There are striking parallels to this account in the Old Testament. Zechariah and Elizabeth were similar to Abraham and Sarah, to Jacob and Rachel, to Elkanah and Hannah, and to Samson's parents. In each case there was a divine announcement of the birth of an unusual child.
1:5 Herod the Great ruled over Judea, the large Roman province that included all of Israel, from 37 B.C. to 4 A.D.
Luke pointed out that both of John's parents had a priestly heritage. The priests in Israel had the great privilege of intimate association with God through their worship and service in the sanctuary. Zechariah's name means "Yahweh remembers"and is significant here because the birth of John was a fulfillment of a prophecy that God would send a forerunner before Israel's Messiah. The etymological derivation of Elizabeth's name is unclear. Normally John would have become a priest and served in the temple as his father did.
David had divided the priesthood into 24 divisions and had placed the leader of one priestly family at the head of each group (1 Chron. 23-24). Abijah was the leader of the division to which Zechariah belonged (1 Chron. 24:10). The Exile had interrupted these divisions, but Israel's leaders established them again following the restoration as best they could. In Zechariah's day, each division served for one week twice a year plus during the major festivals.30
1:6 This verse shows that Elizabeth's childless condition was not the result of her sin. In the Old Testament, God normally blessed the godly with children (cf. Gen. 1:28; Ps. 127; 128). She and her husband were right with God and followed Him faithfully. "Blameless"(Gr. amemptos) means that they dealt with sin in their lives quickly and as God required, not that they were sinless (cf. Phil. 2:15; 3:6; 1 Thess. 3:13; Heb. 8:7). This Greek word is the equivalent of the Hebrew tamthat describes Noah (Gen. 6:9) and Job (Job 1:8). The righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees was typically superficial and hypocritical, but Zechariah and Elizabeth were truly godly.
"Sometimes we are deprived of something because God has better things awaiting us down the road. When we wait patiently on the Lord, he often gives us more than we imagined possible. Zechariah and Elizabeth wanted a child; what they got was a prophet."31
1:7 Elizabeth's condition was identical to Sarah's (Gen. 17:16-17; cf. 1 Sam. 1:5-11). Her childless state embarrassed her (cf. v. 25), and her advanced age removed the hope of bearing children from her. Whenever the Old Testament said a woman had no child it also recorded that God gave her one later.32Therefore this statement prepares the reader for a miracle.
1:8-9 Zechariah was serving God faithfully by discharging some temple function as a member of his priestly division. There were so many priests then that the great privilege of offering incense on the golden incense altar in the temple fell to a priest only once in his lifetime.33The priests decided who would offer incense at the daily sacrifice, morning and evening, by casting lots. Zechariah's selection was undoubtedly a high point in his life and the greatest honor of his priestly career. Obviously God providentially arranged for his selection (cf. Esth. 3:7).
1:10 Many godly people (Gr. laos, an important word in this Gospel) assembled in the temple courtyards for this daily offering, as was customary.34This was probably the evening incense offering (3:00 p.m., cf. Dan. 9:21; Acts 3:1). This verse heightens the suspense and prepares the reader for verses 21-22. Incense symbolized the ascending prayers of God's people that are as a sweet fragrance to Him (cf. Ps. 141:2; Rev. 5:8; 8:3-4). Luke stressed prayer more than any of the Gospel writers, and this is his first reference to it.35
1:11-12 This is also Luke's first reference to an angel appearing. He "materialized"beside the altar as Zechariah performed his duty of presenting incense on the altar and then prostrating himself in prayer.36Obviously God took the initiative at the time He chose to reveal what He was about to do. This was an angel from the Lord rather than the Angel of the Lord (cf. v. 19). The right side of the altar may indicate the side of favor and honor implying that the angel was bringing good news. Angelic appearances always indicated important events in the Old Testament (cf. Gen. 16:10-11; Judg. 13:3-21).
Zechariah's reaction was violent because for the first time, presumably, he met a supernatural person face to face. This was the typical reaction of people in such situations (cf. v. 29; 5:8-10; et al.).
1:13 The angel appeared to announce God's answer to Zechariah's prayer. This may have been a petition (Gr. deesis) for a son that the priest and his barren wife probably offered many times in previous years. It was probably the petition that Zechariah had just offered as he presented the incense, presumably as he prayed for Israel's salvation (cf. Dan. 9:20). In either case God's provision of John was the answer. God named John indicating His sovereign authority (cf. v. 31). John's name means, "Yahweh has been gracious."
1:14-15 Joy would replace fear in Zechariah's heart and spread to his wife and then to all Israel. The coming of Israel's predicted Messiah would be a joyous event according to the Old Testament. The theme of joy is prominent in Luke's Gospel.
