Luke 1
Luke writes to record the truth
Dear Theophilus,
Even though many books have already been written about the things that took place here (including accounts from eyewitnesses and philosophers), it seemed fitting that I should also write an chronological account since I investigated everything so carefully. The reason I’m writing this is that you can know the truth about the things you’ve been hearing.
God’s messenger tells Zacharias he’ll have a son
In the days when Herod was still Judea’s king, there was a priest name Zacharias (from Abijah’s lineage) who had a wife named Elizabeth (from Aaron’s lineage). They were both good people in God’s sight who lived blameless lives in regards to all of the Ruler’s orders and requirements. But they had no children because Elizabeth was infertile and they were both elderly.
One day while Zacharias performing his priestly duties before God like he was supposed to, he got chosen to enter the Ruler’s temple and burn incense. Because it was time to burn the incense, there was a huge crowd of people already praying outside. Then he saw one of the Ruler’s messengers standing to the right of the incense altar. When he saw the messenger, Zacharias was shocked and frightened, but the messenger told him,
“Don’t be afraid, Zacharias, because your plea has been heard and your wife Elizabeth will have a son, and you will name him John. You will be absolutely delighted and lots of people will celebrate his birth. He will be great in the Ruler’s sight, he won’t drink wine or alcohol, and his mind will be driven by God’s Ambition even while he’s in his mother’s belly. He will turn many Israelites back to the Ruler their God. He will be a forerunner who comes in the same ambition and power as Elijah ‘to turn the fathers’ hearts back to the children’ [cited from Mal 4:6] and turn disobedient people into people with righteous attitudes, getting people ready for the Ruler.”
Zacharias responded,
“How can I know this will really happen? Because my wife and I are both elderly”
The messenger answered,
“I am God’s Hero, Gabriel who stands in God’s presence, and I was sent here just to tell you this good news. And now since you didn’t believe me, you won’t be able to talk until the day when these things take place at their proper time.”
By this time, everyone was still outside waiting for Zacharias wondering what was taking him so long inside the temple. But when he came out he was unable to use his voice, and when he kept making signs to them, they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. Then he went back home when he had fulfilled the days of his priestly duties.
Shortly after, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, and she isolated herself for 5 months thinking, “The Ruler has favored me and taken away my reason for being ashamed.”
God’s messenger tells Mary she’ll have a son
Then in the 6th month, God sent the messenger Gabriel to a girl named Mary (who was virgin) in the city of Nazareth, Galilee who was engaged to a man named Joseph (one of David’s descendants). He entered and said,
“Get excited! You are favored and the Ruler is with you!”
But she was perplexed and didn’t know what to make of that statement. The messenger continued,
“Don’t be afraid, Mary. God favors you, and now you’ll conceive a child and give birth to a son who you will name Jesus. He will be renowned and will be known as The Ultimate’s son. The Ruler God will give him the throne of his forefather David. He will rule over Jacob’s household forever, and his kingdom will never come to an end.”
Mary replied,
“But how is that even possible since I’m a virgin?”
The messenger answered saying,
“God’s Ambition will descend upon you and The Ultimate’s power will overshadow you. That’s why the Godly child will be called God’s Son. Even now your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age: the one who used to be called infertile is now in her 6th month. Nothing is impossible for God.”
Mary said,
“I belong to the Ruler. May these things be done to me just like you have described.”
And then the messenger left.
Mary visits Elizabeth
Then Mary stood up and rushed off through the countryside hills to the city of Judah where Zacharias and Elizabeth lived. When she got to their house she greeted Elizabeth, and when Elizabeth heard Mary, the baby leaped in her belly, and Elizabeth was filled with the Godly Ambition. She cried out loudly saying,
“You are favored among women, and your child will be favored too! What did I do to deserve this honor of being visited by my Ruler’s mother? When the sound of your voice reached my ears, the baby in my tummy leapt for joy. Happy is the woman who believes that the Ruler’s message will be fulfilled.”
Mary replied,
“My soul magnifies the Ruler, and my every move celebrates God who saves me. I am just his slave, but he smiled upon me in my lowliness, and now all the future generations will remember me as happy. The Powerful One has done remarkable things for me, and his reputation is revered. Generation after generation he shows compassion toward those who revere him. He has done powerful things and dissolved those who thought they were better than others. He has taken down rulers form their thrones and lifted up those who were lowly. He has satisfied the hungry with good things and dismissed the rich from his presence empty-handed. He helped his servant Israel reminding us of how compassionate he is just like he told our forefathers, Abraham and his descendants through the ages.”
Then Mary stayed with her for about 3 months before returning back home.
John is born
When the time had come, Elizabeth gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives saw how the Ruler had shown his compassion on her, and celebrated with her. On the 8th day, when they were getting ready to circumcise the child, everyone wanted to name him Zacharias after his father, but his mother replied saying, “No, we will name him John.” They all said, “But you don’t have anyone in the family with that name,” so they asked the father what he wanted to name him. Zacharias signed for a tablet and wrote down, “His name is John,” and everyone was surprised. Then at that moment his mouth and tongue were released, and he started praising God. Everyone was spooked when he started speaking again, and everyone was talking about it all around the country hillside of Judea. Everyone who heard about it wondered “Who will this child turn out to be when he grows up?” because the Ruler’s hand was clearly with him.
Zacharias prophesies
Then his father Zacharias was filled with the Godly Ambition and prophesied, saying,
“Bless the Ruler, Israel’s God, because he visited us and bought back his people. He has awakened salvation for those of us in his servant David’s lineage, just like he foretold through his sacred prophets. The reason why he saves us from our enemies is to fulfill the oath he swore to our ancestor Abraham and so that we would serve him boldly, reverently, and willingly for as long as we live. And you, child, will be called the Ultimate’s prophet, because you will prepare the Ruler’s path by teaching his people that they can be saved if their faults are forgiven. God’s warm compassion will rise like the sun and shine on those who sit in the darkness of death’s shadow, guiding us into peace.”
And the child continued to grow and become spirited, living in the desert for solitude until he would appear to Israel.