Theophilus and John the Baptist

This study discusses the explanatory preface to the book of Luke followed by the announcement of the birth of John the Baptist

Luke 1:1-25

Dedication to Theophilus

Luke 1:1-4

1 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.

Verses 1-4 constitute a dedication for the Gospel of Luke. Such dedications were not uncommon in Greek and Roman literature and were used to identify the person for whom the book was written. Often this was the patron who had commissioned the author to write the book.

In this dedication we learn:

The recipient of Luke's Gospel - [verse 3] Luke dedicated the Gospel to Theophilus, whose name means "lover of God" or "friend of God". Apparently Theophilus was a new believer with whom Luke was acquainted. The form of address Luke uses - "most excellent Theophilus" [verse 3] - suggests that Theophilus may have been either a wealthy individual or perhaps a member of the ruling class. The Greek adjective “excellent” occurs in the NT in only three other places, all in the Book of Acts (Acts 23:26, Acts 24:3, Acts 26:25), where it is used to describe the Roman Governors Felix and Festus before whom Paul was brought.

The purpose of Luke's Gospel - [verse 4] Luke's Gospel was written to be "an orderly account" of the ministry of Jesus ("those things which were fulfilled among us" [verse 1]) intended to reinforce for Theophilus the things he had already been taught. Note, that while he seemingly felt it necessary to create an account specifically for Theophilus, Luke neither created some new teaching about the Gospel nor corrected what Theophilus had already been taught. Instead Luke makes it clear that he is giving Theophilus an orderly account of the things he has already learned. Whenever we feel that the Gospel is too simple and we seek after something more, we need to recall Paul's words in Romans 1:16: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek." and in Galatians 1:6-9.

The ways in which the Gospel was transmitted –In Luke 1:2 we see that there were first of all the "eyewitnesses and ministers of the word", in other words, the Apostles and the seventy disciples. These had delivered what they saw and heard to others, a second group who spread the Gospel, the "many (who) have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of the things which have been fulfilled among us" (Lk 1:1). Luke's wording implies that those who set down the narrative (written or oral) were not themselves eyewitnesses so it is likely that he refers to accounts other than the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. John's Gospel was written later, perhaps as late as ca. 90 A.D..This second grouping, into which Luke's Gospel would fall, consisted of written and oral accounts of the ministry, death, and resurrection of Christ.

The basis for Luke's Gospel - Luke tells us that he too received an account of the Gospel from the "eyewitnesses and ministers of the word" [verse 2] and that he "had perfect understanding of all things from the very first" [verse 3]. This last phrase spells out Luke's approach. To quote one commentator:

 The literal translation of the original here would be, "having exactly traced everything from the first;" or, "having, by diligent and careful investigation, "followed up" everything to the "source," to obtain an accurate account of the matter." This much better expresses the idea. Luke did not profess to have seen these things, and this expression is designed to show how he acquired his information. It was by "tracing up" every account until he became satisfied of its truth.

(from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database Copyright © 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Luke was the kind of person who would have been a good private investigator or historian. Luke's Gospel is the sole source for several pieces of information about the events surrounding the Life of Jesus:

·         it is the only source for the miraculous foretelling and birth of John the Baptist

·         it contains the fullest account of the Christmas story, the birth of Jesus

·         it is the sole source for several of Jesus' parables  and miracles

·         it frequently provides more details with regard to names, places, and dates

Parables unique to Luke:

1.    The two debtors;

2.    Good Samaritan;

3.    Friend at midnight;

4.    Rich fool;

5.    Barren fig tree;

6.    Lost silver;

7.    Prodigal son;

8.    Unjust steward;

9.    Rich man and Lazarus;

10. Unjust judge;

11. Pharisee and publican;

and two others, the Great Supper, and the Pounds, which, with many points of similarity, differ considerably from those found in Matthew.

(from McClintock and Strong Encyclopedia, Electronic Database. Copyright © 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Miracles unique to Luke:

1.    Miraculous draught;

1.    The son of the widow of Nain;

2.    The woman with a spirit of infirmity;

3.    The man with a dropsy;

4.    The ten lepers;

5.    The healing of Malchus's ear

(from McClintock and Strong Encyclopedia, Electronic Database. Copyright © 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Birth Announcement of John the Baptist

Luke 1 contains the accounts of the birth of both John the Baptist and Jesus. This was a pivotal time in the history of the world, when God replaced the old Abrahamic covenant, under which the priest and prophet were the intermediaries between man and God, with the new covenant based on the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus, under which each believer was able to establish their own relationship with God.

With the death and resurrection of Jesus, the old priestly class was no longer necessary. In Jesus, as the author of Hebrews tells us, we have a perfect High Priest, Heb 7:20 – 8:2.

