Luke 1

Good Afternoon Brothers,

One quick question, should we continue through Luke or do you all want to take in some chapters out of Matthew  to augment Christmas week?  I am ok either way, let me know what you think, otherwise, we will keep on straight through Luke.

This morning we are starting a new book.  The Gospel according to Luke is a bit different from the other Gospels.  First, it is not written by someone who was there.  According to the commentaries, Luke was Paul's sidekick.  He traveled with Paul extensively and when Paul was in prison, Luke did the research to write the Gospel of Luke. So Luke is thought to have dug through the archives and to have interviewed the apostles, Mary and others who were present with Jesus to compile this story.  Luke is also thought to have written Acts.  This could be the Gospel written by a gentile to the gentiles, it is uniquely from the gentile perspective.  Luke claims to be a historian, and in other places he is referred to as a physician.  One other interesting thing about this book is that Luke was not a Jew, or didn't seem to be a Jew.  The reasons behind this is because of references he makes describing certain feasts, and other references pointing out the location of places that would be well known to the Jews.  Luke was either a Gentile, or a freed slave.  He is thought to be a freed slave because the Greeks considered physicians to be a lower class of people, and would train their slaves in medicine so that they would not have to stoop that low. 

Due to the extreme length of the chapters in Luke, I am going to use a summary method, summarizing as much as possible, and focusing on just a few things that stand out to me.  Feel free to join in the commentary.

Luke 1:1-4  Once again, you can see that Luke did serious research to compile the material to write this book.  He did it so that the exact truth could be told, and did give us a unique account from a Gentile perspective.  Which had the express purpose of proving what we have been taught.

Luke 1:5-80  Yep, you got it we're going to focus on the overall picture of this chapter, which appears to me to be that of faith. 

First the characters, The Angel Gabriel,  this fellow is a very powerful angel, he first appears by name in Daniel 8:16.  It is thought that he is one of the most powerful angels, the one who stands in the presence of God.  He is viewed by some as an intercessor with God.  Ageless.

Zecharias and Elizabeth - very devout, righteous people in the functions of the law.  Which meant that they lived incredibly holy lives.  We know from our studies that it is virtually impossible to keep the entire law.  Yet here it says in v. 6 that they walked blamelessly before the Lord.  Advanced in years, beyond the age of normal childbearing.

Mary - A virgin at the time, also very devout.  She was around 14 years of age according to tradition, and according to the word used for virgin, she had never had sex with a man.  She was engaged to Joseph to be married.

I don't want to take away from the Christmas story at all here, but try to picture the setting.  All these devout people, in a seemingly insignificant neighborhood.  All walking with the Lord to the absolute best of their human ability.  And a tremendous story takes place. 

First Gabriel visits with Zecharias.  We can't be too hard on him, we don't even stand near to the devotion that he had for the Lord.  But notice, he was given a promise of a son, the same as Abraham was, and he responded in a similar way that Abraham did.  He is standing in the presence of a mighty messenger from God, and doubts the truth of what he is told.  It is a matter of faith.  He knew all the right things, lived by all the rules, yet wasn't able to accept a word from God by faith.  He was struck dumb until the birth of John, when he acknowledged that John was the child's name, then his voice was restored.  Notice also that it caused him to act in faith, because Elizabeth did become pregnant in v. 24.  Then in vs.57-80, we can see that his faith was well established, he was restored, and he was not bitter toward God for the punishment he received for unbelief.  In 9 months and 8 days, he had learned his lesson very well.  He is so much in touch with the Lord at this time, that the Holy Spirit filled him and he prophesied a tremendous prophecy about his son and the coming Messiah, Jesus.

Second Gabriel visits Mary.  Look at the difference here, she also is a devout believer in God.  Yet she has youth on her side.  The Angel say's who he is, and what is to come, and Mary accepts this with full simple faith.  She believes that it is true and is willing to take on the task. I really believe that youth had a lot to do with her response.  Faith also had a lot to do with her response.  She had faith in God, and believed that if God sent a messenger to speak directly to her, it must be true.  She only ask one question, which was not a bad question at all.  She demonstrated a willingness to be used by God, and was unsure of how she would fit in since she was a virgin.  Gabriel's answer would require even more faith in my opinion, which she readily accepted. 

Third, the journey of faith.  Faith is an action word, I have beat that point to death through the epistles.  Mary received word that Elizabeth was pregnant, from the Angel Gabriel.  She packed her bags and went to help.  She didn't go to see if it was so, she went to help Elizabeth, who was way to old to be having kids.  So not only did Mary demonstrate faith, she demonstrated a servants heart.  Elizabeth was six months along, and Mary had not even heard a peep from any one else.  Gabriel is apparently her first source of knowledge.  Mary stayed with her for the next 3 months, that makes nine months, then returned home.  Mary made it a point of helping out Elizabeth.  Mary was apparently already pregnant when she went to visit Elizabeth due to Elizabeth's greeting.  I would guess that this happened instantaneously with her accepting the news from Gabriel with faith.

