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Luke 1b: HG Bishop Youssef

Outline of the Chapter

  • 1-4: Prologue to the Gospel and Dedication to Theophilus
  • 5-25: Birth of St John the Baptist announced to Zecharias
  • 26-38: Annunciation to St. Mary
  • 39-45: Visit of St Mary to Elizabeth
  • 46-56: Magnificat
  • 56-58: Birth of St  John the Baptist
  • 59-66: Circumcision of St John the Baptist
  • 67-80: Zacharias' Prophecy

Prologue

1 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.

  • Exposition
    • St Luke is sending this gospel to a person named Theophilus and telling him that many people wrote narratives about the life of Christ, but this narrative is very known to me, personally. 
    • It is known to him personally because he received it from eyewitnesses. Luke took upon himself the responsibility to understand perfectly the things that had happened since the very beginning and to write them accurately, so that Theophilus would know what was instructed
  • Prologue
    • Gospel of Luke is the only gospel to start with a prologue, and he followed the style of prologue that was common in the literature at the time
  • "Many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative"
    • St Luke seems to attest that other gospels exist in his time, which are not as accurate.
    • Some scholars estimate 30 or more gospels from the first two centuries.
    • The Church only ever accepted four gospels.
    • Origen testifies that from the very beginning, the Church only acknowledged four Gospels as being inspired by the Holy Spirit.
  • The beginning
    • "just as those who from the beginning were..."
    • The life of Christ started by the Annunciation of the Birth of John to Zacharias
  • Eyewitnesses and ministers of the word
    • Those who delivered these things to Luke and his contemporaries were eyewitnesses
    • Ministers of the word are the apostles
  • Perfect understanding of all things
    • St Luke is saying that he has traced the traditions to their very sources and will write them in their consecutive order, that Theophilus may be fully convinced in the truth he was instructed in.
  • Most Excellent Theophilus
    • "most excellent Felix" (Acts 24:3) - so "most excellent" must imply a high rank or public figure
    • Theophilus means "Lover of God"
    • Theophilus is a common name in Greek - no reason to assume that Theophilus wasn't the name of someone that Luke knew
      • Some theorize that Theophilus was a sponsor of St Luke who sponsored him to author Luke and Acts
      • Some theorize that Theophilus is a benefactor who wanted to stay anonymous, and so Luke called him "lover of God"
      • Some say that Theophilus is a noble of Antioch
      • Some suggest that Theophilus refers to all believers of Christ

Annunciation of the Birth of John the Baptist

5 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.

  • Setting the Stage
    • St. Luke sets the time period as being during the time of Herod
  • Herod, king of Judea
    • By the 1st Century, Judea was not a separate state, but was under Herod with Samaria, Galilee, Idumea, etc.
  • Zacharias
    • Name means "God Remembers"
  • Division of Abijah
    • Aaron, the High Priest, had four sons - Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, Ithamar
    • Nadab and Abihu offered profane fire in Leviticus 10 and were consumed by fire
    • Eleazar and Ithamar would spring up 24 families: 16 from Eleazar and 8 from Ithamar
    • At the time of King David, the number of priests became too much... so King David divided them into 24 divisions and each would  serve one week (1 Chronicles 24)
    • Abijah is the 8th Division
  • Elizabeth
    • Name means "The Oath of God"
    • Direct descendant of Aaron - this is a great honor to have both husband and wife as descendants of Aaron the High Priest
  • Righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
    • Righteous before God: not just before men, but before God, who sees the heart
    • Walking in all the commandments and ordinances: this is the evidence of their righteousness
      • Commandments were known (like the 10 commandments)
      • Ordinances are duties ordained for us to follow and fulfill (fasting, prayer, etc.)
    • Blameless: Doesn't mean they are without sin, but that they are living a life of repentance
      • If I wash my clothes every day and someone sees me with clean clothes it doesn't mean the clothes were never dirty... it means that they've been cleaned.
      • Origen: "Our Lord Jesus referred to the Church in Ephesians 5:22 as 'glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.' This does not mean that the son of the Church has never sinned, but rather he leads a life of repentance."
  • They had no child
    • A family without child was considered reproach because it cuts off all hope of having the Messiah from that family
    • The Lord deigned to bring St John the Baptist in this remarkable way overcoming the two obstacles:
      • Elizabeth is barren
      • Elizabeth and Zacharias are both 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. 11 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.

