Boseph's Blog

Tag: Gospel

  • Feast of The Holy Family Gospel Luke 2:41-52

    The Finding in the Temple is the last of the infancy narrative that we know of Jesus from scripture. After this is the secret years of the Holy Family until Jesus starts his ministry.

    41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover.

    The Holy Family went to Jerusalem each year as was required for the Passover feast. It was one of three such compulsory feasts that required physical attendance at the Temple. The one mentioned here is the Passover but the other two are the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Tabernacles. The reason physical attendance was necessary was because of the sacrifices which had to be done at the Temple itself. Passover takes place in Nisan, the first of the Hebrew months which is roughly March/April time. It depended on the moon so it could vary slightly. At it’s peak some one million Jews would be in attendance in Jerusalem during this feast.

    42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom;

    When Jesus is twelve years old they go up as usual for the Passover Feast. Some Jewish traditions hold that the prophet Samuel was twelve when God called him so some commentators suggest that Luke makes note of this event specifically because of this.

    In the first century, the age of twelve for boys was also seen as the pivot point to adulthood. This would be the moment when they would be instructed officially in the Torah. The Mishnah, compiled in the second century says boys aged twelve to thirteen are to begin “learning the commandments”. This is likely to have been in place at the time of Jesus. Our sense of maturity because of laws and cultural development can lead us to glance over the detail of Jesus’ age in this passage but in its own context, this is the age a boy starts becoming a man. This could be the reason Luke includes this as the final part of the childhood narrative as to them, this actually is in a sense the end of Jesus’ childhood.

    43 and when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it,

    After the Feast ends, which lasts seven days, the Holy Family begin their journey back to Nazareth. This would take approximately two days to complete. The business of Jerusalem and the comings and goings of caravans of entire towns making their pilgrimages causes a bit of confusion for the Holy Family. They assume Jesus is simply with someone else in the caravan as the rest of the Nazerenes make their way back but he actually stays behind without Mary or Joseph realising.

    Some suggest that Mary and Joseph must have been careless but again, these journeys were not done alone, they were not just a family of three walking together, all the Jews of their town would have gone together and the closer you are to Jerusalem on this journey, the more intermixed you are with other towns in their caravans. We are talking thousands upon thousands travelling in one direction. It’s easy for the most attentive of parents to lose their child in a sea of a hundred people let alone thousands. Jesus’ age being one of burgeoning maturity also means they were likely to have given him some independence in this journey, they were definitely not careless.

    44 but supposing him to be in the company they went a day’s journey, and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances;

    Mary and Joseph assume Jesus is simply with their kinfolk within their caravan and after a days journey which is roughly half-way to Nazareth they seek him among the towns caravan.

    45 and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him.

    After searching through all their fellow Nazerenes, Jesus is nowhere to be found. Mary and Joseph make their way back to the city in order to search for him there.

    46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions;

    After three days, one day to travel back to Jerusalem and then two days of searching the city itself they find him in the Temple. This is likely to be in the outer court of Herod’s Temple complex. Either the Court of Gentiles or the Court of Women. The next two inner courts, the Court of Israel would be for ritually pure Jewish adult men only and the Court of Priests was for priests only as the name implies. The other two outer courts would have been open to the child Jesus.

    Jesus is found with the teachers of the Law, this would have been the scribes and pharisees. He is listening to them and asking them questions.

    47 and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

    Considering the age again as it was the age of learning the Torah, this was supposed to be the time for Jewish boys to be instructed but Jesus demonstrates a profound understanding of the Law already. Something that shocks the teachers there. They are used to a child this age just starting to learn but he appears to have so much knowledge that they are amazed.

    Something that always sticks out to me is Jesus is only twelve in this episode of his life. In eighteen years he will be preaching in these courts himself. It is very likely that the scribes, pharisees and maybe even priests who sit here in bewilderment of his knowledge at such a young age will be the same people who condemn him to die. When he is a child it is seen a novelty, a crowd is probably gathered, all amused but not quite fully understanding why this boy is so knowledgeable and also something not threatening but as he gets older, these men and crowds will turn on him.

    48 And when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously.”

    His parents are astonished at seeing him but does not tell us exactly what they are astonished about. It is most likely that he is interacting so casually with authoritative teachers of the Law. Mary shows genuine distress and asks her Son why he has treated them so? They are not aware of why he stayed in the Temple and did not go with them. Although Mary was told unknowable things about her Son to she did not know all the details of his life. This would be a surprise.

    Mary tells Jesus that both her and his father have been looking for him anxiously. This is the last time in scripture we have referencing Joseph being alive.

    49 And he said to them, “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

    The first words of Jesus are now spoken. “How is it you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house”. The fact these are the first recorded words of Jesus is phenomenal and are much to ponder on from a spiritual standpoint but that is not the point of these commentaries. When Jesus asks why did they look for him we should not see this as a rude question, it is because to him, it should be self evident where he would be. This tells us that even at twelve Jesus is fully aware of who he is.

    Jesus calls the Temple “my Father’s house”. The Temple was the House of God. That was its purpose, to serve as a dwelling for God. Jesus in his first words is stating from his own knowledge that he is the Son of God. People make a big fuss of Jesus not explicitly saying that he is divine and claim that it is only in John, which to me just means they have never read the Gospels at all. To be a son of something is to share its nature. If the Temple is his Father’s house and the Temple is the House of God then Jesus is saying he is the Son of God and therefore has the same nature as him. This is a divine statement and he says it at age twelve.

    50 And they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them.

    Mary and Joseph of course do not understand what this means. The mystery of the incarnation was difficult for everyone and although Mary was told many things about her Son by the angel Gabriel, it would have still be very confusing. We have the advantage of two thousand years of the Church, things that were considered impossible are literally our starting point. Like the resurrection of Jesus for example. The incarnation was an unknowable mystery, Jesus will repeat things to his disciples many times, they will see his miracles and still not get “it”. We should not be hard on Mary and Joseph for not understanding what Jesus meant by this statement.

    51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.

    Jesus goes with Mary and Joseph back to Nazareth and was obedient to them. This obedience is an example of divine condescension on a level that is very hard for us mortals to grasp. God incarnate is being obedient to his earthly parents.

    Mary keeps all these moments in her heart. She ponders them, she takes the very events into her being which is why heart is used by Luke in this verse. Life is in the blood and the heart pumps the life around. Using this term is not one of wishy-washy emotional hallmark cards. Mary took this moment into her Soul.

