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| 1 Since many have undertaken to prepare a narrative about those having been fully established among us facts, |
Forasmuch – It would have been easy for dishonest men to have omitted these introductory words and have given the gospel the name of James, Paul, Andrew, Peter, or Nathaniel. R2816:4
Believed among us – Among us primitive Christians. R2816:3
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| 2 even as delivered to us those from a beginning eye-witnesses and ministers having been of the word; |
Even as they – The apostles. R2816:3
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| 3 it seemed right also to me, having traced from the first all accurately, in an orderly manner to thee to write, O most excellent Theophilus, |
To me – Luke, a physician. R2924:1
To write – The transition from oral to written teaching was gradual. R434:5*
Most excellent Theophilus – A friend, supposed to have been a person of considerable dignity and influence. R2924:1
Comparing this with Acts 1:1, we see that Luke is the author of that book as well. R5829:1
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| 4 that thou mayest know concerning which thou hast been taught of words the certainly. |
That thou mightest know – The oral word being committed to writing by apostles and evangelists, and accredited publicly by the churches in the lifetime of the writers. R434:5*
The certainty – The unerring certainty. R434:5*
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| 5 Was in the days of Herod, the king of the Judea, a priest certain name Zacharias, of course of Abia; and the wife of him of the daughters of Aaron, and the name of her Elisabeth. |
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| 6 They were and righteous both in presence of the God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. |
Both righteous – John was given them in answer to prayer. R1671:6
The preparation for John's ministry began before he was born, in the hearts of his parents. R1915:3
The "chosen vessel" is always a prepared vessel and this preparation from God begins long before the chosen one knows of it. R1915:6
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| 7 And not was to them a child, because the Elisabeth was barren, and both having been advanced in the days of them were. |
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| 8 It happen now in the to perform sacred rites him in the order of the course of him before of the God, |
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| 9 according to the custom of the priesthood it fell to his lot of the to burn incense, entering into the temple of the Lord; |
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| 10 and whole the multitude was of the people praying without to the hour of the incense burning. |
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| 11 Appeared and to him a messenger of a Lord, standing at right of the altar of the incense. |
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| 12 And was troubled Zacharias seeing, and fear fell upon him. |
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| 13 Said but to him the messenger: Not fear, Zacharias; because has been heard the prayer of thee, and the wife of thee Elisabeth shall bear a son to thee; and thou shalt call the name of him John. |
John – The Redeemer's forerunner and herald. R4940:4, 4939:2; B253; CR400:2
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| 14 And he shall be a joy to thee and exultation, and many at the birth of him shall be glad. |
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| 15 He shall be for great in sight of a Lord; and wine and strong drink not not he may drink; and a spirit of holy shall be filled yet out of womb of mother of himself. |
Shall be great – Because of favorable prenatal conditions. R1671:3, 1916:1
Most highly honored of all the prophets in that he was chosen to introduce the Son of God to Israel and the world. R1916:4
He was a great man, preacher and prophet; great in the sense that he that ruleth his own spirit, according to divine principles, is greater than he that taketh a city. (Prov. 16:32) R1916:1
At maturity he was ready for the work of introducing to Israel the long-promised Messiah. R1916:1
"He that is greatest among you, let him be as ...he that doth serve." ( Luke 22:26) R1916:5
Patiently submit to the humbling now, and joyfully wait for the glory by and by. R1916:5
Sight of the Lord – Because meek and lowly of heart. R1916:2
But not in the eyes of man; never a guest in the palace of Herod, but a prisoner; no orator, but a "voice crying in the wilderness" (Isa. 40:3); not arrayed in purples, but in camels' hair. R1916:1
The great ones of earth have passed away; they have all come to naught, and in the Millennial judgment they will come forth to shame and confusion of face. R1916:4
