Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6 Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly. 7 But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years. (Luke 1:1-7)
It is instructive to compare the opening of each of the four
gospels, for it shows the differing intentions of each writer. Their beliefs
about Jesus are unified, but their ways of presenting him differ in
characteristic ways.
John focuses on his eternal pre-existence as the Word, the
expression of the true character of the Triune God. He was not always
"Jesus," for that was his human birth name. But he was always the
Word. Even before his incarnation as Jesus, the Word was both "with
God" and "was God" according to John 1.
Matthew presents him as the "son of Abraham" and
"son of David." As the "son of Abraham" he inherits the promises
to Abraham, and "all nations" will find true "blessing" in
him (Genesis 12:2-3).
Mark introduces him as "Jesus, the Messiah ('Christ'),
the Son of God" (Mark 1:1), whose announcer—prophesied by Isaiah
(1:2-3)—was the prophet John the Baptist (1:4-11).
Interestingly enough, Luke doesn't actually describe Jesus
in his opening words, which are mainly about his intention to write an orderly
and accurate historical account about "things" that his primary
addressee, Theophilus, has been taught. Those "things," we will soon
learn, are in fact the words and deeds of Jesus of Nazareth. But like a good
suspense writer, Luke delays that information.
Since in his opening lines Luke declares his intention to
present an "orderly account," which certainly includes all necessary
background information: dates, regions, rulers, etc., he immediately sets the
stage for the story of Jesus' birth, by telling us when his forerunner John and
he were born. It was "in the time of Herod, king of Judea." Actually,
"Herod" was a family name borne by several rulers of Judea during
this era. The man referred to here was the first of these, often called
"Herod the Great." Theophilus would not know Herod's period by the
dates we use today, "so-many years BC," since that calendar (the
"Julian Calendar") only came into use a century or more later. He
would know the period by Herod's contemporaries, and in particular by the Roman
emperor ruling at the time, who was Octavian, better known by his epithet
"Augustus." Alfred Edersheim dates the event described here in Luke
as October of the Roman year 748 AUC (Latin ab
urbe condita "from the founding of the city [of Rome]"), which
corresponds to 6 BC. Most Romans of the
period would not have referred to the AUC numbering, but to the two consuls who
held office that year, or by the regnal year of the emperor.
The Announcement of
the Birth of the Forerunner.
8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb. 16 Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” 18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” 19 The angel answered, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time.” 21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 22 When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak. 23 When his time of service was completed, he returned home. 24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. 25 “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.” (Luke 1:8-25)
From the first introduction of the priest Zechariah,
Theophilus would know that the child to be born lived in Judea, the southern of
the two principal regions of Jewish Palestine, since the priests lived in the
same general area as the world-famous temple of the God of the Jewish people.
Depending upon whether or not Theophilus was Jewish, he might also know from
Zechariah's priestly division, Abijah, where in Judea he resided and when his
turn for duty in the temple fell.
Throughout his gospel and its sequel, the Book of Acts, Luke
shows a keen interest in the role of women in the mission to spread the good
news about Jesus. So right away he also gives us the name of Zechariah's wife,
Elizabeth. Furthermore, he then informs us that not just the priest Zechariah,
but also his wife Elizabeth, were " were upright in the sight of God,
observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly"
(1:6). This is only the first of many
points in the account that are meant to remind us of the ancient story of the
birth of the prophet Samuel, who would eventually anoint Israel's best king,
David. Both of Samuel's parents—Elkanah and Hannah—were also described as
scrupulously obedient to the laws of God and faithful in making pilgrimage to
the sanctuary of God at Shiloh. Yet they, like Zechariah and Elizabeth, were
unable to have a child. In Elkanah's case it is made clear that it was his wife
Hannah who was infertile, since he had children by a secondary wife, Peninnah.
In the case of Zechariah and Elizabeth there was no secondary wife, but the
scripture itself (that is, Luke) tells us that it was Elizabeth who was
infertile ("barren," Greek στεῖρα). Furthermore, by this time both of them were quite old
(verse 7), so that even Zechariah may have lost what fertility he once had, or
at least his ability to "perform" sexually. All hope for a child
seems gone for good.
What first appears to be a challenge to belief in the
goodness and fairness of God—this couple was devout (v. 6), yet he denied them children (v. 7)—turns into a gift
from God that is truly wonderful. Again as with Elkanah and Hannah, God answers
prayers and gives the couple not only a child, and not only a son, but a son
who becomes a prophet of the Most High God (v. 15-17), and the forerunner of
the Messiah himself!
