The Life of Christ

By Jim Taylor

The Life of Christ! Would would it be like to have been one of the apostles and to have literally walked with Jesus everywhere He went? For those who want to know, this book is a “must-read”!

This book contains:

* Bible verses arranged in chronological order telling the story of Christ from Pre-incarnation to ascension.
* Verse-by-verse commentary
* Sermon outlines on many events and parables
* Literally hundreds of concise studies on various subjects and words
* Concise synopsis of many of the events in the life of Christ
* Hundreds of devotional and personal challenges not typically found in other commentaries or studies on the life of Christ
* Quick facts for important geographical locations in the travels of Christ

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jim Taylor
• Release date: Feb 20, 2019
• ISBN: 9781797527079

Jim Taylor

Dr. Jim Taylor has been active in the ministry for over 30 years. During this time he has been a pastor, Christian educator, Bible college president, author, and Bible translator. He is currently serving in South Korea as a missionary with Armed Forces Baptist Missions. He has a wife, two children, and six incredible grandchildren. As a believer he has always said, "There is no greater experience than living in the reality of Christ's presence."

Book preview

RELIGIOUS SETTING

The religious community had become divided into several main factions

The Pharisees ( separated ones ) were the conservative branch, representing the synagogue. They were hypocritical, adding their traditions to God ’ s Word.

The Sadducees ( righteous ones ) were the liberal branch, representing the temple. They only accepted Moses ’ writings, and rejected the resurrection and angels. They were rationalistic, taking away from God ’ s Word.

The Essenes were the mystical branch. They were pacifists, believing in communal living. They shunned temple worship and marriage, and placed emphasis on the study of manuscripts.

The Zealots were the revolutionary branch, wanting the overthrow of Rome. They were nationalistic militant radicals. Luke 6:15.

The Herodians were an aristocratic social group, followers of the Herods. Matthew 22:15-22

POLITICAL SETTING

The Roman general Pompey had defeated the last of the Maccabees in 63 B.C.

The Herods

Herod the Great (born 74 B.C., reigned 40 – 4 B.C.), an Idumaean (Edomite). He ruled Palestine under the jurisdiction of Rome (Matthew 2). He was a brilliant leader, but toward the end of his life became mentally ill, even killing his sons Alexander and Aristobulus IV in 7 B.C and Antipater III in 4 B.C. After Herod’s death, his kingdom was divided into four parts (tetrarchies) – 1) Judea / Samaria, 2) Galilee / Perea, 3) Gaulanitis / Batanaea / Trachonitis / Auranitis, 4) Decapolis

Herod Archelaus (born 23 B.C., reigned 4 B.C. – A.D. 6, died A.D. 18), son of Herod the Great and Malthace. After his father’s death, he became ethnarch of Judaea and Samaria (Matthew 2:22). Because of his cruelty, however, he was deposed by the Romans after ten years and banished to Gaul (France). Judea and Samaria came under direct Roman rule in the province of Idumea.

Herod Antipas (born before 20 B.C., reigned 4 B.C. – A.D. 39), another son of Herod the Great and Malthace. He was the tetrarch over Galilee and Perea (Luke 3:1; Matthew 14:3; Luke 13:32; 23:7).

Herod Philip I (Herod II, 27 B.C. – A.D. 33), son of Herod the Great and Mariamne II (Matthew 14:3). He had moved to Rome, and did not share in the division of his father’s kingdom. His wife was Herodias and their daughter was Salome. Herodius (15 B.C. – A.D. 39 at least) was the daughter of Herod the Great’s son Aristobulus IV, which made Herod Philip I her half-uncle.

Herod Philip II (A.D. 4 – 34), son of Herod the Great and Cleopatra. He was the tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis (Luke 3:1), the builder of Caesarea Philippi.

Herod Agrippa I (born 10 B.C., reigned A.D. 37-44), son of Aristobulus IV, and thus brother of Herodias (Acts 12:1-3, 21-23).

Herod Agrippa II (born A.D. 27, reigned A.D. 53-70), son of Herod Agrippa I (Acts 26), the last of the Herodians.

