A People Prepared
- Liz Bowers
- Nov 11
- 12 min read
Today's Reading: Luke 1:5-25
Dear Christian,
I began listening to Pastor David Guzik's lecture series on Church History this last week. Something he said really stood out to me as I thought about our study of Luke, "Christianity is the only religion that is not primarily based on philosophy or theology, it is primarily based upon events that have taken place." Of course, we have philosophy and theology but they are not the foundation of our faith. Our foundation rests in the Gospel, that Jesus was a real person who came, lived a perfect life, was crucified, and rose again on the third day then was witnessed alive again by many. I don't know about you, but that truth fired me up with excitement to dive even deeper into this study!
Main Idea
Is your heart prepared for God to answer your prayers?
Background Information
Who is King Herod?
King Herod the Great of Judea ruled from 37 B.C. to 4 B.C. The things happening here in Luke are near the end of his reign. He was installed as the King of Judea by the Roman Senate but because of his continued loyalty to Rome was affirmed in this role by Emporer Octavian seemingly even though he had supported Marc Antony's ascent instead. History considers him a practicing Jew and he did fully restore the temple. However, Herod's family was of Edomite descent and he was known as a founder and patron of pagan cities. He was in constant conflict with the religious leaders, his family, and his subjects. The later into his reign you get, the more cruel, paranoid, and tyrannical he becomes. It is also interesting to note that he loved the Greek Olympic Games and even became their president at one point. This would have been especially disgusting to the Jews considering their history with the Greeks and the recent defilement of the temple when the Greeks ruled in Palestine.
What is the Priestly Division of Abijah?
In the days of King David, the second King of Israel in preparation for building the temple during his son's reign, he appointed 24 priestly divisions to share the duties of the temple from among the sons of Aaron. God had chosen the Tribe of Levi from among the Israelites to serve him as priests in the new land he was giving them. Aaron who was Moses' brother was the first high priest appointed by God to fill this role. The Division of Abijah would be the eighth priestly division according to 1 Chronicles 24:10 narrowing the timeline of these events to that division's week of service in either June/July (dependent on when the festivals fell that year) or December/January.
During the feast weeks, all 24 divisions would serve at the temple in Jerusalem, throughout the rest of the year they would take turns. This historical context gives us a reliable record of which weeks each division would serve in between the feasts. While serving they would oversee the sacrifices of the people and perform the daily sacrifices required of the priests on behalf of themselves and the nation.
What is a daughter of Aaron?
The lineage of both Zechariah and Elizabeth would be from the Tribe of Levi, but more importantly from Aaron's line directly. This doesn't necessarily mean they were close relatives because as we know from the 24 divisions of the priestly duties, Aaron had at least 24 grandsons with their own distinct family lines.
My pastor put this into perspective by explaining how many priests there were in each division. There were so many that the duty Zechariah is selected to perform was likely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to serve in that way.
What is the Significance of Zechariah's Task (Burning Incense on the Altar)?
“You shall make an altar on which to burn incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. A cubit shall be its length, and a cubit its breadth. It shall be square, and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and around its sides and its horns. And you shall make a molding of gold around it. And you shall make two golden rings for it. Under its molding on two opposite sides of it you shall make them, and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it. You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. And you shall put it in front of the veil that is above the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is above the testimony, where I will meet with you. And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it, and when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he shall burn it, a regular incense offering before the Lord throughout your generations. Exodus 30:1-8
This particular sacrifice was made by the priests twice a day. It required the selected priest, a descendant of Aaron, to enter the area connected to the Holy of Holies to perform this task. If anyone were to enter improperly they would likely be killed for dishonoring this sacred place in God's house. It was the closest that anyone but the High Priest could come to the presence of God outside the annual Day of Atonement. Another interesting tidbit is what the people gathered outside would be traditionally praying for during this sacrifice: for the arrival of God's promised Messiah.
What is the "spirit and power of Elijah" referring to?
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” Malachi 4:5-6
This prophecy in Malachi is the last promise that God gave His people before this angel appears to Zechariah announcing the birth of John. Rabbinical Jews today, who have not accepted Jesus as the Messiah now set out a cup for Elijah and open the door to welcome him at the celebration of Passover. They still wait for this Messenger to arrive heralding in the Messianic Age. According to their tradition, at this time Elijah will resolve all confusion or conflict in the practice/understanding of Judaism. Knowing this gives us an idea of the importance of the role that John was expected to fill in his culture.
Yet, we understand John's fulfillment of Malachi's promise to be only in part. John came in the spirit and power of Elijah but he was not Elijah reincarnated. To understand this let's look at the parallel passages that speak of John as the expected Elijah.
And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” John 1:19-23 (emphasis my own)
John is here referring to Isaiah's prophecy about the Messenger who precedes the Messiah.
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” Isaiah 40:1-5 (emphasis my own)
Jesus declared that John the Baptist was the one being referred to in Malachi and John himself declares he is the one being spoken of in Isaiah. We saw a very similar affirmation of this fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy in our study of Matthew. Here is what Mark's Gospel has to say...
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’” John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Mark 1:1-8
There is one more bit of context we should point back to in our Matthew Study. This conversation occurs just after Jesus' three closest disciples witness His transfiguration where He is seen talking with Moses and Elijah.