    52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man.

    Jesus grows in his human nature like a normal boy does, this does not negate his divinity. He does not exercise infinite knowledge in his ministry or his childhood. Luke is describing Jesus’ physical growth (stature) and he increases in human wisdom. Jesus also grows in favour with God and man. This line seems an allusion to 1 Samuel again which uses similar language describing the prophet Samuel. Jesus is positioned as a new Moses, a new David, a new Adam and Luke in this passage seems to be highlighting Jesus also as a new Samuel.

  • Feast of the Holy Innocents Gospel Matthew 2:13-18

    The following readings take part in the infancy narratives of Jesus. After Jesus has been born the Magi visit the Holy Family to pay the Christ child homage after telling Herod the reason for their visit. Herod the Great filled with paranoia in his later years sought to kill all those who threatened his power and the Magi had told him they were here to see the new King of the Jews. He will deal with this information by killing all the baby boys up to the age of two in the region he controls, these are the Holy Innocents who we celebrate on this feast day.

    13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”

    The timeline is very confusing considering the provided information of the Gospels but people forget that not everything happens immediately after the previous verse or chapter. This means we can in fact harmonise the accounts.

    Jesus is born in Bethlehem and after 40 days Jesus is presented in the Temple as narrated in Luke and returned to Bethlehem to stay with Joseph’s relatives who were located there. It was typical (as it is even now) for those early stages of a new child to stay with family members because of the assistance needed with a baby. The Magi who are the “they” that depart in this verse would have visited maybe a few months after Jesus is actually born during their return to Bethlehem. They followed the Star (planet) around the time Jesus was born but by the time they had arrived, some months had passed. So at this point in verse 13 Jesus is a couple of months old at least.

    The Angel of Lord appears in a dream to Joseph, this is the second time of such an occurrence. The Angel is not named but people assume it is Gabriel because of his presence in the infancy narratives of Luke. Joseph is the guardian of both Mary, his wife and Jesus is adopted son, because of this role the Angel appears to him to instruct him in how he is to look after the family.

    The Angel tells Joseph to take the child and his mother to Egypt because Herod is searching for them. This might give the impression of being sent from one hostile location to another but many things have changed for Egypt since the Exodus and there was a thriving Jewish community in both Alexandria and Hierapolis. Although the journey may have be arduous, their destination was a home away from home, a safe place for Jesus to be.

    14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt,

    The very moment Joseph wakes from his dream, in the middle of the night, he takes Jesus and his mother and leaves straight away for Egypt. This is why many figures through church history and recent Bishops like Fulton Sheen suggest that Joseph is a young man, not too much older than Mary. This was a difficult journey and they leave in the night immediately. Although not impossible for an elderly widow as some traditions suggest, the idea of a young Joseph just seems more fitting. Regardless of the age conversation, this passage speaks to Joseph’s obedience to God and him being a man of few words or no words but absolutely a man of action.

    15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt have I called my son.”

    They remained either in Alexandra or Hierapolis until Herod’s death. Although many secular scholars put this to 3 or 4 BC there is evidence of 1BC being an acceptable date for Herod the Great’s death. Considering our year dating system was inspired by the divine but not divinely inspired, it is off by about 2 years. Jesus being born in 2BC, leaving for Egypt and staying there for a year until Herod’s death and then coming Nazareth makes perfect sense.

    Matthew quotes from the Hosea “Out of Egypt Have I called my son”. This passage from the Old Testament is the prophet Hosea recalling the story of the Exodus of the time of Moses but the Holy Spirit guided Matthew to view this as a prophecy for Jesus. This little insight into prophecy and how/when they are interpreted leaves literal interpreters of later prophetic statements rather clueless. Many people assume prophecies are literal in their interpretation and in their articulation but Matthew, in his Gospel, gives a glaringly obvious contrary idea of prophecy.

    16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men.

    Herod was furious at being tricked. Historical evidence of both Herod the Great’s anger and paranoia, especially toward the end of his life. He was even so paranoid people would not be sad at his funeral that he arranged the murder of important people at the time of his death so even if people did not mourn his death, they would still be mourning anyway.

    His rage is directed at the Magi who did not return to tell him where the Christ Child was born so he, in his rage and paranoia at the new King who has been born, orders the death of all baby boys under the age of two in Bethlehem and in the rest of the region. Based on the information that he received from the wise men, Herod knows Jesus cannot be older than two years old so that is why he picked that age range.

    17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:

    Matthew again will refer to an Old Testament passage, this time Jeremiah.

    18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they were no more.”

    He quotes Jeremiah 31:15 which had an immediate fulfilment in Jeremiah’s time, the destruction of the First Temple and the city of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. Ramah is the location that the exiles were rounded up and traditionally considered to be the place of Rachel, from the Book of Genesis’, burial location. Bethlehem will become the “new” Ramah, a place of sorrow.

  • Feast of Saint John the Evangelist

    Chapter 20 of John’s Gospel is the early portion of the resurrection account. Mary of Magdala has come across the tomb, with the rock sealing it now removed, and rushes away to the pillars, Peter and John.

    2 So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”

    Mary of Magdala after seeing the unsealed tomb rushes to the chief apostles, Peter. John, as tradition asserts, leaves out his own name when referring to himself, always saying the other disciple or the beloved disciple. Many reason have been given for this ranging from John’s humility to John wanting the reader to see themselves as this beloved disciple.

    Mary tells the partial inner circle of the apostles after seeing the unsealed tomb that “they have taken the Lord out of the tomb”. She does not assume a resurrection, but assumes a safer more “natural” explanation, that someone has stolen Jesus’ body and she and the other women are unaware of where the body has been taken.

    3 Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb.

    Upon hearing this news from Mary of Magdala, Peter and John go toward the tomb.

    4 They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first;

    They both run toward the tomb but John, being the younger disciple and perhaps filled with more emotion as the beloved disciple outruns his senior, the apostle Peter. John reaches the tomb first.

    5 and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.

    John stoops looking into the tomb, he sees the linen clothes lying in there but does not go in. Theologians have suggested that the sepulchre is like a new Holy of Holies and that John, being the immature priest to the senior high priest Peter, is unable to enter despite his zeal.

    6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying,

    Peter is the first to enter the tomb. He too, after entering, sees the linen cloths lying.

    7 and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself.

