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

Verses 57-66. The Birth of John the Baptist.
The allotted time had passed since the angel had appeared to Zacharias in the temple to announce the coming blessing of a child to the childless elderly couple. A miracle only possible through the power of God now comes to fruition in the birth of their promised child.

Verses 57-58. Many neighbors and kin people came together to rejoice in this extraordinary event.

Verses 59-61. On the 8th day according to Ceremonial Law, the child was to be circumcised. Those that came thought that the child was to be named Zacharias after his father, as was a common custom among the Jews. Elisabeth had been told in writing from Zacharias that the child was to be called John, according to the word of the angel. Elisabeth firmly insists that his name was to be John. The crowd is surprised considering that no one in their family had that name.

Verses 62,63. Elisabeth insists, so the crowd turns to Zacharias and makes questioning signs to him that he would clear up this apparent deviation from tradition. Zacharias asks for a tablet to write on and inscribes the word John there upon. “His name is John,” no question or point to argue. The crowd is surprised at their joint firmness in saying that his name is John.

Verse 64. Since Zacharias has now obeyed God’s command concerning the baby’s name, God released him from his chastisement. Zacharias began to speak, praising God. All saw that the Lord’s hand was upon the child.

The meaning of names were filled with meaning in God’s dealing with men.
Zacharias = God remembers His covenant.
Elisabeth = God is absolutely faithful.
John = God is merciful.
Jesus = God saves, or the divine Savior.

Verses 67-80. Zacharias Praises God.

Verse 67. Being filled with the Holy Ghost and having regained his voice, Zacharias praises God for His mercy and salvation.

Verses 68,69. He praised God for again visiting His people and again revealing His mercy in the coming Messiah. This salvation Zacharias describes as liberation from their enemies. The spiritual meaning is salvation from the guilt and power of sin. This will be accomplished through the prophesied Savior as promised to the house of David. Here it is referred to as a horn of salvation in the house of David. Zacharias knew of the promised Messiah’s coming through the experience of Mary, which he learned of during her 3 month stay in his house. John was not a descendant of David.

Verse 70. All will come to pass in accordance with all of the foreshadowing and prophecies and promises of God as recorded by His prophets from the beginning.

Verses 71-73. The salvation brought about through the Messiah is described in political terms. Yet verses 77-80 regard this salvation as spiritual. Christ’s kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36).

Verses 74-75. The final saving of men from the forces of
darkness by Christ was to make a way for those believers to serve
God in righteousness, free from the bondage of sin.

Verses 76,77. Here Zacharias tells of the part his son will play as the forerunner of the Lord to make His ways straight. This means to bring people to the realization of their sin so they realize their need for a Savior. John will only give notice of the coming Redeemer.

Most of the people of the time thought of the Messiah as the liberator from the oppression of Roman Rule. Their need was perceived as material and political, rather than recognition of their personal need for salvation. They regarded themselves as righteous, the Romans as pagans and outside the family of God, and believed that the Messiah was to drive these heathen out of the Holy Land. The herald of Christ must cause the people to realize their guilt and to confess their sins. They must also be made to realize the true oppressors they needed redemption from - the power of sin, the forces of darkness, and the condemnation and judgment of God.

Verse 78. Within the tender mercy of God was the promise of the Savior, described as the sun of righteousness (Malachi 4:2) with healing in His wings.

Verse 79. Christ as the dayspring was to appear to those sitting in darkness, and in the shadow of death. These words indicate the extent of the darkness and misery of the majority of mankind before the coming of Jesus. The bringing of light pointed to the way of redemption and reconciliation with God, through the redeeming work of Jesus which leads to peace and forgiveness.

Verse 80. To wrap up the story of John’s beginning, Luke describes the boy as growing up in body and becoming strong in the spirit. From the time of his maturity until the beginning of his public ministry, he lived in the desert regions to the west of the Dead Sea in Judea, preparing for his Godly mission.

Luke 2:1-7.
As the fullness of time had come, John the Baptist had been born. The promised redeemer, so longed for over the centuries, was now to be born. Luke, in a simple and matter of fact way, relates the narrative of the nativity of Jesus.

Verses 1-3. These historical circumstances caused Joseph and Mary to go to Bethlehem. The Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus, had declared that all of the Empire was to be taxed. He ruled from 30 B.C. until 14 A.D. He had succeeded in quashing many revolts and dealt with any and all opposition. Through 44 years of absolute rule over the Empire, he organized the system of authority, bringing an unprecedented outward order, safety, and ease of travel. All of these things were to help in the spreading of the church.

God used him through his command to make the prophecy of Micah 5:1 come to pass. To make certain everyone was taxed, a census had to be taken first. This collected name, occupation, property owned, and closest relations. The Jews were not required for military service, but were still under Roman rule.

Luke calls this the first taxing, which took place when Quirinius was governor of Syria. This was administered through Herod, Rome’s appointed king of the Jews. Therefore, the Jewish custom of signing up according to their ancestry required them to go to their ancestral home, their native city.

Verses 4,5. Since Joseph was of the house of David, he was required to return to Bethlehem, the birthplace of David about 1,000 years before. It is still in existence, about six miles south of Jerusalem. This was not a difficult thing. The Jews, from earliest times, very carefully kept their genealogical tables up-to-date and accurate.

By this time Mary was great with child and therefore Joseph felt it best to have her with him. It has been suggested that they were both aware of the prophecy of Micah that the Redeemer was to be born in Bethlehem.

Verses 6,7. Because of the great number of people who had traveled to Bethlehem for the registration for taxing, there was no room at the inn. No one offered to give up their place, though Mary was obviously about to give birth. They ended up in a place where animals were kept.

Early tradition states that this stable was in a cave. It was here that the Holy Child was born. He had left the presence and glory of God to be born, flesh and blood, a human child in the humblest of situations. He was laid in an animal’s feed box.

The date has not been recorded anywhere - the exact date unimportant compared with the importance of the event itself. Neither has the exact place been identified for certain. Possibly this is to avoid any superstitious worship of times and places. Christmas was first celebrated in Rome in 354 and has since been generally accepted throughout the Christian world.

What a blessing was missed by the proprietors of the inn, who in their ignorance did not make a way for Mary and Joseph to be comfortable.

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.

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