The Books of Luke and Acts (2020 Edition) E-Book

Brian Simmons

• Herausgeber: BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Serie: The Passion Translation
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Seitenzahl: 492

Beschreibung

The book of Luke is a glorious gospel and perhaps the most compassionate, love-filled account of the life, humanity, and ministry of Jesus. Also known as the Mercy Gospel, the Gospel of Luke offers rich details of Jesus' love of children and the forsaken. It further shares Jesus' teachings on prayer, forgiveness, and our calling as Christians to demonstrate mercy and grace to others.   The book of Acts details the ascension of Jesus, the birth of the church, and the early years of the expansion of God's kingdom on earth. Paul's three missionary journeys are also explored, illustrating the spread of the gospel, the addition of new believers, miraculous answers to prayer, signs and wonders, and deliverance.   Revealed before our eyes in these two books of the Bible is the glorious man, Jesus Christ, and his undying love for us. This inspired account of church history awakens our souls and grants us courage to be witnesses for Christ.   "Not one promise from God is empty of power. Nothing is impossible with God!" Luke 1:37  

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cover

Title Page

Copyright Information

A Note to Readers

Luke

Acts

Your Personal Invitation to Follow Jesus

About the Translator

A NOTE TO READERS

It would be impossible to calculate how many lives have been changed forever by the power of the Bible, the living Word of God! My own life was transformed because I believed the message contained in Scripture about Jesus, the Savior.

To hold the Bible dear to your heart is the sacred obsession of every true follower of Jesus. Yet to go even further and truly understand the Bible is how we gain light and truth to live by. Did you catch the word understand ? People everywhere say the same thing: “I want to understand God’s Word, not just read it.”

Thankfully, as English speakers, we have a plethora of Bible translations, commentaries, study guides, devotionals, churches, and Bible teachers to assist us. Our hearts crave to know God—to not just know about him, but to know him as intimately as we possibly can in this life. This is what makes Bible translations so valuable, because each one will hopefully lead us into new discoveries of God’s character. I believe God is committed to giving us truth in a package we can understand and apply, so I thank God for every translation of God’s Word that we have.

God’s Word does not change, but over time languages definitely do, thus the need for updated and revised translations of the Bible. Translations give us the words God spoke through his servants, but words can be poor containers for revelation because they leak! Meaning is influenced by culture, background, and many other details. Just imagine how differently the Hebrew authors of the Old Testament saw the world three thousand years ago from the way we see it today!

Even within one language and culture, meanings of words change from one generation to the next. For example, many contemporary Bible readers would be quite surprised to find unicorns are mentioned nine times in the King James Version (KJV). Here’s one instance in Isaiah 34:7: “And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.” This isn’t a result of poor translation, but rather an example of how our culture, language, and understanding of the world has shifted over the past few centuries. So, it is important that we have a modern English text of the Bible that releases revelation and truth into our hearts. The Passion Translation (TPT) is committed to bringing forth the potency of God’s Word in relevant, contemporary vocabulary that doesn’t distract from its meaning or distort it in any way. So many people have told us that they are falling in love with the Bible again as they read TPT.

We often hear the statement, “I just want a word-for-word translation that doesn’t mess it up or insert a bias.” That’s a noble desire. But a word-for-word translation would be nearly unreadable. It is simply impossible to translate one Hebrew word for one English word. Hebrew is built from triliteral consonant roots. Biblical Hebrew had no vowels or punctuation. And Koine Greek, although wonderfully articulate, cannot always be conveyed in English by a word-for-word translation. For example, a literal word-for-word translation of the Greek in Matthew 1:18 would be something like this: “Of the but Jesus Christ the birth thus was. Being betrothed the mother of him, Mary, to Joseph, before or to come together them she was found in belly having from Spirit Holy.”

Even the KJV, which many believe to be a very literal translation, renders this verse: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.”

This comparison makes the KJV look like a paraphrase next to a strictly literal translation! To some degree, every Bible translator is forced to move words around in a sentence to convey with meaning the thought of the verse. There is no such thing as a truly literal translation of the Bible, for there is not an equivalent language that perfectly conveys the meaning of the biblical text. Is it really possible to have a highly accurate and highly readable English Bible? We certainly hope so! It is so important that God’s Word is living in our hearts, ringing in our ears, and burning in our souls. Transferring God’s revelation from Hebrew and Greek into English is an art, not merely a linguistic science. Thus, we need all the accurate translations we can find. If a verse or passage in one translation seems confusing, it is good to do a side-by-side comparison with another version.

It is difficult to say which translation is the “best.” “Best” is often in the eyes of the reader and is determined by how important differing factors are to different people. However, the “best” translation, in my thinking, is the one that makes the Word of God clear and accurate, no matter how many words it takes to express it.

That’s the aim of The Passion Translation: to bring God’s eternal truth into a highly readable heart-level expression that causes truth and love to jump out of the text and lodge inside our hearts. A desire to remain accurate to the text and a desire to communicate God’s heart of passion for his people are the two driving forces behind TPT. So for those new to Bible reading, we hope TPT will excite and illuminate. For scholars and Bible students, we hope TPT will bring the joys of new discoveries from the text and prompt deeper consideration of what God has spoken to his people. We all have so much more to learn and discover about God in his holy Word!

You will notice at times we’ve italicized certain words or phrases. These portions are not in the original Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic manuscripts but are implied from the context. We’ve made these implications explicit for the sake of narrative clarity and to better convey the meaning of God’s Word. This is a common practice by mainstream translations.

We’ve also chosen to translate certain names in their original Hebrew or Greek forms to better convey their cultural meaning and significance. For instance, some translations of the Bible have substituted James for Jacob and Jude for Judah. Both Greek and Aramaic manuscripts leave these Hebrew names in their original forms. Therefore, this translation uses those cultural names.