    A separate cloth, which was used a face covering was also seen by Peter. It was not with the other cloths but rolled up separately. This word often gets translated as napkin but the modern connotations of napkin make this seem like a weird choice of words. The Greek word is soudarion which is essentially just a cloth, typically made of linen. It was used to describe a cloth with multiple purposes, and what you translate it as depends on the context. In the case of this verse, it should be translated as face-covering, as that is what it was.

    A Jewish burial in this time, require a person to have a cloth folded over them from top to bottom. This was bound with cloth bands. A face-covering was applied to…the face. All these linen cloths were found in the tomb, the facial cloth, separate to the body shroud and the linen bands that bound the shroud to the body.

    8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;

    John, who actually reached the tomb first but did not go in, now enters after Peter. After he enters he sees the cloths and “believed”. John is letting his audience know that for him, it was this experience that convinced him of the resurrection. The disciples will have later experiences of proofs of Jesus’ resurrection but John wants his audience to know that entering the empty tomb was the moment that sealed his belief.

  • Feast of Saint Stephen Gospel Matthew 10:17-22

    In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus has just appointed the twelve Apostles and they are listed in their traditional order at the beginning of the chapter. Jesus gives them authority over unclean spirits and charges them with going to to the lost tribes of Israel, to avoid the Gentiles and Samaritans but preach to the Jew’s about the incoming Kingdom of God. They are to cure lepers, exorcise demons and raise the dead, all without pay as a witness to their preaching of the Kingdom.

    17 Beware of men; for they will deliver you up to councils, and flog you in their synagogues,

    Jesus warns his Apostles to be wary of men who will deliver them to the councils, most likely the Sanhedrin, the governing authority of the Jews but the labelling as councils give the implication that Gentile authorities to will persecute them. He goes on saying that they will be flogged in the synagogues of the men he is warning them about, this puts the attention on the Jews themselves who owned the Synagogues. They functioned as community hubs of teaching and prayer.

    Considering the context of what has happened previously, Jesus is asserting that their work for the Kingdom, even good things like raising the dead, curing lepers and healing the sick for no pay, will actually cause the local authorities to persecute them. These good acts and the power that Jesus has bestowed upon them will have its downsides. It will mark them out as the individuals to be oppressed by the authorities of men.

    18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear testimony before them and the Gentiles.

    Jesus continues with the repercussions that the Apostles will suffer for preaching the Kingdom of Heaven. Now the perspective is shifted on to how the Gentiles will react. The Jews who reject their message will deliver them to the councils to be judged and will be flogged in the synagogues. In the case of of the Gentiles, the Apostles will be dragged before secular Gentile authorities like Governors and kings. This will act as a spring board for them to bear testimony to the Good News before the Gentiles.

    These particular events will take place eventually in the Book of Acts, both flogging in the synagogues and being brought before Governors (Felix) and Kings (Herod Agrippa).

    19 When they deliver you up, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour;

    20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

    Jesus specifically referring to the Apostles in the future events he is describing he instructs to not be anxious in how they are to speak. “For what you are to say will be given to you in that hour” the words they will speak in their testimonies before the authorities will not be their own words, they will be filled with the Holy Spirit.

    They are to act as conduits, not actors of their own motivations. This is not general advice for all Christians, this is specifically directed at the Apostles in these particular moments. In these moments the Holy Spirit will cause the Apostles to prophesy meaning that it is absolutely not their own words, but the words of God. “The Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”

    21 Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death;

    22 and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.

    Jesus’ mission and proclamation will be so divisive that even fraternal bonds will be severed in its preaching. This is both immediate brothers in the sense of siblings but also brothers in the context of tribal brethren. It will split apart parents from their children and in both cases will the proclaimer of the Gospel be delivered up to death. Jesus is stressing to his audience that his message is not just a cause for minor disagreement but will shatter family units if there are those who follow him and others who do not within the same household. This division will not cause them to just argue but render the other to execution before the authorities persecuting the Church.

    Those who cling to Jesus’ name and enter his New Covenant will be hated by all. All being all those who are not of the Covenant. Those who endure till the end, till death will be saved. Jesus here articulates and enduring process of salvation, your acceptance intellectually speaking of Jesus or assent to him existing does not extend to you salvation. But he who endures to the end will be saved, there will be testing the entire time and struggles that will effect you and steer you from him. He who endures till the end wins.

  • Christmas Day Gospel John 1:1-18

    The Gospel reading for Christmas day is the beginning of John’s Gospel. Why not the Nativity readings of Matthew? Good question. Although much of the focus of Christmas is on the Nativity and it is the traditional day of Jesus’ birth, it acts as an icon of sorts of the true meaning of Advent. Which is our waiting for the Second Coming of Jesus, not just remembering his first. John’s introduction to his Gospel serves as the highest theological statement of the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ coming into the world for the first time on the cosmic scale. He does not detail the being born in the manger, but the grander invisible elements of the arrival of the king at the fullness of time. This again points us toward the eschatological Second Coming that we are waiting for.

    1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

    John mirrors the beginning of the Bible itself. Genesis 1:1. In the Beginning, En Arche. John is establishing Jesus as the beginning and the end of all, he does this by calling him the Logos which can made word and is translated as such but we can see we typically capitalise it as Word. In the beginning was Logos, Order, a Command, a Way. This Logos was with God and it was God. This is John’s expression of what would come to be known as the Trinity, he does not have the language just yet to articulate it and it would take a few centuries to develop fully but what John is clear about is that it is somehow simultaneously “With God” and “Was God”.

    2 He was in the beginning with God;

    The Word is now personified by John, it is not actually an “it” but a “He” and He was was in the beginning with God. A person, not an idea or concept as a Logos was typically considered by Greek philosophy.

    3 all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.

    Everything that has ever existed was made through this Person, this “He” who is with God and is God. Nothing that exists was made without him saying so. A person who is with God and is God allows and causes all things to exist.

    4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

    In this person is life, this notion of life is the light of men, that means the light of men known as life finds its very source in the Person of the Logos.

    5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

    This light that proceeds from him and is the light of men shines in the darkness, evil, the absents of good, has not overcome this light. John is writing this after all the atrocities that have occurred including the crucifixion itself, darkness did not win against this light that is the life that was in the Him of the Logos.

    6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

    Now John introduces the Baptist as a man sent from God. This officially qualifies John the Baptist as a prophet as the evangelist tells us that God has sent him specifically. He tells us his name is John.

