Anunciation

LUKE — LESSON 1

Scriptures for this lesson are taken from Luke 1, Luke 3, Malachi 3-4, Matthew 11.

It is my intention to present a combined study of the gospel of Luke and the gospel of John. The word “gospel” means, god message, a message about god, the good news about Jesus Christ, the son of God. We will focus on Luke and use scriptures from John that are not covered in Luke.

Luke, who wrote the third gospel and the book of Acts, was known as "our dear friend the doctor" (Colossians 4:14). He was a companion and fellow worker with Paul. He joined Pauls’ missionary team at Troas, in Asia Minor, during the second missionary journey. Both the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts were written by Luke and addressed to a man he called, Theophilus, which means lover of God in Greek. There is no biblical information about Theophilus, but since Luke addressed him as, The Most Excellent Theophilus, it is likely that he was a Roman official who had accepted Christ and wanted more information about Him.

The gospel of Luke is the longest of the four gospels and was written primarily for Greeks. Luke focuses on Jesus’ humanity and divinity. He was the son of God and the son of man. Luke’s genealogy of Jesus is traced to Adam and four gentile women are included. In Luke’s gospel, we are given some details of Jesus’ boyhood that are not told in the other gospels. Luke’s narrative of Jesus’ parables shows evidence of a trained physician’s observations. The date for the writing of this gospel is about 60 AD, approximately 30 years after the crucifixion.

These are ruins of the city of Troas which is on the coast of Asia Minor by the Aegean Sea. It was named for the ancient city of Troy which lay a few miles north of Troas. Macedonia lies a few miles to the west across the sea.

[Luke 1:1-4] (1) Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, (2) just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. (3) With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, (4) so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

Luke told here, that he received his information from eyewitnesses, most likely the disciples who traveled with Jesus during His ministries in southern and northern Israel. His goal was to write an orderly account which included the birth of John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Messiah, the birth of Christ, His early years, His ministry, crucifixion and resurrection.

[Luke 1:5-8] In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

Herod I, also called Herod the Great. He ruled over Israel from 37 BC until he died in 4 BC.

Zechariah was a priest in the order of Abijah and it was his time to serve in the temple. Both Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth were descendants of Aaron. At that time they were both of an advanced age and they had no children.Aaron was the older brother of Moses and was the first High Priest of Israel. The office of High Priest was passed down through the sons of Aaron. Eleazar was one of Aaron’s sons and King David divided the sons of Eleazar into 24 courses or groups that constituted the priesthood of Israel.

[Luke 1:11-17] (11) Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. (12) When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. (13) But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. (14) He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, (15) for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. (16) He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. (17) And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous — to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

It is obvious that Zechariah and Elizabeth had been praying for a long time to have a child, but Elizabeth was past the age where women could have children, yet the angel promised that they would have a son. This child would be very special. He would be a Nazirite from birth, meaning that he would be set aside, dedicated to God, he would not drink any fermented drink and would be filled with the Holy Spirit before he was born. This child would be special to God, born with a Holy purpose. He would be the forerunner of the Messiah. He would fulfill the prophecy of Malachi that the prophet Elijah would come back to prepare the way for the Messiah. The angel was preparing Zechariah and Elizabeth to understand that their son was going to play a very important role in the salvation of Israel and all mankind. John’s message would be, “prepare ye the way.”

[Malachi 3:1] See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me…

[Malachi 4:5-6] See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.

The angel has told Zechariah that his promised son would be the fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy and the one who would announce the coming of the Messiah. Jesus Himself verified this:

[Matthew 11:13-15] For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. Whoever has ears, let them hear.

John the Baptist was indeed a prophet; he was the last of the Old Covenant prophets sent by God to give His message to the people.

[Luke 1: 18-25] (18) Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” (19) The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. (20) And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.” (21) Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. (22) When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak. (23) When his time of service was completed, he returned home. (24) After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. (25) “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.

Zechariah apparently did not believe the angel who was then identified as the angel, Gabriel, and was struck dumb, unable to speak until after John was born. When his time of service in the temple was up, he went home to the hill country of Judea, possibly to the city of Hebron. Elizabeth became pregnant but she stayed at home away from people. Remember, she was old for a woman to be having a child and in that time it was shameful for a woman not be able to conceive. The more children they had the more they were blessed by God and those who had none were considered to be punished for some sin.

[Luke 1:26-33] (26) In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, (27) to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. (28) The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” (29) Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. (30) But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. (31) You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. (32) He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, (33) and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

Mary is a virgin but she is engaged to Joseph. In those days, a couple would be engaged sometimes for a year or two but the engagement was more like marriage. They were legally bound to each other but did not live together as man and wife. The angel Gabriel appeared again, this time to Mary and he explained to her that she would become pregnant and the child would be the long awaited Messiah, the Son of God who would rule over Israel forever and ever.