Within a century after the death of Jesus, with the sack of Jerusalem, the destruction of the Temple, and the dispersion of the Jews throughout the Roman Empire, it became increasingly difficult if not impossible to determine who was a descendant of Aaron or of David. But that no longer mattered, as the Messiah had already come and had rendered the Levites no longer necessary.

But before all that, we see God in these verses in Luke 1 bestow one final, great honor to the house of Aaron in the person of John the Baptist. John the Baptist, whose parents are both descendants of Aaron, the first priest, is a transitional figure, helping to usher in the new covenant. Although by birth he was entitled to be a priest, John was called by God to be, as Jesus tells us in Luke 7:28, the greatest of all the prophets. (Matthew 11:11)

Unlike the Old Testament priests, whose job it was to serve in the Lord's house and offer sacrifices to cover the sins of the Children of Israel, John the Baptist, like other Old Testament prophets before him, preached "a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins"(Lk 3:3). John called the Children of Israel to turn away from sinning and get right with God.

But while turning from sin allows an individual to live righteously before God from that point on, as John's parents Zacharias and Elizabeth did, that alone is not enough to get a person into heaven. There remains payment for sins already committed and "the wages of sin is death" (Rom 6:23).

As people came forward to be baptized by John, they did so out of the conviction that they were sinners who were not right with God and needed to be made right. Such a mindset is a necessary first step towards salvation by faith in the work of Jesus upon the cross. In this way, John's baptism of repentance fulfilled his father Zacharias' prophesy in Luke 1:76-79

We will look in more detail at Zacharias' prophesy regarding his son when we cover that section of Luke chapter 1. But for now it is enough to see that God gave John the Baptist the honor of making ready the hearts of the children of Israel to receive the message of the Gospel.

In the first four chapters of his Gospel, Luke will parallel the events surrounding the birth of John the Baptist [chapter 1] with that of Jesus [chapters 1 & 2] and then the early ministry of John the Baptist [chapter 3] with that of Jesus [chapter 4]. But at that point the work of John the Baptist is done and his role decreases, so that the role of Jesus may increase. Except for a brief passage in chapter 7, wherein messengers from John inquire of Jesus if He is truly the Messiah, and a couple of mentions of his name, the Gospel of Luke has nothing more to say about John the Baptist.

John's Birth Announced to Zacharias

Luke 1:5-7

5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.

John the Baptist's parents are both of the tribe of Aaron, to whose family God had given the honor of serving as His priests. Zacharias means "Jehovah has remembered" and Elizabeth "God is my oath." Note that they are a righteous couple whose righteousness comes from their walking in the commandments of the Lord. Both Zacharias and Elizabeth were sinners, for all people sin, there is not a just person on earth Ecclesiastes 7:20.

Like Abraham and Sarah, they are childless, and like Abraham and Sarah, God will miraculously allow Elizabeth to conceive, even in old age.

Luke 1:8-12

8 So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

On the divisions of priests, see 1 Chronicle 24:3-19. As the number of priests grew numerous, King David established by lot a rotation for priestly service in the house of the Lord. Twenty-four divisions or families of priests were designated together with a rotation determined by lot. Each division of priests served one week in the house of God every six months. All divisions served during the Feast of Booths. The position of the class of Abijah, to which Zacharias belonged, in the rotation was eighth.

The golden altar at which Zacharias was burning incense was out in front of the part of the temple that held the holiest of holies. Incense was burned twice a day for the Lord, accompanied by prayer. See Exodus 30:1-10 for more detail on the altar of incense.

Luke1:13-17

13 But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 He will also 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 a people prepared for the Lord."

Here the angel Gabriel tells us the following:

·         God has heard the prayer of Zacharias (perhaps even that very day) for a child and will make it possible for Elizabeth to bear a son to be named John (meaning "the Lord will be gracious")

·         John's birth will be an occasion for rejoicing, for several reasons. John will be the child his parents have wished and prayed for. Furthermore, his conception will be by the grace of God. But Gabriel gives Zacharias other reasons for rejoicing:

o   John will be great in the sight of the Lord. So great indeed that Jesus testified of John the Baptist [Luke 7:28],

o   John will be a Nazirite ("one consecrated to God" Num 6:1-21)

o   John will be filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb.

o   John will turn many of the Children of Israel to their God.

o   John will go before Him (i.e., the Messiah) in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, to turn the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, and to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

What believing parent would not rejoice to have such things foretold regarding their yet to be conceived child, by an angel no less.

Let us examine Lk1:17 in more detail, especially with regard to the prophecy in the Book of Malachi that Gabriel quotes from. The passage from Malachi below are the final words spoken by God to the Children of Israel in the Old Testament under the Abrahamic covenant.

Malachi 4:5-6

5  Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet
Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
6 And he will turn
The hearts of the fathers to the children,
And the hearts of the children to their fathers,
Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse."