    7 He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him.

    The evangelist establishes his purpose, to be a witness to this light that has come into the world. He would act as a stepping stone for all others to believe in the light. He would be a human link, like all the Saints are, that connects people to the Christ.

    8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.

    Clarifying again so there should be no confusion, He is not the light that has been previously described that finds its source in a different “He” that is with and is God. This figure of John the Baptist was sent to bare witness to the light but he is not the light. This may seem like a lot of unnecessary clarification but St John the Evangelist and Apostle, is most likely writing from Ephesus where tradition holds that he lived with the Virgin Mary after Jesus bestowed her upon him at the crucifixion. Ephesus will be a hotbed of proto-gnosticism that found it’s roots in the disciples of John the Baptist that rejected Jesus, they exist today in modern times under name “Mandaeans”. They still reject Jesus but see John the Baptist as the penultimate prophet of God. John the Apostle is making a painstakingly clear rebuke to his audience that this belief is wrong and is actually taking away from the Baptists actual mission.

    9 The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world.

    John the Baptist is a light in a sense but the true light that enlightens every man will be entering the world, people should not see John as the true light as that is someone entirely different.

    10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not.

    11 He came to his own home, and his own people received him not.

    Jesus came into the world, the very world that was made through him but that world does not known him as he is. He was born into a homeland and the people he was born into did not receive him as who he really was. They rejected him,

    12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God;

    All those that do receive him and believe in his name, which is not just agreeing with him. To believe in a name is take the person into your heart in its entirety to live exactly as they instruct, his name is a symbol of the covenant, to believe in his name is to submit and enter that covenant. By doing this Jesus gives them the power to become children of God. Adam was the last true Son of God, his children would be made in his image but he was made in God’s image. This was lost in the fall. This relationship of sonship to God is being reintroduced in the person of Jesus. This is one of the main reasons for the incarnation, we were too broken so the Word descends to raise us up.

    13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

    No longer are promises like the old Covenant which were dependent on being born of the right blood or will of men and flesh but a New Covenant through a divine being, through the God-Man, we become born of God.

    14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.

    The Word, who is with God and is God and is also a Person, a “he” became flesh and dwelt or tabernacled among us. The witnesses to this, his disciples including the apostle John beheld this glory, the glory that is of him because of his true sonship to the Father in Heaven.

    15 (John bore witness to him, and cried, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.’ ”)

    The Apostle John now quotes the Baptist directly, the entire prologue of John’s Gospel might seem like high theology couched with what seem like desperate distancing between Jesus as the Messiah and John the Baptist as the witness to him and that can seem odd to us because we already know this very clearly but as I have previously stated we have to understand the context of who John the Evangelist is writing for. The Evangelist is himself a previous disciple of the Baptist before he follows Jesus, based on the Baptist’s own instructions. John the Evangelist and Apostle sits at the crossroads between those who accepted Jesus and those who thought the Baptist was the Messiah himself. He now directly quotes John to indicate to his audience just how clear this distinction is, John himself says he ranks lower than the Word who became flesh, Jesus Christ.

    16 And from his fulness have we all received, grace upon grace.

    The Evangelist, his fellow Apostles and the other followers of Jesus have all received grace and the full of the Word by direct contact. They received his fulness from him in the flesh.

    17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

    The Mosaic Law was given by God through the mediation of Moses, they were guiding points toward the fullness of the future Messiah but now grace and truth itself has arrived and not through stone tablets but through the person of Jesus the Anointed One.

    18 No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.

    John makes clear to his audience that no one has ever seen God, this means all theophanies of the Prophets, what Moses saw when he was “face to face” with God was still just a dim shadow of what God really is. He was condescending to them in these “appearances”. The only Son however, in some manuscripts “The only begotten Son” who is in the bosom of the Father or in the heart of the Father has manifested in his person the appearance of God on earth. When you see Jesus, you see God in fulness that we can comprehend with our senses. It is greater than all other theophanies and manifestations that have occurred.

  • 4th Tuesday of Advent Gospel Luke 1:67-79

    What follows is the prayer by Zechariah known as a Canticle after he receives back his ability to speak. He was previously made mute because of his disbelief before the Angel sent by God. The prayer is known in Catholic Tradition as the Benedictus because in Latin that is the first word of Zechariah’s song. It means blessed.

    67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,

    Luke narrates that Zechariah has been filled with the Holy Spirit and like his wife, will there prophesy before those present. This is not a new concept limited to the Gospels and the Book of Acts but present repeatedly in the Old Testament. In Numbers 11:25-29 the Spirit of God descends on the elders and they…prophesy, in 1 Samuel 10:6-10 Saul is filled with the spirit when he prophesies his anointing as King of Israel and the Prophet Joel in Joel 2:28-29 says that the spirit will pour upon the people and they shall prophesy after it happening so this seems to be a mechanism by God to bring prophecy to the peoples, the Holy Spirit fills the person and speaks through them.

    68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people,

    Zechariah gives his Benediction, his blessing of God, the Lord God of Israel. His blessing is in response to God visiting his people and redeeming them. This prophecy is that toward the oncoming Incarnation of Jesus where God will in the flesh visit his people and dwell among them and also by taking on a Human Nature, will redeem them.

    A long time expectation of the people toward God is that He will do this. Psalm 106:4-5 speaks of this, the Israelites had an expectation that at some point he would come and save them. Both Malachi and Isaiah will speak of the same promise that is to come, Zechariah is proclaiming that is about to be fulfilled.

    69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,

    The Horn of salvation in the house of David is a reference to Hannah’s song in 1 Samuel 2:10.

    “The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; against them he will thunder in heaven. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth. He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

    The anointed would be the Christ, that is what Christos means, the anointed figure, the King who will receive God’s strength (or we could interpret as authority) will be given to this one born of the House of David. This would be the figure of Jesus who is a descendant of David and the anointed (Christos) who will receive authority from the ancient of days.

    “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14)

    70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,

    Isaiah, Malachi, Joel, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Zacheriah and Micah and so on, all speak of what is to come. The father of John the Baptist is again, proclaiming that the culmination of all things before this moment in the fullness of time are about to come into fruition. Everything the prophets said is about to come true.

    71 that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us;

    72 to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant,

    The ancient Israelites and the first century Jews believed that the Messiah would deliver them from their enemies, those who have attacked them over the centuries. That all the promises made to their ancestors about deliverance would occur because this was a part of the covenant promises made by God. He said he would save them and extend his mercy toward them, God bound himself by his covenant promise, he will deliver what he promised.

