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Matthew Henry's Commentary
Luke Chapter 1
The narrative which this evangelist gives us (or rather God by him) of the life
of Christ begins earlier than either Matthew or Mark. We have reason to thank
God for them all, as we have for all the gifts and graces of Christ's ministers,
which in one make up what is wanting in the other, while all put together make a
harmony. In this chapter we have, I. Luke's preface to his gospel, or his
epistle dedicatory to his friend Theophilus, ver. 1-4. II. The prophecy and
history of the conception of John Baptist, who was Christ's forerunner, ver.
5-25. The annunciation of the virgin Mary, or the notice given to her that she
should be the mother of the Messiah, ver. 26-38. IV. The interview between Mary
the mother of Jesus and Elisabeth the mother of John, when they were both with
child of those pregnant births, and the prophecies they both uttered upon that
occasion, ver. 39-56. V. The birth and circumcision of John Baptist, six months
before the birth of Christ, ver. 57-66. VI. Zacharias's song of praise, in
thankfulness for the birth of John, and in prospect of the birth of Jesus, ver.
67-79. VII. A short account of John Baptist's infancy, ver. 80. And these do
more than give us an entertaining narrative; they will lead us into the
understanding of the mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh.
The Appearance of an Angel to Zacharias; The Birth of John Foretold; The
Unbelief of Zacharias.
5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judæa, a certain priest named
Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron,
and her name was Elisabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking
in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 And they had no
child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken
in years. 8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office
before God in the order of his course, 9 According to the custom of the priest's
office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10
And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of
incense. 11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the
right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was
troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not,
Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a
son, and thou shalt call his name John. 14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness;
and many shall rejoice at his birth. 15 For he shall be great in the sight of
the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled
with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. 16 And many of the children of
Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. 17 And he shall go before him in the
spirit and power of Elias, 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. 18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this?
for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. 19 And the angel
answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am
sent to speak unto thee, and to show thee these glad tidings. 20 And, behold,
thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall
be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in
their season. 21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he
tarried so long in the temple. 22 And when he came out, he could not speak unto
them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he
beckoned unto them, and remained speechless. 23 And it came to pass, that, as
soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own
house. 24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself
five months, saying, 25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he
looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.
The two preceding evangelists had agreed to begin the gospel with the baptism of
John and his ministry, which commenced about six months before our Savior's
public ministry (and now, things being near a crisis, six months was a deal of
time, which before was but a little), and therefore this evangelist, designing
to give a more particular account than had been given of our Savior's
conception and birth, determines to do so of John Baptist, who in both was his
harbinger and forerunner, the morning-star to the Sun of righteousness. The
evangelist determines thus, not only because it is commonly reckoned a
satisfaction and entertainment to know something of the original extraction and
early days of those who afterwards prove great men, but because in the beginning
of these there were many things miraculous, and presages of what they afterwards
proved. In these verses our inspired historian begins as early as the conception
of John Baptist. Now observe here,
I. The account given of his parents (v. 5): They lived in the days of Herod the
king, who was a foreigner, and a deputy for the Romans, who had lately made
Judea a province of the empire. This is taken notice of to show that the sceptre
was quite departed from Judah, and therefore that now was the time for Shiloh to
come, according to Jacob's prophecy, Gen. xlix. 10. The family of David was now
sunk, when it was to rise, and flourish again, in the Messiah. Note, None ought
to despair of the reviving and flourishing of religion, even when civil
liberties are lost. Israel enslaved, yet then comes the glory of Israel.
Now the father of John Baptist was a priest, a son of Aaron; his name Zacharias.
