Chapter 1

(Verses 1 through 4) "Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, that thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed."

This is, beyond question, the best preamble that can be written of Luke's record of the gospel. It tells us why he set forth to write it, "Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth _ _ _." Though we have not so many writings of this today, there were many circulated among the early Christians. Among them were "The Gospel Of The Birth Of Mary," "The Protoevangelion," "Thomas' Gospel Of The Infancy Of Jesus Christ," "The First Gospel Of The Infancy Of The Jesus Christ," "The Acts of Pontius Pilate," or "The Gospel Of Nicodemus," and many others. Some of these contain things not only not given in the accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, but even contrary to them. Because of these things it seemed good to Luke to write an account of "those things which are most surely believed among us." He tells us his qualifications for the task, "having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first." We have no mention of Luke in either of the gospel records, not even his own. But when he is first mentioned by the Apostle Paul in Colossians, it is as one who had been with the disciples all the time, "Luke the beloved physician," and, of course, he was with Paul in most of his ministry; and, perhaps, a disciple far longer than that. His address of this is to Theophilus, to whom he also addressed his record of the Acts Of The Apostles. This name can be translated, "lover of God," or "beloved of God;" and for that reason some have thought it to simply be Luke's manner of addressing any one of God's children. Yet, since he uses the term, "most excellent," as a prefix to the name, one would think that most likely it was some government official of Luke's acquaintance, who had been converted to Christianity. And Luke's purpose seems to have been to more fully instruct him in those things in which he had already been to some extent instructed, that he might be fully assured of the truth of them.

(Verses 5 through 7) "There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth . And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because that Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well stricken in years."

This is the beginning of the description of the background of the birth of John the Baptist. These are his parents. This is that same "Zacharias son of Barachias" mentioned in Matthew 23:35 and Luke 11:51. He was a priest of the Lord, and his wife was of the family of the Aaronic priesthood. Both of them were "righteous before God," but Elizabeth was barren, and they were both old.

(Verses 8 through 13) "And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, according to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. and when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and great fear fell upon him. But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias; for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John."

There should be little, if any, need for explanation of this. Luke simply tells us that, as Zacharias was performing his priestly duty of offering incense while the multitude outside were engaged in prayer, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, and gave him a very welcome, if hard to believe, message. His barren wife, Elizabeth, would bear him a son. It was looked upon among the Jews as almost, if not altogether, a disgrace for a woman to be barren. This is clearly shown in 1 Samuel 1:5-16. Not only was a son promised, but also his name was given, "John," meaning "one to whom God is gracious."

(Verses 14 through 20) "And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias, 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. And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stands in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. 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, which shall be fulfilled in their season."

Anyone, surely, can understand what Luke writes here, but it brings to mind a few points, which need to be addressed. The birth of this son to an old couple, who, have all these years been in sorrow because they had no child, would surely give them great joy. He also was to bring joy to many others; for he would turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. We should not confuse his being filled with the Holy Ghost from his birth with the sending of the Holy Ghost as Jesus promised to His disciples in His discourse to them in Chapters 14, 15, and 16, of John's gospel record. There are several mentions of the Holy Ghost before He was sent in the general manner encompassed by that promise, which was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. (Acts 2:1-21) Jesus cast out devils by the Holy Ghost. John would come in the spirit and power of Elijah, "to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." He called them to repentance before Jesus made His appearance to the public.

As mentioned earlier, though this was a very pleasing message, it was difficult for Zacharias to believe. Because he knew that he was old, and that not only was his wife old also, but that she had also been barren all her life to this point, and now she was beyond the age of child bearing. So he asked for a token whereby he might be assured of this. This should serve as a lesson to us, that we should not always be asking for proof of the word of God, but take Him at His word in all things. The token given to Zacharias was, "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, which shall be fulfilled in their season."

(Verses 21 through 25) "And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he tarried so long in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless. And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house. And after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, 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."

Just as Gabriel had said, Zacharias was not able to speak when he came forth to the people. So he had to use sign language to communicate with them, "he beckoned unto them and remained speechless." After his shift of service was finished, he left the temple, and went home. Then Elizabeth conceived, and her statement concerning this was, "Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein He looked on me, to take away my reproach among men." As mentioned before, barrenness of a woman was considered a reproach, and almost a disgrace.

(Verses 26 through 33) "And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee named Nazareth , to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call His name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: and He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end."

Having given us the background concerning the birth of John the Baptist, Luke begins the record of the birth of Jesus. The first thing we learn is that Elizabeth was six months pregnant with John when the message was sent to Mary, announcing that she was chosen to be the mother of Jesus. Mary is described as "a virgin espoused [engaged] to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David." Some try to object to the virgin birth of Jesus, on the basis that the word "parthenos," here translated "virgin," does not always mean "virgin." But this argument becomes moot when we come to verse 34, where Mary declares to the angel that she is a virgin in the strict sense of the word. Gabriel, the same angel who announced to Zacharias that Elizabeth was to have a son, is also the one sent to tell Mary that she was to be the mother of JESUS. When Gabriel hailed her, and called her highly favored and blessed among women, there is no indication that fear fell upon her, as it had upon Zacharias, when Gabriel appeared to him, but rather a sense of surprise and mild confusion, as she wondered what such a salutation meant. Gabriel then said to her, "Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God." Though there is so far no indication of fear, he calms her before it could lay hold of her. He then announces to her that she shall bring forth a Son, and declares the name of that Son to be JESUS, the Greek translation of "Yeshua," or "Joshua," which literally means "the help of God," and is often rendered "Saviour." He is to be called "the Son of the Highest," and to Him is to be given the throne of David, and He shall have an eternal kingdom, as He rules over the house of Jacob, or Israel .

