Bible Understanding Made Easy Volume Iv: Luke's Gospel

By Anthony L. Norwood

Bible Understanding Made Easy is a series of books used to inspire and teach the Word of God to sincere souls who are trying to draw closer to God. Learn more about the awesome life of Jesus through the book of Luke! Discover the love of Jesus, His history, miracles, and compassion for mankind in simple, easy-to-read language. Whether you are new to the Bible or experienced with Bible study for years, you will learn and grow from this study. Learn at your own pace and use this great teaching tool to inspire others!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 4, 2016
• ISBN: 9781514468401

Anthony L. Norwood

Anthony L. Norwood has preached Gods Word since 1999. He is currently the minister to the Henry Street Church of Christ in Gadsden, AL, USA.

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Copyright © 2016 by Anthony L. Norwood.

ISBN:      Softcover         978-1-5144-6841-8

                eBook             978-1-5144-6840-1

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Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Rev. date: 02/24/2016

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CONTENTS

Introduction to the Gospel According to Luke

Chapter One The Purpose of the Book and John the Baptist's Birth (Luke 1)

Chapter One Questions

Chapter One Answers

Chapter Two Jesus' Birth, the Shepherds, Jesus' Circumcision and Presentation to the Temple, Simeon's Prophecy, Anna's Prophecy, and the Adolescent Jesus (Luke 2)

Chapter Two Questions

Chapter Two Answers

Chapter Three The Preaching Ministry of John the Baptist, Jesus' Baptism and Genealogy (Luke 3)

Chapter Three Questions

Chapter Three Answers

Chapter Four Jesus' Temptation in the Wilderness, He is Rejected at Nazareth, He Casts out a Demon in Capernaum, He Heals Peter's Mother-in-Law, and He Heals Many of Their Ailments (Luke 4)

Chapter Four Questions

Chapter Four Answers

Chapter Five Jesus' Miracle of a Miraculous Catch of Fish, the Lord Heals a Leper and Others, He Forgives a Paralyzed Man of His Sins and Heals Him, the Lord Reveals to the Scribes and Pharisees that He came to Seek and to Save the Lost, He Foretells His Pending Death, and Speaks of the Coming of the New Testament Via the Wine Skins Example (Luke 5)

Chapter Five Questions

Chapter Five Answers

Chapter Six Jesus Fields Accusations of Sabbath Breaking, He Chooses His Apostles, He Heals Many, He Gives Hope to Those Suffering in Society, He Forewarns Those Who Are Prospering And Not Righteous, He Teaches Regarding Man Loving His Enemies, the Lord Teaches on Generosity, He Forbids Judging Others, and He Teaches that the Mark of a True Christian is Obedience to His Words (Luke 6)

Chapter Six Questions

Chapter Six Answers

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven Questions

Chapter Seven Answers

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight Questions

Chapter Eight Answers

Chapter Nine Jesus Sends Out the Twelve on the Limited Commission, Herod Desires to See Jesus, the Lord Miraculously Feeds 5,000 Men, Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ, the Lord Forewarns of His Suffering and Death, He Teaches About Self-Sacrifice, the Lord Foretells the Coming of His Kingdom Within the Lifetime of Those Literally Hearing Him Preach at the Time, Jesus is Transfigured, the Lord Casts Out a Demon From a Boy, Jesus Teaches the Disciples About Humility Through an Object Lesson Using a Child, the Lord Shows Mercy Upon Some Inhospitable Samaritans, and He Teaches Concerning the Cost of Following Him (Luke 9)

Chapter Nine Questions

Chapter Nine Answers

Chapter Ten Jesus Sends Out the Seventy to Announce that the Kingdom of God Was Near, He Pronounces Woes Against Several Disbelieving Cities, the Seventy Return with Joy as They were Able to Cast Out Demons, Jesus Describes the Fall of Satan from Heaven, He Delivers the Parable of the Good Samaritan, and Martha Complains Against Mary Because Mary Would Rather Listen to Jesus than Serve the Guests (Luke 10)

Chapter Ten Questions

Chapter Ten Answers

Chapter Eleven Jesus Teaches the Disciples How to Pray, the Lord Teaches Persistence Through the Parable of the Friend at Midnight, He Foretells the Giving of the Holy Spirit to Christians, the Lord is Falsely Accused of Using Satan's Power to Cast Out Demons, Jesus Tells the Crowd the Only Sign They Will Get to Show He Came from God is the Sign of Jonah, and He Rebukes the Pharisees for their Hypocrisy (Luke 11)

Chapter Eleven Questions

Chapter Eleven Answers

Chapter Twelve Jesus Warns His Disciples About the Hypocrisy of the Pharisees, He Teaches Them Not To Fear Man But to Fear God Instead, He Teaches Them To Confess Him As Their Lord to be Saved, He Teaches Them About the Unforgiveable Sin, He Warns the Disciples Against Greed, He Discourages Against Worry, He Commands Them to Be Ready For His Second Coming, He Teaches What Type of Behavior the Saints Should Have On Earth While He is Away in Heaven, He Explains that the Christian Life Will Cause Division in This World Including Family Division, and the Lord Advises One to Not Procrastinate By Taking Care of Legal Issues Before Imprisonment Occurs (Luke 12)

