1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,
2 Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;
3 It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,
4 That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.
5 THERE was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,
9 According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.
11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.
19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.
20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.
21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.
22 And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.
23 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.
24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,
25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.
57 Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.
58 And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.
59 And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.
60 And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
61 And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
62 And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.
63 And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.
64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.
65 And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.
66 And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.
67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,
68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.
The first chapter of the Gospel of Luke in the King James Version (KJV) of the Holy Bible is a rich narrative that sets the stage for the arrival of Jesus Christ. This chapter introduces two crucial characters: John the Baptist and Jesus Christ, whose births are foretold. The chapter is filled with themes of divine intervention, faith, fulfillment of prophecy, and the power of prayer. The chapter's events and themes are significant in understanding the broader narrative of the New Testament.
The chapter opens with the story of Zechariah, a righteous priest, and his wife Elizabeth, who were both descendants of Aaron. They were blameless in the eyes of God, following all the Lord's commandments. Despite their righteousness, they were childless, as Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in age. In Jewish society, childlessness was often seen as a curse, and it brought them much sorrow.
Zechariah's division was serving in the temple when he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. While he was inside, an angel of the Lord, Gabriel, appeared to him. Zechariah was terrified, but Gabriel told him not to be afraid. He brought a message from God: Elizabeth would bear a son, and they were to name him John. He would be great in the sight of the Lord, filled with the Holy Spirit even before his birth, and he would turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. He would go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous.
This was a fulfillment of the prophecy in Malachi 4:5-6 about the coming of Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord. The angel's message emphasized two significant characteristics of John's mission: he was to bring about a religious revival among the Jews, and he was to prepare the way for the coming Messiah.
Zechariah questioned the angel's message, finding it hard to believe given their old age. Because of his disbelief, Gabriel declared that Zechariah would be unable to speak until the things he had spoken of had happened. This is a crucial lesson on the importance of faith and the consequences of doubt in God's word.
The narrative then shifts to the town of Nazareth, where the angel Gabriel visited a virgin named Mary, who was betrothed to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. Gabriel greeted Mary, telling her that she was highly favored and blessed among women. He then announced that she would conceive and give birth to a son, whom she was to name Jesus. He would be great, be called the Son of the Most High, and God would give him the throne of his father David. He would reign over Jacob's descendants forever, and his kingdom would have no end.
This announcement fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah 9:6-7 about the coming of a child who would be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and peace would never end, and he would reign with fairness and justice from the throne of David.
Mary questioned how this could be since she was a virgin. Gabriel explained that the Holy Spirit would come upon her, and the power of the Most High would overshadow her. The child to be born would be holy and called the Son of God. He also told her that her relative Elizabeth was pregnant, even in her old age, for nothing is impossible with God. Mary responded with faith and submission, accepting the will of God.
Upon hearing about Elizabeth's pregnancy, Mary hurried to visit her. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby in her womb leaped, and she was filled with the Holy Spirit. She blessed Mary and the fruit of her womb, acknowledging Mary's faith and the greatness of her child. Mary responded with a song of praise, known as the Magnificat, magnifying the Lord and rejoicing in God her Savior. She acknowledged her lowly state and God's favor upon her. She praised God's mighty deeds, his mercy, and his faithfulness in fulfilling his promises to Abraham and his descendants.
Mary's song is a profound expression of faith and a profound theological reflection on God's character and actions. It emphasizes God's preference for the humble and lowly, his justice in bringing down the powerful and lifting up the lowly, and his mercy in providing for those who fear him.
The chapter concludes with the birth of John the Baptist. Elizabeth gave birth to a son, and her neighbors and relatives rejoiced with her. On the eighth day, when the child was to be circumcised, the relatives wanted to name him Zechariah after his father. However, Elizabeth insisted that his name was to be John. They questioned this because no one in their family had this name. They made signs to Zechariah to find out what he wanted to name the child. Zechariah asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." Immediately his mouth was opened, and he began to speak, praising God.
The neighbors were filled with awe, and the news spread throughout the hill country of Judea. Everyone who heard pondered these events, asking, "What manner of child shall this be!" For the Lord's hand was with him. Zechariah, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied about the roles of his son John and Jesus in God's salvation plan. He spoke of John as a prophet of the Most High who would prepare the way for the Lord and give the knowledge of salvation to his people through the forgiveness of their sins. He spoke of Jesus as the rising sun who would come from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and guide our feet into the path of peace.
The first chapter of Luke thus sets the stage for the unfolding of God's salvation plan through John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. It highlights the themes of divine intervention, faith, fulfillment of prophecy, and the power of prayer. It teaches that God is faithful in fulfilling his promises, that nothing is impossible with God, and that God's plans often defy human expectations. It also underlines the importance of faith and obedience in responding to God's word.
This chapter is rich in theological insights and lessons for believers. It invites us to reflect on God's faithfulness, power, justice, and mercy. It challenges us to respond to God's word with faith and obedience, even when it defies our understanding and expectations. It encourages us to rejoice in God's salvation and to live in the light of his coming kingdom.
In conclusion, the first chapter of Luke's Gospel is a powerful narrative that sets the stage for the unfolding of God's salvation plan through John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. It is a chapter that speaks of divine intervention, faith, prophecy, and prayer. It is a chapter that invites us to reflect on God's faithfulness, power, justice, and mercy. It is a chapter that challenges us to respond to God's word with faith and obedience. It is a chapter that encourages us to rejoice in God's salvation and to live in the light of his coming kingdom.
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