No families in the world were ever so honored of God as those of Aaron and
David; with one was made the covenant of priesthood, with the other that of
royalty; they had both forfeited their honor, yet the gospel again puts honor
upon both in their latter days, on that of Aaron in John Baptist, on that of
David in Christ, and then they were both extinguished and lost. Christ was of
David's house, his forerunner of Aaron's; for his priestly agency and influence
opened the way to his kingly authority and dignity. This Zacharias was of the
course of Abia. When in David's time the family of Aaron was multiplied, he
divided them into twenty-four courses, for the more regular performances of
their office, that it might never be either neglected for want of hands or
engrossed by a few. The eighth of those was that of Abia (1 Chron. xxiv. 10),
who was descended from Eleazar, Aaron's eldest son; but Dr. Lightfoot suggests
that many of the families of the priests were lost in the captivity, so that
after their return they took in those of other families, retaining the names of
the heads of the respective courses. The wife of this Zacharias was of the
daughters of Aaron too, and her name was Elisabeth, the very same name with
Elisheba the wife of Aaron, Exod. vi. 23. The priests (Josephus saith) was very
careful to marry within their own family, that they might maintain the dignity
of the priesthood and keep it without mixture.
Now that which is observed concerning Zacharias and Elisabeth is,
1. That they were a very religious couple (v. 6): They were both righteous
before God; they were so in his sight whose judgment, we are sure, is according
to truth; they were sincerely and really so. They are righteous indeed that are
so before God, as Noah in his generation, Gen. vii. 1. They approved themselves
to him, and he was graciously pleased to accept them. It is a happy thing when
those who are joined to each other in marriage are both joined to the Lord; and
it is especially requisite that the priests, the Lord's ministers, should with
their yoke-fellows be righteous before God, that they may be examples to the
flock, and rejoice their hearts. They walked in all the commandments and
ordinances of the Lord, blameless. (1.) Their being righteous before God was
evidenced by the course and tenour of their conversations; they showed it, not
by their talk, but by their works; by the way they walked in and the rule they
walked by. (2.) They were of a piece with themselves; for their devotions and
their conversations agreed. They walked not only in the ordinances of the Lord,
which related to divine worship, but in the commandments of the Lord, which have
reference to all the instances of a good conversation, and must be regarded.
(3.) They were universal in their obedience; not that they never did in any
thing come short of their duty, but it was their constant care and endeavor to
come up to it. (4.) Herein, though they were not sinless, yet they were
blameless; nobody could charge them with any open scandalous sin; they lived
honestly and inoffensively, as ministers and their families are in a special
manner concerned to do, that the ministry be not blamed in their blame.
2. That they had been long childless, v. 7. Children are a heritage of the Lord.
But there are many of his heirs in a married state, that yet are denied this
heritage; they are valuable desirable blessings; yet many there are, who are
righteous before God, and, if they had children, would bring them up in his
fear, who yet are not thus blessed, while the men of this world are full of
children (Ps. xvii. 14), and send forth their little ones like a flock, Job xxi.
11. Elisabeth was barren, and they began to despair of ever having children, for
they were both now well stricken in years, when the women that have been most
fruitful leave off bearing. Many eminent persons were born of mothers that had
been long childless, as Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Samson, Samuel, and so here John
Baptist, to make their birth the more remarkable and the blessing of it the more
valuable to their parents, and to show that when God keeps his people long
waiting for mercy he sometimes is pleased to recompense them for their patience
by doubling the worth of it when it comes.