I realize that this is a deviation from the Christmas story, yet I find it interesting that these tremendous people demonstrated how faith is to be used in our daily lives.  You will also notice that before the Holy Spirit was abiding in people, He filled all three, Zecharias, Elizabeth and Mary, and spoke tremendous prophecies through them.  Each one of the prophecies is worthy of in depth study and cross-referencing, yet the time has caught up with me again.  Feel free to look deeply into this chapter and send an email to everyone about what you see. In a nutshell, I heard it once said, God said it, I believe it and that settles it.  Faith in action.

Lord, as we study Your Word today, faith jumped out at me.  I pray that each one of us will remember to exercise our faith by believing in You as complete Lord of our lives during this Christmas season.  Keep our hearts and our minds focused intently upon You this year and not on the stuff the world has to offer.  Lord, make us all examples to our children and our families.

In Him,

Joe Turner

December 6, 2004

Reading through the Bible in one Year: Song of Solomon 1-2

Weekly Memory Verse: Proverbs 28:1

Good Afternoon Brothers and Sisters,

With the Christmas season coming up in the next few weeks, I thought it might be appropriate to start looking at the Gospels.  Luke was one of them that we ran through at the rate of one chapter per day, it would be nice to go back and study it deeper.  We will start with Luke 1 today and work at it for this week we will possibly be switching back to Exodus next week.  It depends upon the progress that we make.  I am open to suggestions.  The website is uploaded, but there is still issues that I am trying to hash out with the server.  It never completely uploads, I hope to have that resolved in the next few days. 

Luke 1:1-4 (NASB95)
¹ Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, ² just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, ³ it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; ⁴ so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.^[1]

Luke gives us a rare introduction to this book.  Most of the books of the Bible are written as they are, without any explanation as to why they were written.  Luke was a gentile believer that followed Paul around and assisted him in his ministry.  He was also a doctor.  That makes this book very unique in the Gospels because Luke was not one of the twelve disciples.  He wrote this book by doing research.  As we read through and study the book, it is evident that he interviewed Mary and other people to find out what they experienced and wrote down their accounts into this Gospel.  Otherwise, how would he have found out about the Angel speaking to Mary and her message if he had not spoken with her?  Many believe that while Paul was in prison in Rome, Luke did research in the library along with the opportunity to fellowship with the original disciples, eyewitnesses and Mary along the way.  He compiled this book through good hard research.  The date of publishing is not known, but since Acts is a sequel to the book, it's date is probably around A.D. 58-60, (Bible Knowledge Commentary). 

Consider the way they got doctors in that day, generally they were slaves who were found to have a knack for medicine.  Then they were trained in medicine by their owners.  Luke is believed to have been freed from slavery because of this practice.  One reason that doctors were considered to be such low class citizens is because their mortality rate was extremely high.  Imagine trying to be a physician without any protection from the diseases that you were faced with. 

Luke wrote to his friend Theophilus to establish two things in this book, first that Jesus was a historical figure who really lived.  Second that Jesus was the prophesied Messiah, the Son of Man, who came to save the Jews.  Once they rejected the Messiah, Jesus was preached to the gentiles so that they could also have a part in the salvation of God. 

Luke was a historian, physician, and a prophet, all wrapped up in one person.  He is also the biggest single contributor to the New Testament, if you count up all the verses in Luke and Acts, he wrote more of the New Testament than any other writer.  This historical book is one of our greatest treasures.

I believe that if we were to meet Luke personally, he would be an intense person.  His passion for the truth would cause us to develop the same passion in our lives as is evident from verse 4, "so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught."  The word "taught" is an interesting Greek word, "katecheo" where we get our word "catechism".  It also fits with the English word because Theophilus was a student of the Word.

Another interesting point that I ran across is that both Luke and Acts were written so that they would fit on a standard sized scroll for publication.  Luke wrote the books through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and possibly was sponsored by wealthy Roman or Greek backers with the intention of publishing the works, (The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament). 

