Luke 1:39-80:  The Songs Of Mary And Zacharias”

By

Jim Bomkamp

Back           Bible Studies                Home Page

 

1.     INTRO:

 

1.1.                     In our last study, we looked at the introduction to the gospel of Luke and then considered the first 38 verses of chapter 1.

 

1.2.                     In our study today, we are going to look at verses 39-80 of chapter 1 of the book.

 

1.2.1.  In our last study we looked at the two angelic appearances of Gabriel to Zacharias, a Levitical priest and the husband of Elizabeth, and to a young virgin engaged to a man, named Mary.  Both appearances were made in order to make annunciations concerning the birth of a son:

 

1.2.1.1.      Zacharias:

 

1.2.1.1.1.           Zacharias and Elizabeth were in their old age after having been childless all of their married life and having prayed for a child to be born to them beginning 70+ years earlier.

 

1.2.1.1.2.           The angel immediately announced to Zacharias that he and Elizabeth were to have a son and that they were  to name the son “John.”  This son was to be great in the sight of the Lord, dedicated from birth to the Lord with a Nazrite vow, and it would be him who would go before the Lord (speaking of the Messiah) to prepare the way for him, just as the scripture had prophesied would occur (see Isaiah 40 and Malachi 4).

 

1.2.1.2.      Mary (6 months later):

 

1.2.1.2.1.           Mary was immediately hailed by the angel as a “favored one,” and told that she was going to conceive in her womb a son by the Holy Spirit and that this baby would be called “Jesus” (which means “Jehovah saves”) and that He would be great for He would be the “Son of God” and reign upon the throne of David forever.  “Jesus” would be the promised Messiah, the hope of Israel.

 

1.2.2.  We saw in that study that there were two different responses to the angelic announcements:

 

1.2.2.1.      Zacharias’ response was one of “unbelief,” he asked the angel for a sign to confirm to him that these things would occur.

 

1.2.2.1.1.           Because of his unbelief the angel told Zacharias that he would be unable to speak until the day that these things took place.

 

1.2.2.2.      Though Mary questioned the angel about how things would be accomplished with her becoming pregnant, she responded in “faith” and simply told the angel, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.”

 

1.2.3.  In our study today, we are going to continue our study from last week and see that many events occur in fulfillment of what the angel had previously announced to Zacharias and Mary:

 

1.2.3.1.      Mary comes to visit Elizabeth since she had been told by the angel of the baby which Elizabeth had conceived in her womb. 

 

1.2.3.2.      The baby, “John the Baptist,” is born to Zacharias and Elizabeth at the end of Mary’s visiting them.

 

1.2.3.3.      Both Mary and Zacharias respond with a song or hymn to the great things that the Lord is doing in their lives at this point in time.  We consider their responses as songs because they are constructed like songs.

 

1.2.4.  A common theme in this section of study we are considering today is “joy in what the Lord is doing” in the lives of each character:  Zacharias, Elizabeth, and Mary.

 

2.     VS 1:39-45  - “39 Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 “And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? 44 “For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.  45 “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”” -  Mary goes to meet with her relative Elizabeth after the angel Gabriel appears to her announcing the birth of Jesus

 

2.1.                      In our last study, we saw that though Mary had not asked for a sign that the things which the angel Gabriel had promised her would occur in regard to her conceiving a child through the Holy Spirit, none-the-less the angel gave her a sign:  her relative Elizabeth in her old age had also conceived a child and Elizabeth was now 6 months pregnant.

 

2.2.                     Mary did not waste any time after receiving this message from Gabriel but went ‘in a hurry’ to whatever city (it doesn’t tell us) to visit with her relative Elizabeth and receive this confirmation from the Lord.

 

2.3.                     Before this meeting with Mary, how much did Elizabeth know about the Lord’s plans concerning her son, John the Baptist, and Jesus, the child her relative Mary was carrying?

 

2.3.1.  There is debate here about whether or not Zacharias had communicated to Elizabeth all of the details concerning his encounter with the angel announcing their birth of a son, and thus whether Zacharias had told Elizabeth that John would be the forerunner preparing the way for the Lord.  It is also possible that the angel had communicated more to Zacharias in the temple than what is written here and that in addition he knew that his relative Mary would also conceive a child and that this child would be the Messiah. 

 

2.3.2.  Many believe that when Elizabeth saw Mary here that the Holy Spirit immediately revealed to her that the baby in Mary’s womb would be the Messiah.  From the text this explanation sounds most plausible.