The purpose of The Passion Translation is to reintroduce the passion and fire of the Bible to the English reader. It doesn’t merely convey the literal meaning of words. It expresses God’s passion for people and his world by translating the original, life-changing message of God’s Word for modern readers.

We pray this version of God’s Word will kindle in you a burning desire to know the heart of God, while impacting the church for years to come.

Please visit ThePassionTranslation.com for more information.

Brian Simmons and the translation team

LUKE

(return to table of contents)

Introduction • One • Two • Three • Four • Five • Six • Seven • Eight • Nine • Ten • Eleven • Twelve • Thirteen • Fourteen • Fifteen • Sixteen • Seventeen • Eighteen • Nineteen • Twenty • Twenty-One • Twenty-Two • Twenty-Three • Twenty-Four

LUKE

Introduction

AT A GLANCE

Author: Luke, beloved physician, friend, and companion to Paul

Audience: Theophilus, and all “lovers of God”

Date: Late-AD 60s, though possibly 70–85

Type of Literature: Ancient historical biography

Major Themes: Jesus’ person, Jesus’ works, the kingdom realm, the Christian life, social dimensions, and the Holy Spirit

Outline:

Luke’s Preface — 1:1–4

Jesus’ Birth and Childhood — 1:5–2:52

Jesus’ Ministry Preparation — 3:1–4:13

Jesus’ Galilean Ministry — 4:14–9:50

Jesus Heads to Jerusalem — 9:51–19:44

Jesus Teaches in Jerusalem — 19:45–21:38

Jesus’ Suffering and Death — 22:1–23:56

Jesus’ Resurrection and Exaltation — 24:1–53

ABOUT LUKE

You are about to read the biography of the wonderful man Jesus Christ. This glorious Gospel was penned by one of his early followers, a physician named Luke. All four Gospels in our New Testament are inspired by God, but Luke’s is unique. I believe that this could be described as the loveliest book ever written.

Luke’s pen was anointed by the Holy Spirit and his book is still read today by the lovers of God, because it is the mercy Gospel. It is a book for everybody, for we all need mercy. Luke writes clearly of the humanity of Jesus—as the servant of all and the sacrifice for all. Every barrier is broken down in Luke’s Gospel: between Jew and gentile, men and women, rich and poor. In Luke we see Jesus as the Savior of all who come to him.

Luke, being a physician, learned the need to exhibit compassion and mercy toward others. It comes through in every chapter. Luke’s Gospel is perhaps the most compassionate and love-filled account of Jesus’ life ever written.

Luke shares Jesus’ teachings on prayer, forgiveness, and our obligation to demonstrate mercy and grace in dealings with others. Luke provides us with rich details of Jesus’ love of children and the forsaken. Luke writes about Jesus’ ministry to women twenty-four times. This was somewhat controversial in the culture of his day. In fact, Luke uses an alternating narrative of one story about a man and the next story about a woman. Luke begins with the story of Zechariah, then moves to Mary. A focus on Simeon, then on Anna. The Roman centurion, then the widow of Nain. The good Samaritan, then Mary and Martha. This pattern continues throughout his Gospel.

A large amount of Luke’s Gospel is not found in any other Gospel narrative. If we did not have the book of Luke, we wouldn’t know about the stories of the prodigal son, the good Samaritan, the wedding banquet, and other amazing teachings. Only in the book of Luke do we find the stories of the shepherds at Bethlehem, the ten lepers who were healed, the young man from Nain who was raised from the dead, and the dying thief on the cross next to Jesus. How thankful I am for the Gospel of Luke!

My heart overflows with the joy of seeing the Word of God being translated with all its passion and fire into contemporary English. Unveiled before your eyes will be the glorious man, Jesus Christ, and the revelation of his undying love for you.

PURPOSE

This world is a far better place because of the revelation Luke shares with us in his Gospel. He gives us a full picture of Jesus’ life and ministry, applying scrupulous accuracy to all he wrote to ensure that what we read is factual. In fact, Luke uses the Greek word for “autopsy” (1:2) for investigating with firsthand knowledge those who had seen what Jesus did and heard what Jesus taught.

Dr. Luke performed an “autopsy” on the facts of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, tracing them all back to their source to make sure what he compiled was of the highest degree of accuracy. He takes “Theophilus” through Jesus’ entire ministry career to reveal how God worked to show Jesus to be true and the hope of the world. He also shows how God has been faithful to Israel and the promises he’s given her, while inviting the nations to the table of Christ’s love and hope.

AUTHOR AND AUDIENCE

We know little about Luke, the human author of this Gospel. He was a companion of the apostle Paul for some of his missionary journeys and was possibly one of Paul’s early converts. Luke was a literary genius and writes with powerful prose. Some believe Luke was possibly the only non-Jewish writer of the New Testament. Others believe that he was a Syrian Jew who took upon himself a gentile name. It is obvious that he knew firsthand many of the early followers of Jesus, even the apostles who were chosen to preach his name throughout the nations. Near the end of the apostle Paul’s life, when he was facing martyrdom, Paul wrote of his trusted friend, “only Luke [is] with me” (2 Tim. 4:11). Luke was mentored by the apostle Paul. This can be seen by Luke’s vocabulary in his gospel. There are two hundred expressions or phrases that are similar in Paul’s and Luke’s writings.

The opening line of the Gospel indicates Luke wrote to the “most excellent Theophilus” (see the first footnote on Luke 1:1–4). The name Theophilus means “friend of God” or “lover of God.” The Greek word means “most honorable” or “mightiest.” Some scholars suggest there was no individual named Theophilus mentioned in Luke’s writings. Regardless, Luke’s Gospel is a greeting to all the lovers of God. He especially wrote it to non-Jewish lovers of God who may have felt out of place in the originally Jewish movement.

