luke 1 summary

(1) The purpose of all redemption--"that we should serve Him"--that is, "the Lord God of Israel" ( Luke 1:68 ). Through the tender mercy of our God--the sole spring, necessarily, of all salvation for sinners. . 36. thy cousin--"relative," but how near the word says not. stand, &c.--as his attendant (compare 1 Kings 17:1 ). Marvellous faith in such circumstances! Luke 1:57-80 . 40. saluted Elisabeth--now returned from her seclusion ( Luke 1:24 ). to make ready, &c.--more clearly, "to make ready for the Lord a prepared people," to have in readiness a people prepared to welcome Him. For, &c.--referring to what was said by the angel to Abraham in like case ( Genesis 18:14 ), to strengthen her faith. house of . My soul . All Rights Reserved. Hence the language of Psalms 141:2 , Revelation 8:3 . fathers to the children--taken literally, this denotes the restoration of parental fidelity [MEYER and others], the decay of which is the beginning of religious and social corruption--one prominent feature of the coming revival being put for the whole. 74, 75. 65. fear--religious awe; under the impression that God's hand was specially in these events (compare Luke 5:26 , 7:16 , 8:37 ). 59. eighth day--The law ( Genesis 17:12 ) was observed, even though the eighth day after birth should be a sabbath ( John 7:23 ; and see Philippians 3:5 ). 34. hast been instructed--orally instructed--literally, "catechized" or "catechetically taught," at first as a catechumen or candidate for Christian baptism. 77. to give knowledge of salvation--To sound the note of a needed and provided "salvation" was the noble office of John, above all that preceded him; as it is that of all subsequent ministers of Christ; but infinitely loftier was it to be the "Salvation" itself ( Luke 1:69 and Luke 2:30 ). and yet not a trace of it is now to be seen, while the progeny of those two women--the one but the honored pioneer of the other--have made the world new. Compiled & Edited by BST & Crosswalk Staff, Compiled & Edited by BibleStudyTools Staff, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. He was also seeking those who were obedient and faithful, such as the Roman Centurion who sincerely pleads with Jesus to heal his servant from a far distance, “just say the word, and my servant will be healed” (7:7). So with Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Elkanah and Hannah, Manoah and his wife. "Nay, rather blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it.". 69. horn of salvation--that is "strength of salvation," or "mighty Salvation," meaning the Saviour Himself, whom Simeon calls "Thy Salvation" ( Luke 2:30 ). It appears from the Acts of the Apostles, and the Apostolic Epistles, that the earliest preaching of the Gospel consisted of a brief summary of the facts of our Lord's earthly history, with a few words of pointed application to the parties addressed. thou child--not "my son"--this child's relation to himself being lost in his relation to a Greater than either. But why there? 7. Chapter 1 of Luke focuses on two main characters—Zacharias and Mary. "The mother of my Lord"--but not "My Lady" (compare Luke 20:42 , John 20:28 )" [BENGEL]. BIRTH AND CIRCUMCISION OF JOHN--SONG OF ZACHARIAS AND PROGRESS OF THE CHILD. In the Old Testament, God is said to "visit" chiefly for judgment, in the New Testament for mercy. And the child, &c.--"a concluding paragraph, indicating, in strokes full of grandeur, the bodily and mental development of the Baptist; and bringing his life up to the period of his public appearance" [OLSHAUSEN]. conceived, &c.--This was to Mary an unsought sign, in reward of her faith. and power of Elias--not his miraculous power, for John did no miracle" ( John 10:41 ), but his power "turning the heart," or with like success in his ministry. This was that in which Zacharias failed. 32, 33. (2) The nature of this service--"in holiness and righteousness before Him" ( Luke 1:75 )--or, as in His presence (compare Psalms 56:13 ). for ever--the perpetuity of Messiah's kingdom, as expressly promised by the angel ( Luke 1:33 ). 42-44. his showing unto Israel--the presentation of himself before his nation, as Messiah's forerunner. About the author, Luke the physician. With 80 verses, it is one of the longest chapters in the New Testament. 