    • Offering of Incense
      • To offer incense was a great occasion in the life of a priest because it may never happen. With over 20,000 priests, the odds that it falls on any given one are low
      • Every evening, there was an evening incense - and the Levites would go into the holy place and they would prepare it (dump ashes from last time, trim the wicks of the candles, etc.) in preparation for the priest. Then they would go outside and pray until the priest came out of the Holy Place. There would be one priest at the altar of offering outside and one priest at the altar of incense. And once the priest outside offered the lamb on the altar, the priest inside would dump incense on the fire of the altar of incense.
        • This symbolizes many things:
          • the aroma going up at the same time as the death of the lamb symbolizes the death of Christ on the Cross as a sweet aroma to the Father
          • The raising of incense is a raising up of the prayers of all the people outside
    • The angel's appearance
      • It had been 400 years since the last Divine Communication... God went 400 years without any prophecies, angels, etc. But now that the Father is going to send His only-begotten Son, He sends an angelic messengers to announce His intention; the prepare the mind of the people to receive such great news.
      • The appearance of the angel was sudden and unexpected, so Zacharias was fearful
      • The angel stood on the right side of the altar of incense

    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.” 18 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 [d]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.”

    • Do not be afraid
      • When the angel says these words, there is a power associated with them to cast away any fear from the heart
    • Your prayer is heard
      • The prayer for offspring ("and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son")
    • John
      • Name means "God is gracious"
      • God made an oath/promise to Adam and Even ("Elizabeth" = Oath of God) and in the fullness of time ("Zacharias" = God Remembers), God fulfilled the promise by sending us Grace through His only-begotten Son ("John" = God is gracious)
    • "Many will rejoice at his brith"
      • Until now, we rejoice at his birth
    • "Great in the sight of the Lord"
      • All of us want to be great... for some it is to be rich, for some it is reputation and honor, for some it is prestige and position... but true Greatness is to be "Great in the Sight of the Lord"
      • Christ said about John that He is "the greatest among those born of women"
      • He shall drink neither wine nor strong drink
        • No lover of wine or strong drink can be great in the sight of the Lord
      • Filled with the Holy Spirit
        • John is filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb
        • Zacharias is filled with the Holy Spirit when John is born
        • Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit at the visit of St. Mary to her
    • He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God
      • John was an instrument to turn many of the Israelites who verbally worshipped Christ but denied Him in error, superstition, etc.
      • "those who turn many to righteousness [shall shine] like the stars forever and ever" (Daniel 12:3)
    • John and Elijah
      • John is granted the spirit of Elijah and resembles him
        • Celibacy
        • Dress: Camel hair cloak and leather loincloth
        • Mission: Sent by God to call the covenant people to repentance
        • John stood before King Herod as Elijah stood before King Ahab
      • The Jews believed (and still do) that Elijah would come before the Messiah. We believe that Elijah will come at the Second Coming of Christ 
      • "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. 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." (Malachi 4:6)
    • Zacharias demands a sign
      • "How shall I know this"
      • Gabriel reminds him of who he is - "I am Gabriel" the second archangel!
      • Zacharias had the honor of being the first one to whom the news of salvation is announced, and the first one to whom the Lord spoke in hundreds of years... and yet he asks for a sign.
        • Asking for a sign shows spiritual weakness... doubt, lack of faith.
        • Especially as coming from an angel and coming to a priest
    • Archangel Gabriel
      • Name means "The hero of God" or "The might one of God"
      • One of the seven archangels who is responsible for being the messenger of good news
      • He came to Daniel to tell him about the restoration of Jerusalem
      • He came to Zacharias to declare the glorious office of St John the Baptist
      • He came to St Mary to announce the Birth of Christ

    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 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.”

    • It happened before that some priests died while making their offerings (i.e. because of their sins), so they got worried when he didn't come out
      • Leviticus 10
      • Numbers 16
      • Numbers 40
      • 2 Chronicles 26
    • Days of his service = one week (Sabbath to Sabbath)
      • 2 Kings 11:5
    • Elizabeth hid herself five months
      • Maybe she was amazed at the angelic announcement and went into isolation in order to meditate on the wonderful goodness of God and to praise God in rejoicing
      • Maybe she considered how she could best do her part to train this child and be the best mother
      • Maybe she kept herself hidden lest she exposes herself to ridicule before knowing for certain it was reality
    • Take away my reproach among people
      • In those days, having children was a blessing from God... the Messiah could come from these children!
      • Rachel, mother of Joseph, said "God has taken away my reproach" when she was barren and gave birth to Joseph

    Annunciation of the Birth of Christ

    26 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 [f]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.”

