Luke 1:1-38

An Italian, a Scotsman and a Chinese fellow are hired at a construction site. The foreman points out a huge pile of sand and says to the Italian guy, “You’re in charge of sweeping.” To the Scotsman he says, “You’re in charge of shoveling.” And to the Chinese guy, “You’re in charge of supplies.” He then says, “Now, I have to leave for a little while. I expect you guys to make a big dent in that pile.”

So the foreman goes away for a couple hours and when he returns, the pile of sand is untouched. He asks the Italian, “Why didn’t you sweep any of it?” The Italian replies, “Mama mia, I no hava no broom. You saida to the Chinese a fella that he a wasa in a charge of supplies, but he hasa disappeared and I no coulda finda him nowhere.” Then the foreman turns to the Scotsman and says, “And you, I thought I told you to shovel this pile.” The Scotsman replies, “Aye, ye did lad, boot ah couldnay get meself a shoovel! Ye left th’ Chinese gadgie in chairge of supplies, boot ah couldnay fin’ him either.”

The foreman is really angry now and storms off toward the pile of sand to look for the Chinese guy. Just then, the Chinese guy leaps out from behind the pile of sand and yells, “SUPPLIES!”

Life is full of surprises. More than that, God is full of surprises! He has a history of pulling off surprises to mankind. When we think that we just figure out what God would do, He completely blows away our expectation and logic.

The best example of that is the salvation through Jesus Christ who was born in a human form with full of divinity. It was the best kept secret. Even though it was prophesied throughout the entire Old Testament, no one, even satan couldn’t figure it out until it was too late for him to stop it.

An old couple and a Jewish teenager are about to face God’s incredible plan and they didn’t know that they are the supporting roles of His unbelievable real life drama.

A. INTRODUCTION
Let’s go over a few basic points of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Dr. Luke.

1) Author
Doctor Luke, the apostle Paul’s companion on his missionary journeys, was probably the only Gentile writer of any portion of the New Testament. He wrote this book as well as the Book of Acts.

While Matthew presented Jesus as the Jewish Messiah and King, Mark painted the picture of Jesus as a suffering Servant. But Luke emphasized the humanity of Jesus and presented Him as the perfect Man. Who would be better qualified to bear witness to the humanity of Jesus than a doctor?

Dr. Luke wrote this Book with the mind of a physician and scientist, but with the heart of an artist.

2) Composition
None of the other Gospel writers give us a more detailed or descriptive analysis of the Savior’s birth, childhood, manhood and death like this Book. Obviously, Dr. Luke had to interview Mary, the mother of Jesus to get all these details that we are about to learn.

3) Intended Readers
Theophilus may have been a wealthy Roman official of Antioch. He might have been a seeker after truth who was being taught the Christian message. But Dr. Luke expected that other general Greek people would read this Book also.

Luke 1:1-4 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.

After I read this portion I thought Luke should have been a lawyer more than a doctor. Because it seems that the lawyers get paid by the number of words they put in contracts. We have no idea what they say in their fancy words but there are a lot of them. I guess we can summarize these four verses in five words, “It is all true, Theo.”

Luke 1:5-10 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. 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.

It has been 400 years since God spoke to the nation of Israel through any prophets of the OT. There has been absolute silence from heaven. It was indeed dark days for Israel. The spiritual leaders were shackled by tradition and corruption. But no matter how dark the day, God always has His devoted and obedient people.

Zacharias and Elizabeth were a godly couple who both belonged to the priestly line. Their only sorrow was that they had no children, and they made this a matter of constant prayer. Little did they know that God would answer their prayers and give them, not a priest, but a prophet. And no ordinary prophet, because their son would be the herald of the coming Messiah.

Over the years the number of priests multiplied to as many as 20,000 priests in the time of Jesus, so they had to use the lot to determine which priests would serve when. To a godly man like Zacharias, this would be the biggest event of his life, a tremendous privilege, a-once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

In front of him was the golden altar of incense. It was 18 inches square and 3 feet high. On that small table lay the burning coals, with little wisps of smoke rising up, ready for the incense. Behind the gold altar was a huge, thick curtain, and behind that curtain was the Holy of Holies, the Most Holy Place, where no man could enter, except the high priest, and that only on the Day of Atonement. As he faced the golden altar of incense, to his right would be the table of showbread, and to his left would be the golden lampstand, which provided the only light for the holy place. In the Bible the burning of incense is a strong picture of prayer.