Governors

In A.D. 6, the Jews and Samaritans appealed to Rome to depose their cruel ethnarch Archelaus, and as a result, Rome brought the province under direct Roman rule, administered by a Prefect, a Roman military official. After Herod Agrippa I’s brief reign, the province began to be administered by a Procurator, a Roman civilian who often bought the position.

Pontius Pilate (A.D. 26-36), the Roman prefect of Judaea (Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 3:1; 13:1; chapter 23; John 18-19, etc.).

Emperors of Rome

Caesar Augustus (Octavian) (born 63 B.C., reigned 27 B.C. – 14 A.D.), was adopted by his great-uncle Julius Caesar, became a triumvir along with Marc Antony and Lepidus in 44 B.C., and after the battle of Actium, assumed full reign as the first emperor (Luke 2:1).

Caesar Tiberius (born 42 B.C., reigned A.D. 14 – 37), step-son of Augustus (Luke 3:1).

CHRONOLOGICAL SETTING

Fall of Jerusalem to Babylon – 605-586 B.C.

Return from captivity – 538-516 B.C.

Maccabean independence – 167-63 B.C.

Roman rule – 63 B.C. – A.D. 637

Herod the Great – 37-4 B.C.

Christ’s birth – Winter 5/4 B.C.

Caiaphas becomes high priest – A.D. 18

Pontius Pilate – A.D. 18-36

Commencement of John the Baptist’s ministry – A.D. 29

Commencement of Christ’s ministry – Summer/autumn A.D. 27

Christ’s first Passover (John 2:13) – A.D. 28

Christ’s final week – March 28 – April 15, A.D. 30

Christ’s ascension – Thursday, May 25, A.D. 30

Day of Pentecost – Sunday, June 4, A.D. 30

Writing of the New Testament – A.D. 45-96

SOURCES FOR THE LIFE OF CHRIST

Comparison of the Four Gospels

Synoptic Issues

The Gospels have different perspectives, but not contradictions.

At times, not all of the details are presented in a given account. In fact, there were many incidents from the life of Christ that were never recorded (John 20:30). Therefore, just because different or additional details are recorded or omitted, it does not prove a contradiction.

Many of the events and discourses, while similar, may not be the same occasions.

Sometimes the events are not in chronological order, but arranged topically.

In some instances, we just do not have all the necessary information to understand minor details of the situation, so the conflict ’ s resolution is not known.

There are two positions concerning the recording of the words of Christ by the Gospel writers. Both sides have no problem with agreeing to infallibility and inspiration.

Ipsissima verba (the very words) – the position that Christ’s very words are recorded in the Gospels.

Ipsissima vox (the very voice) – the position that Christ’s very voice is recorded in the Gospels, but that they may have been rephrased by the Evangelists under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Concerning this, we must note several things:

There are instances in which it is very apparently the same event, but different phrasing is used (for example, the two instances of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew and Luke). This is a difficulty for ipsissima vox.

In most cases, Christ was not speaking in Greek, the language that the Gospels were written in. Therefore, Christ’s Aramaic must have been translated; and in any translation, there are often several possible wordings that could be correct.

Christ would speak for hours at a time, but even his longer discourses can be read in a matter of minutes. It would seem then that his teachings were summarized or at least edited by the Evangelists (John 20:30).

INTRODUCTION TO THE LIFE OF CHRIST

Luke 1:1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,

Who was the writer of the Gospel of Luke? Although the gospel does not specifically say, we have the book addressed to Theophilus (Luke 1:3) as was Acts (Acts 1:1). Since Luke definitely wrote Acts, then we can state with confidence that Luke wrote this gospel. Luke may very well have been a Gentile. His name is a form of the Roman name Lucanus. He is not named as one among the circumcision in Col 4:11-14. He was a doctor and took care of Paul until the end (2 Tim 4:1)

He was also a very skilled historian. Note his historical datelines (1:5; 26, 56; 2:1,2, 21-22, 36-37, 42; 3:1,2) He was not a follower of Jesus in his earthly ministry but was saved later. The first time we have any mention of the author is in his own history, (Acts 16:10-11). He was then the companion of Paul in his travel, and it is evident that he often attended Paul in his journeys. (Acts 16:11-17; 21:1-6).