The cause of joy would be John's spiritual greatness. The same angel also announced that Jesus would be great without qualification (v. 32). Thus there was a connection between the roles of John and Jesus. The phrase "in the sight of"the Lord indicates God's choice and approval. It translates a Greek word, enopion, that only Luke among the synoptic writers used. It appears 35 times in Luke and Acts.37
"Filling [with the Holy Spirit] is a general Lucan term for presence and enablement."38
The connection between control by drink and control by the Holy Spirit occurs elsewhere in Scripture (Eph. 5:18). It is difficult, if not impossible, to determine if John was to be a Nazarite (Num. 6:1-12) or simply devoted to God. The priests were to refrain from strong drink before serving in the sanctuary (Lev. 10:4, 9-11). There are no other specific indications that John was a Nazarite, though he may have been. His ascetic lifestyle was similar to that of many prophets, particularly Elijah (v. 17; 2 Kings 1:8; Matt. 3:4).
"John's greatness is not found in his choice of lifestyle, but in the fact that in understanding his calling, he pursues it fully and carries out God's will faithfully. John's style will be different from that of Jesus. God does not make all people to minister in the same way. That diversity allows different types of ministry to impact different kinds of people."39
The Holy Spirit's influence in his life was unusual for someone living in Old Testament times. Normally the Holy Spirit empowered people selectively and temporarily then. Luke had a special interest in the Holy Spirit's enabling ministry that surfaces frequently in his writings (cf. vv. 35, 41, 67; 2:25-27; 3:16, 22; 4:1, 14, 18; 10:21; 11:13; 12:10, 12).
1:16-17 John would turn the hearts of many Israelites back to God, as the prophets had done in Old Testament times. None of them was more successful or important than Elijah had been. He led the people back to Yahweh after Ahab and Jezebel had pushed Israel's apostasy farther than it had ever gone by instituting Baal worship as Israel's official religion. John would possess the same spirit and power that Elijah had. Moreover John would be the predicted predecessor of Messiah (Mal. 4:5-6; cf. Mal. 3:1). Jesus later explained that John fulfilled the prophecy of Messiah's forerunner (Mal. 3:1). He would have completely fulfilled the prophecy of Elijah's return if the Jews had accepted Jesus (Mal. 5:5-6; Matt. 11:10, 14).
The term "turn back"(Gr. epistrepho) became a technical term for Christian conversion (cf. Acts 9:35; 2 Cor. 3:16; 1 Thess. 1:9; 1 Pet. 2:25). Essentially it means turning from idols to the true God. Turning people to God was the responsibility of every true priest (Mal. 2:6). The meaning of the Malachi quotation is probably that when restoration comes there will be human reconciliation and love rather than estrangement and selfishness.40People will clean up their interpersonal relationships in preparation for Messiah's appearing.
Luke spoke often of the people (Gr. laos) that God was preparing for Himself. These people prepared for the Lord included Jewish hearers but also those who formerly were not "a people"(1 Pet. 2:10), namely the Gentiles. They are the elect who would compose the church. With this word Luke constantly reminded his original Greek readers that God's plan included Gentiles who responded to the gospel as well as Jews.
1:18-20 When Abraham received the angelic announcement that God would give him the Promised Land, he, too, requested a confirming sign (Gen. 15:8), which God provided. However, Zechariah should have simply believed the angel's announcement and given God thanks for it. Instead he asked for some verification of the promise, probably a sign (cf. 11:29). The angel gave him a sign, but it cost Zechariah inconvenience and embarrassment for nine months (cf. vv. 34, 45). Probably Zechariah's request for a sign received a rebuke and Abraham's did not because Zechariah had the advantage of the Old Testament record whereas Abraham did not. The angel helped Zechariah understand the seriousness of his mistake by explaining who he was. Gabriel had appeared twice to Daniel to give him information and understanding (Dan. 8:16; 9:21). He did the same for Zechariah here (cf. vv. 67-79). Gabriel could have been harder on Zechariah than he was, but he was not probably because Zechariah believed and only wanted confirmation (cf. Judg. 6:36-40). He was not asking for a sign so he could believe.
The sign that God gave, Zechariah's dumbness, served to heighten the wonder of what God would reveal and to conceal Gabriel's revelation from the people until the proper time.
1:21-22 Zechariah's delay in the temple and then his inability to speak impressed the worshippers that something supernatural had occurred. Normally he would have pronounced the Aaronic blessing over them (Num. 6:24-26).41The people assumed incorrectly that he had seen a vision. Zechariah was unable to communicate to them what had really happened. Luke recorded their reaction to impress his readers with the importance of this event.
Zechariah and Elizabeth lived in a town in the hill country of Judah where Zechariah probably pursued a secular occupation when not involved in priestly duties (v. 39).
The angel's announcement of John's birth occurred even before Elizabeth conceived him (cf. Matt. 1:18-25). This is further evidence of his being a special provision from the Lord. Elizabeth's self-imposed five-month period of seclusion may have been to safeguard the arrival of her child and her own health as an older woman. Elizabeth gratefully acknowledged God's grace in removing the disgrace of her childless condition (cf. Gen. 30:23; Ps. 113:9).
". . . Zechariah and Elizabeth represent two different kinds of righteous people. Zechariah raises doubts about the angel's message, for the prospective parents are now beyond normal childbearing age (v. 18). Sometimes even good people have doubts about God's promise. . . .
"Elizabeth pictures the righteous saint who takes her burden to God and rejoices when that burden is lifted."42