MAJOR THEMES

The Person and Work of Jesus. As you can imagine, a historical biography of Jesus will feature him and his work, front and center! In Luke’s Gospel, he is the sent one who is both Lord and Messiah. He is uniquely and intimately connected to God, transcending any portrait of him as simply a human figure and agent. He is also the one who acts, as the promised Messiah anointed by the Spirit to bring in the new era—God’s heavenly kingdom realm to earth. His ultimate act was on behalf of every person on the planet, bearing the sins of the world as he hung on the Roman cross. And in the end, this Lord Messiah was vindicated by the Father through the resurrection and exalted to his right hand through the ascension.

The Promised Kingdom Realm. In Jesus Christ, all of God’s promises are fulfilled. Chief among them is God’s promised kingdom realm. God’s kingdom realm is both present and coming. Jesus commands his disciples to proclaim that it has “come near” and is within peoples’ reach in the present. The promises of the last days have started to be fulfilled, and yet those promises haven’t been ultimately fulfilled. The full manifestation of the kingdom realm is still anticipated, when all the hoped-for prophecies of restoration will be realized.

Women and the Poor. Women are a crucial part of Jesus’ story—now and then. In Luke’s Gospel they provide examples of deep piety and devotion. They are both of humble means and wealthy. At every turn women are part of Jesus’ ministry: Elizabeth, Anna, and of course Mary play important roles in his infancy; women are healed, comforted, and forgiven in Galilee; on the way to Jerusalem, we meet Mary and Martha; and during Christ’s most desperate hours, women weep at his feet, stand with him faithfully; finally, they receive the first revelation of Jesus’ resurrection. Then there are the poor. Throughout Luke, the poor receive special attention too, showing that God deliberately reaches out to those whom society casts away. He makes clear the good news of Jesus and his love is for people like them, which means the gospel truly is for everybody!

The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit plays a major role in Luke’s Gospel, where he is referenced nearly twenty times. The Spirit is the driving force in the picture Luke paints of God’s coming salvation. He is the architect, the maestro guiding and energizing the events that transpire throughout the life of Jesus. We find him present from the very beginning with his conception and birth on to Christ’s baptism in the Spirit and through to his powerful miracle ministry. One of the most important texts in all the Gospels is Luke 3:15–16, where John says one “mightier” than he would come baptizing with “the Spirit of holiness and . . . fire.” This Spirit of fire is the sign and seal of the new era of the Messiah, come to rescue and re-create the world!

LUKE

To the Lovers of God

11–4I am writing for you, mighty lover of God,a an orderly account of what Jesus accomplished and fulfilled among us. Several eyewitness biographies have already been written,b using as their source material the good news preached among us by his early disciples, who were from the beginning loving servants of the Living Expression.c Now I am passing on to you this accurate compilation of my own meticulous investigationd based on numerous eyewitness interviews. It is appropriate for me to write this, for he also appeared to mee so that I would reassure you beyond any shadow of a doubt the reliability of all you have been taught of him.

Angelic Prophecy of the Prophet John’s Birth

5During the reign of King Herod the Great of Judea,f there was a Jewish priest named Zechariahg who served in the temple as part of the priestly order of Abijah.h His wife, Elizabeth, was also from a family of priests, and was a descendant of Aaron. 6They were both righteous before God, living virtuously and following the commandments of the Lord blamelessly. 7But they were childless since Elizabeth was barren, and now they both were quite old.

8–9One day, Zechariah’s priestly order was on duty and he was serving as priest. He was chosen by the casting of lots (according to the custom of the priesthood) so the honor fell upon Zechariah to enter the Holy Placei and burn incense before the Lord. 10A large crowd of worshipers had gathered to pray outside the temple at the hour when incense was being offered. 11All at once an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing just to the right of the altar of incense.j

12Zechariah was startled and overwhelmed with fear. 13But the angel reassured him, saying, “Don’t be afraid,k Zechariah! God is showing grace to you. For I have come to tell you that your prayerl for a child has been answered. Your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son and you are to name him John. 14His birth will bring you much joy and gladness.m Many will rejoice because of him, 15and he will be one of the great ones in the sight of God. He will drink no wine or strong drink,n but he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even while still in his mother’s womb. 16And he will persuade many in Israel to convert and turn back to the Lord their God. 17He will go before the Lord as a forerunner, with the same power and anointingo as Elijah the prophet. He will be instrumental in turning the hearts of the fathers in tenderness back to their children and the hearts of the disobedient back to the wisdom of their righteous fathers. And he will prepare a united peoplep who are ready for the Lord’s appearing.”

18Zechariah asked the angel, “How do you expect me to believe this? I’m an old man and my wife is too old to give me a child. What sign can you give me to prove this will happen?”

19Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel.q I stand beside God himself. He has sent me to announce to you this good news. 20But now, since you did not believe my words, you will be stricken silent and unable to speakr until the day my words have been fulfilled at their appointed time and a child is born to you. That will be your sign!”s

21Meanwhile, the crowds outside kept expecting him to come out. They were amazed over Zechariah’s delay,t wondering what could have happened inside the sanctuary. 22When he finally did come out, he tried to talk, but he couldn’t speak a word, and they realized from his gestures that he had seen a vision while in the Holy Place. 23He remained mute as he finished his days of priestly ministry in the temple and then went back to his own home. 24Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for the next five months. 25With joy she exclaimed, “See how kind it is of God to gaze upon meu and take away the disgrace of my barrenness!”

Angelic Prophecy of Jesus’ Birth

26–27During the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent from God’s presence to an unmarried girlv named Mary, living in Nazareth, a village in Galilee.w She was engagedx to a man named Joseph, a true descendant of King David. 28Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Rejoice, beloved young woman, for the Lord is with youy and you are anointed with great favor.”

29Mary was deeply troubled over the words of the angel and bewildered over what this may mean for her. 30But the angel reassured her, saying, “Do not yield to your fear, Mary, for the Lord has found delight in you and has chosen to surprise you with a wonderful gift. 31You will become pregnant with a baby boy, and you are to name him Jesus. 32He will be supremez and will be known as the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God will enthrone him as King on the throne of his ancestor David. 33He will reign as King of Israelaa forever, and his reign will have no limit.”