Luke 1:1-4 serves as a perfect introduction to the story of the life of Christ. There were lots of accounts written in the first century, but only those that God inspired have been preserved for us. Luke stated that he wrote so that Theophilus could know the certainty of the things that had been written.

Luke 1:2 Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;

Many who personally saw the works of Christ set about to write these things down. Interestingly enough, it is a rarity to find something from the first century that even mentions Christ outside of the already established canon. It is almost as if God did not want any confusion as to what actually occurred.

Luke 1:3 It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,

Luke wrote to Theophilus, which is Greek for Friend of God who was apparently a high-ranking Roman official (Luke 1:1-4; Acts 1:1-2; 23:) In the larger picture, the gospel is also written to those with strong Greek influence showing Jesus as the perfect man. As it applies to us today, it is especially helpful to the reader who has little knowledge of Jewish life in the first century.

Luke 1:4 That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.

Theophilus was already a believer and was currently learning. Apparently, Luke had a special desire to see him know everything more clearly.

Textual Analysis: In the TR, it is ‘logos' or ‘word' and not things.

Pre-Incarnation of Christ ( Kenosis - John1:1-18)

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The English translation word come from a Greek word logos . And what does this mean? The Bible writers used it in several ways:

The expression of a thought (Luke 7:7)

A clear statement of fact (John 15:25)

A teaching or doctrine (Mark 7:13)

A revelation of truth (1 Thessalonians 4:15).

And that is exactly who Jesus is! He is the Revelation of God to man. (Hebrews 1:3) John 1 lists 10 titles for Christ illustrating a great truth:

The Word (1:1) - Pre-existence

Master (1:38) - Position over Disciples

The Light (1:7) – Truth

Messiah (1:41) - Anointed of God

The Lord (1:23) – Authority

Jesus (1:45) - Saviour of Man

The Lamb (1:29) – Purpose

King of Israel(1:49) - prophetic fulfillment

Son of God (1:34) – Deity

Son of Man (1:51) - Humanity

John 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.

A man once asked, When did Jesus realize He was God? The answer is When did He forget? The Scriptures teach that Jesus is co-equal with the Father and has existed with Him throughout all of eternity past. Observe the following Scriptures that demonstrate His existence prior to the foundation of the world. (Micah 5:2; John 17:5, 24; 1 Peter 1:18-20)

John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Let me say something that is a statement of the obvious - If Jesus was not there in the beginning, then there could not have been a creation! Notice the way this is expressed in Hebrews 1:1-2.

John 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Before Jesus came He had two qualities mentioned here that He has shared with man. This is his provision for us. He gave us life. And what kind of life did he give?

Physical Life –If for no other reason, we should be indebted to Christ for this!

Eternal Life – Jesus came to earth with eternal life. He came to live a perfect life and then to die in our places for our sins. (John 3:14-18)

Abundant Life - (John 10:10) But Christ is not only life but also light. We find this in verses 4-9.

John 1:5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

Darkness, whether physical or spiritual, has never been able to overcome the light. This is a divine principle established by God from the very beginning when He separated the darkness from the light.

John 1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

John the Baptist was no ordinary man. Not only is his physical description quite odd, but his source of authority in ministry was also different. His authority did not derive from his Levitical lineage, though his father was a priest, but he was sent from God. His authority was much higher than any earthly priesthood.

John 1:7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

John the Baptist was the forerunner of Christ referred to in Isa 40:3. John himself made this clear in John 1:19-23

John 1:8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

This, then, is the purpose of every preacher - a man sent by God - to bear witness of the light.

John 1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

Contrast this verse with 2 Cor 11:4

John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

The world does not know, or, have a relationship, with its creator. His own, the Jews, who should have known him for they had the Scriptures, would not receive Him. Yet, thankfully, there are those who will receive him and they are given the authority to be not merely servants, but sons of God!

John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

Such a sad statement! If anyone should have received Him, it should

have been His own. But He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and well acquainted with grief and rejection.

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

In a general sense, the world does not want Christ - neither then or now. But there are the precious few who will receive Him. They have the blessed privilege to be called sons of God.

