Digging for Spiritual Gems: Luke 1 (Week June 11-17, 2018) 

Luke 1
Digging for Spiritual Gems: (8 min.)

Lu 1:69—What is the meaning of “a horn of salvation”? (“a horn of salvation” study note on Lu 1:69, nwtsty)
a horn of salvation: Or “a powerful savior.” In the Bible, animal horns often represent strength, conquest, and victory. (1Sa 2:1; Ps 75:4, 5, 10; 148:14; ftns.) Also, rulers and ruling dynasties, both the righteous and the wicked, are symbolized by horns, and their achieving of conquests was likened to pushing with horns. (De 33:17; Da 7:24; 8:2-10, 20-24) In this context, the expression “a horn of salvation” refers to the Messiah as the one having power to save, a mighty savior.—See Glossary, “Horn.”

Lu 1:76—In what sense would John the Baptist “go ahead of Jehovah”? (“you will go ahead of Jehovah” study note on Lu 1:76, nwtsty)
Jehovah: The prophetic words of Zechariah in the second part of this verse reflect the wording of Isa 40:3 and Mal 3:1, where the divine name, represented by four Hebrew consonants (transliterated YHWH), occurs in the original Hebrew text. In view of the Hebrew Scripture background, the divine name has been used in the main text, although existing Greek manuscripts use Kyʹri·os (Lord). (See study notes on Lu 1:6, 16, 17; 3:4 and App. C.) Additionally, it is noteworthy that in this verse, as in many other occurrences of Kyʹri·os in Luke chapter 1, the Greek definite article was not included before Kyʹri·os where it would be expected according to standard grammatical usage, making Kyʹri·os tantamount to a proper name. Also, a number of Bible translations use such renderings as Jehovah, Yahveh, Yahweh, יהוה (YHWH, or the Tetragrammaton), LORD, and ADONAI in the main text or in footnotes and marginal notes to indicate that this is a reference to Jehovah God. A number of reference works support this view.—See App. C.
you will go ahead of Jehovah: John the Baptist would “go ahead of Jehovah” in the sense that he would be the forerunner of Jesus, who would represent his Father and come in his Father’s name.—Joh 5:43; 8:29; see the study note on Jehovah in this verse.

What has this week’s Bible reading taught you about Jehovah?

*** w18 July pp. 9-10 par. 11 Whose Recognition Do You Seek? ***
11 When it came time for God’s Son to be born as a human, Jehovah selected a humble virgin girl, Mary, to be the mother of this special child. Mary lived in the insignificant city of Nazareth, far from Jerusalem and its magnificent temple. (Read Luke 1:26-33.) Why was Mary chosen for this privilege? She was told by the angel Gabriel that she had “found favor with God.” Mary revealed her deep spirituality when she later spoke to her relative Elizabeth. (Luke 1:46-55) Yes, Jehovah had been observing Mary, and he granted her this unexpected privilege because of her faithfulness.

*** w16 February pp. 16-17 pars. 14-15 Imitate Jehovah’s Close Friends ***
14 It is easy to think only of Mary’s wonderful privilege and fail to consider some of the practical concerns that might have seemed daunting. God’s angel Gabriel told her that she would become pregnant miraculously—without having relations with a man. Gabriel did not offer to go to Mary’s family and neighbors to explain the cause of her pregnancy. What would they think? Mary must have been concerned about her fiancé, Joseph. How could she convince him that, although she was pregnant, she had remained faithful to him? Moreover, what a responsibility it would be to raise, care for, and train the only-begotten Son of the Most High! We cannot know all the concerns that may have raced through Mary’s mind when Gabriel spoke to her. However, we do know that she answered: “Look! Jehovah’s slave girl! May it happen to me according to your declaration.”—Luke 1:26-38.
15 Is Mary’s faith not remarkable? A slave girl was at her master’s disposal. Mary thus entrusted her care and choices to her Master, Jehovah. She wanted to serve him in whatever way he saw fit. Where did her faith come from? Faith is not inborn. It is the product of a person’s effort and God’s blessing. (Gal. 5:22; Eph. 2:8) Is there evidence that Mary put forth effort to strengthen her faith? There is. Consider how she listened and how she spoke.

*** w15 2/15 pp. 7-8 par. 11 Imitate Jesus’ Humility and Tenderness ***
11 What is tenderness? The word “tender” is defined as “marked by, responding to, or expressing the softer emotions.” Tenderness is a facet of love and is akin to such “softer emotions” as compassion and mercy. The Scriptures refer to “tender compassion,” “tender mercies,” and “tender affection.” (Luke 1:78; 2 Cor. 1:3; Phil. 1:8) Regarding the Scriptural call for compassion, one Bible reference work says: “That call is more than an appeal for us to feel with and for the needy. It is a call to care enough to become involved and to help by taking some action that will set others’ lives on a fresh, new course.” Tenderness is a motivating force. A tender person is moved to make a difference in the lives of others.

*** w13 5/15 p. 3 par. 2 Fulfill Your Role as an Evangelizer ***
2 Angels too are evangelizers. They themselves tell good news, and they assist others in spreading good news. (Luke 1:19; 2:10; Acts 8:26, 27, 35; Rev. 14:6) What about the archangel Michael? While on earth as Jesus, he set the standard for human evangelizers. Why, Jesus built his life around spreading the good news!—Luke 4:16-21.

