Luke Chapter 1 & John Chapter 1
Vital Statistics and Blueprint of the Books of Luke and John
(basic information, full information can be found in Vital Statistics and Blueprint of the New Testament Post)
Book of Luke
Vital Statistics
Author: Luke, the beloved physician and companion of Paul (Colossians 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:11; Philemon 24). He also wrote Acts.
Date: About A.D. 58–63 (often dated before Paul’s two-year imprisonment in Rome ends, since Acts closes there)
Setting / Place: Possibly Caesarea or Rome; written after careful investigation of eyewitness testimony (Luke 1:1–4)
Original audience: Theophilus and a broader Gentile readership; cultured Greek-speaking people
Theme: Jesus is the perfect Son of Man and universal Savior who came to seek and to save that which was lost.
Purpose: To give an orderly, historically grounded account of Jesus so that Theophilus may know the certainty of the things he has been taught.
Christ portrayed as: The Son of Man; the Savior of all peoples; the compassionate Physician of body and soul
Blueprint
I. Prologue and Infancy Narratives (1:1–2:52)
A. Preface to Theophilus (1:1–4)
B. Announcements and births of John and Jesus (1:5–2:52)
II. Preparation for Ministry (3:1–4:13)
A. John’s ministry, Jesus’ baptism and genealogy (3:1–38)
B. Temptation in the wilderness (4:1–13)
III. Ministry in Galilee (4:14–9:50)
A. Nazareth rejection and Capernaum authority (4:14–44)
B. Calling disciples and teaching with power (5:1–6:49)
C. Miracles, parables, and the identity of Jesus (7:1–9:50)
IV. The Journey to Jerusalem (9:51–19:27)
A. Cost of discipleship and mission of the Seventy (9:51–10:24)
B. Teaching on prayer, hypocrisy, and the kingdom (10:25–13:21)
C. Banquet parables, lost and found, and riches (13:22–17:10)
D. Approaching Jerusalem: faith, the rich ruler, Zacchaeus, and the minas (17:11–19:27)
V. Ministry in Jerusalem (19:28–21:38)
A. Entry, temple, and controversies (19:28–20:47)
B. Olivet teaching (21:1–38)
VI. Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension (22:1–24:53)
A. Last supper, arrest, and trials (22:1–23:25)
B. Crucifixion and burial (23:26–56)
C. Resurrection appearances, Emmaus, commission, and ascension (24:1–53)
Book of John
Vital Statistics
Author: John the apostle, the disciple whom Jesus loved, son of Zebedee (John 21:20–24)
Date: About A.D. 80–95 (traditionally late in the first century, from Ephesus)
Setting / Place: Ephesus, according to early church testimony
Original audience: The church at large, both Jewish and Gentile, to bring readers to saving faith and to confirm believers
Theme: Jesus is the eternal Word, the Christ, the Son of God; believing in Him you have life in His name.
Purpose: Stated by the author: that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31).
Christ portrayed as: The Word made flesh; the only begotten Son; the I AM; the Lamb of God
Blueprint
I. Prologue: The Word Made Flesh (1:1–18)
II. The Book of Signs: Public Ministry (1:19–12:50)
A. Witness of John and the first disciples (1:19–51)
B. Early signs and teaching in Galilee, Judea, and Samaria (2:1–4:54)
C. Growing conflict in Jerusalem (5:1–47)
D. Bread of Life and division (6:1–71)
E. Feasts, controversies, and the Light of the world (7:1–10:42)
F. Raising of Lazarus, anointing, and entry into Jerusalem (11:1–12:50)
III. The Book of Glory: Private Ministry and Passion (13:1–20:31)
A. Upper Room: foot washing, betrayal, and the new commandment (13:1–38)
B. Farewell discourse and High Priestly Prayer (14:1–17:26)
C. Arrest, trials, crucifixion, and burial (18:1–19:42)
D. Resurrection appearances to Mary and the disciples (20:1–31)
IV. Epilogue: The Restoration of Peter and the Beloved Disciple (21:1–25)
Opening Prayer
Father of lights, from whom every good and perfect gift comes, we come to Your Word this morning with open Bibles and open hearts.