    • Sixth month
      • Sixth month of the pregnancy of Elizabeth (this sentence follows the one before it)
      • St John the Baptist is 6 months older than Christ
      • The Coptic Synxarion on Paone 29/30 (July 7) celebrates the Nativity of St John
    • Mary
      • In Hebrew it is Miriam
    • Nazareth
      • An insignificant village of lower Galilee
        • Not mentioned in the Old Testament
        • Not mentioned in any ancient text before the New Testament
        • Not mentioned in Josephus' writings
      • "A city of Galilee named Nazareth" - this kind of language indicates that St Luke is writing to people unfamiliar with Palestine
      • St Mary and St Joseph lived in Nazareth and Christ spent most of His life living in Nazareth - thus, He was called the Nazarene (Matthew 2:23, Mark 1:24)
      • Nazareth means "branch"
        • So when Matthew said "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, 'He shall be called a Nazarene'" he was talking about Isaiah 11:1 "There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots."
    • Virginity of St Mary
      • In Hebrew, the same word is used for "virgin" and "young girl."
      • In Greek, "Virgin" is Ⲡⲁⲣⲑⲉⲛⲟⲥ which is different from "young girl."
      • When Simeon the Elder was translating the book of Isaiah to Greek for the Septuagint, he read it in Hebrew and didn't know if he should use "virgin" or "young girl" - but upon a revelation from God, he used ⲡⲁⲣⲉⲑⲉⲛⲟⲥ ("virgin"). And the Evangelists used the same Greek word: ⲡⲁⲣⲑⲉⲛⲟⲥ.
      • Betrothed
        • Betrothal was a ceremony of great importance and usually took place a year before the marriage
        • It is like a civil marriage but without consummation
        • St Matthew calls her "his wife" and this is considered true because she was legally his wife
        • Although Mary was betrothed, she vowed her virginity. She had an agreement with her betrothed that she would remain a virgin... so the betrothal is simply to protect her civil rights.
    • Mary is related to Zacharias and Elizabeth
      • Mary has a link to the priestly bloodline because Elizabeth is a direct descendant of Aaron
      • And of course she has a link to the kingly bloodline being a descendant of King David
    • Greeting of Archangel Gabriel to St Mary
      • "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"
      • The greeting of the angel to Mary is different from his greeting to Zacharias - she gets an honorary title "highly favored" and "full of grace"
    • She was troubled
      • The fact that she was troubled by his greeting is evidence of her humility - "who am I to receive such a greeting?"
    • Do not be afraid, Mary for you have found favor with God.
      • Calling her by name signifying that he knows her
      • Do not be afraid - these words carry power
    • The Divine Message
      • She will be a mother of a Son
        • The angel is reminding her of the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14 "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel."
      • This Son will be called "Jesus"
        • Jesus (Joshua, Hosea) means "Savior"
      • He will be great
        • This is a fulfillment of the Prophecy by Isaiah
        • "For unto us a Child is born,
          Unto us a Son is given;
          And the government will be upon His shoulder.
          And His name will be called
          Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
          Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
          Of the increase of His government and peace
          There will be no end,
          Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
          To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
          From that time forward, even forever.
          The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." (Isaiah 9:6-7)
      • He will be called the Son of the Highest
        • "Highest" was one of the Titles of God the Father
          • Genesis 14:19
          • Mark 5:7
          • Psalm 92:1
          • Psalm 83:18
        • "Son of the Highest" is "Son of God"
          • Peter called Him "You are the Christ, the Son of God"
          • Centurion at the Cross said "this is truly the Son of God"
          • God called Jesus His Son
            • "You are My Son today I have begotten You"
            • "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased"
        • Only-begotten
          • We are all sons of God by adoption
          • But Christ is the only-begotten of the Father ⲟⲙⲟⲛⲟⲅⲉⲛⲏⲥ
      • The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.
        • Echoes the promises that God gave to King David (2 Samuel 7:9-16, 2 Samuel 23:5)
        • Even the temporal kingdom of Israel belonged to Christ by hereditary right
        • Promises
          • Abraham: The Messiah would be his Seed
          • Moses: Jesus will be the Prophet (deliver message from God to us... Hebrews 1:1)
          • David: Jesus will be the King and establish the Spiritual Kingdom on earth
        • Joachim, father of St Mary, was a descendant of King David
          Anna, mother of St Mary, was a descendant of Aaron
      • He will reign over the house of Jacob forever and of His Kingdom, there will be no end
        • forever = spiritual kingdom
        • St Paul in 1 Cor 15 talks about the Kingdom of Christ
          • Christ is ruling now from the day of the Crucifixion, until the Second Coming when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father

    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.