John 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Not of blood - not born Christians but reborn Christians! Not the will of the flesh - We do not become Christians simply because we choose to live a certain lifestyle. Not the will of man - we cannot be saved by man's works or desires. but of God - God is the Saviour.

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

This is the great truth of the incarnation. God became a man and yet did not cease to be God. (Phil 2:5-11)

BIRTH AND EARLY CHILDHOOD OF CHRIST

The Announcement of John the Baptist's Birth

Luke 1:5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

Just as the earthly caretakers, Mary and Joseph, were people of great faith and righteousness, so were the parents of His messenger, John the Baptist.

Golden Nugget: It really does require a united home of faith and piety to provide an environment conducive to great faith in our children.

Luke 1:7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.

Barrenness does not mean that a woman is not godly. The Bible has numerous famous but barren ladies - Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel (off and on), and Hannah to name a few.

Luke 1:8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,

The priests would execute the office for a two-week period of time. The order of his course refers back to the order that David established in 1 Chron 24. The family of Abijah was assigned the eighth course which meant that they would fulfill their duty in the last half of the fourth month. ( I Chron 24:10) This would correspond to the 15th through the 30th of Tammuz, which corresponds to 10 July through 24 July.

Luke 1:9 According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

As a priest, his particular area of responsibility was to burn the incense at the altar of incense which was It was to be burned by the priest twice a day. (Exo 30:7-

Luke 1:10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

Since incense it a picture of prayer, it is only fitting they would be praying at this time.

Luke 1:11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

The altar of incense sat right before the veil that led into the holy of holies. But we need to remember that at this point, if there was a holy of holies, it wasn't much to speak of because the ark had been lost.

Luke 1:12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

This is the normal reaction of men faced with something greater and more powerful than themselves.

Luke 1:13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

Apparently, Zacharias had been praying about their childlessness and yet when the angel comes to him, he is in disbelief.

Luke 1:14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.

We would be hasty to attribute this statement to the birth of Christ yet here, it is a reference to John the Baptist. He is the forerunner of Christ and so his birth brings in a new dispensation of joy.

Textual Analysis: Joy and rejoice are both forms of the same Greek word but gladness is not. In translation, this can pose some interesting problems when trying to choose the correct words for each.

Luke 1:15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.

John the Baptist was the fulfillment of a couple of Old Testament passages: 1. Mal 4:4-6 - (Matt 17:10-13) - the voice of one crying in the wilderness 2. Isa 40:3 - (Matt 3:3) - in the spirit and power of Elias [Elijah]

Luke 1:1 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.

John the Baptist, if he were ministering in our time period, would be credited with a miniature national revival.

Luke 1:17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, 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.

John the Baptist went before the Lord Jesus Christ in the spirit and power of Elijah. This fulfilled his ministry in the initial coming. But it is stated in such a way as to leave the clear inference that Elijah the prophet would still come before the second coming.

Many identify the two witnesses in the eleventh chapter of Revelation as Elijah and Moses. How true this is, I will leave to you to decide. But at least there is the suggestion here that in some remarkable way, God intends to send Elijah or at least a ministry like Elijah's before the second return of the Lord Jesus.(see Isa 40:3-5) At first glance, it looks like we are talking about John the Baptist again.

We are reminded of the passage in John 1: Joh 1:22-23 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? 23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. But Isa 40:4-5 looks to a time which has never yet occurred. John the Baptist truly was the fulfillment in one sense, yet in another, we are still waiting for the fulfillment of Isa 40:4-5.

I don ’ t know how it is all going to come together, but somehow, Elijah, or someone coming in the spirit and power of Elijah will come before the Second Advent! Exciting! John the Baptist was a prophet and more than a prophet. He fulfilled the prophecy of Malachi 3:1, as a messenger to prepare the way of Christ. His ministry began the kingdom of God/heaven, and concluded the Old Testament. He at least partially fulfilled the prophecy of Malachi 4:5-6. He came in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17). He was later offered as Elijah but was rejected (Mark 9:11-13). But he did not claim to be

Luke 1:18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.

