DEAR THEOPHILUS. The name means _"one who loves God."_ Acts is also addressed to him. We know nothing more about him. MANY HAVE DONE THEIR BEST. It is human nature to write down important things and share them with others. Alford (Greek Testament) says: "I believe the only probable interpretation of... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE I HAVE CAREFULLY STUDIED. Luke had made a careful examination of all available material, and he had the assistance of the apostle Paul. SO THAT YOU WILL KNOW THE FULL TRUTH. Luke wants to make the full truth of the history of Christ _available_ to Theophilus. Things put in writing are put in... [ Continue Reading ]
DURING THE TIME WHEN HEROD WAS KING. Herod the Great (_see note on_ Matthew 2:1). A PRIEST NAMED ZECHARIAH. Not a "chief priest," one of the lower ranks. ORDER OF ABIJAH. All the priests were grouped in twenty-four orders. The "Order of Abijah" was the eighth (1 Chronicles 24:10). Each Order took ch... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY BOTH LIVED GOOD LIVES IN GOD'S SIGHT. Great men of God almost always come from parents who live holy lives. (_Compare_ 2 Timothy 1:5).... [ Continue Reading ]
WAS DOING HIS WORK AS A PRIEST. Zechariah came to Jerusalem once every twenty-four weeks, to serve his week in the temple with others of the Order of Abijah.... [ Continue Reading ]
He WAS CHOSEN BY LOT. In order to remove the "human element," specially marked stones were used to determine who was to do each separate part of the worship to God (_compare_ Proverbs 16:33; Acts 1:26). SO HE WENT INTO THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD. Into the _Holy Place._ Philo mentions an Altar of Incense... [ Continue Reading ]
WHILE THE CROWD OF PEOPLE OUTSIDE PRAYED. People were in the Court of Israel and the Women's Court. Incense was symbolic of prayer (Psalms 141:2; Revelation 5:8). At the time the priest began to burn the incense, a bell signaled the people, who joined in prayer in deep silence.... [ Continue Reading ]
AN ANGEL OF THE LORD APPEARED. Gabriel (Luke 1:19).... [ Continue Reading ]
DON'T BE AFRAID, ZECHARIAH. The angel brings a message of hope! GOD HAS HEARD YOUR PRAYER. They felt it was a disgrace to be childless, and had prayed continually for a child. YOU ARE TO NAME HIM JOHN. _John_ means "God-given.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE MUST NOT DRINK ANY WINE OR STRONG DRINK. John was to be a _Nazarite (see the law of Nazarites, Numbers 6)._ [Jesus was a_ Nazarene,_ something entirely different.]... [ Continue Reading ]
HE WILL BRING BACK. _See_ Mark 1:1-5.... [ Continue Reading ]
STRONG AND MIGHTY LIKE THE PROPHET ELIJAH. The way he looked, the way he dressed, and the way he lived, all reminds us of Elijah. See note on Matthew 16:14. HE WILL BRING FATHERS AND CHILDREN TOGETHER AGAIN. The language of Malachi 4:5-6. The Law of Moses is about to be superseded by the Good News o... [ Continue Reading ]
HOW SHALL I KNOW? He wanted a miraculous sign.... [ Continue Reading ]
I AM GABRIEL. The word of an angel was sign enough! I STAND IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD. See Revelation 8:2; Daniel 8:15-18; Hebrews 1:14.... [ Continue Reading ]
YOU WILL REMAIN SILENT. He would not be able to utter a sound.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PEOPLE WERE WAITING FOR ZECHARIAH. Those who were praying in the courts waited until the priest who burned incense came out to dismiss them with a benediction. They wondered why he did not come out.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE COULD NOT SPEAK TO THEM. This was the sign. They knew he had seen a vision. But Gabriel was not a vision, he had been there in person.... [ Continue Reading ]
ZECHARIAH WENT BACK HOME. After he had completed his week of serving in the temple, he returned to his home in the hill country (Luke 1:39). The town is not identified.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND DID NOT LEAVE THE HOUSE FOR FIVE MONTHS. Her age might be the reason for this, but more likely she stayed in the house to spend more time in worship to God.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE HAS TAKEN AWAY MY PUBLIC DISGRACE. To be childless in Israel was a public disgrace. Compare Genesis 16:1-3; Genesis 30:1-2.... [ Continue Reading ]
