Luke 1
WesleyLuke 1:1
The father of Alexander and Rufus - These were afterward two eminent Christians, and must have been well known when St. Mark wrote.
Luke 1:2
Matthew 27:33; Lu 23:33; John 19:17.
Luke 1:4
St. Mark seems to intimate, that they first nailed him to the cross, then parted his garments, and afterward reared up the cross.
Luke 1:5
St. Mark seems to intimate, that they first nailed him to the cross, then parted his garments, and afterward reared up the cross.
Luke 1:8
Luke 1:9
Luke 1:13
Luke 1:14
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me - Thereby claiming God as his God; and yet lamenting his Father’s withdrawing the tokens of his love, and treating him as an enemy, while he bare our sins.
Luke 1:17
Matthew 27:50; Lu 23:46; John 19:30.
Luke 1:21
Who served him - Provided him with necessaries.
Luke 1:22
Because it was the day before the Sabbath - And the bodies might not hang on the Sabbath day: therefore they were in haste to have them taken down.
Luke 1:23
Honourable - A man of character and reputation: A counsellor - A member of the sanhedrim. Who waited for the kingdom of God - Who expected to see it set up on earth. Matthew 27:57; Lu 23:50; John 19:38.
Luke 1:26
He rolled a stone - By his servants. It was too large for him to roll himself.
Luke 1:29
Matthew 28:1; Lu 24:1; John 20:1.
Luke 1:30
At the rising of the sun - They set out while it was yet dark, and came within sight of the sepulchre, for the first time, just as it grew light enough to discern that the stone was rolled away, Matthew 28:1; Luke 24:1; John 20:1. But by the time Mary had called Peter and John, and they had viewed the sepulchre, the sun was rising.
Luke 1:31
Who shall roll us away the stone - This seems to have been the only difficulty they apprehended. So they knew nothing of Pilate’s having sealed the stone, and placed a guard of soldiers there.
Luke 1:35
And Peter - Though he so oft denied his Lord. What amazing goodness was this!
Luke 1:37
Luke 1:38
Luke 1:40
Luke 1:41
Neither believed they them - They were moved a little by the testimony of these, added to that of St. Peter, Luke 24:34; but they did not yet fully believe it.
Luke 1:42
Luke 1:43
Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature - Our Lord speaks without any limitation or restriction. If therefore every creature in every age hath not heard it, either those who should have preached, or those who should have heard it, or both, made void the counsel of God herein. Matthew 28:19.
Luke 1:44
And is baptized - In token thereof. Every one that believed was baptized. But he that believeth not - Whether baptized or unbaptized, shall perish everlastingly.
Luke 1:45
And these signs shall follow them that believe - An eminent author sub - joins, “That believe with that very faith mentioned in the preceding verse.” (Though it is certain that a man may work miracles, and not have saving faith, Matthew 7:22,23.) “It was not one faith by which St. Paul was saved, another by which he wrought miracles. Even at this day in every believer faith has a latent miraculous power; (every effect of prayer being really miraculous;) although in many, both because of their own littleness of faith, and because the world is unworthy, that power is not exerted. Miracles, in the beginning, were helps to faith; now also they are the object of it. At Leonberg, in the memory of our fathers, a cripple that could hardly move with crutches, while the dean was preaching on this very text, was in a moment made whole.” Shall follow - The word and faith must go before. In my name - By my authority committed to them.
Raising the dead is not mentioned. So our Lord performed even more than he promised.
Luke 1:46
If they drink any deadly thing - But not by their own choice. God never calls us to try any such experiments.
Luke 1:47
The Lord - How seasonable is he called by this title! After he had spoken to them - For forty days. Lu 24:50.
Luke 1:48
They preached every where - At the time St. Mark wrote, the apostles had already gone into all the known world, Romans 10:18; and each of them was there known where he preached: the name of Christ only was known throughout the world.
Luke 1:51
This short, weighty, artless, candid dedication, belongs to the Acts, as well as the Gospel of St. Luke. Many have undertaken - He does not mean St. Matthew or Mark; and St. John did not write so early. For these were eye witnesses themselves and ministers of the word.
Luke 1:52
This short, weighty, artless, candid dedication, belongs to the Acts, as well as the Gospel of St. Luke. Many have undertaken - He does not mean St. Matthew or Mark; and St. John did not write so early. For these were eye witnesses themselves and ministers of the word.
Luke 1:53
To write in order - St. Luke describes in order of time; first, The Acts of Christ; his conception, birth, childhood, baptism, miracles, preaching, passion, resurrection, ascension: then, The Acts of the Apostles. But in many smaller circumstances he does not observe the order of time. Most excellent Theophilus - This was the appellation usually given to Roman governors. Theophilus (as the ancients inform us) was a person of eminent quality at Alexandria. In Acts 1:1, St. Luke does not give him that title. He was then probably a private man. After the preface St. Luke gives us the history of Christ, from his coming into the world to his ascension into heaven.
