Origen of Alexandria — Commentary on Scripture

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

"And his mercy extends to generations of generations." God's mercy is not for one generation, nor for two, nor for three. It is not for five. It stretches "from generation to generation."

Luke 1:51 · 2 passages

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

But to those that fear Him, He hath done mighty things with His arm; though thou comest weak to God, if thou hast feared Him thou shalt obtain the promised strength.

"To those who fear him he has shown strength in his arm." You may approach the Lord as a weak man. If you fear him, you will be able to hear the promise the Lord makes to you on account of your fear of him.…So, if you fear the Lord, he gives you courage or authority. He gives you the kingdom, so that you might be placed under the "king of kings" and possess the kingdom of heaven in Christ Jesus, to whom is glory and power for ages of ages. Amen.

Luke 1:63

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

(non occ.) Zacharias is by interpretation "remembering God," but John signifies "pointing to." Now "memory" relates to something absent, "pointing to," to something present. But John was not about to set forth the memory of God as absent, but with his finger to point him out as present, saying, Behold the Lamb of God.

Luke 1:67-68

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

Now Zacharias being filled with the Holy Spirit utters two prophecies, the first relating to Christ, the second to John. And this is plainly proved by those words in which he speaks of the Saviour as present and already going about in the world, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited, &c.

Luke 1:69 · 2 passages

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

Because Christ was born of the seed of David, according to the flesh, it is said, A horn of salvation to us in the house of his servant David; as it has also elsewhere been said, A vineyard hath been planted in a horn, (Is. 5:1.) i. e. in Jesus Christ.

Over the course of three months Zechariah kept receiving spiritual nourishment from the Holy Spirit. Although he did not realize it, he was being instructed. Then he prophesied about Christ and said, "He redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David," because Christ was "descended from David according to the flesh." He was truly "a horn of salvation in the house of David," since the following passage reinforces it: "For a vineyard was planted on the horn-shaped ridge." Which horn was it planted on? On Christ Jesus, of whom Scripture now says, "He raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old."

Luke 1:71 · 2 passages

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

Let us not suppose that this refers to our bodily enemies, but our ghostly. For the Lord Jesus came mighty in battle (Ps. 24:8) to destroy all our enemies, that He might deliver us from their snares and temptation.

"Deliverance from our enemies." We should not think that this means corporeal enemies, but rather spiritual ones. For the Lord Jesus came, "mighty in battle," to destroy all our enemies and free us from their snares, namely, from the hand of all our enemies "and from the hand of all who hate us."

Luke 1:72 · 2 passages

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

Let us not suppose that this refers to our bodily enemies, but our ghostly. For the Lord Jesus came mighty in battle (Ps. 24:8) to destroy all our enemies, that He might deliver us from their snares and temptation.

"To bring about mercy for our fathers." I believe that, when our Lord came, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were blessed with God's mercy. Previously they had seen his day and rejoiced. It is not believable that they did not profit from the later, when he came and was born of a virgin. And why do I speak of the patriarchs? I will boldly follow the authority of the Scriptures to higher planes, for the presence of the Lord Jesus and his work benefited not only what is earthly but also what is heavenly. Therefore the apostle too says, "Making peace by the blood of his cross, whether on earth or in heaven." But if the Lord's presence was beneficial in heaven and on earth, why do you hesitate to say that his coming also benefited our ancestors? What Scripture said is fulfilled, "To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant, the oath which he swore to our father Abraham," to grant us deliverance "without fear from the hand of our enemies."

Luke 1:73

The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,

I think that at the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, both Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were partakers of His mercy. For it is not to be believed, that they who had before seen His day, and were glad, should afterwards derive no advantage from His coming, since it is written, Having made peace through the blood of his Cross, whether in earth or in heaven. (Coloss. 1:20.)

Luke 1:74

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

Or in another way; Frequently are men delivered from the hands of the enemy, but not without fear. For when fear and peril have gone before, and a man is then plucked from the enemies' hand, he is delivered indeed, but not without fear. Therefore said he, that the coming of Christ caused us to be snatched from the enemies' hands without fear. For we suffered not from their evil designs, but He suddenly parting us from them, hath led us out to our own allotted resting place.

Luke 1:75

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

Or in another way; Frequently are men delivered from the hands of the enemy, but not without fear. For when fear and peril have gone before, and a man is then plucked from the enemies' hand, he is delivered indeed, but not without fear. Therefore said he, that the coming of Christ caused us to be snatched from the enemies' hands without fear. For we suffered not from their evil designs, but He suddenly parting us from them, hath led us out to our own allotted resting place.