Luke 1:5-25 (NASB95)
⁵ In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. ⁶ They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. ⁷ But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years. ⁸ Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division, ⁹ according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. ¹⁰ And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering. ¹¹ And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. ¹² Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. ¹³ But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. ¹⁴ “You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. ¹⁵ “For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb. ¹⁶ “And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ “It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” ¹⁸ Zacharias said to the angel, “How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.” ¹⁹ The angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. ²⁰ “And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.” ²¹ The people were waiting for Zacharias, and were wondering at his delay in the temple. ²² But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them; and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he kept making signs to them, and remained mute. ²³ When the days of his priestly service were ended, he went back home. ²⁴ After these days Elizabeth his wife became pregnant, and she kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying, ²⁵ “This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to take away my disgrace among men.”^[2]

Look at the detail that Luke goes into when he tells this part of the story.  Also consider that there was no way for him to know what happened in the temple without talking with Zachariah.  His name is significant, Zachariah means "Jehovah has remembered", his wife's name Elizabeth means "God is my oath".  Imagine what devotion it took to keep the law blamelessly.  He lived out his life as a priest before God paying attention to the smallest details.  Elizabeth was a daughter of Aaron, which means that she came from the priestly line as well.  Both of them were described in the same way as the patriarchs of old were described, in other words, there was no doubt of their righteousness:

Genesis 6:9 (NASB95)
⁹ These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.

Genesis 17:1 (NASB95)
¹ Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless.

Job 1:1 (NASB95)
¹ There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil. ^[3]

The point of this is that they were both righteous and still without children.  A common belief of the time was that if a person did not keep the law, they would not have children.  Check out this note: 

To be childless was economically and socially disastrous: economically, because parents had no one to support them in old age (cf. comment on 1 Tim 5:4, 8); socially, because in the law barrenness was sometimes a judgment for sin, and many people assumed the worst possible cause of a problem. Most people assumed that barrenness was a defect of the wife, and Jewish teachers generally insisted that a man divorce a childless wife so he could procreate. “Aged” may suggest that they were over sixty (Mishnah Abot 5:21); age itself conferred some social status and was sometimes listed among qualifications or virtues.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, however, Zechariah and Elizabeth are clearly righteous (1:6; cf. Wisdom of Solomon 4:1), and the Jewish reader would immediately think of righteous Abraham and Sarah, who was also barren. The Lord also opened the wombs of other matriarchs, Rachel and Rebekah, and those of Hannah and Samson’s mother; yet Elizabeth is especially like Sarah, who was not only infertile but also too old to bear.^[4]

Another interesting fact from the time is that there were about 1700 priests that drew lot for the privilege to enter the temple for burning incense.  This may have been the only time in his priesthood that he was allowed to offer incense in the temple.  Generally speaking, the incense offering was made and the priest would make a quick exit, which was the reason for concern by the people.

Genesis 16:11 (NASB95)
¹¹ The angel of the Lord said to her further, “Behold, you are with child, And you will bear a son; And you shall call his name Ishmael, Because the Lord has given heed to your affliction.

Genesis 17:19 (NASB95)
¹⁹ But God said, “No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.

Isaiah 7:14 (NASB95)
¹⁴ “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. ^[5]

Zechariah also followed the Old Testament patriarchs when Gabriel announced the birth of his son.  This son was to be special and different than any other born on earth, he was born indwelt by the Holy Spirit.  This could be a problem, except for the word concerning Elijah.  I don’t really understand how it worked, but John the Baptist was Elijah in the flesh.  That may be the reason that he was filled with the Spirit even while in the womb.  Check this out:

Malachi 1:3 (NASB95)
³ but I have hated Esau, and I have made his mountains a desolation and appointed his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness.”

Malachi 4:5-6 (NASB95)
⁵ “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. ⁶ “He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.”

Matthew 11:10 (NASB95)
¹⁰ “This is the one about whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, Who will prepare Your way before You.’

Matthew 11:14 (NASB95)
¹⁴ “And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come. ^[6]

 “The angel not only gave the name of the son, but also detailed six aspects of John’s character.

1. He will be a joy and delight to you (v. 14). Luke frequently used the word “joy” in his accounts in Luke and Acts, often linking it closely with salvation. An illustration of this is in Luke 15, where three times joy and rejoicing came because something lost had been found, a picture of salvation. And John the Baptist’s ministry brought joy to the Israelites who believed his message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (3:3).

2. He will be great in the sight of the Lord. The expression “in the sight of” (enōpion) is characteristic of Luke. Though it appears 35 times in Luke and Acts, it is used only one other time in the other Gospels (John 20:30).

3. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink. Later John voluntarily took on himself a Nazirite vow, refusing to drink anything fermented (Num. 6:1-21). Luke did not specifically state that John would fulfill all aspects of the Nazirite vow. Instead, John would avoid taking any wine perhaps to support his contention that his message was urgent. Another way he emphasized the urgency of his message was to dress, act, and eat like Elijah the prophet (cf. Matt. 3:4; 2 Kings 1:8).

4. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. “From birth” is literally “from his mother’s womb.” When Mary visited Elizabeth before John was born, the baby leaped in her womb. The ministry of the Holy Spirit was important to Luke, and he often went to great length to show His empowering and enabling ministry. Both of John’s parents were filled with the Spirit (Luke 1:41, 67).

5. Many of the people of Israel would he bring back to . . . God. Crowds of Israelites did turn to the Lord through John’s ministry (Matt. 3:5-6; Mark 1:4-5).

6. He will go on before the Lord. John the Baptist was the Lord’s forerunner, announcing His coming in the spirit and power of Elijah. Luke here referred to two passages in Malachi which speak of messengers: a messenger was to be sent to clear the way before the Lord (Mal. 3:1), and Elijah’s return was promised before the day of the Lord (Mal. 4:5-6) to restore the hearts of the fathers to their children. Zechariah apparently understood that the angel was identifying John the Baptist with the messenger in Malachi 3:1, for in his song of praise he noted that John would “go on before the Lord to prepare the way for Him” (Luke 1:76; cf. 3:4-6). Jesus affirmed that John was the fulfillment of Malachi 3:1 (Matt. 11:10) and stated that John would have fulfilled Malachi 4:5-6 if the people had accepted his message (Matt. 11:14).”^[7]

Genesis 15:8 (NASB95)
⁸ He said, “O Lord God, how may I know that I will possess it?”

Genesis 17:7 (NASB95)
⁷ “I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you.

Judges 6:17 (NASB95)
¹⁷ So Gideon said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who speak with me.

Judges 6:36-40 (NASB95)
³⁶ Then Gideon said to God, “If You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken, ³⁷ behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken.” ³⁸ And it was so. When he arose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece, he drained the dew from the fleece, a bowl full of water. ³⁹ Then Gideon said to God, “Do not let Your anger burn against me that I may speak once more; please let me make a test once more with the fleece, let it now be dry only on the fleece, and let there be dew on all the ground.” ⁴⁰ God did so that night; for it was dry only on the fleece, and dew was on all the ground.

Judges 7:10-11 (NASB95)
¹⁰ “But if you are afraid to go down, go with Purah your servant down to the camp, ¹¹ and you will hear what they say; and afterward your hands will be strengthened that you may go down against the camp.” So he went with Purah his servant down to the outposts of the army that was in the camp.

2 Kings 20:8 (NASB95)
⁸ Now Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the Lord the third day?”

Isaiah 7:10-14 (NASB95)
¹⁰ Then the Lord spoke again to Ahaz, saying, ¹¹ “Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God; make it deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” ¹² But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord!” ¹³ Then he said, “Listen now, O house of David! Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well? ¹⁴ “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. ^[8]

From these scriptures it is clear that Zechariah was not out of line when he ask for a sign.  Unless it was because of the intensity of the word, after all, he was visited in person by Gabriel himself!  That should have been enough of a sign since God had been relatively silent for 400 years. 

Daniel 8:16 (NASB95)
¹⁶ And I heard the voice of a man between the banks of Ulai, and he called out and said, “Gabriel, give this man an understanding of the vision.”

Daniel 9:21 (NASB95)
²¹ while I was still speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision previously, came to me in my extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering. ^[9]

Put yourself in his shoes for a moment though, imagine studying the scripture for 60 years, and being devoted to it completely.  Then you have an angelic being standing before you in a place where no common man could stand telling you that you would have a child even though you are well beyond the years of child bearing.  The natural man would certainly find it hard to believe, Zechariah may have thought that God no longer works in that way any longer. 

We have the same problem today, people try to put God in a box.  God is restricted to our denominational doctrines, teachings and traditions.  It is time for us to throw off all of these shackles and study about who God really is, then accept Him at His word.  I think that the reason many of us don’t see miracles and mighty works of God is because we simply don’t have the faith that He still works in miraculous ways. 

To finish this segment, Zechariah was made mute until the birth of John which we will discuss later. 

I apologize for the length of the study today, I got a little carried away.  If you wish to add comments, please feel free to write in.

Father, as we consider Your word today, prepare each of our hearts for the Christmas season to come.  Place in us a willingness to think outside of our conventions.

In Him,

Joe Turner.