 

2.4.                     In our last study, we saw that John the Baptist was to be filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb, and here we see that he leaps in the womb when Mary, who is carrying baby Jesus in her womb, enters the room.  Some have said that it was at this point in time that John was filled with the Spirit, and this makes sense because Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit at this moment in time.

 

2.5.                     This leaping in the womb was John the Baptist’s first ministry role in pointing to Jesus and preparing the way for Him.

 

2.6.                     Baby John leaps for “joy.”  Remember, “joy” is a recurrent theme in our study today.

 

2.7.                     Elizabeth declares how that Mary is ‘blessed’ among women and that the fruit of Mary’s womb (Jesus) is ‘blessed.’

 

2.8.                     Notice that Elizabeth refers to baby Jesus in Mary’s womb as, ‘my lord.’  This phrase confirms that Elizabeth knew that Mary was carrying a baby who was “God incarnate.”

 

2.9.                     What is a key in this entire chapter is believing God’s word.  Zacharias had been made mute for his unbelief upon hearing the angelic announcement made to him about the birth of John the Baptist.  Now here Elizabeth declares that Mary is ‘blessed’ because she ‘believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.’

 

2.9.1.  Since her husband Zacharias had been deaf and dumb now for 6 months because he had not believed in the word spoken by the angel who had appeared to him to tell him that his prayer for a son had been answered, Elizabeth was acutely aware of the importance of always placing your faith in God’s word and acting in faith upon it.

 

2.9.2.  The very promise of God intended for blessing in our lives can end up being a curse if it is met by unbelief in our hearts, as this story of Zacharias’ demonstrates. 

 

2.9.3.  We need to learn the lessons of those in the scriptures who failed to receive the Lord’s blessing because of their unbelief, people such as the Israelites, for instance, who were delivered by the Lord from slavery and Egypt and yet who failed to be able to enter the promised land because of their unbelief, and they just ended up wandering around in the desert for 40 years until they died off.

 

3.     VS 1:46-49  - “46 And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord, 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 48 “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. 49 “For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name.” -  Mary begins her song of praise to the Lord

 

3.1.                     This song of Mary’s has been called “The Magnificat” because of the word that she uses in the beginning saying that her soul ‘exalts’ or “magnifies” the Lord.

 

3.2.                     Mary had studied the scriptures for here we see that she uses the very words in verse 46 that Hanna had used (‘My soul exalts the Lord’) when the Lord had answered her and given her a son in Samuel, 1 Sam. 2:1-10.

 

3.3.                     When the Lord pours His blessings into our lives let us be sure to exalt Him in praise and worship Him because of the great things He has done in our life.

 

3.4.                     Mary declares that God is her ‘Savior’ and since it is only sinners who need a savior, then contrary to what some churches have taught about the sinlessness of Mary she must be a sinner herself.  Mary saw herself as any other child of God who is unworthy of God’s favor and grace.

 

3.5.                     As was mentioned in our last study, Mary was a recipient of God’s grace not a bestower of it, and one of the big themes in Mary’s song here is the grace of God that has been poured out into her life as a result of her being chosen to bear this child who will be the Lord incarnate.

 

3.6.                     Mary is blown away here that though she is undeserving of receiving such a blessing from the Lord that none the less the Lord has had ‘regard’ for her in choosing her from all of the women on the earth to bear this child who will be special above all other children to ever live upon the earth.

 

3.7.                     Mary again refers to herself as the Lord’s ‘bondslave.’  Let us be encouraged for the Lord has high regard for those of us who consider ourselves the Lord’s ‘bondslave.’

 

3.8.                     Mary recalls here that she will be counted ‘blessed’ by every generation because she was chosen to bear THE Son of God.

 

3.9.                     The Greek word “makridzo” is translated ‘blessed’ in these verses and it means “to be indwelt by God and therefore fully satisfied.”  All true blessing in believers’ lives is the result of being indwelt by God.  How we all ought to seek to be filled with all of the fullness of God in our lives for thereby we shall find satisfaction.

 

3.9.1.  A different Greek word, “eulego,” was translated ‘blessed’ in verse 42 and it is the word from which we get our English word “eulogize” and it means “to be remembered.”

 

3.10.                God is in the business of humbling the proud and exalting the humble.  Mary was favored and blessed by the Lord because of her humility before the Lord.  How we ought to imitate her heart in humbling ourselves before the Lord.