II. The appearing of an angel to his father Zacharias, as he was ministering in
the temple, v. 8-11. Zechariah the prophet was the last of the Old Testament
that was conversant with angels, and Zacharias the priest the first in the New
Testament. Observe,
1. How Zacharias was employed in the service of God (v. 8): He executed the
priest's office, before God, in the order of his course; it was his week of
waiting, and he was upon duty. Though his family was not built up, or made to
grow, yet he made conscience of doing the work of his own place and day. Though
we have not desired mercies, yet we must keep close to enjoined services; and,
in our diligent and constant attendance on them, we may hope that mercy and
comfort will come at last. Now it fell to Zacharias's lot to burn incense
morning and evening for that week of his waiting, as other services fell to
other priests by lot likewise. The services were directed by lot, that some
might not decline them and others engross them, and that, the disposal of the
lot being from the Lord, they might have the satisfaction of a divine call to
the work. This was not the high priest burning incense on the day of atonement,
as some have fondly imagined, who have thought by that to find out the time of
our Saviour's birth; but it is plain that it was the burning of the daily
incense at the altar of incense (v. 11), which was in the temple (v. 9), not in
the most holy place, into which the high priest entered. The Jews say that one
and the same priest burned not incense twice in all his days (there were such a
multitude of them), at least never more than one week. It is very probable that
this was upon the sabbath day, because there was a multitude of people attending
(v. 10), which ordinarily was not on a week day; and thus God usually puts
honour upon his own day. And then if Dr. Lightfoot reckon, with the help of the
Jewish calendars, that this course of Abia fell on the seventeenth day of the
third month, the month Sivan, answering to part of May and part of June, it is
worth observing that the portions of the law and the prophets which were read
this day in synagogues were very agreeable to that which was doing in the
temple; namely, the law of the Nazarites (Num. vi.), and the conception of
Samson, Judg. xiii.
While Zacharias was burning incense in the temple, the whole multitude of the
people were praying without, v. 10. Dr. Lightfoot says that there were
constantly in the temple, at the hour of prayer, the priests of the course that
then served, and, if it were the sabbath day, those of that course also that had
been in waiting the week before, and the Levites that served under the priests,
and the men of the station, as the Rabbin call them, who were the
representatives of the people, in putting their hands upon the head of the
sacrifices, and many besides, who, moved by devotion, left their employments,
for that time, to be present at the service of God; and those would make up a
great multitude, especially on sabbaths and feast-days: now these all addressed
themselves to their devotions (in mental prayer, for their voice was not heard),
when by the tinkling of a bell they had notice that the priest was gone in to
burn incense. Now observe here, (1.) That the true Israel of God always were a
praying people; and prayer is the great and principal piece of service by which
we give honour to God, fetch in favours from him, and keep up our communion with
him. (2.) That then, when ritual and ceremonial appointments were in full force,
as this of burning incense, yet moral and spiritual duties were required to go
along with them, and were principally looked at. David knew that when he was at
a distance from the altar his prayer might be heard without incense, for it
might be directed before God as incense, Ps. cxli. 2. But, when he was
compassing the altar, the incense could not be accepted without prayer, any more
than the shell without the kernel. (3.) That is not enough for us to be where
God is worshipped, if our hearts do not join in the worship, and go along with
the minister, in all the parts of it. If he burn the incense ever so well, in
the most pertinent, judicious, lively prayer, if we be not at the same time
praying in concurrence with him, what will it avail us? (4.) All the prayers we
offer up to God here in his courts are acceptable and successful only in virtue
of the incense of Christ's intercession in the temple of God above. To this
usage in the temple-service there seems to be an allusion (Rev. viii. 1, 3, 4),
where we find that there was silence in heaven, as there was in the temple, for
half an hour, while the people were silently lifting up their hearts to God in
prayer; and that there was an angel, the angel of the covenant, who offered up
much incense with the prayers of all saints before the throne. We cannot expect
an interest in Christ's intercession if we do not pray, and pray with our
spirits, and continue instant in prayer. Nor can we expect that the best of our
prayers should gain acceptance, and bring in an answer of peace, but through the
mediation of Christ, who ever lives, making intercession.
2. How, when he was thus employed, he was honoured with a messenger, a special
messenger sent from heaven to him (v. 11): There appeared unto him an angel of
the Lord. Some observe, that we never read of an angel appearing in the temple,
with a message from God, but only this one to Zacharias, because there God had
other ways of making known his mind, as the Urim and Thummim, and by a still
small voice from between the cherubim; but the ark and the oracle were wanting
in the second temple, and therefore, when an express was to be sent to a priest
in the temple, an angel was to be employed in it, and thereby the gospel was to
be introduced, for that, as the law, was given at first very much by the
ministry of angels, the appearance of which we often read of in the Gospels and
the Acts, though the design both of the law and of the gospel, when brought to
perfection, was to settle another way of correspondence, more spiritual, between
God and man. This angel stood on the right side of the altar of incense, the
north side of it, saith Dr. Lightfoot, on Zacharias's right hand; compare this
with Zech. iii. 1, where Satan stands at the right hand of Joshua the priest, to
resist him; but Zacharias had a good angel standing at his right hand, to
encourage him. Some think that this angel appeared coming out of the most holy
place, which led him to stand at the right side of the altar.
