Luke 1:4-9
It Begins
We are studying Luke’s account of the life of Christ; however, it
will be Luke 4 before Jesus steps to the fore front. In the mean
while, we will meet some very interesting individuals.
Tonight, let’s meet some of God’s servants.
I. The Task of the Writer - Writing any biography would be difficult.
Writing one for God, would be impossible.
A. Where would you start it?
1. Matthew started the narrative with Gabriel appearing to
Mary. Either at that time or shortly after, the seed for
Jesus’s earthly body was placed within her.
2. But Jesus is eternal so John started "in the beginning."
3. Luke said \\#3\\ that he "had perfect understanding of all
things from the very first."
a. Last week, I noted the word "first" could be a
reference to Luke’s Source, "from above."
b. But it also means "from the first" or "from the
beginning."
c. To Luke, the beginning was not when Jesus’ body was
created but when John the Baptist was conceived.
4. John’s parents were Zacharias and Elisabeth.
B. How much history do you include?
1. \\#5\\ Luke died the births of John and Jesus to King
Herod. That makes it possible for us to know when Jesus
lived.
2. Herod and his family will be central figures in the life
of Christ and His church.
a. Herod was a wicked, brutal, sub-king of the Roman empire.
b. He was recommended by Mark Anthony and Octavius
Caesar, appointed by the Roman Senate, and ruled from
40 BC to 4 AD.
c. This is a very real historical character. (That throws
the doubts who try to confirm the Bible with history
a fit!)
d. This Herod and his descendants (4 generations) will
take us all the way through the New Testament.
e. He was a Jewish proselyte—that is, he became a Jew
because it was profitable to him. He was by birth an
Edomite.
f. It is this Herod…
(1) who spends almost 50 years rebuilding the Jewish
Temple \\#Matt 24:1\\.
(2) who kills all the children in Bethlehem
\\#Matt 2:16-18\\.
(3) who will die while Jesus, as a babe, is in Egypt
\\#Matt 2:19\\.
g. This Herod will have five sons.
(1) Two of them will have the same wife, Phillip and
Herod the tetrarchs (governors). Herod (Jr.) will
take Herodias to himself, John the Baptist will
condemn him, and John will be beheaded.
\\#Matt 14:1-12\\ Herod (Jr.) is the same Herod
to examine Jesus \\#Luke 23:7-12\\.
(2) Two other sons are mentioned:
(a) Archelaus \\#Matt 2:22\\
(b) Lysanias \\#Luke 3:1\\
(3) A grandson, Herod Agrippa I, by another child will
persecute the early church, killing James and
arresting Peter \\#Acts 12:1-4\\. He is the king
who is instantly killed by God and consumed by
worms for taking God’s praise \\#Acts 12:20-23\\.
(4) Agrippa’s son, Herod’s great grandson, Agrippa II,
will be the ruler who listens to Paul’s defense
\\#Acts 25:1-26:32\\.
II. \\#5-10\\ The Duty of the Priest
A. \\#5\\ Zacharias was a priest.
1. The Bible says both he and his wife were descendants of
Aaron. \\#Le 21:14\\ That was not required but perhaps
made life easier having similar backgrounds.
2. \\#6\\ Both stood righteous before God and blameless.
3. \\#7\\ Both were "well stricken in years."
a. The phrase means "on in years."
b. Even so, \\#Numbers 8:25\\ says Zacharias could not
have been 50 for that was the retirement age of
a priest.
4. \\7\\ Also says the couple was childless.
5. I’ve had two thoughts the last few weeks as I have
thought on their lives:
a. If you want to be an righteous older couple, you need
to get started.
(1) It is not easy to live for God in a wicked
world.
(2) There are going to be some failures and most
need practice.
(3) The longer you wait, the less likely you are to
succeed.
(a) You get more set in your ways.
(b) People, situations, and circumstances
seem to lock you into a lifestyle.
(c) You just get comfortable in sin.
b. Our disappointments are for God’s purposes.
(1) Here is a righteous and blameless couple but they
had no children.
(2) I am certain that must have been a great
disappointment to them.
(3) In the twilight of their lives, they find out
that God had a purpose. He was saving them for
something and someone better.
(4) Whether we ever find out the reason for our
disappointments or not, God has a purpose.
