Announcing
the Forerunner
Luke 1:1-25; 57-80
1:26-38;
Tom Nettles
I.
The Necessity of
a True History – 1:1-4
A.
Reconstitution
of those things that have been carried out in full –1. The beginning assumption is that Christ’s earthly
mission has been completed. Luke sees the importance of a narrative that sets
the events n a context to demonstrate the viability of the immediate
interpretation placed on these events by the apostolic preachers of the gospel.
Luke accompanied Paul and wrote this gospel as a prelude to his record of the
preaching and actions of the apostles.
B.
Handed on by
eyewitnesses and servants of the Word- 2 -Though Luke was not an eyewitness of
the events of the life of Christ, he knew that what he was hearing from the
apostles demanded a substantial historical account of the life, actions, and
teachings of Christ. He therefore employed the accounts of eyewitnesses in
crafting this discussion of Jesus’ messianic claim
C.
Follow by careful
research from the first events of this happening. Luke had searched out the compiled
narratives and the eyewitnesses as far back as the initial events leading to
the birth of John The Baptist. Not only the witnesses
but the interplay of the persons involved in the following narrative served as
a powerful witness to the purposive flow of events culminating in the
crucifixion and resurrection and appearances. These were not historical
accidents but all came about in the pursuit of a plan.
D.
An orderly,
well-arranged, account in Writing – This does not mean that everything is
necessarily in chronological order but is arranged carefully to make the point
that Jesus in his redemptive work is fulfilling that which was prophesied about
him. Luke selects his historical events and arranges them, not to create a
false impression but to show definitively that Jesus is indeed “a savior,
Christ, the Lord.”
E.
To know
unfailingly the things you have been taught – fulfillment of prophecy; nature
of the miracles; appearances and instructions after the resurrection; Acts
II.
Historical Setting and Persons – 1:5-7
B. Persons –
Zacharias and Elizabeth
1. Pedigree
–Descendants of Aaron – Abijah, one of 24 divisions
of the priesthood
2. Character
·
Righteous in the sight of God – Malachi 3:18 –
·
Blameless in all the commandments and just requirement of
the Lord
·
This description does not mean that Zacharias was not sinful
and did not need justification but that he consciously served God in accordance
with the revealed requirements of his office, and sought to do it heartily.
3. Condition –
What is the importance of this?
·
Childless
·
Aged
·
Obviously when God placed such importance on women bearing
children to be barren seemed to be the result of some divine retribution; This
happened, however, in order that the miraculous nature of this conception would
give Mary at least one person that would believe her, rejoice with her, and
receive her during a very delicate time of her young
life.
III.
Specific Circumstances of the Announcement – 1:8-10
A. Zachariah was
ministering according to the orderly arrangement agreed upon by the priests
B. Chosen by lot
to enter the temple to burn the incense offering [Exodus 30:1-10 – done every
morning and evening
IV.
The Appearance and the Announcement – 11-17
B. Your petition
has been heard
1.
2. His name will
be John – this in itself would be a sign cf. 61
3. Joy will come,
yours and that of many [John 5:35]
C. Marked out for
Greatness by God
1. Great in the
Sight of the Lord 15 [Luke 7:24-28; What is greatness?]
His place as the last of the prophets and the only one that actually saw the
Christ and touched him and spoke with him constituted his greatness.
2. Externally he
would be marked out by a particular type of life manifesting absolute sobriety.
3. Filled with
the Holy Spirit 15
4. Turn many
Israelites back to the Lord – note response to preaching
5. Fulfillment of
Prophecy
·
Before Him – Malachi 3:1, Isaiah 40:3; cf. Lk 1:76; 3:4; 7:27
·
Elijah – Mal 4:5
·
Turn and prepare people for the Lord - Malachi 4:6
A. Zacharias
request for a knowledge superior to the announcement from one of God’s own
messengers brought upon him the temporary inability to proclaim the wonder of
this miracle and its meaning.
B. Redemption as
a fulfilment of prophecy and covenant 67-74
C. Purpose of
holy service 74, 75
D. John’s
activity would be specifically to prepare the people for the Messiah as a
redeemer from sin, darkness and rebellion 76-79
VI.
