Luke 1:57 - 80

In this passage, John the baptist is born, much to the joy of his parents and Elizabeth's relatives and neighbors. When asked the name of the child, she told them John. However since there were no "Johns" in the family, people were confused. So they asked Zechariah to write the child's name on a tablet, and he wrote "his name is John". At that moment, Zechariah was allowed to speak again, and he praises God for his redeeming strength of salvation for his people Israel. He also tells of how his newborn son will be called a prophet of the Most High, and will give "his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins".

There is no mention of John's childhood after this... only that he grows up strong in the spirit and eventually lives in the Desert, before his public ministry begins.

Luke 1:39 - 56

In this passage, Mary visits her relative Elizabeth to share in her joy. As Mary enters the house, the baby in Elizabeth jumped for joy.

I'd like to stop here and make some oberservations. First off, I feel that this is one verse that supports the fact that the unborn are alive and human well before birth. How can something that is not alive be reactive? Secondly, not only is the fetal John alive, but has the Holy Spirit to react to the presence of his Lord. Now John is blessed by the God and the previous verses do say that he was to be given the Holy Spirit, even from birth. However I also belive that his shows us that having faith is not something to be earned, accepted or completely understood. God can create faith by grace even in a fetus as he did with John. Back to Luke...

Elizabeth too exclaims in the sprit of how blessed Mary and her child are, and wonders why she is so honored to have them in her home. Even her baby lept for joy at their presence. She finishes by saying, "Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"

The rest of the passage is known as the Magnificat, how Mary praises God through poetry and/or a song. It tells us that God is merciful, mindful, faithful and does great things for us. He is powerful and scatters and brings low those who are proud and powerful. To those who are humble and hungry he feeds and raises up.

Luke 1:26 - 38

Shortly after visiting Zechariah, Gabriel returns to visit Mary, a Nazarene, virgin girl, who was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. He greets Mary warmly it seems by saying "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." Of course this troubled Mary, but Gabriel again consoles saying that she shouldn't be afraid and that she had found favor with God. He announces to Mary that she will bear a son and that his name was to be Jesus. He would become great and be called Son of the Most High, given the throne of David to reign over the house of Jacob forever, his kingdom having no end. Unlike doubtful Zechariah, Mary only asks in wonder of how this was to be, since she was a virgin. Gabriel informs her that the Spirit of God would overshadow her and conceive Jesus, so that he will also be called the Son of God. He also tells Mary that Elizabeth (her relative) was also expecting a child. So that in both women (a virgin and a barren womb) both would achieve the unthinkable. But as Luke 1:37 says "Nothing is impossible with God." In response to this news, Mary shows her faith by saying in verse 38, "I am the Lord's servant... may it be to me as you have said."

Perhaps this phrase is the only prayer we really need.

I am your servant Lord, may it be as you say it will be.

Luke 1:1 - 25

In Luke's letter to his friend, Theophilus, we read about how the purpose and reasoning for the letter comes from "things which have been fulfilled" or believed about Christ. Information that was "handed down by eyewitnesses and servants" of God. Luke, being a physician, was a very scientific and exact man. He "carefully investigated everything from the beginning" to create an "orderly account" of Christ's life and death. For what reason did Luke write these things? Luke 1:4 states "That you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught".

Luke starts with the preparation before Christ's arrival in the form of John the Baptist. John's parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth, were descendants of Aaron and Zechariah himself was a priest. Both were upright people, "observing all the Lord's commands and regulations". However, they were both old and Elizabeth was barren. During his time at the temple, Zechariah was chosen by lot to burn incense inside the temple of the Lord. While there, an angel appeared to him at the right hand side of the altar, scaring Zechariah. But the angel assures him and tells him "your prayer has been heard!" He announces that Elizabeth will bear a son, John. He will be assigned a great mission of bringing many to the Lord and "make ready a people for the Lord." He will even be born already with the Holy Spirit and in the spirit and power of Elijah. Unfortunately, like many of us, Zechariah has a moment of weakness. He doubts the message of the angel because he "is an old man and [his] wife is well along in years." The angel then tells us he is Gabriel and that he stands in the presence of God and is sent by God with good news. As punishment for his lack of faith, Zechariah is struck dumb and unable to speak until John is born at the proper time. John leaves the temple and the other priests can tell he has seen a vision. Elizabeth does become pregnant with John and enters seclusion for 5 months. She is quoted in verse 25 as saying "The Lord has done this for me. In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people."

I wonder if I would be any different than Zechariah. I try to imagine the things I pray for, and if one day an angel would pop down from heaven and announce that, not only had God heard my prayer, but will answer it with something more miraculous and glorifying than I had dreamt of. We have such little faith sometimes that God will answer our prayers in greater and more glorifying ways than we can think of. Let us trust that he will and rejoice always in the graciousness of our Lord!