|
LIFE OF CHRIST
A Harmony of the Gospels
LESSON ONE
Luke 1:5-22
(5) There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a
certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife
was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. (6)
And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the
commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. (7)
But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were
both well advanced in years.
(8) So it was, that while he was serving as
priest before God in the order of his division, (9)
according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn
incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. (10) And the
whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of
incense. (11) Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him,
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 to him, "Do not be
afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth
will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. (14)
And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his
birth. (15) For he will be great in the sight of the
Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be
filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. (16)
And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their
God. (17) He will also go before Him in the spirit and
power of Elijah, '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 to the angel, " How shall I
know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in
years."
(19) And the angel answered and said to him, "I
am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak
to you and bring you these glad tidings. (20) But
behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these
things take place, because you did not believe my words which will
be fulfilled in their own time."
(21) And the people waited for Zacharias, and
marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. (22)
But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived
that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and
remained speechless.
NKJV |
Herod, the king of Judea
Also known as "Herod the Great"
|
|
Antipater
|
|
Phasaelus |
Herod the Great
King of Judea,
37-4 B.C. |
Joseph |
Pheroras |
Salome |
| by Doris |
by Mariamne I |
by Mariamne II |
by Malthace |
by Cleopatra |
|
|
|
|
|
Antipater
(Executed 4 B.C.) |
Alexander &
Aristobulus
Both executed 7 B.C. |
Herod
(Philip?) |
Archelaus
Ethnarch of Judea,
4 B.C. - A.D.6
& Herod Antipas
Tetrarch of Galilee
4 B.C. - A.D.39 |
Herod
& Philip
Tetrarch,
4 B.C. - A.D. 34 |
| |
|
Herod
King of Chalcis
A.D. 41-48 |
Herod Agrippa I
King of Judea
A.D. 41-44 |
Herodias
Married:
1. Herod Philip
2. Herod Antipas |
|
|
| |
Herod Agrippa II
Ruler of Philip's former
Tetrarchy & adjacent regions.
Died A.D. 100 |
Bernice |
Drusilla |
|
|
When Pompey organized the
East in 63 B.C, he appointed Hyrcanus II to be the high-priestly ruler
of an ethnarchy comprising Galilee, Samaria, Judaea, and Perea. Antipater,
an Idumaean, was Hyrcanus' senior officer or vizier. Notable services
rendered at Alexandria to Julius Caesar in 48 B.C., led to the
appointment of Antipater to the procurator ship of Judaea. Antipater had been the
leading spirit in the policy that won Caesar's favor, and he used his
advantage with an astuteness that foreshadowed the career of his son. Antipater persuaded the now aged Hyrcanus to appoint Phasael, his eldest
son, to the prefecture of Jerusalem, and Herod, his second son, to the
governorship of Galilee.
When Antipater was murdered in 43 B.C., his two sons succeeded to his
position in Hyrcanus' court. It was the year after Julius Caesar's
assassination that the Parthians, the military problem of the northeast, were restive. In 40 B.C. they penetrated Palestine, carried off Hyrcanus,
and drove Phasael also captive, to suicide.
Herod eluded both military action and Parthian
treachery. He withdrew from
Jerusalem, shook off pursuit by clever rearguard skirmishing near
Bethlehem, and escaped to Egypt. Outwitting Cleopatra, and reaching Rome
through the perils of winter, Herod set his case before Octavian and Antony. It is a remarkable tribute to his charm, daring, political acumen, and consummate diplomacy,
that he won the support of both triumvirates who were so soon to divide in disastrous
rivalry.
The thirteen years that lay between the assassination of Caesar, and the
emergence of Octavian as the victorious Augustus, after Antony's defeat at
Actium in 31 B.C., were a time of paralysis and uncertainty throughout the
Roman world. Herod saw in such confusion the opportunity for decisive
action. Landing at Acre in 39 B.C., with only the promise of Roman favor, Herod went to claim his kingdom, and to unseat the Parthian puppet, Antigonus. Palestine, with its hill-country, deserts, and fenced cities, called for a variety of military ability. Herod showed himself the able
master of varied types of war.
| The two years of tireless activity which
made him, by the age of 36, the master of his inheritance, revealed all
the facets of Herod's amazing personality. He was a ruthless fighter, but
at the same time a cunning negotiator, a subtle diplomat, and an opportunist. He was able to restrain his Roman helpers and simultaneously
circumvent the Jews. Between 39 and 37 B.C. Herod revealed
those qualities that enabled him for thirty-four years to govern subjects
who hated him. |
In 30 B.C. Herod succeeded in retaining the favor of Octavian, shared
though that favor had been with the defeated rival, Antony. He was confirmed in his kingdom, and for the rest of his life never departed from
the policy of supporting the emperor, and in all ways promoting his honor.