Chapter Twelve Questions

Chapter Twelve Answers

Chapter Thirteen Jesus Teaches Repentance, The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree, The Lord Heals A Bowed Over Woman on the Sabbath Day and Suffers Persecution Accordingly, The Parable of the Mustard Seed, The Parable of Leaven, A Remnant of Mankind Will Be Saved, and Jesus Refuses to Leave Galilee Despite the Pharisees Telling Him that Herod Will Kill Him (Luke 13)

Chapter Thirteen Questions

Chapter Thirteen Answers

Chapter Fourteen Jesus Heals a Man With the Dropsy On the Sabbath and Exposes the Jewish Leaderships' Hypocrisy, He Teaches Via the Parable of the Wedding Feast to Teach About Humility, He Teaches Regarding Compassion for the Poor, Jesus Teachers Through the Parable of the Great Banquet, and the Lord Describes the Sacrifices and Hardships of Being a Christian (Luke 14)

Chapter Fourteen Questions

Chapter Fourteen Answers

Chapter Fifteen Jesus Teaches Via The Parable of the Lost Sheep, He reveals The Parable of the Lost Coin, and He Teaches Compassion Via The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15)

Chapter Fifteen Questions

Chapter Fifteen Answers

Chapter Sixteen Jesus Teaches Via the Parable of the Unjust Steward, He Teaches Us to Choose the Side of Righteousness and Not Covetousness, His Teachings On Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage, and the Lord Teaches Compassion Through the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16)

Chapter Sixteen Questions

Chapter Sixteen Answers

Chapter Seventeen Jesus Teaches Regarding the Dangers of Offending Other Christians, How to Handle Being Offended By other Christians, the Power of Faith, Keeping a Humble Attitude Regarding Our Service to God, Being Thankful For Our Blessings Via the Story of the Ten Lepers, His upcoming Suffering and Rejection Coupled with the Roman Invasion of Jerusalem, and His Second Coming (Luke 17)

Chapter Seventeen Questions

Chapter Seventeen Answers

Chapter Eighteen Jesus Teaches Us to Pray Without Ceasing Using the Parable of the Unjust Judge, He Teaches Humility Via the Parable of the Pharisee and Publican, The Lord Further Teaches Humility Using Children as Object Lessons, He Teaches Against Greed Through His Encounter With the Rich Young Ruler, Jesus Teaches Regarding His Upcoming Suffering, Death, and Resurrection, and He Heals a Blind Beggar Near Jericho (Luke 18)

Chapter Eighteen Questions

Chapter Eighteen Answers

Chapter Nineteen Jesus Saves a Rich Publican Named Zacchaeus, He Teaches Faithful Service to Him Via the Parable of the Pounds, Entrance of the Lord Into Jerusalem on a Colt, He Foretells God's Punishment of Them Through the Destruction of Jerusalem, and Casts Out the Greedy Merchants from the Temple (Luke 19)

Chapter Nineteen Questions

Chapter Nineteen Answers

Chapter Twenty The Jewish Leaders Challenge Jesus' Authority, He Utters a Parable Condemning the Jewish Leadership's Rebellion and Murder of the Son of God, the Jewish Leadership Sends Spies to Monitor Jesus' Teachings In Order to Build a Case to Deliver Him to the Romans, the Lord Orders the People to Pay Taxes to Rome, He Stumps the Sadducees When They Engage in Trickery Concerning the Resurrection of Mankind, Jesus Asks How the Christ Could be the Son of David, and Forewarns His Followers of the Hypocritical lifestyle of the Jewish Religious Leaders of His Time (Luke 20)

Chapter Twenty Questions

Chapter Twenty Answers

Chapter Twenty-One The Poor Widow's Offering, Jesus Foretells the Destruction of the Jewish Temple, He Foretells False Men Masquerading as the Christ, the Lord Further Foretells the Persecution of the Apostles, He Foretells the Roman Siege of Jerusalem, He Foretells His Second Coming to the Earth, and the Lord Instructs Christians to Live Righteously Prior to His Second Coming (Luke 21)

Chapter Twenty-One Questions

Chapter Twenty-One Answers

Chapter Twenty-Two The Jewish Leadership Schemes to Find a Way to Kill Jesus, Judas Iscariot Betrays the Lord, the Disciples Prepare for the Passover, Jesus Eats His Last Passover Meal with the Twelve Apostles, He Creates the Lord's Supper Ceremony, Jesus Appoints the Apostles as Rulers of the Kingdom After His Resurrection, He Prays for Peter to Not be Destroyed by Satan, the Lord Foretells Peter's Denial of Him Three Times, the Agony of the Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane is Told, He is Arrested in the Garden, the Lord is Tried Before Caiaphas, Caiaphas' Men Demean and Beat the Lord, and He Confesses to Being the Son of God in Front of Caiaphas (Luke 22)