 

3.11.                Mary recognized that it was not her goodness or holiness that was bringing about these things at this time, rather these all came about because of the goodness and grace of God, for none are good but God alone.

 

3.12.                Mary calls the Lord “the Mighty One’ and what both Mary and Zacharias are declaring in their songs in this chapter is the Lord’s power and might in bringing about these events, two miraculous births and the Savior of the world who will bring forgiveness of sins to mankind.

 

3.13.                Mary praises the Lord saying, ‘holy is His Name.’

 

4.     VS 1:50-53  - “50 “And His mercy is upon generation after generation Toward those who fear Him. 51 “He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. 52 “He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble. 53 “He has filled the hungry with good things; And sent away the rich empty-handed.” -  Mary turns from praising the Lord for the great things He has done in her life to praising Him for the great things He has done in people’s lives in all of the earth

 

4.1.                     Mary knew that the Lord was her “Savior” and also that salvation has come from the Lord to mankind because of the ‘mercy’ of the Lord.  This ‘mercy’ the Lord has extended to every generation of people, for all have had the chance to receive salvation.

 

4.2.                     This Hebrew word translated ‘mercy’ is the word the Septuigint (Greek translation of the Old Testament made about 250BC) used to translate the Hebrew word “hesed,” which refers to the Lord’s steadfast love, or lovingkindness, of His people.  You can see this for example in:

 

4.2.1.  Psalm 103:1-6, “1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; 3 Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; 4 Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; 5 Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle. 6 The Lord performs righteous deeds And judgments for all who are oppressed.”

 

4.3.                     Mary speaks of the ‘mighty deeds’ that the Lord has done upon the earth.  She says that the Lord has:

 

4.3.1.   ‘scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.’

 

4.3.2.  ‘brought down rulers from their thrones.’

 

4.3.3.  ‘exalted those who were humble.’

 

4.4.                     In the scriptures we see the theme repeated over and over that the Lord has a special interest and care for the helpless and downcast in the earth, and here we see that Mary recalls that the Lord has ‘filled the hungry with good things.’

 

4.5.                     Mary knew part of the Sermon on the Mount here for she knew that the poor in spirit are blessed.

 

4.6.                     The rich have no need or desire for the Lord and thus the Lord has ‘sent away the rich empty-handed.’

 

5.     VS 1:54-55  - “54 “He has given help to Israel His servant, In remembrance of His mercy, 55 As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and his descendants forever.”” -  Mary now begins to praise the Lord for how He has blessed His people Israel specially of all those upon the earth

 

5.1.                     Mary states that the Lord ‘has given help to Israel’ and He has done so ‘in remembrance of His mercy,’ or so that His mercy might be remembered upon the earth because of the great things He has done for them out of His grace and mercy.

 

5.2.                     Mary says that the help and blessing that has come to Israel has come about because they are descendants of ‘Abraham,’ the man whom the Lord called away to go to a land He would choose and live separate as the people of God. 

 

5.3.                     Likewise, the salvation that the Lord would bring about through Jesus on the cross of Calvary was the fulfillment of the promises the Lord made to Abraham and his descendants.

 

6.     VS 1:56  - “56 And Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home.” -  Mary stays with Elizabeth and Zacharias for three months

 

6.1.                     Because it seems inconceivable that Mary would stay with Elizabeth right up until the time that Elizabeth would give birth to John and then leave just before the birth, many believe that Mary stayed here with Elizabeth until just after John the Baptist was born.  However, Mary may have left before the birth of John.

 

6.2.                     Now that Mary is three months pregnant, returning home she is going to show her pregnancy and surely this is going to cause the rumor mill to start cranking in Nazareth concerning her.  It is also during this time just after her return home that other gospel writers include the story about her husband Joseph thinking that he would divorce her privately because she had become pregnant, when suddenly the Lord appears to him in a dream and confirms that Mary was pregnant because she had conceived a child by the Holy Spirit (see Matt. 1:19-21).

 

7.     VS 1:57-63  - “57 Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her. 59 And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zacharias, after his father. 60 But his mother answered and said, “No indeed; but he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name.” 62 And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. 63 And he asked for a tablet and wrote as follows, “His name is John.” And they were all astonished.” -  Elizabeth gives birth to her baby, and she and Zacharias name him ‘John’

 

7.1.                     Great joy came to Elizabeth and Zacharias at the birth of this son for whom they had begun praying 70+ years prior.  This child came about because of the Lord’s ‘great mercy’ toward them.

