Introduction
Luke begins by declaring that he had decided to compile a gospel for Theophilus from the eyewitness accounts that he had available to him concerning the life of Christ [Luke 1:1-4]. He expressly says that he is choosing to include those events that were believed to be accurate among the church leaders of his time. He declares that he was in a position to write, having had a clear and perfect understanding of those events.
Luke is therefore writing as a historian, but also with the direction of the Holy Spirit, as we believe all of the Bible writers were doing. Clearly, history records that there were more records written that could have qualified as gospels.
Early church fathers elected to include the four references, nominally written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I think this decision was made to eliminate questions about the two or three witnesses rule [Deuteronomy 19:15], since the gospel topic was so important, but also because hand copying scripture and even early printing was labor intensive and expensive.
There are many events in history that it would be awesome to have a time machine drone to send back and record. The life of Christ would be one, as well as His death and resurrection. Other contentious events like Noah, Adam and Eve, the time the Jewish people were slaves to the Egyptians, creation, angels vs. bad guys, and a host of other events would be worth recording. Sadly, you still have to have faith as I'd bet even the most high-res images wouldn't convince many alive in the world today.
Regardless, the book of Luke is his attempt at recording what he felt led to write. As Pentecostal believers, we believe that not only does God speak with His church today, but He can and does speak with individual believers. Many doubt details that weren't first hand knowledge of the writer. But they fail to understand that God's forces see everything that goes on in the world. Nothing escapes His notice. And He is perfectly capable of giving that information directly or providing a witness or two who can confirm the events.
The gospels, like everything else in the Bible, require you to believe in God. The New Testament church had lots of miracles and healing, words of knowledge and wisdom and other works of the Holy Spirit where they had no doubts about God. Even some of the high priests, I think, believed in their hearts, at least at the end. Christians need to work to be more acceptable to be used by God like the early church. The world still needs to see evidence with their own eyes. Let us pray.
Zacharias and Elisabeth
Their History and Work
Zacharias was a priest whose duties at that time were to burn incense when he went into God's temple [Luke 1:5-10]. He was married, but Elisabeth and he had no children and were "well stricken in years". That's a fancy way of saying they were old - kind of like me. Maybe I should start using that - "I'm well stricken in years" gets your attention better than "I'm old".
Both had lived righteous lives before God and were called blameless in all the Lord's commandments and ordinances. So right there, they've got me beat, and probably a lot of other people who are Christian. It's only the blood of Jesus that will make me clean. Nobody would ever call me blameless.
As he went about his duties, a large number of people were outside praying. While I don't think the people praying would have made an iota of difference in Gabriel doing his work, I think it would be safe to say that the prayerful attitude of the people around the temple was conducive.
God and His workers aren't going to be stopped by human interference in what they plan to do. Just look at what the wicked neighbors of Lot experienced [Genesis 19:1-29]. But if you're having trouble hearing from God, find a quiet place where you can be undisturbed. If you can do it when a prayer meeting is going on nearby, so much the better.
I can only speculate what was going on in Zacharias mind as he went about his business. The Bible points out that he and his wife were childless. In those days, that was a hard thing to be. I suspect, that just as I pray for things that are seemingly out of reach for me, they were praying often for their state. We might not be able to pray literally continually. But there is much of any day when we have things that we can do on auto-pilot when we could pray instead of whatever else we choose to occupy our minds. Zacharias may have been doing a lot of praying himself while he worked, probably not expecting any answer because they were "well stricken in years". But that doesn't slow down or keep God from answering - ever.
The Appearance of Gabriel
As he was dealing with the incense, Gabriel appeared standing beside the altar of incense [Luke 1:11-17]. Zacharias was afraid and troubled. I suspect that's putting it mildly. If Zacharias saw the angel appear right in front of him, he'd be more than troubled if he was anything like me. It might be a little different if he wasn't looking right there and turned back to see someone standing there. He might wonder where the person had come from, since he probably wasn't dressed like a priest. But even then, if he had an angelic countenance, it would get your attention.