Chapter Twenty-Two Questions

Chapter Twenty-Two Answers

Chapter Twenty-Three Jesus is Tried and Found Innocent In Front of Pilate, Pilate Attempts to Shift Judgment Responsibilities to Herod, Herod Does Not Find Any Fault in Jesus and Sends Him Back to Pilate, Pilate Offers to Whip and Release the Lord, Pilate Attempts to Talk the Blood Thirsty Mob Out of Their Desire to Crucify Jesus Unsuccessfully, Pilate Caves Into the Mob's Political Pressure and Has Jesus Crucified, the Lord is Crucified Between Two Thieves, He Asks for the Forgiveness of His Enemies While on the Cross, Jesus Endures the Physical Agony of Crucifixion, He Endures the Mocking of Men as He was Nailed to the Cross, and He Died and was Laid in the Tomb of a Rich Man Per the Prophecies of the Old Testament (Luke 23)

Chapter Twenty-Three Questions

Chapter Twenty-Three Answers

Chapter Twenty-Four Female Disciples of the Lord Discover Jesus' Empty Tomb, They Declare His Resurrection to the Other Disciples, The Other Disciples Respond with Disbelief, Peter also Witnesses Jesus' Empty Tomb, Jesus Secretly Teaches Two Disciples About His Resurrection After they Fell into Disbelief Regarding the Same, the Lord Later Appears to the Apostles Plainly and Dines with Them, He Promises to Send the Holy Spirit While Commanding the Apostles to Remain in Jerusalem Until that Day Came, and the Lord Ascends Into Heaven (Luke 24)

Chapter Twenty-Four Questions

Chapter Twenty-Four Answers

God's Plan of Salvation

What Are You Going To Do Now?

References

DEDICATION

This work is first and foremost dedicated to the Lord and Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. This author also dedicates this work to Clorine Walker Drake, Amer Lee Norwood, and Elgin Norwood Sr. You are the best grandparents anyone could ask for! God bless you!

FOREWORD

Friend, thank you for taking this journey to learn more about God's Word. It will be a true blessing to you and a decision that will change your life! As you read the words of this commentary, please keep in mind that the power is actually the Bible itself. This commentary is designed to bring out some highlights from your Bible readings in order to apply them to your life. Please read and enjoy the same. Also, pass on the knowledge you glean from this work so others can be blessed by the same. God bless you!

INTRODUCTION TO THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE

The Gospel of Luke is a faith building book of the Bible. It chronicles the life and teachings of our Lord and Savior, Jesus. Its teachings concur with the books of Matthew and Mark. However, it also adds detail to the Gospel story of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is certainly a blessing to have an additional record of Jesus' times and teachings from more than one writer. Additional writers, such as Luke, give us even greater insight and understanding of the events mentioned regarding Jesus' life and teachings.

This book was written by the Christian physician named Luke. Luke was not an eye witness of the Lord's ministry. Instead, he compiled together the story of Jesus and His teachings via the oral histories of eye witnesses (Luke 1:1-4) (Easton, n.d.). However, he was a traveling companion of the Apostle Paul (Colossians 4:14) (McNeal, 1991).

Scholars believe the book of Luke was written between AD 61 and 63. They also believe the book was written in Rome, but some believe it could have been written from the Greek province call Achaia (McNeal, 1991). However, most lean toward Rome being the location.

Luke himself identified the purpose of his writing the Gospel o f Luke (Luke 1:1-4). He wanted to confirm for Theophilus the certainty of the things Theophilus had been taught. Luke also wanted this information available for a wider readership. Most scholars conclude that Luke's target audience were Gentile inquirers and Christians who needed strengthening in the faith.

The purpose of Luke's Gospel is stated in Luke 1:3, which reads as follows according to the New International Version, "Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus..." In other words, Luke's intent was to put together a collection of the history and teachings of Jesus using the oral histories of eye witnesses. Most of his stories fall in chronological sequence. This we know, because he often referred to specific time periods (Luke 1:5, 26, 36, 56, 59; 2:42; 3:23; 9:28) (McNeal, 1991).

The following is an outline of the book of Luke which was selected and adapted from H. Leo Bole's A Commentary on the Gospel According to Luke (1991):

I. Preface to the Gospel (Luke 1:1-4)

II. The Birth of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ (Luke 1:5 to 2:52)

III. The Beginning of Jesus' Ministry (Luke 3:1 to 4:13)

IV. Jesus' Ministry in Galilee (Luke 4:14 to 9:50)

V. Jesus' Ministry in Perea and His Journeys Toward Jerusalem (Luke 9:51 to 19:28)

VI. Jesus' Ministry in Jerusalem and the Last Days of His Public Teaching (Luke 19:29 to 21:38)

VII. Judas' Betrayal, the Lord's Arrest, Trials, and Crucifixion (Luke 22:1 to 23:56)

VIII. Jesus Resurrection, the Great Commission, and the Lord's Ascension into Heaven (Luke 24:1-53).

CHAPTER ONE

The Purpose of the Book and John the Baptist's Birth (Luke 1)

1 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed (Luke 1:1-4 New King James Version).

Luke is showing us that many people have taken on the tasks of putting together the story of Jesus Christ. Luke was no exception. Uniquely to Luke's Gospel was the fact that those who were eye witnesses to the works and teachings of Jesus and the preachers He sent were used to create this great book of the Bible (Boles, 1991). Luke is saying he put this work together for Theophilus to confirm the things Theophilus had already been taught. Of course, although man wrote these Scriptures, the Words themselves were given by God. As the Bible says, all Scripture is given by the inspiration of God (2 Timothy 3:16). The Gospel of Luke is no exception. God decided to use Luke to give us these powerful, inspiring, soul-saving Words (Romans 1:16)!