It is hard NOT to think of the story concerning Abraham and Sarah as we read this. Man is such a heard-hearted creature that even when faced with a messenger from God, he still struggles with unbelief!

Luke 1:19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad  tidings.

Though there is a multitude of angels, only three are specifically named in the Bible:

Michael - the Archangel

Gabriel - the messenger angel

Lucifer - the fallen angel

Luke 1:20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words,  which shall be fulfilled in their season.

No matter how great his faith may have been, his lack of faith brought the chastening of the Lord.

Luke 1:21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.

Question: Why would they be waiting? Possibly thinking some harm may have befallen him, like Nadab and Abihu? The usual amount of time is said to have been about 30 minutes during which the people would pray. So his delay would be greatly noticed.

Luke 1:22 And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.

We learn from Luke 1:6 that Zacharias was a righteous man. And yet, no matter how righteous his life up to this point, his lack of faith was still punished.

Luke 1:23 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.

Again, this would have been in the middle of August.

Luke 1:24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,

Elisabeth hid the fact that she was pregnant, and apparently, from the next verse, planned to conceal her pregnancy until such time as she could produce the child. In Luke 1:36, it is obvious that even Mary did not know of her pregnancy. But Luke 1:40-41 makes it clear that this was something that could not be kept secret for very long!

Luke 1:25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.

In the Bible days, it was a social shame to be married and yet remain childless. Modern medicine has shown us that the inability to have child can rest on either the man or the woman. But in the scriptures, it is exclusively the woman who is seen as the one bearing the brunt of the shame.

If the stories of barrenness in the Scriptures teach us anything, they ought to teach us that God is also involved in the process. Sometimes the LORD will cause barrenness for reasons of His own choosing.

The Announcement of Jesus ’ Birth to Mary

Luke 1:26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

In mid-February, Mary is given the news that she would soon conceive. At that time, Mary was living in a town called Nazareth. Nazareth was not known to have a very good reputation. Many Jews, Gentiles, and Roman soldiers lived in Nazareth. And with them came all of the various lifestyles that you can imagine would be found among the Gentiles.

You may remember that in John chapter 1, Jesus met Philip. Then Philip found Nathaniel and said to him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph . Do you remember Nathaniel ’ s response? Nathaniel said, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth ? Well, yes! Joseph found a pretty good wife there. And that was also where Jesus grew up.

Luke 1:27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

Espoused, but not married.

Golden Nugget:  After the incarnation, genealogies cease to be necessary and in fact, the New Testament warns against putting unnecessary emphasis on it. (1 Tim 1:4; Tit 3:9)

Luke 1:28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

There is an interesting double meaning in verse 28. Gabriel begins with the word charis which not only means hail but also rejoice ! And Mary had every reason to rejoice because she was about to become the mother of the long-awaited Messiah and Savior of the world.

The Roman Catholics exalt Mary, and teach many erroneous doctrines about her. They teach that she is the Mother of God (Luke 1:43) and Queen of Heaven. While she is the mother of Christ (God the Son), she is only mother of His human nature. Christ existed as God long before Mary's birth. See Jeremiah 7:18; 44:17-25 concerning the Queen of Heaven.

The Catholics teach that she is ‘ Immaculate' (sinless). They teach that Mary's conception by her mother (St.) Anna/Anne was the Immaculate Conception; as Christ could not be sinless if He had a sinful mother, so therefore Mary must have been born sinless as well. Really, all this does is regress the dilemma one step, but does not solve it. She needed a Savior as well (Luke 1:47).

The Catholics also teach that she remained a virgin perpetually (Perpetual Virginity of Mary). She had other children (Matthew 13:54-56)

Luke 1:29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

The Greek root for 'troubled' is the same as what we find in Matt 2:3. The idea is that she was negatively stirred up inside.

Luke 1:30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

Gabriel speaks highly of three persons:

Mary - she is highly favoured, the Lord is with her, she is blessed among women; she has found favour with God.

Elisabeth - She is the example of how God can do the impossible.

Jesus - he is born of a virgin; he will be called great; he is the Son of the Highest (Son of God); the son of David who has inherited the throne; he is king of Israel; he is king eternal!

Much more is revealed about Christ than the other two persons, showing who is really the focus!

