - When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Luke recorded that God’s Spirit “filled” both Elizabeth and Zechariah to speak blessing and prophecy during this time. “Filling” conveys the idea of overflow or empowerment. They were enabled by God to speak words of praise
The Mother of My Lord
Vs. 42-43 - Then she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and your child will be blessed! How could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
The honour that Elizabeth gave to Mary at their meeting was symbolic of the honour that John would give to Jesus. - Don Fleming
The blessing of Elizabeth ties the narrative together; now the mothers of the two sons meet, and even in the womb, John begins his ministry. - Thomas Schreiner
The Magnificat: Mary’s Song of Praise
Call Me Blessed
Vs. 48-49 - Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed, because the Mighty One has done great things for me
Mary’s song of praise reflects her total submission and deep gratitude to God for what he was doing through her. The song (sometimes called the ‘Magnificat’, from the opening words in the Latin version) has many similarities to the song of Hannah, whose son Samuel was also a gift from God in unusual circumstances (1 Samuel 2:1-10). - Don Fleming
Topple The Mighty
Vs. 52 - he has toppled the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly.
A striking feature of this poem is the fact that Mary viewed God as overthrowing established authorities. This would have been of special interest to Luke’s original readers. She viewed herself as occupying an important role in the history of salvation. - Thomas Constable
Similar to Hannah’s song of praise (1 Samuel 2), Mary praised God for His exaltation of the lowly and His faithfulness to keep His promises.
Remembering His Mercy
Vs. 54-55 - He has helped his servant Israel, remembering his mercy to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he spoke to our ancestors.
One of the important functions of the Magnificat is to provide an initial characterization of the God whose purpose shapes the following story. - Tannehill
The Birth of John
He Will Be Called John
Vs. 60 - But his mother responded, “No. He will be called John.”
Vs. 63 - He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.”
John is a shorter form of the name Jehohanan, which means "Jehovah's gift" or "God is gracious." It was the name which God had ordered to be given to the child and it described the parents' gratitude for an unexpected joy. - William Barclay
What Will This Child Become?
Vs. 66 - All who heard about him took it to heart, saying, “What then will this child become?” For, indeed, the Lord’s hand was with him.
When John began his public ministry, there must have been some Jews who submitted to his baptism because they had noted God’s hand on him from this event onward. - Thomas Constable
Zechariah’s Prophecy
The Holy Spirit
Vs. 67 - Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied
In addition to Elizabeth, Zechariah was also “filled” or enabled by God’s Spirit to prophesy about his son John and the coming Messiah. His hymn of praise is frequently called “The Benedictus,” Latin for blessing or praise.
By The Mouth of The Prophets
Vs. 69-70 - He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, just as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets in ancient times
God’s faithfulness to His covenant is a dominant theme in the Benedictus. There are at least 16 Old Testament allusions or quotations in this song. - Thomas Constable
The ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus fulfilled God's covenant with David (2 Samuel 7:16) and the oath that he swore to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3). As a result, in the Messiah's future reign, Israel would have full salvation from their enemies and would serve God in holiness and righteousness. - A. Boyd Luter
To Prepare His Ways
Vs. 76-77 - And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.
As he turned his attention to his own son, Zechariah was reminded that John’s task was to lead people from darkness to light through repentance of their sins. In this way he would correct the false ideas people had of the Messiah and prepare the way for them to welcome him. - Don Fleming
Zechariah repeated what Gabriel had told him, that John would become the fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy (3:1), the forerunner to the Messiah.
The Light from Heaven
Vs. 78-79 - Because of our God’s merciful compassion, the dawn from on high will visit us to shine on those who live in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Vs. 78-79 (NLT) - Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.
With the birth of John and the promised birth of Jesus, Zechariah sees the fulfillment of all the Old Testament promises. - Thomas Schreiner
Thousands of years had passed since God had first promised that He would send a Redeemer. And it had been hundreds of years, as far as we know, since He had spoken to His people through a prophet in this way. Generations of faithful followers had lived and died, looking and longing for this promised Salvation. But here, in His infinite greatness and grace, at His chosen time and place, God broke through for His people, like the dawn overtaking the darkness.
The story is shaped to attract our sympathy to devoted men and women who have waited long for the fulfillment of Israel’s hopes and who now are told that the time of fulfillment has come. - Tannehill
The Child Grew Up
Vs. 80 - The child grew up and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
Commentators speculate on the reasons why, as an adult, we find John in the wilderness eating locusts and honey (Matthew 3:4). Some believe that he had taken a Nazarite vow. Others think that his parents may have died when he was very young.
Either way, we are provided no more information on the childhood that followed the miraculous birth of the prophet. The next account of his life records his ministry of baptism and the public declaration of Jesus’ Messianic identity.