Wine – From Greek, oinos, grape wine, which always intoxicates when used to excess. R509:4
Filled with the Holy Spirit – God's power began to operate upon him at his birth, and even before. CR400:2
After the same manner that the other prophets throughout the Jewish age had been under that holy Spirit. R2562:3
We must not understand this to mean that he was begotten of the holy Spirit, in the sense that Christians are begotten of it. R2562:3
From his mother's womb – The Scriptures make plain the fact that children may and should be consecrated to the Lord by their parents before their birth, or even their begetting; so that the little one may ratify the covenant of consecration at a tender age. R1671:3
His prenatal influences were such that, from his birth, his heart was inclined toward God and holiness. R1916:1
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| 16 And many of the sons of Israel shall he turn to a Lord the God of them. |
Shall he turn – Restore harmony between Israel and "the fathers", the patriarchs, etc. R557:4
Representing that the world shall come into a condition of harmony and peace with God. R557:4
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| 17 And he shall precede in the sight of him in spirit and power of Elias, to turn hearts of fathers to children, and disobedient by wisdom of just (ones), to make ready for a Lord a people having been prepared. |
Shall go before him – Jesus. R556:6
In the spirit – John the Baptist was not actually Elijah returned to earth, neither is the Church. B253
We know positively that John was not Elijah for we have his own testimony on the subject. "And they asked him, Art thou Elijah? And he said, I am not." (John 1:21) Q772:4, 817:2
And power of Elias – An uncompromising and fearless spirit, backed by the power of divine truth. R1379:2
Doing an Elijah work for fleshly Israel, introducing Christ in the flesh. B253
All who have this spirit and the power of present truth concerning the Kingdom and Christ's presence, constitute the Elias. R1379:2
As the man Christ Jesus was introduced by the man John doing an Elijah work, so the glorious Christ must be preceded by a great Elijah, making ready for the second advent. R2839:1
The Elijah class will now call attention to the present Christ. R557:2
Elijah and John represented the true and faithful witnesses of this Gospel age. R557:2
John the Baptist stood for, or represented, a multitudinous Elijah, as Jesus stood for, or represented, a multitudinous Christ. R557:1
"If ye will receive it, this is the Elias." (Matt. 11:14) R1379:1
To turn the hearts – To prepare the way of Messiah by performing a reformation work in preaching repentance and baptism for the remission of sins and declaring the Kingdom of heaven at hand. Q772:4
John's work as Elijah did not fail because of his own lack of faith, but because of the Jews' unreadiness of heart to be influenced by him. R2838:6
To the wisdom – In a word, to restore harmony between Israel and the "fathers," the patriarchs, and, in a fuller sense, the world whom Israel typified shall come into a condition of harmony with God, similar to that of the "fathers." R557:4
As a forerunner or introducer. R2838:6
Make ready a people – Preparing the way for the reign of the glorified Church and its glorious head, by making ready a people prepared, the Little Flock. R557:2
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| 18 And said Zacharias to the messenger: By what shall I know this? I for am an old man, and the wife of me far advanced in the days of herself. |
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| 19 And answering the messenger said to him: I am Gabriel, the having attended in presence of the God; and I am sent to speak to thee, and to tell glad tidings to thee these. |
Gabriel – One of the most honored angels, but inferior to Michael. R490:5
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| 20 And lo, thou shalt be having been dumb, and not being able to speak, till which day may be done these; because of which not thou hast believed the words of me, which shall be fulfilled into the season of them. |
Thou shalt be dumb – If Zacharias' faith was tested, it was found strong, and was assisted by his nine-month experience of dumbness. R4940:4
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| 21 And was the people waiting for the Zacharias; and wondering in the to delay him in the temple. |
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| 22 Coming out but not he was able to speak to them; and they perceived, that a vision he has been in the temple; and he was making signs to them, and remained dumb. |
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| 23 And it happened as were filled the days of the ministration of him, he went to the house of himself. |
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| 24 After and these the days conceived Elisabeth the wife of him; and hid herself months five, saying: |
