Luke 1:5-25

§ 3. ELISABETH’S CONCEPTION, Luke 1:5-25 .

Luke now opens his gospel history with the striking scene which announced the approaching birth of John, the harbinger of Jesus.

During the 400 years preceding the account now to be narrated, neither vision nor miracle had been vouchsafed by God to his people. As the old canon closed with the prediction by Malachi that the coming of Elijah should precede the advent of the Messiah, so the first action of the new is to announce the true Elijah’s birth. God did but honour the ordinances of his own appointment when he made his temple the place, his priesthood the instrument, and his service the time of the initial movement.