(Verses 34 through 38) "Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 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 that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elizabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her."

Mary did not question whether or not this message was true; nor did she ask for any token of its truth, but only asked, "How shall it be, seeing I know not a man?" Mary knew that in the natural course of procreation a union of male and female is necessary; and she knew that she had had no such relationship with any man. So the very natural question was not, "Can this be?" but "How shall it be?" Then Gabriel explained that it would be without the agency of any man; only the power of God would be involved. For that reason her offspring was to be called "the Son of God," because He is indeed the Son of God. Then he told her the news of her cousin Elizabeth, and declared, "For with God nothing shall be impossible." Mary's answer to this was a simple declaration of obedience to the will and word of God.

(Verses 39 through 45) "And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda ; and entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elizabeth . And it came to pass, that, when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: and spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this unto me, that the mother of my Lord should come unto me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord."

This is a very simple account of a very extraordinary event. The fact that the angel announced Elizabeth 's good news to Mary seems to indicate that this was her first knowledge of it. So she immediately went to Zacharias' home to congratulate Elizabeth . However, as soon as she spoke to Elizabeth , the whole scene changed. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to congratulate Mary instead. Surely, Elizabeth had known nothing about the angel's appearance to Mary, until it was revealed to her by the Holy Ghost by Whom she was filled. She declared that both Mary and the Son she was to bear are blessed. Then she asked a question, "Whence is this unto me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" This is the equivalent of saying, "Why should I be so greatly blessed as to receive this honor?" We know that it is not unusual for babies by the end of the second trimester to leap in their mothers' wombs; but there is something special about this. Elizabeth said, "For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy." Some might say that she was just assuming that joy was the cause of the babe's leaping; but since she was filled with the Holy Ghost, and her entire speech at this time was of the Holy Ghost, she cannot be mistaken about it.  The logical question is, "What caused the joy?" The only answer that will fit the circumstances and the occasion is, Jesus was already conceived in the womb of Mary, and as she approached near enough to salute Elizabeth , the presence of Jesus caused John to leap with joy. Elizabeth then declared to Mary, "And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things, which were told her from the Lord." This, we can all rely upon. Those who believe Him are blessed: for whatsoever He says shall come to pass.

(Verses 46 through 56) "And Mary said, "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my sprit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For He hath regarded the low estate of His handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For He that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is His name. And His mercy is on them that fear Him from generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with His arm; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich He hath sent empty away. He hath holpen His servant Israel , in remembrance of His mercy; as He spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed forever. And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house."

This is such a wonderful declaration of praise to God, that one hesitates to make any comments concerning it, lest he take from it instead of helping to a better understanding of it.  Clearly in verses 46 through 49 Mary is praising God for the wonderful blessing He has bestowed upon her, in choosing her to be the mother of our Lord. When she says, "From henceforth all generations shall call me blessed," that is exactly what she means, and nothing more. There is no indication of even any thought of her being worshipped, and prayed to, as some have taught, and still teach. She simply means that her being chosen to bear Jesus, the Christ, is a blessing so great that it will be remembered by all generations.  God's sending His Son into the world shows that His mercy is always upon all those who fear Him, even from generation to generation. In verses 51 through 55 the focus is turned upon the work of the Christ in doing what He sets forth in His parable of the vineyard, as recorded in Matthew 21:33-40, and concluded in Matthew 21:43. There He says, "Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof." After this Mary stayed three months with Elizabeth , before returning home.

Although Luke has recorded at some length what the angel said to Mary, and her reaction to his message, as well as her activities immediately thereafter, he says nothing about Joseph, nor any message he received. At the same time Matthew records the message given to Joseph from the Lord, and makes no mention of what Mary was told. So it takes both of them to give us the full picture.

(Verses 57 through 66) "Now Elizabeth 's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. And her neighbors and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her. And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John. And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. and they marveled all. And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God. And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea . And all that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him."

There seems to be no need of explanation here. We, perhaps, should take notice that, although there is never any mention of Elizabeth's having been told what name the angel said her son should have, she was just as adamant that his name was John as was Zacharias. Of course, Zacharias may have informed her of it, and it just was not mentioned, or the Holy Ghost could have revealed it to her.  Nevertheless, only when all things, including the naming of the child, were satisfactorily accomplished, was Zacharias given back the ability to speak. All these things were quickly spread throughout the area, and the people began to wonder about the future of the child.

(Verses 67 through 75) "And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for He hath visited, and redeemed His people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David; as He spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all them that hate us; to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember His holy covenant; the oath which He sware to our father Abraham, that He would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our lives."

This much of Zacharias' prophecy has to do not with the work of John, but rather with the work of our Lord Jesus, the Christ. He is the "horn of salvation," or power of salvation, that is raised up for us in the house of God's servant David. He it is Who had been spoken of by all of God's "holy prophets, which have been since the world began. He it is Who will perform the mercy promised to the fathers, and "remember," in the sense of fulfilling it, His holy covenant, which is the same as "the oath which He sware to our father Abraham." The crowning blessing of it all to us is that, being through Him delivered from the hand of our enemies, we are now able to serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our lives." Of course, the "we" that should be saved from the hand of our enemies is not limited to Israel . Neither are those enemies limited to the Romans under whose bondage Israel then served. But the "we" of this prophecy includes all, everywhere, who are brought to trust in the Lord Jesus; and "our enemies" includes all, both men and devils, who would hinder us. Being delivered from fear of them, we can "serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our lives." Then Zacharias' prophecy turns its focus upon John.

(Verses 76 through 80) "And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways; to give knowledge of salvation unto His people by the remission of their sins, 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. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel ."

