◄ Luke 1 Devotional Commentary ►

Luke 1:4

As with any historian, Luke sets out to use all the available source material and eyewitness accounts of all that the Lord Jesus began to do and to teach during His earthly life. Luke's Gospel begins with the joyful news of the conception and birth of John the Baptist who was appointed by God to be the voice of one shouting in the wilderness: "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight."

Though all Scripture read more...

Luke 1:7

Our God is a God of miracles and Luke organised his book so that the miraculous conception and birth of John the Baptist was directly linked with the supernatural conception and birth of God's only begotten Son. And we discover they were cousins.

John was the charismatic forerunner of the Lord Jesus, and he powerfully proclaimed the arrival of Israel's Messiah-King. He identified Jesus as the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world, and he read more...

Luke 1:11

Zacharias had been chosen to offer the morning and evening sacrifice before the Lord. This was the highest honour a priest could be awarded, and it was a once in a lifetime privilege to be selected to minister before the Lord in this way. It was in the midst of his allotted work while he was going about his daily duty before the Lord, that this man of God received a visitation from an angel of the Lord and was given instructions from the God he served.

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Luke 1:26

Doctor Luke was a talented historian who paid careful attention to every little detail of Christ's life and ministry. He began his good news of the gospel of Christ, based on authentic and corroborated eyewitness accounts from servants of the Lord.

Luke wrote of all that Jesus started to do from the beginning of His earthly ministry until He ascended into heaven from a mountain, close to the little town of Bethany, leaving His read more...

Luke 1:28

Six months after her cousin, Elizabeth, gave birth to John the Baptist, the angel Gabriel appeared once more - to bring Mary, a simple, young virgin who lived in Nazareth, some astonishing news: "Greetings, favoured one," he announced, "the Lord is with you."

The word, 'favoured' is closely related to the noun, 'grace'. Mary found favour with God - she found grace in the eyes of the Lord. A read more...

Luke 1:31

There is no more beautiful name than the lovely name of the Lord Jesus. In Hebrew, His name is Joshua, which means 'the Lord is Salvation', and His life and death was poured out to pay the price for humanity's sin, for sins past, sins present, and sins to come. But here in Luke's Gospel, we read that His name shall be called Jesus, because He was the one to save His people, Israel, from their sins.

Having been saved by grace read more...

Luke 1:32

The birth of every baby is a wonderful miracle of life, but the birth of the Lord Jesus was the miracle of new life that had been planned by the Most High God in eternity past. The eternal, uncreated Son of God, Creator of heaven and earth, and second Person of the Triune Godhead Who upholds all things by the omnipotent power of His mighty hand, was to come to earth and to be born as a little tiny, vulnerable baby boy, in a prepared human body that was free from read more...

Luke 1:33

It was not long after Zechariah and Elizabeth had been told of the miraculous conception of their son, who was to become forerunner of the promised Messiah as foretold by the prophet Isaiah, that Mary, a young virgin from Nazareth, was highly favoured. She was visited by the angel Gabriel, the mighty messenger from the Lord, who brought her tidings of great joy.

Like Sarah, Hannah, Ruth, and Elizabeth before her, Mary had found read more...

Luke 1:35

The angel Gabriel visited the young Mary of Nazareth to inform her of God's gracious favour towards her, for she had been chosen to give birth to the long awaited, promised Messiah Who was to sit on the throne of His father David, to reign over the house of Jacob forever. And His kingdom was to be an everlasting Kingdom. God is indeed the God of the impossible.

A plethora of heavenly truths pounded on the ears of this humble young read more...

Luke 1:37

This is the beautiful passage that announced to Mary the conception and birth of the lovely Lord Jesus Who is the Messiah of Israel, Saviour of the world, Kinsman-Redeemer of humanity, and Son of the sovereign God Who is the highest authority in the universe. The Lord promised that the Seed of the woman would crush the serpent's head, and nothing can change this promise.

God promised Abraham an earthly inheritance Whose Builder read more...

Luke 1:45

This young, teen-age virgin believed God's Word. She trusted that there would be a fulfilment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord, for she was part of Israel's faithful remnant. Mary was waiting for her Messiah.

She knew the prophecies and the oracles belonged to Israel. She knew theirs was the Shekinah glory, theirs were the covenants, the Law, and the prophets. She knew that her Saviour was coming one day - to visit and read more...

Luke 1:46

During her visit to her cousin, Elisabeth, the young Mary, who must have reflected frequently on the amazing mysteries which were told to her by the angel Gabriel, exploded into an ecstatic song of rejoicing praise and exultant exhilaration, as she sang her psalm of celebration - and marvelled at the wonderful work of God - her Saviour and her Lord.

Mary was one of a faithful remnant of Israel, who for 400 silent years had been read more...

Luke 1:47

God's plan of redemption had been unfolding for 4000 years. The 'Seed-of- the-woman' had silently travelled through time and secretly passed from one generation to the next, until the appointed time when God sent His Son, born of a Jewish virgin, to save His people from their sins. Only a sinless Man could offer Himself as the sacrifice for the sin of the world, and only God was good enough to pay the unfathomable price of sin.

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Luke 1:53

In her glorious song of praise to God for the great gift that lay hidden in her secret place, Mary celebrates the grace, mercy, and faithfulness of God. She pronounces an eternal truth that rejoices all who seek after the Lord with a needy heart, in humility of spirit, and a deep, hungering longing for Him.

The whole of mankind, whether they be rich or poor, sinner or saved - all rely upon God's grace and bounty. Man cannot so read more...

Luke 1:63

The song of rejoicing that Zechariah sang at the celebration of the birth of his baby son, was a touching foretelling of the important, prophetic role his child would play in life and times of Israel and their promised Messiah.

It was on the eighth day, when the baby John was to be circumcised in the presence of all his neighbours and read more...

Luke 1:68

Zachariah's unbelief when told that his old, barren wife, Elisabeth, was to bear a son who would be the forerunner to the Messiah, was replaced with a heart of thanksgiving and praise at the birth of his little baby boy.

The old priest had been filled with doubt when the angel announced the good news, but with the birth of his son he was filled with the Spirit and inspired to articulate a most beautiful hymn of rejoicing and read more...

Luke 1:69

Salvation is from the Lord, and God has raised up a Horn of salvation. A horn in Scripture denotes strength and authority, might and power, and God has raised up a Horn of salvation for us, a strong and mighty Saviour from the house and lineage of Israel's king David Who was to have the authority and power of the Almighty God.

Israel had been waiting for 400 silent years, but slowly and secretly the plans and purposes of God were read more...

Luke 1:78

The glory of God had left the Temple and for centuries, the voice of the prophets had been silenced in Israel. But the Lord had not forgotten His people, for the day at last came when once again He spoke through the mouth of Zacharias who was to utter a prophecy that the promised kingdom of God, and salvation "through the long-awaited Messiah," was at last dawning.

It was through God's grace and love that the read more...

Luke 1:79

After having been struck dumb for nine months because he doubted God's power to give him and his elderly wife, Elisabeth, a child – Zechariah's son, John, was born amidst much rejoicing and praise.

Zechariah was an elderly priest who was given a wonderful answer to prayer. In a vision from the Lord, he was told that his prayers had been answered and that his wife was to bear a son who was to come in the spirit and power of Elijah. The child's name was read more...