34Mary said, “But how could this happen? I am still a virgin!”

35Gabriel answered, “The Spirit of Holiness will fall upon you and almighty God will spread his shadow of power over you in a cloud of glory!ab This is why the child born to you will be holy,ac and he will be called the Son of God. 36What’s more, your aged aunt,ad Elizabeth, has also become pregnant with a son. The ‘barren one’ is now in her sixth month. 37Not one promise from God is empty of power. Nothing is impossible with God!”ae

38Then Mary responded, saying, “Yes! I will be a mother for the Lord!af As his servant, I accept whatever he has for me. May everything you have told me come to pass.” And the angel left her.

Elizabeth’s Prophecy to Mary

39Afterward, Mary arose and hurried off to the hill country of Judea, to the village where Zechariah and Elizabeth lived. 40Arriving at their home, Mary entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. 41At the moment her aunt heard Mary’s voice, the babyag within Elizabeth’s womb jumped and kicked. And suddenly, Elizabeth was filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit! 42With a loud voice she prophesied with power:

“Mary! You are a woman given the highest favor

and privilege above all others,

for your childah is destined to bring God great delight.

43How did I deserve such a remarkable honor

to have the mother of my Lordai come and visit me?

44The moment you came in the door and greeted me,

my baby danced inside me with joy!

45Great favor rests upon you, for you have believed

every word spoken to you from the Lord.”

Mary’s Prophetic Song

46And Mary sang this song:

“My soul is ecstatic, overflowing with praises to God!

47My spirit bursts with joy over my life-giving God!aj

48For he set his tender gaze upon me, his lowly servant girl.ak

And from here on, everyone will know

that I have been favored and blessed.

49The Mighty One has worked a mighty miracle for me;

holy is his name!

50Mercy kisses all who fear him,

from one generation to the next.al

51Mighty power flows from him

to scatter all those who walk in pride.

52Powerful princes he tears from their thrones

and he lifts up the lowly to take their place.

53Those who hunger for him will always be filled,am

but the smug and self-satisfied he will send away empty.

54Because he can never forget to show mercy,

he has helped his chosen servant, Israel,

55keeping his promises to Abrahaman

and to his descendants forever.”

56Before going home, Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months.ao

The Birth of the Prophet John

57When Elizabeth’s pregnancy was full term, she gave birth to a son. 58All her family, friends, and neighbors heard about it, and they too were overjoyed, for they realized that the Lord had showered his wonderful mercy upon her.

59When the baby was eight days old, according to their custom, all the family and friends came together for the circumcision ceremony.ap Everyone assumed that the parents would name the baby Zechariah, after his father, 60but Elizabeth spoke up and said, “No, his name is John!”

61“What?” they exclaimed. “No one in your family line has that name!”

62So they gestured to the baby’s father to ask what to name the child. 63He motioned for a writing tablet, and to the amazement of all, he wrote, “His name is John.”aq

64Instantly Zechariah could speak again. And his first words were praises to the Lord.

65The fear of God fell on the people of their village, and the news of this astounding event traveled throughout the hill country of Judea. Everyone was in awe over it! 66All who heard this news were astonished and wondered, “Since a miracle brought his birth, what on earth will this child become? Clearly, God’s presence is upon this child in a powerful way!”

Zechariah’s Prophecy

67Then Zechariah was filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit and he prophesied, saying:

68“Praise be to the exalted Lord God of Israel,

for he has seen us through eyes of grace,

and he comes as our Hero-God to set us free!

69He appears to us as a mighty Savior,

a trumpet of redemptionar from the house of David, his servant,

70just as he promised long ago

by the words of his holy prophets.

71They prophesied he would come one day and save us

from every one of our enemies

and from the power of those who hate us.as

72Now he has shown us the mercy promised to our ancestors,

for he has remembered his holy covenant.at

73–75He has rescued us from the power of our enemies,

fulfilling the sacred oath he made with our father Abraham.

Now we can boldly worshipau God with holy lives,

living in purity as priestsav in his presence every day!

76And to you I prophesy, my little son,

you will be known as the prophet of the Most High.

You will be a forerunner,

going before the face of Lord Yahweh,aw

to prepare hearts to embrace his ways.ax

77You will preach to his people the revelation of salvation,

the cancellation of all our sins, to bring us back to God.

78The splendor-light of heaven’s glorious sunriseay

is about to break upon us in holy visitation,

all because the merciful heart of our God is so very tender.

79The word from heaven will come to usaz

with dazzling light to shine upon those

who live in darkness, near death’s dark shadow.ba

And he will illuminate the path that leads to the way of peace.”

80Afterward, their son grew up and was strengthened by the Holy Spiritbb and he grew in his love for God. John chose to live in the lonely wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

a1:1–4 The Greek text can be translated “most excellent Theophilus.” The name Theophilus means “friend of God” or “lover of God.” The Greek word means “most honorable” or “mightiest.” Some scholars believe there was no individual named Theophilus mentioned in Luke’s writings. This becomes instead a greeting to you and all the lovers of God.

b1:1–4 It is likely that Matthew and Mark are two of the Gospel accounts Luke refers to here.

c1:1–4 Translated literally from the Aramaic text. The Greek word is logos. Some have translated this rich term as “Word.” It could also be translated “Message” or “Blueprint.” Jesus Christ is the eternal Word, the creative Word, and the Word made visible. He is the divine self-expression of all that God is, contains, and reveals in his humanity. Just as we express ourselves in words, God has expressed himself in Christ.

d1:1–4 The Greek word used here is actually “to see with the eye” or “autopsy.” Autopsy is a relevant word, since we know that Luke was a physician. Also, note that Luke’s sources would have included all he heard from Paul and others on their missionary journeys. And, he likely had the opportunity to interview Mary, Jesus’ mother.