To this author's knowledge, not much information is known about Luke's life. However, the Bible does give us some details. First, he was a doctor. The King James Version of the Bible bluntly calls him a "physician" by trade. He also appears as one of the faithful, Christian brothers in the Colossian letter (Colossians 4:14). We also believe that Luke wrote the book of Acts. With this being the case, we know that Luke traveled with the Apostle Paul in Asia, Macedonia, and other regions while this apostle preached the Gospel of salvation all over the world (Acts 16:10-13; 20:5, 6; 2 Timothy 4:11). (Nave, 1995).

To this author's knowledge, the Bible does not reveal much about the life of Theophilus. His name means friend of God in the original Greek language in which the New Testament was written. We know he was a Christian. The rest of what is believed about him is pure speculation. It is believed he was a Roman. Luke wrote the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts to him (Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1). It is a possibility that he was a man of rank, possibly some type of Roman officer, as he is addressed by the title most excellent. This is the same title Paul uses for the Roman official Felix (Acts 23:26; 24:3) (Easton, n.d.).

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 (Luke 1:5-7 New King James Version).

These verses tell us in which time period the following events occurred in. First, they occurred in the time of Herod. There are many Herods in the Bible, but this one is believed to be Herod the Great. He was actually an Idumean person who the Romans put in power. He is believed to have reigned in Judea from around 40 B.C. to 4 B.C (Coffman, 1910). Remember, the Jewish people were not an independent nation. They were occupied by the Romans and this allowed the appointing of men like Herod to rule over their land called Judea. Judea was a Roman province at the time.

Herod the Great's life deserves a little more study. The history books reveal more about him that brings the pages of the Bible to life and allows us to understand his ruthless actions toward the Jewish people and Jesus Christ later on in Bible history. Most of what we know about his life comes from history books and Jewish scholars such as Josephus. He was Idumean, which means that his family line did not have true Jewish origins. However, back in 125 B.C. the Idumeans were conquered by the Jews, circumcision was forced upon them, and they were considered nominal Jewish people (Orr, 1915). However, the Jews and Idumeans were cousins. They both were the children of two Bible figures who were brothers. These Bible figures were Esau and Jacob. The Idumeans descended from Esau and the Jewish people came from Jacob (Genesis 27:41) (Orr, 1915). Idumea was first called Edom. Edom was also a name for Esau (Genesis 25:25, 30) (Nave, 1995). The Herodian family had always sided with the conquering Roman forces and thus, they were rewarded with power over the Jews by these same Romans. Herod the Great was no exception. He had a knack for establishing and maintaining relationships with the Roman emperors. Herod the Great was over the territory of Galilee where the infant Jesus and His family would reside. His talents included architecture. The ruins of his work still stand in and around Jerusalem. He built a theater and amphitheater that exist in ruins to this day. Perhaps, his most famous building project was the renovation of the Jewish Temple structure that was eventually destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. in the Jewish rebellions many years after his death. This structure is described as a most magnificent architectural achievement even by Jesus' apostles (Mark 13:1) (Orr, 1915). Lastly, Herod the Great's personality was marred by jealousy and power lust. In fact, he wanted to kill Jesus as a child to eliminate any challenges to his power. This included all infants in the land who could have qualified as the foretold King of the Jews. He drenched the land in the blood of children to maintain his power, but the Father God spared Jesus (Matthew 2). Herod was truly a ruthless character!

Second, the Jewish priesthood was in effect. Zacharias was one of those priests. At Zacharias' time, they represented the Jewish people before God. One of their responsibilities was to keep the lamps burning in the Temple (Exodus 27:20-21). They were also required to offer the daily animal, grain, and drink offerings (Exodus 29:38 --44). Furthermore, they were to teach the children of Israel the Word of God (Leviticus 10:8-11). In addition, they were to keep incense burning (Leviticus 24:1-9). Another responsibility of the priests were that some were teachers of the law of Moses while others served as judges over disputes (Deuteronomy 17:8 - 13) (Easton, n.d.).

Now that we have some background on the duties of the priests in the time of Zacharias, let's examine his function. The priests were specialized. In other words, they were assigned specific responsibilities. Zacharias was no exception. His assigned duty was to burn incense (Luke 1:9). His division was of the course of Abijah. This just means that he had a shift like a modern day factory worker. The priests were divided into 24 courses, which were like working crews. They did not work all the time. Instead, they had appointed periods of time in which they worked. Each shift of priests would work a week at a time in rotation. The course of Abijah was the eighth shift (1 Chronicles 24) (Johnson, 1891).

Zacharias was married to Elizabeth. Her genealogy extended to Aaron as one of her ancestors. Although women could not be priests, she was descended from the original high priest, which was Aaron. Thus, both Zacharias and Elizabeth were descendents of the class of priests.