Verses 76, 77, and down to the semi colon in verse 78, tell of the work of John the Baptist. From that point forward the focus is again upon Jesus. John was to be called the prophet of the Highest, because that, in a ministerial way, he would precede the Lord. His mission was to prepare His ways by "giving knowledge of," teaching the people of the salvation they were to receive by the remission, or taking away of their sins. This was to them a new doctrine. Under the law service, atonement was made by offering the appropriate sacrifice, but true remission, or taking away, was never achieved. So John was sent to preach this principle to the Lord's people, before He, Jesus the Christ, made His appearance. Looking forward, we find that, when John was asked whether or not he was the Christ, he answered, "I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of Whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: He will baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire." (Luke 3:16). So his mission was not to give salvation, but to give knowledge of the salvation which comes through the remission of sins by Jesus, Who was anointed for that very work. Jesus is the Dayspring from on high. He it is that gives light to those  that "sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and guides our feet into the way of peace." The child, John, grew, and was evidently strong in both body and spirit; for he lived in the deserts until time for him to make his appearance in his ministry, which began when he was about thirty years of age.

(Verses 1 through 7) "And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria .) And all went to be taxed, every one to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth , into Judaea, unto the city of David , which is called Bethlehem ; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn."

One might think it a very easy thing to establish the year in which Jesus was born. Luke says that it was at the time of this taxing, decreed by Augustus, and further relates it to the time when Cyrenius was governor of Syria . Nevertheless, there has been, among learned historians, some controversy. Our present system of counting time A. D. assumes the count to begin with the first year of Jesus' life here on earth. Yet Herod the Great, who ordered the massacre of the children at Bethlehem in an effort to destroy Him, is said to have died in 4 B. C. And Jesus must have been about two years old at the time of the massacre. For Herod ordered all "from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men," to be killed. All of this establishes only one thing. That is, that God purposely concealed the year, as well as the season of the year, in which He was born, that men would have no excuse for doing exactly what they have done anyway, setting up a worship of the time of His birth, instead of worshipping Him. The so-called "Christmas" celebration was not established, until some 350 years after the birth of the Christ. It was adopted from altogether pagan celebrations, has retained their rituals, and was from the beginning admitted to be only a substitute for them, under the guise of Christianity. Today it and Easter are the two greatest pagan celebrations in the world. Some have raised the cry, "Put Christ back into Christmas." The big question is, "How can you put Him back into something in which He never was in the first place?" The Christian thing to do is to abandon paganism, and turn to the simplicity of worshipping the Christ, and not the man appointed day, which is a fallacy in the beginning, since as no one knows in what year He was born, surely, no one can know what month or day.

Since Joseph and Mary were both of the house and lineage of David, they were required to go to Bethlehem , the city of David , to be taxed. Luke calls Mary Joseph's "espoused wife," which can mean "engaged wife," which she was at the time of the angel's appearance to her. But she is at this time his "married wife," in keeping with what the angel is recorded by Matthew to have told Joseph, though they did not come together sexually until after the birth of Jesus. Mary was about to reach full term with her Child Jesus. While they were at Bethlehem , she did deliver her Son, and since there was no room for them in the inn, when she had dressed Him, she laid Him in a manger.

(Verses 8 through 14) "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

As pointed out earlier, men do not even know in what year Jesus was born, so they certainly cannot know in what month, or on what day. This account says that, in that time there were shepherds "abiding in the field," or living out in the open, "keeping watch over their flock by night." Since this was in the "hill country," which is the cooler part of the area, and December is the cold and rainy season for that area, it is not likely that they would be living out in the open at this season. In fact, when people first began to celebrate "Christmas," there was much argument about when would be the proper season for it. One of the great reasons for the selection of December 25, was that, this was the time of the great feast to Tammuz, the sun god of many of the Middle Eastern people. The winter solstice was supposed to be the day of his death; and as the days began to lengthen, he was thought to revive, and this was their time for celebration.  Another important reason for the selection of this day was that, it coincides with the Pagan Roman celebration of Saturnalia, which it was intended to replace.

To these shepherds there appeared an angel of the Lord, and the glory of the Lord so lighted up the night around them, that they were very much afraid. The angel spoke peace to them, and said, "I bring you good tidings of joy that shall be to all people." Not only will there be great joy to many in Israel , but that joy shall also reach out to all people, not to every person in the world, but to every nation, people, and tongue, in the world. The occasion of this joy is that the time has come for the fulfilling of God's promise, and there is now a Saviour born in the city of David . This Saviour is none other than the Christ, or the Messiah, the Lord Himself. He then described to them how they would be able to recognize this Saviour. They were not sent to the house of the richest person in Bethlehem , but to a stable, where they would find this Baby in a manger. As soon as this message was delivered, a multitude of angels joined this angel who had spoken to them, and they were all praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men." This does not mean that they were declaring that the world would from thenceforth be in peace: for Jesus Himself said, "Think not that I am come to bring peace on earth; but a sword." Rather it is much the same as the angel's message to the shepherds, "Fear not," or as Jesus said to His disciples, "Peace be unto you." (John 20:19). Those on earth are not to be afraid because of this: for it is the result of God's good will toward men.

(Verses 15 through 19) "And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the Babe lying in the manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying, which was told them concerning this Child. And all they that heard it, wondered at those things, which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart."