e1:1–4 Translated literally from the Aramaic text. The Greek text uses the same term for “coming from above” found in John 3:31 and 19:11. Luke is revealing that the Lord Jesus appeared to him and authorized him to compile his inspired Gospel. See 1 Cor. 15:3–5, regarding the direct revelation Paul similarly received and would have passed on to Luke.

f1:5 Herod the Great ruled in Israel under the Emperor of Rome, the first of a succession of Herodian “kings.”

g1:5 Zechariah means “God has remembered.” Elizabeth means “oath” or “covenant of God.” The gospel of Luke opens and closes with the story of a priest. It begins with Zechariah, the fallible human priest after the order of Aaron, and ends with our perfect High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, Jesus Christ.

h1:5 King David organized the priests into twenty-four divisions, and Abijah was the head of one of the priestly families. See Neh. 12:12, 17; 1 Chron. 24:6–10.

i1:8–9 Some have said there were twenty thousand priests in Christ’s time, so that no priest would ever offer incense more than once. This was a once-in-a-lifetime moment for Zechariah. The burning of incense before the Lord was done twice daily, once in the morning and once in the afternoon (Ex. 30:7–8).

j1:11 The angel appeared on the south side of the Holy Place, between the altar of incense and the golden lampstand.

k1:13 Luke uses this phrase, “Don’t be afraid,” seven times in his gospel (1:30, 2:10, 5:10, 8:50, 12:7, 12:32).

l1:13 The Greek verb allows for a possible translation of “prayer you don’t even pray anymore.”

m1:14 Luke is the gospel of joy! There are nine reasons for joy in this book: (1) The joy of Christ’s life, 1:14. (2) The greatness of Jesus, 1:41. (3) The joy of heaven over the birth of Christ, 2:10. (4) The joy of God’s Word in our hearts, 8:13. (5) The joys of a ministry of power and our names written in heaven, 10:17, 20. (6) The heavenly joys of salvation, 15:7, 10. (7) The joys of condescending love, 19:6. (8) The joys of overwhelming mysteries, 24:41. (9) The resurrection and the blessings that are ours in Christ, 24:52.

n1:15 Most likely, John was to be a Nazarite from birth, one totally set apart for God and who would fulfill the Nazarite vow found in Num. 6:1–12.

o1:17 Or “spirit.”

p1:17 The words “united people” are found in the Aramaic text.

q1:19 The name Gabriel means “God’s hero” or “God’s mighty one.”

r1:20 Since Zechariah asked for a sign rather than believe the word of the Lord, he was given the sign of silence. Unbelief keeps a priest from speaking until faith arises.

s1:20 This is the first spoken message from heaven in more than four hundred years. The last person before Zechariah to receive a message given by angels was also named Zechariah. See Zech. 1:6.

t1:21 They were waiting outside for the priest to come out and speak over them the customary Aaronic blessing found in Num. 6:24–26.

u1:25 This phrase is translated from the Aramaic text.

v1:26–27 Many translations have the word virgin. It is a possible translation of the Greek word parthenos, but its most common usage implies “a girl of marriageable age.” It is made explicit in Matt. 1:25 and Luke 1:34 that Mary was indeed a virgin.

w1:26–27 The Aramaic word translated “Galilee” here means “revealed.” It is only fitting that God would first be “revealed” in a village in Galilee. Nazareth means “branch.” Jesus grew up as the “Branch” of the Lord in the city of the “branch.”

x1:26–27 This betrothal period usually lasted one year, and unfaithfulness on the part of the bride during the engagement would have been punishable by death.

y1:28 For Gabriel to say, “the Lord is with you,” could mean that Jesus, our Master, had been conceived in her womb. This was what bewildered Mary.

z1:32 As translated from the Aramaic text.

aa1:33 Or “House of Jacob.”

ab1:35 The Greek word used as a metaphor, “spread his shadow over you,” is also the word used at Jesus’ transfiguration when the cloud of glory overshadowed Jesus on the mountain (Mark 9:7).

ac1:35 Jesus Christ is holy, born without sin in his bloodline, for his Father was God Almighty. He would become the only perfect sacrifice to take away our sin and remove its power and penalty from us.

ad1:36 The Greek word is “relative.” Many scholars believe Elizabeth was Mary’s maternal aunt.

ae1:37 This verse can be translated in two different ways: “There is nothing impossible with God” or “The word of God will never fail.” This translation has chosen to include both for this verse.

af1:38 As translated from the Aramaic text.

ag1:41 The Bible calls Elizabeth’s yet-to-be-born son, John, a “baby.”

ah1:42 Or “the fruit of your womb.” This is the same word used for the “fruit” of the tree of life in Rev. 22:2. Jesus is “fruit” for us to take in as our life supply.

ai1:43 An obvious prophetic revelation was given to Elizabeth from the Holy Spirit about what had happened with Mary.

aj1:47 Or “Savior.” The first recorded person to call Jesus Savior was his mother, Mary. She rejoices in God not simply as her Creator, but as Life Giver and Savior.

ak1:48 The Aramaic text is “He set his gaze upon the willingness of his mother.”

al1:50 Mary is quoting Pss. 103:17 and 111:9.

am1:53 Mary is quoting Ps. 107:9.

an1:55 Mary understood by revelation that the Christ child would fulfill the promises of mercy that God gave to Abraham. See Gen. 22:16–18.

ao1:56 The cultural practice of the Hebrews was for the mother to do nothing but rest during the first three months of pregnancy.

ap1:59 This ceremony was an important time of celebration in Jewish culture, for another child was born under the covenant of God with Israel. See Gen. 17:4–14; Lev. 12:1–3.

aq1:63 The name John means “God’s gift” or “God is gracious.”

ar1:69 Literal translation of the Aramaic. The Hebrew is “a horn of salvation,” which signifies strength and fighting power.

as1:71 Zechariah is quoting from Ps. 106:10.