Most importantly, both Zacharias and Elizabeth were righteous in the sight of God. They were blameless, which means God had nothing to hold against them regarding their "walk with Him. You will often see the term walk" as symbolic of one's obedience to the Word of God. Obedience to the Word of God is essential to one's salvation contrary to public opinion in the world today. However, the opinions of man will never save anyone's soul. Instead, we must obey God's Word to be saved (Matthew 7:21; James 2:20). Also, total obedience is necessary. This is demonstrated by the couple walking in ALL the commandments and ordinances of God! Thus, we cannot pick and choose which commandments we must follow. Some things are easier to obey than others. However, obedience to all things commanded by God in His New Testament is necessary for salvation (Colossians 2:14; Hebrews 8:8, 13; 12:24; John 12:48). Remember, the Christian life is a life of sacrifice. The sacrifice of obedience is the least thing we can do for a God who loves us so much (John 14:15; Romans 12:1)!

Lastly, the Bible tells us that Zacharias and Elizabeth had no children. Furthermore, they were an elderly couple. Eventually, God would bless them with a child commonly known as John the Baptist. This John would be the one who would introduce the Savior, Jesus Christ, to this world. Thus, God was going to use a couple who was faithful to Him to do an amazing deed later on in the story. This story will serve as inspiration for barren Christian couples, because God may be making you wait to have children. The reason may be that He may have a special plan for you and your future family if you stay faithful to Him in this type of trial and tribulation. Barren women often are stressed to unimaginable levels when they desire children and must wait on God to make it happen for years. Keep your faith in Him, because He just may be making you wait for a reason! He knows what He is doing. If it is His Will, the conception of child will happen in due time. Please let His Divine plan for your life take affect. He is the giver of life no matter how hard man tries to manipulate the process. The gift of life comes directly from God (Deuteronomy 32:39).

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 (Luke 1:8-12 New King James Version).

These verses show us that Zacharias was faithful to his God-given role of priest. He performed his duty of burning incense in the Jewish Temple during his priestly group's rotation. Outside of the Temple, a large group of Jewish people were praying. During this time frame, an angel from God appeared to Zacharias near the altar where incense was burned. This must have been an amazing sight as anxiety and fear took over Zacharias when he saw the angel. Angels still exist today and are known to be the helper of God's people (Hebrews 1:13-14). There are good and bad angels (Matthew 25:41). The good ones are the helpers sent to aid God's people. The bad ones are in the army of the devil. What exactly the good angels do in this life is a mystery to this author at this time, but it is a good feeling to know that they are on the side of God's people battling on our behalf.

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... (Luke 1:13-17 New King James Version).

Moving forward, as you can see, the angel told Zacharias not to be afraid. God's presence was with Zacharias through the angel. This is teaching us that when we are in the midst of God, we do not have to fear him like a slave does a slave master. However, it is true that the Bible teaches us we are to fear God (1 Peter 2:17). The type of fear we are to have for God is a deep reverence for Him and not terror (Romans 8:15). Consequently, when we are Christians, we are always in the presence of God from a spiritual standpoint (Matthew 28:18-20; Hebrews 13:5). As such, we should be joyous and not fearful as He always treats us with love (1 John 4:16). The only time we have a terrifying type of fear is when we are rebelling. This is because God does punish His Christian children to correct their behavior. This is why He is called the Father. A good Father always disciplines His children out of love and not hate (Hebrews 12).

Notice, the angel said that Zacharias' prayer had been heard. It is obvious that he was praying about his wife's barrenness. The angel revealed to him that his wife would have a son despite her advanced age. We do not know her age, but it must have been rare for a person of her age to have a child and this is why the revelation of the news was a hard thing for Zacharias to believe. However, even this small revelation of truth helps us in this modern day. One must be righteous in order for God to answer his or her prayer (1 Peter 3:12). Zacharias and Elizabeth were surely righteous and this led to God showing compassion on them by answering Zacharias' request to have a child (Luke 1:6, 13).

Moving forward, please notice that the angel told Zacharias to call the child "John." This shows us the awesomeness of God's foreknowledge. He knows all things pertaining to the unborn children of this world. In fact, this is one aspect of a Biblically sound argument against abortion. Let's take a brief detour on the topic of abortion.

Well, the Bible is clear regarding God's Will for an unborn child. Psalm 139:13 reads as follows, according to the New International Version, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb (Pro-choice Or Pro-life, n.d.). The words inmost being are a translation of the Hebrew word kilyâh" (Strong's number H3629). It means the physical organs (Brown, Driver, & Briggs, 2006). Simply put, this figure of speech stands for the physical body in general (Theological Word Book of the Old Testament number 983a) (Harris, Archer, & Watke, 2004). So to make it even simpler, David is saying that God created him and put him together inside of his mother's womb before He was born. So this automatically disproves the idea that an unborn child is just a piece of tissue having no life due to the fact that God created the physical body and formed it in every stage of its development until it was born! The unborn are people who God loves and has a plan for in this life as we will see in a moment.

David goes on to say in Psalm 139:14, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." This is the attitude all people should have toward our God that made each and every one of us individually. We should praise Him, because it makes us shudder with amazement as we think about the fact we are created by a Person with superior intelligence than any one on the planet. We are miraculously made which tells us that we cannot begin to try and figure out how God could make us the way He did considering that we have multiple organs, veins, blood, water inside of us, nerves, bones, ligaments, lungs, and all other complicated types of systems inside of us that all must work together for us to survive day-by-day. We should be grateful that God decided to make us so complex that not even all of the medical doctors that ever lived on this planet can tell us how God designed us the way He did!