3. What impression this made upon Zacharias (v. 12): When Zacharias saw him, it
was a surprise upon him, even to a degree of terror, for he was troubled, and
fear fell upon him, v. 12. Though he was righteous before God, and blameless in
his conversation, yet he could not be without some apprehensions at the sight of
one whose visage and surrounding lustre bespoke him more than human. Ever since
man sinned, his mind has been unable to bear the glory of such revelations and
his conscience afraid of evil tidings brought by them; even Daniel himself could
not bear it, Dan. x. 8. And for this reason God chooses to speak to us by men
like ourselves, whose terror shall not make us afraid.
III. The message which the angel had to deliver to him, v. 13. He began his
message, as angels generally did, with, Fear not. Perhaps it had never been
Zacharias's lot to burn incense before; and, being a very serious conscientious
man, we may suppose him full of care to do it well, and perhaps when he saw the
angel he was afraid lest he came to rebuke him for some mistake or miscarriage;
"No," saith the angel, "fear not; I have no ill tidings to bring thee from
heaven. Fear not, but compose thyself, that thou mayest with a sedate and even
spirit receive the message I have to deliver thee." Let us see what that is.
1. The prayers he has often made shall now receive an answer of peace: Fear not,
Zacharias, for thy prayer is heard. (1.) If he means his particular prayer for a
son to build up his family, it must be the prayers he had formerly made for that
mercy, when he was likely to have children; but we may suppose, now that he and
his wife were both well stricken in years, as they had done expecting it, so
they had done praying for it: like Moses, it sufficeth them, and they speak no
more to God of that matter, Deut. iii. 26. But God will now, in giving this
mercy, look a great way back to the prayers that he had made long since for and
with his wife, as Isaac for and with his, Gen. xxv. 21. Note, Prayers of faith
are filed in heaven, and are not forgotten, though the thing prayed for is not
presently given in. Prayers made when we were young and coming into the world
may be answered when we are old and going out of the world. But, (2.) If he
means the prayers he was now making, and offering up with his incense, we may
suppose that those were according to the duty of his place, for the Israel of
God and their welfare, and the performance of the promises made to them
concerning the Messiah and the coming of his kingdom: "This prayer of thine is
now heard: for thy wife shall shortly conceive him that is to be the Messiah's
forerunner." Some of the Jewish writers themselves say that the priest, when he
burnt incense, prayed for the salvation of the whole world; and now that prayer
shall be heard. Or, (3.) In general, "The prayers thou now makest, and all thy
prayers, are accepted of God, and come up for a memorial before him" (as the
angel said to Cornelius, when he visited him at prayer, Acts x. 30, 31); "and
this shall be the sign that thou are accepted of God, Elisabeth shall bear thee
a son." Note, it is very comfortable to praying people to know that their
prayers are heard; and those mercies are doubly sweet that are given in answer
to prayer.
2. He shall have a son in his old age, by Elisabeth his wife, who had been long
barren, that by his birth, which was next to miraculous, people might be
prepared to receive and believe a virgin's bringing forth of a son, which was
perfectly miraculous. He is directed what name to give his son: Call him John,
in Hebrew Johanan, a name we often meet in the Old Testament: it signifies
gracious. The priests must beseech God that he will be gracious (Mal. i. 9), and
must so bless the people, Num. vi. 25. Zacharias was now praying thus, and the
angel tells him that his prayer is heard, and he shall have a son, whom, in
token of an answer to his prayer, he shall call Gracious, or, The Lord will be
gracious, Isa. xxx. 18, 19.