In Luke 1 You show us a priest who doubted, a young woman who believed,
and a child who would prepare the way. In John 1 You pull back the curtain and show us the Word who was with You in the beginning, the Light that darkness has never overcome,
the One who became flesh and dwelt among us. Holy Spirit, as we read these chapters,
quiet every competing voice. Let Zechariah’s silence teach us to listen.
Let Mary’s “let it be to me according to Your word” become our own.
Let John’s pointing finger turn our eyes away from ourselves and onto Jesus.
Let the eternal Word who pitched His tent among us pitch His tent in us again today.
Give us eyes to see the glory of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Give us hearts that receive Him. And give us mouths that, like Mary and Zechariah, overflow with praise. We ask this in the name of Jesus, the Word made flesh, the Light of the world,
Amen.
Scripture NKJV
Luke 1
Dedication to Theophilus
1 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.
John’s Birth Announced to Zacharias
5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.
8 So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
18 And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. 20 But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.”
21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. 22 But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless. 23 So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. 24 Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”
Christ’s Birth Announced to Mary
26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” 35 And the angel answered and said to her, “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. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 3 7For with God nothing will be impossible.” 38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
The Song of Mary
46 And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. 49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. 50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. 54 He has helped His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy, 55 As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever.” 56 And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.
Birth of John the Baptist
57 Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son. 58 When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.
Circumcision of John the Baptist
59 So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias. 60 His mother answered and said, “No; he shall be called John.” 61 But they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” 62 So they made signs to his father—what he would have him called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, “His name is John.” So they all marveled. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God. 65 Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea. 66 And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, “What kind of child will this be?” And the hand of the Lord was with him.
Zacharias’ Prophecy
67 Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:
68 “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people,
69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of His servant David,
70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, Who have been since the world began,
71 That we should be saved from our enemies And from the hand of all who hate us, 72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers And to remember His holy covenant, 73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham: 74 To grant us that we, Being delivered from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, 75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.
76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, 77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins, 78 Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; 79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80 So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.
John 1
The Eternal Word
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
John’s Witness: The True Light
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
The Word Becomes Flesh
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ”
16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
A Voice in the Wilderness
19 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?”
He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”
22 Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord,” ’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
24 Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. 25 And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
26 John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. 27 It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.” 28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
The Lamb of God
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ 31 I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.” 32 And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”
The First Disciples
35 Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. 36 And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour). 40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone).
Philip and Nathanael
43 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?”
Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
Breaking it all down
Luke chapter 1
Luke 1 is the doorway into the whole Gospel. Luke is not starting with Jesus’ public ministry. He starts with God keeping old promises in quiet, hidden places—through an old barren couple, a young virgin, and a baby who cannot yet speak.
Here is the chapter in order, what is happening, and what God is teaching.
1:1–4 — Why this book exists
Luke tells Theophilus (and us) that he carefully investigated everything so we can have certainty about the things we have been taught.
God is teaching: faith is not a leap into the dark. The story of Jesus rests on real events, real people, and careful witness. You can trust what you are about to read.
1:5–25 — John’s birth announced
Zechariah and Elizabeth are righteous, old, and childless. While Zechariah is serving in the temple, Gabriel appears and says their prayer has been heard. They will have a son named John. He will be great, filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb, and will turn many in Israel back to God—in the spirit and power of Elijah.
Zechariah asks for a sign because it seems impossible. He is made unable to speak until the child is born.
What God is teaching
God often begins His greatest works in places that look finished: barrenness, old age, silence.
Unbelief does not cancel God’s plan, but it can cost us the joy of speaking His praise for a season.
John is not the Savior. He is the forerunner. God always prepares the way before He comes.
1:26–38 — Jesus’ birth announced
Six months later Gabriel goes to Nazareth, to Mary, a virgin betrothed to Joseph of the house of David. She will conceive by the Holy Spirit and bear a son named Jesus. He will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and His kingdom will never end.
Mary asks how, not whether. Then she answers: “Let it be to me according to your word.”
What God is teaching
Jesus is not merely a prophet like John. He is the promised Davidic King and the Son of God.
The incarnation begins here: the eternal Son takes on human flesh through the Holy Spirit, not through a human father.
The difference between Zechariah and Mary is not that one had an easy life. It is the posture of the heart. Mary believes the word even when she cannot see the how.
God chooses the small, the young, the obscure. Nazareth was not the expected place.