Luke 1:11-17 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. 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.”

“Fear not” is the first commandment after 400 years of silence from God. Imagine how excited Zacharias must have been when he heard that he and Elizabeth were to have a son! “Rejoicing” is another key theme in Luke, mentioned at least nineteen times. Good news brings joy!

Gabriel instructed him to name his son ‘John’ which means “Jehovah is gracious” and to dedicate the boy to God to be a Nazirite all of his life. He would be filled with the Spirit before birth and would be God’s prophet to present His Son to the people of Israel. God would use John’s ministry to turn many people back to the Lord.

The pattern for his ministry would be the great prophet Elijah – will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah. This quotation is from Malachi 4:5-6.

Zacharias has been praying for the salvation of his nation Israel and a son for themselves. God is going to answer both prayer requests in a surprising manner.

Luke 1:18-25 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.” 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. 23 And so it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. 24 Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”

Zacharias came into the temple to pray to God Almighty who created heaven and earth with a command. Ironically, he doubted that God could make his aging wife to be pregnant. Like us many times, Zacharias was living in the backwash of his own limitations. He couldn’t believe what God had in mind because he was limiting God’s capability.

Unbelief is when we intentionally refuse to believe God’s Word and do what He tells us to do.

Zacharias received a sign, all right. His words of unbelief stuck in his throat, until the day he would name his newborn son. He had an encounter with an angel and a great news for a coming son, yet he could not let others know, because he couldn’t speak. It is far worse than you hit a golf ball and it became a hole in one, but there is not a soul around to brag about. Another surprise for Zacharias!

Luke 1:26-38 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” 35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.” 38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Mary was a Jewish young woman of the tribe of Judah, a descendant of David, and a virgin. She was engaged to a carpenter in Nazareth named Joseph, and apparently both of them were poor. Among the Jews at that time, engagement was almost as binding as marriage and could be broken only by divorce. In fact, the man and the woman were called “husband” and “wife” even before the marriage took place. Since Jewish girls married young, it is likely that Mary was a teenager when the angel appeared to her.

Mary’s response reveals her humility and honesty before God. She certainly never expected to see an angel and receive special favors from heaven. If she thought she was special, she might have said, “Well, it’s about time, Gab! What took you so long?” No, all of this was certainly a surprise to her.

Being pregnant before a young lady’s wedding may not be a big deal to many nowadays, but it could be a lifelong accusation or even a death penalty as an adulteress.

In v31-35, we must make a special note for ourselves. This doesn’t have the same impact on us today. But Mary and all other Jewish people from her culture knew exactly what this meant. This child would be equal to God by being called the Son of God. Jesus did not become the Son of God. He was called the Son of God, recognizing His nature from all eternity.

Mary’s question is logical. Even though she asks basically the same question Zacharias asked, his question was asked in skeptical unbelief, her question was asked in wonder-filled faith about the process.

Angel Gabriel explained that the power of the Highest, in the Person of the Holy Spirit, would overshadow Mary. The word ‘overshadow’ means “to cover with a cloud,” like the cloud of Shekinah glory in the temple of the OT or the cloud of transfiguration Peter, James and John saw in the Mt. Hermon.

Mormon people claimed that this is when God had sex with Mary and she was pregnant with Jesus. That is a crude and ignorant theology.

Mary responds with humility and firm faith in God in spite of inevitable false accusations and potential death penalty. What a courage and faith this young girl had!

G. APPLICATIONS
1) If we think God has run out of surprises, we could be in for the surprise of our lives.

3) God’s delays are not necessarily His denials. “Wait” doesn’t necessarily mean “No.”

If you want to contact the webservant of Calvary Chapel of Sahuarita, please send an e-mail.



