Luke 1:45 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord."

NIV: Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!"

NASB: And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.'

CSB: Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken to her!"

NLT: You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.'

KJV: And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

NKJV: Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”

Zechariah was an aging priest, childless (Luke 1:5–7), when he was visited by an angel and told his wife would finally conceive (Luke 1:13–17). Unfortunately, his first instinct was doubt. He struggled to believe such a thing could really happen (Luke 1:18). The angel, Gabriel, responded by temporarily rendering Zechariah unable to speak (Luke 1:19–20). Zechariah's wife is Elizabeth (Luke 1:24–25). She has just been visited by her relative, Mary, who has very recently been miraculously made the expectant mother of the Son of God (Luke 1:31–33). Mary has come to share the news, and as soon as she announced herself, both Elizabeth and her unborn child reacted (Luke 1:41–44).

Part of Elizabeth's response was to declare Mary "blessed," and to apply that same praise to her unborn Child, Jesus (Luke 1:42). Here, she repeats that approval of Mary, with a special emphasis on her willingness to believe that the Lord's message was true. While Mary did respond to Gabriel's words with a question (Luke 1:34), she only wondered "how" God would accomplish the miracle. She reacted in humble faith (Luke 1:38), and Elizabeth's Spirit-induced words affirm this choice.

Luke 1:39–56 contains Mary's visit with her relative, Elizabeth, and her resulting praise of God. Both women are miraculously pregnant. Despite her old age, Elizabeth is several months pregnant with a boy who will one day be known as John the Baptist (Luke 1:13). Mary, a virgin, has recently learned that God has conceived in her the Messiah, to be named Jesus (Luke 1:31). The unborn John reacts when he hears Mary's voice. Mary responds to this with extensive praise of God, calling Him her "Savior." After staying for a while—possibly until the birth of John—Mary returns home.

The angel Gabriel predicts two miraculous births. The first is a son born to Zechariah and Elizabeth: an older, childless priest and his wife. Because Zechariah initially doubts this message, he is temporarily made unable to speak. Their child will be known as John the Baptist, a powerful herald of the Messiah. The Promised One whom John will proclaim is the second birth predicted by Gabriel. He tells an engaged virgin, Mary, that God will miraculously conceive His Son in her. The two women meet and rejoice over their blessings. John's arrival sets the stage for Luke's familiar account of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Luke was a travelling companion of the apostle Paul (Acts 16:10); his book of Acts is a direct "sequel" to the gospel of Luke (Acts 1:1–3). Those two books make up more than a quarter of the New Testament. Luke begins by explaining how his orderly approach is meant to inspire confidence in Christian faith. His work is based on eyewitness interviews and other evidence. The first chapter details the miraculous conceptions of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. Chapter 2 continues with Jesus' birth.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.