    • Perpetual Virginity of St. Mary
      • St. Mary was a virgin before the annunciation
      • She was a virgin during the pregnancy
      • She was a virgin during the birth and labor
      • She continued in her virginity even until the day of her death
      • If she intended to marry, she wouldn't have said "How can this be?" but rather "When will this be?"
    • Why was Zacharias punished, but St Mary was not (although she asked 'How can this be?')
      • St Mary has a legitimate question - how can this be? I have not known a man, I have vowed my virginity...
        • If she was planning to get married, she wouldn't question because she would understand that this was all to take place after her marriage...
        • Never in the history of the world was it heard of that a virgin gave birth
        • Look at her attitude when she got the answer "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word"
      • Zacharias's question - by what sign?
        • This question came from doubt
        • It happened many times in the past that a barren woman gave birth (e.g. Hannah the mother of Samuel), and an elder couple had children (e.g. Abraham and Sarah had Isaac)
    • The Holy Spirit will come upon you
      • This conception will be done by the power of the Holy Spirit; it is a divine conception; it is above and beyond our understanding
    • 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
      • Again using "the Highest" to refer to God the Father
      • Again about "the Son of God"
    • Pregnancy of Elizabeth
      • Elizabeth's pregnancy was a deviation from nature because she was barren and old
    • With God nothing is impossible
      • Even for a Virgin to be pregnant
    • Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word
      • Many Church Fathers believe that at this moment, as soon as she said this word, she became pregnant - because it was not possible for the Incarnation without her will. God respects and sanctifies human freedom
      • Some attack titles that we give St Mary (especially in praises):
        • "The salvation of our father Adam"
          • If we assumed (for sake of discussion) that St Mary said to Gabriel "No, I cannot accept this." God will never impose Himself on a person refusing Him. God wants to give us the gift of salvation - a free gift. St Mary, by accepting the gift of salvation, we call her "the salvation of our father Adam."
          • If there is a very poor family and some godly person wanted to give them a gift of money... or wanted to offer a job. If the father of that family rejected that gift of money, or rejected that job, then the family would continue to be poor. But if the father of that family accepted the job that was offered freely to him, then the children can say to the father "you saved us from hunger and poverty" because he received the gift.
          • St. Mary did not actively save us, but she accepted the free gift of salvation by saying "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word"
        • "The new Eve"
          • Our mother Eve became disobedient to God, so the new Eve (St Mary), by her obedience and submission, undid the disobedience of our mother Eve.
          • The first Eve disobeyed God, the second Eve obeyed God

    Visit of St. Mary to Elizabeth

    39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”

    • Mary goes
      • Mary goes all the way to Judah from Nazareth
      • This was a journey of 7-8 days
    • The babe leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit
      • This is different from the regular motion of a baby in the womb
      • Elizabeth knew by the Holy Spirit that St Mary was pregnant.
        • St Ambrose: "Elizabeth was the first to hear St Mary's voice but John was the first to be affected by the blessing. Elizabeth knew of St Mary's coming, but John felt the presence of Christ in the womb of St Mary."
        • St Cyril of Jerusalem: "When John was filled with the Holy Spirit, he became sanctified while still in his mother's womb. Consecrated as priest to baptize the Lord."
    • Elizabeth spoke out with a loud voice
      • She used the same words to St Mary that the angel used: "Blessed are you among women"
      • The words she said to St Mary were not her own words but the words of the Holy Spirit on her mouth
        • "mother of my Lord" - doctrine of Theotokos
    • Why is this granted to me?
      • Who am I to deserve this? See the humility of Elizabeth
      • St. Mary is the Ark of Covenant
        • "How can the ark of the Lord come to me?" (2 Samuel 6:9) - King David
          "Why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" - Elizabeth
        • "The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months." (2 Samuel 6:11)
          "And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house." 
        • The ark which carried the Rod, the Tablets and the Manna
          represents St. Mary who carried the Way, the Truth and the Life
        • St. John the Baptist leaped in the womb
          King David danced before the ark of covenant (2 Samuel 6:14)
    • Heresy of Nestorius
      • Nestorius' HERESY: Mary gave birth to a human being and then after he was born as a human, the divinity dwelt in this child. He was excommunicated for this belief.
      • The Ecumenical Council of Ephesus used the statement of Elizabeth in verse 33 to confirm that St Mary is Mother of God
    • Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord
    • The Holy Spirit works differently in all of us
      • St. Elizabeth was very old and yet she is speaking loudly and exclaiming and very excited and saying all of these words because of the Holy Spirit's work in her
      • St. Mary was the opposite, and the Holy Spirit worked in her meekness and inner peace.