	Luke 1:1-38
	Surprise!!!
	An Italian, a Scotsman and a Chinese fellow are hired at a construction site. The foreman points out a huge pile of sand and says to the Italian guy, “You’re in charge of sweeping.” To the Scotsman he says, “You’re in charge of shoveling.” And to the Chinese guy, “You’re in charge of supplies.” He then says, “Now, I have to leave for a little while. I expect you guys to make a big dent in that pile.” So the foreman goes away for a couple hours and when he returns, the pile of sand is untouched. He asks the Italian, “Why didn’t you sweep any of it?” The Italian replies, “Mama mia, I no hava no broom. You saida to the Chinese a fella that he a wasa in a charge of supplies, but he hasa disappeared and I no coulda finda him nowhere.” Then the foreman turns to the Scotsman and says, “And you, I thought I told you to shovel this pile.” The Scotsman replies, “Aye, ye did lad, boot ah couldnay get meself a shoovel! Ye left th’ Chinese gadgie in chairge of supplies, boot ah couldnay fin’ him either.” The foreman is really angry now and storms off toward the pile of sand to look for the Chinese guy. Just then, the Chinese guy leaps out from behind the pile of sand and yells, “SUPPLIES!” Life is full of surprises. More than that, God is full of surprises! He has a history of pulling off surprises to mankind. When we think that we just figure out what God would do, He completely blows away our expectation and logic. The best example of that is the salvation through Jesus Christ who was born in a human form with full of divinity. It was the best kept secret. Even though it was prophesied throughout the entire Old Testament, no one, even satan couldn’t figure it out until it was too late for him to stop it. An old couple and a Jewish teenager are about to face God’s incredible plan and they didn’t know that they are the supporting roles of His unbelievable real life drama. A. INTRODUCTION Let’s go over a few basic points of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Dr. Luke. 1) Author Doctor Luke, the apostle Paul’s companion on his missionary journeys, was probably the only Gentile writer of any portion of the New Testament. He wrote this book as well as the Book of Acts. While Matthew presented Jesus as the Jewish Messiah and King, Mark painted the picture of Jesus as a suffering Servant. But Luke emphasized the humanity of Jesus and presented Him as the perfect Man. Who would be better qualified to bear witness to the humanity of Jesus than a doctor? Dr. Luke wrote this Book with the mind of a physician and scientist, but with the heart of an artist. 2) Composition None of the other Gospel writers give us a more detailed or descriptive analysis of the Savior’s birth, childhood, manhood and death like this Book. Obviously, Dr. Luke had to interview Mary, the mother of Jesus to get all these details that we are about to learn. 3) Intended Readers Theophilus may have been a wealthy Roman official of Antioch. He might have been a seeker after truth who was being taught the Christian message. But Dr. Luke expected that other general Greek people would read this Book also. 4) Theme Luke 19:10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. B. LUKE’S PREFACE Luke 1:1-4 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 wrote the first four verses in refined, academic style Greek. But then, for the rest of the Gospel, Luke doesn’t use the language of scholars but of the common man, the language of the street. After I read this portion I thought Luke should have been a lawyer more than a doctor. Because it seems that the lawyers get paid by the number of words they put in contracts. We have no idea what they say in their fancy words but there are a lot of them. I guess we can summarize these four verses in five words, “It is all true, Theo.” C. ZACHARIAS, THE PRIEST Luke 1:5-10 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. 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. It has been 400 years since God spoke to the nation of Israel through any prophets of the OT. There has been absolute silence from heaven. It was indeed dark days for Israel. The spiritual leaders were shackled by tradition and corruption. But no matter how dark the day, God always has His devoted and obedient people. Zacharias and Elizabeth were a godly couple who both belonged to the priestly line. Their only sorrow was that they had no children, and they made this a matter of constant prayer. Little did they know that God would answer their prayers and give them, not a priest, but a prophet. And no ordinary prophet, because their son would be the herald of the coming Messiah. Over the years the number of priests multiplied to as many as 20,000 priests in the time of Jesus, so they had to use the lot to determine which priests would serve when. To a godly man like Zacharias, this would be the biggest event of his life, a tremendous privilege, a-once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. In front of him was the golden altar of incense. It was 18 inches square and 3 feet high. On that small table lay the burning coals, with little wisps of smoke rising up, ready for the incense. Behind the gold altar was a huge, thick curtain, and behind that curtain was the Holy of Holies, the Most Holy Place, where no man could enter, except the high priest, and that only on the Day of Atonement. As he faced the golden altar of incense, to his right would be the table of showbread, and to his left would be the golden lampstand, which provided the only light for the holy place. In the Bible the burning of incense is a strong picture of prayer. D. GABRIEL THE ANGEL Luke 1:11-17 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. 