Starting the third of four gospels in The Bible—The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke.
Saint Luke, a pagan by birth and a physician by profession, had never seen our Lord. An early convert, he became a companion and co-worker of Saint Paul.
Paul’s doctrine that salvation is for all, not for Jesus alone, is the theme of Saint Luke’s Gospel.
Luke’s Gospel starts off with the conception of John the Baptist—to Zachary and Elizabeth—and Jesus to Mary and Joseph.
It is indeed Good News!
If I read it right, John the Baptist was only fifteen months older than Jesus. While I don’t know how long John’s ministry was it dovetailed with Jesus’ ministry of only three years.
The start of the Christmas story…
In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zachary… and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
But they had no son, for Elizabeth was barren; and they were both advanced in years.
And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right hand of the altar of incense and Zachary, seeing him, was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
“Thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son and thou shalt call his name John,” was the message from then angel Gabriel. “For he shall be great before the Lord, and shall be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb. And he shall himself go before him in the spirit and the power of Elias, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the incredulous to the wisdom of the just; to prepare for the Lord a perfect people.
Zachary said to the angel: “How shall I know this?”
“I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God; and I have been sent to speak to thee and to bring to thee this good news. And behold, thou shalt be dumb and unable to speak until the day when these things come to pass, because thou hast not believed my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”
Lesson learned, better to believe in God and/or an angel’s words no matter their content.
But when he did come out from the altar he could not speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them, but he remained dumb.
Now after these days, Elizabeth his wife conceived, and she secluded herself for five months, saying “Thus has the Lord dealt with me in the days when he deigned to take away my reproach among men.”
Translated to mean “God was able to make me fertile!”
Meanwhile back in Galilee…
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And when the angel had come to her, he said “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among woman.” When she had heard him she was troubled at his word, and kept pondering what manner of greeting this might be.
And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for thou has found grace with God. Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he shall be king over the house of Jacob (Israel) forever; and of his kingdom, there shall be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel, “How shall this happen, since I do not know men?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee; and therefore the Holy One to be born shall be called the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth thy kinswoman also has conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month; for nothing shall be impossible with God.”
But Mary said, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word.”
And she entered the house of Zachary and saluted Elizabeth.
That the babe in her (Elizabeth) womb leapt. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and cried out with a loud voice (to Mary), saying “Blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb!”
Mary: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior: because he has regarded the lowliness of his handmaid; for behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed; because he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name; and his mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear him… he has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart… He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful of his mercy—even as he spoke to our fathers—to Abraham and to his posterity forever.” And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her own house.
Zachary: “John is his name.” And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosened, and he began to speak, blessing God.
And all who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.
And Zachary his father was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and wrought redemption for his people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us, in the house of David his servant, as he promised through the mouth of his holy ones, the prophets from of old; salvation for their enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us, to show mercy to our forefathers and to be mindful of his holy covenant, of the oath that he swore to Abraham our father, that he would grant us, that, delivered from the hand of our enemies, we should serve him without feat, in holiness and justice before him all our days.
To give to his people knowledge of salvation through forgiveness of their sins, because of the loving-kindness of our God wherewith the Orient from on high has visited us, to shine on those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
The Good News: Salvation is for All!
Day 52: Reading The Bible with a TROML Perspective; The Good News: Salvation is for All!
Read and inspired by the New Testament, The Gospel of Saint Luke Chapter 1.
Bible Notes:
The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke
Saint Luke, a pagan by birth and a physician by profession, had never seen our Lord. An early convert, he became a companion and co-worker of Saint Paul.
In the first four verses of his Gospel he explains why he wrote it. Paul’s doctrine that salvation is for all, not for Jesus alone, is the theme of Saint Luke’s Gospel.
Luke Chapter 1: Prologue; Zachary and Elizabeth are childless; An angel appears to Zachary; The Annunciation of the Baptist; Zachary doubts and is struck dumb; The people wait for Zachary; Elizabeth conceives; Gabriel speaks to Mary; Annunciation of the Savior; Mary’s question; the angel’s answer; Mary’s acceptance; The visitation; The Magnificat; Birth of the Baptist; Naming the child; The Benedictus.
In as much as many have undertaken to draw up a narrative concerning the things that have been fulfilled among us, even as they who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have handed them down to us, I have also determined, after following up all things carefully from the very first, to write for thee, most excellent Theophilus, an orderly account, that thou mayest understand the certainty of the words in which thou hast been instructed.
In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zachary… and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
But they had no son, for Elizabeth was barren; and they were both advanced in years.
At the hour of incense
And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right hand of the altar of incense/ And Zachary, seeing him, was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
Thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son and thou shalt call his name John.
For he shall be great before the Lord, and shall be filled with the Holy spirit even from his mother’s womb.
And he shall himself go before him in the spirit and the power of Elias, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the incredulous to the wisdom of the just; to prepare for the Lord a perfect people.
Zachary said to the angel: How shall I know this?
I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God; and I have been sent to speak to thee and to bring to thee this good news. And behold, thou shalt be dumb and unable to speak until the day when these things come to pass, because thou hast not believed my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.
But when he did come out he could not speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them, but he remained dumb.
Now after these days, Elizabeth his wife conceived, and she secluded herself for five months, saying “Thus has the Lord dealt with me in the days when he deigned to take away my reproach among men.”
Deigned—to think fit or in accordance with one’s dignity; condescend: He would not deign to discuss the matter with us; to condescend to give or grant: He deigned no reply; Obsolete: to condescend to accept.
Reproach—to find fault with (a person, group, etc.); blame; censure; to upbraid; to be a cause of blame or discredit to.
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And when the angel had come to her, he said “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among woman.” When she had heard him she was troubled at his word, and kept pondering what manner of greeting this might be.
And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for thou has found grace with God. Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he shall be king over the house of Jacob (Israel) forever; and of his kingdom, there shall be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel, “How shall this happen, since I do not know men?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee; and therefore the Holy One to be born shall be called the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth thy kinswoman also has conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month; for nothing shall be impossible with God.”
But Mary said, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word.”
And she entered the house of Zachary and saluted Elizabeth.
That the babe in her (Elizabeth) womb leapt. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and cried out with a loud voice (to Mary), saying “Blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb!”
Mary: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior: because he has regarded the lowliness of his handmaid; for behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed; because he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name; and his mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear him… he has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart… He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful of his mercy—even as he spoke to our fathers—to Abraham and to his posterity forever.” And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her own house.
Heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy towards her, and they rejoiced with her.
“Not so, but he shall be called John
“There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.”
Zachary: “John is his name.” And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosened, and he began to speak, blessing God.
The hill country of Judea.
And all who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.
And Zachary his father was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and wrought redemption for his people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us, in the house of David his servant, as he promised through the mouth of his holy ones, the prophets from of old; salvation for their enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us, to show mercy to our forefathers and to be mindful of his holy covenant, of the oath that he swore to Abraham our father, that he would grant us, that, delivered from the hand of our enemies, we should serve him without feat, in holiness and justice before him all our days.
To give to his people knowledge of salvation through forgiveness of their sins, because of the loving-kindness of our God wherewith the Orient from on high has visited us, to shine on those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
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