1:39–45 — Mary visits Elizabeth
Mary hurries to the hill country. When Elizabeth hears her greeting, the baby leaps in her womb and Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit. She cries out that Mary is blessed among women, and that the mother of her Lord has come to her. “Blessed is she who believed.”
What God is teaching
Jesus is already Lord while still in the womb. John already recognizes Him.
The Holy Spirit is active before Pentecost—filling Elizabeth, leaping in John, overshadowing Mary.
Faith creates holy community. Two women, one old and one young, become the first to honor the Messiah together.
Belief itself is called blessed. God honors those who take Him at His word.
1:46–56 — Mary’s song (the Magnificat)
Mary magnifies the Lord. Her soul rejoices in God her Savior. She praises Him for looking on her lowliness, for doing great things, for scattering the proud, bringing down the mighty, lifting the humble, filling the hungry, and sending the rich away empty. She ends with God’s mercy to Abraham and his descendants forever.
What God is teaching
This is not sentimental. It is deep Old Testament theology in a young woman’s mouth. Mary knows Hannah’s song, the Psalms, and the promises to Abraham.
God’s kingdom turns the world’s values upside down. He is not impressed by status, power, or self-sufficiency.
Salvation is personal (“God my Savior”) and covenantal (mercy to Abraham’s line).
The right first response to the gospel is worship, not strategy.
1:57–66 — John is born
Elizabeth gives birth. Relatives want to name the boy after his father. She says “John.” They appeal to Zechariah. He writes, “His name is John.” Immediately his mouth is opened and he praises God. Fear and wonder fall on the neighbors: “What then will this child be?”
What God is teaching
The name John means “the Lord is gracious.” Grace, not family tradition, names this child.
Obedience unlocks praise. Zechariah’s silence ends when he finally agrees with God’s word.
When God acts, even ordinary people can see that something holy is happening.
1:67–80 — Zechariah’s prophecy (the Benedictus)
Filled with the Holy Spirit, Zechariah prophesies. God has visited and redeemed His people. He has raised up a horn of salvation in the house of David, as He promised through the prophets. The purpose is that we might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness. Then he turns to the child: John will be called the prophet of the Most High and will go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of sins. The sunrise from on high will visit those sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
The child grows and lives in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance.
What God is teaching
The whole Old Testament is coming to its goal. David’s throne, Abraham’s mercy, the prophets’ words—all of it is being kept.
Salvation is not first about self-improvement. It is God visiting His people, redeeming them, and forgiving sins.
John’s job is to prepare people to receive the King, not to be the King.
The goal of all of this is peace: feet guided out of darkness into the way of peace.
God often hides His servants in obscure places (the wilderness) until the appointed time.
The thread running through the whole chapter
God is teaching that He is faithful. He has not forgotten Abraham, David, or the cries of a barren woman and a young girl in a forgotten town. He is beginning the rescue of the world in the most unlikely way: a Spirit-filled forerunner and a virgin-conceived King.
He is also teaching how to respond:
Not with Zechariah’s first reflex (“How can I know this?”)
But with Mary’s (“Let it be to me according to your word”)
And then with both of their final reflex: praise.
The chapter leaves us looking forward. John is in the wilderness. Mary is carrying the Son of God. The light is about to dawn on people sitting in darkness.
John Chapter 1
John 1 is the other doorway into the story of Jesus. Luke 1 shows God keeping promises through real families and quiet rooms. John 1 pulls the camera all the way back—before Bethlehem, before Abraham, before the world—and then shows that same eternal Son stepping into history.
Here is the chapter in order.
1:1–18 — The Word
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The Word was with God in the beginning. All things were made through Him. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John the Baptist was sent as a witness to the Light. The true Light was coming into the world. The world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. His own people did not receive Him. But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. The law came through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The only God, who is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.
What God is teaching
Jesus did not begin in Mary’s womb. He is eternal. He is God, and He is with God.
Creation itself is His work. The One who made light now is the Light.
Darkness is real, but it is not equal. It cannot snuff Him out.
Salvation is not earned by family line or human effort. It is receiving Him and being born of God.
The heart of the gospel is incarnation: the Word pitched His tent among us. God is no longer only spoken about. He has been seen.