Elizabeth conceived – As, in the cases of Sarah (Gen. 18:9-14), Hannah (1 Sam. 1:5-27) and the Shunamite (2 Kings 4:14-17), the miraculous interposition of divine power quickened the natural forces where they had been dormant, inoperative or entirely suspended. R560:6*
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| 25 That thus to me has done the Lord in days, which he looked on to take away the reproach of me among men. |
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| 26 In now the month the sixth was sent the messenger Gabriel by the God to a city of the Galilee, to which a name Nazareth, |
In the sixth month – Probably on Christmas day of the year 3 BC. B62
Gabriel was sent – The chiefest messenger remaining in the courts of glory. R490:5
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| 27 to a virgin having been betrothed to a man, to whom a name Joseph, of house of David; and the name of the virgin, Mary. |
Virgin – This child was specially begotten by divine power though Mary was still a virgin when she brought forth the child. R4964:1
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| 28 And coming the messenger to her, said: Hail, having been favored; the Lord with thee. having been blessed thou among women. |
The angel came in – Christmas day is more properly the annunciation day, or the date of his human begetting. R3468:2, 3114:3, 2558:4; B61
Blessed art thou – The fact that Mary was honored by the Lord above all other women, in that she was chosen to be the mother of Jesus according to the flesh, would prove her nobility of character and purity of heart. R2558:3
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| 29 She but at the word was greatly agitated, and pondered, what could be the salutation this. |
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| 30 And said the messenger to her: Not fear, Mary; thou hast found for favor with the God. |
Fear not – Not fearing reproach from Joseph or the world. E102
Found favor – Mary was full of faith and the joy of the Lord, to be an instrument in his plan. E102
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| 31 And lo, thou shalt conceive in womb, and shalt bear a son, and thou shalt call the name of him Jesus. |
Jesus – Signifies Savior, or Liberator--"For he shall save his people from their sins." (Matt. 1:21) R1006:1, 270:2, 134:2
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| 32 This shall be great, and a son of highest he shall be called; and shall give to him a Lord the God the throne of David the father of him; |
He shall be great – Naturally sustaining the misconception of the character of the first advent. This was the Messiah they were looking for, not "a man of sorrows." (Isa. 53:3) Yet he taught, by precept and example: "He that would be great, let him be the servant of all." (Mark 10:43,44) HG72:1
Son of the Highest – Fulfilling the predictions respecting the Messiah; the long-promised seed of Abraham. R5157:2, 5300:5
The title of the Son of God officially applied to the man Christ Jesus before his birth, and this title he constantly approved. NS256:6
And the Lord God – The whole gospel dispensation comes between the beginning and ending of this text. HG52:5
Throne of his father – Christ Jesus is the promised scion of David's house, the heir of his throne, referring to the dignity, power and authority of office which David exercised. C257
Not needful that he should have a human father of the Davidic line. The principle of inherited royalty through a mother is illustrated in the current (1883) heir apparent to the throne of Great Britain, the Prince of Wales, not through his father, but through his mother, the queen. R453:1
In Jewish genealogies it was customary to reckon lineage through either parent. R453:1
The throne of David is the emblem, or symbol, of David's reign, or kingdom; and David's reign, or kingdom, is a type, or figure, or shadow, of the reign, or Kingdom, of David's Son and Lord. R1283:1*
David – The throne of David is the symbol of David's reign; a type of the Kingdom of David's Son and Lord. R1283:1, 1063:1
The long-promised King of David's line, the Messiah. PD65/77; SM210:2; C257; E130, E133
Also called the "seed of Abraham" (Gal. 3:16; Rom. 4:13) and the "seed of the woman [Eve]." (Gen. 3:15) R1063:1*
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| 33 and he shall reign over the house of Jacob to the ages, and of the kingdom of him not shall be and end. |
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| 34 Said but Mary to the messenger: How shall be this, since a man not I know? |
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| 35 And answering the messenger said to her: A spirit holy shall come upon thee, and a power of highest shall overshadow thee; therefore and the being begotten holy, shall be called a son of God. |
The Holy Spirit – Jesus was begotten, not by Joseph, but by the holy Spirit. R3291:2, 4964:1, 432:4, 84:3