at1:72 There is amazing Hebrew poetry contained in this passage. The names of John, Zechariah, and Elizabeth are all found in this verse. “He has shown us mercy” or “God’s gracious gift” is found in the name John. “He has remembered” is the name Zechariah. “His holy covenant” is the name Elizabeth.

au1:73–75 Or “serve.”

av1:73–75 The word translated as “purity” here is a Hebraic homonym for “priesthood.”

aw1:76 Literal translation of the Aramaic.

ax1:76 Zechariah quotes from Mal. 3:1.

ay1:78 Some believe this is a quote from Mal. 4:2. Jesus the Savior is the dawning light of a new day to this dark world. This “sunrise” is the appearing of Jesus, our Dayspring.

az1:79 Or “manifestation from heaven” as translated from the Aramaic.

ba1:79 Zechariah is quoting from Isa. 9:2 and 59:8.

bb1:80 Both of John’s parents were full of the Holy Spirit (vv. 41, 67). John was raised in a Spirit-filled home.

The Birth of Jesus

21–2During those days, the Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus,a ordered that the first census be taken throughout his empire. (Quirinius was the governor of Syria at that time.) 3Everyone had to travel to the hometown of their family to complete the mandatory census. 4–5So Joseph and his wife, Mary, left Nazareth,b a village in Galilee, and journeyed to their hometown in Judea, to the village of Bethlehem,c King David’s ancient home. They were required to register there, since they were both direct descendants of David. Mary was pregnant and nearly ready to give birth.

6–7When they arrived in Bethlehem,d Mary went into labor, and there she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped the newborn baby in strips of cloth, and Mary and Joseph laid him in a feeding trough since there was no available space in any upper room in the village.e

An Angelic Encounter

8That night, in a fieldf near Bethlehem, shepherds were watching over their flocks. 9Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared in radiant splendor before them, lighting up the field with the blazing glory of God, and the shepherds were terrified! 10But the angel reassured them, saying, “Don’t be afraid, for I have come to bring you good news, the most joyous news the world has ever heard! And it is for everyone everywhere! 11For today in Bethlehemg a rescuer was born for you. He is the Lord Yahweh, the Messiah.h12You will recognize him by this miraculous sign: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in the feeding trough!”i

13Then all at once in the night sky, a vast number of glorious angels appeared, the very armies of heaven! And they all praised God, singing:

14“Glory to God in the highest realms of heaven!

For there is peacej and a good hopek given to the sons of men.”

15When the choir of angels disappeared and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go! Let’s hurry and find this Wordl who is born in Bethlehem and see for ourselves what the Lord has revealed to us.” 16So they hurried off and found their way to Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in a feeding trough.

17Upon seeing this miraculous sign, the shepherds recounted what had just happened. 18Everyone who heard the shepherds’ story was astonished by what they were told.

19But Mary treasured all these things in her heart and often pondered what they meant.

20The shepherds returned to their flock, ecstatic over what had happened. They praised God and glorified him for all they had heard and seen for themselves, just like the angel had said.

Baby Jesus Dedicated in the Temple

21On the day of the baby’s circumcision ceremony, eight days after his birth, his parents gave him the name Jesus, the name prophesied by the angel before he was born. 22Forty days after the birth of her son, Mary’s time of purification had completed, so she came to the temple with a sacrifice, according to the law of Moses.m So Mary and Joseph took baby Jesus to Jerusalem to be dedicated before the Lord.n23For it is stated in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be set apart for God”o24and is required to offer a prescribed sacrifice, “either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”p

25As they came to the temple to fulfill this requirement, an elderly man was there waiting—a resident of Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. He was a very good man, a lover of God who kept himself pure, and the Spirit of holiness rested upon him. Simeon believed in the imminent appearing of the one called “The Refreshing of Israel.”q26For the Holy Spirit had revealed to himr that he would not see death before he saw the Messiah, the Anointed One of God. 27Keeping his promise, the Holy Spirit led Simeon to be in the temple court at the very moment Jesus’ parents entered to fulfill the requirement of the sacrifice.

28Simeon cradled the baby in his arms and praised God and prophesied:

29–31“Lord and Master, I am your loving servant,

and now I can die content,

for you have fulfilled your promise to me.

With my own eyes I have seen your Word,s

the Savior you sent into the world.

32He will be glory for your people Israel,

and the Revelation-Light for all people everywhere!”t

33Mary and Joseph stood there, awestruck over what was being said about their baby.

Simeon then blessed them and prophesied over Mary, saying:

34–35“A painful swordu will one day pierce your inner being,

for your child will be rejected by many in Israel.

And the destiny of your child is this:

he will be laid downv as a miracle sign

for the downfallw and resurrection of many in Israel.

Many will oppose this sign, but it will expose to all

the innermost thoughts of their hearts before God.”

36–37A prophetess named Anna was also in the temple court that day. She was from the tribe of Asher and the daughter of Phanuel.x Anna was an aged widow who had been married only seven years before her husband passed away. After he died she chose to worship God in the temple continually. For the past eighty-four yearsy she had been serving God with night-and-day prayer and fasting.

38While Simeon was prophesying over Mary and Joseph and the baby, Anna walked up to them and burst forth with a great chorus of praise to God for the child. From that day forward she told everyone in Jerusalem who was waiting for their redemption that the anticipated Messiah had come!z

39When Mary and Joseph had completed everything required of them by the Law of the Lord, they took Jesus and returned to their homeaa in Nazareth in Galilee. 40The child grew more powerful in grace, for he was being filled with wisdom, and the favor of God was upon him.

At Age Twelve Jesus Visits the Temple

41Every year Jesus’ parents went to worship at Jerusalem during the Passover festival. 42When Jesus turned twelve,ab his parents took him to Jerusalem to observe the Passover, as was their custom. 43A full day after they began their journey home, Joseph and Mary realized that Jesus was missing. 44They had assumed he was somewhere in their entourage, but he was nowhere to be found. After a frantic search among relatives and friends, 45Mary and Joseph returned to Jerusalem to search for him.