The Greek word for 'favour' is 'charis' which is translated as grace over 130 times.

Luke 1:31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

Luke uses at least 27 different titles for Christ:

Lord (1:43) - used by Luke 103 times

Jesus (1:31) - used by Luke 100 times

Christ (2:26) - used by Luke 14 times

Son of the Most High (1:32)

Son of God (1:35)

My Savior (1:46)

Horn of Salvation (1:69)

Most High (1:76)

Dayspring (1:78)

Savior

Christ the Lord (2:11)

Consolation of Israel (2:25)

Son of David (3:23)

Prophet (4:24)

Holy One of God (4:34)

Jesus of Nazareth (4:34)

Master (5:5)

Son of Man (5:24)

Bridegroom (5:34)

Lord of the Sabbath (6:5)

Jesus, Son of the Most High (8:28)

The Christ of God (9:20)

Teacher (9:38)

Good Teacher (18:18)

The King (19:38)

The Stone (20:17)

King of the Jews (23:3)

The Chosen One (23:35)

Luke 1:32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

The angel announced that Jesus would take the throne of his father David forever (Luke 1:31-33). This is a reflection of Christ's fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant.

Luke 1:33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

It is clearly prophecies that the day will come when Jesus will take His rightful place as King over Israel and once this happens, He will reign as their king forever more!

Luke 1:34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

She is not in unbelief. She simply cannot understand how it could have happened seeing she had never been with man.

Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

The Bible makes it clear that it was Almighty God, not some high-paid gynecologist, who worked the details of Jesus' Divine-Human conception.

Luke 1:36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

Elisabeth was from the tribe of Levi (Luke 1:5). Mary, as we know from the genealogies, was of the tribe of Judah. Here, Mary and Elisabeth are cousins. Thus the mother of Mary and the mother of Elizabeth may very well have been sisters. This would make Jesus and John the Baptist second cousins. The Greek word translated cousin is συγγενής which simply means a relative.

Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

When God makes a promise, it is as good as done!

Textual Analysis: The TR has the word 'rhema' which is normally translated as 'word, words, saying, sayings'. In this case, it is not done this way. Another rendering could be 'No word of God shall be impossible.’

Luke 1:38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

She called herself a handmaid which is an interesting Greek word. It is the word doule .. It was the word that was used in reference to a female slave. You don't get any more submissive to God than that!

Luke 1:39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;

Elizabeth was Mary’s cousin (1:36). Since Mary was of the tribe of Judah, and Elizabeth of the tribe of Levi, apparently their mothers were sisters who married men of these two tribes.

Both Elizabeth and John were filled with the Holy Spirit.

Mary Visits Elisabeth We do not know exactly where this city of Judah was. Several possibilities have been suggested but there really is no way of knowing for sure. Mary has been told of Elizabeth ’ s pregnancy, which is also special, so she went to see her.

Luke 1:40-41 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. 41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:

Here is just one of many instances recorded in the scriptures of a person filled with the Holy Ghost before Pentecost. Additionally, it is also clear that the babe in the womb is a person making abortion wrong.

Luke 1:42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

Both parts of her statement were exceedingly true!

Luke 1:43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

Because she was filled with the Spirit, she recognized that Mary was pregnant with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 1:44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

Not only did she recognize but so did the baby, John the Baptist, in the womb. We may not be able to explain this with science, but in the Spirit, we understand.

Luke 1:45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

Mary may have been falsely elevated to place far too high by those who would call her the mother of God. She may be treated as some sort of mediator between man and Christ. And this is biblically wrong. But let ’ s not forget that she was truly blessed to have been the mother of the Christ-child. And why? Because she was a woman of faith.

Textual Analysis: ' There shall be a performance' comes from the Greek word 'teleiosis' which is translated in Heb 7:11 as perfection. 'There shall be a completion' is the right way to view this statement.

Mary ’ s Magnificat

Luke 1:46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,

Many have noted that there are similarities between Mary ’ s song and Hannah ’ s Song in 1 Samuel 2:1-10. To magnify means to make great or to exalt . Mary was about to experience something that would bring both joy and sorrow into her life. Yet she exalted the Lord.