The Bible goes to say, "My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth..." (Psalms 139:15 New International Version). In this verse, David is comparing the mother's womb to the depths of the earth (Barnes, n.d.). In those days, no man could see into the womb like we can see today. So it was a mystery what was really going on in the womb at that time. Still even to this day, we do not know everything that goes on in the womb, but we can find out a whole lot through modern technology. For example, we can see down to the level of cells and somewhat smaller than that with powerful microscopes.

But who knows, God can see even things in the womb that modern science still has not discovered and may never discover with modern technology, so we should not get arrogant since we have ultrasound technology that allows us to see the development of a fetus in this day and age. Even with modern technology, God's eyes will be better than ours and will see all things; including the very smallest details of the development of a fetus! What's most important is the fact that in the New International Version the word "frame is translated from the Hebrew word ôtsem" (Strong's number H6108) and means the bones of the human body in the Hebrew language (Brown, Driver, & Briggs, 2006). So again, God saw the development of the fetus that He created and brought to life every stage of the way.

Even deeper, David goes on to say in Psalm 139:16, "your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be" (Psalms 139:16 New International Version). This shows us that God saw every stage of the unborn fetus as it matured in the womb; including the moment of conception. The unity of the egg and sperm are an unformed mass that must develop arms, legs, a head, etc. Thus, God is showing us that life begins at conception (i.e. the mass is called a body not tissue as pro-choice advocates maintain). God saw David as an embryo, which in modern medical science means that David was less than eight weeks old. During the embryo stage, which is before 8 weeks of age, the body is not developed, but looks like a mass of material (Embryo, 2007). During the fetus stage, which is after 8 weeks, all of the body's structures are developed and the baby looks human (Fetus, 2007). What is even more powerful is the fact that even before the child was born, God determined the length of time the child would live in the first place.

So as you can see, God determines the birth of all people and the time of death as well even before the child is born!

Moving forward, neighbors in the audience, we must realize that God has a plan for the unborn child even before it enters this world. How do we know this? We can see this from the story of Jeremiah. God called Jeremiah to be a prophet, before Jeremiah was born. Thus, he gives us all life for a purpose He knows before any of us are born.

Remember, God said to Jeremiah the following words from Jeremiah 1:5, which reads, "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."

Furthermore, God can call us by name even before we are born. This we know from the Words of the angel to Joseph that said in Matthew 1:21-22, which reads, "21 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. 22 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."

On top of these things, the medical community believes that a fetus can actually feel pain in the womb as early as 8 weeks old. There is much debate over this issue of pain, but if it is true that a fetus can feel pain at 8 weeks old, then an abortion can be a horrible, cruel experience for an unborn child (Willke, 2006)! But one thing we do know for sure is that an unborn child has emotions. This we know from Luke 1:44, which reads, "For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy (Pro-choice or Prolife," n.d.).

Lastly, God's attitude toward abortion is summed up in Exodus 21:22-25, which reads as follows according to the New International Version, "If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman's husband demands and the court allows. 23 But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise." This verse is referring to harm done to a pregnant woman and/or her unborn child. If a man caused an abortion in the woman, then he was put to death in the Old Testament days, which firmly shows us that God does not approve of any type of abortion. Thus, God does not stand for abortions of any kind.

People often ask the question, what about rape, incest, and the life of the mother? Well, God gives life and takes it away. Though these things are a tragedy and one's heart goes out to these victims, God still has not given any one the authority to take away an unborn child's life.

Returning to Luke 1:14, God tell us that the Jewish people will be glad that John the Baptist was born. They would be glad, because later in Bible history, his preaching ministry would turn many people from a sinful life to a righteous life in the sight of God (Clark, n.d.). Furthermore, he would also be the preacher to personally introduce Jesus Christ to the world. John the Baptist will be a very famous preacher. This is because his preaching ministry would not only say the Savior is coming to the earth as preachers before him did in the Bible, but his preaching ministry would say the Savior is here! Consequently, his preaching ministry of announcing the literal arrival of the Savior would bring joy to numerous people that lived in his days on the earth!

Moving on, the Bible says, "For he will be great in the sight of the Lord..." (Luke 1:15). This is related to the last thought we discussed. Yes, John the Baptist would be a great prophet for God. A prophet in those days was one who revealed the Word of God to others. Yes, many were prophets before John the Baptist, but he was a greater prophet than those before him as he became the heralder of the good news that the Savior had arrived on the earth! Furthermore, God was very pleased with John's faithfulness to Him. We know this from Jesus' words later on in Bible history that read as follows in Luke 7:24-28, according to the New American Standard 1995 Version:

24 What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 25 But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who are splendidly clothed and live in luxury are found in royal palaces! 26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and one who is more than a prophet. 27 This is the one about whom it is written, 'BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.' 28 I say to you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

Please notice something very profound said by God. He tells us that the least in the kingdom, which means the least among all Christians, will be considered greater than John the Baptist in God's eyes. This statement in Luke 7:28 shows us the tremendous love that God has for all Christians. It shows us how much He loves us when one considers the type of man John the Baptist was. Later on in Bible history, one will find out that John the Baptist was an adamant preacher of the truth of God's Word. So much so, he became a martyr and was beheaded for his preaching (Matthew 14). Even though John the Baptist was an adamant preacher of the truth, the actual heralder of the news of the arrival of Jesus, and gave his life in service to God, the Lord shows us he values all Christians even more! Doesn't the knowledge of this great love for all Christians motivate us to give our lives to the Lord and to make Him our Lord and Savior as He deserves? Why not? No one will ever love you like God! Please see the section of this book entitled, God's Plan of Salvation, for more information on how to become a Christian today!