46After being separated from him for three days, they finally found him in the temple, sitting among the Jewish teachers,ac listening to them and asking probing questions. 47All who heard Jesus speak were awestruck at his intelligent understanding of all that was being discussed and at his wise answers to their questions.

48His parents were shocked to find him there, and Mary scolded him, saying, “Son, your father and I have searched for you everywhere! We have been worried sick over not finding you. Why would you do this to us?”

49Jesus said to them, “Why would you need to search for me? Didn’t you know that it was necessary for me to be here in my Father’s house, consumed with him?”ad

50Mary and Joseph didn’t fully understand what Jesus meant.

51Jesus went back home with them to Nazareth and was obedient to them. His motherae treasured Jesus’ words deeply in her heart. 52As Jesus grew, so did his wisdom and maturity. The favor of men increased upon his life, for he was greatly loved by God.af

a2:1–2 It is ironic that the Roman emperors viewed themselves as “gods” while the little baby born in a feeding trough was the true God incarnate.

b2:4–5 “Nazareth” is taken from a Hebrew word for “branch” (Isa. 11:1). God controls all events, proven by the fulfillment of the prophecy that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem, even though his parents were living in Nazareth. See Mic. 5:2.

c2:4–5 The distance from Nazareth to Bethlehem is about sixty-five miles (105 kilometers) and would have taken a number of days for them to arrive. Bethlehem, or Byt-lehem, means “house of bread,” the prophesied birthplace of Messiah. However, the Hebrew word lechem is a homonym for “fighter” or “warrior.” Jesus was born in “the house of fighters.” Bethlehem is the city of David, who was one of the greatest fighters in the entire Bible. Perhaps this is why the people of Jesus’ day expected him to fight the Romans and free their land from foreign occupation. Jesus fulfilled both aspects of the meaning of Bethlehem in Gethsemane and on the cross, where he fought the “Goliath” of our souls and won, becoming bread for the world.

d2:6–7 Or “While they were in Bethlehem.”

e2:6–7 This is the Greek word kataluma. This is not an “inn” but simply the upstairs level of a home where guests would stay. It means there was no guest room available in Bethlehem for Mary to give birth. Since all of Joseph’s and Mary’s family also made the journey because of the census, every home of a relative would have been full. In that day Bethlehem was far too small of a village to have an actual inn, all the katalumai there were occupied. It is likely that Joseph and Mary had to sleep downstairs in the main room of a relative’s house. The downstairs of a village home in that day was like an all-purpose room that served as a workshop during the day, and at night it was used to shelter frail animals, while the rest of the flock was left outdoors. The kataluma was not a full-fledged barn or stable, but it did contain a drinking trough or manger cut in the bedrock. This was the likely place where the baby Jesus was placed after his birth.

f2:8 Many scholars believe that these could be the same fields where sacrificial flocks were kept for temple worship. How fitting that these shepherds would hear the announcement of the birth of the Lamb of God. Others believe these fields could have been near the field of Boaz, or the fields where David once watched over the flocks of his father, Jesse.

g2:11 The Greek text says, “the city of David.”

h2:11 Translated literally from the Aramaic text. This is one of the most amazing statements found in the Gospels declaring the deity of Jesus Christ.

i2:12 A baby lying in a feeding trough where animals were kept nearby, wrapped in strips of cloths, became a sign of the Man-Savior’s life on earth. He entered the world as a lowly baby, and though he is the mighty God, he lived his life on earth in gentleness before all. The shepherds that night were possibly near Bethlehem at Migdal Eder, “the [watch] tower of the flock.” This would fulfill both the prophecies of Mic. 5:2 and Mic. 4:8, which say, “to you it [he] will come, your dominion [kingdom] from old will arrive.” It was at the lower floor of the watchtower (Migdal Eder) that the birthing of the Passover lambs would take place. Selected ewes that were about to give birth would be brought there. After the birth of the lambs, the priestly shepherds would wrap the lambs in cloth and lay them in a manger lined with soft hay to prevent them from hurting themselves, for Passover lambs must be unblemished with no bruise or broken bone. The miracle sign for these priestly shepherds would be a baby boy lying where the Passover lamb should be—in a manger, wrapped in strips of cloth. It was at the cradle of Jesus Christ that the kingdom from ancient times arrived on earth.

j2:14 Luke’s Gospel is the Gospel of peace. The four prominent sacrifices of the Old Testament are emphasized in the four Gospels. In Matthew we see the death of Christ in the figure of the trespass offering, in Mark the sin offering, in Luke the peace offering, and in John the burnt offering. The peace God gives us is emphasized in Luke’s Gospel, which is why the angels announced peace and hope. On the day of his resurrection Jesus said, “Peace to you.”

k2:14 As translated from the Aramaic. The Greek is “good will among people” or “good will among people with whom he is pleased.”

l2:15 The Greek is the word rhema.

m2:22 This comes from Lev. 12:1–7. When a son was born, the mother went through a forty-day period of purification, and then she was to offer a sacrifice to complete the process.

n2:22 The ark of the covenant, signifying the presence of God, had been absent from the temple since 586 BC, when the Babylonians destroyed the temple. Herod’s temple had no ark of covenant until Jesus came into the temple that day. God returned to the temple when Mary carried her baby into its courts. What a dramatic moment! See Mal. 3:1–2.

o2:23 Ex. 13:2, 12.

p2:24 Because Joseph and Mary were rather poor, not yet having received the gifts brought by the wise men, they offered a pair of doves or pigeons instead of a lamb (Lev. 12:6–8). Mary offered a sin offering, showing her need of a Savior. Jesus would one day be offered as her true Lamb.

q2:25 “The Refreshing of Israel” is a name for Jesus that can also be translated “The Encourager of Israel.”

