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| 1 Forasmuch as many have undertaken to draw up a relation concerning the matters fully believed among us, |
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 as those who from the beginning were eye-witnesses of and attendants on the Word have delivered them to us, |
Even as they – The apostles. R2816:3
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| 3 it has seemed good to *me* also, accurately acquainted from the origin with all things, to write to thee with method, 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 mightest know the certainty of those things in which thou hast been instructed. |
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 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest, by name Zacharias, of the course of Abia, and his wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name Elizabeth. |
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| 6 And they were both just before 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 they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years. |
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| 8 And it came to pass, as he fulfilled his priestly service before God in the order of his course, |
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| 9 it fell to him by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter into the temple of the Lord to burn incense. |
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| 10 And all the multitude of the people were praying without at the hour of incense. |
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| 11 And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right of the altar of incense. |
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| 12 And Zacharias was troubled, seeing him, and fear fell upon him. |
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| 13 But the angel said to him, Fear not, Zacharias, because thy supplication has been heard, and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. |
John – The Redeemer's forerunner and herald. R4940:4, 4939:2; B253; CR400:2
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| 14 And he shall be to thee joy and rejoicing, and many shall rejoice at his birth. |
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| 15 For he shall be great before the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. |
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 the Lord their God. |
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 go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn hearts of fathers to children, and disobedient ones to the thoughts of just men, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people. |
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 Zacharias said to the angel, How shall I know this, for *I* am an old man, and my wife advanced in years? |
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| 19 And the angel answering, said to him, *I* am Gabriel, who stand before God, and I have been sent to speak to thee, and to bring these glad tidings to thee; |
Gabriel – One of the most honored angels, but inferior to Michael. R490:5
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| 20 and behold, thou shalt be silent and not able to speak, till the day in which these things shall take place, because thou hast not believed my words, the which shall be fulfilled in their time. |
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 the people were awaiting Zacharias, and they wondered at his delaying in the temple. |
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| 22 But when he came out he could not speak to them, and they recognised that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he was making signs to them, and continued dumb. |
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| 23 And it came to pass, when the days of his service were completed, he departed to his house. |
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| 24 Now after these days, Elizabeth his wife conceived, and hid herself five months, 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 Thus has the Lord done to me in these days in which he looked upon me to take away my reproach among men. |
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| 26 But in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent of God to a city of Galilee, of which the name was 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 betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was 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 the angel came in to her, and said, Hail, thou favoured one! the Lord is with thee: blessed art *thou* amongst 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 But she, seeing the angel, was troubled at his word, and reasoned in her mind what this salutation might be. |
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| 30 And the angel said to her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with 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 behold, thou shalt conceive in the womb and bear a son, and thou shalt call his name 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 *He* shall be great, and shall be called Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give him the throne of David his father; |
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 for the ages, and of his kingdom there shall not be an end. |
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| 34 But Mary said to the angel, How shall this be, since I know not a man? |
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| 35 And the angel answering said to her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and power of the Highest overshadow thee, wherefore the holy thing also which shall be born shall be called 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 behold, Elizabeth, thy kinswoman, she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month to her that was 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 nothing shall be impossible with God. |
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| 38 And Mary said, Behold the bondmaid of the Lord; be it to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. |
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| 39 And Mary, rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, |
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 Elizabeth. |
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| 41 And it came to pass, as Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, |
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| 42 and cried out with a loud voice and said, Blessed art *thou* amongst women, and blessed the fruit of thy womb. |
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 is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? |
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| 44 For behold, as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the babe leaped with joy in my womb. |
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 blessed is she that has believed, for there shall be a fulfilment of the things spoken to her from the Lord. |
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| 46 And Mary said, My soul magnifies 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 my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour. |
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| 48 For he has looked upon the low estate of his bondmaid; for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. |
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| 49 For the Mighty One has done to me great things, and holy is his name; |
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| 50 and his mercy is to generations and generations to them that fear him. |
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| 51 He has wrought strength with his arm; he has scattered haughty ones in the thought of their heart. |
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| 52 He has put down rulers from thrones, and exalted the lowly. |
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 He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent away the rich 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 has helped Israel his servant, in order to remember mercy, |
His servant Israel – The whole twelve tribes. C293; R1341:1
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| 55 (as he spoke to our fathers,) to Abraham and to his seed for ever. |
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| 56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her house. |
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| 57 But the time was fulfilled for Elizabeth that she should bring forth, and she gave birth to a son. |
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| 58 And her neighbours and kinsfolk heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy with her, and they rejoiced with her. |
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| 59 And it came to pass on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they called it after the name of his father, Zacharias. |
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| 60 And his mother answering said, No; but he shall be called John. |
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| 61 And they said to her, There is no one among thy kinsfolk who is called by this name. |
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| 62 And they made signs to his father as to what he might wish it to be called. |
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| 63 And having asked for a writing-table, he wrote saying, John is his name. And they all wondered. |
John – Signifying, "the favor of God." R4940:2
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| 64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue, and he spake, blessing 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 fear came upon all who dwelt round about them; and in the whole hill-country of Judaea all these things were the subject of conversation. |
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| 66 And all who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, What then will this child be? And the Lord's hand was with him. |
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| 67 And Zacharias his father was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, |
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| 68 Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, because he has visited and wrought redemption for his people, |
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 deliverance for us in the house of David his servant; |
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 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, who have been since the world began; |
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| 71 deliverance from our enemies and out of the hand of all who hate 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 fulfil mercy with our fathers and remember his holy covenant, |
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| 73 the oath which he swore to Abraham our father, |
The oath – The church are the children of the oath, the Abrahamic Covenant. R5300:5
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| 74 to give us, that, saved out of the hand of our enemies, we should serve him without fear |
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| 75 in piety and righteousness before him all our days. |
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| 76 And *thou*, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest; for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to make ready his ways; |
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 to give knowledge of deliverance to his people by the remission of their sins |
To give knowledge – To show them the "high calling" of this present age. R4941:4
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| 78 on account of the bowels of mercy of our God; wherein the dayspring from on high has visited us, |
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 upon them who were sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the 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 --And the child grew and was strengthened in spirit; and he was in the deserts until the day of his shewing to 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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