Gabriel tells Zacharias not to be afraid because his prayer had been answered. If Zacharias was like me, he would have probably thought oh know, God knows I was praying instead of concentrating on His duties. But Zacharias isn't left to wonder which of the many prayers he had probably been praying was answered. Gabriel tells him that he will have a son and is to call his name John.
Gabriel doesn't just leave it at that though. He goes on to prophesy that many would rejoice because John was born, and would be great in the sight of God. He told Zacharias that John was to live the life of one who had taken the Nazarite vow, at least according to the consumption of wine and strong drink. He would be filled with the Holy Ghost from his beginning. He would be instrumental in leading many children in Israel to the Lord. He would, through the Holy Spirit, work in the spirit and power of Elijah, bringing a revival like result to the Jewish people.
Zacharias' Doubt
Zacharias can't wrap his head around what the angel is saying. I'd like to think that if an angel came and told me that some of my prayers were going to be answered, I'd believe the angel. But I might be just as bad as Zacharias and point out the problems that I see in God fulfilling His plans for me [Luke 1:18]. In his case, he fell back on being old. I guess seeing an angel made him forget about Abraham and Sarah [Genesis 18:9-15].
At any rate, we all have occasions of doubt or lack of faith that we must deal with. The more little things that God can answer prayers in our life, the easier it is when He says He's going to answer a big one. All too often today, with modern medicine and all, we don't bother God with the little things so when a big thing looms, we don't have the basis of faith that we need.
The Consequence of Doubt
Because he doubted, the angel identified himself as Gabriel who went on to say that he stands in the presence of God [Luke 1:19-23]. God sent him to Zacharias to give him the good news. Because he doubted Gabriel's word, literally the word of God, God struck him dumb so he couldn't speak until John was born.
The people who were gathered praying round about were surprised that he was taking so long in the temple - just how long does it take to deal with the incense anyway... where is he? They were even more surprised when he came out and couldn't speak. This continued from that point until his time of designated ministry was complete (and then some). When his temple duties were completed, he returned home.
The people were really wondering what vision he might have seen. Keep in mind that there hadn't been any prophets in the land for centuries, and the people were expecting a Messiah, so they probably really were interested in his unusual state.
The Results for Elisabeth
He couldn't speak to his wife either when he went home. Gossip being what it is, I suspect she had heard all about his being struck dumb. There were probably many questions he was hit with when he walked in and had to resort to writing to communicate. Imagine how happy Elisabeth would have been when she heard she was going to have a child [Luke 1:24-25].
She soon conceived and the account says she hid herself away for five months with gladness in her heart, but perhaps also some worry if she had suffered miscarriages earlier in her life. Somehow I don't think Zacharias would have told the people around the temple about what Gabriel had said before letting Elisabeth know. And at her age, she also probably didn't want to deal with people with Zacharias unable to speak. She also probably didn't want to be jostled if she was worrying about a miscarriage after all this time.
She had joy in her heart, but perhaps had some of the same issues of faith in God that her husband had. Faith is a challenge for many. Christ himself asked if he would find faith when He returned [Luke 18:8]. We all need to pray for renewed faith. It is so important it is listed both in the fruit and the gifts of the Spirit [1 Corinthians 12:9, 13:2, 13:13; Galatians 5:22-23].
Mary and Gabriel
When Elisabeth was six months along, Gabriel went to visit Mary at Nazareth [Luke 1:26-38]. Mary was espoused to Joseph, which in those days was a far more formal and tighter bonding that becoming engaged is today at least in American culture. She is also declared to be a virgin as prophecy required. Joseph was of the house of David, fulfilling another prophecy.
The angel's greeting gave her pause. "Hail, thou who art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women" is a far cry from "Hey, Mary" that she was probably used to hearing. So she was not only shook up by seeing an angel, but the words of the angel probably really threw her off balance. I suspect that any engaged person feels a bit on cloud nine, at least if it's a good engagement. But even that feeling probably wouldn't warrant the type of greeting she just received.
As with Zacharias, Gabriel tells her not to be afraid, and that she was going to conceive a son who would be called Jesus (the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic Yeshua or Joshua meaning Yahweh saves or the Lord is salvation according to Google's scraped sources.