December 7, 2004

Reading through the Bible in one Year: Revelation 1-6

Weekly Memory Verse: Proverbs 28:1

Good Afternoon Brothers and Sisters,

Luke 1:26-38 (NASB95)
²⁶ Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” ²⁹ But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. ³⁰ The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. ³¹ “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. ³² “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; ³³ and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” ³⁴ Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” ³⁵ The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. ³⁶ “And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. ³⁷ “For nothing will be impossible with God.” ³⁸ And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.^[1]

This was in the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy.  Notice the difference between the way that Mary responded to Gabriel and the way that Zechariah responded.  Consider for a moment, Mary was probably around fourteen years old at this time, Zechariah was around sixty.  One of the advantages of youth is a belief system that has not been contaminated by the harsh realities of life.  Gabriel told Mary that she would have a child, she believed him.  The question that she had was not out of line, she wasn't asking for a sign, merely wondering how that this would take place.  It was obvious that Mary was not planning to defile herself by having premarital sex. 

Matthew 4:15 (NASB95)
¹⁵ “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—

John 1:45-46 (NASB95)
⁴⁵ Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” ⁴⁶ Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” ^[2]

One of the amazing things about this story is the location of the event.  Mary was from Galilee, from Nazareth, to us that means absolutely nothing, except for the names.  In that day, the people of Nazareth were considered to be unclean because they rubbed shoulders with the Gentiles.  They were not considered to be pure Jews, but were considered to be living lives of compromise.  God had a sense of humor when He chose to have His son born into this situation. 

Mary was betrothed to Joseph, this was binding just like marriage vows.  The time of betrothal was usually around one year in duration.  The Jewish wedding was actually very interesting.  When a man was betrothed to his wife, there was a waiting period for about one year until the actual wedding date.  During that year, they were legally married, but the marriage was not consummated until the groom returned for the bride at some time in the future.  The groom would go away and prepare a house for his bride, then return at an undetermined time in the future to claim his bride.  This was usually at night, and was not announced in advance, just like the marriage supper parable that Jesus told later.  When the groom was finished with his preparations, he would have a torch-light procession through town to the bride's house.  The marriage would be consummated while the wedding party waited, and then a party would last for a week while everyone celebrated the marriage.  Mary was in the betrothal stage, waiting for Joseph to return to claim her as his bride. 

Matthew 1:18-24 (NASB95)
¹⁸ Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. ²⁰ But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. ²¹ “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” ²² Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ²³ “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” ²⁴ And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, ^[3]

If something happened, such as the woman turning up pregnant by another man, the woman stood the chance of being stoned to death for unfaithfulness.  The husband also had the right to write her a certificate of divorce, which is spoken of in Matthew.  That is the background for this story.  Imagine the faith that it took on both of their parts to believe what the Angel had told them.  It was sure to cause tongues to wag, and trouble to haunt them in their hometown.

Joshua 1:9 (NASB95)
⁹ “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Judges 6:23 (NASB95)
²³ The Lord said to him, “Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die.”

Jeremiah 1:8 (NASB95)
⁸ “Do not be afraid of them, For I am with you to deliver you,” declares the Lord.

Daniel 10:12 (NASB95)
¹² Then he said to me, “Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words.

Genesis 15:1 (NASB95)
¹ After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.” ^[4]

Returning to the text.  Gabriel announced that Mary was highly favored, and that God had a special plan for her life.  The reason that she was perplexed was because of the weird way that he had addressed her.  She was barely more than a child, hardly one to have won favor with God.  Add to that the salutation that was famous in the Old Testament, "do not be afraid".  Mary was not different than other women, she was probably poor, and was engaged to a carpenter, who was also poor.  She did not expect or even entertain the idea that she was any different than other women, which explains her complete surprise at Gabriel's address.  There are two extremes that people take when they talk about Mary, some exalt her to the point of deity by praying to her and worshipping her.  Others play her down to be a simple woman.  Here was a woman who found favor with God, but was humble enough to realize that she was nothing more than a bondslave of God. 

She was no different than other women except in the point that she lived a holy life, and she was in the lineage of David.  This brings up another point, this was the time in history for the Messiah to be born.  There were strict requirements and prophecies that foretold the birth of Jesus.  He had to be born of the lineage of David the king.  Just a few years later, the Jerusalem Temple was destroyed by Nero and the Jews were dispersed through the world.  Along with destroying the temple, they also destroyed many of the records that established lineage.  It would be very difficult for a modern day Jew to trace his lineage back to Adam. 

Isaiah 7:14 (NASB95)
¹⁴ “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.