Jesus does not cancel Moses. He fulfills what the law could only point toward: grace and truth in a Person.
1:19–28 — John is not the Christ
Priests and Levites come from Jerusalem asking, “Who are you?” John confesses he is not the Christ, not Elijah, not the Prophet. He is “the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord.” They ask why he baptizes. He says he baptizes with water, but among them stands One they do not know, whose sandal strap he is not worthy to untie.
What God is teaching
A true witness points away from himself.
Religious people can stand very near Jesus and still not recognize Him.
John’s whole calling is preparation: clear the road so the King can be received.
1:29–34 — “Behold, the Lamb of God”
The next day John sees Jesus and says, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” He testifies that he saw the Spirit descend and remain on Him. This is the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. “I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
What God is teaching
Jesus is not first a teacher or example. He is the sacrifice who removes sin—not just Israel’s, the world’s.
The Spirit remaining on Him marks Him as the true Son and the One who will give the Spirit to others.
Faith rests on witness: John saw, and he said what he saw.
1:35–42 — The first disciples
John is standing with two of his disciples, looks at Jesus, and says again, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two follow Jesus. He asks, “What are you seeking?” They ask where He is staying. He says, “Come and you will see.” They stay with Him that day. Andrew finds his brother Simon and says, “We have found the Messiah.” Jesus looks at Simon and names him Cephas (Peter).
What God is teaching
Discipleship often begins with someone else’s pointing finger.
Jesus’ first invitation is not a lecture. It is “Come and see.”
The right response to finding Jesus is to bring someone else.
Jesus knows who we are and who we will become. He names Peter before Peter has done anything.
1:43–51 — Philip and Nathanael
Jesus finds Philip and says, “Follow Me.” Philip finds Nathanael: “We have found Him of whom Moses and the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael answers, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip says, “Come and see.”
Jesus sees Nathanael coming and says, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit.” Nathanael asks how He knows him. Jesus says He saw him under the fig tree. Nathanael confesses, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus promises he will see greater things: heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.
What God is teaching
Prejudice (“Can anything good come from Nazareth?”) is answered the same way doubt is answered: Come and see.
Jesus sees us before we see Him.
The titles pile up on purpose: Lamb of God, Son of God, Messiah, King of Israel, Son of Man. John wants you to know who you are meeting.
The Jacob’s-ladder image (Genesis 28) is now a Person. Heaven and earth meet in Jesus. He is the place where God comes down.
The thread through the whole chapter
God is teaching that Jesus is not one more religious option. He is the eternal Word, the Light the darkness cannot stop, the Lamb who takes away sin, the Son who makes the Father known, and the One who turns ordinary people into children of God and witnesses.
Luke 1 shows the how of His coming—womb, family, promise kept.
John 1 shows the who—from eternity, into flesh, full of grace and truth.
The chapter ends the same way it began: looking. John looked and said, “Behold.” The first disciples came and saw. Nathanael is promised he will see greater things. God is still saying the same word to us: come and see who He is.
If you want next, I can give discussion questions for John 1, a side-by-side of Luke 1 and John 1, or a short prayer that walks through this chapter the way the Luke 1 prayer did.
Who is Gabriel?
Gabriel is the same angel who appeared to both Zechariah and Mary.
In Luke 1 he is named twice:
To Zechariah in the temple he says, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news” (Luke 1:19).
Six months later “the angel Gabriel was sent from God” to Nazareth, to Mary (Luke 1:26).
So Luke wants you to see one messenger carrying both announcements: first the forerunner, then the King.
Who Gabriel is in Scripture
His name means something like “God is my strength” or “mighty one of God.”
He appears only a few times, and every time he is carrying a message about God’s unfolding plan of salvation:
In Daniel 8 and 9 he is sent to help Daniel understand visions about coming kingdoms and the appointed time of the Messiah.
In Luke 1 he is sent to announce John’s birth and then Jesus’ birth.
He is not the Holy Spirit, and he is not Jesus. He is a created servant who “stands in the presence of God” and is sent when God is about to act in a great way. Michael is the other angel named in Scripture as a chief warrior; Gabriel is the one God uses as herald.
What that means in Luke 1
God did not send two different messengers with two different plans. One trusted servant from His presence announced both halves of the same story: prepare the way, then the Lord Himself is coming.