[Luke 1:34-38] (35) The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. (36) Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. (37) For no word from God will ever fail. (38) “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

The angel, Gabriel, was sent by God to prepare Mary to be the mother of the Messiah. Mary did not question the angel but accepted his message as God’s will. It was the desire of all Jewish women to be chosen to be the mother of the Messiah, so Mary was filled with joy. However, the penalty for an unmarried woman to have a child was a to be stoned to death. Mary would have had some deep concern about how her family and especially her husband to be, Joseph, would accept this situation. The angel, Gabriel, told Mary that her cousin, Elizabeth who was too old to have a child, was now six months pregnant.

[Luke 1:39-45] (39) At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, (40) where she entered Zechariah’s home 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) In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women,and blessed is the child you will bear! (43) But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? (44) As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. (45) Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Mary was in Nazareth and Elizabeth was in the hill country south of Jerusalem which was a distance of about seventy to ninety miles. When Mary came into Elizabeth’s presence, the child in Elizabeth’s womb jumped as the spirit of God already within him recognized the presence of God living in Mary’s womb. Can you imagine what these two women felt as they realized that the very power of God was living and moving inside their bodies?

As Mary is visiting with Elizabeth she began to prophesy. These next verses are called “Mary’s Magnificat,” which means “my soul magnifies” in Latin. It is also called the “Song of Mary.”

[Luke 1:46-56] (46) And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord (47) and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, (48) for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, (49) for the Mighty One has done great things for me — holy is his name. (50) His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. (51) He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. (52) He has brought down rulers from their throne but has lifted up the humble. (53) He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. (54) He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful (55) to Abraham and his descendants forever just as he promised our ancestors.” (56) Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

Mary’s words in her song give us some understanding of what her feelings were. She felt blessed by God and very humble to be chosen of all Jewish women to be the mother of the Messiah. She acknowledged the power of God, His control of the nations, His magnificent and powerful deeds. She also acknowledged God’s mercy and His watch care over His people Israel. Elizabeth was six months pregnant when Mary came and Mary stayed for three months, so it was time for John the Baptist to be born when Mary left and went back to Nazareth. Jesus would be born in six more months.

[Luke 1:57-66] (57) When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. (58) Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. (59) On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, (60) but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.” (61) They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.” (62) Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. (63) He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” (64) Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. (65) All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. (66) Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.

It was the custom to name a child on the eighth day of its life. If the child was a son, then he was circumcised also. Circumcision was necessary for Jews to become part of the covenant family of Abraham. Infant mortality was very high in those days, so they did not consider that a child would live until it had stayed alive for seven days. It was also their custom for a child to be named after a family member, so the family and friends expected the child to be named Zechariah. Remember, Zechariah still could not talk at that time, so Mary said that he would be called John. They wanted to hear it from Zechariah who then wrote on a tablet, “he is to be called John.” The name “John” in Hebrew means, “Blessed by God.” The people around them realized that this would be a special child. Immediately then, Zechariah was able to speak.

[Luke 1:67-80] (67) His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: (68) “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. (69) He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (70) (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), (71) salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us — (72) to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, (73) the oath he swore to our father Abraham: (74) to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear (75) in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. (76) And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, (77) to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, (78) because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven (79) to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” (80) And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.

When his son, John, was circumcised and named and he was able to talk again, then Zechariah began to prophecy. This passage is called ”Zechariah’s Benedictus”, or the “Song of Zechariah.” In his song, Zechariah praised God for the coming of the Messiah who would be the horn of salvation for Israel. Horn denoted power. The Messiah would be the power of salvation. He praised and thanked God for His forgiving mercies and protection. Zechariah began next to sing praises for his son and the work he would do. John would be a prophet of God and tell the people that they must repent and turn back to God because the Messiah was coming and they must be prepared.

[Luke 3:3-6] (3) He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. (4) As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. (5) Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. (6) And all people will see God’s salvation.”’

Lessons we can learn from Luke 1:

1. “The Word of God will never fail. Luke 1:37.

2. We see more prophesies from Daniel’s Prophecy of the 70 Weeks fulfilled. The Messiah was coming.

3. The angel, Gabriel came to prepare Mary for the birth of the Messiah.

4. Gabriel came to prepare Zechariah and Elizabeth for the birth of their son who would be a prophet of God.

5. John’s mission was to prepare Israel for the coming of their Messiah.

6. The Messiah has come and for us to be prepared for eternal life, we must accept Him as our Savior.

7. Be prepared. If you have not already, trust in Jesus today, you may not have a tomorrow.

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