 

7.2.                     It was customary in this day for a son to be named after his father or a close relative, therefore everyone present is shocked when John is at the temple to be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth and Elizabeth tells the priest that the baby’s name shall be John.

 

7.3.                     The fact that Elizabeth tells the crowd at the temple the name chosen by the angel for her son shows that Zacharias had indeed communicated to Elizabeth at least some of the things that the angel had said to him in the temple, for the angel had specified the baby’s name to Zacharias.

 

7.4.                     In verse 62, we see that the people wanted to ask Zacharias what he wanted the baby to be named and that they were trying to use sign language to do so.  This is a very good indication then that in the temple the angel had caused Zacharias to become both deaf and dumb.

 

7.5.                     Faith in what the Lord has promised is a theme in this study today, and here we see that Zacharias is now walking in faith and accepting by faith the words spoken to him by the angel in the temple, for he writes down for the people, ‘his name is John.’

 

7.6.                     Notice that Zacharias didn’t say that the baby’s name shall be called ‘John’ but that his name ‘is John.’  At conception this baby is not just fetal tissue as many in our culture today like to think, rather he is a person and he is even filled with the Holy Spirit and functioning as the forerunner of the Lord while in the womb.

 

8.     VS 1:64-66  - “64 And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God. 65 Fear came on all those living around them; and all these matters were being talked about in all the hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, “What then will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was certainly with him.” -  Zacharias has his tongued loosed by the angel and he begins to speak in praise to the Lord

 

8.1.                     It was fitting that the tongue that had been bound because of unbelief is now loosed because of Zacharias’ expression of faith in writing down that his baby boy is named “John,” the name given to him by the angel for the boy.

 

8.2.                     During these 9 months of being dumb (and probably also deaf) Zacharias had learned some lessons about the importance of placing your faith in God’s word and not allowing doubt of the Lord to enslave and cripple you as a witness and ambassador of the Lord.  Zacharias now believes that the Lord is going to fulfill His word and bring this son of promise they had begun praying for 70+ years before.

 

8.3.                     Faith in the promises of the Lord always leads us to the proclaiming of praise to the Lord, for faith and praise are related brothers.

 

8.4.                     Is your tongue loosed for the Lord to be a witness to Him and give Him the praise He deserves?  Or, is unbelief causing your tongue also to be bound? 

 

8.5.                     The result of this miracle of Zacharias suddenly having his tongue loosed and then immediately beginning to praise the Lord brought ‘fear’ upon the people living around them, for the Lord had done a great miraculous work in this.

 

8.6.                     As a result of the Lord miraculously healing Zacharias’ ability to speak, the people began wondering just how special baby John would really end up being.  They perhaps wondered, “Is this the Messiah who has been born?”  Perhaps Zacharias and Elizabeth told all who would listen that their baby was called to be the forerunner for the Messiah.

 

9.     VS 1:67-75  - “67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: 68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, 69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David His servant— 70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old— 71 Salvation from our enemies, And from the hand of all who hate us; 72 To show mercy toward our fathers, And to remember His holy covenant,  73 The oath which He swore to Abraham our father, 74 To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, 75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.” -  Zacharias now begins to speak the words of his song

 

9.1.                     This song of Zacharias has been called, “The Benedictus.’  This title comes from the first word of this song in the Latin translation.

 

9.2.                     Zacharias declares that the Lord is ‘blessed’ because he has visited us ‘and accomplished redemption’ for His people, raising up ‘a horn of salvation.’

 

9.2.1.  The metaphor of the ‘horn’ in the Old Testament symbolized a weapon that was used for offense and defense, and in fact sometimes men would go to war using as weapons the horns of dead animals. 

 

9.2.2.  Jesus has worked in great might and power, such as a mighty conquering Ram, in procuring redemption and salvation for mankind, as the events of Calvary’s cross reveal to us. 

 

9.3.                     Whereas Mary’s song started as she began to magnify and extol the Lord for the great and gracious things that He had done on her behalf, Zacharias’ song begins with him speaking prophetically and recalling the purpose for which baby John would be called to fulfill in leading the way for the Messiah, the One who would purchase redemption for all mankind. 

 

9.4.                     Through the eyes of faith, Zacharias saw the redemption that would be brought about by Jesus as an accomplished fact.

 

9.5.                     Slaves could be redeemed and to ‘redeem’ someone meant to set them free having paid the price for their freedom.  Zacharias proclaims prophetically that the Lord has visited mankind and ‘accomplished redemption for His people.’  On Calvary’s tree Jesus paid the price for our sins which we would never have been able to pay.

