paradox3
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Bible Study Thread: Luke
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paradox3
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Summary: Luke 1: 26 - 56
1. The angel Gabriel is sent to Mary in Nazareth and she is told she will be overshadowed by the Holy Spirit and bear a son. He will be called the son of the Most High and the Son of God. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever and his kingdom will have no end. Mary is also informed that her relative Elizabeth is in the sixth month of her pregnancy. Mary is perplexed but accepting of the angel's news.
2. Mary visits Elizabeth and the child in Elizabeth's womb leaps in greeting. Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaims, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?" (v. 42-43). Mary's response is the well-known Magnificat or Song of Praise. After three months, before the birth of John the Baptist, May returns to her own home.
1. The angel Gabriel is sent to Mary in Nazareth and she is told she will be overshadowed by the Holy Spirit and bear a son. He will be called the son of the Most High and the Son of God. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever and his kingdom will have no end. Mary is also informed that her relative Elizabeth is in the sixth month of her pregnancy. Mary is perplexed but accepting of the angel's news.
2. Mary visits Elizabeth and the child in Elizabeth's womb leaps in greeting. Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaims, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?" (v. 42-43). Mary's response is the well-known Magnificat or Song of Praise. After three months, before the birth of John the Baptist, May returns to her own home.
paradox3
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Reflection: Luke 1: 26 - 56
I had always understood Mary and Elizabeth to be first cousins but I am not sure why. The gospel indicates they are relatives but there is no further explanation. Three months seems like a long visit but Luke probably wants us to understand how much these two women have in common.
Mary's Song of Praise is another example of Luke's wonderful poetry. I have never memorized it but I know it very well, probably as a result of the responsive reading in the hymnbook. VU 898
Luke is an amazing writer.
I had always understood Mary and Elizabeth to be first cousins but I am not sure why. The gospel indicates they are relatives but there is no further explanation. Three months seems like a long visit but Luke probably wants us to understand how much these two women have in common.
Mary's Song of Praise is another example of Luke's wonderful poetry. I have never memorized it but I know it very well, probably as a result of the responsive reading in the hymnbook. VU 898
Luke is an amazing writer.
Mendalla
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The close tie between Jesus and John is nice element to the story. Likely comes from tradition rather than history, but it gets the point across: Not only was Jesus baptized as John's spiritual successor, but he is John's cousin to boot.
The Magnificat is, of course, a powerful statement of faith and a lovely piece of poetry. One wonders where it actually came from (no, I don't think anyone took Mary's words down verbatim). Luke himself? Some early Christian hymn writer?
Of course, it's been set to music by many composers over the years and is a staple of Christian liturgical music.
The most famous is probably Bach's.
John Rutter's Magnificat is another, recent, setting
The Magnificat is, of course, a powerful statement of faith and a lovely piece of poetry. One wonders where it actually came from (no, I don't think anyone took Mary's words down verbatim). Luke himself? Some early Christian hymn writer?
Of course, it's been set to music by many composers over the years and is a staple of Christian liturgical music.
The most famous is probably Bach's.
John Rutter's Magnificat is another, recent, setting
paradox3
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Yes, a very interesting difference.
I was thinking Zechariah was more confrontational, but after reading the text again, I don't think so. The difference might be one of fear. Zechariah is terrified when the angel appears but Mary is merely perplexed.
Yet it is curious that Zechariah is accused of disbelief and Mary is reassured. The nature of their questions is much the same.
Redbaron
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If my math is correct, Mary comes when Elizabeth is about 6 months along, and seems to leave just about the time John would have been born. I don't think that's just a coincidence....
paradox3
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I was doing the math as well & was wondering why Mary would not have stuck around to help with the birth and caring for the newborn. Maybe Elizabeth had lots of other assistance and Mary's involvement was more spiritual in nature.
BetteTheRed
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Following from Luce's comments, what's the significance of it being the archangel Gabriel? Only female archangel. There's a very feminine aspect to this story. Any possibility "Luke" might have been a woman?
From where do you get that Gabriel is female?
paradox3
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Luke's gospel has the angel being male:
Luke 1:11-12 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
11 Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him.
Luke 1:11-12 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
11 Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him.
Thoughts on Luke 1:26-27...
In the sixth month after God had remembered Elisabeth, he commissioned Gabriel to serve as the bearer of another message.
To a virgin named Mary the angel was sent. Mary was engaged to a man named Joseph, who was also of the royal blood. The betrothal among the Jews was as binding as the marriage. It had ceremonies and took place about a year before the wedding.
Though Mary and Joseph were both of David's house, they lived in Nazareth, a town in the mountains southwest of the Sea of Galilee.