It is also similar to Leah’s statement (Genesis 30:13).

Luke 1:47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

Interestingly, Mary uses the word soul in verse 46 and then uses spirit in verse 47. She is not making a doctrine treaty concerning the difference between soul and spirit but is simply seeking to praise the Lord with heart whole being. She refers to the Lord as God my Saviour . Mary may have been blessed among women but she still needed a savior. Once we know God's will, we should do it (John 13:17). Knowing God's will brings responsibility (Luke 12:47-48).

Luke 1:48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

It is normal for a woman who is with child to be considered blessed. But Mary knows that she is carrying a special child, the Messiah. She knows that her blessedness is not limited to one generation but to every generation.

Luke 1:49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.

Great things - this is the translation of a single Greek word μεγαλεια which is also translated in Acts 2:11 as wonderful works .

Luke 1:50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

From generation to generation - forever

Luke 1:51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

I magination - deep thoughts, or mind. imagination of the heart - their inner thoughts. The proud are such in their hearts but God, who sees the heart has scattered them.

Luke 1:52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.

This is a principle we find expressed throughout the scriptures. God exalts the humble but puts down the prideful. (Matt 23:12; Job 22:29; Prov 29:23; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5)

Luke 1:53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.

Our God satisfies the needy but send the prideful and self-sufficient away empty-handed.

Luke 1:54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;

In remembrance of His mercy - In light of the next verse it seems to me that Mary is making reference to the Old Testament promises concerning a deliverer for Israel.

Luke 1:55-56 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever. 56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.

Since we know that Elizabeth was six months pregnant when Mary came to her (Luke 1:36) then it appears that Mary stayed until the end of Elizebeth ’ s pregnancy. Being from Nazareth, this is where Mary returns home. It is at this point, Mary being now three months pregnant, she is most likely beginning to show signs of pregnancy, that Mary ’ s life will become more difficult. For who would believe that a virgin could be pregnant?

Birth of John the Baptist

Luke 1:57 Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.

John was born shortly after Mary left to return to Nazareth.

Luke 1:58 And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.

Apparently, very few people actually knew of Elizabeth ’ s pregnancy. But when they heard the good news, they rejoiced with her. They did not know that John was a special child so their rejoicing is that of joy that Elizabeth, being unable to bear a child, has now conceived.

Luke 1:59 And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.

O n the eighth day - This was commanded by God in Gen 17:12 to Abraham and also expressed later in the Law (Lev 12:3) We may wonder why the neighbors and cousins would take it upon themselves to choose a name for the child but we should remember that John ’ s father has been stricken speechless. Nevertheless, they name the baby after the father, which is not uncommon.

Luke 1:60 And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.

John means gift of Jehovahand was the name designated by the angel (Luke 1:13)

Luke 1:61 And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.

It was customary to choose a name already established in the family.

Luke 1:62 And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.

Why would they make signs to him? He was speechless. Or is it possible that he was struck deaf too?

Luke 1:63 And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.

The naming of John was for a while a point of contention. In fact, the neighbors and cousins were apparently so dissatisfied with Elizabeth ’ s answer that they appeal to Zacharias. He confirmed the name that Elizabeth had chosen.

Luke 1:64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.

It was the LORD that struck Zacharias speechless because of his lack of faith. But now, when Zacharias expresses faith, his tongue is loosed. And immediately, he begins to praise god.

Luke 1:65 And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.

The story of John the Baptist made front page news!

Luke 1:66 And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.

They knew that John would be a special child but they really had no idea! The hand of the Lord was with John, no doubt guiding, protecting, teaching.

Luke 1:67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,

We have here yet another filling of the Holy Spirit before Pentecost.

Luke 1:68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,

There are 16 references to the Old testament in Zachariah's prophecy. The man was full of the Word of God!

Luke 1:69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;

Zacharias was not referring to John but the Jesus. His first words of praise are not for his son but for the Savior. We often see the horn in Scripture as a symbol of salvation (Psalm 18:2) Thus, a title applied to God in the Old Testament is also applied to Jesus; they are both called the horn of salvation.