*** w12 6/1 pp. 28-29 “Impossible!”—What Does It Mean? ***
These experiences demonstrate that God’s Word is indeed powerful and that his holy spirit can accomplish “impossible” things in our lives. But you may say, “That takes faith!” Yes, that is true. In fact, the Bible says that “without faith it is impossible to please [God] well.” (Hebrews 11:6) But think of it this way: A good friend, perhaps a bank manager or someone in authority, tells you: “You must not worry. If you are ever in need of anything, just come to me.” No doubt you would be comforted by such a promise. But, sadly, humans often fail us. Perhaps your friend comes into circumstances that make it impossible for him to fulfill his well-intentioned promise. Should your friend die, then all his good will and ability to help would come to an abrupt end. On the other hand, none of the things that can happen to humans can have any effect on God. The Bible assures us: “Nothing is impossible to God.”—Luke 1:37, The Jerusalem Bible.

*** w12 7/1 p. 20 “Whenever You Pray, Say, ‘Father’” ***
Our heavenly Father is sensitive to our suffering. He is a God of “tender compassion.” (Luke 1:78) Jesus reflected his Father’s compassion for imperfect humans. (Mark 1:40-42; 6:30-34) True Christians also endeavor to imitate their heavenly Father’s compassion. They heed the Bible’s admonition to “become kind to one another, tenderly compassionate.”—Ephesians 4:32.

What other spiritual gems have you discovered in this week’s Bible reading?

*** w18 February p. 21 par. 11 What Does It Mean to Be a Spiritual Person? ***
11 Now consider another example, that of Mary. Why did Jehovah choose Mary to become Jesus’ mother? No doubt because she was a spiritually-minded person. How do we know that? She showed clear evidence of spirituality in her beautiful expressions of praise when she visited the home of her relatives Zechariah and Elizabeth. (Read Luke 1:46-55.) Mary’s statements show that she had a deep love for God’s Word and was thoroughly familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures. (Gen. 30:13; 1 Sam. 2:1-10; Mal. 3:12) Note, too, that she and Joseph, although newly married, refrained from sexual relations until Jesus was born. What does that indicate? It shows that both of them were more concerned with Jehovah’s will than with satisfying their personal desires. (Matt. 1:25) As time passed, Mary carefully noted what took place in Jesus’ life and paid attention to the words of wisdom he spoke. Furthermore, she “kept all these sayings in her heart.” (Luke 2:51) She was clearly interested in God’s purpose in connection with the Messiah. Does not Mary’s example help us to think of how we can put God’s will first in our life?

*** w18 June p. 30 The Power of a Greeting ***
When it came time for the Son of God to have his life transferred to the womb of Mary, Jehovah sent an angel to speak to her. “Greetings, you highly favored one,” the angel began, “Jehovah is with you.” Mary was “deeply disturbed,” uncertain why an angel was speaking to her. Seeing this, the angel said: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” He explained that it was God’s purpose for her to give birth to the Messiah. Rather than remain disturbed, Mary obediently replied: “Look! Jehovah’s slave girl! May it happen to me according to your declaration.”—Luke 1:26-38.
It was a privilege for the angel to act as Jehovah’s messenger; yet, he did not consider it beneath him to address an imperfect human. He started off with a greeting. Can we learn from that example? We should be ready to greet others and encourage them. With just a few words, we can help others and give them confidence that they are really a part of Jehovah’s people.

*** w15 2/1 p. 16 Bible Questions Answered ***
What will God’s Kingdom achieve?
Jehovah God has chosen an ideal world Ruler—his Son, Jesus. (Luke 1:31-33) As a man on earth, Jesus was interested in helping people. As King, he will unite people of all nations and relieve people of all suffering.—Read Psalm 72:8, 12-14.
Will everyone accept Jesus as Ruler? No. But Jehovah is patient. (2 Peter 3:9) He is giving people the opportunity to accept Jesus as Ruler. Soon, Jesus will rid the earth of bad people and will establish peace and security worldwide.—Read Micah 4:3, 4.

*** w12 11/1 p. 16 Will God Provide a World Government? ***
2. Who could be trusted with a world government?
The idea of a world ruler is unpopular because no man or woman could do the job well. No human could gain the acceptance of everyone. Also, who is above being corrupted by power? The thought of a single tyrant ruling all mankind is terrifying.—Read Proverbs 29:2; Jeremiah 10:23.
Jehovah God has chosen his Son, Jesus, to rule mankind forever. (Luke 1:32, 33) Jesus has experience in living on earth. While here, he cured the sick, taught the meek, and spent time with children. (Mark 1:40-42; 6:34; 10:13-16) So Jesus is the ideal Ruler.—Read John 1:14.

*** w11 1/15 p. 14 pars. 7-8 Respect Marriage as a Gift From God ***
7 Elizabeth showed commendable loyalty in yet another way. When her son, John, was born, Zechariah could not speak because he had been struck with speechlessness for questioning God’s angel. Yet, Zechariah must have communicated to his wife in some way that Jehovah’s angel had told him to name the boy “John.” The neighbors and relatives wanted to name the boy after his father. But Elizabeth loyally upheld her husband’s direction to her. She said: “No, indeed! but he shall be called John.”—Luke 1:59-63.
8 Like Zechariah and Elizabeth, married couples today face disappointments and other challenges. A marriage without loyalty will not flourish. Flirtation, pornography, adultery, and other threats to a wholesome marriage can irreparably destroy marital trust. And when trust within a marriage breaks down, love begins to wither. In some ways, loyalty is like a protective fence around the family home that keeps out unwelcome visitors and threats, providing a measure of security for those inside the home. Thus, when a husband and wife are loyal to each other, they can reside together safely and open their heart to each other, letting their love grow. Yes, loyalty is vital.

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