Tuesday, April 15 – Luke 1, John 1

1. To whom did Luke write the gospel that bears his name? (Luke 1:3)

2. With which prophet was John the Baptist’s mission compared? (Luke 1:17)

3. What phrases did the angel Gabriel use to greet Mary? (Luke 1:28)

4. What did John say when he saw Jesus? (John 1:29)

5. What did Andrew say to Peter about Jesus? (John 1:41)

A physician and historian, Luke was not an eyewitness of Jesus’ ministry but diligently investigated to write an orderly account. His gospel stands out as the most complete, universal, and focused on the marginalized, prayer, the Holy Spirit, and the good news (Luke 1:1–4).

During the reign of Herod, the priest Zacharias was chosen to offer incense in the temple, an exceptional, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (Luke 1:9). While he prayed, the angel Gabriel appeared to announce that they would have a son: John. Though Zacharias may have been praying for the Messiah, God granted both, a son who would prepare the way for Christ. His doubt cost him his voice (Luke 1:18–20). His unbelief didn’t cancel the promise, but it did hinder his joy in sharing it.

Gabriel then visited Mary in Nazareth with an extraordinary message: she would conceive by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35). Jesus would be great, the Son of the Highest, and His kingdom would have no end (Luke 1:32–33). Unlike Zacharias, Mary responded in faith: “Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). Her acceptance reminds us to confidently respond to God’s promises.

Regarding the virgin conception, we must agree with Paul’s statement: “Great is the mystery of godliness” (1 Timothy 3:16). Yet the Scriptures are clear on virgin birth. There should be no doubt, it’s a matter of the authority of God’s Word. Remember what the Bible says: “The secret things belong to the LORD our God…” (Deuteronomy 29:29).

John’s Gospel reveals who Jesus is more than what He did. It opens with a profound declaration: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Jesus is eternal, Creator of all, the source of life and light for humanity (John 1:3–4). Without Him, we are spiritually dead.

John the Baptist was not the Light but a witness to the Light (John 1:6–8). His mission was to prepare the way and point to the Messiah: “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). This statement encapsulates Jesus’ redemptive purpose. He is the fulfillment of the Passover lamb, the perfect sacrifice (Exodus 12; Isaiah 53).

John also writes: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us… full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). This declares that God came to dwell with His people, just as He did in the Tabernacle (Exodus 40:34). Jesus revealed divine glory in human form, accessible, relatable, and full of love. Jesus assumed human nature to bridge the gap caused by sin.

As God’s servant says: “Christ is the ladder that Jacob saw, the base resting on the earth, and the topmost round reaching to the gate of heaven, to the very threshold of glory. If that ladder had failed by a single step of reaching the earth, we should have been lost. But Christ reaches us where we are.” (DA 311)

Taking on human nature was necessary for Jesus to become our High Priest: “Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17). Note the word “like”, not “identical.” Jesus took on humanity weakened by millennia of sin but without its defilement. He was the Son of God.

Gabriel told Mary: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).

John states that in Jesus, grace and truth were perfectly united. As G. Campbell Morgan says: “These two ideas should remain in our minds and guide our lives. God is grace, and truth. Not one without the other. Not the other separated from the one. In His governance there can be no compromise of the plain and firm standards of Truth; and no deviation from the purpose and passion of Grace.”

Luke and John present a mighty, divine, and near Savior. Luke shows His miraculous entrance into the world, and John shows His eternal nature and redemptive mission. Both call us to trust His promises, receive Him in faith, and live as children of God.

“Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.

Amen.” (Ephesians 6:24)