    73 the oath which he swore to our father Abraham,

    74 to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear,

    75 in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.

    Zechariah brings to mind the original covenant made with Abraham, where God picked out his portion after the splintering of the nations at Babel, that his descendants would bless the entire world including all the nations that had made themselves enemies of the Israelites.

    All so they would be able to worship the Lord God without fear of oppression. Now some had the view that this would come about because God would destroy these enemies but God instead converts the hearts of these nations and Christendom will become the dominant faith of the world at large. They will be able to worship in holiness and righteousness, a purification of the liturgy will occur, as is described in the Letter to Hebrews.

    76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,

    Zechariah now turns his prophetic attention to his Son, John. He will be called the Prophet of the Most High. John the Baptist will be considered the greatest and the last of the Old Covenant prophets. He is the forerunner who will “go before the Lord to prepare his ways”. John will fulfil all of this in his ministry and will only begin to decrease when it is time for the Lord to increase, when he points him out as the Lamb of God that Isaac himself asked of atop Mount Moriah when Abraham was called to sacrifice for the Lord.

    77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins,

    John will give a baptism of repentance which will prepare the peoples whose hearts are open for the salvation offered by Jesus. Their sins will be forgiven through Jesus and John’s ministry is the preparation of that. He will give knowledge to the Lord’s people in the forgiveness of their sins.

    78 through the tender mercy of our God, when the day shall dawn upon us from on high

    All of these great things will occur through the tender mercy of God and a day will arrive from on high, another way of saying the Day of the Lord, the inauguration of the New Covenant.

    79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

    Zechariah says that this mercy and salvation will be a light to those who sit in darkness and those in the shadow of death. Those who sit in darkness would be the Gentiles, Galilee was described this way. They did not have the light of God’s revelation in a covenantal form though they were God fearers.

    In Job 10:21-22 Sheol is described a shadowy place:

    “Before I go to the place of no return, to the land of gloom and deep shadow, to the land of utter darkness, of deep shadow and disorder, where even the light is like darkness.”

    Zechariah might be using a Hebraism where he is not talking about two separate things but is actually just reaffirming the first thing. So he could be talking just about the light being brought to the Gentiles who live in darkness.

    Isaiah will say “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.” in reference to the Gentiles but he will also say: “I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.” Which seems to be referencing those who are dead in Sheol. I think it’s likely that, as it is also Church teaching, that Zechariah is referring to both the living who are in Darkness without revelation and also those who are dead in Sheol cut off from the beatific vision like our first parents and the patriarchs until Jesus opens it for them.

  • 4th Monday of Advent Gospel Luke 1:57-66

    Chapter One of Luke is very long and contains all the early history of John and Jesus that we have. So far we have had the messages delivered to both Zechariah in the Temple and the Annunciation to Mary. We have also seen the Visitation before these passages of Mary visiting her cousin Elizabeth whilst she is pregnant with John the Baptist.

    57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to be delivered, and she gave birth to a son.

    The ninth month has arrived in Elizabeth’s pregnancy with John the Baptist and now has come the time for him to be born.

    58 And her neighbors and kinsfolk heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.

    Pregnancies today do retain some of their community aspects in the modern day but much of it has become a rather internal affair. In ancient days however a pregnancy was a time for a whole town with the closely knitted together family structure to all rejoice together. On top of this tighter family and community unit we have the extra degree of the miraculous nature that pertains to Elizabeth’s pregnancy with John. Both her and Zechariah were barren and old so this new birth is a call for all to rejoice on a greater level for two factors. One Elizabeth and Zechariah are justified as not being cursed by God by being barren, as was the typical understanding at the time and two, the age of the couple would bring to mind the miraculous nature of Abraham and Sarah’s pregnancy, a sign of God’s direct intervention in salvation history.

    59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they would have named him Zechariah after his father,

    The custom going all the way back to Genesis of circumcision as a physical sign of God’s covenant with his people is practiced diligently still in the days of the Second Temple Period, on the eighth day, John is circumcised but he has not actually been named yet. Boy’s were not named until after this had taken place and the custom was for the boy to receive either the name of his father or a name from his father line of ancestors.

    60 but his mother said, “Not so; he shall be called John.”

    Elizabeth interrupts the presumptions of the people by saying “Not so; he shall be called John”. This means that Zechariah has informed his wife already of what the Angel Gabriel told him as it was upon his instruction that the child be called John.

    John is the anglicised version of Iohannes from Latin which is a Latinised version of the Greek Iōannēs which itself is a Greek version of the Hebrew name(Yohanan), which means “Yahweh (the LORD) has been gracious” or “Yahweh is gracious.”

    61 And they said to her, “None of your kindred is called by this name.”

    Appealing to the typical tradition, the family present at the circumcision respond to Elizabeth that no one else has this name, the naming of John is not a normal event, it has been divinely ordained so these traditions do not apply.

    62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he would have him called.

    Those present defer to Zechariah, who has the authority as the father, to name the child. What’s interesting here is that they “made signs” to him. Up to this point we have assumed that Zechariah is just struck mute by the Angel for his disbelief of God’s power but the word used for the condition throughout the New Testament is kōphos which can actually mean both deaf and mute. The fact they have to make signs to him means that he is also deaf as well as mute.

    63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all marveled.

    Zechariah requests for a “writing tablet” in order to confirm that the boy’s name will be John. The word used is (pinakidion), which specifically refers to a small, portable tablet. In the ancient world, including first century Palestine, it was common to use these small wood tablets, sometimes framed or hinged, that were coated with beeswax. These provided an easy way to write out things with a pointed stylus made of bone or metal.

    64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God.

    An interesting insight into some divine mechanisms are going on here. Upon showing the tablet to others, which would be the completion of the naming ceremony, thus all the things that the Angel Gabriel said came to pass, Zechariah’s tongue is loosened. Writing it out does not do it, but once the naming has been made official by displaying it to those present, I just think its neat how orderly that is. The first thing Zechariah does after receiving his speech back is bless God.

    65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea;

    The Greek word used for “fear” is φόβος (phobos). While phobos can mean a foreboding fear (e.g., terror or dread), it often also carries the sense of reverential awe or holy fear in response to divine intervention. The events, because of there miraculous nature, are talked about throughout the local area.

    66 and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.

