Member Login | Not a FREE member yet? Sign Up Here!

A Layman's Commentary on the Gospel of Luke: Lesson I, Part II
By: T.O.D. Johnston

Verse 11. It was during these moments that an angel of the Lord appeared to Zacharias. He stood all at once on the honored right side of the golden altar on which Zacharias was offering the incense.

Verse 12. Zacharias was overtaken with fear in this most solemn moment when the angel appeared.

Verse 13. The angel assured him that he had no need to fear, but that God had heard his prayer. This prayer was most likely for the salvation of his people through the promised Messiah. The angel assured him that a great privilege was to be visited upon him and his wife.

Elisabeth was to bear him a son who would be the forerunner and proclaim the coming redeemer. God in this way was also fulfilling their years of prayer for a child, even though they were so advanced in age. The child was to be called John, the name meaning ‘the Lord is merciful’, or ‘the gracious gift of God’.

Verse 14. His parents as well as any other will rejoice at the child’s coming into the world. After so long a time without a prophet, the coming of John will be a great blessing to the devout followers of God.

Verse 15. This child will be great in the sight of the Lord, so the reaction will be great rejoicing. He will neither drink wine nor any other strong drink. He will be constantly full of the Holy Ghost and receive from Him the necessary strength and inspiration to fulfill his divine calling. The Old Testament prophets were as a rule only temporarily filled with the Spirit, but John will be filled with the Holy Spirit from the beginning of his life.

Verse 16. The true function of a prophet was to call the wayward and sinful people back to God and true righteousness (Jeremiah 3:17; Ezekiel 3:19, Daniel 9: 13). He will be successful.

Verse 17. He will be more than any ordinary prophet. He will go before the Lord and prepare the way for the Messiah. What was prophesied in the last Old Testament Book of Malachi 3:1 “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come saith the Lord of hosts.”

In Malachi 4:5, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet, before the great and terrible day of the Lord.” Jesus Himself said of John that he was the prophet Elijah who was to come. Christ’s coming brought the judgment of God in Israel because the majority of the people had refused to accept Him.

The angel declares that John will appear in the manner of Elijah. The hearts of those in a family will be reunited. John’s calling for repentance will cause those who answer that call to give up their sinful ways. This would bring the formerly rebellious into religious harmony with their believing ancestors (forefathers). All this works to prepare a people to be spiritually awakened and expectant of the coming of the Lord.

Verse 18. Zacharias is overwhelmed. How can these things be? Elisabeth is not only barren, but also far advanced in age as he also is. He wants to believe but hesitates in asking for a sign of the truth of this prophecy.

Verse 19. Certainly he knew the story of Abraham and Sarah who had been given Isaac in their advanced age. Sarah had also been barren. His lack of belief in the absolute power and mercy of God is unmerited, so he is chastised.

Zacharias calls himself ‘an old man’. In contrast, the angel states: “I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and I was sent to speak unto thee, and to bring thee these glad tidings”. How can Zacharias doubt such a message from such a messenger, sent from the immediate presence of God, especially to him?

Verse 20. The sign asked for is given, but at the same time, it is a chastisement. He will, from that moment, until the birth of the promised son, be dumb. He doubted the message of Gabriel - yet it will come to pass, as God planned.

Verse 21. Meanwhile, the people were waiting for the priest to come out from the Holy Place. The length of time was to be immediately after the incense was offered. Any delay brought increasing anxiety.

Verse 22. Traditionally, the priest would come out and bless the people following that of Numbers 6:24-26. When Zacharias finally came out, the people were waiting. They immediately noticed that something extraordinary had happened. Zacharias not only didn’t give the priestly prayer, but was waving his arms in an agitated way. They concluded that something supernatural had taken place.

Verse 23. When the week of his service in the temple was completed, Zacharias went home. This was probably in a village in the mountainous region south of Jerusalem (verse 39).

Verses 24,25. We can naturally assume that Zacharias wrote down the supernatural event that he had experienced in the temple, to his wife. His inability to speak was a certain sign of God’s message. In a short period of time, Elisabeth became pregnant and withdrew from public life. It seems certain that Elisabeth believed and was extremely grateful to God for blessing her and her husband with a child at their advanced age - unquestionably a miracle.

It also seems most likely that this divine promise was not shared with anyone else. Who would believe that such a thing could happen?

After 5 months, however, the evidence would become obvious, and then no one could but accept that a miracle had indeed taken place. Then the rest of the promise made to Zacharias could also be believed by those around the couple. This gives us a picture from God’s point of view, where what we call supernatural is natural to God. We can accept it because God revealed it and caused it to be recorded in His Word.

Deuteronomy 29:29 - “the secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but the things that are revealed belong unto us and to our children.”

Verses 26,27. Six months after he had been sent to deliver the message to Zacharias, he was again sent to earth with the most momentous message of all time. His destination was a Galilean village called Nazareth. It was about 70 miles north-east of Jerusalem, in a valley on the northern side of the plain of Jezreel. It was surrounded by hills on all sides except the south. The village is still inhabited today and is called En-Nasirah.

It was here that Gabriel was sent to speak to the virgin Mary. She was unmarried but was engaged to Joseph, a descendant of David. To be betrothed was a solemn promise of mutual faithfulness.

Verses 28,29. When the angel Gabriel came to Mary, he greets her as one highly favored of God. Her reaction shows she is modest and serious. She is upset by such a greeting, not feeling worthy, but she considered it, thinking, and wondering what it could mean.

Verses 30-33. Gabriel reassures her, that she has no reason to fear, that God has chosen her as the most special woman to bring forth a son who is to be called Jesus (this means ‘the Lord is salvation). This promised Son is the One through whom God will accomplish the salvation of men. This child was to be unique - He shall be so great that He will be called the Son of the Most High.

His excellence will exceed that of David - He will be given the throne of His father David. The throne is the symbol of supreme power. Only the Messiah-king promised in the Old Testament will have complete sovereignty, both spiritual and everlasting. This was to happen when all of creation will be brought in complete submission to God, when all things shall be under His feet, and Satan and his followers will have been banished from His presence.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleJoe.com

The author taught from the Gospel of Luke at Paran Baptist Church on Highway 341 / Johnsonville Hwy in Lake City, South Carolina. This commentary is based on the notes he took in preparation for the lessons. He now enjoys spending his time with his family, and at his art studio on 118 Sauls St., Lake City, South Carolina. The above lesson was excerpted from his online Holy Bible Commentaries.

Please Rate this Article

Not yet Rated