3. This son shall be the joy of his family and of all his relations, v. 14. He
shall be another Isaac, thy laughter; and some think that is partly intended in
his name, John. He shall be a welcome child. Thou for thy part shall have joy
and gladness. Note, Mercies that have been long waited for, when they come at
last, are the more acceptable. "He shall be such a son as thou shalt have reason
to rejoice in; many parents, if they could foresee what their children will
prove, instead of rejoicing at their birth, would wish they had never been; but
I will tell thee what thy son will be, and then thou wilt not need to rejoice
with trembling at his birth, as the best must do, but mayest rejoice with
triumph at it." Nay, and many shall rejoice at his birth; all the relations of
the family will rejoice in it, and all its well-wishers, because it is for the
honour and comfort of the family, v. 58. All good people will rejoice that such
a religious couple as Zacharias and Elisabeth have a son, because they will give
him a good education, such as, it may be hoped, will make him a public blessing
to his generation. Yea, and perhaps many shall rejoice by an unaccountable
instinct, as a presage of the joyous days the gospel will introduce.
4. This son shall be a distinguished favourite of Heaven, and a distinguished
blessing to the earth. The honour of having a son is nothing to the honour of
having such a son.
(1.) He shall be great in the sight of the Lord; those are great indeed that are
so in God's sight, not those that are so in the eye of a vain and carnal world.
God will set him before his face continually, will employ him in his work and
send him on his errands; and that shall make him truly great and honourable. He
shall be a prophet, yea more than a prophet, and upon that account as great as
any that every were born of women, Matt. xi. 11. He shall live very much retired
from the world, out of men's sight, and, when he makes a public appearance, it
will be very mean; but he shall be much, he shall be great, in the sight of the
Lord.
(2.) He shall be a Nazarite, set apart to God from every thing that is
polluting; in token of this, according to the law of Nazariteship, he shall
drink neither wine nor strong drink,—or, rather, neither old wine nor new; for
most think that the word here translated strong drink signifies some sort of
wine, perhaps those that we call made wines, or any thing that is intoxicating.
He shall be, as Samson was by the divine precept (Judg. xiii. 7), and Samuel by
his mother's vow (1 Sam. i. 11), a Nazarite for life. It is spoken of as a great
instance of God's favour to his people that he raised up of their sons for
prophets, and their young men for Nazarites (Amos ii. 11), as if those that were
designed for prophets were trained up under the discipline of the Nazarites;
Samuel and John Baptist were; which intimates that those that would be eminent
servants of God, and employed in eminent services, must learn to live a life of
self-denial and mortification, must be dead to the pleasures of sense, and keep
their minds from every thing that is darkening and disturbing to them.
(3.) He shall be abundantly fitted and qualified for those great and eminent
services to which in due time he shall be called: He shall be filled with the
Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb, and as soon as it is possible he shall
appear to have been so. Observe, [1.] Those that would be filled with the Holy
Ghost must be sober and temperate, and very moderate in the use of wine and
strong drink; for that is it that fits him for this. Be not drunk with wine, but
be filled with the Spirit, with which that is not consistent, Eph. v. 18. [2.]
It is possible that infants may be wrought upon by the Holy Ghost, even from
their mother's womb; for John Baptist even then was filled with the Holy Ghost,
who took possession of his heart betimes; and an early specimen was given of it,
when he leaped in his mother's womb for joy, at the approach of the Saviour; and
afterwards it appeared very early that he was sanctified. God had promised to
pour out his Spirit upon the seed of believers (Isa. xliv. 3), and their first
springing up in a dedication of themselves betimes to God is the fruit of it, v.
4, 5. Who then can forbid water, that they should not be baptized who for aught
we know (and we can say no more of the adult, witness Simon Magus) have received
the Holy Ghost as well as we, and have the seeds of grace sown in their hearts?
Acts x. 47.
(4.) He shall be instrumental for the conversion of many souls to God, and the
preparing of them to receive and entertain the gospel of Christ, v. 16, 17.