Returning to Luke 1:15, John the Baptist was foretold to not drink wine or strong drink. H. Leo Boles (1991) explains this thought from God correctly and clearly with the following words, ...he was to be bound with the Nazirite vow (Numbers 6:1-20). Samson was also bound with this vow (Judges 13:2-5). Wine was the fermented juice of grapes, and God saw fit to restrict the Nazirite and not permit him to drink wine; by such signs all the Jews recognized a man of God, and listened to him with reverence (Matthew 21:32).

Luke 1:15 goes on to say, concerning John the Baptist, "...He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb." The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4). Thus, the power of God would reside within John from his very beginnings in this world. This would mean he would be a holy child. He would be a special child. Even more, this would mean that John would have the gift of preaching powerful messages. Remember, in those days, the Holy Spirit gave the words to the speaker to deliver to the audience (2 Peter 1:21; 1 Timothy 3:16). John would be no exception. He would become a very powerful preacher of God's Word and effective in doing so!

Moving on, Luke 1:16 says, "And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. As you can see, John's preaching ministry was designed to prepare the minds of the hearers for a relationship with Jesus. In other words, John's preaching from God made the people ready to be with Jesus. How did John the Baptist turn people away from sin and to the Lord? Well, let's examine the foundation of what he taught. For example, the Bible tells us, 1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 3:1-2). Thus, John was teaching the children of Israel that repentance was necessary to please God. There is so much false teaching in the world today that so many preachers are purposely not telling the hearers they must repent to be saved. As a result, and sadly, they are not being saved despite thinking they are saved without repentance. Remember, repentance is just another way of describing a necessary change in lifestyle to please God. It is making one's mind determined to live the righteous, Christian lifestyle and leave a sinful lifestyle alone. The Bible mentions the necessity of repentance in many places. As you can see, John the Baptist preached it, Jesus Christ preached it, and even the Apostles preached that repentance is necessary for salvation (Matthew 4:17; Acts 2:38). If you are under a man's ministry that eliminates the need for repentance within God's plan of salvation, please flee his ministry as it is not the truth and will not lead to salvation!

Moving forward, the Bible says that John the Baptist would go forward in the spirit and power of Elijah. Elijah was an Old Testament prophet who God used to preach repentance to the children of Israel hundreds of years before John's birth. He was also a very famous prophet whose name the Jewish people of John's time would recognize. John would possess the same spirit and power of Elijah. Figuratively speaking, he would be a carbon copy of the man. He would possess the same spirit, which means the zeal that Elijah had. He would also possess the same power, which means he would have a successful ministry that would touch the hearts of the hearers and bring them back to a healthy relationship with God.

Luke 1:17 also says the following about John the Baptist's ministry, "...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." There is much disagreement in commentaries regarding what God meant by John the Baptist turning the hearts of the fathers to the children. Some teach that the children of Israel were divided into religious sub groups such as Pharisees and Sadducees (Barnes, n.d.). This division even invaded households where a father may believe in the teachings of the Pharisees and the son may be a Sadducee. The other interpretation is that the fathers are the righteous Jewish men who God considered righteous such as Abraham (Hebrews 12). Symbolically speaking, the father of faithfulness to God, which is Abraham, would be reunited with the faithful children of Israel who responded in repentance to the preaching of John the Baptist. Thus, both Abraham and the faithful Jewish people of John's day would be one in the faith. This author is not 100 percent sure which interpretation is correct. However, he believes that the latter interpretation is correct. God is speaking in symbolic terms that due to faithfulness to God, men like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and other Jewish patriarchs would be one in righteousness with the faithful children of Israel. This is because the preaching of John the Baptist would turn the disobedient to living wisely, which is means righteously. Finally, John's ministry would make the people ready for Jesus. Later on in Bible history, John would literally introduce Jesus as the Son of God, which means the Lord and Savior sent from God the Father. He would also prepare the people for a true relationship with Jesus as one must repent in order to have a true, saving relationship with Him (Luke 13:3, 5; Acts 2:38).

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... (Luke 1:18-20 New King James Version).

Unfortunately, Zacharias did not react favorably to the news delivered by the angel. The messenger of the news is listed as Gabriel. There are not many angels mentioned by name in the Bible. The only angels from God mentioned by name that this author has seen in the Scriptures is Michael and Gabriel (Luke 1:19; Jude 1:9). One's teachings on the names of the angels is an indicator as to whether his ministry is a true, saving ministry or not. When a ministry cannot tell the truth about the small things such as the names of angels, that ministry cannot be trust with the ultimate teaching of what one must do to be saved. As constantly stressed throughout this series of commentaries, flee false doctrine, because false teachings lead to eternal punishment and not salvation (Galatians 1:8-9).

