Traveling Through Luke 1

Hello! Let’s walk together through the book of Luke. This is going to be a long walk of twenty four chapters over many months. I will go at an easy going pace because I must go at the speed of life — life as a care giver for my husband’s dad who is 92, has dementia and demands a lot of Team Webster attention. Walking is an essential exercise for me and I’m so glad to have your company with every step.

Let’s get the stretch in first.  Stretch the active parts: Purpose, Characters, Events and Language.

Purpose

Luke begins with a purpose and so should we.

• Carefully investigate.
• Keep the things fulfilled  in order.
• Aim to know the certainty of the things we’ve been taught.

First, if we have a fulfillment there has to be a prophecy. In chapter one, two children are promised. First comes the one who is tasked with making the people ready for the Lord (the true King) and prepares them for Him — in the Spirit of Elijah (Malachi 4:5,6).  Then  comes the one who is the King who rules over Israel and whose kingdom never ends, the Son of God (Isaiah 9:7, Daniel 2:44).

Characters and Relationships

As we start out, we see several characters.  Luke tells their stories both from a personal  point of view and a team perspective . Here we have:

• Herod
• A priest named Zechariah of the division of Abijah, living in the hill country of Judea
• Elizabeth, Zechariah’s barren wife
• Gabriel, Angel of the Lord
• The people assembled in the temple
• Mary, a virgin in Nazareth betrothed to Joseph
• The Holy Spirit of God
• The people of Zechariah’s neighborhood in Judea
• Baby John

Here is a list of their relationships. Please add the ones I may miss down in the comment section. Or if you feel like it, rephrase these relationships with their modern equivalents and post those there as well.

• Husband and Wife
• Priest and Worshipers
• Messenger and Recipient
• Hostess and Guest
• Father and son

Special Words Here we are looking for repeated words, if they are the same in the origin text and what they actually mean.

These words are pivotal in chapter one. Each one is hyperlinked to its definition. Pay attention to nuances you hadn’t thought of and whether these definitions are obvious or not. Post what you learn in the comment section.

Believe/Believed

Favored 

Special Events in order

1. Zechariah’s turn to serve before God
2. Burning of the incense
3. Gabriel talks to Zechariah
4. Gabriel talks to Mary
5. Mary visits Elizabeth
6. Mary Sings
7. John is born / Gets named
8. Zechariah sings

 

I talk when I walk. Feel free to talk with me. Here we go. Chapter 1.

So, I have these thoughts that stand out when I read Luke’s first  events :

• Readiness requires an enabling power sent from God.

Readiness involves

1. Turning the hearts of fathers to their children  — Here’s some thoughts on that:

Do not hide yourself from them

Include them in daily life

Tell them what God has done

Let yourself love them

      2. Turning the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous. Here’s some thoughts on that:

Know who to obey and who not to obey. Ultimately, it’s not what people say that matters. However, what God says matters in ways that effect us all.

Be clear about what your Lord’s commands are and DO them.

Learn to both accept and give correction properly. This is the environment of the wise. Develop a habit of praise to God following any correction.

• God prepares the way for belief with evidence.
• Those who obey God are rewarded by God.
• The Holy Spirit uses the voices of His faithful ones to encourage His people.
• It is good to point out the evidence that nothing is impossible with God.
• Evidence plus encouragement results in a Joy Story.
• The words, “How can I be sure?” = unbelief since [insert whatever is promised] is “not possible”.
• The words “How will this be…?” = curiosity since nothing is impossible with God.
• Unbelief cripples. Obedience brings healing and strength.

Thank you for walking with me. Let’s do this again.

You are invited to walk with me though Luke chapter two. See you there!

Christine