Surely, this needs no explanation for clarity, but there are some things one should compare with Matthew's record of the birth of our Lord. Neither Mark nor John gives anything about it; so our only details must come from Matthew and Luke. In Matthew's account, no mention is made of the shepherds, but he does tell of the visit of the wise men, of whom Luke says nothing. The seeming discrepancy is cleared up, when we study the details themselves. Luke records the shepherds as going immediately to Bethlehem , and finding Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, in the stable, just as the angel had said. When the wise men, of whom Matthew tells, arrived on the scene, their answer to Herod concerning when the star first made its appearance, indicates that their arrival was about two years after the birth of Jesus. And in that same account, it is said, of the wise men, that when they "were come into the house, they saw the young Child, with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him." This had to be some time after the birth of the Child. The family is no longer in the stable, but in a house. It must be, that after going back to Nazareth , as said in verse 39 of this chapter, they made another trip back to Bethlehem about two years later. For Matthew tells us that Bethlehem is where the wise men found the family. And immediately upon their departure from Bethlehem , an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph, warning him to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt , which he did, even arising in the night, and departing with them. Then, after Herod's death, in obedience to the commandment of God, they returned to Nazareth . Nevertheless, one should not be disturbed by such small apparent discrepancies. For all of these accounts were written several years after the events themselves took place. And, although the Holy Ghost could easily have inspired each writer so that every account would have been, as it were, a carbon copy of every other account, that would, in itself, have caused more disbelief of the record than these slight discrepancies. They only serve to show that each account was written by a different witness, and, in the case of the details of things concerning Jesus' birth, from what had been told these witnesses, and not what they themselves had seen. In such accounts there are necessarily slight differences. When the shepherds found all things just as the angel had told them, they spread the word around, but apparently, only locally: for the news did not reach Herod until the coming of the wise men. All the people, who heard these things, wondered at them, and at what they might portend; but Mary, who had already been told by the angel Who this Child was, simply kept these sayings in memory, and thought upon them.

(Verses 20 through 24) "And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the Child, His name was called Jesus, Which was so named of the angel before He was conceived in the womb. And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord. (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons."

In this account, the shepherds returned to their charges, praising God for what He had told them, and had had them witness. When the Child was circumcised, which was also the time for recording His name as a son of Abraham, His name was called Jesus, just as God had commanded. Nothing extraordinary took place until the time of His being taken to the temple to be presented to the Lord, and to have the proper sacrifice offered for Him, as required by the law.

(Verses 25 through 32) "And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem , whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel : and it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him after the custom of the law, then took he Him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word: for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel."

Simeon was a man chosen of God for a rare privilege. Though nothing is said about his age, the circumstances and events seem to indicate that he was somewhat advanced in years; but God had by the Holy ghost revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Christ. That, in that day, would seem almost as great a promise as if today He should reveal to someone by the Holy Ghost, that he should not die, but remain alive on earth until the return of our Lord. He was moved by the spirit to go into the temple, and was there when Joseph and Mary brought Jesus in to do for Him that which was required by the law of God. He took the Child in his arms, praised God for the fulfilling of His promise, and declared his readiness now to die. This salvation which he had been blessed to see, God had "prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory" of Israel . Thus He is not the God of the Jews only, but also the God of the Gentiles.

(Verses 33 through 39) "And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary His mother, Behold, this Child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (yea, a sword shall pierce through thine own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; and she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of Him to all that looked for redemption in Jerusalem . And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth ."

Simeon called upon God to bless Mary and Joseph, and spoke to them about Jesus. Let us take what he said, and remove the parenthesis from its present location to the end of his speech, which may clarify it somewhat. Thus we have, "Behold, this Child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel ; and for a sign that shall be spoken against; that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed: (yea, and a sword shall pierce through thine own soul also.)" Without looking at all those who, because of Jesus, would fall, and rise again, let us consider only one as an illustration, Saul of Tarsus. He was a great man in what he later called "the Jews' religion," even to the point of representing the council when Stephen was stoned to death. But when it pleased God to make him fall on the road to Damascus , he arose again by the grace of God, so that without boasting he could say that he was "not a whit behind the chiefest of the apostles." Jesus was also to be "for a sign that shall be spoken against; that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." By reason of the speaking against this sign [or wonder] the wicked thoughts of the hearts of the scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, priests, and elders, and all they could control, were revealed. At the same time, and by reason of this same sign, the thoughts of the hearts of those who were given faith in Him were also revealed. Surely as Mary stood by the cross on which He was crucified, and sat by the tomb in which He was buried, a sword pierced through her own soul also.

As Simeon finished his prophecy, another, a prophetess by the name of Anna, came on the scene. The word "prophetess" here, no doubt carries the old testament meaning, "one who foretells events." When Luke says that she was "a widow of fourscore and four years," it may not be clear whether he means that, she had been a widow for eighty-four years, or whether she was eighty-four years old. But, since he has already said that she was "of great age," probably, the meaning is that she had been a widow that long. She never left the temple, but was continually engaged in fastings and prayers to God. She was not in one continuous fast, which would, of course, soon have brought her to death; but she was regularly fasting at specified times, and continuing in prayers. When she saw Jesus, she too gave thanks to God, and declared Him to be the One to give redemption to all who looked for it. As soon as all the required rituals were accomplished, Joseph and Mary took Jesus home. See earlier notes concerning the apparent differences between the accounts of Luke and Matthew regarding their going to Nazareth .

(Verses 40 through 45) "And the Child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon Him. Now His parents went up to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the Child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem ; and Joseph and His mother knew not of it. But they, supposing Him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought Him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found Him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem , seeking Him."

One might wonder how Joseph and Mary could go a whole day's journey without their Son, without knowing that He was missing. The key to this is the phrase, "Among their kinsfolk and acquaintance." In making the trip from Nazareth to Jerusalem, especially when going to the Passover, a large group, comprised of several families, would travel together, both for safety, and for the social value of the occasion. So with such a crowd, a twelve-year old boy might readily be overlooked for a day.