The very name Jesus means Saviour. The salvation Jesus offers is strong, triumphant, and powerful. Just like the horns on the altar offered refuge and atonement, Jesus offers forgiveness and cleansing through His death on the cross. However strong our spiritual foe, the horn of our salvation is stronger still.

Luke 1:70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:

God has always had spokesmen on earth to reveal his will to mankind. The succession of prophets was not interrupted until the 400 silent years at the end of the Old Testament. The New Testament indicates that prophets were from old times (Luke 1:70; Acts 3:21)

Luke 1:71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;

Zacharias is speaking under the influence of the Spirit of God. Thus, while he may have had the deliverance of Israel on his mind, we cannot miss the message to us! Our enemies - the world, the flesh, the devil - will also face stinging defeat at the hads of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 1:72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;

R emember his holy covenant - God doesn ’ t make any promises that he will not fulfill.

Luke 1:73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,

The oath - The oath is written in Gen 22:16-17 where God swears by his self that he would bless them, multiply them, and give them victory over their enemies.

Luke 1:74-76 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of 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 thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

At this point, Zacharias turns to his own son and prophecies that John would be the fulfillment of Isa 40:3, to go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways .

Luke 1:77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,

By the remission of their sins - The word remission means pardon or forgiveness. It implies that God will treat the sinner as if he had not committed the sin. (Barnes)

Luke 1:78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,

This is a clear reference to Isa 60:1-2 where the phrase is practically verbatim. Jesus refers to himslef in Rev 22:16 as the bright and morning star. These bring images of light rising up out of a period of darkness.

Luke 1:79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Isa 9:2 refers to the Messiah as one who would bring light to those in darkness and to those who sit under the shadow of death. Zacharias applies this to Christ.

Luke 1:80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.

This is speaking of John the baptist who received his spiritual training in the deserts just as Paul would later.

Announcement of Jesus' Birth to Joseph

Matt 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

espoused - betrothed, as would would think in modern terms, engaged. It was common for jews to have a period of engagment during which the future groom would get a home and so forth prepared for their new lives together (Judges 14:8; Deu 20:7)

Matt 1:19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.

The law of Moses (Dt 22:23-24) allowed for Joseph to give Mary a writing of divorcement but Joseph did not really want to do that. He took some time to think about it. Why? Because according to the law, a woman could be stoned if she were found to be unfaithful. (Deu 22:21)

Golden Nugget:  So the law may have demanded death, but love would not allow it so hastily!

Matt 1:20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

I have always found this passage interesting because we don ’ t have any background on how Joseph learned of Mary ’ s pregnancy. I would imagine that however he found out, he probably didn ’ t take the news well and had some hard questions for Mary.

And I am sure she tried to explain it to him but apparently, Joseph did not believe her. But before you think too harshly bout Joseph, what would YOU think?

Do you actually think her parents would have believed her? I suppose it is possible. But not very probable! In his dream he was told not to be afraid to take Mary as His wife. Joseph was also told that the Holy Spirit of God was responsible for the birth. Most likely Mary had already told him that part of the story. But what does Joseph do when he wakes up?

He doesn ’ t say to himself, Boy, this pregnancy is really messing with my head. I probably dreamed that way because of all the stress I am under . Joseph was receptive to God ’ s message. Joseph, desiring only to be in the center of God's will, was protected from making a big mistake.

The angel emphasizes Joseph's liniage possibly to remind him and possibly to better emphasize the purpose of the book of Matthew-to prove the Messianic qualifications of Jesus to the Jews.

Matt 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

He was called Emanuel but named Jesus . The name literally means Savior. It is the same name as Joshua in the Old Testament. In fact, it was not an especially rare name for Joshua was a hero to the Jews and quite a number of Jewish boys were named Jesus .

Golden Nugget: Jesus made this common name into something quite special for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved

Matt 1:22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

In Matt 1:21-22 we can see a natural three-fold outline:

THE PERSON - Jesus

THE PURPOSE - save

THE PLAN - fulfilled

It is characteristic of Matthew to reach back into the Old Testament and pull out the applicable prophetic passages as he tells the story of Christ. his purpose is to convince the Jewish reader