13. thy prayer is heard--doubtless for offspring, which by some presentiment he even yet had not despaired of. Lord God of Israel--the ancient covenant God of the peculiar people. The naming of children at baptism has its origin in the Jewish custom at circumcision ( Genesis 21:3 Genesis 21:4 ); and the names of Abram and Sarai were changed at its first performance ( Genesis 17:5 Genesis 17:15 ). 19. HE was the REALITY and PERFECTION of the Nazarite without the symbol, which perished in that living realization of it: "Such an High Priest became us, who was SEPARATE FROM SINNERS" ( Hebrews 7:26 ). These are two ordinary people living relatively ordinary lives. 14. shall rejoice--so they did ( Luke 1:58 Luke 1:66 ); but the meaning rather is, "shall have cause to rejoice"--it would prove to many a joyful event. David--This shows that Mary must have been known to be of the royal line, independent of Joseph; of whom Zacharias, if he knew anything, could not know that after this he would recognize Mary. This is but an echo of the sublime prediction in Isaiah 9:6 Isaiah 9:7 . But God reached down into human history and revealed Himself to them in unique, personal and dramatic ways. with haste--transported with the announcement to herself and with the tidings, now first made known to her, of Elisabeth's condition. in order--or "consecutively"--in contrast, probably, with the disjointed productions to which he had referred. The song passes not here from Christ to John, but only from Christ direct to Christ as heralded by His forerunner. . 41. babe leaped--From Luke 1:44 it is plain that this maternal sensation was something extraordinary--a sympathetic emotion of the unconscious babe, at the presence of the mother of his Lord. Your email address will not be published. sins--This stamps at once the spiritual nature of the salvation here intended, and explains Luke 1:71 Luke 1:74 . What beautiful superiority to envy have we here! Joseph, of the house of, 28. highly favoured--a word only once used elsewhere ( Ephesians 1:6 , "made accepted"): compare Luke 1:30 , "Thou hast found favour with God." in the deserts--probably "the wilderness of Judea" ( Matthew 3:1 ), whither he had retired early in life, in the Nazarite spirit, and where, free from rabbinical influences and alone with God, his spirit would be educated, like Moses in the desert, for his future high vocation. Luke 1 is the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. . dayspring from on high--either Christ Himself, as the "Sun of righteousness" ( Malachi 4:2 ), arising on a dark world [BEZA, GROTIUS, CALVIN, DE WETTE, OLSHAUSEN, &c.], or the light which He sheds. of High as was the distinction conferred upon herself, Elisabeth loses sight of it altogether, in presence of one more honored still; upon whom, with her unborn Babe, in an ecstasy of inspiration, she pronounces a benediction, feeling it to be a wonder unaccountable that "the mother of her Lord should come to her." 43. 66. hand of the Lord was with him--by special tokens marking him out as one destined to some great work ( 1 Kings 18:46 , 2 Kings 3:15 , Acts 11:21 ). that holy thing born of thee--that holy Offspring of thine. 22. speechless--dumb, and deaf also (see Luke 1:62 ). to . This book was written to record an accurate account. Proud member . Gabriel--signifying "man of God," the same who appeared to Daniel at the time of incense ( Daniel 9:21 ) and to Mary ( Luke 1:26 ). This again was a symbol of the "living sacrifice" of themselves and their services offered daily to God by the worshippers. But then, for the rest of the gospel, Luke didn’t use the language of scholars but of the common man, the language of the village and the street. . (3) Its freedom--"being delivered out of the hand of our enemies." As "the Most High" is an epithet in Scripture only. He wrote to the Greeks to present Jesus in His perfect manhood as the “Son of Man,” the Savior of all men. Hence, not only "grace," or the thing promised; but "truth," or fidelity to the promise, are said to "come by Jesus Christ" ( John 1:17 ). 11. right side--the south side, between the altar and the candlestick, Zacharias being on the north side, in front of the altar, while offering incense [WEBSTER and WILKINSON]. 20. dumb--speechless. 31. The sense, of course, is one.