1:3 most excellent Theophilus: Otherwise unknown in early sources. He may be a distinguished figure or high-ranking official of the Roman government. The formal designation, most excellent, appears elsewhere as an honorific title (Acts 23:26; 24:2; 26:25). A similar dedication serves to preface Luke's second volume, the Book of Acts (Acts 1:1). Back to text.

1:5-2:52 Luke's Infancy Narrative recounts the births of John the Baptist and Jesus. Stylistically, he makes a transition from the classical format of his prologue (1:1-4) to a biblical style of writing used in the Greek OT. For Luke, the OT is an unfinished book whose concluding notes resonate with expectation and unfulfilled promise. He thus weaves numerous allusions to the OT into his narrative, implying that the story he now tells is a continuation of biblical revelation and, indeed, its awaited climax. Back to text.

1:5 In the days of: Luke situates his narrative within the broader framework of world history (2:1-2; 3:1-2). Herod: Herod the Great, who was appointed king over Palestine by the Roman Senate in 40 B.C. and reigned in Jerusalem from 37 B.C. until his death in 4/1 B.C. See note on Mt 2:1. Zechariah: A Hebrew name meaning "Yahweh has remembered." division of Abijah: Israel's Levitical priesthood was comprised of 24 divisions of priests (1 Chron 24:7-19). Each division served at the Jerusalem Temple two different weeks each year, and those represented by Abijah were the eighth group in the priestly rotation. Elizabeth: A Greek form of the Hebrew name meaning "My God's oath". Being a daughter of Aaron, she was a Levite (1 Chron 6:1-3). Back to text.

1:6 righteous before God: Zechariah and Elizabeth live in faithful observance of the Old Covenant (Deut 6:25; Is 48:18). See word study: Righteousness at Mt 3. • Luke places the couple in an OT stream of righteous figures: Noah (Gen 6:9), Abraham (Gen 15:6), Phineas (Ps 106:30-31), David (2 Sam 22:21-25), and others had exemplified similar devotion to the Lord. • Mystically (St. Bede, In Lucam): Zechariah and Elizabeth represent the priesthood and Law of the Old Covenant. Both were righteous, as the priesthood was holy and the Law was good; but together they were unable to bear children for God or bring forth the grace of Christ. The couple thus signifies the aging Old Covenant awaiting the blessings of the New. Back to text.

1:7 barren: This was sometimes considered a sign of I God's disfavor (Gen 30:2), while a fruitful womb was viewed as a divine blessing (Deut 7:14; Ps 128:3-4). • Elizabeth, along with Sarah (Gen 11:30), Rebekah (Gen 25:21), Rachel (Gen 29:31), Samson's mother (Judg 13:2), and Hannah (1 Sam 1:2), suffered barrenness until God miraculously blessed her with a child. John's birth thus falls in line with Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Samson, and Samuel, all of whom were covenant representatives in Israel. Back to text.

Word Study

Informed (Lk 1:4)

Katecheo (Gk.): means to "instruct" or "teach orally" and is the basis of our English word "catechism". The verb is used eight times in the NT. It is often linked with the early transmission of the gospel, when the apostles and their associates instructed believers by word of mouth. Luke writes his Gospel to a certain Theophilus, who has already been catechized in this way, in order to confirm and deepen his understanding of Jesus' life and teachings (Lk 1:4). Apollos had likewise learned the rudiments of Christian doctrine by oral instruction (Acts 18:25). Paul employs this term years earlier when he encourages young Christians to assist their local catechists with financial support (Gal 6:6), and when he stresses that intelligible instruction in the faith is more profitable for God's people than the unintelligible speech of charismatic tongues (1 Cor 14:19).

1:9 temple of the Lord: The Jerusalem Temple is often the focus of Jesus' teaching and action in Luke (2:27, 37, 46; 4:9; 19:45; 20:1; 21:37; 23:45; 24:53). Back to text.

1:10 hour of incense: Also called the "hour of prayer" (Acts 3:1). Priests burned incense twice a day in the Temple, at the morning and evening sacrifices (Ex 30:7-8).The evening liturgy took place about 3 P.M. while crowds prayed in the Temple courts. Since most priests were honored to burn incense only once in their lifetime, this was the crowning moment of Zechariah's ministry. He would offer prayers and incense in the Temple's second holiest chamber, the Holy Place, and emerge to bless the people (1:21; Num 6:22-27). See note on Lk 1:5. Back to text.

1:11 angel of the Lord: Angels play important roles in salvation history. (1) Angels are closely connected with worship. Since the Temple was an earthly model of God's heavenly sanctuary (Heb 8:1-5), the Israelites believed that priests officiated on earth just as the angels ministered in heaven (Is 6:1-6; Rev 8:2-6; 15:5-8). The Temple itself was adorned with crafted images of angels, e.g., cherubim (Ex 25:18-22; 1 Kings 6:2336). (2) Angels deliver news of conception and childbirth, as with Ishmael (Gen 16:11), Isaac (Gen 18:10), and Samson (Judg 13:3-5). (3) Angels appear often in Luke (1:26; 2:9, 13; 22:43; 24:4) (CCC 332, 336). Back to text.