r2:26 Simeon’s name means “he who hears.”

s2:29–31 Or “Manifestation” in the Aramaic.

t2:32 This is a fulfillment of many Old Testament prophecies, such as those found in Isa. 9:2; 40:5; 42:6; 49:6; 51:4; 60:1–3.

u2:34–35 This is a unique Greek word used for “sword.” Literally it means “a large broadsword.”

v2:34–35 The Greek word translated “appointed” actually means “to lie down.” Jesus was laid down on a cross and in a tomb for us and rose again for us.

w2:34–35 The Greek word translated “falling” can also be translated “downfall” or “destruction.” Perhaps this was a prophecy of the cross of Jesus Christ, where many will rise or fall depending on what they do with Jesus’ death and resurrection. We are all destined to be joined to him in his death and resurrection (Gal. 2:20). Every believer experiences both a “downfall” and a “resurrection.”

x2:36–37 The name Asher means “blessed.” Phanuel means “the face of God.”

y2:36–37 Some Greek manuscripts make her age to be eighty-four. But the most reliable Greek and Aramaic texts state that she had been in the temple for eighty-four years. If so, this would make her at that time to be about one hundred six. God is faithful to those who wait in faith. Both Simeon and Anna were privileged to touch the Christ before they died in faith.

z2:38 The Greek text literally says that Anna told everyone “who was looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.” This is a figure of speech for the one who would come and set them free; i.e., the Messiah. What amazing prophetic words came through Simeon and Anna!

aa2:39 Luke omits their journey to Egypt to spare Jesus from the death decree of Herod. That information is given to us by Matthew. But none of the Gospels gives all the details of this period. Luke also has nothing about the visit of the wise men (Matt. 2:1–12), and Matthew tells nothing of the shepherds or of Simeon and Anna (Luke 2:8–28). All four Gospels supplement one another. A long period of time likely transpired between vv. 38 and 39.

ab2:42 At the age of twelve, a boy was called by the Jews a “son of the law.” The number twelve is found often in the Bible and is linked to God’s perfect administration and our human alignment to it. God’s family of Israel was made up of twelve tribes, twelve sons of Jacob. Jesus chose twelve apostles, there are twelve months in the yearly cycle, and there are twenty-four elders around God’s throne (twelve times two). Jesus coming into the house of God at age twelve points to the perfect alignment he had with his Father as the Apostle of our faith. See Heb. 3:1.

ac2:46 Or “rabbis.”

ad2:49 The first recorded words of Jesus, when he was only twelve, are given to us here.

ae2:51 Mary was an amazing woman and should be honored as the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. She was the only human being who was with Jesus all the way from his birth to his death. She is also mentioned in Acts 1:14.

af2:52 We know virtually nothing about the eighteen years between ch. 2 and ch. 3, when Jesus went to the Jordan to be baptized by the prophet John. We knew he grew in favor with God and men. He served his earthly father in a carpenter’s shop. It is likely that Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father, died during this season of his life. This left Jesus with the responsibility as firstborn to provide for his family. Amazing mysteries surround this one who is too marvelous for words!

John the Baptizer

31–2A powerful message from God came to John, Zechariah’s son, when he was living out in the lonely wilderness.a This prophetic commission came to John during the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, son of Caesar. Pontius Pilate was governor over Judea at that time. Antipas, son of Herod, was governor over Galilee, Herod’s brother Philip was over the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was over Abilene.b This happened during the days of two high priests, Annas and Caiaphas.c

3John went preaching and baptizing throughout the Jordan Valley. He persuaded people to turn away from their sins and turn to Godd for the freedom of forgiveness,e4fulfilling what was written in the book of the prophet Isaiah:

“Listen! You will hear a thunderous voice in the lonely wilderness telling you to wake up and get your heart ready for the coming of the Lord Yahweh.f Make straight every twisted thing in your lives. 5–6Bring into the light every dark way. Make right every wrong. Remove injustice. Every heart of pride will humbly bow before him. Every deception will be exposed and replaced by the truth to prepare everyone everywhere to see the Life of God!”g,h

7John kept preaching to the many crowds who came out to be baptized, “You are nothing but the offspring of venomous snakes, full of deception! Who warned you to repent before the coming wrath of God? 8Then turn away from your sins, turn to God, and let your changed life be proof. Don’t think for a moment that it’s enough to simply be the favored descendants of Abraham. That’s not enough to save you.i I’m telling you, God could make more sons of Abraham out of stones if he chose to!

9“Even now God’s axe of judgment is poised to chop down your barren tree right down to its roots! And every tree that does not produce good fruit will be leveled and thrown into the fire.”

10The crowd kept asking him, “What then are we supposed to do?”

11John told them, “Give food to the hungry, clothe the poor, and bless the needy.”j

12Even the despised tax collectors came to John to be baptized, and they asked him, “What are we to do to prove our hearts have changed?”

13“Be honest,” he replied. “Don’t demand more taxes than what the law requires.”k

14“And us?” asked some soldiers.l “What about us?”

John answered them, “Be content with what you earn. Never extort money or terrify others by threats of violence or be guilty of accusing the innocent.”

15During those days, everyone was gripped with messianic expectations, believing the Messiah could come at any moment, and many began to wonder if John might be the Christ.

16But John made it clear by telling them, “There is one coming who is mightier than I. He is supreme.m In fact, I’m not worthy of even being his slave.n I can only baptize you in this river, but he will baptize you into the Spirit of holiness and into his raging fire.o17He has in his hands a winnowing fork to clean up his threshing floor!p He will separate the wheat from the chaff. The wheat he will gather into his barn, but he will burn the chaff in a fire that no one can ever put out!”

18John used many similar warnings as he preached the good news and preparedq the people. 19He even publicly rebuked Antipas, son of Herod, the governor of Galilee, for the many wicked things he had done. He fearlessly reprimanded him for seducing and marrying his sister-in-law, Herodias.

20