(Verses 46 through 52) "And it came to pass, that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. And when they saw Him, they were amazed: and His mother said unto Him, Son, why hast Thou thus dealt with us? Behold, Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing. And He said unto them, How is it that ye sought Me? Wist ye not that I must be about My Father's business? And they understood not the saying that He spake unto them. And He went down with them, and came to Nazareth , and was subject unto them: but His mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man."

Some people preach what they term "the age of accountability," which they try to set at about twelve years of age, claiming this event as proof of it. This, of course, is utterly ridiculous, as well as completely without even a hint of scriptural support. Jesus being only twelve years old at this time, was filled with wisdom so that, He was talking with these doctors, (not physicians, but doctors of the law,) "both hearing them, and asking them questions." This Child was so filled with wisdom that "all that heard Him were astonished at His answers." When His parents found Jesus and reproached Him for thus dealing with them, He answered, "How is it that ye sought Me? Wist ye not that I must be about My Father's business?" They could not understand this saying, although they knew that He is the Son of God. He was about His Father's business in talking to these doctors of the law; but His mother and Joseph were probably thinking Him too young to begin His work, since the official service of the priests and Levites begins at about thirty years of age. Nevertheless, He went with them to Nazareth , and was obedient to them. His mother, as she had done with the other sayings she had heard, kept these sayings in her heart. Luke says, "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man."

(Verses 1 through 6) "Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.  And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; as it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God."

Luke seems to have gone to great length to establish the timing of this event, the beginning of the ministry of John the Baptist. Since Tiberius began to reign in 14 A. D., (UNIVERSAL WORLD REFERENCE ENCYCLOPEDIA) and this took place in the fifteenth year of his reign, it would appear to be in about 28 A. D. Looking ahead, we see in verse 23 that at this time, Jesus was about thirty years of age, which, since it was apparently said to establish the fact that He was at the proper age, according to the law of Moses, to enter into His ministry, could stand a variation of a few months, but not a few years.  Had He been born at the beginning of 1 A. D. there would have been, of necessity, more than that much variation. All of this proves of a certainty that man does not know even the year in which He was born; so we can not know the season of the year.

Since there was never more than one high priest at the time, one might wonder why Luke says, "Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests." Some learned men have set forth long discussions of this matter, and then concluded that they did not have sufficient evidence to prove their contention. So the only thing we can suggest is that, it may have been because Annas had been high priest, and was succeeded by Caiaphas, his son in law. Apparently, although Caiaphas was actually high priest when Jesus was arrested, John tells us that those who took Him, "led Him away to Annas first; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year." (John 18:13) Except for this, there appears to be no hint in scripture for such a statement. It may be possible that Luke is considering the fact that the Jewish year does not exactly coincide with the Roman year, and speaking of the Roman year. In that case, Annas was the high priest at the first of the Roman year, and Caiaphas in the later part.

At this time, the word of God came to John, who, as we were earlier told, "was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel ," and now he came into "all the country about Jordan , preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins." Just a quick look at a map of the area will show that "the country about Jordan " is almost the only suitable place in the region for John's activities. He was "preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins." That is, he was preaching that those who repent have their sins remitted, and that they should be baptized in witness thereof. Since Jordan was almost the only stream in the region with sufficient water for baptism, [immersion,] this was the most logical place for him to go for his work. Luke declares that, John's coming thus was the fulfilling of Isaiah's prophecy. (See Isaiah 40:3-8.) In this day we hear a great cry from people concerning economic matters, "We want a level playing field." That is exactly what is in Isaiah's prophecy, except that, it refers not to political or economic conditions, but to the salvation God has prepared, and will now reveal to "all flesh." The same understanding is to be used concerning "all flesh," as is to be used of "all men." It does not include every individual person in the world, but every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, of all classes, all sexes, and all ages. The mighty, "every mountain and hill," are brought low; and those of low estate, "every valley," shall be "filled," or exalted. No more will one nation have the pre-eminence, but "all flesh shall see the salvation of God."

(Verses 7 through 11)"Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid to the root of the trees; every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise."

Matthew records what John said to the multitude as being primarily directed at the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to him, but since he was speaking publicly, in a manner of speaking he was addressing the multitude also. This shows that even John had no confidence in baptism, except as a testimony of repentance; because he demanded that they first show repentance by their works before being baptized. Heretofore the Jew said, "I have a right to the blessings of God, because I am a son of Abraham." He felt that this set him above everyone else; it made him "a mountain," or "a hill." Now he is "brought low;" this will no longer suffice. "God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham." Some have argued that John was not speaking of the literal stones that were lying around the area, but of the "hard and stony hearts" of the people. This is an utterly ridiculous argument. First, because John was not saying, "God is going to raise up children unto Abraham," but "God is able to raise up children unto Abraham." If one believes that God is God, he can not fail to believe that He can raise up children from the stones on the ground, the leaves of a tree, or any other source he might choose. Second, all those gathered around were already children of Abraham according to the flesh, whether they had the faith of Abraham, or not. "And now also the axe is laid to the root of the trees _ _ _." The end has come for all pretending, and all lip service without reality. If there is no good fruit, the tree will be cut down, and cast into the fire. This immediately brought a question from the people, "What shall we do then?" If they had to bring forth fruit, they wanted to know what would be counted as such fruit. His answer was simple: to use our own words, "If you have two coats, and see someone who has none, give him one of yours; and if you have food, and see one who is hungry, share it with him." This will work now as well as then.

(Verses 12 through 14) "Then came the publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? and he said to them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely, and be content with your wages."

The word "publican," in the New Testament actually means "tax gatherer," or "tax collector." These often obtained their office by what we today might call "bidding" for it. He who agreed to pay the government the largest sum of taxes from the district obtained the office. Then what he collected above what he had to pay the government was his to keep. This naturally led to a lot of what we sometimes call gouging. This is one of the reasons why publicans, as a class, were so vehemently hated by the whole Jewish society. Now they asked John what they should do to show repentance. His answer was, "Exact no more than that which is appointed you." Certainly, since tax collecting was their means of livelihood, they should be allowed reasonable pay for their work; but they should not exact any more than was reasonable.