Isaiah 9:6 (NASB95)
⁶ For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

2 Samuel 7:12-17 (NASB95)
¹² “When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³ “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ¹⁴ “I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, ¹⁵ but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. ¹⁶ “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ” ¹⁷ In accordance with all these words and all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

2 Samuel 7:23-29 (NASB95)
²³ “And what one nation on the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people and to make a name for Himself, and to do a great thing for You and awesome things for Your land, before Your people whom You have redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, from nations and their gods? ²⁴ “For You have established for Yourself Your people Israel as Your own people forever, and You, O Lord, have become their God. ²⁵ “Now therefore, O Lord God, the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house, confirm it forever, and do as You have spoken, ²⁶ that Your name may be magnified forever, by saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel’; and may the house of Your servant David be established before You. ²⁷ “For You, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made a revelation to Your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house’; therefore Your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to You. ²⁸ “Now, O Lord God, You are God, and Your words are truth, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant. ²⁹ “Now therefore, may it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You. For You, O Lord God, have spoken; and with Your blessing may the house of Your servant be blessed forever.”

Psalm 89:3-4 (NASB95)
³ “I have made a covenant with My chosen; I have sworn to David My servant, ⁴ I will establish your seed forever And build up your throne to all generations.”Selah.

Psalm 89:28-29 (NASB95)
²⁸ “My lovingkindness I will keep for him forever, And My covenant shall be confirmed to him. ²⁹ “So I will establish his descendants forever And his throne as the days of heaven. ^[5]

Mary was told first that she would have a son, and His name would be Jesus, which means "Jehovah is salvation".  Add to that the characteristic of God that would describe Him, "The Son of the Most High", you have fulfillment of the prophecy from Isaiah.  The prophecy from Samuel established that the Messiah would be through the lineage of David, and he would rule forever.  Jesus died on the cross, and rose from the dead, continuing to hold the scepter of David, and continuing to be the ruler of the earth.  He is the one who reigns over the world, through death on the cross, He defeated Satan and claimed the throne forever.  One day we will see Him return to claim His earthly throne, once and for all. 

As you can see, this is quite a lot for a young virgin girl to fathom at a moments notice.  Her simple answer should be a lesson to all of us, "may it be done according to your word."  We don't need to know all the reasons for God's working in our lives, just simply need to understand that we are His bondslaves and willing to do as we are asked. 

Gabriel added the fact that Elizabeth was pregnant to the story.  This was probably to assure Mary that his words were true, because God was able to cause an old woman to become pregnant.  Just like He did with Sarah in the Old Testament.  If God could cause an old woman to become pregnant, it was simple for Him to cause a virgin to become pregnant.  "For nothing will be impossible with God."  The pregnancy of Elizabeth acted as a sign to Mary that the words of the prophecy were true.

Luke 1:39-45 (NASB95)
³⁹ Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, ⁴⁰ and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴² And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! ⁴³ “And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? ⁴⁴ “For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. ⁴⁵ “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”

Genesis 15:6 (NASB95)
⁶ Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. ^[6]

Mary did not waste any time, she went to the aid of Elizabeth.  Think about Elizabeth's words for a moment.  She was an old woman greeting a very young girl with a magnificent greeting.  Mary received another validation by Elizabeth that verified the words of Gabriel.  Imagine how astounding that must have been.  There was no way for Elizabeth to know what Gabriel had said, yet she spoke the same words.  Verse 45 indicates that Mary acted upon the knowledge that God had spoken to her through Gabriel.  Notice the similarities between her believing the word of God and Abraham believing the word of God.

Luke 1:46-56 (NASB95)
⁴⁶ And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord, ⁴⁷ And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. ⁴⁸ “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. ⁴⁹ “For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name. ⁵⁰ “And His mercy is upon generation after generation Toward those who fear Him. ⁵¹ “He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. ⁵² “He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble. ⁵³ “He has filled the hungry with good things; And sent away the rich empty-handed. ⁵⁴ “He has given help to Israel His servant, In remembrance of His mercy, ⁵⁵ As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and his descendants forever.” ⁵⁶ And Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home.

1 Samuel 2:1-10 (NASB95)
¹ Then Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the Lord; My horn is exalted in the Lord, My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation. ² “There is no one holy like the Lord, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God. ³ “Boast no more so very proudly, Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth; For the Lord is a God of knowledge, And with Him actions are weighed. ⁴ “The bows of the mighty are shattered, But the feeble gird on strength. ⁵ “Those who were full hire themselves out for bread, But those who were hungry cease to hunger. Even the barren gives birth to seven, But she who has many children languishes. ⁶ “The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up. ⁷ “The Lord makes poor and rich; He brings low, He also exalts. ⁸ “He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the ash heap To make them sit with nobles, And inherit a seat of honor; For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, And He set the world on them. ⁹ “He keeps the feet of His godly ones, But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness; For not by might shall a man prevail. ¹⁰ “Those who contend with the Lord will be shattered; Against them He will thunder in the heavens, The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; And He will give strength to His king, And will exalt the horn of His anointed.” ^[7]

Look at the similarities between these two passages.  Hannah was celebrating the fact that God had opened her womb which had been previously barren.  Mary was not barren like a woman who was not able to have children, but barren by choice in waiting for her future husband.  Similar to Hannah, Mary was of child by God's hand. 