[1.] He shall be sent to the children of Israel, to the nation of the Jews, to
whom the Messiah also was first sent, and not to the Gentiles; to the whole
nation, and not the family of the priests only, with which, though he was
himself of that family, we do not find he had any particular intimacy or
influence.
[2.] He shall go before the Lord their God, that is, before the Messiah, whom
they must expect to be, not their king, in the sense wherein they commonly take
it, a temporal prince to their nation, but their Lord and their God, to rule and
defend, and serve them in a spiritual way by his influence on their hearts.
Thomas knew this, when he said to Christ, My Lord and my God, better than
Nathanael did, when he said, Rabbi, thou are the king of Israel. John shall go
before him, a little before him, to give notice of his approach, and to prepare
people to receive him.
[3.] He shall go in the spirit and power of Elias. That is, First, He shall be
such a man as Elias was, and do such work as Elias did,—shall, like him, preach
the necessity of repentance and reformation to a very corrupt and degenerate
age,—shall, like him, be bold and zealous in reproving sin and witnessing
against it even in the greatest, and be hated and persecuted for it by a Herod
and his Herodias, as Elijah was by an Ahab and his Jezebel. He shall be carried
on in his work, as Elijah was, by a divine spirit and power, which shall crown
his ministry with wonderful success. As Elias went before the writing prophets
of the Old Testament, and did as it were usher in that signal period of the
Old-Testament dispensation by a little writing of his own (2 Chron. xxi. 12), so
John Baptist went before Christ and his apostles, and introduced the gospel
dispensation by preaching the substance of the gospel doctrine and duty, Repent,
with an eye to the kingdom of heaven. Secondly, He shall be that very person who
was prophesied of by Malachi under the name of Elijah (Mal. iv. 5), who should
be sent before the coming of the day of the Lord. Behold, I send you a prophet,
even Elias, not Elias the Tishbite (as the LXX. has corruptly read it, to favour
the Jews' traditions), but a prophet in the spirit and power of Elias, as the
angel here expounds it.
[4.] He shall turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, shall
incline their hearts to receive the Messiah, and bid him welcome, by awakening
them to a sense of sin and a desire of righteousness. Whatever has a tendency to
turn us from iniquity, as John's preaching and baptism had, will turn us to
Christ as our Lord and our God; for those who through grace are wrought upon to
shake off the yoke of sin, that is, the dominion of the world and the flesh,
will soon be persuaded to take upon them the yoke of the Lord Jesus.
[5.] Hereby he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, that is, of
the Jews to the Gentiles; shall help to conquer the rooted prejudices which the
Jews have against the Gentiles, which was done by the gospel, as far as it
prevailed, and was begun to be done by John Baptist, who came for a witness,
that all through him might believe, who baptized and taught Roman soldiers as
well as Jewish Pharisees, and who cured the pride and confidence of those Jews
who gloried in their having Abraham to their father, and told them that God
would out of stones raise up children unto Abraham (Matt. iii. 9), which would
tend to cure their enmity to the Gentiles. Dr. Lightfoot observes, It is the
constant usage of the prophets to speak of the church of the Gentiles as
children to the Jewish church, Isa. liv. 5, 6, 13; lx. 4, 9; lxii. 5; lxvi. 12.
When the Jews that embraced the faith of Christ were brought to join in
communion with the Gentiles that did so too, then the heart of the fathers was
turned to the children. And he shall turn the disobedient to the wisdom of the
just, that is, he shall introduce the gospel, by which the Gentiles, who are now
disobedient, shall be turned, no so much to their fathers the Jews, but to the
faith of Christ, here called the wisdom of the just, in communion with the
believing Jews; or thus, He shall turn the hearts of the fathers with the
children, that is, the hearts of old and young, shall be instrumental to bring
some of every age to be religious, to work a great reformation in the Jewish
nation, to bring them off from a ritual traditional religion which that had
rested in, and to bring them up to substantial serious godliness: and the effect
of this will be, that enmities will be slain and discord made to cease; and they
are at variance, being united in his baptism, will be better reconciled one to
another. This agrees with the account Josephus gives of John Baptist, Antiq. 18.
