_THE CHURCH’S POWER_ ‘And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.’ Luke 1:10 Both the parents of John, Zacharias and Elizabeth, were of the family of the Hebrew priesthood. For a long time the ministrations of this great sacerdotal order in the Temple servic... [ Continue Reading ]
_A PREPARED PEOPLE_ ‘A people prepared for the Lord.’ Luke 1:17 Prepared for the Lord! How shall it be? I cannot do as Elias did; but I can follow his teaching. You remember the teaching of John the Baptist. You must be prepared to recognise Christ when He comes, and to know Him. This the Baptist... [ Continue Reading ]
_DUMB, BECAUSE OF UNBELIEF_ ‘And, behold, thou shalt be dumb … because thou believest not my words.’ Luke 1:20 The threatened dumbness was to be a sign and a rebuke. God prevented Zacharias from speaking about that which, when presented to him, he had not believed. And this effect is common, alth... [ Continue Reading ]
_HIGHLY FAVOURED OF THE LORD_ ‘And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God … and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.’ Luke 1:26; Luke 1:28 Whether Mary was in her house, or what her engagement when Gabriel visited her, we... [ Continue Reading ]
_HIGHLY FAVOURED OF THE LORD_ ‘And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God … and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.’ Luke 1:26; Luke 1:28 Whether Mary was in her house, or what her engagement when Gabriel visited her, we... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE PROMISED SON_ ‘And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou … shalt … bring forth a Son, and shalt call His name Jesus.’ Luke 1:30 In keeping the Feast of the Annunciation we must beware of anything approaching the Mariolatry which is characteristic of the Roman Church, but while we... [ Continue Reading ]
_IN CONFIRMATION OF FAITH_ ‘He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest.’ Luke 1:32 For the sake of deepening our conviction of the unspeakable importance of the doctrine of the Incarnation, let us lay aside our own belief for the moment, and see what the result of the surrender... [ Continue Reading ]
_AN ENDLESS KINGDOM_ ‘He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.’ Luke 1:33 Every attempt at world empire has been struck on the feet by ‘the stone that smote the image’ (Daniel 2:35), which is Christ; for to Him alone is it given to establish a kin... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE VIRGIN BIRTH_ ‘That which is to be born shall be called holy, the Son of God.’ Luke 1:35 (R.V.). The doctrine of the Virgin Birth is based on historical evidence, which, when calmly and dispassionately considered, will be found by every fair and reasonable mind to impart almost irresistible... [ Continue Reading ]
_WOMAN’S TRUE AVOCATION_ ‘The handmaid of the Lord.’ Luke 1:38 The glory of woman only abides while it remains true to the instincts which God implanted. What these instincts are, what woman’s true avocation is, the Blessed Virgin helps to remind us. I. THE TURNING-POINT IN WOMAN’S HISTORY.—In... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE SONG OF THE VIRGIN_ ‘My soul doth magnify the Lord.… As He spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.’ Luke 1:46 Next to the Lord’s Prayer, perhaps, few passages of Scripture are better known than this. Observe:— I. THE FULL ACQUAINTANCE WITH SCRIPTURE WHICH THIS HYMN EXHI... [ Continue Reading ]
_MODERN PROPHETS_ ‘As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, which have been since the world began.’ Luke 1:70 The message of Zacharias is as true to-day as when he sang. There have been, and there are, prophets and teachers of righteousness all through the ages. God has not left Himself wit... [ Continue Reading ]
_DELIVERANCE AND SERVICE_ ‘That He would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.’ Luke 1:74 This promise is meant for us, and is to last all our life. God has sworn to g... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE PROPHET OF THE HIGHEST_ ‘And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest.’ Luke 1:76 In the passage, Luke 1:76, we have the song of a father dedicating the infant child to missionary service. I. IT HAS AN OCTAVE OF GOSPEL NOTES.—(_a_) ‘Visited.’ Incarnation (Luke 19:10). (_b_) ‘... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE WAY OF PEACE_ ‘To guide our feet into the way of peace.’ Luke 1:79 The Lord Jesus Christ:— I. BROUGHT PEACE.—It was the burden of the angels’ Christmas song—‘on earth peace.’ II. MADE PEACE.—‘He made peace through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:20). ‘Peace with _ God_.’ ‘Therefore... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE VIRTUES OF ASCETICISM_ ‘And the child grew, and wared strong in spirit.’ Luke 1:80 The words refer to the Baptist, who is set before us as an example of the ascetic, self-sacrificing, self-subduing life, and of the virtues that belong to it. The first, and perhaps the chief of these, is spir... [ Continue Reading ]