Luke1

Luke's Gospel begins with his stated purpose to provide an orderly account of events. The chapter details the miraculous annunciations of John the Baptist's birth to Zacharias, who is struck dumb for his doubt, and of Jesus' birth to the Virgin Mary by the Holy Ghost. Mary visits Elisabeth, who is also miraculously pregnant, and both women express profound praise to God before John is born and Zacharias's speech is restored, leading to his prophecy concerning John's role.

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Luke's Purpose and Prologue

¶ Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,

Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;

It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,

That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.

The Birth Announcement of John the Baptist

¶ There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.

And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,

According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.

For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.

And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.

And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.

And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.

And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.

And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.

And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.

And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,

Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.

The Annunciation to Mary

¶ And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

For with God nothing shall be impossible.

And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

Mary Visits Elisabeth (The Visitation)

¶ And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;

And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.

And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:

And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

The Magnificat (Mary's Song)

And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,

And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.

And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.

He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.

He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;

As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.

The Birth and Naming of John

¶ Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.

And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.

And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.

And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.

And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.

And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.

And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.

And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.

And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.

And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.

Zacharias's Prophecy (The Benedictus)

¶ And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,

And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;

As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:

That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;

To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;

The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,

That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,

In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,

Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,

To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.

Study Notes for Luke 1

Verse 1

Luke establishes his work as a carefully researched, orderly historical account, drawing upon the testimony of original eyewitnesses to the events of Christ’s life.

Verse 3

The title 'most excellent Theophilus' suggests he was a high-ranking official or patron. Luke writes to assure him of the reliable truth ('certainty') of his Christian instruction.

Verse 5

The narrative begins historically, 'in the days of Herod.' Zacharias belonged to the priestly 'course of Abia,' one of the divisions of priests established by David (1 Chron 24:10).

Verse 6

Luke introduces Zacharias and Elisabeth as models of faithful piety, emphasizing that their barrenness was not due to sin but was part of God’s redemptive plan.

Verse 9

Burning incense in the Holy Place was a rare, once-in-a-lifetime privilege for a priest, making this the most significant moment of Zacharias’s life.

Verse 11

The angel appeared by the altar of incense, the place where the prayers of the people were symbolically offered, underscoring that the announcement was a divine answer to prayer.

Verse 15

John’s dedication to abstinence from wine and strong drink marks him as a Nazirite (Num 6), setting him apart for service, and he would be consecrated by the Holy Spirit from birth.

Verse 17

This verse directly links John to the prophet Elijah (Mal 4:5-6), whose return was expected to precede the Day of the Lord, fulfilling John’s role as the Messiah’s forerunner.

Verse 19

Gabriel, whose name means 'God is my strength,' is one of the few angels named in Scripture, highlighting the importance of the message he carries (cf. Dan 8:16; 9:21).

Verse 20

Zacharias’s inability to speak serves both as a sign confirming the promise and as a temporary discipline for his doubt, contrasting with Mary’s faithful response later in the chapter.

Verse 25

Barrenness was considered a great 'reproach' in ancient Jewish culture; conception was seen as God’s intervention to remove this social stigma and shame.

Verse 26

Six months after John’s conception, Gabriel travels to Nazareth, a small, often scorned town in Galilee, emphasizing that God chooses the humble and unexpected.

Verse 27

Mary is described as a 'virgin' and 'espoused' (betrothed), meaning she was legally bound to Joseph, but the marriage had not yet been consummated.

Verse 32

The titles 'Son of the Highest' and the promise of the 'throne of his father David' emphasize Jesus’ dual nature: divine sonship and fulfillment of the eternal Davidic Covenant (2 Sam 7).

Verse 33

This promise confirms the eternal nature of the Messiah’s reign, establishing a kingdom that surpasses all earthly empires.

Verse 35

The 'overshadowing' is reminiscent of the Shekinah glory cloud that covered the Tent of Meeting (Exod 40:35), signifying that the child’s conception is a supernatural act of divine presence.

Verse 37

This statement is a key theological principle affirming God’s omnipotence, serving as the ultimate ground for belief in the miraculous birth.

Verse 38

Mary’s response, 'handmaid of the Lord,' demonstrates profound submission and faith, accepting a difficult and potentially scandalous destiny.

Verse 39

Mary traveled from Galilee to the 'hill country of Juda,' a journey of about 80-100 miles, indicating her urgency and desire for fellowship with Elisabeth.

Verse 41

The leaping of the babe (John) in the womb is the first recorded instance of John fulfilling his prophetic role, recognizing the presence of the Messiah.

Verse 43

Elisabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, recognizes Mary as 'the mother of my Lord,' acknowledging Jesus’ messianic and divine authority even before birth.

Verse 45

This verse contrasts Mary’s faithful acceptance of the promise with Zacharias’s initial doubt, highlighting belief as the path to seeing God’s promises fulfilled.

Verse 46

The Magnificat (Latin for 'magnifies') is a hymn modeled closely after the Song of Hannah (1 Sam 2:1-10), emphasizing Mary’s deep roots in Israelite scripture and piety.

Verse 48

Mary recognizes that God has chosen her, a humble and 'low estate' servant, demonstrating God’s consistent pattern of exalting the humble and honoring the poor.

Verse 51

The song shifts from personal blessing to universal theological themes, celebrating God’s justice in reversing human fortunes, scattering the proud and lifting the oppressed.

Verse 54

Mary affirms that God’s actions are not random but are the fulfillment of His covenant promises made long ago to Israel through Abraham.

Verse 59

Circumcision was commanded for the eighth day (Gen 17:12) as the sign of the covenant. Naming the child usually occurred at this ceremony.

Verse 63

By confirming the name 'John' (meaning 'Yahweh is gracious'), Zacharias demonstrates his obedience and restored faith, immediately resulting in the lifting of his silence.

Verse 67

The Benedictus (Latin for 'blessed') is Zacharias’s Spirit-filled prophecy, a profound theological statement outlining the nature of God’s salvation and John’s specific role.

Verse 69

The 'horn of salvation' is a powerful Messianic metaphor, signifying strength, victory, and sovereign power, directly linking the promised savior to the house of David.

Verse 72

Salvation is viewed here not as a new idea, but as God performing the 'mercy promised to our fathers,' rooted in the covenants with Abraham and David.

Verse 76

Zacharias clearly defines his son’s destiny: John will be the prophet who prepares the path for the Messiah, echoing Isaiah 40:3.

Verse 77

Salvation is fundamentally defined as 'remission of their sins,' identifying the spiritual, rather than political, nature of the coming deliverance.

Verse 78

The 'dayspring from on high' (Greek *anatole*) is a Messianic title referring to the rising sun, symbolizing the arrival of divine light and life (cf. Mal 4:2).

Verse 80

This verse summarizes John’s youth, emphasizing his spiritual development and ascetic preparation in the wilderness, setting the stage for his public ministry.

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Luke1

Luke's Purpose and Prologue

The Birth Announcement of John the Baptist

The Annunciation to Mary

Mary Visits Elisabeth (The Visitation)

The Magnificat (Mary's Song)

The Birth and Naming of John

Zacharias's Prophecy (The Benedictus)

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