117-118. "That he was a good man, and taught the Jews the exercise of virtue, in
piety towards God, and righteous towards one another, and that they should
convene and knit together in baptism." And he saith, "The people flocked after
him, and were exceedingly delighted in his doctrine." Thus he turned the hearts
of fathers and children to God and to one another, by turning the disobedient to
the wisdom of the just. Observe, First, True religion is the wisdom of just men,
in distinction from the wisdom of the world. It is both our wisdom and our duty
to be religious; there is both equity and prudence in it. Secondly, It is not
possible but that those who have been unbelieving and disobedient may be turned
to the wisdom of the just; divine grace can conquer the greatest ignorance and
prejudice. Thirdly, The great design of the gospel is to bring people home to
God, and to bring them nearer to one another; and on this errand John Baptist is
sent. In the mention that is twice made of his turning people, there seems to be
an allusion to the name of the Tishbite, which is given to Elijah, which, some
think, does not denote the country or city he was of, but has an appellative
signification, and therefore the render it Elijah the converter, one that was
much employed, and very successful, in conversion-work. The Elias of the New
Testament is therefore said to turn or convert many to the Lord their God.
[6.] Hereby he shall make ready a people prepared for the Lord, shall dispose
the minds of people to receive the doctrine of Christ, that thereby they may be
prepared for the comforts of his coming. Note, First, All that are to be devoted
to the Lord, and made happy in him, must first be prepared and made ready for
him. We must be prepared by grace in this world for the glory in the other, by
the terrors of the law for the comforts of the gospel, by the spirit of bondage
for the Spirit of adoption. Secondly, Nothing has a more direct tendency to
prepare people for Christ than the doctrine of repentance received and submitted
to. When sin is thereby made grievous, Christ will become very precious.
IV. Zacharias's unbelief of the angel's prediction, and the rebuke he was laid
under for that unbelief. He heard all that the angel had to say, and should have
bowed his head, and worshipped the Lord, saying, Be it unto thy servant
according to the word which thou hast spoken; but it was not so. We are here
told,
1. What his unbelief spoke, v. 18. He said to the angel, Whereby shall I know
this? This was not a humble petition for the confirming of his faith, but a
peevish objection against what was said to him as altogether incredible; as if
he should say, "I can never be made to believe this." He could not but perceive
that it was an angel that spoke to him; the message delivered, having reference
to the Old-Testament prophecies, carried much of its own evidence along with it.
There are many instances in the Old Testament of those that had children when
they were old, yet he cannot believe that he shall have this child of promise:
"For I am an old man, and my wife hath not only been all her days barren, but is
now well stricken in years, and not likely ever to have children." Therefore he
must have a sign given him, or he will not believe. Though the appearance of an
angel, which had long been disused in the church, was sign enough,—though he had
this notice given him in the temple, the place of God's oracles, where he had
reason to think no evil angel would be permitted to come,—though it was given
him when he was praying, and burning incense,—and though a firm belief of that
great principle of religion that God has an almighty power, and with him nothing
is impossible, which we ought not only to know, but to teach others, was enough
to silence all objections,—yet, considering his own body and his wife's too
much, unlike a son of Abraham, he staggered at the promise, Rom. iv. 19, 20.
2. How his unbelief was silenced, and he silenced for it.
(1.) The angel stops his mouth, by asserting his authority. Doth he ask, Whereby
shall I know this? Let him know it by this, I am Gabriel, v. 19. He puts his
name to his prophecy, doth as it were sign it with his own hand, teste meipso—take
my word for it. Angels have sometimes refused to tell their names, as to Manoah
and his wife; but his angel readily saith, I am Gabriel, which signifies the
power of God, or the mighty one of God, intimating that the God who bade him say
this was able to make it good. He also makes himself known by this name to put
him in mind of the notices of the Messiah's coming sent to Daniel by the man
Gabriel, Dan. viii. 16; ix. 21. "I am the same that was sent then, and am sent
now in pursuance of the same intention." He is Gabriel, who stands in the
presence of God, an immediate attendant upon the throne of God. The prime
ministers of state in the Persian court are described by this, that they saw the
king's face, Esth. i. 14. "Though I am now talking with thee here, yet I stand
in the presence of God. I know his eye is upon me, and I dare not say any more
than I have warrant to say. But I declare I am sent to speak to thee, sent on
purpose to show thee these glad tidings, which, being so well worthy of all
acceptation, thou oughtest to have received cheerfully."
