Luke 1-2 Overview

A         An Old Man in the Temple; Question––Miraculous Parenthood?; Zechariah’s Disbelief

1          Zechariah in the Temple (1:5-25)[1]

            After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion The Lord has done this for me, she said In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people (1:24-25)

B         Mary’s Joy at the Incarnation; The Words of Gabriel, Elizabeth, and Mary

2          The Announcement to Mary (1:26-38)

3          Mary’s Visit to Elizabeth (1:39-55)

            Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home (1:56)

C         Family Tradition Deliberately Broken at the Birth, Naming, and Circumcision of John

4          The Birth and Naming of John (1:57-66)

5          Zechariah’s Prophecy (1:67-79)

            And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel (1:80)

C         Family Tradition Carefully Maintained at the Birth, Naming, and Circumcision of Jesus

6          The Birth of Jesus in the city of David, Bethlehem (2:1-7)

7          Christ’s Coming to the World Announced (2:8-21)

            On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived (2:21)

B         Mary’s Anguish (2:35); The Words of Simeon and Anna

8          Simeon (2:22-35)

a          Recognition the Salvation has Come (2:22-33)

b          Opposition foretold (2:34-35)

9          Recognition that Salvation has Come: Anna (2:36-39)

            And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him (2:40)

A         A Young Boy in the Temple; Question: Heavenly Parentage; Parent’s Failure to Understand

10        Jesus Came to do his Father’s Business (2:41-51)

            And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men (2:52)

Luke 1-2 Micro-view

A         An Old Man in the Temple; Question––Miraculous Parenthood?; Zechariah’s Disbelief[2]

1          Zechariah in the Temple (1:5-25)

In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years. (1:5-7)

1:6-7 Cf. esp. righteous in the sight of God (v. 6) and he looked with favor upon me (v. 25); they had no child because Elizabeth was barren (v. 7) and Elizabeth his wife became pregnant (v. 24)––these each sustain the inverted parallel structure between the opening and closing as well.

a          Once when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty (8)

b          he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense (9)

c          Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside (10)

d          Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense (11)

e          When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. But the angel said to him, Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth (12-14)

f           for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God (15-16)

f           With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord (17)

e          Zechariah said to the angel, How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years (18)

d          The angel replied, I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur (19-20)

c          Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, and wondered at his delay in the sanctuary (21)

b          When he did come out, he could not speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them and remained unable to speak (22)

a          When his time of service was ended, he went to his home (23)

            After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion The Lord has done this for me, she said In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people (1:24-25)

B         Mary’s Joy at the Incarnation; The Words of Gabriel, Elizabeth, and Mary

2          The Announcement to Mary (1:26-38)

a          In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. (26-27)

b          And he came to her and said, Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.

c          But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be (29)

d          The angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. (30-33)

c          Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I am a virgin? (34)

b          The angel said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.

a          And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God. (36-37)

Then Mary said, Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word. Then the angel departed from her. (38)

3          Mary’s Visit to Elizabeth (1:39-55)

a          Setting––Mary came to visit Elizabeth in her house and the baby jumped in her womb (1:39-41)

b          Elizabeth’s blessing (1:42-45)

i           Blessed are you among women (42a)

ii          and blessed is the fruit of your womb (42b)

iii         And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? (43)

ii          For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy (44)

i           And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord (45)

c          The Magnificat (1:46-55)

And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior (46-47)

i           for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed (48)

ii          for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation (49-50)

iii         He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts (51)

iii         He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly (52)

ii          he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty (53)

i           He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever. (54-55)

            Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home (1:56)

C         Family Tradition Deliberately Broken at the Birth, Naming, and Circumcision of John

4          The Birth and Naming of John (1:57-66)

a          The birth of a Elizabeth’s son (1:57-58)

b          The naming of John (1:59-66)

i           Neighbors and relatives want to call the son Zacharias (1:59)

ii          Elizabeth says no call him John (1:60)

i           Visitors resist because there are no relatives named John and ask Zacharius (1:61-62)

ii          He wrote his name is John (1:63a)

i           They were astonished (1:63b)

ii          Zacharius began to speak and praise God (1:64)

i           Fear came on the visitor and John’s reputation spread (1:65-66)

5          Zechariah’s Prophecy (1:67-79)

Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy (67)

a          Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them (68)

b          He has raised up a mighty savior for us in the house of his servant David (69)

c          as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old (70)

d          that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us (71)

e          Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and has remembered his holy covenant (72)

e          the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham, to grant us (73)

d          that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days (74-75)

c          And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways (76)

b          to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins (77)

a          By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the of peace. (78-79)

            And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel (1:80)

C         Family Tradition Carefully Maintained at the Birth, Naming, and Circumcision of Jesus

6          The Birth of Jesus in the city of David, Bethlehem (2:1-7)

7          Christ’s Coming to the World Announced (2:8-21)

a          The shepherds watch their flocks in the fields (2:8)

b          An messenger of the Lord appeared and they were terribly frightened (2:9)

c          The announcement (2:10-12)

i           good news for all people

ii          a Savior, the Christ is born

iii         baby is wrapped in cloth in a manger

2:12 Compare clothes in 2:12 and 24:12. Note text prob. in 24:12––not in NA27/UBS4

d          Sudden appearance of a heavenly multitude (2:13)

e          Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among people with whom he is pleased (2:14)

d          Decision to go directly to Bethlehem (2:15)

c          The witness (2:16-18)

iii         baby in a manger

ii          the statement about the Child made known

i           wonder of those who heard it

b          Mary treasured u all these things, pondering them in her heart (2:19)

a          The shepherds return glorifying and praising God (2:20)

            On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived (2:21)

B         Mary’s Anguish (2:35); The Words of Simeon and Anna

8          Simeon (2:22-35)

a          Recognition the Salvation has Come (2:22-33)

b          Opposition foretold (2:34-35)

9          Recognition that Salvation has Come: Anna (2:36-39)

            And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him (2:40)

A         A Young Boy in the Temple; Question: Heavenly Parentage; Mary and Joseph’s Failure to Understand

10        Jesus Came to do his Father’s Business (2:41-51)

2:48-49 Jesus contrasted my Father (2:49) with Mary’s your father (2:48).

            And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men (2:52)