1:13 Do not be afraid: Words of reassurance reminiscent of OT visions (Gen 15:1; Dan 10:12, 19). your prayer: Zechariah prayed not only for the people, but for his and his wife's own dire circumstances, since they were elderly and still childless. John: A Hebrew name meaning "Yahweh has shown favor." Back to text.

1:15 no wine nor strong drink: An allusion to Num 6:3, indicating that John will be dedicated to the Lord as a Nazirite. He will thus refrain from intoxicating beverages, cutting his hair, and all contact with the dead (Num 6:1-12). Practically speaking, Nazirites lived an early form of religious life and were the equivalent of Old Covenant monks and nuns. They could be priests or lay people, and their consecrated service could be temporary or lifelong. • John's dedication recalls that of Samson (Judg 13:4-7) and Samuel (1 Sam 1:11). Like these Nazirites, John will play an outstanding role in God's plan for Israel. filled with the Holy Spirit: To prepare Israel for the Lord (Lk 1:17), the Lord first prepares John with grace. He and the Virgin Mary were sanctified before birth (CCC 717). See note on Lk 1:28. • John's consecration resembles the calling of Jeremiah from his mother's womb (Jer 1:5). Back to text.

1:17 spirit and power of Elijah: An allusion to Mal 3:1 and 4:5-6. • Malachi announced the Lord's coming to Israel. Preparations for his arrival would be completed by a messenger like Elijah, who would preach repentance, restore the tribes of Israel, and work to heal broken families (Sir 48:110; Mt 11:13-15; CCC 523, 718-20). to turn: A biblical image for moral and spiritual repentance. See word study: Repentance at Mk 1:4. a people prepared: Luke later examines the significance of John's role through the lens of Is 40. See note on Lk 3:4-6. Back to text.

1:18 How shall I know this?: Unlike Mary in the following episode (1:45), Zechariah is hampered by doubt and does not receive the good news with faith. God strikes him mute as a temporary sign of discipline (1:20). Back to text.

1:19 Gabriel: A Hebrew name meaning "God is mighty." Jewish and Christian tradition identify him as an archangel. Like Raphael, he is one of seven angels who minister in the presence of God (Tob 12:15; Rev 8:2). • In the OT, Gabriel interprets visions (Dan 8:15-16) and explains to Daniel events that will accompany the Messiah's coming (Dan 9:21-27). Gabriel thus stands at both ends of biblical prophecy: having foretold the Messiah's coming in the OT, he now delivers the message of his arrival in Jesus (Lk 1:26-38) and in John as his forerunner (1:13-17). Back to text.

1:25 my reproach: God has lifted the burden of disappointment from Elizabeth. Although previously dishonored before men, she is now blessed with a child. See note on Lk 1:7. • Elizabeth echoes the joyful words of Rachel, who bore Joseph following years of barrenness (Gen 30:23). Back to text.

1:26 sixth month: Refers to the progress of Elizabeth's pregnancy (1:24, 36). Nazareth: A small village of Galilee in northern Palestine. To many, it was a town of little or no importance (Jn 1:46). Back to text.

1:28 Hail: Or "Rejoice!" It crowns the theme of joy and gladness that punctuates Luke's Infancy Narrative (1:14, 44, 47, 58; 2:10, 20). • The call to rejoice echoes OT passages that address Daughter Zion. In the prophets this refers to Mother Jerusalem, whose faithful children will rejoice in the messianic age because God has chosen to dwell in their midst (Joel 2:23-24; Zeph 3:14-17; Zech 9:9). Mary, chosen to be the virgin mother of the Messiah, is greeted with the same summons because she is the embodiment of faithful Israel and the most privileged recipient of Yahweh's messianic blessings. full of grace: This is the only biblical instance where an angel addresses someone by a title instead of a personal name. Two considerations help to clarify its meaning. (1) The expression full of grace is rooted in Catholic tradition and traced to St. Jerome's translation of this verse in the Latin Vulgate. Although fundamentally accurate, it lacks some of the depth of the Greek original. Luke could have described her with the words full of grace (Gk. plērēs charitos) as he did of Stephen in Acts 6:8, yet here he uses a different expression (Gk. kecharitōmenē) that is even more revealing than the traditional rendering. It indicates that God has already "graced" Mary previous to this point, making her a vessel who "has been" and "is now" filled with divine life. (2) Alternative translations like "favored one" or "highly favored" are possible but inadequate. Because of the unparalleled role that Mary accepts at this turning point in salvation history, the best translation is the most exalted one. For God endowed Mary with an abundance of grace to prepare her for the vocation of divine motherhood and to make her a sterling example of Christian holiness (CCC 490-93, 722). • Gabriel's declaration points in the direction of Mary's Immaculate Conception. According to Pope Pius IX's 1854 definition Ineffabilis Deus, Luke's Annunciation narrative is an important indicator of Mary's lifelong holiness. God is her "Savior" (1:47) in the most perfect way possible: he sanctified Mary in the first instance of her conception and preserved her entirely from sin and even from the inclination toward sin that we experience. Back to text.