Verses 46-49 describe what the Lord had done for Mary.  Look at the truths in these verses, God is her Savior, which is the same God that she will bear as a child.  Interesting.  She is also a His bondslave, and blessed to have been able to carry Him in her womb.  We know that God took on the form of man, and was born in the flesh, but can you imagine what it must have been like to carry Jesus, and to nurture Him in His early years?  To know that she was raising up the Messiah had to be an incredible task for Mary.

Verses 50-53 speak of what God has done for His people.  God is a personal God, one who has done mighty things, and takes personal interest in His people.  The principles of these verses span the Psalms.  Yet, remember, the God spoken of in these verses is Jesus.  Mary is not speaking about the Father, but rather about the Son who puts into action the will of the Father. 

Verses 54-55 address what God has done for Israel.  Jesus came to earth to redeem His chosen people, and notice verse 55 says that this promise is forever.  We as gentiles have had a special priviledge as we have been allowed to take part in salvation.  One day the Jews will wake up and they will take their chosen position before God again.  Jesus came first to save the Jews, not the Gentiles. 

Mary left Elizabeth's side when she was nine months pregnant.  We aren't told if she stayed till the baby was born or left just before it happened.  Either way, Mary helped Elizabeth until the birth of John, then returned home. 

I am going to close here, all comments are welcomed.  I am finding this study fascinating, I hope that as we go into the Christmas season, you will also.

Father, as we consider Your word today, enlighten each one of us and enable us to apply these truths to our lives.  Give each of us the opportunity to share the true Christmas story during this season.

In Him,

Joe Turner.

December 8, 2004

Reading through the Bible in one Year: 1 John 4-5

Weekly Memory Verse: Proverbs 28:1

Good Afternoon Brothers and Sisters,

I did some work on the schedule for next year this morning.  I asked the program to separate the Bible into equal verses per day, and set up daily readings in the Old and New Testaments.  I think you will like the new plan, I hope to have it posted by the end of the day.  I will be posting the daily studies either daily, like we are now, or will attempt to forecast the studies.  Either way, they will be listed as they are completed.  The reason for this is because when I do the studies, such as Luke, I am not really sure how much material I will cover daily until the study is finished.  Check it out and let me know if you have any suggestions.

Luke 1:57-66 (NASB95)
⁵⁷ Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son. ⁵⁸ Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her. ⁵⁹ And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zacharias, after his father. ⁶⁰ But his mother answered and said, “No indeed; but he shall be called John.” ⁶¹ And they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name.” ⁶² And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. ⁶³ And he asked for a tablet and wrote as follows, “His name is John.” And they were all astonished. ⁶⁴ And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God. ⁶⁵ Fear came on all those living around them; and all these matters were being talked about in all the hill country of Judea. ⁶⁶ All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, “What then will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was certainly with him.

Psalm 127:3-5 (NASB95)
³ Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. ⁴ Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. ⁵ How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed When they speak with their enemies in the gate.

Psalm 128:1-3 (NASB95)
¹ How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, Who walks in His ways. ² When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands, You will be happy and it will be well with you. ³ Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine Within your house, Your children like olive plants Around your table. ^[1]

One of the interesting attitudes of the Jewish people is their view of children.  Today there are many who are comfortable with the idea of children being from the Lord.  Many others consider them to be a bother and would prefer to kill them before they are born through abortion.  Things weren't much different in that day, the pagans of old would slaughter their children, abandon them, or sell them off into slavery.  The Romans allowed the father to decide whether the child would be raised or literally thrown in the trash. Children were considered to be a curse by the world at that time.  Ancient times were not much different, that is where Molech worship got its boost in the Old Testament.  It was a convenient way to dispose of children, sacrificing them to Molech.  Today things aren't much different, if children are not wanted, women are encouraged to abort them, effectively murdering them.  (Yes, I have a very biased opinion.)

The Jews had a different outlook on them, they were considered to be a blessing, and a heritage from the Lord.  Psalm 128:3 uses some beautiful language to describe the relationship between the husband and wife, she was described as a vine.  Vines are pretty tough, but they require a lot of pruning and general maintenance to keep them producing grapes and growing healthy.  Olive trees are contrary critters, they live in spite of the elements, and are almost impossible to kill. Wives are considered to be tender and children indestructible.  Think about it though, the olive tree will produce fruit for a very long time.

