LUKE CHAPTER 1

St. Luke begins his gospel (1:1-4) with a formal introduction written in a style common to some of the best Greek writings of the period. For example, we can compare St. Luke's introduction to that of a writing by the Greek historian Dionysius of Halicarnassus (who died sometime shortly before the birth of Christ), "Before beginning to write I gathered information, partly from the lips of the most learned men with whom I came into contact, and partly from histories written by Romans of whom they spoke with praise." The Protestant biblical commentator William Barclay explains why St. Luke followed this ancient model: "It is as if Luke said to himself, 'I am writing the greatest story in the world and nothing but the best is good enough for it.'"

Both this gospel and the Acts of the Apostles are addressed to Theophilus. We do not know the exact identity of Theophilus - we can, however, discern two things about him from his name and the way in which St. Luke addresses him. First, the name Theophilus means “friend of God:” this tells us that Theophilus was probably what is called a “God-fearer,” referring to a Gentile who worships the God of the Jews and attends services in a synagogue. Second, because St. Luke addresses this individual as “most excellent Theophilus” in Luke 1:3, most scholars believe Theophilus was a member of the ruling class (for example, St. Luke also addresses the governors Felix (Acts 23:26; 24:1) and Festus (Acts 26:25) as “most excellent” and “most noble”).

After his formal introduction, St. Luke begins his Gospel with the announcement of the birth of John the Baptist (1:5-25). St. Luke tells us three important things about John's parents: they were both righteous before God (even more, Zacharias was a priest, and Elizabeth was descended from the High Priest Aaron), both individuals were old, and Elizabeth was barren (meaning that she was unable to have a child) (1:5-7).

While Zacharias burned incense on the altar of incense in the temple - itself an important event in Zacharias' life, because a priest burned incense in the temple only once in his life - an angel appeared beside the altar (1:8-11). There is some disagreement regarding where this occurred: most Jewish scholars and archaeologists (and such Church Fathers as the Venerable Bede) state that the altar of incense was outside the Holy of Holies in the temple, while some Church Fathers (such as Blessed Theophylact and St. John Chrysostom) state that the angel appeared to Zacharias inside the Holy of Holies.

In any case, the angel - who identifies himself as the Archangel Gabriel (1:19) - told Zacharias that his wife Elizabeth would bear a son whose name would be John. This son would lead an exemplary life, and would go before the Messiah "in the spirit and power of Elijah...to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (1:13-17). The Venerable Bede explains the significance of the Archangel Gabriel's words:

Whenever in the Scriptures a name is imposed or changed...by God, it is indicative of great praise and virtue. It was good that our Redeemer's precursor was ordered to be called John. John means 'the grace of the Lord' or 'in whom there is grace.' He received a special grace beyond other saints, that of being Christ's precursor. He came to proclaim a previously unheard of grace to the world, that of entry into heaven. Therefore he who was full of grace himself and who brought the good news of God's grace to the rest of humankind expressed even by his name a proclamation of grace. It was rightly foretold that there was to be cause for exultation for many persons at his birth, since it was through him that the Author of their regeneration was manifested to the world.

This is an amazing prophecy: so amazing, in fact, that Zacharias did not immediately believe it (1:18, 20). Because he did not believe, he was made mute until after the birth of John (1:20-21).

St. Luke provides a small - but very important detail - about the actions of the people outside the temple while Zacharias burned incense and talked with the Archangel Gabriel: they prayed, and they waited to leave until Zacharias had come out from the temple (1:10, 21). Blessed Theophylact compares this behavior to the way we frequently behave during Church services: "Do you see how the Jews were waiting expectantly until the high priest should come out of the temple? But we Christians, if we do not leave church almost as soon as we have entered it, think that we are suffering terribly...But alas! how we neglect our service to God!"

Why, we might wonder, did Elizabeth hide herself for five months after she became pregnant (1:24)? Some Church Fathers suggest several possible reasons. St. Ambrose of Milan states she did it because of modesty, believing that it might appear unseemly that she engaged in sexual relations at her advanced age. St. Ephrem the Syrian presents several options: she might have hid herself on account of Zacharias' grief; she might have been ashamed of engaging in sexual relations; or she might have wanted to wait "until her infant would be sufficiently formed in his members to exult before his Lord, and because Mary was about to receive the annunciation."