1:31 Jesus: A Hebrew name meaning "Yahweh saves" (CCC 430). See note on Mt 1:21. Back to text.

1:32-33 Jesus is the awaited Messiah from David's dynastic line (2 Sam 7:12-16; Ps 89:26-29; 132:11; Is 9:6-7). Following Jewish custom, Joseph's legal fatherhood was equivalent to natural fatherhood in matters of inheritance. Joseph thus confers the privileges of a Davidic descendant upon Jesus (1:27), whereas God the Father anoints him as king (Mk 16:19) (CCC 437). Back to text.

1:33 the house of Jacob: i.e., the kingdom of Israel. • Since the eighth century B.C., the northern tribes of Israel had been scattered among the Gentiles (2 Kings 17:2123), and since the sixth century B.C., many from the southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin had likewise lived in exile throughout the ancient world (2 Kings 25:8-11). The prophets lamented this tribal disintegration of God's people but announced a future reunion of Jacob's descendants under the Davidic Messiah (Is 11:12; Ezek 37:15-24; Hos 1:10-11; Amos 9:9-12). Jesus, says Gabriel, is this anointed Davidic ruler who will re-gather the tribes of Israel, together with all nations, into his glorious kingdom (Mt 28:18-20; Acts 15:15-18; Rom 11:2527) (CCC 709-10). See note on Lk 4:43. Back to text.

1:34 How can this be: Or, better, "How will this be . . . ?" Mary is not questioning God's ability to give her a son, but she is inquiring as to how such a plan will unfold. I have no husband: The Greek text literally reads "I do not know man", which refers to Mary's virginal status rather than her marital status. Her concern is not that she is unmarried but that she is a virgin at present and that she intends to remain one in the future. The announcement of a miraculous conception (1:31) thus causes Mary to wonder aloud how God will bless her with a son and yet preserve her virginal purity. Her words are inexplicable otherwise. For nothing about the angel's announcement should have perplexed Mary—whose betrothal to Joseph was already a legally binding marriage—unless she intended to forego ordinary sexual relations even as a married woman. See note on Mt 1:18. • According to certain Church Fathers, such as St. Gregory of Nyssa and St. Augustine, Mary had previously taken a vow of lifelong virginity. See notes on Mt 1:25 and 12:46. Back to text.

1:35 overshadow you: The conception of Jesus kilkJ within the womb of Mary will be entirely supernatural, i.e., the result of God's creative work within her (Mt 1:1825; CCC 497, 723). • The expression used by the angel is the same used in the Greek version of Ex 40:35 to describe how Yahweh "overshadowed" the Tabernacle, making it his dwelling place in Israel. • Gabriel mentions the Holy Spirit, the Most High, and the Son of God, offering Mary a glimpse of the Trinity. Back to text.

1:37 nothing will be impossible: Gabriel's reassurance casts its light over the entirety of Lk 1. He insists that God can surmount every obstacle to motherhood, including the infertility of Elizabeth and the virginity of Mary (CCC 269, 273). • The statement carries overtones of the OT, especially Gen 18:14 and Jer 32:17. Back to text.

1:38 let it be to me: Mary freely and actively embraces God's invitation to bear the Messiah. The Greek expression denotes more than mere passive acceptance, indicating that she wishes or desires to fulfill God's will in her life. Unlike Zechariah, she welcomes the angel's words uninhibited by doubt (CCC 148, 494, 2617). See note on Lk 1:18. Back to text.

1:41 leaped in her womb: Elizabeth's experience parallels that of Rebekah in Gen 25. • Both Luke and the Greek OT use the same verb (Gk. skirtao) to describe children leaping or stirring in the womb. As Rebekah's experience signaled the preeminence of Jacob over his older brother Esau (Gen 25:2223), so the similar experience of Elizabeth was a sign that Jesus would be greater than his older cousin John (3:16; Jn 3:2730). Back to text.

1:42 Blessed are you: Elizabeth blesses Mary with words once spoken to Jael and Judith in the OT (Judg 5:24-27; Jud 13:18). • These women were blessed for their heroic faith and courage in warding off enemy armies hostile to Israel. Victory was assured when both Jael and Judith assassinated the opposing military commanders with a mortal blow to the head. Mary will follow in their footsteps, yet in her case both the enemy destroyed and the victory won will be greater, for she will bear the Savior who crushes the head of sin, death, and the devil underfoot (Gen 3:15; 1 Jn 3:8) (CCC 64, 489). Back to text.