In Malachi 4:5-6 God promises to send Israel the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Elijah will come to "turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers" [verse 6]. The most direct interpretation of the passage would be that Elijah will return in the flesh; however, it could just as easily be construed to mean Elijah in spirit. 

God tells us that the timing of Elijah's arrival is before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. It is uncertain what period this expression refers to, but it seems likely that it is some event from the Tribulation period or afterwards. It could be one of the seal or bowl judgments of the Tribulation period. Or perhaps the time of reaping when blood runs from the great winepress of the wrath of God up to the horses' bridles for a distance of 200 miles. Perhaps it is the coming of Christ in Revelations 19:11-16. Or perhaps the judgment of the quick and the dead by Jesus that occurs 1000 years later.

But whenever the great and dreadful day of the Lord is, Elijah's mission is to turn the hearts of the fathers and children toward one-another before that day occurs, so that the Lord will not curse the land of Israel. Since it is to Israel that God is speaking in Malachi, the simplest interpretation of "fathers" would be the patriarchs of Israel: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and perhaps Moses, Joshua, and David - men whose hearts were knit to God. Similarly, "children" would seem to be the generation of the Children of Israel when Elijah is sent - men and women who, compared to the faith of patriarchs, have drifted away from the Lord their God.

Does Gabriel merely quote from Malachi or is he asserting that John the Baptist is the fulfillment or a fulfillment of this prophesy? It is possible that a prophesy can have more than one fulfillment. Let us see how closely the life of John the Baptist aligns with the circumstances of the prophesy.

Although Gabriel does not explicitly say so, it is clear that God will make possible the birth of John. So in that sense, it is the Lord who is sending him. And it is clear that the Lord is sending John to the Children of Israel. Verse 16 tells us that , John the Baptist was sent "to turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. " In the first part of Luke 1:17 Gabriel tells Zacharias that John will go before Jesus "in the spirit and power of Elijah". Gabriel's words make it clear that John is not Elijah but rather is like Elijah. Gabriel has already told Zacharias in verse 15 that John will be filled with the Holy Spirit, the same Holy Spirit Elijah had, and through the same Holy Spirit John has access to the power of God as did Elijah.

Gabriel now clearly connects John to the prophecy in Malachi by quoting a portion of that passage: John will go before the Messiah to "turn the hearts of the fathers to the children". Again this seems in keeping with the passage in Malachi, since, as we have seen, John the Baptist was sent to prepare the Children of Israel for the coming of the Messiah.

And finally, in a very real sense, John the Baptist, is sent "before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord". When Jesus rose again after three days in the grave and ascended into Heaven,

Luke 1:18-25

18 And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this? [“How will I know the truth of this promise?”] For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years."

19 And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. 20 But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time."

21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. 22 But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.

23 So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. 24 Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, 25 "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people."

Note, Gabriel is only mentioned by Luke in the New Testament (Lk 1:19, 1:26) and by Daniel in the Old Testament (Dan 8:16, 9:21).

Note too that Zacharias, even though he is a righteous man and a priest, serving the Lord by burning incense before the Holy of Holies, has trouble believing  that Gabriel's words will actually happen. In this regard, Zacharias' reaction is contrasted to Mary's in Lk 1:38. Zacharias' does not ask how what Gabriel says will come to pass, which is Mary's question, but rather how he can understand, be certain about, or believe what he has been told. Gabriel tells us clearly that Zacharias did not believe the words that he had told him [Lk 1:20].

On the other hand once Mary has been told how she will be made pregnant, her response is "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." (Luke 1:38) We, as believers should ask ourselves, are we more like Mary or Zacharias? Do we believe in God merely or do we take God at His word? Do we believe He has done the things that the Bible tells us? Do we believe His promises to us will be fulfilled? Zacharias' being struck mute is a symbol for what happens when we do not have faith in God's word. When we do not trust God, we make it harder to testify to the faithfulness of God.

But note also that Zacharias' lack of belief does not stop the plan of God from going forward. God is sovereign and able to accomplish His ends with or without our cooperation. When we chose not to trust or believe God, like Zacharias, we lose out on some of the blessing we would have received. Zacharias was lost his ability to speak until John had been born. For those months it was more difficult for him to express what had happened to him, what he had seen and been told, and how he felt. We as believers need to be watchful that we do not miss out on all the opportunities the Lord gives us to grow in faith, glorify Him, and receive blessings from Him.

Finally, we learn in Lk1:19 that the angel Gabriel stands in the presence of God and acts as the messenger of God. Angels are God's messengers, sent to instruct and protect believers here on earth. Although the passage does not explicitly say so, it is God not Gabriel who passes the sentence of temporary muteness on Zacharias for his lack of belief. God in His omniscience knew Zacharias' response before He sent Gabriel and instructed the angel how to respond.