THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE
(Lesson 3 – Feb 4, 2025) Chs. 1: 5 - 29
Luke presents Jesus’
earthly ministry as a battle between Christ and Satan and wins over by his
death and resurrection.
He presents challenges
between Now and the end times (eschaton)
He presents the Joy of the
world because the blood of Christ redeemed him.
The Infancy
Narrative
Lk 1:5 – only Matthew and Luke present stories of the
birth of Christ but from two different perspectives. Luke centers on Mary while
Matthew focuses on Joseph. Despite the many variations, both agree on the
essential point that Mary is pregnant without human relations.
The purpose of drawing the
Gentiles to the community of Israel by setting the many references to political
events and leaders of the day within the context of the OT. Ex; Simion
proclamation: Jesus is “a light of revelation to the Gentiles/ and glory for
people of Israel (1:29-32)
Vv. 11, 19 - “the
angel appeared” – Lk does not mention the name of the angel – doubt is
clarified by revealing the name “I am Gabriel”
The name - Gabriel – is a combination of two Hebrew terms: Gabur (“strong man”, “warrior”) and El (“God”) = “Warrior of God”.
Gabriel has a role in the
OT: explains a vision to Daniel (8:15, 17-26) while simultaneously giving Daniel
understanding (9:22).
V. 13 – “Do not be afraid”; a stereotyped OT
phrase (Dt 3:22; Gen 15:1; Jos 1:9; Dan 10:12,19) – 365 times
mentioned in the Holy
Bible.
- “You shall name him John”.
The name John means YHWH has shown favor”. It shows his role in the salvation
history.
V. 15 – “He will drink neither wine nor strong drink” (similar to Samson (Jgs
13: 4-5) and Samuel (1 Sam 1:1, 11) – consecrated by Nazarite vow and set apart
for the Lord’s service.
- The Nazarite vow is a set of laws in the Hebrew Bible
that describe a voluntary vow of separation from the world for some time (Num
6:1–21) to serve the Lord.
V. 17 – “He will go before
him in the spirit and power of Elijah to
turn the hearts of fathers……….
John is to be the
messenger sent before Yahweh as described in Mal 3:1-2 is sent before “the
great and terrible day of the Lord comes”
V. 20 – “You will be speechless and unable to talk”: When Mary asked a similar
question (Lk 1:34), she was encouraged,
praised, and reassured but Zechariah was punished.
V. 25 - “to take away my reproach/disgrace before others: Rachel, when she bare a
son, said, “God hath taken away my reproach,” (Gen 30:23; Is 4:1; Hos 9:11;1
Sam 1:6-10) = “Yet the days were coming when to be childless would be regarded
by Jewish mothers as a blessing” ( Lk 23:29).
Among the Jews, a family
of children was counted as a signal blessing, evidence of the favor of God (Ps
113:9; Ps 128:3; Is 4:1; Is 44:3-4; Lev 26:9). To be “barren,” therefore, or to
be destitute of children, was considered a “reproach” or a “disgrace”.
- All the prayers we offer up to
God, are acceptable and successful only by Christ's intercession in the temple
of God above – “through Christ our Lord”
Amen.
- “Prayers of faith are filed
in heaven and are not forgotten. Prayers made when we were young and
entering into the world, may be answered when we are old and going out of the
world” - Matthew Henry
-
Definition of Faith: Heb. 11:1
Vv. 26-27 – “In the sixth month” - after
the vision of Zachariah. This is the only passage that indicates the age of
John the Baptist, as half a year older than our Lord.
- Named Nazareth — A small city in the tribe of
Zebulon, now reduced to a very low and contemptible condition (Mt 2:23). Josephus
describes it as rich in trees and pastures, strong, populous, containing 204
towns, of which the least had 15000 inhabitants.
- “a virgin” (Is 7:14; Jer 31:22) The many
miraculous and glorifying legends which soon began to gather around her name in
the Apocryphal Gospels are utterly unknown to Scripture.
Jer 31:22: St Jerome in his commentary on this verse understood it of Mary's virginal conception of Christ. "The Lord has created a new thing on earth; without seed of man, without carnal union and conception. ' a woman will encompass a man' within her womb - One who, though He will later appear to advance in wisdom and age through the stages of infancy and childhood, yet, while confined for the usual number of months in his mother's womb, will already be perfect man".
- unto a city of Galilee,
named Nazareth; the whole country of Galilee was mean and contemptible with the
Jews: they observe, though through mistake, that no prophet arose out of it, Jn
7:52 and Nazareth particularly was exceeding despicable in their eye: hence
those words of Nathanael, "can any good thing come out of Nazareth?"
Jn 1:46 “yet hither an angel was sent by
God; and here dwelt the mother of our Lord”.
V. 27 – “a virgin betrothed to a man named
Joseph”
The Protoevangelium of James: 8, 9 (not inspired
by the Holy Spirit, non-canonical)
a.
And when she was twelve years old there was
held a council of the priests, saying: Behold, Mary has reached the age of
twelve years in the temple of the Lord. What then shall we do with her, lest
perchance she defile the sanctuary of the Lord? And they said to the high
priest: You stand by the altar of the Lord; go in, and pray concerning her; and
whatever the Lord shall manifest unto you, that also will we do. And the high
priest went in, taking the robe with the twelve bells into the holy of holies;
and he prayed concerning her. And behold an angel of the Lord stood by him,
saying unto him: Zacharias, Zacharias, go out and assemble the widowers of the
people, and let them bring each his rod; and to whomsoever the Lord shall show
a sign, his wife shall she be. And the heralds went out through all the circuit
of Judæa, and the trumpet of the Lord sounded, and all ran.
b.
And
Joseph, throwing away his axe, went out to meet them; and when they had
assembled, they went away to the high priest, taking with them their rods. And
he, taking the rods of all of them, entered into the temple, and prayed; and
having ended his prayer, he took the rods and came out, and gave them to them:
but there was no sign in them, and Joseph took his rod last; and, behold, a
dove came out of the rod, and flew upon Joseph's head. And the priest said to
Joseph, You have been chosen by lot to take into your keeping the virgin of the
Lord. But Joseph refused, saying: I have children, and I am an old man, and she
is a young girl. I am afraid lest I become a laughing-stock to the sons of
Israel. And the priest said to Joseph: Fear the Lord your God, and remember
what the Lord did to Dathan, and Abiram, and Korah; Numbers 16:31-33 how the
earth opened, and they were swallowed up on account of their contradiction. And
now fear, O Joseph, lest the same things happen in your house. And Joseph was
afraid, and took her into his keeping. And Joseph said to Mary: Behold, I have
received you from the temple of the Lord; and now I leave you in my house, and
go away to build my buildings, and I shall come to you. The Lord will protect
you.
V. 28 – “Hail favored one! The
Lord is with you”
V. 29 – “Do not be afraid, (….) for you
have found favor with God”