TO A TOWN IN GALILEE NAMED NAZARETH. To the home of Mary. Matthew tells of a later visit of the angel to Joseph (Matthew 1:20-25), but does not tell the angel's name.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE HAD A MESSAGE FOR A GIRL. This girl was a VIRGIN - "The Virgin" of Isaiah 7:14_ (see note on_ Matthew 1:23). PROMISED IN MARRIAGE. Equivalent to being married. See note on Matthew 1:19. WHO WAS A DESCENDANT OF KING DAVID. Both Mary (the mother of Jesus) and Joseph (the LEGAL father of Jesus) were... [ Continue Reading ]
DON'T BE AFRAID. In the angel's words we have: (1) relief of anxiety, DON'T BE AFRAID; (2) a promise, GIVE BIRTH TO A SON; (3) a command, YOU WILL NAME HIM JESUS; (4) a prophecy, HE WILL BE GREAT AND WILL BE CALLED THE SON OF THE MOST HIGH GOD. HIS KINGDOM WILL NEVER END! Compare Acts 15:15-18; Matt... [ Continue Reading ]
MARY SAID TO THE ANGEL. Compare what the angel told Joseph in Matthew 1:19-25_ (see notes there),_ and see what Christ taught about divorce in Matthew 19:1-9_ (see notes there)._... [ Continue Reading ]
SOON AFTERWARD. Because of what the angel said to her. HURRIED OFF TO THE BILL COUNTRY. The central plateau of Judea. Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Hebron were all on this plateau. We are not told which town Elizabeth lived in.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BABY MOVED WITHIN HER. Luke intends to imply something more than the natural movements of an unborn child. Note Elizabeth is in the sixth month of her pregnancy (Luke 1:26).... [ Continue Reading ]
Elizabeth speaks in the poetic imagery of the Middle East, and she speaks as a prophet. MY LORD'S MOTHER. Mary was to be the mother of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. [Note the pre-existence of Jesus (Colossians 1:15-17). Jesus was born of a human mother to take human form (Galatians 4:4; Hebrews 2:14).... [ Continue Reading ]
MARY SAID. Mary is also filled with the Holy Spirit. These two holy women are the first human prophets of the New Testament Age. Mary speaks the language of the Psalms. In Luke 1:46-49, she praises God for his unusual gift of grace to her. In Luke 1:50-53, she praises God because he brings down the... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THE BABY WAS A WEEK OLD. On the eighth day Jewish boy babies were circumcised and named (Genesis 17:12). [Circumcise: to cut off the foreskin of a Jewish baby boy as a sign of God's covenant with the people of Israel (Genesis 17:9-14).] THEY WERE GOING TO NAME HIM ZECHARIAH. This was the custom... [ Continue Reading ]
ASKED FOR A WRITING PAD AND WROTE. He still could not make a sound. HIS NAME IS JOHN. See Luke 1:13.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE NEIGHBORS WERE ALL FILLED WITH FEAR. Because of the unusual things which had happened.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SPOKE GOD'S MESSAGE. Prophecy is speaking by the inspiration of God. As soon as Zechariah can speak again, he immediately begins to praise God, and to predict the future work of John.... [ Continue Reading ]
LET US PRAISE THE LORD. Zechariah's prophecy is in Hebrew thought and idiom. This shows the influence that molded John's character as he grew up as Zechariah's son. A MIGHTY SAVIOR FOR US. Compare Philippians 2:6-11. BY MEANS OF HIS HOLY PROPHETS. The symbolism and rituals of the Old Testament point... [ Continue Reading ]
YOU, MY CHILD. Zechariah's prophecy points to John's future role. A PROPHET OF THE MOST HIGH GOD. John would be the greatest of the Old Testament prophets [not counting Jesus himself]. See what Jesus said about him in Luke 7:28. BY HAVING THEIR SINS FORGIVEN. The next verses give a brief statement o... [ Continue Reading ]
HE LIVED IN THE DESERT. The nature of John's public life later, points to a childhood lived as a kind of "holy hermit." This is similar to what the childhood of Elijah must have been, since that prophet grew up among the semi-nomadic people of the land of Gilead. 2 Kings 2:8.... [ Continue Reading ]