| Restored Samaria was called Sebaste, the
Greek rendering of Augustus. |
| Caesarea was built to form a harbor on the
difficult open coast of Palestine, to provide Rome with a
salutary bridgehead and base on the edge of a turbulent province,
and to make a center of Caesar-worship in the land of the
nationalistic and monotheistic Jews. |
Simultaneously Herod
followed a policy of Hellenization, establishing
Games at Jerusalem, and adorning many of the Hellenistic cities of his domains. At the same time Herod sought to reconcile the Jews, who hated his
pro-Roman and Hellenizing policies, and who never forgave his Edomite
blood.
To manage a situation so complex and to survive, demanded uncommon
ability, and an ordered realm. Of Herod's ability there is no doubt, and
with his foreign mercenaries, his system of fortresses, and the
centralized bureaucracy which he built in imitation of the Ptolemaic
system, he gave Palestine order, and even opportunity for economic
progress.
At the same time Herod was a cruel and implacable tyrant:
| His family and private life was soiled and
embittered by feuds, intrigue, and murder. |
| The king's sister Salome seems to have been in league with Herod's son Antipater by Doris, his first consort, against Mariamne, daughter of Hyrcanus II, the king's favorite wife. Mariamne was put to death in 29 B.C., and her two sons, Alexander and Aristobulus, in 7 B.C. Antipater himself
was put to death by Herod Antipas in the last days of his reign. |
(Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary)
Zacharias, of the division of Abijah (Luke 1:5)
Priests divided by David into 24 groups
(I Chronicles 24:1919)
| There were at least nine prominent men in the
history of Israel with the
name of Abijah.
The one named as an ancestor of Zacharias was a descendant of
Aaron. He was the ancestral head of the eighth group of the 24 groups into
which David had divided the priests (I Chron.24:10). |
Each family served a week (II
Chronicles 23:8)
In the order of his division (Luke 1:8)
Each of the 24 divisions:
| 1. |
Did duty for eight days |
| 2. |
From one Sabbath to another |
| 3. |
Once every six months |
The service of the week was subdivided among the various families that
constituted a division:
| 1. |
On Sabbaths the entire division was on duty |
| 2. |
On feast-days any priest might come up and
join in the ministrations of the sanctuary |
| 3. |
At the Feast of Tabernacles all 24 courses
were bound to be present and officiate |
His lot fell to burn incense (Luke 1:9)
According to the
Talmud,
4 lots were drawn to determine the order of the ministry of the days:
| 1. |
The first, before daybreak, to designate the
priests who were to cleanse the altar and prepare its fires. |
| 2. |
The second for the priest who was to offer the
sacrifice and cleanse the candlestick and the altar of incense. |
| 3. |
The third for the priest who should burn incense. |
| 4. |
The fourth appointing those who were to lay the sacrifice and meat offering on the altar, and pour out the drink offering. |
There are said to have been 20,000 priests in Christ's time,
| so that no priest would ever offer incense more
than once during his life-time. |
The Temple
Directly across the Tyropean Valley from the Upper City, in the
Northeastern corner of
Jerusalem, stood the incomparable
temple,
the city's crowning jewel. Built by Herod as a goodwill gesture toward his
hostile Jewish subjects, it was reputedly one of the finest religious
structures in the world.
The central sanctuary was approached through a series of spacious outer
courts, each court progressively more exclusive:
Court of the Gentiles
The outermost was the COURT OF
GENTILES, a huge rectangular area
about 35 acres in size.
It was paved with colored stones and enclosed by
tall, stately columns.
Visitors entered through a number of immense double and triple gates,
which stood at intervals along the outer court.
As its name suggests, the Court of the Gentiles was open to Gentiles as
well as Jews, and it was usually crowded with People from many backgrounds
and walks of life.
On a typical day a visitor would encounter:
| 1. |
Jewish pilgrims from all over Palestine and
the Roman Empire |
| 2. |
Merchants selling doves, young sheep and
cattle for sacrifice |
| 3. |
Moneychangers converting foreign currency
into Jewish
shekels |
| 4. |
Jewish scribes and rabbis discussing points
of Mosaic law |
| 5. |
And others simply passing the time of day |
|
Court of Women
At the center of the Court of the Gentiles stood a second enclosed
compound, posted with signs in Greek and Latin warning:
"No foreigner is allowed within the balustrades and embankment about the sanctuary.