Gabriel goes on to describe the characteristics Jesus would have, listing many items from prophecy in the Old Testament. He would be great, literally the Son of the Highest God, and would receive the throne of His ancestor David. Eventually He will take up rule and will rule forever.
Mary's only question was how it would be possible since she was a virgin and would be until she was married to Joseph if her life proceeded normally. Gabriel replies that the power of God and the Holy Ghost would create the child so that the child she bore would be called the Son of God. Gabriel concludes that just as Mary's cousin who was barren was now six months along in her pregnancy, with God nothing is impossible.
If the church today would do a better job of seeking the will of God so we weren't asking amiss and then accepting that with God all things are indeed possible, the world would be a much different place than it is today. Mary accepts what Gabriel has told her, which in itself was a tremendous step of faith in so many ways. In that culture, an engaged woman who was found to be pregnant could have well been killed. We need to appreciate just how much faith Mary had to accept that all would be well if the angel told her it was going to happen.
Mary and Elisabeth
In Luke 1:39-45, Luke records a trip Mary made to see her cousin Elisabeth. It isn't known if Mary knew of Elisabeth being pregnant before and Gabriel reminded her of this or if she didn't know and Gabriel imparted new information. At any rate, Mary decided to pay her a visit.
While it cannot be determined if Mary knew she was pregnant before going on the visit, Elisabeth's greeting her as the mother of her Lord would indicate that she was pregnant even if not aware of it yet.
The visit was momentous for Elisabeth as well because the future John leapt in her womb when Mary greeted her and Elisabeth herself was filled with the Holy Spirit. Her reply to Mary's greeting was to call her blessed among all women and call the fruit of her womb blessed as well. She was curious as to why the mother of who would be her Lord would bother to come to see her.
How often do we do likewise in not feeling worthy of a visit by someone blessed by God. This might be a pastor, priest, elder, or whatever. We're nervous wondering why they are there and lose some of the benefit we should get because of worry. If they have come to see you, they have a reason, even if you can't think of it.
In this case, Mary had just been visited by an angel, and she probably didn't lead with that when she said hello. She'd also been told she would bear the Savior, so she was probably particular concerned (you can insert your own phrase here because concerned probably isn't really strong enough). And she was going to be pregnant in a culture where that could lead to death since she was only engaged. And Elisabeth asks what she's doing there.
On the flip side, when someone comes to visit unexpectedly, the correct response is rarely "What are you doing here?". There is usually some reason, and it is good to listen and have some fellowship to let them get comfortable enough with you to tell you what is on their mind. While Elisabeth might have been aware of all these issues due to being filled with the Holy Spirit just then, some conversation might be nice before leading with "Hey, I hear you're pregnant, also" when Mary just showed up and was only a few days along, most likely.
Anyway, however it came about, what she said did make Mary feel better that an angel and now her cousin had confirmed what was said to her.
Mary's Acceptance Speech
Yes, I know that Luke 1:46-56 is traditionally known as Mary's Magnificat or the Hymn of Mary, but I decided to put it in modern terms for the title. I won't repeat the details of what she said - they're there to read. But in her acceptance speech, she gave glory to God for choosing to use her in a way that she had probably never expected to be used.
I could be wrong. I'll have to wait to get to heaven to find out. But even though it was prophesied that a virgin would give birth, I don't think all of the virgin women in the line of David of an appropriate age were spending time wondering - "Could it be me?"
For all that she either had gone through, with her fiancé and family, or all that she was expecting she might go through with them, she chose to bless the Lord. Her first conversation with Elisabeth wasn't "What am I going to do? Why has this happened to me? Why couldn't God have picked literally anybody else?"
That says a lot for her character. She did stay for three months, possibly till John was born, and Elisabeth and Mary could have had lots of time to talk of these things. But her first recorded thought when telling Elisabeth was to praise God.
Our lives don't always go the way we either expect or wish they would go. Bad and unexpected things happen. Sickness, death, divorce, layoffs, getting fired, financial disasters, forces of nature against your possessions, fill in your own travails. You always have a choice. Trust in God, even if it seems hard, that in the end all will be well, or turn your back on God, and blame Him for what is wrong in your life or in the world.