And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist. Matthew 17:9-13 (emphasis my own)
This is a theme throughout biblical prophecy that I like to describe as the already/not yet. For example, look at Joshua 1:1-9 God tells His people that He has already given them the Promised Land... but they must obediently go in and claim it. It is theirs already but also not yet. This is similar: Elijah has come through John the Baptist as a forerunner to Christ, but Elijah is also yet to come as a forerunner to Christ before Judgement Day. Some, including Pastor John MacArthur, speculate that Elijah could be one of the two witnesses referred to in Revelation.
And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” Revelation 11:3
We can understand, therefore, that what it means for John to come in "the spirit and power of Elijah" is that he comes with the same authority from God to preach repentance and reconciliation to God's people.
Why does Elizabeth hide herself for five months during her pregnancy?
There are many speculations about the reason she would have done this ranging from shame at being pregnant in her old age to taking time to rejoice in the Lord before announcing her pregnancy. I think in our study today we will actually find that she tells us the reason why she has done this, but I don't want to spoil her answer for us just yet.
Greek Words to Know
pneuma - Spirit
dynamis - inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth
hetoimazō - to make ready, prepare (drawn from the oriental custom of sending on before kings on their journeys persons to level the roads and make them passable)
kataskeuazō - to furnish, equip, prepare, make ready: of one who makes anything ready for a person or thing
perikrybō - to conceal on all sides or entirely, to hide, seclude
poieō - (broad meaning) Used in vs. 25 when Elizabeth says, "Thus the Lord has done for me" or in the KJV, Thus the Lord has dealt with me."
Here is a short list of the meanings I find most interesting for the context of our verse:
- to make: to be the author or cause of
- to make ready, prepare
- to do: to carry out, execute
- to do: with designation of time to pass, spend
- to celebrate, keep: to make ready, and so at the same time to institute, the celebration of the Passover
- to perform: to a promise
Scripture Study
Vs. 5-7 (Setting up the personal problem/prayer request)
But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. Luke 1:7
Now that Luke's introduction is out of the way, he immediately sets us down in the historical setting of the events about to take place. He gives us the historical context of leadership at the time by naming King Herod and gives us a rough understanding of the exact timeline of events by describing Zechariah's heritage. Then he jumps right into the problem that Zechariah and Elizabeth were facing. They were too old to have children but had always desired a family of their own. You can imagine that much like other families throughout Scripture that had faced this problem, they had prayed relentlessly that God would provide for them and open Elizabeth's womb. Now that they are past their time for children I can imagine that they no longer had an expectation that God would answer that prayer for them. Yet it still remained like a whisper at the back of their minds and hearts. We know this because when the angel introduces himself in vs. 13 he tells Zechariah, "your prayer has been heard."
Vs. 8-17 (God works to answer the corporate prayer through the personal circumstances of Zechariah and Elizabeth)
Remember that Zechariah is not the only one praying at this time.
And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. Luke 1:10
Traditionally the people would have been praying for the promised Messiah to finally arrive. They had been praying for this Deliverer for hundreds of years. I think in this way we can relate to the Jews of Zechariah's day because we have now been praying for Christ's return for nearly two thousand years. I don't know about you but it certainly feels difficult sometimes to pray with excited expectation that we could see that prayer answered in our lifetime. Sometimes that prayer seems more like a recitation than a true belief or request. It will probably shock us just as much as it did Zechariah when the Day of the Lord finally arrives and Christ returns!
What I love about this is how God works through the personal circumstances of Zechariah and Elizabeth to answer the corporate (group/collective) prayer of His people. He is answering both the prayers for Zechariah and Elizabeth's long-awaited child and preparing the way to answer His people's prayerful expectation of an even longer-awaited Savior.
Vs. 18-23 (Zechariah's Unbelief)
There are two possible responses to God's answer to prayer: the first possible response is one of unbelief. Unfortunately for Zechariah, his heart was not prepared when God finally answered his request for a child of their own.
And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” Luke 1:18-20
Much like Zechariah, the people of Israel were unprepared for their prayers to be answered. The way in which God's answer came didn't meet their expectations. Even when John plainly told them who he was during his ministry they still doubted, they were still asking Jesus if He was the promised Elijah when John's ministry had ended. They certainly didn't expect Jesus to be the Messiah even when that's exactly who John declared Him to be. Let us pray that our hearts are more prepared than theirs and that our eyes are clear of our own expectations so that we are able to see clearly.
Vs. 24-25 (Elizabeth's Preparation)
The second possible response when God answers prayer is one of belief. Elizabeth was not visited by an angel but she experienced he husband's forced silence. He no doubt was able to express to her by writing or some other means that God had finally promised them a child. I don't think it was shame or personal celebration that led Elizabeth to seclude herself for five months when she realized God was accomplishing His promise in her.
“Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.” Luke 1:25
Remember that word for "has done for me" that is used in Greek (poieō) it's a word that indicated preparation. God has dealt with Elizabeth in this way, He is making her ready, fulfilling His promise, He has set aside her time of bearing a child. Elizabeth's heart is prepared to receive the answer to her prayers. Even though her child is just beginning to grow within her, she knows that God will accomplish things just as He said.
Conclusion
When we pray, do we believe that God will answer? Do we have preconceived ideas about what that answer will look like? Are our hearts prepared for whatever form God's answer might take? These are questions to take careful personal consideration of as we read this text. God in His grace knows that we are often unprepared for Him to move, that's why He promised one to prepare the way for His coming to begin with. He sent John to His people in Israel in order to prepare their hearts for Christ. But what did that preparation look like? John called his people to repent of their sins and turn their hearts back to following God. He taught them to reignite their watchful excitement for the coming Messiah and the true salvation that He would bring.
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