Whoever is caught will be personally responsible for his ensuing death."
(Several of these stones have been found) |
Only Jewish men and women could venture beyond this point, which.
led
through three large gates into the COURT OF WOMEN. Ornate columns surrounded this court.
Here women as well as men were permitted.
Here were Located 13 chests
like inverted trumpets, into which offerings for the expenses of the temple services were placed. |
Court of Israel
| At the western side of the Court of Women was a
curved flight of 15 stairs, which ascended to the Nicanor Gate, so named because a rich
Alexandrian Jew named Nicanor had donated its magnificent bronze doors. Beyond them lay the
COURT OF ISRAEL, a long and narrow area where the Jewish Men assembled
during temple services. No women were allowed here. |
Court of Priests
| A low balustrade separated the Court of
Israel from the COURT OF PRIESTS,
accessible only to the priests and Levites who served in the temple. In the center of this court was the great horned
altar of sacrifice with a
long ramp leading to the top.
(This was, incidentally, contrary to the
Mosaic Law, which forbade steps leading up to the altar.) |
The Sanctuary
| Dominating the entire complex was the majestic
SANCTUARY itself, which stood at the rear
of the Court of Priests.
It was built of perfectly tooled and fitted white marble Stones,
covered
At the back of a large porch were immense gilded doors covered by a
Babylonian tapestry of blue, purple, crimson, and gold,
depicting the heavens. with plates of heavy gold. Golden
spikes rose from the roof, which soared to a height of about 165
feet.
Above was a golden vine, symbol of the nation of Israel.
It was said that there was so much gold covering the building that no one could look directly at it in bright sunlight. |
The Holy Place
Inside the sanctuary were two rooms. The
first, the HOLY PLACE, was a
large hall paneled in cedar.
It contained:
| 1. |
A Golden Altar for Incense |
| 2. |
A Golden Table for the Bread Offering |
| 3. |
A Golden Menorah, a seven-branched
candelabrum lit by seven lamps burning purest olive oil. |
|
The Holy of Holies
The second room, the HOLY OF HOLIES, was separated from the first by a
heavy linen curtain embroidered with spun gold. Only the high priest was
allowed to enter this sacred spot, and he only on the annual Day of
Atonement.
| Within this mysterious chamber in the
temple built by Herod, where once stood the Ark of the
Covenant with its Mercy Seat, the Tablets of Stone with
the 10 Commandments, the Pot of Mannah, and
Aaron's Rod that budded, THERE WAS
NOTHING AT ALL ... during the ministry of
Christ, this which at one time had housed the very
Shekinah of Jehovah Himself, stood starkly empty -
symbolical of the emptiness which pervaded Israel at this
time. |
Begun in 20 B.C., the construction of the temple was one of Herod’s most
ambitious projects. The old temple mount first had to be cleared and
enlarged to about twice its original size. The new area was roughly 1000
by 1500 feet, girded by a massive retaining wall of huge fitted stones, each more than 15 feet thick. As Solomon had done earlier, Herod imported
the best stonemasons and architects from Phoenicia to direct the
construction. Only the finest materials were used: cedar from Lebanon, the
purest marble and limestone and the finest gold.
The project required the services of more than 10,000 laborers. Herod had
1000 priests specially trained as carpenters and masons to work on the
sanctuary building since by law no layman was allowed to handle the sacred
building materials. The sanctuary was completed in 18 months, but the
outer courtyards were not finished for another 80 years, in A.D. 64. During this entire time the temple ritual was never interrupted.