Luke 1:55
The course of Abia - The priests were divided into twenty - four courses, of which that of Abia was the eighth, 1 Chronicles 24:10. Each course ministered in its turn, for seven days, from Sabbath to Sabbath. And each priest of the course or set in waiting, had his part in the temple service assigned him by lot.
Luke 1:56
Walking in all the moral commandments, and ceremonial ordinances, blameless - How admirable a character! May our behaviour be thus unblamable, and our obedience thus sincere and universal!
Luke 1:60
The people were praying without, at the time of the incense - So the pious Jews constantly did. And this was the foundation of that elegant figure, by which prayer is in Scripture so often compared to incense. Perhaps one reason of ordaining incense might be, to intimate the acceptableness of the prayer that accompanied it; as well as to remind the worshippers of that sacrifice of a sweet - smelling savour, which was once to be offered to God for them, and of that incense, which is continually offered with the prayers of the saints, upon the golden altar that is before the throne, Revelation 8:3,4.
Luke 1:62
Zacharias was troubled - Although he was accustomed to converse with God, yet we see he was thrown into a great consternation, at the appearance of his angelical messenger, nature not being able to sustain the sight. Is it not then an instance of the goodness is well as of the wisdom of God, that the services, which these heavenly spirits render us, are generally invisible?
Luke 1:63
Thy prayer is heard - Let us observe with pleasure, that the prayers of pious worshippers come up with acceptance before God; to whom no costly perfume is so sweet, as the fragrancy of an upright heart. An answer of peace was here returned, when the case seemed to be most helpless. Let us wait patiently for the Lord, and leave to his own wisdom the time and manner wherein he will appear for us. Thou shalt call his name John - John signifies the grace or favour of Jehovah. A name well suiting the person, who was afterward so highly in favour with God, and endued with abundance of grace; and who opened a way to the most glorious dispensation of grace in the Messiah’s kingdom. And so Zacharias’s former prayers for a child, and the prayer which he, as the representative of the people, was probably offering at this very time, for the appearing of the Messiah, were remarkably answered in the birth of his forerunner.
Luke 1:65
He shall be great before the Lord - God the Father: of the Holy Ghost and the Son of God mention is made immediately after. And shall drink neither wine nor strong drink - Shall be exemplary for abstemiousness and self - denial; and so much the more filled with the Holy Ghost.
Luke 1:66
And many of the children of Israel shall he turn - None therefore need be ashamed of “preaching like John the Baptist.” To the Lord their God - To Christ.
Luke 1:67
He shall go before him, Christ, in the power and spirit of Elijah - With the same integrity, courage, austerity, and fervour, and the same power attending his word: to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children - To reconcile those that are at variance, to put an end to the most bitter quarrels, such as are very frequently those between the nearest relations: and the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just - And the most obstinate sinners to true wisdom, which is only found among them that are righteous before God.
Luke 1:68
Zacharias said, Whereby shall I know this? - In how different a spirit did he blessed virgin say, How shall this be? Zacharias disbelieved the fact: Mary had no doubt of the thing; but only inquired concerning the manner of it.
Luke 1:69
I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God - Seven angels thus stand before God, Revelation 7:2; who seem the highest of all. There seems to be a remarkable gradation in the words, enhancing the guilt of Zacharias’s unbelief. As if he had said, I am Gabriel, a holy angel of God: yea, one of the highest order. Not only so, but am now peculiarly sent from God; and that with a message to thee in particular. Nay, and to show thee glad tidings, such as ought to be received with the greatest joy and readiness.
Luke 1:70
Thou shalt be dumb - The Greek word signifies deaf, as well as dumb: and it seems plain, that he was as unable to hear, as he was to speak; for his friends were obliged to make signs to him, that he might understand them, Lu 1:62.
Luke 1:71
The people were waiting - For him to come and dismiss them (as usual) with the blessing.
Luke 1:74
Hid herself - She retired from company, that she might have the more leisure to rejoice and bless God for his wonderful mercy.
Luke 1:75
He looked upon me to take away my reproach - Barrenness was a great reproach among the Jews. Because fruitfulness was promised to the righteous.
Luke 1:76
In the sixth month - After Elisabeth had conceived.
Luke 1:77
Espoused - It was customary among the Jews, for persons that married to contract before witnesses some time before. And as Christ was to be born of a pure virgin, so the wisdom of God ordered it to be of one espoused, that to prevent reproach he might have a reputed father, according to the flesh.
Luke 1:78
Hail, thou highly favoured; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women - Hail is the salutation used by our Lord to the women after his resurrection: thou art highly favoured, or hast found favour with God, Lu 1:30, is no more than was said of Noah, Moses, and David. The Lord is with thee, was said to Gideon, Jude 6:12; and blessed shall she be above women, of Jael, Jude 5:24. This salutation gives no room for any pretence of paying adoration to the virgin; as having no appearance of a prayer, or of worship offered to her.