After the publicans, the soldiers came with the same question concerning themselves. Most likely these "soldiers" were not Roman soldiers, but private guards permitted to the Jewish council for guarding the temple, and for other purposes of actually a civilian nature; but they were nevertheless called soldiers. John said, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely, and be content with your wages." All three of these things address a problem that had long been between these soldiers and the remainder of the civilian population. Most of these soldiers were such, primarily because they thought this work to give them the right to be arrogant and violent toward the remainder of the people. They thought nothing of pushing their way through a crowd, and even violently shoving someone out of their way as they went. So John's answer to them was, "Do violence to no man." When there was any resistance to their roughshod ways, they would sometimes falsely accuse the civilians of starting the trouble, and call in more of their fellow guards to control the crowd. They are told, "neither accuse any falsely." They even seemed to think that their profession entitled them to take anything they wanted from anyone, and claim it as their due, because they were underpaid for the risks they took in battle for the protection of the people and the temple. To them John also said, "Be content with your wages." Many other things may also be addressed in John's answer to them.

(Verses 15 through 20) "And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not; John answered saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water, but One mightier than I cometh, the latchet of Whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. Whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and will gather the wheat into His garner; but the chaff He will burn with fire unquenchable. And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people. But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison."

John's preaching was completely different from anything the people of that day had ever heard; and, probably, they had heard some rumors of the predictions made of Jesus at the time of his birth. So now, as they observed John, they were much confused, wondering if he were the Christ. He cleared this question for them quickly and positively. He declared to them that, he was not the Christ; but that the Christ was about to make His appearance. He, Who was to follow John, is so great that John was not worthy to even untie His shoes. The difference between their baptisms is just as great as the difference between the persons. John only baptized with water as a testimony of repentance. The Christ baptizes with the Holy Ghost and with fire, the baptism that actually takes away sin. Not only so, but He is prepared to judge the world, as signified by the separating of the wheat and the chaff in the harvest. The fact that the judgment will wait until His second coming does not deny that He is ready to judge, because all judgment is of the Father committed unto Him. (See John 5:22.) When the time comes for the judgment, He will make a clean sweep of His floor: He will put His wheat into the garner, but all the chaff will be burned with unquenchable fire. This and much more John preached to the people.

Here Luke looks somewhat ahead, omitting several things of which John tells us in his account. Though it sounds a little like Herod imprisoned John immediately after this, such is not quite the case, but Luke is only looking ahead to what he considers the more important events. Later Herod did indeed imprison John, because John had reproved him for his taking Herodias as his wife. This Herodias had been the wife of his brother Philip, who was also her uncle, as was Herod. As if this were not bad enough, she abandoned Philip, and Herod took her as his wife. This is why John reproved Herod for marrying her; and for this Herod had him put into prison.

(Verses 21 through 23) "Now when all the people were baptized it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art My beloved Son; in Whom I am well pleased. And Jesus Himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the Son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli."

Matthew, Mark, and John also record this event. Each uses different words to describe it, but overall they agree very closely. When Jesus, the Son of God, was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended from heaven and alighted on Him in the form of a dove; and a voice from heaven declared Him to be the Son of God, beloved of, and well pleasing to, God. We have already addressed the matter of Jesus' age. Matthew tells us that, "Jacob begat Joseph," which Joseph is here said to be "the son of Heli." Most of those who have made an in depth study of these two genealogies seem to agree that indeed that given by Matthew is Joseph's, and that given by Luke is Mary's. They tell us that although Joseph is here called "the son of Heli," he actually was his son in law, and that this was a common manner of speaking among the Jews. The remainder of the chapter is only a list of names, tracing this genealogy all the way back to Adam who, though called "the son of God," was not God's son by generation, but by creation. Thus is the lineage of Jesus traced all the way back to the first man, Adam, proving Him to be "the Son of Man."

(Verse 1 through 4) "And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan , and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days He did eat nothing: and when they were ended, He afterward hungered. And the devil said unto Him "If Thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God."

Matthew records this same event. There are three temptations in the series; and Mathew records the second and third in reverse order from that given here, which makes little difference to us; for the lesson is the same in either order. They both record the present temptation as the first in the series. The only difference being that Luke seems to indicate that the devil was tempting Jesus all during the forty days, while Matthew seems to say that the tempting only began after the forty days of fasting were accomplished. Since Luke does not give the text of any of the temptations until the end of the fast, we shall consider this the first temptation.

One of the things for which Jesus taught His disciples to pray is, "Lead us not into temptation." Yet here Luke says that Jesus "was led by the Spirit into the wilderness." Matthew says, "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil." Some might ask, "How can all this be compatible with James' statement, `For God cannot be tempted of evil, neither tempteth He any man'?" We shall attempt to organize these in a manner that will give us the answer. Certainly James is correct in his statement. Nevertheless, God does sometimes lead His servants into, or cause them to be placed in, situations where they will be tempted, so that their faith and their faithfulness may be tested and made manifest to all, to the glory of God. Witness the sending of Joseph into Egypt and the placing of him in the house of Potiphar. His story is recorded in detail in Genesis, so we shall not repeat it here. In Genesis 45:7 Joseph says, "And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance." Then in Genesis 50:20 He says, "But as for you, ye meant it for evil against me; but God meant it for good." Nevertheless, Jesus instructed His disciples to pray that they be not led into temptation, because we are of such weak faith that we should always pray that we avoid such, instead of asking to be tested. Yet, if we are thus led, we are still to pray to be delivered from the evil, the evil being yielding to the temptation. The Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted for a purpose. Since "God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him," (John 3:34 ) He could not be overcome by Satan. And by the very means He used to drive Satan away, He shows us the weapon available to every one of His children: and He will also give us the grace to use it, if we strive valiantly to serve Him.

