As many of you know, I worked for many years in the television industry as a reporter. It was a fun job for a while - you got to do things and meet people that you normally wouldn’t. I met presidents and famous actors, rode in helicopters perched on the sides of snow covered mountains, stood in flood waters, ran from forest fires, got shot at - hey - maybe it wasn’t so fun after all!
Many times I’m asked what it was like as a Christian reporter - if I had to compromise to tell a story. In some ways it was difficult - there are very few Christians in that business. I had the blessing to work with two Christian photographers towards the end of my time in TV. I had a motto, though, that helped me tremendously. It comes from John 8:32 "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." I always strove to tell the truth in any story - what people really said and did from both sides. This served me well. I never had to compromise who I was as a reporter or a Christian.
The reason I bring this up is that the book we are about to study is what I call "The Reporters Gospel" - the gospel of Luke. I can identify with Luke. In many ways he is a reporter or historian - striving to tell the truth by interviewing primary sources, reading first hand accounts, sifting and sorting, until he can write down what happened.
Luke was a doctor by trade - but he didn’t walk around with a stethoscope and a white robe making lots of money and playing golf on Wednesdays. In fact, Luke was considered a slave. That’s right, a slave. But he was not a slave in the way we Americans think of - in fact, most of the population of the Roman Empire in the days of Jesus were slaves. All it meant was that Luke was owned by someone else. That person evidently felt highly enough of Luke to allow him freedom to serve Paul and to write both his gospel and the book of Acts.
Luke was also a Gentile Christian, and traveled with Paul the Apostle (Acts 16, 20, 21 & 27). Luke was not an original disciple - and his is the only gospel written by someone other than a disciple (or an Apostles representative - like John-Mark writing Mark for Peter - Peter’s words written down by Mark). Luke was with Paul when he started the church at Philippi, and went with him to Jerusalem where he no doubt met with the apostles. He also traveled with Paul to Rome. Many people feel that Luke must have interviewed Mary because the accounts of her visit by Gabriel, to Elizabeth, and the birth of Christ and His boyhood are so detailed.
Luke’s gospel was probably written around 60AD from Caesarea or Rome. This was also around the same time as Mark and Matthew were written. Luke was written to a Gentile (Theophulus - lover of God) and to a Gentile audience (many Jewish terms put in Greek understanding). Around a third of this gospel is completely unique, although Luke probably had read Mark.
Each of the gospels present a different view on Jesus: Matthew - Jesus the King, Mark - Jesus the servant, Luke - Jesus the son of man, John - Jesus the Son of God. Luke is also the most complete gospel - on par for a reporter. So remember as we go though the gospel - it portrays that Jesus was a human.
Verses 1 - 4a
At the time at least two other gospels had been written. Luke had given his life for the gospel and had traveled extensively with Paul. It was thought at the time that as the disciples grew older and were martyred, that what Jesus did and said needed to be recorded. Luke takes these eyewitness accounts and puts them down for a man who was likely a Gentile convert to Judaism who became a Christian but who now might have doubted his faith ("that you might have certainty")
Chapter 1 has three themes that we’re going to cover:
1. The Bridge from Old Covenant to New
2. The Messenger Gabriel
3. The Reception of the message (Mary vs Zechariah)
First let’s walk through the chapter, then we’ll come back and look at these themes in more detail.
Verses 4b - 10
This is presented much like the stories of barren couples in the Old Testament like Abram and Sarai, Jacob and Rachael, etc. Herod was confirmed by the Roman senate as king of the Jews but was only half Jewish and never accepted by the people.
The priests kept up the Temple, taught the Scriptures and directed worship. There were 20,000 priests at this time - broken up into 24 groups of 1,000 each. Each priest ministered for twice a year for one week.
Most priests would never have the opportunity during their week to actually go into the sanctuary and burn incense (which was done twice a day). This was a great honor.
Verses 11 - 17
Only two angels are mentioned by name in the Scriptures - Michael and Gabriel. Gabriel is thought to be Israel’s angel and he is the one who appears to Daniel the prophet. Some scholars suggest that Zechariah’s likely prayer was for the coming Messiah. Gabriel says that prayer has been answered - and - by the way, your wife is pregnant.
This baby was to prepare the hearts of Israel for the Messiah - we’ll get to that more later.
But notice Zechariah’s reaction:
Verses 18 - 24
Apparently Zechariah casts doubt on what the angel says - Gabriel tells him that the fact that he came from the very presence of God to deliver the word should have been enough. He punishes Zechariah by making him both mute and possibly deaf (in light of verse 62 - "they made signs to him")
Verses 24 - 25
To be childless in that society was a reproach. Elizabeth’s words are like Rachael’s when she became pregnant with Joseph (Genesis 30:23)
So now we move from the highly intelligent, highly placed elderly priest who did not believe - to the ignorant, lowly, young teenage girl named Mary.
