Luke 1

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.

I was moved by the instinct and direction of the Holy Spirit, having had full and infallible notice of all things, which were done from the very first intimation of the conception of Christ, till now, to digest and set them down in due order.

Luke 1:5

A certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

Whereas king David had long since, for the avoiding of confusion in the holy services of the Temple, sorted all the priestly tribe into four and twenty ranks, and had by lot designed to them the several courses of their ministration; Zacharias, the priest, was one of the successors of Abia in his division, upon whom the eighth course fell; and, as his time came, ministered accordingly: and his wife was also of the same holy tribe.

Luke 1:6

And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

And they were both holy and conscionable persons, sincere and upright in their carriage before God and men; walking inoffensively in the ways of God’s law.

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 there were divers several employments in the offices of the priests, in their courses; the lot of Zacharias was now to burn incense in the temple, upon the altar, which was set for that purpose in the outer room or tabernacle thereof.

Luke 1:10

And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

And the multitude, as not being allowed to come under the roof of the temple, stood in the outer court, whence they might see the holy actions performed within by the priests; praying all the time that the incense was offered, that so the incense of their devotions might answer to the sweet savour of that material incense, which ascended up in their sight towards heaven.

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.

For he shall not only be great in the reputation of his holiness with men, but in the acceptation and favour of God: and he shall, in a Nazaritish austerity, be consecrated to God;

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 a strange and unlikely message, that thou deliverest unto me: what sign dost thou give me, whereby I may be assured of it? for sure, in course of nature this cannot be: I am an old man, and my wife is stricken in years; we are therefore both unapt to beget or to bear a son.

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.

Since thou desirest a sign; behold, thou shalt feel and find this manifest sign in thyself; that very tongue, that desireth it, shall be tied up: thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak from this hour, till the birth of that son of thine, because thou believest not my words.

Luke 1:22

For he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.

He made signs unto them of his own speechlessness, and of that heavenly vision which he had seen; so as all the people, with much wonder, apprehended this extraordinary work of God in Zacharias. I. 24, 25. And hid herself five months, saying, Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men. Out of a holy bashfulness at this strange work of God, and at the wonderment of her neighbours; she kept close for five months, saying, Thus marvellously hath the Lord dealt with me beyond all hopes, in this conception of mine, whereby he hath taken away from me the reproach of barrenness.

Luke 1:34

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

Then said Mary to the angel, as partly wondering at the speech, and partly enquiring into the manner of the performance of so strange a work, Thou hast told me a great and marvellous thing, that I shall now instantly conceive the Messiah, the Son of the Living God; but tell me how this shall be effected: how shall I, that am a weak vessel of flesh, conceive him that is the Son of God? or how shall I, who am a virgin, being only espoused to a husband, not yet therefore capable of the knowledge of a man; how shall I, in this condition, become the mother of such a Son?

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.

Be not thou curious to enquire into the manner, how this work shall be effected; for the Spirit of God, the Infinite and Essential Power of the Highest, shall no less secretly than wonderfully work this blessed conception in thee; of thy substance, by him sanctified, framing that Sacred Body, which the Son of God shall assume to himself.

Luke 1:36

And this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

And this is the sixth month of the conception of her, that was ever formerly reputed barren.

Luke 1:37

For with God nothing shall be impossible.

For with God, howsoever things may seem to weak and ignorant mortals, nothing is impossible: the conception of aged Elisabeth, the conception of a pure virgin without the touch of man, are easily feasible to his Omnipotence.

Luke 1:38

Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

Behold, Lord, I have been taught from thy prophets, that a virgin shall conceive, and be the mother of Him that is Immanuel, God with us. If I, howsoever unworthy, be designed by thee to this wonderful honour, I do bless thy Name for this great mercy, and do gladly yield myself over to thy holy will and pleasure. Let this gracious work of thine be accordingly wrought in me.

Luke 1:39

And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda.

And Mary arose, in those days; and, partly for the further confirmation of her faith by the sight of that which was affirmed by the angel concerning her cousin Elisabeth, and partly for mutual congratulation of these great works of God, went up from Nazareth to the hill country of Juda, to visit Elisabeth. I. 41, 42. The babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. The babe, by the extraordinary and powerful motion of the Spirit of God, leaped in the womb of his mother: as in a miraculous presentation of the Deity of that Saviour, whose forerunner he should be into the world: and Elisabeth was suddenly inspired with a prophetical power; and, by the instinct and virtue thereof, said, &c. I. 46, 47. And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. All the powers of my will and affections agree together, in magnifying the goodness of the Lord towards me; And the faculty of my understanding, in the apprehension of this great mercy of God, stirs up all the rest to praise and glorify him.

Luke 1:51

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

He hath approved his Almighty power in this supernatural work, which he hath wrought in me: he hath, according to his gracious wont, chosen so poor and humble a creature as myself, to exalt to this marvellous honour; whereas, those, that are high in their own conceits, he hath confounded and disregarded. So also verse 52.

Luke 1:61

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

Thou knowest it is the usual manner, to call the children by the names of some of the ancestors or near kindred of the family; why wilt thou alter the custom? what reason hast thou, since none of thy kinsfolk is so called, to appoint this name to be given to thy son?

Luke 1:63

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

And he made signs to them again, that they should bring him a writing table; and therein he wrote, His name is John.

Luke 1:69

And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David. See Psalm cxxxii. 17.

I. 78, 79. Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. Through the bowels of the tender compassion of our God towards mankind, out of which he hath sent his Son, as the morning sun rising from the east, to visit his people, by his gracious presence with them: To give true light of knowledge and comfort, to those, who are naturally overwhelmed with the darkness of ignorance and averseness from God, and thereby in danger of everlasting death; and to set us in the true way of rest and eternal happiness.

Luke 1:80

And was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.

And lived obscurely in the desert, until it pleased God to call him forth for the discharge of that his public function, in teaching and baptizing his people.