Now, moving on, as you can see, Zacharias did not believe the word of God as delivered by the angel Gabriel. As a punishment, Zacharias' ability to talk was taken away. Why? No man knows the answer, but a strong possibility is that God took his speech away because he may have used his tongue to discourage his wife Elizabeth. In other words, God was going to reveal this same information to Elizabeth later on, but decided not to use Zacharias to do so. Perhaps, Zacharias' lack of faith would have caused a lack of faith in Elizabeth as well! Remember, even today, it is impossible to please God without believing what He has said (Hebrews 11:6). Do not let friends, family, modern science, politics, or philosophy sway you from believing the Bible's words only when it comes to salvation and God's Will for mankind! The devil can operate through these different agents to shake you from your faith. Don't allow it to happen!

Before moving on, one last point needs to be made. Please do not look for an angel to reveal God's word today. In Zacharias' and Elizabeth's day, the New Testament of the Bible had not been written. Thus, today's Christians are at an advantage over them. We have God's last and complete revelation of His Will for our lives in the New Testament of the Bible. Seek your answers for righteous living through its pages only. It has all you need to please God (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Moving forward, the angel told Zacharias the following things, "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..." (Luke 1:20).

Unbelief in the Word of God is an attribute that angers God. This is certainly evident in the judgment God placed upon Zacharias due to his unbelief in the angel's words. As a punishment upon Zacharias' lack of faith, God would take away his ability to speak. Was there another reason other than unbelief for this punishment? There is a strong possibility that God had to silence Zacharias so that his lack of faith did not negatively affect the faith of others. Mark Thompson, the minister at the Liberty City church of Christ in Detroit, Michigan, once taught this point in a sermon many years ago. Perhaps, Zacharias' influence over his wife, Elizabeth, may have caused the same unbelief in her if he was allowed to speak. We must always remember that we can never please God without faith in Him and the things He reveals to us through His Word. A lack of faith is such a crucial enemy of the Christian community that one can lose his or her salvation without it (Hebrews 3:12; 11:6). Nonetheless, we must not negatively affect the faith of others as well. God holds us accountable for destroying the faith and/or the obedience of other Christians (Matthew 18:6). We must strive to make others stronger in the faith by encouraging them and living as an example of the same in front of them (2 Corinthians 1:3-4; 1 Timothy 4:12).

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...(Luke 1:21-22).

These verses show us that Zacharias was in the Temple for a long time. This period of time was unusual regarding the work he did in the Temple. This is why the people were amazed at how long he was in the Temple. However, they believed that something miraculous had happened while Zacharias was so long in coming out of the Temple. They believed he saw a vision. They were right. God allowed him to miraculously see and speak to an angel. However, as a punishment unto him, God took away his ability to speak due to his unbelief in the promise God made unto him in the previous verses. He used sign language to communicate with the people as God said he would not be able to speak until John the Baptist would be born.

23 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house. 24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, 25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men...(Luke 1:23-25).

These verses show us that after Zacharias' season to serve in the Jewish Temple had ended, he returned to his home. Sometime thereafter, Elisabeth was pregnant just as the angel had foretold. She went into seclusion for five months. However, the blessing of God had made her joyful. Remember, she was an older woman and had been infertile for many years. We do not know the couple's age, but they were very old as indicated by the Scriptures. So, this must have been a tremendous miracle for her to be pregnant. This was a joyful occasion, because it was shameful for a woman to be infertile in the Bible days. This is why Elizabeth was joyful. She knew that God had shined His blessed favor upon her. This also brings us into the thought of life and death. Couples should not feel ashamed that they cannot have children or are delayed in doing so. Infertility causes a great amount of tension in a marriage when the spouses desire to have children. They often unnecessarily and unfairly blame each other for the infertility they are experiencing. However, both partners must understand that it is God that gives life no matter how much fertility drugs one takes and all other activities related to children are taken into consideration. Keep praying for a child and if God wants it to happen, it will even if the couple becomes advanced in years (1 John 5:14-15).

26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 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. 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. 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: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 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. 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. 37 For with God nothing shall be impossible. 38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. 38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her...(Luke 1:26-38).

In these hope filled passages we find a lot of lessons to help us from a faith standpoint. The angel, Gabriel, was sent from God to Nazareth. This was the home of Joseph and Mary. God specifically picked a virgin named Mary to receive the news that she would bring the Son of God into this world. She also had to be a descendent of King David from the Old Testament days (Luke 1:26-27). Why must Mary not have ever had sexual relations with a man and be a descendent of David? It was to fulfill God's Word. If God did not pick a sexually pure woman who was a descendent of David, He would not have been true to the Word He foretold to happen hundreds of years before Mary was born (Isaiah 7:14; Jeremiah 33:17; Psalm 2). Furthermore, she was indeed a descendent of David (Luke 3:23-38). This shows us that God's Word can always be trusted. Any promise He makes will be fulfilled in its own time.

Regarding Mary, the angel told her that she was highly favored among women (Luke 1:28). Of course, God's favor was shining brightly on her because she would be the one and only woman to bring the Son of God into this world. This was an awesome honor bestowed upon her. However, this did not make her Divine as some teach today. She is not God just because she brought the Savior into the world. The only