    The Magnificat

    46 And Mary said:
    “My soul magnifies the Lord,
    47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
    48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
    For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
    49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
    And holy is His name.
    50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him
    From generation to generation.
    51 He has shown strength with His arm;
    He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
    52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
    And exalted the lowly.
    53 He has filled the hungry with good things,
    And the rich He has sent away empty.
    54 He has helped His servant Israel,
    In remembrance of His mercy,
    55 As He spoke to our fathers,
    To Abraham and to his seed forever.”
    56 And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.

    • What was Mary's response to the praise Elizabeth gave her?
    • She magnified the Lord. She gave glory to the Lord.
      • Although there is a difference between the soul and spirit, many times in Scripture they are used interchangeably.
      • Here, she is using her whole body and her heart and her mind and understanding, she is magnifying the Lord.
      • Praising God with our lips only is of no consequence... yes I praise Him with my tongue, but my tongue is in conjunction with my heart
    • My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior
      • She knew herself to be a sinner born with original sin; she needed a Savior!
      • The Roman Catholics believe in "immaculate conception" that St Mary was born without original sin... but if that's the case, why does she need a Savior?
    • For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
      • God chose St. Mary because of her humility - He regarded the lowly state.
      • St. Mary did not have an easy life and she went her whole life having made no choices:
        • She did not choose to be presented to the Temple
        • She did not choose Joseph to be her fiance
        • She did not choose to be pregnant with the Son of God
        • She did not choose to go to Egypt
        • She did not choose to live with John the Beloved
        • It is impossible for anyone to live this way if they are not humble.
    • For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
      • Why? Because God chose her and she accepted the plan of God
      • Protestants who deny veneration for saints are missing this part where St Mary said that all generations will call her blessed... It is our obligation to honor and venerate St Mary
    • For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name.
      • St Mary attributes all to God and ascribes nothing to herself or her own merits
    • And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation.
      • Fear of God is not submissive fear like a servant to his master, but it is reverence and respect and recognition of God's sovereignty
      • God's mercy extends to all from generation to generation
        • It is not for a certain people
        • It is not for a certain time
      • St Mary first praises God for what He has done for her, personally, but now expands to what He has done for all people
    • He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
      • "His arm" refers to the mighty power of God (like after He spread the Red Sea "the right hand of God has done wonders"; plagues, destruction of Pharaoh, etc)
      • God scatters the proud like chaff or straw - Scribes and Pharisees fell from their earthly glory because in their arrogance and pride, they rejected to accept the Lord Jesus Christ.
    • He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly.
      • St Mary is speaking prophetically and alluding to the destruction of Satan
      • Those who are humble and rely on God will be exalted; those who trust in their own wisdom will be put down from their thrones.
    • He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty.
      • Rich refers to those who trust in their own money, resources, abilities, etc.
      • Those who are poor in spirit, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness - they are rewarded.
    • He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever.
      • Her joy in the fact that God has done great things for her rests on the fact that these great things are for all of Israel too
      • God remembered His mercy that He spoke to Abraham and the fathers
      • Jesus in her womb is the fulfillment of what God spoke to the fathers, to Abraham and to his seed
        • The seed of Abraham is not just the natural seed or according to the flesh (that's why Ishmael was not accepted)... but the children according to the Promise (Isaac). The spiritual children from the Gentiles which is all of us.

    Birth and Circumcision of John the Baptist

    57 Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son. 58 When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her. 59 So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias. 60 His mother answered and said, “No; he shall be called John.” 61 But they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” 62 So they made signs to his father—what he would have him called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, “His name is John.” So they all marveled. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God. 65 Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea. 66 And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, “What kind of child will this be?” And the hand of the Lord was with him.

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    Zacharias' Prophecy

    67 Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:

    68 “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel,
    For He has visited and redeemed His people,
    69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us
    In the house of His servant David,
    70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets,
    Who have been since the world began,
    71 That we should be saved from our enemies
    And from the hand of all who hate us,
    72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers
    And to remember His holy covenant,
    73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham:
    74 To grant us that we,
    Being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
    Might serve Him without fear,
    75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.

    76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;
    For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
    77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people
    By the remission of their sins,
    78 Through the tender mercy of our God,
    With which the [j]Dayspring from on high [k]has visited us;
    79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
    To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

    80 So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.

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