At this point St. Luke's focus shifts from the parents of John the Baptist to the parents - and particularly the mother - of Jesus. When Elizabeth had been pregnant for six months, God sent the Archangel Gabriel to Nazareth to speak to a virgin named Mary. Gabriel's opening words to Mary constitute the best-known description of Mary in Christianity: "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women" (1:28). Mary's fear at this greeting prompts Gabriel to repeat that she has found favor with God (1:30).

The most common translation of "highly favored one" is "full of grace." This statement tells us a great deal about Mary. Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos - echoing the words of St. Nikodemos the Haghiorite - explains this situation:

The Virgin Mary had the fullness of Grace, from the fullness of Graces of her Son, prior to the conception, during the conception and after the conception. Prior to the conception the fullness of Grace was perfect, during the conception it was more perfect, and after the conception it was very perfect. In this manner the Virgin Mary was a virgin in body and a virgin in soul. And this physical virginity of hers is higher and more perfect than the virginity of the souls of the Saints, which is achieved through the energy of the All-holy Spirit.

The Archangel Gabriel gave to Mary a prophecy that is celebrated each year on the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25th): Mary would conceive a Son, Whose name would be Jesus, and He would be called the Son of the Highest and would reign on David's throne over the house of Jacob forever (1:31-33). The importance of this prophecy for us can be seen in the Troparion for the Feast of the Annunciation:

Today is the beginning of our salvation, the revelation of the eternal mystery! The Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin as Gabriel announces the coming of Grace. Together with him let us cry to the Theotokos: Rejoice, O Full of Grace, the Lord is with you.

Mary responded to this with a question: how could this prophecy be true, since she was a virgin? Mary was not married to Joseph, but instead was betrothed (in first century Judea the betrothal or engagement could last one year), and as a grace-filled young woman had therefore not engaged in sexual relations.

Mary's question is one of the main objections modern people have to the Incarnation of Christ: isn't it impossible for a virgin to become pregnant? The answer is simple: "For nothing is impossible with God" (1:37). The Holy Spirit came upon Mary, and the power of the Highest overshadowed her. Nonetheless, we could continue to press the question: how is this possible? I cannot understand it! The Church Fathers would answer: precisely! Our limited human intellects cannot fully grasp this truly incredible work of God. St. John of Damascus writes:

For just as all things whatsoever God made he made by the operation of the Holy Ghost, so also it is by the operation of the Spirit that these things are done which surpass nature and cannot be discerned except by faith alone...And I tell you that the Holy Spirit comes down and works these things which are beyond description and understanding.

St. Romanos the Melodist further says:

What I see I am not able to understand, for it passes human understanding. How is the bush that endures fire not consumed? How does the lamb endure the lion, or the swallow the eagle, and the servant his Master? In mortal womb, in a manner uncircumscribed, Mary bears my Savior as He wills it, So that every man may proclaim 'A virgin gives birth, and after the birth remains a virgin.'"

Of particular importance is Mary's response to what the Archangel Gabriel said: "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word" (1:38). Blessed Theophylact restates this response, "I am a writer's tablet; let the Writer write upon it whatever He wishes. Let the Lord do as He wills." This response is important for two reasons. First, as St. Irenaeus writes, Mary's obedience reverses the original disobedience of Eve:

For just as [Eve] was led astray by the word of an angel, so that she fled from God when she had transgressed His word; so did [Mary], by an angelic communication, receive the glad tidings that she should sustain God, being obedient to His word. And if the former did disobey God, yet the latter was persuaded to be obedient to God, in order that the Virgin Mary might become the patroness of the virgin Eve. And thus, as the human race fell into bondage to death by means of a virgin, so is it rescued by a virgin; virginal disobedience having been balanced in the opposite scale by virginal obedience. For in the same way the sin of the first created man receives amendment by the correction of the First-begotten, and the coming of the serpent is conquered by the harmlessness of the dove, those bonds being unloosed by which we had been fast bound to death.