In the sixth month after God had remembered Elisabeth, he commissioned Gabriel to serve as the bearer of another message.
To a virgin named Mary the angel was sent. Mary was engaged to a man named Joseph, who was also of the royal blood. The betrothal among the Jews was as binding as the marriage. It had ceremonies and took place about a year before the wedding.
Though Mary and Joseph were both of David's house, they lived in Nazareth, a town in the mountains southwest of the Sea of Galilee.
paradox3
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Do we know this for certain? Matthew 1 and Luke 3 give us different genealogies for Jesus. The Luke narrative reads as though Mary and Joseph are poor peasants.
As an aside, 1 Timothy 1:4 cautions against us occupying ourselves with myths and endless genealogies.
We know that Joseph was descended from King David.
Thoughts on Luke 1:28-33...
The NT's first message was given in the Holy Place's secrecy, the second in a virgin's home in Nazareth.
Gabriel's greeting on this occasion has been abused by the Roman Catholic Church.
The greeting's words and Mary's behavior at this time prove praying to Mary is a custom which Mary would least of all have tolerated had she known about it.
For Gabriel calls her one that has been graced. As grace's recipient she's addressed. She's given the assurance that God's with her. She's dependent upon God, her God.
Gabriel startled Mary because she felt that it meant something, the nature of which didn't appear. She recoiled from grace, which is God's effect upon people.
She thought of reasons for such a greeting. She reasoned as to the "why" of Gabriel's words.
Gabriel proceeds to enlighten her by bidding her not to fear, since she had found grace in God's sight. She needed grace.
And now Gabriel explains the distinction which would be conferred upon her. She'd, as a virgin, bear a son.
To try to weaken this announcement by saying that Mary felt that the message had reference to a child to be born as marriage's fruit's an effort of unbelief to eliminate miracles from the Bible.
A son, a human, though virgin born, he should be whose name should be called Jesus. The name would hereby be applied in its significance for the first time.
Of this child Gabriel says that he'll be great, with a greatness of a singular nature, because his human nature was to be united with the divine nature.
Death and hell will never be able to injure Jesus' kingdom.
The NT's first message was given in the Holy Place's secrecy, the second in a virgin's home in Nazareth.
Gabriel's greeting on this occasion has been abused by the Roman Catholic Church.
The greeting's words and Mary's behavior at this time prove praying to Mary is a custom which Mary would least of all have tolerated had she known about it.
For Gabriel calls her one that has been graced. As grace's recipient she's addressed. She's given the assurance that God's with her. She's dependent upon God, her God.
Gabriel startled Mary because she felt that it meant something, the nature of which didn't appear. She recoiled from grace, which is God's effect upon people.
She thought of reasons for such a greeting. She reasoned as to the "why" of Gabriel's words.
Gabriel proceeds to enlighten her by bidding her not to fear, since she had found grace in God's sight. She needed grace.
And now Gabriel explains the distinction which would be conferred upon her. She'd, as a virgin, bear a son.
To try to weaken this announcement by saying that Mary felt that the message had reference to a child to be born as marriage's fruit's an effort of unbelief to eliminate miracles from the Bible.
A son, a human, though virgin born, he should be whose name should be called Jesus. The name would hereby be applied in its significance for the first time.
Of this child Gabriel says that he'll be great, with a greatness of a singular nature, because his human nature was to be united with the divine nature.
Death and hell will never be able to injure Jesus' kingdom.
GordW
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We know that was the claim being made, plausibly because it was expected that the Messiah was to be of the line of David. Given that the time span between David and Joseph it is likely lots of people from the tribe of Judah claimed (accurately or not) to be of the line of David either patrilineally or matrilineally. In the same way lots of people with British Isles heritage claim to have noble and/or royal blood in the family somewhere. [EDIT: There is a story i my family of my aunt telling her USan grandchildren (who were in early grades and doing a family tree assignment) "If they hadn't beheaded King Charles we would be kings and queens of England". Said grandchildren then told their teacher that exact thing. Of course there is really no basis for that claim.]
I suspect that we don't really know how accurately genealogy information was kept for those in the peasant class.
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paradox3
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Here we have a summary of the generations from Matthew:
Matthew 1:17 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.
Thus Matthew gives us a total of twenty eight generations between David and Jesus. With this many generations, Jesus is sharing his lineage with thousands & thousands of descendants of David.
Matthew 1:17 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.
Thus Matthew gives us a total of twenty eight generations between David and Jesus. With this many generations, Jesus is sharing his lineage with thousands & thousands of descendants of David.
Redbaron
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From the time of David to the time of Jesus would be about 1000 years. Allowing 4 generations per century, that would be 40 generations or so. Yes, by that time, as many kids as David had, there could be thousands of descendants by then.
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