Zechariah met him in the holy place during priestly duty. Mary met him in an ordinary house in a small town. Same Gabriel. Same God. Same mission—only the response of the two people was different.
That is part of what God is teaching: the message does not change with the listener. The invitation is the same. What changes is whether we answer with doubt or with “let it be to me according to your word.”
Was there a particular reason God chose Elizabeth and Mary to carry John and Jesus?
Scripture never gives a full private résumé for why these two women. It does show the kind of people God chose, and why that choice fits His way of working.
Elizabeth
Luke starts with her character: she and Zechariah were “righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments” (Luke 1:6). They were also old and barren. That is not an accident. God had already written this pattern into Israel’s story—Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah. When the womb is closed, and then God opens it, no one can say the child was merely natural. John had to be unmistakably from God, because his whole life would say, “Prepare the way of the Lord.”
Elizabeth was also of Aaron’s line, married to a priest. John would stand between the old priesthood and the coming Lamb. He is born inside the temple system, then later calls Israel out of it toward Jesus.
Her barrenness and her faith also made her the right person to receive Mary. When Mary arrived, Elizabeth was already living inside a miracle. She could recognize another one.
Mary
Gabriel’s first word to her is not about her résumé. It is about grace: “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you.” The emphasis is God’s initiative, not Mary’s qualification.
Then the text shows what that grace landed on:
She was a virgin, so Jesus’ birth would be by the Holy Spirit, not by a human father. That is how He can be both truly man and truly the Son of God.
She was betrothed into the house of David. The promised King had to come from David’s line.
She was young, poor, and from Nazareth—a place people dismissed. God did not choose a palace or a famous family. He chose lowliness, which is exactly what Mary later sings: He has looked on the humble estate of His servant.
She believed the word. That is the difference Luke draws between her and Zechariah. “Blessed is she who believed.”
The particular reason that runs through both
God chose them because their lives already preached the gospel He was about to unveil.
He chose a barren old woman so John would be seen as gift, not achievement.
He chose a virgin so Jesus would be seen as God with us, not merely another child of Adam.
He chose the humble so the proud would not be able to claim credit.
He chose people inside Israel’s story—priestly line and Davidic line—so the old promises would be kept, not replaced.
In other words, Elizabeth and Mary were not random. They were the kind of people through whom God has always liked to work: the ones who cannot make the promise happen by themselves. That way the child, the glory, and the salvation are clearly His.
Divine Grace
Divine grace is God moving toward us when we have no claim on Him.
It is not God noticing that we finally became worthy. It is God giving what we could never earn, because of who He is.
What the word means
In the New Testament the main word is charis: a gift, favor freely given. In the Old Testament you hear it in words like favor and steadfast love—God’s kindness that is not payment for services rendered.
Grace is God acting from His own heart, not from our leverage.
John already set this in front of you: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us… full of grace and truth.” “From His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” “The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
Law can tell you the truth about what God requires. Grace is God giving you Himself.
Grace in the story you are reading
Luke 1 and John 1 are grace before they are anything else.
Elizabeth did not open her own womb. God did.
Mary is greeted as “favored one” before she says a word. The favor lands first; her “let it be” is the answer, not the purchase.
Zechariah doubted and was silenced, yet the promise still stood. Grace did not wait for perfect faith.
John 1 says the world did not know Him and His own did not receive Him—and still He came. Then, to those who did receive Him, He gave the right to become children of God.
That is grace: God starts. God gives. We receive.
Grace is older than the manger
God has always worked this way.
Noah “found favor” in a violent world. Abraham was called before he had done the deeds that later marked him. Israel was told, “It was not because you were more in number… but because the Lord loves you.” David was chosen from the sheepfolds. The barren, the younger son, the unexpected king—again and again God writes the story so no one can boast.
Grace does not begin in the New Testament. The New Testament reveals where all that grace was heading: the Word made flesh.
What grace is not
Grace is not God lowering His standards.
Grace is not permission to stay as we are.
Grace is not a wage we collect after a good week.
Grace is not God looking the other way.
Paul says we are saved by grace through faith—and that this is not our own doing, so that no one may boast. Then the same grace teaches us to say no to ungodliness. Grace pardons, and grace trains. If it only comforts and never changes us, we have not yet understood it.