Each of the twenty-four divisions served in the temple for
one week, twice a year, as well as at the major festivals. But an individual
priest could offer the incense at the daily sacrifice only once in his lifetime
(v. 9), since there were so many priests. While Zechariah was in the inner
section of the temple, offering the incense, which was a visual symbol of
prayers ascending to God in heaven, Luke tells us that the assembled worshipers
outside were praying (v. 10). Doubtless, Zechariah too was praying (v. 13),
although at this late point in his life we do not know if he still prayed for a
son. Probably he prayed for God's people Israel to live worthily and faithfully
represent God before the pagan world around them. Perhaps too he prayed for the
coming of the Messiah, who would bring in God's perfect kingdom of worldwide
righteousness and peace.
What happened next was totally unexpected: while Zechariah
was still inside the sanctuary of the temple, suddenly an angel of the Lord
appeared to him, standing right next to the altar of incense where Zechariah
was! Angels had appeared to Old Testament men and women, and even promised them
children, but not inside the sacred precincts of the temple itself. Zechariah
was paralyzed with fear (v. 12), probably because he thought that he had
committed some terrible sin in connection with his priestly service and was
going to be punished on the spot.
But the angel calmed his fears, reassuring him that this
visit was in response to his prayer for a son (v. 13). But if God was going to
answer his prayer, why was it necessary for him to tell him about it first?
Couldn't God just make Elizabeth pregnant? Why the big show? The answer was
that this child wasn't going to be just an ordinary one, but would have a role
in God's plan for human history that would dwarf even that of such greats of
Israel's past as Abraham and Moses and David! And because of his extremely
important role, he must be given a name chosen by God, "John" (v.
13), and properly raised by his parents (v. 15). Zechariah and Elizabeth must know in advance
that this child will be filled with God's Holy Spirit even from his time in
Elizabeth's womb (v. 15; see v. 44 where John leaped for joy in the womb when
he heard Mary's greeting), and they must respect that.
John would be a source of great joy both to his parents and
to "many." The word "many" is often used in Old Testament
prophecy (Hebrew rabbîm) and in the
New Testament (polloi) as a reference
to the worldwide community of those who believe in Jesus and are saved from
their sins (see Isaiah 2:3-4; 53:11-12; Matt 8:11; 19:30; 20:28; 26:28). John's greatness will be appreciated mainly
by God himself ("in the sight of the Lord") and by those who honor and
love the Lord. Zechariah is not told how his precious son will end his life,
brutally decapitated at the request of a lustful young woman and the command of
a lewd and godless king Herod Antipas. But the Savior himself will attest how
"among humans there is none greater than John" (Matt 11:11 = Luke 7:28).
His ministry is described (v. 16-17) as: prophesying in the
manner and power of Elijah the prophet, bringing Israel back to the Lord their
God, and making them ready for the Lord. You recall how Elijah functioned.
Israel in his times was living a compromised faith: half faithful to God and
half worshiping Baal, the god of the pagan Phoenicians (Tyre and Sidon). Elijah
not only scorched them with fiery rebukes of their paganism, he announced a
lengthy drought and famine from God as their punishment. And when the nation
had reached the end of its patience and desperately sought Baal to bring rain
on their crops, Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to a contest on Mount
Carmel (1 Kings 18): which of their "gods" was the real God. Which
one could withhold rain and then bring it again after repentance? The contest
showed the powerlessness of Baal, and the stupendous power of Yahweh, the God
of Israel. One of Israel's most wicked kings, Ahab, sought to have Elijah
killed, but God saved him. Ironically, John the Baptist, who called Israel to
repentance and rebuked another wicked king, Herod Antipas, was not spared death
at his hands. But, foreshadowing the very ministry of Jesus himself, it was
through death at the hands of the wicked that John's ministry showed itself to
be most successful. No true prophet of
God should be welcomed by wicked and powerful people.
Zechariah was a good man, but his faith was frail. So he
asked for a miraculous sign to assure him that this was really God's intention
(v. 18). The angel's initial response (v. 19) was to identify himself by name
("I am Gabriel, who stands in the very presence of God"), and his
mission ("I was sent [by God] to bring you this good news"). The word
of one permitted to stand in the very presence of God ought to be trustworthy. But
both in order to grant his request for a sign, and to discipline him for not
believing without such a sign (v. 20), Zechariah
would lose his power of speech until the fulfillment of the promise.
After the angel departed, Zechariah came out of the
sanctuary, where the worshipers awaited him, worried at his delay. Perhaps he
had suffered a stroke and was lying dead in the sanctuary, for he was known to
be a very old man. When he was unable to speak to them, they knew that God had
appeared to him in the temple. After Zechariah returned to his home, in due
time his wife became pregnant, and the priest knew that he had been foolish not
to believe the angel. Elizabeth was overjoyed, because her lack of a child had
brought criticism upon her by others, thinking that this was God's punishment
on her for some wickedness or flaw in her character. Now she would be able to
raise a child of her own!