    This verse emphasizes the profound impact of the events surrounding John the Baptist’s birth and their prophetic significance. en tē kardia: Literally “in their heart,” it symbolizes the seat of thought, emotion, and spiritual reflection in biblical language. This rhetorical question shows the people’s sense of expectation and wonder about John’s future role. “For the hand of the Lord was with him” Marks God’s guidance and empowerment in a person’s life or mission (e.g., Ezra 7:6, Acts 11:21).

  • 3rd Saturday of Advent Gospel Luke 1:39-45

    Today’s readings follow the appearance of Gabriel the Archangel to the Virgin Mary. Those verses detail the event that we call the Annunciation where Gabriel tells Mary that she is to conceive the Messiah Jesus by the Holy Spirit. It is following this event that the following verses take place. These passages especially depict Luke’s ability to weave Old Testament scripture as the framework for the very real events of the Gospel account.

    39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah,

    “In those days” anchoring this sections timeline to somewhat immediately follow the previous. This would be in the same days of the Annunciation. Mary after speaking to Gabriel goes with “haste into the kill country, to a city of Judah”.

    Mary’s haste to visit Elizabeth parallels the Ark of the Covenant’s journey to the house of Obed-edom in 2 Samuel 6:9-15.

    40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

    Mary enters the home belong to Zechariah, the husband of Elizabeth and Elizabeth greets her cousin, Mary. The Ark of the Covenant, carrying God’s presence, was greeted with joy when it entered the house of Obed-edom. Similarly, Mary, carrying Jesus, enters Elizabeth’s house, bringing joy.

    41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit

    Upon hearing Mary’s greeting Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit and the baby John the Baptist within her womb leaps for joy. The Ark is greeted with joy, and the Spirit fills those who come into its presence. Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, reacts with joy when Mary, carrying Jesus, enters her house. 2 Samuel 6:9-15 – “And David danced before the Lord with all his might… and the Ark of the Lord came into the city of David with gladness.”

    42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!

    Elizabeth’s exclamation is not simply a verbal greeting but a prophetic declaration. Her loud cry reveals the depth of her joy and awe in the presence of the Messiah, foreshadowing the universal praise that Jesus will receive.

    Elizabeth says “Blessed are you among women”. This phrase marks Mary’s high position among all women, a key verse supporting her unique role in salvation history. Elizabeth’s recognition acknowledges Mary’s unique cooperation with God’s will.

    The phrase refers to Jesus and is partial scriptural source of the Hail Mary prayer or Angelic Salutation. The first part of the prayer comes from the Annunciation itself.

    43 And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

    Elizabeth’s response mirrors David’s awe when the Ark is brought into the city. Both recognize the holiness of the presence they are encountering.

    2 Samuel 6:9 – “And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, ‘How can the ark of the Lord come to me?’”

    44 For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy.

    “Babe in my womb leaped for joy”: John the Baptist’s leap indicates that even in utero, he recognizes the presence of Jesus. This moment reflects the joy that the coming of the Messiah brings to all of creation, even in the unborn.

    This moment is often interpreted as a sign of the sanctity of human life and the joy that the presence of Christ brings into the world, even before birth. It also foreshadows the role of John the Baptist in heralding the coming of the Savior.

    45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

    Elizabeth’s praise of Mary focuses on her faith in God’s word. Mary’s belief in the angel’s message and her willingness to accept God’s will without reservation is central to her blessedness.

    This verse highlights Mary’s faith, which is a key element of her assent to God’s will, often depicted as her “fiat” (let it be). Her faith is an example for all believers, and she is considered the model of perfect discipleship in Catholic teaching.

  • 3rd Friday of Advent Gospel Luke 1:26-38

    Luke has just narrated the pronouncement and conception of John the Baptist. He makes the point of telling the audience that Elizabeth has hid herself for five months. This is the timeline that leads us up to today’s readings, The Annunciation.

    26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,

    Luke begins with “In the sixth month” this is not related to the Jewish calendar but in reference to the previous verse, Elizabeth was in her fifth month of pregnancy. “In the sixth month” of Elizabeth’s pregnancy an Angel was sent from God to a city named Nazareth in Galilee. This places the annunciation six months after John’s conception. This is where the tradition of John and Jesus having a six month age gap comes from.

    The Archangel Gabriel is the angel that God sends. Gabriel is one of the seven Archangels, of whom only four have names that we know but apocryphal Jewish texts do claim to know the name of the others. There is significant meaning to Gabriel being the messenger in this passage as it was Gabriel who delivered the timeline of the weeks of years that would lead to the Messiah to the Prophet Daniel and here he is, announcing the Messiah.

    God sends Gabriel to Nazareth which was likely a small agricultural village during Jesus’ time, with an estimated population of 300-500 people. It was situated in the hills of Lower Galilee, near Sepphoris, a larger and wealthier city. Although Nazareth is not mentioned in the Old Testament, the Talmud, or Josephus, archaeological digs have uncovered houses, storage caves, and agricultural tools from the 1st century, confirming it was a rural settlement. They also found the remains of a first century Synagogue there, further reinforcing the New Testaments claims despite sceptical critics of Nazareth’s historicity.

    Some scholars suggest the name Nazareth may be linked to the Hebrew word netzer (branch), pointing to messianic prophecies like Isaiah 11:1: “A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.” Speculators posit that it got its name by descendants of David leaving Bethlehem and setting up a new home for themselves, thus receiving the name “Nazareth” as they were a branch of David’s line. This would explain why two descendants of David, Joseph and Mary, were living there.

    27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

    Gabriel is sent specifically to Mary, a virgin who is betrothed to a man named Joseph. Mary was a very popular name at the time, at least its original Hebrew version was. “Miriam” was the name of Moses’ sister and thus resonated with the Hebrew people. Scholars estimate that approximately 20-25% of Jewish women in this era bore the name Mary or its variants.

    Mary was “betrothed” to Joseph which although a foreign concept to modern ears, was very common at the time. Marriage to them was a multistage process that included a formal agreement first (betrothal) then the consummation of the marriage later but it was all considered a part of the marriage itself.

    I am going to be drawing a lot from Father Christiaan Kappas for the following sections as he has devoted so much work to it, I really recommend watching his Pints with Aquinas episode as he goes into a very long deep dive into all things Mary, especially as it relates to these verses.