There is a false version that treats forgiveness as cheap. Real grace is free to us and costly to God. It cost the Son His blood. That is why it can reach people who bring nothing but need.
What grace does
Grace does at least these things:
It chooses. God is not cornered into blessing us. He freely sets His love on people.
It comes near. The Word did not shout instructions from heaven. He dwelt among us.
It forgives. John points to Jesus and says, “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”
It adopts. Receiving Christ is not joining a club. It is being born of God.
It humbles and lifts. Mary’s song is grace from the underside: the proud scattered, the lowly raised. Grace makes boasting impossible and hope possible.
It keeps giving. “Grace upon grace” means there is not one deposit, then you are on your own. There is fullness in Christ, and we keep receiving.
How this answers the last question
Following God’s commands, humbling yourself, and loving Him with heart, soul, and mind is the life grace produces, not the ticket you buy to get grace.
Elizabeth walked blamelessly because she already belonged to the God of Israel. Mary believed because favor had already been spoken over her. Obedience is how a graced person says thank you with her life. It is not how she puts God in her debt.
The blessing offered to anyone is not “you can become Mary.” It is this: you can receive the Son, be made a child of God, and live from His fullness instead of from your own supply.
That is divine grace. God gives first. We open our hands. And the gift is not a thing. The gift is Christ.
Affirmations
Luke 1:37 Nothing is impossible with God. Affirmation: I will not measure God’s promise by what I can see. The God who opened a barren womb and overshadowed a virgin is able to do what I cannot.
Luke 1:38 Let it be to me according to Your word. Affirmation: I receive what You say before I understand how You will do it. My life is not my own argument. It is my yes.
Luke 1:45 Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord. Affirmation: I am blessed not because I feel strong, but because I take God at His word. I choose trust over the need to see first.
Luke 1:46–47 My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. Affirmation: I will not wait until my circumstances change to worship. God is my Savior now, and my mouth belongs to praise.
John 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Affirmation: Darkness is real, but it is not final. The Light of Christ is in me and before me, and it will not be put out.
John 1:12 To all who received Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God. Affirmation: I have received Jesus. I am not an outsider trying to earn a place. I am a child of God by His gift.
John 1:16 From His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. Affirmation: I do not live from leftovers or from my own supply. I receive grace, and then grace again, from the fullness of Christ.
Closing Summary
We opened today in Luke 1 and John 1, and the two doorways said the same thing in different ways.
Luke showed us God keeping old promises in quiet places: a barren priestly couple, a young woman in Nazareth, an angel named Gabriel carrying one message to both homes. John pulled the curtain all the way back and showed us who that Child is—the Word who was with God and was God, the Light darkness cannot overcome, the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world.
We saw that Elizabeth and Mary were not chosen because they had leverage with God. Grace reached them first. Their humility and their yes were the answer, not the price. Divine grace is God giving what we could never earn, and then teaching us to live from His fullness—grace upon grace.
If you take nothing else with you, take this: God still speaks. Nothing is impossible with Him. Blessed is the one who believes there will be a fulfillment of what He has said. And to all who receive Jesus, He still gives the right to become children of God.
Thank you for sitting with the Word with me today. Thank you for your presence, your listening, and your hunger for truth. It is a gift to read Scripture in the company of sisters.
I love you.
Special thanks are given to Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, for the gift of writing and the privilege of sharing this Bible Study. His guidance and blessings have made this work possible, and it is with a grateful heart that can share my study with you. I hope you find it informational and helpful in your spiritual journey. I am asking that you open your hearts and minds to accept the word of Christ into your hearts and accept His word to transform your life in positive ways. This is the first part of my online Christian Bookstore Fellowship and I do accept donations that will further my mission to have a Bookstore in our community, a place where we can sit down face to face and enjoy this Bible Study over open and honest conversation. I will continue this online Study as well to complete the entire year. Thank you for following The Mustard Seed Christian Bookstore Fellowship & Café online Bible Study.
This Bible study is written with inspiration and wisdom from the Holy Spirit, Scripture from the Holy Bible (NIV), NKJV Life Application Study Bible, analytical support and help in organizing and presentation from Grok AI (which examines multiple sources online) and writing assistance with drafting and editing from Microsoft Co-Pilot.
