Luk 1:57-80 | TNotes

1:59 ^a God commanded every Israelite male to be circumcised when eight days old (Gen 17:9-14 ^b; Lev 12:3 ^c). Circumcision signified the child’s incorporation into the covenant community of Israel.

• They wanted to name him Zechariah: It was common to name a child after a relative. The family and friends were surprised because John was not the name of any of his relatives.
Summary for Luke 1:62-63: 1:62-63 ^d they used gestures: Zechariah was mute and deaf (see study note on 1:20). Zechariah’s obedience in naming the child John confirmed his faith, and his voice and hearing were restored.
1:66 ^e the hand of the Lord: This anthropomorphism (describing God with human characteristics, cp. 1:51 ^f) meant that God was at work in John’s life.
Summary for Luke 1:67-79: 1:67-79 ^g This second hymn of the birth narrative is called the Benedictus (“Blessed” or “Praise”), from the first word of the Latin translation. The hymn expects God’s Messiah to deliver the Israelites from their enemies. Salvation entails physical deliverance and forgiveness of sins (1:77 ^h).
1:68 ⁱ he has visited and redeemed his people: This recalls the exodus from Egypt, when God rescued his people from Pharaoh (Exod 3:7-10 ^j, 17-20 ^k).
1:69 ^l He has sent us a mighty Savior (literally has raised up a horn of salvation for us): A “horn of salvation” was the horn of a powerful animal such as a ram or an ox. To “raise up a horn” implies strength and power (see also Pss 89:24 ^m; 132:17 ⁿ).

• from the royal line of his servant David: See study note on Luke 1:32-33.
1:71 ^o saved from our enemies: The people of Israel hoped for rescue from their physical enemies, the Romans; Jesus brought salvation from sin, Satan, and death.
Summary for Luke 1:76-77: 1:76-77 ^p And you, my little son: Zechariah turned from speaking about the coming Messiah to address his newborn son, John, who would prepare the Messiah’s way.

• called the prophet of the Most High: John was the last and greatest in the line of Old Testament prophets (see 7:28 ^q).

• prepare the way for the Lord: See Isa 40:3 ^r.
1:78 ^s the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us: The Messiah is identified in the Old Testament as a light shining in darkness (Isa 9:2 ^t; 42:6-7 ^u; 49:6 ^v; Mal 4:2 ^w).
1:80 ^x John grew up and became strong in spirit: Cp. 2:40 ^y, 52 ^z; 1 Sam 2:21 ^aa, 26 ^ab; 3:19 ^ac.

• John probably lived in the wilderness west of the Jordan River and southeast of Jerusalem. It was a place of testing (Deut 8:2 ^ad; Pss 78 ^ae, 95 ^af, 107 ^ag) as well as spiritual retreat and preparation (Exod 3 ^ah; 1 Kgs 19:4-6 ^ai, 11-18 ^aj; Isa 40:3 ^ak).

Profile: Herod the Great
Herod the Great was the Roman-appointed king of Judea (37–4 BC) at the time of Jesus’ birth (Matt 2:1 ^al; Luke 1:5 ^am). He was a strong military leader, a brilliant politician, and a cruel tyrant. Born into an Idumean (Edomite) family with links to the Romans, he rose to power by gaining Roman favor and retained it by cruelly suppressing his opponents.
Herod was known for his large building projects. His greatest accomplishment was the rebuilding and beautification of the Jerusalem Temple, begun ~20 BC (Josephus, Antiquities 15.8.1), making it one of the most magnificent buildings in the ancient world. He also built Caesarea and made it the Roman headquarters in Palestine. Herod earned the title “the Great” because of his reputation as a great builder.
Herod was also known for his family troubles and his brutal treatment of those who opposed him or whom he considered threats. He murdered two of his wives and three of his own sons when he suspected them of plotting against him. Caesar Augustus once said that he would rather be Herod’s swine than his son (a play on words in Greek since the two words sound alike—hus, huios). When Jesus was born toward the end of Herod’s reign and Herod heard him referred to as a future “king,” Herod attempted to have him killed also. Unable to locate the boy, Herod ordered the massacre of all the boys less than two years old in the Bethlehem area (see Matt 2:1-20 ^an)—an act typical of his ruthlessness and paranoia.
Though Herod gained the title “king of the Jews,” the Jewish people never accepted him as a legitimate king because he was not from the line of David and because he was an Edomite (a descendant of Esau) rather than a Jew.

Passages for Further Study
Matt 2:1-20 ^ao; Luke 1:5 ^ap