 

9.6.                     Warren Wiersbe writes, “The word salvation (vv. 69,71) carries the meaning of “health and soundness.”  No matter what the condition of the captives, their Redeemer brings spiritual soundness.  When you trust Jesus Christ as Savior, you are delivered from Satan’s power, moved into God’s kingdom, redeemed and forgiven (Col. 1:12-14).”

 

9.7.                     Having only an Old Testament perspective, Zacharias saw salvation as the fulfilling for Israel the covenant promises made to Abraham, and thus it involved Israel’s being delivered from her enemies and all who hate her.

 

9.8.                     In verse 73, Zacharias mentions an oath spoken by the Lord to Abraham as being fulfilled on this day, and this probably refers to the oath spoken to him in Gen. 22:16-18 after Abraham passed the test of obedience in being willing to offer up his only son as a sacrifice, “16 and said, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”  Spiritual descendants (children of the Lord) too numerous to count are the result of this oath by the Lord to Abraham.  This promise is fulfilled by all the millions of men and women throughout history since this day who have and will come to saving faith in Christ for salvation.

 

10.            VS 1:76-79  - “76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways; 77 To give to His people the knowledge of salvation By the forgiveness of their sins, 78 Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, 79 To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”” -  Zacharias says that baby John will be a prophet and bring to His people, the Jews, the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins

 

10.1.                John the Baptist was not just baptize people, he was called in the office of a prophet of the Lord.  As a prophet, John the Baptist had a gospel (“good news”) message for God’s people to hear, a message involving ‘the knowledge of salvation.’

 

10.2.                Being saved by the Lord involves having one’s sin removed by ‘the forgiveness of their sins.’  Atonement will be made for sin by Jesus in 33 years when He dies upon the cross of Calvary, and based upon this atonement forgiveness is able to be received from the Lord.

 

10.3.                The receiving of forgiveness removes the enmity that exists between sinful men or women and the Lord, who is completely holy and righteous.

 

10.4.                This message of John the Baptist is a message that will shine upon those people whose lives are being lived in ‘darkness’ and the ‘shadow of death.’

 

10.4.1.                     In the 23rd Psalm, David wrote that when he walked down through the ‘shadow of death’ that he would fear no evil for the Lord’s rod and staff comforted him.  This ‘shadow of death’ is that scary and dangerous path that each person sometimes walks in on this earth where in your circumstances you realize that at any moment you could die or be killed and go directly on to your eternal destination.  You are in death’s shadow during those times as you realize just how fragile your life really is.  Fear of death is something that most people experience, however for David the Lord had conquered that fear by the knowledge from His word of how the Lord sought to protect, guide, and provide for him.

 

10.4.2.                     In Ephesians 5:8 the apostle Paul wrote the following which pertains to every one of us as Christians, “8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light.”

 

10.5.                The title of ‘Most High’ refers to the Lord as “exalted transcendent deity.”

 

11.            VS 1:80  - “80 And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.” -  John continued to grow and become strong in spirit

 

11.1.                Note here that John was not raised in the city as other children, but rather he grew up in the deserts, and it was there in the deserts where he would be prepared by the Lord for his ‘public appearance to Israel’ when it came time for him to function as the forerunner for the Messiah.

 

11.2.                We don’t really know when it was that John’s parents began to raise him in the wilderness, and in fact, just like the early life of Jesus, the scriptures really do not tell us much if anything about John’s life up until that point in time when he began to function as the forerunner of the Lord. 

 

11.3.                We do know of his diet that John ate locusts and wild honey, and that for clothes he wore camel skins and a leather belt.  We assume that as part of his Nazrite Vow that John also did not cut his hair.

 

12.            CONCLUSIONS:

 

12.1.                As we consider the events of this story and this message, we are reminded over and over again through the lives of Zacharias and Mary of the importance of believing God’s word when we have heard it, of trusting in the promises of God for ourselves.  In Heb. 4:2, we read that the word of God that we read or hear cannot profit us unless it is mixed with faith on our part, “2 For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.”

 

12.1.1.                     May the Lord grant us faith to trust in His word and promises for us.

 

12.1.2.                     May the Lord also remove our blindness in those times when we do not have spiritual eyes to see the fulfillment of the things that the Lord has said that He will do.

 

12.2.                May we also be like Mary and consider ourselves to be the Lord’s “bond slave.”

 

Back                 Bible Studes                            Home Page