Come upon thee – The narrative of Jesus' miraculous conception has the very best and oldest Greek MSS. to support it--the Sinaitic, Vatican and Alexandrian in Luke; though the account is missing in Matthew--not omitted. R434:4
The life principle by which Jesus was conceived came directly from the Heavenly Father. R5064:3, 1031:1*, 432:4
That holy thing – "Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners." (Heb. 7:26) E95; R5748:2, 3710:3, 3291:6, 776:1, 453:1, 432:4
Holy, because his life did not come from Adam, the contaminated fountain. E103; R777:1,5, 432:4
He knew no sin, while all other men are sinners by nature. (2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 5:18; 1 Pet. 2:22) R776:2
He partook of the human nature without its condemnation. R1247:5
He did not partake of the condemned or forfeited life of Adam through Joseph, but of a life as directly from God as was the first Adam's; an unforfeited life which he could give for the life of Adam and all who died in him. R432:4*, 316:1*
His life came directly from heaven (Heb. 1:5) and he was therefore, though human, yet free, both from Adamic sin and its penalty, death. R1031:1*, 997:6
The only obstacle to the generation of a perfect man is the lack of a perfect father to give a perfect life-germ. In the case of Jesus a perfect life-germ was transferred by divine power from a pre-existent condition to the embryo human condition. R777:1; E103
If we can have a perfect life germ we can have a perfect child from an imperfect mother. If a breeder of stock wishes to raise the standard of his stock, he selects a fine bull, and thus improves his entire herd. And so, if we had perfect fathers, we would soon have a perfect race. R4964:1
What was needed was not merely a sacrifice for sins, but a sinless sacrifice, which would thus pay the sinner's penalty. E96
Our Lord was unlike sinners in respect to sin, imperfection; but like them in the sense of having their same nature or flesh--he, in its perfection; they, in various degrees of imperfection through sin. R997:6
Born of thee – Though retaining perfection, he partook of the nature of his mother. R777:5, 1247:5
He was the seed of the woman (Gen. 3:15), and not the seed of man. His very nature was perfectly holy, unlike our nature. R84:3*
Though life or being comes from the father, form and nature come from the mother. E103
Illustrated by the improper union between the "daughters of men" (Gen. 6:2) and those angels which kept not their proper estate or condition. The wonderful offspring were born of imperfect, dying mothers, but begotten by vigorous, unimpaired fathers. E103
The Son of God – He became man, and was a Son of God; as Adam was a son of God. R316:1*
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| 36 And lo, Elisabeth the kinswoman of thee, even she having conceived a son in old age of her; and this month sixth is to her the being called barren. |
The sixth month – John the Baptist was six months older than our Lord and began to preach six months before our Lord became of age and began his ministry. B58
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| 37 For not shall be impossible with the God every word. |
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| 38 Said and Mary: Lo, the handmaid of a Lord; may it be done to me according to the word of thee. And went from her the messenger. |
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| 39 Arising and Mary in the days those, she went into the hilly country with haste, into a city of Juda. |
A city of Judah – Ain-Karim, marked by tradition as the birthplace of John the Baptist. R1381:6
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| 40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted the Elisabeth. |
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| 41 And it happened, as heard the Elisabeth the salutation of the Mary, leaped the babe in the womb of her; and was filled a spirit of holy the Elisabeth, and she cried out with a voice great and said: |
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| 42 Having been blessed thou among women; and having been blessed the fruit of the womb of thee. |
Blessed art thou – The hope to be the mother of the long promised "seed of the woman" (Gen. 3:15) seems to have filled the heart of Eve's daughters through the line of the family of godly Seth, all the way down to and including Mary. R1175:3
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| 43 And whence to me this, that should come the mother of the Lord of me to me? |
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| 44 Lo for, as came the voice of the salutation of thee into the ears of me, leaped the babe in exultation in the womb of me. |
The babe leaped – "Filled with the holy Spirit even from his mother's womb." ( Luke 1:15) R1671:6
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| 45 And happy she having believed, that shall be a fulfillment to those having been told to her from a Lord. |