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.” There are innumerable angels, only two of which are actually named in Scripture: Michael and Gabriel. When Gabriel appeared by the altar, Zacharias was frightened, because the angel’s appearance could have meant divine judgment. “Fear not” is the first commandment after 400 years of silence from God. Imagine how excited Zacharias must have been when he heard that he and Elizabeth were to have a son! “Rejoicing” is another key theme in Luke, mentioned at least nineteen times. Good news brings joy! Gabriel instructed him to name his son ‘John’ which means “Jehovah is gracious” and to dedicate the boy to God to be a Nazirite all of his life. He would be filled with the Spirit before birth and would be God’s prophet to present His Son to the people of Israel. God would use John’s ministry to turn many people back to the Lord. The pattern for his ministry would be the great prophet Elijah – will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah. This quotation is from Malachi 4:5-6. Malachi 4:5-6 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. 6 And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” Elijah was a man who called Israel to a radical repentance. Zacharias has been praying for the salvation of his nation Israel and a son for themselves. God is going to answer both prayer requests in a surprising manner. E. A FAITHLESS PRIEST Luke 1:18-25 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.” 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. 23 And so it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. 24 Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.” Zacharias came into the temple to pray to God Almighty who created heaven and earth with a command. Ironically, he doubted that God could make his aging wife to be pregnant. Like us many times, Zacharias was living in the backwash of his own limitations. He couldn’t believe what God had in mind because he was limiting God’s capability. Unbelief is when we intentionally refuse to believe God’s Word and do what He tells us to do. Zacharias received a sign, all right. His words of unbelief stuck in his throat, until the day he would name his newborn son. He had an encounter with an angel and a great news for a coming son, yet he could not let others know, because he couldn’t speak. It is far worse than you hit a golf ball and it became a hole in one, but there is not a soul around to brag about. Another surprise for Zacharias! F. A FAITHFUL MAIDSERVANT OF ISRAEL Luke 1:26-38 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” 35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.” 38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Nazareth was a village seventy miles north of Jerusalem. It was a tough town, a town known for its corruption and low morals due to the Roman soldiers’ garrison. Three years ago when we visited it was a still dirty place. Mary was a Jewish young woman of the tribe of Judah, a descendant of David, and a virgin. She was engaged to a carpenter in Nazareth named Joseph, and apparently both of them were poor. Among the Jews at that time, engagement was almost as binding as marriage and could be broken only by divorce. In fact, the man and the woman were called “husband” and “wife” even before the marriage took place. Since Jewish girls married young, it is likely that Mary was a teenager when the angel appeared to her. Mary’s response reveals her humility and honesty before God. She certainly never expected to see an angel and receive special favors from heaven. If she thought she was special, she might have said, “Well, it’s about time, Gab! What took you so long?” No, all of this was certainly a surprise to her. Being pregnant before a young lady’s wedding may not be a big deal to many nowadays, but it could be a lifelong accusation or even a death penalty as an adulteress. In v31-35, we must make a special note for ourselves. This doesn’t have the same impact on us today. But Mary and all other Jewish people from her culture knew exactly what this meant. This child would be equal to God by being called the Son of God. Jesus did not become the Son of God. He was called the Son of God, recognizing His nature from all eternity. Mary’s question is logical. Even though she asks basically the same question Zacharias asked, his question was asked in skeptical unbelief, her question was asked in wonder-filled faith about the process. Angel Gabriel explained that the power of the Highest, in the Person of the Holy Spirit, would overshadow Mary. The word ‘overshadow’ means “to cover with a cloud,” like the cloud of Shekinah glory in the temple of the OT or the cloud of transfiguration Peter, James and John saw in the Mt. Hermon. Mormon people claimed that this is when God had sex with Mary and she was pregnant with Jesus. That is a crude and ignorant theology. Mary responds with humility and firm faith in God in spite of inevitable false accusations and potential death penalty. What a courage and faith this young girl had! G. APPLICATIONS 1) If we think God has run out of surprises, we could be in for the surprise of our lives. 2) We should not limit God’s ability just because we cannot imagine. 3) God’s delays are not necessarily His denials. “Wait” doesn’t necessarily mean “No.” 4) God’s surprises are always for His immediate glory. If you want to contact the webservant of Calvary Chapel of Sahuarita, please send an e-mail.