No matter how bad things are, our life on Earth is a tiny blip in eternity. That's hard for us to grasp, being human. It would even have been hard to grasp for the patriarchs in the Old Testament who lived a lot longer than we normally do. Eternity is the only thing that ultimately matters. We may not like the present or even our future on Earth, but don't give up a secure eternity just because of present circumstances.
I'm not sure what God's plan would have been if Mary had flat out said no. I think He knew Mary well and knew how she would respond to Gabriel. But she made the right choice, regardless of what it might have cost her. Since Gabriel had told her she was going to have the child, she probably wasn't worried about being killed. But she was probably worried about how Joseph and her family would react. Being a single mom them was just as hard, if not harder, than it is today.
Doing what God asks us to do isn't always easy. It has costs we have to bear - whether in financial or social terms. As best you can, try to listen, trust, and obey.
The Birth of John the Baptist
Luke 1:57-64 records the birth and aftermath of the birth of John the Baptist. Everyone rejoiced that God had given her a son, considering her age and previous barren state.
When the eighth day came and it was time for John to be circumcised and officially named, the people called him Zacharias after his father. When Elisabeth objects and says his name will be John, there is a bit of a furor because there wasn't a John in their near family tree. They asked Zacharias to be sure, and when he wrote his name is John, his tongue was released and he spake and praised God.
And that got everybody's attention. Having not been able to speak for the gestational period plus however long he had to work in the temple before returning home, and being able to speak after picking an odd name for his child probably seemed to be just as big a miracle to the people as the birth itself had been.
Just like Elisabeth before him, he praised God for God's goodness and mercy toward his family. It isn't recorded that he complained about having been mute for around nine months. He'd probably had a long time to process the error of his ways. And Gabriel had told him that it would be temporary and would lift when John was born.
We can handle lots of things when we know there is an end date. A pregnancy in old age, not being able to talk for a while, dealing with all the friends and neighbors who would have had an opinion on all that, even if you've closed your life off for the first few months. When we don't know an end date, it is tougher. Satan has more opportunity to send thoughts your way to derail God's plans. Remember God's promises and have faith. Give God the glory as great things come about. He is worthy of praise.
Zacharias' Prophecy
Luke 1:65-80 records that just as Elisabeth had been filled with the Holy Ghost on Mary's salutation, so Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost after John's birth. The people were afraid due to his being able to speak right after John's birth, and the news train was running full steam spreading word of what had happened.
Although I'm sure that Zacharias and Elisabeth did all they could to quash the rumors about John and the possibly soon coming Messiah, people are people and speculation was probably rampant. Elisabeth and probably Zacharias knew about Mary, but they kept that bit of news to themselves. At least it's clear that Joseph didn't fully understand what was happening.
Zacharias then gives a prophecy about the reality that the Messiah was due to come, and that John would be a prophet for Him. John would lead in spreading the word about salvation and repentance.
It is interesting that Zacharias' prophecy entails many things that the Jewish people were hoping that the Messiah would accomplish for them. Unfortunately, it would be almost 2,000 years before the Israelites would again have a land to call their own. In the meantime, they would continue to suffer many persecutions beyond those of the Roman empire. You can trace them from medieval times through post WWII.
I suspect that this prophecy might have been part of the cause that the Jewish people thought Jesus was going to overthrow the bondage of the Romans immediately. That's the thing about prophecy. We have a tendency to read it in the most optimistic way it can be interpreted, hoping for the best. But prophecy can still come about (as this one was in 1948), even if it doesn't happen the way we expected.
But just because part of the prophecy was for a far off time, part of it was immediate. John did go on to prepare the way of the Lord. He did preach repentance. John grew, both physically and in closeness to God, and stayed separate from the majority of the people until he started the work that God had called on him to perform.
Seek out God's will for your life, but also seek out His timing. There wasn't a point to John immediately trying to change the world. He needed to wait until it was close in time for Jesus to begin His ministry. Wait upon the Lord. Renew your strength. Make yourself ready. Go forth.