(2.) The angel stops his mouth indeed, by exerting his power: "That thou mayest
object no more, behold thou shalt be dumb, v. 20. If thou wilt have a sign for
the support of thy faith, it shall be such a one as shall be also the punishment
of thine unbelief; thou shalt not be able to speak till the day that these
things shall be performed," v. 20. Thou shalt be both dumb and deaf; the same
word signifies both, and it is plain that he lost his hearing as well as his
speech, for his friends made signs to him (v. 62), as well as he to them, v. 22.
Now, in striking him dumb, [1.] God dealt justly with him, because he had
objected against God's word. Hence we may take occasion to admire the patience
of God and his forbearance toward us, that we, who have often spoken to his
dishonour, have not been struck dumb, as Zacharias was, and as we had been if
God had dealt with us according to our sins. [2.] God dealt kindly with him, and
very tenderly and graciously. For, First, Thus he prevented his speaking any
more such distrustful unbelieving words. If he has thought evil, and will not
himself lay his hands upon his mouth, nor keep it as with a bridle, God will. It
is better not to speak at all than to speak wickedly. Secondly, Thus he
confirmed his faith; and, by his being disabled to speak, he is enabled to think
the better. If by the rebukes we are under for our sin we be brought to give
more credit to the word of God, we have no reason to complain of them. Thirdly,
Thus he was kept from divulging the vision, and boasting of it, which otherwise
he would have been apt to do, whereas it was designed for the present to be
lodged as a secret with him. Fourthly, It was a great mercy that God's words
should be fulfilled in their season, notwithstanding his sinful distrust. The
unbelief of man shall not make the promises of God of no effect, they shall be
fulfilled in their season, and he shall not be for ever dumb, but only till the
day that these things shall be performed, and then thy lips shall be opened,
that thy mouth may show forth God's praise. Thus, though God chastens the
iniquity of his people with the rod, yet his loving kindness he will not take
away.
V. The return of Zacharias to the people, and at length to his family, and the
conception of this child of promise, the son of his old age.
1. The people staid, expecting Zacharias to come out of the temple, because he
was to pronounce the blessing upon them in the name of the Lord; and, though he
staid beyond the usual time, yet they did not, as is too common in Christian
congregations, hurry away without the blessing, but waited for him, marvelling
that he tarried so long in the temple, and afraid let something was amiss, v.
21.
2. When he came out, he was speechless, v. 22. He was now to have dismissed the
congregation with a blessing, but was dumb and not able to do it, that the
people may be minded to expect the Messiah, who can command the blessing, who
blesseth indeed, and in whom all the nations of the earth are blessed. Aaron's
priesthood is now shortly to be silenced and set aside, to make way for the
bringing in of a better hope.
3. He made a shift to give them to understand that he had seen a vision, by some
awful signs he made, for he beckoned to them, and remained speechless, v. 22.
This represents to us the weakness and deficiency of the Levitical priesthood,
in comparison with Christ's priesthood and the dispensation of the gospel. The
Old Testament speaks by signs, gives us some intimations of divine and heavenly
things, but imperfect and uncertain; it beckons to us, but remains speechless.
It is the gospel that speaks to us articulately, and gives us a clear view of
that which the Old Testament was seen through a glass darkly.
4. He staid out the days of his ministration; for, his lot being to burn
incense, he could do that, though he was dumb and deaf. When we cannot perform
the service of God so well as we would, yet, if we perform it as well as we can,
God will accept of us in it.
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