6 years after its completion, the temple of Herod was completely destroyed
by the Roman General, Titus, in 70 A.D, |
To burn incense (Luke 1:9)
| 1. |
Incense was an aromatic substance made of gums and
spices to be burned, especially in religious worship. |
| 2. |
It was compounded according to a definite
prescription of:
| a. |
Stacte |
| b. |
Onycha |
| c. |
Galbanum |
| d. |
Pure Frankincense |
All in equal proportions, and was tempered with salt (Ex.30:23). |
| 3. |
It could not be made for ordinary purposes (Ex.30:34-38; Lev.10:1-7). |
| 4. |
Incense not properly compounded was rejected as
"strange incense" (Ex.30:9). |
| 5. |
The offering of incense was common in the religious
ceremonies of nearly all ancient nations, and was extensively
used in the ritual of Israel. |
| 6. |
The altar of incense was overlaid with pure gold,
and was set in the Holy Place, near the veil that concealed
the Holy of Holies. |
| 7. |
Originally, to burn it was the prerogative of
the High Priest, and he did so each morning when he dressed
the lamps (Ex.30:1-9). |
| 8. |
The Korahites were punished with death for presuming to take it upon
themselves to burn incense (Num.16). |
| 9. |
The sons of Aaron died for offering it improperly
(Lev.10). |
| 10. |
By the time of Christ, incense was offered by ordinary priests, from
among whom each morning and evening one was chosen by lot. |
| 11. |
In the offering of incense:
| a. |
Fire was taken from the altar of
burnt-offering and brought into the temple |
| b. |
Where it was placed upon the altar of incense |
| c. |
Then the incense was emptied from a golden
vessel upon the fire |
| d. |
When the priest entered the Holy Place with
the incense, all the people were obliged to leave the
temple |
| e. |
They observed a profound silence as they
prayed outside. |
| f. |
When the priest placed the incense on the
fire, he bowed reverently towards the Holy of Holies,
and retired slowly backwards, lest he alarm the
congregation and cause them to fear that he had been struck
dead for offering unworthily (Lev.16:13). |
|
Thy prayer is heard (Luke 1:13)
If we render the aorist literally, "was heard," we avoid the question as
to what prayer is referred to.
(aorist tense - indicating a past act with future results)
The reference is to the prayer for
offspring which, owing to his extreme years, Zacharias had probably ceases
to offer, and which he certainly would not prefer in that public and
solemn service. Hence the aorist is appropriate, referring back to the
past acts of prayer. "That prayer, which thou no longer
offer, WAS
HEARD."
The Amplified has it: ", your petition was heard."
Drink neither wine nor strong drink (Luke
1:15)
This indicates that John the Baptist would be a Nazarite from
his birth.
Either a man or a woman might take the vow of the Nazarite, and
the regulations for this vow are given in Numbers 6:1-21:
| 1. |
Shall separate himself from
ANY drink of the vine |
| 2. |
Shall not eat any grape - moist
OR dried |
| 3. |
Shall not shave his head |
| 4. |
Shall separate himself unto the Lord and is
holy |
| 5. |
Shall come near no dead body |
|
As far as we know, there were three "Nazarites
from birth" mentioned in scripture:
| 1. |
Samuel |
| 2. |
Sampson |
| 3.. |
John the Baptist |
|
| For those who wished to take the vow, which could
last from 30 days or for as long as they wished, there were numerous
reasons. |
Jesus was not a Nazarite. He was called a "Nazarene", indicating that He was from Nazareth.
Gabriel (Luke 1:19)
An angel (or Arch-angel) Gabriel is mentioned four times in Scripture, each time bearing a momentous
message:
| 1. |
He interpreted to Daniel the vision of the ram and the he-goat,
in which the Prince of Peace is victorious (Dan. 8:16) |
| 2. |
In Daniel 9:21 he explained the vision of the 70 weeks. |
| 3, |
He announced to Zacharias the birth of John, forerunner of the Messiah. |
| 4. |
He was sent to Mary with the unique message of Jesus' birth. |
|
|
Luke 1:26-38
(26) Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was
sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, (27) to
a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of
David. The virgin's name was Mary. (28) And having come
in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is
with you; blessed are you among women!"
(29) But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and
considered what manner of greeting this was. (30) Then
the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found
favor with God. (31) And behold, you will conceive in
your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.
(32) He will be great, and will be called the Son of the
Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father
David. (33) And He will reign over the house of Jacob
forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."
(34) Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this
be, since I do not know a man?"
(35) And the angel answered and said to her, "The
Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest
will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy
one who is to be born will be called the Son of God. (36)
Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her
old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was
called barren. (37) For with God nothing will be
impossible."
(38) Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of
the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel
departed from her.