The first temptation is one that is common to all men, except that, all men, are not the Son of God with power to make bread of stones. Jesus had that power. Since He had fasted forty days, that body of flesh in which He was, was hungry, just as would be yours or mine. Satan said, "If Thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread." What a temptation!  He was hungry. He had the power. What would be wrong in so doing? First, it would be for the satisfying of the flesh; He was hungry. Second, it would have been for self-aggrandizement, to prove to Satan that which both of them knew already, He is the Son of God. Finally, it would have shown unwillingness to wait upon the Father. What then is the solution? The word of God: "It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God."

(Verses 5 through 8) "And the devil taking Him up into an exceeding high mountain, shewed unto Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto Him, All this power will I give Thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If Thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be Thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind Me, Satan, for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve."

Many have overlooked the true lesson in this. They read what Satan said, and agree with him, that all these things are given to him to distribute as he will. They even say that the fact that Jesus did not dispute what Satan said proves it to be true. When a person is a liar of such magnitude that everyone knows that he never tells the truth, it is foolish to deny what he says, or to argue with him. Notice what Jesus has told us about Satan, as He spoke to the Pharisees, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because THERE IS NO TRUTH IN HIM. When he speaketh of a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." Jesus is Himself the Master of all. The only power Satan has is that which he maintains by conning men into believing and following him. Many have learned to their sorrow, that he cannot deliver on his promises. Jesus' answer to this temptation teaches us that we should never argue with Satan, but reach for the same weapon by which He overcame him, the word of God.

(Verses 9 through 13) "And he brought Him to Jerusalem, and set Him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto Him, If Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down from hence: for it is written, He shall give His angels charge over Thee, to keep Thee: and in their hands they shall bear Thee up, lest at any time Thou dash Thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And the devil departed from Him for a season."

In these two temptations we notice: in the first, "the devil taketh Him;" and in the second, "and he brought Him." Some seem to think these to be only figments of the imagination, but they literally took place. Jesus suffered Satan to carry Him to these places. We see in this last temptation the same thing that was in the first one, Satan demanding that Jesus prove Himself to him. In this temptation Satan even quoted scripture to support his demand, and he quoted it correctly: his failure was that he made the wrong application of it, and by so doing tried to lead Jesus into disobeying a commandment of God. So Jesus answered him with, "It is said, (or it is written,) Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." As with all scripture, this is, no doubt, written for our benefit, to warn us that we must study the word of God that we know how far one scripture can be extended before it would develop an idea that would be contrary to another scripture. For there is no contradiction between one scripture and another, when they are properly understood. No matter how good a proposition may sound, and even if someone accompanies it with a scriptural quotation, if it is contrary to other scriptures, it must be refused. We sometimes hear a doctrine of that sort today. Its proponents begin by pointing out that we are saved by the grace of God, without consideration of our works, which is true, and is supported by the word of God. Then they bring in the same doctrine that Satan presented in this temptation, "Since you are saved by His grace, you can commit any sin you want to, and it will have no effect on your salvation. You will be saved regardless." If this is not an effort to teach men to tempt God, What is it?

(Verses 14 through 16) "And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee : and there went out a fame of Him through all the region round about. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. And He came to Nazareth , where He had been brought up: and as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read."

This is only a simple account of Jesus' return to Galilee . Since He returned there in the power of the spirit, He evidently wrought some miracles among the people, because His fame spread quickly through the area. He taught in their synagogues, and everyone considered Him an excellent teacher, "He was glorified of all." He came back to the city Nazareth , where He had grown up. As He had been doing in other places, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up before the congregation to read. The custom there was somewhat different from our modern customs, probably, in some measure, because books were not so common as they are today. He did not carry a book of His own; and whether He called for the book of Isaiah, or not, we do not know; but that is what was given Him to read.

(Verses 17 through 22) "And there was delivered unto Him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when He opened the book, He found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And He closed the book, and He gave it to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on Him. And He began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. And all bare Him witness, and wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?"

The passage Jesus read is Isaiah 61: 1, and down to the comma in verse 2. As in many of Isaiah's prophecies, there is a mingling of events of Jesus' first coming with those of His second. The very next phrase of this prophecy is "and the day of vengeance of our God." Jesus closed the book without reading it, because it is not included in His first advent, but will be fulfilled when He returns. The Spirit of the Lord was upon Him, and He was anointed to preach the gospel to the poor. This is one of the points of evidence He sent back to John the Baptist in answer to his question, "Art Thou He that should come? or look we for another?" He was sent to "heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." But both the preaching of, (or proclamation of,) and the fulfilling of "the day of vengeance of our God," are still pending, and will be at the appointed time. Having read this selection, He closed the book, returned it to the minister, and sat down. The congregation in the synagogue, evidently, felt that He would have something more to say, so they watched Him very intently. As they did so, He began to speak.

His first statement was very simple, but extremely important, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." This is the same as saying, "You have heard this prophecy read; and now you see it fulfilled." "And all bear Him witness." That is, they all heard Him. Notice their reaction, and compare it to the reaction of the same ones a few moments later. They "wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of His mouth." Yet it appears that, even now there may have been a little jealousy among them toward Him; for "they said, Is not this Joseph's son?"

(Verses 23 through 27) "And He said unto them, Ye will surely say unto Me, this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum , do also here in Thy country. And He said, verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land. But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon , unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian."