Verses 26 - 38
Both of these births are miraculous. One shouldn’t happen, the other can’t! Mary was a disenfranchised individual in her culture - young, poor, and female. How often does God choose the weak to shame the wise!
She was far from the center of religious activity in Nazareth. She was betrothed to Joseph - betrothal was like being married, only the couple didn’t live together for a year! A betrothal could only be broken by death or official divorce. If the bride was found pregnant during that time then the marriage could be annulled.
Mary is called "favored." That doesn’t mean that Mary herself was anything special. "Given grace" could be a way to translate it. It was God’s grace to her - choosing her even though she herself was not perfect.
Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew word Joshua - a common name - which means God saves. God promised David that he would have someone to sit on his throne forever - that fulfillment is in Jesus Christ, a direct descendant of David. The angel says he will reign over the house of Jacob (Israel) forever. As a part of Jesus we are grafted into that house (Romans 11).
Mary says "how will this be" not "how could this possibly happen." How many times do we take a promise of God and think - God can’t bring that about in my life - instead we should think "God - I know Your Word says this - I’m excited and mystified about how you will bring it about."
The key is in verse 37 "For nothing shall be impossible with God."
Verses 39 - 56
It’s cool how Elizabeth encouraged Mary’s faith. Do you have people in your life that discourage or encourage trusting in God’s Word?
No doubt Mary had some time to think about what the angel had told her and when Elizabeth greets her, her heart overflows. The fact that we have this song here is one reason to believe that Luke actually talked to Mary herself who shared intimate details of her experiences as the mother of the Messiah.
It’s a beautiful song about how God through His mercy blesses those who are humble and casts down those who are proud and powerful on their own.
Verses 57 - 66
It’s possible that Elizabeth kept the pregnancy a secret the whole time, perhaps because of her age she thought she might miscarry? Or perhaps out of fear and reverence for what was happening.
Question: Why couldn’t Zechariah just written down what happened to him? Maybe he did write them down for Elizabeth because she already knows what the name is later. As Zechariah has had months to repent from his earlier unbelief, now when finally do what the angel commanded - he is released from his punishment.
Verses 67 - 80
Another beautiful praise - I wonder if Zechariah might not have had plenty of time to think about this during his long days and nights of silence. Essentially the song says that God, out of His mercy, sends us salvation to rescue us from our sin and darkness - and that John will be the one to usher this savior in as the last of the Old Testament prophets.
John’s parents probably didn’t live long after his birth - so John is on his own, He is isolated from people as God prepares him to announce the arrival of the Messiah.
1. The bridge from Old to New
What we see in Luke 1 and the following chapters is a hand off. It’s a transition from Old Covenant to new. The Old Covenant featured prophets - of which John is the last. The message of the prophets was repentance. That’s what John will preach. But he is also to prepare the way for a successor to not only him, but to the entire Old Covenant - and that is Jesus Christ.
Jesus’ message will be "repent and believe." Jesus and John are related - cousins - just as the Old and New Covenants are related. John and Jesus are both prophets - but Jesus is much more; He is also a Savior - just as the New Covenant is better than the old - and can do things the Old could never do. John passes the baton to Jesus - the last pass ever. Luke shows us this by the alternation of similar elements - John’s birth foretold by the angel, then Jesus’ birth foretold to Mary. John’s birth, praised by Zechariah - then, as we’ll see next time, Jesus’ birth, praised by angels. There are other contrasts as well - the Old is typified by Zechariah - the old priest strong on religious duty but weak in faith and unable to save. The New is Mary - the young girl from a backwoods town who is weak the eyes of the world but strong in belief and having the power to save by birthing a Savior.
2. The messenger Gabriel
One of the ways God has always announced major changes was with angels. It happened when Israel left Egypt (the Angel of the Lord was in the cloud - Exodus 14), Gabriel announced the future of the nation of Israel to Daniel - just to mention two instances. Gabriel is God’s messenger for the nation Israel - his name appears only four times in the Bible - twice in Daniel and twice here in Luke 1. In many ways - Luke 1-2 are Gabriel’s chapters!
3. How the message was received
Zechariah asked how "could" this happen, Mary just wondered how the Lord "would" do it. As a teacher of the Law, Zechariah should have known better. As an ignorant country girl Mary only knew enough to trust God. Hmmm.
Zechariah wanted a sign "how shall I know this" like saying "prove it" - Mary only wanted to know how the Lord would do it, since she was a virgin.
How do we react at God’s Word? Do we tell God to "prove it, then I’ll believe it" or, like Mary, do we marvel at what the Lord will do and inquire with awe - "how will you do it Lord?"
It’s a difference in trust. Whom do you trust more - yourself and your own senses or what God says? What God says in His Word may be incredible but if you dare to trust Him you may be totally surprised at what He will do.
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