    Pints Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wzjAEHyizk&t=9042s

    Joseph is explicitly identified as “of the house of David,” which confirms Jesus’ legal claim to the Davidic throne. Catholic scholar and theologian Fr. Christiaan Kappas emphasizes that this lineage fulfills Old Testament Messianic prophecies, such as 2 Samuel 7 and Isaiah 11:1, establishing Jesus as the prophesied eternal king.

    28 And he came to her and said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!”

    “Hail, Full of Grace”: The Greek word kecharitomene indicates Mary’s unique state of grace, a perfect and completed action signifying her Immaculate Conception. Fr. Kappas connects this greeting to Mary’s singular role in salvation history as the Mother of God and affirms its theological importance as a title rather than a mere acknowledgment of favor (explored further in Catholic traditions).

    It is important to note that Gabriel is addressing Mary as “Full of Grace” in the sense of a title, he is not describing her from an outside perspective but saying that this is who she is in her very being.

    29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be.

    Her reaction reflects humility and a deep awareness of divine mysteries, unlike Zechariah’s doubt earlier in Luke. Very rarely do we get narrative lines in the Gospels illustrating this type of mystical contemplation, people have many thoughts but they do not consider the greeting of an angel. Typically such interactions spawn fear and awe but Mary “considers in her mind” what it means.

    30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

    The angel reassures her, indicating that her favor with God stems from her grace-filled state, not personal merit.

    31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.

    32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,

    33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

    Gabriel describes five aspects of Jesus: His greatness, divine sonship, Davidic kingship, eternal reign, and connection to the “house of Jacob.” These characteristics affirm both His divinity and His role as the fulfillment of Jewish Messianic hopes. Fr. Kappas notes the interplay between divine promises in 2 Samuel 7 (David’s eternal throne) and Daniel 7:13-14 (the Son of Man receiving an everlasting kingdom)​

    34 And Mary said to the angel, “How shall this be, since I have no husband?”

    A more accurate translation of Mary’s words to the Angel would be “How shall this be, since I do not know man?”

    The Greek verb ginōskō (translated as “know”) is used in a euphemistic sense for marital or sexual relations. The present tense in this context suggests an ongoing state or intention, rather than a temporary situation. If Mary were anticipating a normal marital relationship with Joseph, the question would be unnecessary.

    Betrothed women in first-century Judea were typically expected to enter into a normal marital union, including having children. Mary’s question implies she did not expect to have a typical marital relationship, supporting the interpretation of a prior commitment to virginity.

    Many Church Fathers, including St. Augustine, interpreted this as evidence of Mary’s vow of virginity. Augustine wrote that Mary’s question demonstrated her understanding of the angel’s announcement as a call to motherhood that would not involve ordinary human relations, affirming her unique role as the Mother of God (De Sancta Virginitate, Chapter 4). This view is also held by St Jerome and St Thomas.

    35 And the angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.

    Gabriel’s response highlights the miraculous nature of Jesus’ conception through the Holy Spirit, with language echoing the divine presence in the Tabernacle (Exodus 40:35). The spirit of God is descending and overshadowing Mary, The Greek word episkiazo means “to overshadow” or “to envelop by a cloud” and carries connotations of divine glory and presence. The term episkiazo directly connects to the Shekinah, the visible presence of God represented by a cloud or radiant light in the Old Testament.

    The Holy Spirit descending upon Mary and overshadowing her is the fulfilment of the Prophet Jeremiah’s words recorded in 2 Maccabees. “He declared that the place shall remain unknown until God gathers His people together again and shows His mercy. Then the Lord will disclose these things, and the glory of the Lord and the cloud will appear…” (2 Maccabees 2:7-8).

    The combination of the Tabernacle language and this prophecy make it clear that Mary is the New Ark but in a sense that she is much greater than the original which would never be made again.

    36 And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.

    37 For with God nothing will be impossible.”

    Elizabeth’s miraculous pregnancy serves as confirmation of God’s power and the unfolding of His divine plan. The assurance that “nothing will be impossible with God” ties this narrative to broader biblical themes of trust in divine providence (Genesis 18:14).

    38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

    Mary’s acceptance of God’s will, expressed in her “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord,” exemplifies perfect faith and obedience. Fr. Kappas underscores this as a pivotal moment in salvation history, showcasing Mary’s cooperation with divine grace and her integral role in the Incarnation.

    When Mary says, “Let it be to me according to your word”, she is fully cooperating with God’s salvific plan. This full, free, and deliberate consent can be seen as her cooperation in God’s work of bringing about redemption for humanity.

    The concept of Mary as Co-Redemptrix (a title meaning “helper in the redemption”) is based on her voluntary and active participation in God’s redemptive plan through her consent. According to Catholic theology, Mary’s role as Co-Redemptrix is not to suggest that she is equal to God or performs redemption apart from Christ, but rather that her fiat contributed to the redemptive plan by allowing Jesus to be born and begin His redemptive mission.

    Early Church Fathers like St. Irenaeus saw Mary’s role in salvation history as critical. St. Irenaeus emphasized her obedience to God as the reversal of Eve’s disobedience, connecting her “yes” with humanity’s redemption.

    CCC 494:

    “The ‘yes’ of Mary opened the door for the Savior to come into the world and to fulfill the plan of redemption.”

  • 3rd Thursday of Advent Gospel Luke 1:5-25

    Following Luke’s introduction to his Gospel, addressing it to the individual known as Theophilus and also informing his audience that he has gathered this information from eyewitnesses to the events that have happened among them, he begins.

    5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

    As he does elsewhere in his Gospel. Saint Luke anchors events to verifiable historical events outside of the narrative itself. This is the ancient equivalent of timestamping. Luke tells us “In the days of Herod, king of Judea.” This would be Herod the Great who reigned as King of the Jews from 36-1BC. The days of Herod as king would be this time frame.

    Zechariah is introduced as a priest in the division of Abijah and the husband of Elizabeth who is also of a priestly lineage. Priests in the old covenant were responsible for ministering to the various rituals in the Temple liturgies. The detail of Zechariah being of the division of Abijah is very interesting because although to many this seems like a needless detail we actually get more information if we cross-reference it.

    The priests (Cohanim) were divided into 24 divisions, each of which served in the Temple for one week at a time, twice a year. This division is recorded in 1 Chronicles 24:7-18, where King David organized the priests into 24 courses to ensure that there was continuous service at the Temple. Each division served for a full week, from Shabbat to Shabbat (Saturday to Saturday). The rotations were planned so that there would always be priests on duty for both daily sacrifices and special Temple rituals. Zechariah, being part of the Abijah division (as mentioned in Luke 1:5), would have served in one of these weeks. Zechariah’s division, the Abijah course, was the 8th division, which means it served in late May or early June. Since each division served twice per year, Zechariah’s second service would have been about six months later. So we actually can specify even the part of the year that this event took place.