NKJV |
Galilee
(Luke 1:26)
| 1. |
The most northerly of the
three
provinces of Palestine (Galilee, Samaria, Judea). |
| 2. |
It was approximately 50 miles from north to south |
| 3. |
It was approximately 30 miles from east to west |
| 4. |
Along the southern border was the Valley of Jezreel
| a. |
This valley was a vital communications link
between:
| The coastal plain |
| And the center of Palestine |
|
| b. |
For this reason, decisive battles were
often fought here for possession of this desirable pass. |
| c. |
The city of Megiddo (once one of
Solomon's greatest fortresses) was important for the
control of the valley, and lends is known today as "Har-Magedon,"
(Hill of Megiddo) |
| d. |
This valley is also known as Armageddon,
where the conflict between Christ and the armies of the
Antichrist is predicted to occur (Rev.16: 16). |
|
| 5. |
An imaginary line from the plain of Akka to the north end of the
Sea of Galilee divided the country into:
| a. |
Upper Galilee, and |
| b. |
Lower Galilee |
|
| 6. |
"Galilee of the Gentiles" refers chiefly to
Upper Galilee:
| a. |
It was the territory of Asher and Naphtali. |
| b. |
Here lie the ruins of Kedesh Naphtali, one of the cities of
Refuge (Josh.20: 7; 21:32). |
| c. |
In this region lay the twenty towns given by
Solomon to
Hiram, King of Tyre, in payment for timber from Lebanon. |
| d. |
The land was luxurious and productive. |
| e. |
It was a rugged mountainous country of oaks and terebinths
(a small European tree of the cashew family yielding turpentine) interrupted
by fertile plains. |
| f. |
The olive oil of Galilee has long been esteemed
as of the highest quality. |
|
| 7. |
Lower Galilee was largely the heritage of Zebulon and Issachar.
| a. |
Less hilly and have a milder climate than Upper
Galilee. |
| b. |
It included the rich plain of Esdraelon (or Jezreel), |
| c. |
It was a ”pleasant" land
(Gen.49: 15) that would yield
"Treasures in the sand" (Deut.33. -19). |
| d. |
The sand of these coasts was especially
valuable for making glass. |
| e. |
Important caravan trade routes carried their
busy traffic through Galilee:
From Egypt and southern Palestine to
Damascus
From the Mediterranean to the Far East |
|
|
| 8. |
The northern part of Naphtali was inhabited by a mixed race of Jews and
heathen (Judg.1: 33).
| a. |
Its Israelite population was carried away
captive to Assyria and replaced by a colony of heathen
immigrants (II Kings 15:29; 17:24), hence called
"Galilee of the nations" or "Gentiles"
(Isa.9: 1; Matt.4: 13,15,16). |
| b. |
During and after the captivity, the
predominant mixture of Gentile races impoverished the worship of
Judaism. |
| c. |
For the same reason the Galilean accent and
dialect were noticeably peculiar (Matt.26: 73). |
| d. |
This caused the southern Jews of purer blood
and orthodox tradition to despise them (John 7:52). |
|
Nazareth
| 1. |
A town in lower Galilee belonging to the tribe of Zebulun. |
| 2. |
It is nowhere referred to in the Old Testament. |
| 3. |
It was the hometown of Mary and Joseph. |
| 4. |
The ancient site is located by the modern
en-Natzirah, a Moslem village
of about 10,000 inhabitants. |
| 5. |
It lies in a geographical basin so that not much of
the surrounding countryside is in plain view. |
| 6. |
If one scales the edge of the basin, the sights of
| a. |
Esdraelon with its 20 battlefields, and |
| b. |
Naboth's vineyard, meet the eye. |
|
| 7. |
A distance of 30 miles can be observed in three
directions. |
Mary
All the authentic information we have about Mary is found in the New
Testament.
In the opinion of many scholars she was descended from David because:
| 1. |
She was told that her Son should receive "the throne of his father David" |
| 2. |
Christ is described as being of "the seed of David
according to the flesh"
(Acts 2:301 Rom.1: 31; II Tim. 2:8). |
| 3. |
It is thought by many that Luke's
genealogy of
Christ is through His mother |
She appears in only 5 narratives in Scripture:
| 1. |
The Infancy Narratives (Matt. Chapters 1 & 2;
Luke chapters 1 & 2.). |
| 2. |
At the Marriage in Cana of Galilee (John 2:1-11) |
| 3. |
The Episode of Matthew 12:46; Mark 3:21,31 ff.; Luke
8:19-21. |
| 4. |
At the Cross (John 19:25 ff.) |
| 5. |
In the Upper Room (Acts 1:4) |
According to these narratives, Mary was:
| 1. |
A young woman who was yet a virgin until after the
birth of her first son. |
| 2. |
A young woman who was deeply religious and humble
before God. |
| 3. |
A young woman, who, though a descendant
of David, was still of the seed of Adam, with the
accompanying sin nature. |
| 4. |
One of the thousands who needed and received
forgiveness of sins from her Son after His crucifixion,
resurrection, and ascension. |
| 5. |
One of the thousands who needed and received
the infilling of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost |
After Mary's death many legends grew up around her name, but none of
them are trustworthy; the craze for further particulars about her was
partly satisfied by the writers of the Apocryphal Gospels. There is no
direct evidence of prayer being offered to Mary during the first four
centuries.