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| 46 And said Mary: Magnifies the soul of me the Lord, |
And Mary said – Compare the language and sentiment of her poetic-prayer-prophecy with that of Hannah in 1 Sam. 2:1-10. R1813:2
My soul – Being; life and body combined. R205:1
Magnify the Lord – Not fearing the reproaches of Joseph or others. E103
The mind of Jesus' mother, instead of being antagonistic to his perfect development, cooperated to that result. E103
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| 47 and has exulted the spirit of me in the God the savior of me; |
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| 48 for he looked upon the low state of the handmaid of himself. Lo for, from the now will call happy me all the generations; |
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| 49 for has done to me great things the mighty one; and holy the name of him, |
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| 50 and the mercy of him to generations of generations to those fearing him. |
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| 51 He has showed strength with arm of himself; he has dispersed arrogant ones in thought of hearts of them. |
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| 52 He has cast down mighty ones from thrones, and lifted up humble ones. |
Put down the mighty – Solomon's line; from being Messiah's ancestors. E133
Exalted – The crown and diadem were removed from Zedekiah, and from the line of Solomon, to be given to him whose right it is--the Righteous Branch of the Davidic root. E133
Them of low degree – Nathan's line. E133
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| 53 Hungering one he filled of good things, and being rich be sent away empty. |
Filled the hungry – Referring to the restitution blessings to be granted to all the meek of the earth through the Millennial reign of Christ. R1754:6
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| 54 He aided Israel a child of himself, to remember mercy. |
His servant Israel – The whole twelve tribes. C293; R1341:1
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| 55 (as he spoke to the fathers of us), to the Abraham and to the seed of him even to an age. |
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| 56 Abode and Mary with her about months three; and returned to the house of her. |
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| 57 To the now Elisabeth was fulfilled the time of the to bear her; and she brought forth a son. |
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| 58 And heard the neighbors and the kindred of her, that had magnified a Lord the mercy of himself towards her; and they rejoiced with her. |
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| 59 And it came to pass, in the eight day they came to circumcise the little child; and called it, after the name of the father of him, Zacharias. |
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| 60 And answering the mother of him said: No; but he shall be called John. |
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| 61 And they said to her: That no one is among the kindred of thee, who is called to the name this. |
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| 62 They made signs then to the father of him, the what he would desire to be called him. |
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| 63 And having requested a tablet, he wrote, saying: John is the name of him. And they wondered all. |
John – Signifying, "the favor of God." R4940:2
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| 64 Was opened and the mouth of him immediately, and the tongue of him and he spoke blessing the God. |
His tongue loosed – His faith had been helped. He had triumphed over all doubts and manifested this by giving him the name mentioned by Gabriel. R4940:2
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| 65 And came on all a fear those dwelling around them; and in whole the hilly-country of the Judea talked of through out all the things these. |
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| 66 And placed all those having heard in the heart of themselves, saying: What then the child this will be? And hand of Lord was with him. |
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| 67 And Zacharias the father of him was filled a spirit of holy, and prophesied, saying: |
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| 68 Blessed Lord, the God of the Israel; for he was visited and wrought redemption to the people of himself, |
Blessed be the Lord – Praise to God, the Fountain of every good and perfect gift, comes first. R4940:3
In verses 68 to 70, of this prophecy praise to God comes first. R4940:3
God of Israel – The whole twelve tribes. C293; R1341:1
He hath visited – After the usual manner of prophecies, the thing about to be accomplished is spoken of as though it had been done. R4940:3