    6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

    Luke tells us they are both righteous before God, the Greek word translated as righteous is dikaios which means they observed all the laws required of them as Jews. Luke is clarifying what this means with the following half of the sentence “walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.” They did everything required of them to the letter, they are a holy couple.

    7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.

    The holiness and observance of the couple is contrasted with their woe of barrenness. It was typical in Second Temple Judaism to ascribe sinfulness and disobedience to those who could not bare children so Luke clarifies their holiness before telling the audience of their inability to conceive a child. He also clarifies their age, they are advanced in years, this speaks to the natural impossibility of conceiving now. The image of the elderly barren but holy couple would bring to mind figures of Abraham and Sarah to the audience familiar with these.

    8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty,

    It was while Zechariah was serving during that week period previous mentioned, when his division was on duty. This would have been either in May or November, as they served twice a year.

    9 according to the custom of the priesthood, it fell to him by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

    The actual inner parts of the Temple were reserved for special liturgical rites and the burning of incense was a highly sought after honour amongst the priests. This is why it “fell to him by lot” this left the honour up to chance so priests would not fight over it, every division would get a chance and every priest had an equal chance of drawing the lot to light the incense. Zechariah receives this honour and is there permitted to enter the most intimate part of the Temple.

    10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.

    Whilst Zechariah is lighting the incense, the crowds of Jewish men are praying outside. We can assume Jewish men because of the concentric rectangular courts around the Temple of increasing holiness. Anyone could be in the outer courts, Jewish men and women in the next, just Jewish men outsite the Temple itself and only priests were permitted entry into the Temple and only in particular moments of the year as according to the divisions of liturgical practice.

    11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

    Unlike Joseph, an Angel appears whilst Zechariah is awake, this speaks to the many methods and dispositions that the divine works with. Zechariah sees an angel appear standing on the right side of the altar where Zechariah has just lit the incense as according to custom.

    12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.

    Zechariah has the normal reaction to seeing an angel. He feels troubled and fear comes upon him. Only Mary has a different reaction the appearance of an Angel. Joseph does not feel fear but he also does not encounter an angel whilst awake. Zechariah has a very similar reaction to that of the shepherds who are told of Jesus’ birth.

    13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.

    In typical Angelic fashion, the first thing they have to do is tell the person they are appearing to, to not be afraid. He brings good news, do not freak out. The Angel, whose name has not yet been revealed, informs Zechariah that his prayer has been heard. This would be a the prayer for him and his wife to have children. He continues telling him that Elizabeth will bear him a son and he, as this is the job of the father, name his son “John”. It will be clarified later in the Gospel but also we know from tradition that names were taken from the family line and John is not from Zechariah’s family name list. This is a divine decision that he be called John. A little mystery to ponder.

    14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth;

    The Angel continues telling Zechariah that John’s birth is not just going to be the joy of his parents but his birth will cause many to rejoice. This will be clarified in a few more verses as John is to be the forerunner to Christ, the Elijah predicted by the prophets who will arrive before the Messiah.

    15 for he will be great before the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.

    Now the Angel informs Zechariah what his Son, John, is going to be like and how he will live. He will drink no wine or strong drink and be filled with the Holy Spirit, even whilst he is in the womb of his mother.

    The first components, the no wine or strong drink, is a part of the Nazirite vows. These vows also include not cutting the hair and remaining ceremonially pure always, this would include celibacy as that made someone impure. These vows are detailed in the Book of Numbers 6 1-21.

    Being filled with the Holy Spirit, even in the womb, is a striking statement. John would be receiving something in an extraordinary way that the people of the New Covenant would have to wait a couple of decades to receive. It is not his own actions that acquire this however, he is still only a baby in the womb. This marks out John as a special and pivotal figure in the coming of Jesus and the New Covenant.

    16 And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God,

    17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

    Now Zechariah hears from the Angel how his son will come in the spirit and power of Elijah, he will be operating as the Elijah who was prophesied to come by Malachi in preparation for the Day of the Lord.

    18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”

    Despite all his petitions to God for him and his wife to conceive and now being told it is going to happen, Zechariah doubts that this is even possible. He protests against the good news he has received by implying that it is impossible for an old man and old woman to conceive. This is funny since he obviously knows the story of Abraham and others, this is not a roadblock for God. Even though Zechariah is devout and obedient he still has difficulty believing what God can do for him.

    19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God; and I was sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news.

    Now the Angel introduces himself with a name. He states he is Gabriel which means “God is my Strength”. In the immediate tense he declares that he stands in the presence of God. This could speak to the mystery of how Angels work. Despite manifesting in order to communicate with Zechariah and deliver other messages he is also simultaneously standing before God.

    He tells Zechariah that he was sent specifically to give him this good news.

    20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things come to pass, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.”

    Because of his disbelief at God’s power, Gabriel makes Zechariah dumb and unable to speak until the day these things come pass. This would absolutely confirm what has occurred is real and he would have no reason to doubt God again.

    21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they wondered at his delay in the temple.

    22 And when he came out, he could not speak to them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he made signs to them and remained dumb.

    After doing his requirements in the Temple, lighting the incense and then having a surprising conversation with an Angel, Zechariah leaves the Temple after spending more time than was expected in there. Since Zechariah is unable to speak and took so long they infer that he must have seen a vision inside the Temple. He “made signs to them” which basically means he used his hands to illustrate that he could not talk, he remained this way until Johns birth.

    23 And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.

    24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she hid herself, saying,

    25 “Thus the Lord has done to me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.”

    After his week of service is ended, Zechariah returns home and some time after these days, Elizabeth conceives a child. No time frame is actually specified. She hides herself for five months of her pregnancy.

    Elizabeth celebrates what the Lord has done for her by exclaiming “Thus the Lord has done to me in the days when he looked on me” and follows it by saying “to take away my reproach among men” this goes back to the perception that Second Temple Judaism had on barrenness. It was seen a curse by God on those who sinned or were from a line of sinners. Her conception of John proves that they were not any of these things but what Luke illustrates them to be. Righteous and observant Jews from a holy priestly line.