Betrothed (Espoused)
(Luke 1:27)
Betrothal among the Hebrews was something more than what a mere marriage
engagement is with us:
| 1. |
It was considered the beginning of marriage |
| 2. |
It was as legally binding as marriage itself |
| 3. |
Could not be broken off save, by a bill
of divorce, hence we find that Joseph is called the "husband"
of Mary (Matt.
1:19). |
| 4. |
The betrothal was usually determined by the parents
or brothers of the particles |
| 5. |
The engagement was made between:
| A friend or legal representative of the
bridegroom |
| And the father of the bride |
|
| 6. |
The betrothals were made very early in life
(Though marriage did not take place before the bride was 12 years old) |
| 7. |
Even when the age was suitable, the marriage
was not consummated for some time after the betrothal. |
| 8. |
At least a year, or sometimes more,
elapsed between the betrothal and the marriage of a maiden
(To give time for preparing her outfit) |
| 9. |
In case of a widow, marriage might take place
30 days after betrothal. |
| 10. |
Betrothal was usually accompanied by a feast in
the house of the bride. |
| 11. |
The engagement, to be binding, must be
either by:
| Written contract |
| |
or |
The reception of presents by the
bride from the bridegroom
(the reception of these made the contract binding) |
|
| 12. |
The bride remained at her father's house until the
time of
Marriage, when the bridegroom came after her. |
| 13. |
Meanwhile communication between her and the
bridegroom was kept up by means of the "friend of the
bridegroom."
(The "friend of the bridegroom" will be discussed later - suffice it to
say, for now, that he would correspond slightly with our modern "best
man.") |
Shall call His name JESUS (Luke 1:31)
The same as the Hebrew, Hoshea with Jah
prefixed
Also the same as the Hebrew Jehoshua, or the abbreviated form
Joshua
Both come from the covenant name:
JEHOVAH
| Meaning "Jehovah has become our Salvation"
(Exodus 15:2) |
| Hebrew |
- |
Jehoshua |
Jehovah-Savior -or-
Jehovah has become our Salvation |
| Greek |
- |
Iesous |
Jehovah-Savior -or-
Jehovah has become our Salvation |
| English |
- |
Jesus |
Jehovah-Savior -or-
Jehovah has become our Salvation |
|
|
|
|
|
Matt 1:18-25
(18) Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as
follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they
came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. (19)
Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make
her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.
(20) But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel
of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of
David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that
which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. (21)
And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS,
for He will save His people from their sins."
(22) So all this was done that it might be
fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
(23) "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son,
and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God
with us."
(24) Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did
as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife,
(25) and did not know her till she had brought forth her
firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.
NKJV |
Joseph Matt 1:18
Other than the narrative of the first few years of Jesus' life, we have no
knowledge of Joseph. The only two facts we have of Joseph himself are:
| 1. |
He was a carpenter |
| 2. |
He lived in Nazareth |
As far as his character, we gather he was a religious man who followed the
Law of Moses carefully but, unlike the average Pharisee (as we shall see
later) he was also a fair man.
You shall call His name Matt 1:21
Thus committing the office of a father to Joseph. Although Joseph was not
the actual father of Jesus, a great responsibility was here laid upon him.
They shall call His name Matt 1:23
Showing even before His birth the universality of His mission
Emmanuel
Or Immanuel, the name meaning, "with us is God"
This name was given by Isaiah to a child whose
birth and childhood are a sign to King Ahaz
(Isa.7: 14; 8:8,10), and whose later life, sufferings and glory are
the themes of his book. |
| Micah 5:2 takes Immanuel to be the
Messiah |
Matthew 1:23 identifies Him as Jesus, or:
| El, or Elohim (the creator) with us in Jesus - who is Jehovah (Which is
the creator in covenant-relationship) has become our salvation. |
|
The two annunciations of Gabriel:
Luke tells the story of Jesus' birth from Mary's standpoint:
| Luke 1:26 |
Describing her maidenly fears |
| Luke 1:38 |
Describing her humble submission to the
will of God |
| Luke 1:39-55 |
Describing her song of praise to God
for the favor accorded her in being the mother of the Messiah |
Matthew tells the story from the standpoint of Joseph:
| Matthew 1:19 |
Describing his reaction when he found
she was with child |
| Matthew 1:26 |
Describing his determination to protect
her from shame as much as possible |
| Matthew 1:24,25 |
Describing his obedience to God's
commands |
The two accounts harmonize and dovetail perfectly.