In fulfillment of his gracious promises of old. R4940:3
Redeemed his people – Greek, poieolutrosin, to make a loosing, i.e., to set at liberty, to deliver, occurring only once. Literally, wrought redemption for his people. E433
This word should not have been translated redeemed but rather delivered, as a guard against confusion of thought by the English readers. E433
Things not completed are here mentioned as though they had been accomplished: the first step toward Israel's deliverance had been taken, and it was spoken of joyously as though the entire matter were already accomplished. E433
Applies not only to the redeeming work accomplished by Jesus at baptism, but is comprehensive enough to take in the entire work of reclaiming humanity. R4940:5
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| 69 and raised up a horn of salvation to us in the house of David the servant of himself |
Raised up an horn – Symbol of power. T42
The begetting of Jesus had already taken place. The holy Spirit spoke of the things begun, but not yet accomplished, as though finished. R4940:5
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| 70 (even as he spoke through mouth of the holy ones, of those from age, of prophets of himself); |
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| 71 a salvation from enemies of us, and from hand of all those hating us; |
We should be saved – Verses 71 to 75, relate to the deliverance of God's people from the power of their enemies. R4940:5
None but God's people will ever be delivered from the enemies here referred to. R4940:5
From our enemies – Enemies through wicked works, blinded by the god of this world. R4940:6
Satan is an enemy. Sin is an enemy. And "the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." (1 Cor. 15:26) R4940:6
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| 72 to perform mercy with the fathers of us, and to remember covenant holy of himself, |
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| 73 an oath, which he swore to Abraham the father of us, of the to give to us, |
The oath – The church are the children of the oath, the Abrahamic Covenant. R5300:5
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| 74 without fear, from hand of the enemies of us having been rescued, to worship him |
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| 75 in holiness and righteousness in presence of him, all the days of us. |
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| 76 And thou, little child, a prophet of highest shalt be called; thou shalt go for before face of a Lord, to prepare ways of him, |
And thou – Verses 76 to 79 tells of a work to be accomplished before the destruction of all enemies and the lifting up of those worthy to be sons of God. R4941:1
Shalt go before – Be the forerunner of Jesus. R4941:1
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| 77 of the to give knowledge of salvation to the people of him, in forgiveness of sins of them, |
To give knowledge – To show them the "high calling" of this present age. R4941:4
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| 78 on account of tender mercies of God of us, by which he has visited us a rising from on high |
The dayspring – The "Morning Star" or "Day Star," before the Sun of Righteousness arises to scatter the darkness of mankind during Messiah's reign. R4941:4
This "Day Star" guides the feet of the saints, even while still in the time of trouble, before the new dispensation is ushered in. R4941:4
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| 79 to shine to those in darkness and shade of death sitting, of the to guide the feet of us into a way of peace. |
To give light – Truth. A20, A25
Shining into the hearts of believers with sanctifying power and setting them afire with zeal for the truth. R4941:4
All shall have at least 100 years of opportunity under the clear light of "the Sun of Righteousness." (Mal. 4:2) R1772:5
Sit in darkness – Ignorance. A18, A25; B163
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| 80 The now little child grew, and became strong in spirit; and was in the deserts, till day of manifestation of him to the Israel. |
The child grew – Probably as a forester. R2562:5
Strong in spirit – Greek, pneuma--mind, character. E318
In the deserts – Not in the sandy deserts, but more properly in the wilds, the uncultivated regions, perhaps in the "hill country" where his parents resided. R2562:5
Possibly the Lord's providences ordered the affairs of his parents so that they were forced to reside in such a wilderness where they would have comparatively little intercourse with others. R2562:5
Till the day – The period, not the 24-hour day. R2836:1
When he was 30 years of age. R2563:1
Unto Israel – No longer regarded by our Lord and the apostles as the "ten tribes" merely, but, as it is expressed, "All Israel." R1341:1; C293
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