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To Theophilus, most excellent one,
Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us,
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just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the Word.
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Therefore, after I had carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I decided to write it out for you in orderly sequence,
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so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
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In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. His wife also was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
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Both of them were righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.
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But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.
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Now it happened, while his division was serving and it was his turn to perform the priestly duty before the Lord,
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that according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense there.
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And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of the incense offering.
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Then an angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.
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When he saw him, he was startled and became afraid.
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But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and Elizabeth your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
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You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.
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For he will be great before the Lord, and he will drink neither wine nor strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb;
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and he will turn many of the children of Israel back to the Lord their God,
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and he will go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready for Him.”
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Then Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know this? For I am old, and my wife is advanced in years.”
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The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.
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Behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day these things happen, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”
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Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering that he stayed so long in the Holy Place.
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When he came out, he could not speak to them, and they understood that he had seen a vision in the Holy Place. Then he made signs to them, for he remained mute.
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When the days of his service were completed, he went home.
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After some time Elizabeth, his wife, became pregnant, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying:
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“This is what the Lord has done for me, and now he has been pleased to take away my disgrace among the people.”
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In the sixth month God sent the angel Gabriel to a city in Galilee called Nazareth,
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to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
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When the angel came in to Mary, he said: “Greetings, you who are highly favored; the Lord is with you.”
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Mary was troubled by the words and wondered in her heart what this greeting might mean.
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The angel said to her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
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Behold, you will conceive and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
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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,
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and he will reign over the descendants of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
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Mary said to the angel: “How can this be, since I have not known a man?”
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The angel answered 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.
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And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren.
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For nothing will be impossible with God.”
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Mary said: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her.
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A few days later Mary set out and went quickly into the hill country, to a city in Judea.
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There she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
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And when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,
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and she cried out with a loud voice: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”
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Who am I, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
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For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the child in my womb leaped for joy.
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And blessed is she who believed, for what was spoken to her from the Lord will be fulfilled.”
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Then Mary said:
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
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and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
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for He has looked upon the lowliness of His servant.
Behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed,
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because the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is His name.
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And His mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear Him.
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He has shown strength with His arm and scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
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He has brought down rulers from their thrones and exalted those of low degree;
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He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty-handed;
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He has helped Israel, His servant, remembering His mercy,
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as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his offspring forever.”
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And Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months, and then returned to her home.
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Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son.
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When her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her such great mercy, they rejoiced with her.
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And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they wanted to name him Zechariah after his father,
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but his mother said, “No, he shall be called John.”
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They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.”
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Then they made signs to his father, asking what name he would have him called by.
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He asked for a writing tablet and wrote these words: “His name is John.” And they all marveled.
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And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God.
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And fear came upon all who lived around them, and all these things were talked about throughout the hill country of Judea.
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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.
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And Zechariah his father was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying:
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“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people,
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He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David, his servant,
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— as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old —
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to deliver us from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us,
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to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,
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the oath that he swore to Abraham, our father, that he would grant us,
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that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear,
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in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
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And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
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to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,
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because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the dawn from on high will visit us,
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to shine on those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
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And the child grew and became strong in spirit. And he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
📖 Luke 1 – The Beginning of the Good News: The Births of John and Jesus Are Announced
🧾 Summary of Luke 1
Luke 1 is the opening chapter of the Gospel of Luke and is very rich. This chapter includes two birth announcements: John the Baptist and Jesus Christ, as well as the spiritual responses of the people involved.
Main Points:
Introduction (verses 1–4):
Luke writes to Theophilus to provide an orderly and certain account of the things that have been fulfilled.Announcement to Zechariah (verses 5–25):
Zechariah, a priest who was righteous before God, and his wife Elizabeth had no children yet.
The angel Gabriel appeared and announced that Elizabeth would bear John.
John would be great before the Lord and prepare the way for the Messiah.
Because Zechariah doubted the message, he became mute until the child was born.
Announcement to Mary (verses 26–38):
Six months later, the angel Gabriel came to Mary in Nazareth.
He announced that Mary, a virgin, would bear a Son named Jesus, the Son of God.
Mary answered humbly:
“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”
Mary visits Elizabeth (verses 39–56):
When Mary came, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaped for joy, being filled with the Holy Spirit.
Elizabeth praised Mary as a blessed woman because she believed.
Mary sang the Song of Praise (Magnificat) that affirms the greatness of God and His mercy.
The birth of John the Baptist (verses 57–80):
Elizabeth gave birth to John. At the naming, Zechariah wrote his name, “John,” and immediately was able to speak again.
Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied in the Song of Zechariah (Benedictus) about salvation from God.
John grew and lived in the wilderness until the time came for him to appear to Israel.
📘 Main Teachings of Luke 1
- God works behind the scenes, even through situations that seem impossible.
- Faithfulness and obedience are key in God’s plan of salvation.
- God chooses simple and humble people to fulfill His great plan.
- Faith produces praise and hope, as seen in Mary and Zechariah.
- Children born according to the Lord’s will have a special mission (John & Jesus).
✨ Spiritual Meaning of Luke 1
- Prayers that seem unanswered are often kept for God’s perfect time.
- The Lord does not visit only the great—He comes to ordinary people who are humble and trusting.
- Every birth and calling from the Lord brings responsibility and divine purpose.
- The Holy Spirit is active from the beginning in the events of the Gospel.
- True praise is born from personal experience of God’s mercy.