Luke 1:39-56
(39) Now Mary arose in those days and went into the
hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, (40) and
entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. (41)
And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the
babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy
Spirit. (42) Then she spoke out with a loud voice and
said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your
womb! (43) But why is this granted to me, that the
mother of my Lord should come to me? (44) For indeed, as
soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe
leaped in my womb for joy. (45) Blessed is she who
believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were
told her from the Lord."
(46) The Song of Mary
And Mary said:
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
(47) And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
(48) For He has regarded the lowly state of His
maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
(49) For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
(50) And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.
(51) He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
(52) He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
(53) He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.
(54) He has helped His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy,
(55) As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever." |
(56) And Mary remained with her about three months, and
returned to her house.
NKJV |
Mary's Song of Praise
There is quite a
comparison here between the praise Mary offered in verses 46-55, and
the praise Hannah offered in I Samuel 2:1-10.
In their
experience, they were opposites:
| Hannah |
Mary |
| 1. |
Was an older woman
|
| 2. |
Was married |
| 3. |
Had prayed for a child |
| 4. |
The birth of her first |
| 5. |
Son removed the disgrace
from her |
| 6. |
She gave her son to the
service of the Lord,
and saw him only yearly |
|
| 1. |
Was a very young woman |
| 2. |
Was only betrothed |
| 3. |
Had not prayed for a
child |
| 4. |
The birth of her first |
| 5. |
Son brought disgrace
to her |
| 6. |
She was given the Son
to rise up until He
was
ready for Service |
|
And yet, though so
opposite in circumstance, their praise is the same:
| 1. |
Both are filled with
wonder to behold "the proud, the mighty, the
rich," passed by |
| 2. |
In their persons the
lowliest chosen to usher in the greatest events |
| 3. |
They sing of the great
Law of the Kingdom of God, by which
He delights to "put
down the mighty from their seats and exalt them of low degree." |
| 4. |
In both the strain dies
away on Christ:
| a. |
In Hannah's under the
name of "Jehovah's King", His Anointed,
whose horn He will exalt |
| b. |
In Mary's it is as the
"Help" promised to Israel by all the
prophets |
|
|
|
Luke 1:57-80
(57) Now Elizabeth's full time came for her to be
delivered, and she brought forth a son. (58) When her
neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to
her, they rejoiced with her.
(59) Circumcision of John the Baptist
So it was, on the Eighth day, that they came to
circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of
his father, Zacharias. (60) His mother answered and
said, "No; he shall be called John."
(61) But they said to her, "There is no one among
your relatives who is called by this name." (62) So they
made signs to his father -- what he would have him called.
(63) And he asked for a writing tablet, and
wrote, saying, "His name is John." So they all marveled. (64)
Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he
spoke, praising God. (65) Then fear came on all who
dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout
all the hill country of Judea. (66) And all those who
heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, "What kind of child
will this be?" And the hand of the Lord was with him.
(67) Zacharias' Prophecy
Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and
prophesied, saying:
68 "Blessed is the Lord God of Israel,
For He has visited and redeemed His people,
69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us
In the house of His servant David,
70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets,
Who have been since the world began,
71 That we should be saved from our enemies
And from the hand of all who hate us,
72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers
And to remember His holy covenant,
73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham:
74 To grant us that we,
Being delivered from 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 you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;
For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His
ways,
77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people
By the remission of their sins,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;
79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow
of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace." |
(80) So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was
in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.
NKJV |
On the eighth day ...
they called him Zacharias Luke 1:59
It was customary among
the Jews to give names to children at the time of their circumcision.
The rabbins say that this was because God changed the names of Abram and Sarai
at the same time that He instituted
circumcision.
Traditionally, a baby
boy would be named after his father or someone else in the family;
so the relatives and neighbors were shocked when Elizabeth insisted on the
name John. Zacharias wrote "His name is John" on a
tablet, and that settled it! Immediately God opened the old priest's
mouth (see Luke 1:20 above), and he sang a hymn that gives us four beautiful pictures of
what the coming of Jesus Christ to earth really means.
