A Greek commentary on John
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Cruising the gospel – Luke 1:26-56
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Luke 1:26-38 – Elishwa (Elizabeth) is now two thirds of the way through her pregnancy. It seems Gafriel (Gabriel) is a pretty busy angel around this time, having spoken to Zekharya (Zecheriah) about Johanan (John)’s birth, he now returns, this time to Glila (Galilee) to speak with Maryam (Mary) about her coming pregnancy.
His task this time is to visit the small village of Nasra (Nazareth) to visit and convey a message to a young virgin, Maryam, who was already engaged to marry Yosef (Joseph). The name is often shortened to Yose. Significantly Yosef was a descendent of King Dawith (David) and this explains the sense of Yahshua as a king, accounting for ‘royal’ in the sense that we who follow Yahshua are a ‘royal priesthood’. Remember that when you pray for someone or something. If you pray for someone to be healed or for a demon to be thrown out, it will be done because you are royalty! You did not deserve the title ‘royal’, but you inherited it as a brother or sister of King Yahshua.
The name Josef comes from the Hebrew root y-s-p, meaning ‘to add’. For an example, see Genesis 30:24.
Gafriel appears and tells Maryam, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favoured! Yahweh is with you.’ Luke tells us that this really worried Maryam, it’s likely the angel used the Holy name Yahweh, or perhaps the permitted Hebrew alternative Adonai (my Lord), today he might have used the Hebrew term Ha Shem (The Name). But however Gafriel put it, it would have been an astonishing thing for a young woman to hear. This is the sort of thing that might happen to an older man, especially if he was a priest, but to a young woman from one of the other tribes it would seem impossible, perhaps even forbidden. But who can argue with an angel, a messenger sent from the presence of Yahweh?
Gafriel immediately steps in to reassure her (Luke 1:30-33)
- He tells her not to be afraid as she has found favour with the Almighty.
- He says she will become pregnant and a son will be born and should be called Yahshua (Jesus). (This part may not have been very reassuring.)
- He explains that this child will be great and will be called Elohim’s son.
- He says that Yahweh will give Yahshua the throne of Dawith.
And finally he says that this son will rule over Jacob’s descendants for ever and his kingdom will never come to an end.
These are very heavy duty promises! Maryam expresses confusion, but the fear seems to have left her. She wants to know how she can become pregnant as she is a virgin. Gafriel tells her plainly, ‘Ruach (the Holy Spirit or Yahweh’s breath) will come over you and the power of Elyon (The Most High), so the baby will be called Ben Elohim (Son of God). Even your relative Elishwa is six months pregnant though everyone said it wasn’t possible. Nothing Yahweh promises will ever fail.
Maryam’s reply was simple – ‘I’m Yahweh’s servant, may what you have told me happen’.
Luke 39-56 – Maryam wasted no time, she hurried off to see Elishwa in the Judean hill country. When they met, Elishwa was filled with the Holy Spirit and loudly proclaimed Maryam to be blessed and her coming baby too. Elishwa’s baby jumped in her womb on hearing Maryam’s voice. Maryam was inspired to say more as well, see Luke 1:46-55 (often called ‘The Magnificat’). This is rightly a famous passage and it pays to read it through carefully. Compare it with the words of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2:1-10 and Psalm 113. I leave this as an exercise for the reader – What’s the same? What’s different? What is significant? Leave a comment below, tell me what you discovered.
This was no flying visit by Maryam, she remained with Elishwa for three months, until it was time for Johanan’s birth. Then Maryam travelled back to Nasra to her parent’s home. Her two journeys, three months apart, would have been hard (about four days on foot) and perhaps dangerous for a young woman travelling alone. She must have been a determined young lady. We don’t know if her parents approved or not, but clearly she was going to make the trip come what may; she knew it was important. She might have taken the shorter route through Samaria, or she might have taken the Jericho route in order to remain in Galilee and Judea. We don’t know. Luke 1:39 tells us that she hurried which suggests she might have chosen the shorter route.
See also:
- Gospel of Luke – Wikipedia
- Magnificat, The – Wikipedia
The Wikipedia articles provide some useful information backed up by detailed references. If you want to understand the background in further detail they’re a good place to start, though they do focus a bit on Catholic and Orthodox opinion and teaching.
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