Today I read Luke 1. Luke is written to the Gentiles, or non-Jews, it is commonly thought that specifically he was writing to the Greeks. Luke's information came mostly from the Apostle Paul, who he traveled with. Luke is also thought to have interviewed Mary, the mother of Jesus, hence why he has such a comprehensive recording of the birth of John and Jesus. Luke contains more parables than the other Gospels do and focuses a lot more on the teachings of Jesus and will provide some good, new insights into the stories we have already read in Matthew and Mark.
Luke actually starts out about 1 full year before Jesus is born by recounting the story of the birth of His cousin, John the Baptist. I have never been fully sure why Luke records the miraculous birth of John, perhaps just to show that his birth too was special. Or perhaps it was just to record it since it hadn't been done yet and Luke knew how important John was. I've often felt that there is more to the story of Zacharias and the angel Gabriel than we have written. Zacharias was a priest performing the duties of a priest when the angel Gabriel appeared to him and told him that he and his wife would have a baby. Zacharias asks how this will be seeing that his wife is old, presumably post-menopausal. The story goes on to say that Gabriel states that he is an angel from God and that because Zacharias did not believe him, he will be unable to speak until his son is born.
Now that seems rather harsh to me personally. Granted, with God all things are possible, I know this, but Zacharias' question seems a perfectly natural one to me and that is why I think there is more to the story than we have recorded here or perhaps I'm reading it wrong. I just don't know but it seems like a harsh punishment for such a simple, and perfectly reasonable question to me. I also think that because also in Luke 1, we have the recording of Gabriel visiting Mary and she asks an almost identical question and is not punished at all.
When Mary gets her visit from Gabriel, she asks how it is possible since she has not had sex before. Gabriel then gives her the explanation and tells her that with God nothing is impossible. Mary then replies that she is willing to do whatever the Lord asks of her. The same reaction, very different outcome. That is why I think there was a bit more to the conversation with Zacharias and the angel than we have recorded. If it were me and my position was the exact same as his and an angel told me I would have a son after my wife had gone through menopause, I'm pretty sure I would at least think how is that possible if not say it just out of curiosity. I think probably Gabriel said something similar to what he told Mary and Zacharias still did not believe him, but I don't know for sure, it is just my thought.
One thing is for sure though, God was very involved in the conception and birth of those two men. Both had a job to perform on the earth and it was extremely important that they arrive close to the same time so that John could baptize Jesus. The naming of John is pretty significant too from what I have been taught. I have mentioned already I believe that I had the good fortune of having my own mother be my seminary teacher for the New Testament. One of the things she taught us was that when John was born and his family was trying to name him Zacharias and she insisted instead that his name be John, was that she was breaking Jewish custom if not the law. I'm not exactly sure how, but I remember quite clearly being taught that to speak out like that, even though it was her own son, was not a proper thing to do at all. The parents, earthly parents in the case of Jesus, were very remarkable men and women who had been handpicked by the Lord to raise these two men into adulthood and ensure that they were prepared to perform the tasks they had agreed to in the pre-mortal life.
I'm glad Luke recorded these stories personally. Some might think they are superfluous and unneeded, but any good scriptorian will tell you that without the proper background, it is often impossible to understand the scripture the way God intended them to be read. Knowing the background of the scriptures, or people in them, is often essential to understanding them. I am very glad Luke took the time to record the conception and birth's of two of the greatest, THE greatest in Jesus' case, men to ever walk this earth. And this is just the beginning! We have almost an entire month left of reading the other things Luke has recorded for us. I can't wait! Until tomorrow.
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