(from The Bible Exposition Commentary. Copyright (c) 1989 by SP
Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.)
And you, child, will
be... Luke 1:76-79
| 1. |
Luke 1:76 |
His DIGNITY |
Prophet of the Most High
Last prophet of the Old Covenant
First prophet of the New Covenant |
|
| 2. |
Luke 1:76 |
His DUTY |
Go before the Lord in Preparation |
| 3. |
Luke 1:77 |
His DOCTRINE |
The Science of Salvation
(Knowledge) |
| 4. |
Luke 1:78, 79 |
His DUTY SUCCESSFUL |
The recovery of a lost world
| He has the promise that his labor will not be
in vain |
|
Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied
Luke 1:68-79
Redeemed -
The opening of a prison door
|
(v. 68) |
The word redeem means "to
set free by
paying a price."
It can refer to the
releasing of a prisoner or the
liberating of a
slave. |
Jesus Christ came to earth to bring
"deliverance to the
captives" (Luke 4:18),
salvation to people in bondage to sin and death. |
Certainly we are unable to set ourselves free; only Christ
could pay the price necessary for our redemption (Eph 1:7; 1 Peter
1:18-21). |
Horn of Salvation -
The winning of a battle .
|
(vv. 69-75) |
In Scripture, a horn symbolizes power and victory (1 Kings 22:11; Ps
89:17,24).
The picture here is that of an army about to be taken captive,
but then help arrives and the enemy is defeated.
In the previous picture,
|
the captives were set free; |
but in this picture,
| the enemy is defeated so that he cannot
capture more prisoners. |
It means total victory for the
people of God.
The word salvation (Luke 1:69,71) carries the meaning of
No matter what the condition of the captives, their Redeemer
brings spiritual soundness. When you trust Jesus Christ as Savior, you
are
delivered from Satan's power,
moved into God's kingdom,
redeemed, and
forgiven |
(Col 1:12-14).
Where did the Redeemer come from?
| He came from the house of David (Luke
1:69), |
who himself was a great conqueror.
God had promised that the Saviour would be
| a Jew |
(Gen 12:1-3), |
| from the tribe of Judah |
(Gen 49:10), |
| from the family of David |
(2 Sam 7:12-16), |
| born in David's city, Bethlehem |
(Micah 5:2). |
Both Mary (Luke 1:27) and Joseph (Matt 1:20) belonged to
David's line.
The coming of the Redeemer was
| inherent in the covenants God
made with His people |
(Luke 1:72) |
| promised by the prophets |
(Luke 1:70) |
Note that the results of this victory are sanctity and service (Luke
1:74-75).
He sets us free, not to do our own will, because that would be
bondage, but to do His will and enjoy His freedom. |
Remission -
The canceling of a debt .
|
(vv. 76-77) |
Remission means "to send away, to dismiss, as a debt."
All of us are in
debt to God because we have
broken His law and
failed to live up to His standards (Luke 7:40-50) |
Furthermore, all of us are
spiritually bankrupt,
unable to pay our debt. |
But Jesus came and paid the debt for us (Ps
103:12; John 1:29). |
Dayspring -
The dawning of a new day .
|
(vv. 78-79) |
Dayspring means "sunrise."
The people were sitting in darkness and death, and distress gripped them when Jesus came;
but He brought
It was the dawn of a new day because of the tender mercies of God
(see Matt 4:16). |
The old priest had not said anything for nine months, but he certainly
compensated for his silence when he sang this song of praise to God! And
how joyful he was that his son was chosen by God to prepare the way for
the Messiah (Isa 40:1-3; Mal 3:1). John was
| (Luke 1:76) |
"prophet of the Highest" |
| (Luke 1:32) |
introducing to Israel "the Son of the
Highest" |
| (Luke 1:35) |
who was
conceived in Mary's womb by "the power of the Highest" |
Instead of enjoying a comfortable life as a priest, John lived in the
wilderness, disciplining himself physically and spiritually, waiting for
the day when God would send him out to prepare Israel for the arrival of
the Messiah. People like Simeon and Anna (Luke 2:25-38) had been waiting
for this day for many years, and soon it would come.
God calls us today to believe His Good News.
Those who believe it
experience His joy and want to express their praise to Him. It is not
enough for us to say that Jesus is a Saviour, or even the Saviour. With
Mary, we must say, "My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour" (Luke 1:47).
(from The Bible Exposition Commentary. Copyright (c) 1989 by
SP
Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.)
(End of Lesson One)
Bibliography
|