Luke 1:76 · 2 passages

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;

So John heard Jesus while he was still in his mother's womb, and he leaped up and rejoiced when he heard him. Why might you not believe that John could understand his father's prophecy once he was born, as Zechariah said to him: "And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways." So I suppose that Zechariah hastily spoke to the infant because he knew John would soon be living in the desert, and therefore he would no longer enjoy John's presence. "For the boy was in the wilderness up to the day of his revelation to Israel."Moses also lived in the desert. After turning forty years old, he fled from Egypt and pastured Jethro's herds for another forty years. But John went out to the wilderness as soon as he was born.

The reason I suppose that Zacharias hastened to speak to his son, was because he knew that John was shortly about to be a sojourner in the wilderness, and that he himself should see him no more.

Luke 1:80 · 2 passages

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

Or he increased in spirit, remaining not in the same measure in which he had begun, but the Spirit was ever growing in him. His will ever tending to better things, was making its own advances, and his mind ever contemplating something more divine, while his memory was exercising itself, that it might lay up more and more things in its treasury, and more firmly retain them. But he adds, And he waxed strong. For human nature is weak, as we learn, the flesh is weak. (Matt. 26:41.) It must therefore be made strong by the Spirit, for the Spirit is ready. Many wax strong in the flesh, but the wrestler of God must be strengthened by the Spirit that he may crush the wisdom of the flesh. He retires therefore to escape the noise of cities, and the thronging of the people. For it follows, And he was in the deserts. Where the air is purer, the sky more clear, and God a closer friend, that as the time had not yet arrived for his baptism and preaching, he might have leisure for praying, and might hold converse with the angels, calling upon God and fearing Him, saying, Behold, here am I.

John, while still a little boy, grew and became stronger. But it is exceedingly difficult, and very rare among mortals, for one who is still a little child to grow in spirit. “But the boy grew and was strengthened in spirit.” It is one thing to “grow,” another to “be strengthened.” Human nature is weak. It needs divine help to become stronger. We read, “The flesh is weak.” What forces can strengthen it? The Spirit, of course, “for the spirit is quick to respond, but the flesh is weak.” Someone who wants to become stronger should be strengthened only in spirit. Many are strengthened in the flesh, and their bodies become more powerful, but an athlete of God should become more powerful in spirit. Thus strengthened, he will crush the wisdom of the flesh. Spiritual activity will subject the body to the soul’s command. We should not think that, when Scripture says, “he grew and was strengthened in spirit,” what was written about John was just a narrative that does not pertain to us in any way. It is written for our imitation. We should take “growth” in the sense we have explained and be mu…

John, while still a little boy, grew and became stronger. But it is exceedingly difficult, and very rare among mortals, for one who is still a little child to grow in spirit. “But the boy grew and was strengthened in spirit.” It is one thing to “grow,” another to “be strengthened.” Human nature is weak. It needs divine help to become stronger. We read, “The flesh is weak.” What forces can strengthen it? The Spirit, of course, “for the spirit is quick to respond, but the flesh is weak.” Someone who wants to become stronger should be strengthened only in spirit. Many are strengthened in the flesh, and their bodies become more powerful, but an athlete of God should become more powerful in spirit. Thus strengthened, he will crush the wisdom of the flesh. Spiritual activity will subject the body to the soul’s command. We should not think that, when Scripture says, “he grew and was strengthened in spirit,” what was written about John was just a narrative that does not pertain to us in any way. It is written for our imitation. We should take “growth” in the sense we have explained and be multiplied spiritually.

Luke 2:1

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

To those who attentively consider it, there seems to be expressed a kind of sacrament, in its being necessary that Christ should be put down in the registration of the whole world; in order that His name being written with all, He might sanctify all, and being placed in the census with the whole world, He might impart to the world the communion of Himself.

Luke 2:8-9

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

But if we would rise to a more hidden meaning, I should say, that there were certain shepherd angels, who direct the affairs of men, and while each one of them was keeping his watch, an angel came at the birth of the Lord, and announced to the shepherds that the true Shepherd had arisen. For Angels before the coming of the Saviour could bring little help to those entrusted to them, for scarcely did one single Gentile believe in God. But now whole nations come to the faith of Jesus.