The Announcement to Mary of the birth of the Messiah –
1:26-38
A.
26, 27 - The same angel that had announced the birth of the forerunner, now announces the birth of the Messiah.
Betrothals were made not on the basis of the individual desires of the couple but
with participation, and often arrangement, of their families. The maidens were
young so as to maximize the number of years of child-bearing and also to avoid
the oppressiveness of unfulfilled sexual desire during the critical young adult
years. It is important that the family into which Jesus was born was of the
tribe of
B.
28-30 – The angels twice indicates that Mary has been
greatly favored by God, that she is the recipient of an unusually profound
grace. She is not a reservoir of grace to be given to others, but a recipient
as a matter of the sovereign purpose of God.
C.
31 – 34 – Mary was to be the woman through whom the Messiah
would come. Genesis 3:15 has promised the destruction of satan and his servants through the seed of the woman.
Several amazing incongruities were included in this announcement.
1.
She would conceive, but as of yet she was unmarried and had
no child-producing relations with a man.
2.
His name would be Jesus [which after Joshua means Jehovah is
salvation] and, and though the son she bore would be her son, he would be
called the Son of the Most High. It is also true, that he would be the one that
would fulfill God’s promise to David in 2 Samuel 7:16. The phrase “Son of the
Most High” carried with it eternality. One that was a Son of the Most High
meant that he shared the nature of the Most High. He must be an eternal person,
divine in nature, and yet would be born and would be her son and a true
descendant of David.
3.
Her question, “How will this be” is not a request for proof
as was the question of Zacharias; She needed nothing
but the word of God that it would be so. Her question was one of puzzlement
since she was a virgin and the announcement seemed to mean that this conception
would take place immediately.
D.
35-38 – The angel condescends to explain to her how this
amazing event of the Son of the Most High becoming her own son will take place.
How will the one that already the Son in an eternal sense become a son in the
temporal sense?
1.
The impregnation of Mary occurred when the Holy Spirit came
upon her. This was an act of creation in which her own egg was given vitality
through a special operation of the Holy Spirit. As Son of Man Jesus was truly a
conceived, finite, creature. Human nature was produced at this moment of
conception. At the moment of the Spirit’s coming upon her she conceived in her
womb [cf. 31]
2.
A second thing occurred, however, at the precise time off
the impregnation; that is, the power of the Most High overshadowed her. This is
a separate operation of God from that conceiving process involving the Holy
Spirit. This is the activity of God the Father in a mysterious operation in
which he overshadowed Mary with the person of his Son, eternally generated by
his power. The Son immediately assumes this human nature into himself so that
from the moment of conception “the child to be born was holy—the Son of God.”
He was Son of God, not on the basis of the production of his human nature by
the Holy Spirit, but on the basis of the overshadowing of the Father.
3.
Gabriel then gave Mary the gladdening news of the conception
that had taken place with her relative
VII.
41-48 - Elizabeth and Mary rejoice in the redemptive events
in which their lives have become so entwined.
A. 41 – This verse shows an amazing
concurrence of witnesses to the wonder of the reality that has now come to
pass. Mary, now pregnant, has gone to visit
B. 42 - By revelation she knew that
Mary had been selected to bear the child that would crush the serpents head.
C. 43 -
D. 44, 45 - Elizabeth recognized that her own child
already had begun his role of perfect submission to this calling to announce,
to point, and to be glad when the bridegroom comes; she was filled with joy at
perfectly content with the superior role to which Mary had been called and
thankful for the grace that generated Mary’s faithful acceptance of the message
of Gabriel. Every time anyone has faith we can say “Blessed is he/she who has
believed,” for faith has been granted to us [Philippians 1:29].
E. 46-48 - Mary had no haughtiness
about this, but knew that this was a manifestation of grace
VIII.
Application
A.
God’s control of
history to manifest his character through the covenant of redemption
B. All the
particular Providences of our lives are subdued to that purpose
C.
Greatness is
directly proportioned to the knowledge of God through Christ’s redemptive work
– interpreters that represent Luke as uninterested in atonement should see this
in relation to Lk 22:14-20, 37; 23:47; 24:25-27
D.
God’s power and
wisdom have full display in all the events that lead to and in the final
consummation of the Christ’s redemptive work.