B. \\#9-12\\ Zacharias was carrying out his priestly temple
duties.
1. The Levites had been divided into 24 divisions in the days
of David and Solomon.
2. Each division served a week so each priest would serve
two weeks out of the year. (There was at least one holy
week and some holy days which probably required all the
priests to be present.)
3. One source gave the order of service for the priests:
Before the break of the day, the priests on duty
were ready and they assembled to cast lots to
decide the assignment of the various daily tasks.
It started with filling the lavers and preparing
the altar.
At about 9:00 am, they opened the gates and blew
the silver trumpets to announce the commencement
of the morning service. The service included
slaying the sacrificial lamb, salting the
sacrifice, trimming the lampstand, BURNING THE
INCENSE, presenting the burnt offering and drink
offering, blessing the people and blasting the
silver trumpets. This was followed by the Psalm
of the day, presented by the singers, accompanied
by instrumental music.
Immediately after the morning service, the
Israelites might bring in their private
sacrifices and offerings. It would occasionally
continued till near the time for the evening
sacrifice, which was about 2:30 pm.
The evening service was similar to the morning
service. It ended at about 4:00 pm.
At night, the priests kept watch about the
innermost places of the Temple, including the
inner court and the Temple itself. They also
opened and closed all the inner gates.
The Sabbath service was the same as on other
days, except that at the close of the morning
sacrifice two additional lambs were offered,
along with its appropriate meal and drink
offerings \\#Numbers 28:9-10\\. When the Sabbath
was over, the outgoing course left the Temple
and parted from each other with a farewell.
http://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/temple/details/priest_
service.htm
4. We do not know what day of the week or which service of
the day the angel appeared, but we do know:
a. On that day, Zacharias was to burn the incense.
b. This was a small part in a bigger service so others
would be waiting on him.
5. As far as we know, there was nothing special about this
day.
a. Zacharias and Elisabeth had not grown old overnight.
b. This was not Zacharias’ first time to serve and the
Bible does not say it was to be his last.
c. The temple was kept up 365 days out of the year.
d. God just decided it was time.
Ga 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was
come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman,
made under the law,
e. God does things on HIS time table, not ours.
III. \\#11-25\\ The Message of the Angel
A. Angels are not recycled human beings.
1. Be very careful about getting your theology from TV.
2. It’s A Wonderful Life, Highway to Heaven, Touched by
An Angel are ENTERTAINMENT.
3. Angels are unique beings created to serve God.
B. They higher in order than humans, but we will one day be
higher than they.
Hebrews 2:6 But one in a certain place testified,
saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of
him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?
7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels;
thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and
didst set him over the works of thy hands:
C. Some angels stand in the presence of God to do His bidding.
Perhaps Gabriel is one of those.
Revelation 8:2 And I saw the seven angels which
stood before God; and to them were given seven
trumpets.
Isaiah 63:9 In all their affliction he was
afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved
them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed
them; and he bare them, and carried them all
the days of old.
D. Only two are named, Gabriel and Michael
\\#Da 10:13,21 12:1 Jude 1:9 Re 12:7\\.
1. Gabriel is first mentioned in \\#Dan 8:16, 9:21\\.
2. That’s more than 500 years before Jesus’ birth.
E. We know that Gabriel will appear to Mary \\#Luke 1:26\\ and is
probably the angel that appears to Joseph \\#Matt 1:20\\. It
is possible that Gabriel makes all the visits to humans
pertaining to the birth of Jesus.
F. \\#13-17\\ Gabriel’s message
1. \\#13\\ Don’t be afraid. Angels usually start with that
statement because their holiness frightens people.
2. God is about to answer your prayers, meaning they had
prayed for a child.
3. They are to call the child’s name John. "John" means
"Jehovah has shown favor."
4. \\#14\\ John will be a source of happiness to his parents.
a. \\#Matt 2:34\\ Simeon spake directly to Mary telling
her that her Child will give her pain.
b. Why not tell John’s parents? He will also be killed.
c. Because they would not live to see it.
5. \\#15\\ John will be used greatly of the Lord and will be
filled with the Holy Ghost from birth.
6. \\#16\\ John will cause "revival" to come to Israel.
7. \\#17\\ In that aspect, John will have the power and
spirit of Elijah.
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