Jesus knew the jealous nature of humanity, and set it forth in the proverb He quoted. It really comes down to the idea of, "If someone else has it, I want it." He reminded them that, historically, prophets are not honored or accepted in their home communities. The general attitude is exactly as the people had just said, "Is not this Joseph's son?," or "We know him; he can't be any greater than we are." He called to their minds two incidents of which they had many times read, or been told. The first is in 1 Kings 17:8-24, and the second is found in 2 Kings 5:1-19. He emphasized the fact that, in Israel there were many, in both instances, who suffered the same problems as the ones who were relieved by these prophets. But the prophets were sent to Gentiles, a Sidonian, and a Syrian, instead of to Israelites, signifying that, God is sovereign in His work, sending both His messages and His messengers to whom He will. It further reinforces what Jesus many times declared, He came not to do His will, but that of the Father Who sent Him.

(Verses 28 through 32) "And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up, and thrust Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast Him down headlong. But He passing through the midst of them went His way, and came down to Capernaum , a city of Galilee , and taught them on the Sabbath days. And they were astonished at His doctrine: for His word was with power."

How quickly the little touch of jealousy in the minds of the people became such anger that, they wanted to kill Jesus, when they found that He would not demonstrate His power just to satisfy their curiosity! However, He just passed through the midst of the crowd, and went to Capernaum . Though with the methods of travel in those days, it may have taken two days to go from Nazareth to Capernaum , there are no incidents along the way recorded here. While at Capernaum , Jesus went into the synagogue on the Sabbath days, and taught the people; and they were astonished at His doctrine: [or teaching:] for His word was with power." Not only was the power of the Spirit in Him to perform miracles, but, as we consider what Mark says about this same incident, "And they were astonished at His doctrine: for He taught them as One that had authority, and not as the scribes." (Mark 1:22 .) No matter how sincere, and how well versed in the scriptures the scribes were, they could only say, "The scriptures say," or "such and such great rabbis have interpreted this to mean." But not so with Jesus: He many times said, "But I say unto you," or "Verily I say unto you," signifying One with authority. Sometimes His saying directly contradicted the accepted interpretation of some point. This would indeed astonish the people, just as it does today when someone challenges the traditions of today.

(Verses 33 through 37) "And in the synagogue there was a man which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with Thee, Thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art Thou come to destroy us? I know Thee, Who Thou art; the holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not. And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power He commandeth the unclean spirits and they come out. And the fame of Him went out into every place of the country round about."

According to both Luke and Mark, this might be the first miracle of casting out devils that Jesus wrought, though John insists that His very first miracle was the turning of the water into wine at Cana of Galilee. James said, "Thou believest there is one God; thou doest well: the devils believe also, and tremble." Many seem to think that, any person who says that he believes there is one God, is a saved character; but James denies that, and here is his proof: "Let us alone; what have we to do with Thee, Jesus of Nazareth? Art Thou come to destroy us? I know Thee, Who Thou art; the holy One of God." Not only do the devils believe there is one God: they also know Jesus of Nazareth as the holy One of God, and fear Him as the Judge, Who will sentence them to eternal torment. And, in this instance, this devil feared that He had come to destroy the devils, albeit, at this time He had only come to deliver the captives, and set at liberty them that were bruised by the devils. As the people were already astonished at His doctrine, they now found that, His power justified His doctrine: "for with authority and power He commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out." Such a miracle could hardly fail to cause His fame to spread through all the region.

(Verses 38 and 39) "And He arose out of the synagogue, and entered Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken of a great fever; and they besought Him for her. And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them."

In comparison to some of the miracles Jesus wrought, this might be considered a small incident. Nevertheless, let us look a little more closely at it. Though nothing is here said about this woman's being bedridden because of the fever, the fever is said to be great, and Matthew says, "And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, He saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever." Also Luke does say, "And He stood over her, and rebuked the fever. So there can be no doubt that, this fever was severe enough that Simon's mother in law was bedridden, and completely incapacitated because of it. We all know that such a fever would so weaken the body that, if the fever were cured by any natural means known to man, it would still have taken days for the body to regain its strength. Not so with the work of our Lord: when He rebuked the fever, "it left her, and immediately she arose and ministered to them."

(Verses 40 through 44) "Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and He laid His hands on every one of them, and healed them. And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art (the) Christ, the Son of God. And He rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that He was (the) Christ. And when it was day, He departed, and went into a desert place: And the people sought Him, and came unto Him, and stayed Him, that he should not depart from them. And He said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent. And He preached in the synagogues of Galilee ."

Since this is only a very simple recital of events, there should be no difficulty in one's understanding it. There appear in this text, however, two mistakes of the translators, which have caused a general misunderstanding of people concerning the word "Christ." If this were the only place they occurred, they would have done little harm; but one of these they consistently made, and the other they made far more often than was good for the readers. The first is, they did not translate the word "Christos," but simply used in the English the Greek word with the deletion of the last two letters, which has caused the almost universal mistake of thinking the word "Christ" to be a name of our Lord Jesus. IT IS NOT. It is His title, and means "Anointed;" and in most instances should be preceded by the definite article "the." In most instances in the Greek text it is thus; but even in many of these, the translators left it out of the English. This is one of those complaints that will by many be considered "hair splitting," and worthless. Perhaps the real significance of the lack of translation is best shown by a quotation from the Apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost. (Acts 2:38 ) As in the K. J. V., "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins:" complete translation, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Anointed for the remission of sins." In the first reading, it appears that being baptized might remit sins, which Peter himself says it will not do. (See 1 Peter 3:21) The second reading makes it clear that Jesus was anointed for the remission of sins, and this the entire Bible will support. The people of Capernaum tried to persuade Jesus to stay with them, but He told them that, He must continue His mission, which He accordingly did.