Secondly, Mary's obedience serves as an example - and Mary herself as a source of strength - when we face situations where we can obey or disobey God. Fr. David Smith explains, "What has the Mother of God to do with our temptations? We flee to her because she gives us an example of complete obedience to the will of God."

After the Annunciation, Mary traveled to visit her cousin Elizabeth. St. Luke states that Elizabeth's baby leaped in her womb when she heard Mary's greeting (1:41, 44). The reason for this joy is made clear in verse 43, where Elizabeth recognizes Mary as the mother of her Lord.

St. Luke then gives us the "Song of Mary" (1:46-55), called in the West the Magnificat after the Latin word for "magnifies." The Magnificat begins with a proclamation of praise for God and joy in Him and His salvation (1:47). Mary humbly says that she is lowly, and that it is because of His action that all generations will call her blessed (1:48-49). Mary's Magnificat adds an important point: God's mercy is not given only to Mary, but is on all who fear Him (1:50). This point is emphasized by Blessed Theophylact:

He who magnifies God lives in a manner worthy of God. But you, O reader, who are called a Christian, ,do not do the opposite and belittle the dignity of Christ and the name of Christian by doing what you should not do, but rather magnify Him with magnificent and heavenly deeds.

Verses 51-53 remind us that these magnificent and heavenly deeds must always be done with a total reliance upon God, as Venerable Bede says by quoting Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Finally, Mary concluded her song by proclaiming that God's great deed in her is a fulfillment of His promise to the descendants of Abraham.

The birth of Zacharias and Elizabeth's child was a cause for rejoicing among their neighbors (1:57-58). When the child was circumcised eight days later, the neighbors were nonetheless shocked when, instead of naming the child after his father, both Elizabeth and Zacharias made clear that they intended to name the child John (which means "grace of God") (1:59-63). We can see this meaning of John's name in the Troparion for the Feast of his Nativity:

Prophet and Forerunner of the coming of Christ,

although we cannot praise you worthily,

we honor you in love at your nativity,

for by it you ended your father's silence and your mother's barrenness,

proclaiming to the world the incarnation of the Son of God!

As the Troparion states, Zacharias' speech was restored immediately after naming his son John (1:64). Filled by the Holy Spirit, Zacharius prophesied about the redemption brought by God and the prophetic role to be filled by John (in a hymn called in the West the Benedictus after the Latin word for "blessed").

Venerable Bede explains verses 68-75:

Hear what Zechariah, prophesying and blessing God, said: 'Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people.' Notice in these words that Zechariah was telling by way of prophecy, as if it had already come to pass, what he had foreseen in spirit had begun and would soon come to pass. By his appearance in the flesh our Lord visited us when we were distancing ourselves from him, and he chose to seek out and justify us when we were sinners.

Zacharais' prophecy to John in verses 76-79 foretells the child's role as the Forerunner of Christ: John was to go out before the Lord, giving the light and knowledge of salvation to the people. Blessed Theophylact comments on these verses:

[John was to go before] in order to prepare the ways of the Lord. The ways are the souls of those in whom the Lord makes His way. The Forerunner, therefore, prepared these souls so that the Lord might walk in them. How did he prepare them? By giving knowledge of salvation unto His people. Salvation is the Lord Jesus, and the knowledge of this salvation, that is, the knowledge of Christ, was given by John to the people. For John bore witness to Christ.

St. Cyril of Alexandria gives a clearer understanding of Zacharias' prophecy that John would "give light to those who sit in darkness" (1:79):

For those under the law, and dwelling in Judea, the Baptist was, as it were, a lamp, preceding Christ : and God so spake before of him ; 'I have prepared a lamp for My Christ.' And the law also typified him in the lamp, which in the first tabernacle it commanded should be ever kept alight. But the Jews, after being for a short time pleased with him, flocking to his baptism, and admiring his mode of life, quickly made him sleep in death, doing their best to quench the ever-burning lamp. For this reason the Saviour also spake concerning him; " He was a burning and shining lamp, and ye were willing a 'little to rejoice for a season in his light.'

St. Luke temporarily concludes his coverage of the life of John the Baptist by telling his readers that the child grew strong in the spirit, and spent his time in the deserts until his prophetic ministry began years later.