Zechariah was being tested to see whether he would name him John or follow the tradition and name him Zacharias.  Both parents were in agreement as to naming the child John.  At this display of faith, Zechariah's tongue was loosed and he began to praise God.  If you were caused to be mute for 9 months, what would be the first thing out of your mouth?  We have a clear picture as to where his heart was at.  Zach did not hold bitterness toward God for his circumstance, rather he praised God for his difficulty.  Upon giving praise to God, everyone was pointed to God, not to the miracle of speech.  The legacy of his birth probably followed John all the way to his ministry.  People expected him to be a special person, and to be a person that was guided by the hand of the Lord.  When he started his ministry, people listened.  Also consider that he was very close to the same age as Jesus was.  That meant that he started his ministry earlier than Jesus did, at a younger age.

Another significant point about this is that his tongue was not loosed until the eighth day.  Tradition says that the Jewish people gathered for eight days of celebration waiting for the day that the child would be circumcised.  God allowed him to stay mute until he made a public proclamation based upon faith and belief that God would do what He said He would.

Luke 1:66-80 (NASB95)
⁶⁶ All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, “What then will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was certainly with him. ⁶⁷ And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: ⁶⁸ “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, ⁶⁹ And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David His servant— ⁷⁰ As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old— ⁷¹ Salvation from our enemies, And from the hand of all who hate us; ⁷² To show mercy toward our fathers, And to remember His holy covenant, ⁷³ The oath which He swore to Abraham our father, ⁷⁴ To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, ⁷⁵ In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days. ⁷⁶ “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways; ⁷⁷ To give to His people the knowledge of salvation By the forgiveness of their sins, ⁷⁸ Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, ⁷⁹ To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.” ⁸⁰ And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.^[2]

Notice that Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit.  This is different than the way that the Holy Spirit works today.  Today we are "indwelt" with the Holy Spirit.  He lives in us all the time, entering our hearts at the time that we accept Jesus as Savior.  Before the Holy Spirit was sent at Pentecost, believers were not normally indwelt, rather the Holy Spirit came upon them, or filled them.  Tremendous prophecies were made when this happened.  One thing that I have noticed with Zachariah and with Mary, when this happened, they did not speak out new unheard truth's.  They spoke of the things that were prophesied by the Old Testament prophets.  In other words, God did not change his plan when the Messiah came to earth, rather, He verified His plan.

How did they learn these truths and quote the Old Testament Scriptures so closely though?  I believe that God used what was already stored in the people's hearts to make His proclamations.  God could have impressed the words of the Old Testament prophets on their lips, but I don't believe that it happened that way.  God uses what we have read and studied in the Bible in our lives.  Consider this, when you feed upon the Word of God, it goes into your subconscious where it is stored away.  This builds a basis for the understanding of other scriptures and for ministry to others.  I have noticed that when speaking about God to others, the recall for the scriptures is uncanny.  I can't always remember where I read it, or what the reference is, but the scripture comes clearly to mind.  The point is that this is a great example of what happens when you make it a point to daily hide God's word in your heart.

This prophecy speaks about the redemption that is soon to come through the Messiah.  If you read verse 67-75 are a reminder of what God had promised the Jewish people from the old times.  Many scriptures are quoted or referred to in these verses. 

Isaiah 9:2 (NASB95)
² The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them.

Isaiah 40:3 (NASB95)
³ A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.

Psalm 84:11 (NASB95)
¹¹ For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.

Malachi 3:1 (NASB95)
¹ “Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of hosts.

Luke 3:4 (NASB95)
⁴ as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight. ^[3]

Verse 76 takes a different turn, here Zachariah speaks of what will happen and what the effect of John's life will be.  John was to be a noise maker, he was the one who carried the light into the dark place.  John was not the one who brought about salvation, he was the one who verified that Jesus was the Messiah, according to scripture.

One of the interesting things that was prophesied about John was that he would speak about the salvation to come.  More than that though, specifically, verses 76-77 speak of "remission of sins", which means "canceling a debt, or dismissing a debt".  Earlier in these verses, a "redeemer" is spoken of, "one who pays a price".  The "horn of salvation" is referring to victory in battle.  Then looking forward to the new light, Jesus is spoken of as the light of the world in John and 1John.  John's mission was to be a herald of the coming Messiah, to wake up the ones who were sleeping for so many years.  His mission was to lead people to repentance, so that they would be ready for the coming Messiah.

Our job today is the same as John's.  God has called each and every believer to be a light-bearer, our job is to wake up a sleeping world and shine the light of Christ in their direction.  In a way, we all have the same commission that John the Baptist did, only ours is even more critical as the time draws nearer to Christ's second coming.

Father make each one of us witnesses for you, shining Your light in the darkness.

In Him,

Joe Turner.