Luke 1

Luke 1 is the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke. After a brief preface stating the purpose of the work, it alternates between the account of John the Baptist's birth and the announcement of Jesus' birth, setting the two side by side.

Outline

• Verses 1–4 The author states that, "having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first," he is writing an orderly account to "most excellent Theophilus."
• Verses 5–25 Zacharias, a priest of the course of Abijah, burns incense in the sanctuary. Gabriel appears and announces that his wife Elizabeth will bear a son named John. Because Zacharias does not believe, he is struck mute. After conceiving, Elizabeth hides herself for five months.
• Verses 26–38 In the sixth month Gabriel goes to Mary, a virgin in Nazareth, and tells her that she will conceive a son by the Holy Spirit and is to name him Jesus.
• Verses 39–56 When Mary visits Elizabeth, the child in Elizabeth's womb leaps. Mary sings a song of praise, stays about three months, and then returns home.
• Verses 57–66 Elizabeth gives birth to a son. At his circumcision on the eighth day, Zacharias writes "John" on a writing tablet, and his mouth is opened.
• Verses 67–79 Filled with the Holy Spirit, Zacharias sings a prophetic song.
• Verse 80 The child grows and remains in the deserts until the day of his showing to Israel.

Key Verses

• Luke 1:35 "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee." This verse is a principal basis for the confession that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit.
• Luke 1:38 "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." It is frequently cited as an expression of Mary's obedience.
• Luke 1:46–47 "My soul doth magnify the Lord." These are the opening words of Mary's song.

People and Places

• Theophilus: The recipient of the Gospel of Luke. Because of the title "most excellent," many regard him as a person of rank. His name also appears in Acts 1.
• Zacharias and Elizabeth: A priestly couple descended from Aaron, and the parents of John.
• Gabriel: The angel who announces both births.
• John the Baptist, Mary, Joseph of Nazareth
• Figures mentioned: Elijah, David, Abraham
• Places: the sanctuary of the Temple in Jerusalem, where Zacharias burns incense; Nazareth in Galilee; and a town in the hill country of Judea where Elizabeth lives.

Points for Reflection

• The virginal conception: On the basis of this chapter, mainstream Protestantism, the Catholic Church, and the Orthodox Church confess in the Apostles' Creed that Christ was "born of the Virgin Mary." Some scholars of liberal theology, by contrast, interpret it as a theological symbol.
• Understanding Mary: The opening portion of the Catholic Hail Mary is drawn from verses 28 and 42. The Catholic Church connects this passage with the veneration of Mary. Protestants regard Mary as an example of faith and obedience but not as an object of veneration or prayer.
• Names of the canticles: The two songs are known by the first words of their Latin translations: the Magnificat (Mary's song) and the Benedictus (Zacharias's song). In liturgical traditions such as Anglicanism, these songs are sung at morning and evening prayer. Many have noted that the Magnificat resembles Hannah's song in 1 Samuel 2.
• What the text does not say: Verse 36 describes Elizabeth only as Mary's relative (the KJV's "cousin" uses the word in its older, general sense). The claim that the two women were cousins in the modern sense is a later explanation not found in the text.
• Connections with Other Scripture: Verse 17 recalls the prophecy of Elijah in Malachi 4. In Matthew 11:14, Jesus says that John is the Elijah who was to come.

In the Korean Church

The chapter is frequently used as a sermon text during Advent and around Christmas. The Annunciation scene is commonly featured in Sunday school Christmas programs and nativity plays.