Luke 1:77 - Printer Friendly

ESV: to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins,

NIV: to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,

NASB: To give His people the knowledge of salvation By the forgiveness of their sins,

CSB: to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.

NLT: You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins.

KJV: To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,

NKJV: To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins,

God promised to send a Messiah (Isaiah 9:6–7), following the work of a herald (Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1; 4:6). The Messiah is Jesus Christ (Luke 1:31–33), and His herald is John the Baptist (Luke 1:13–17; 3:2–3). Here, Zechariah (Luke 1:57, 67–68) celebrates the role his son, John, will play in this process (Luke 1:76). John will proclaim the need for repentance (Matthew 3:1–5), while pointing people to the Savior (John 1:19–23). John the Baptist will be very clear about his inferiority to Jesus (John 3:30). His purpose is to tell others to follow Christ (John 1:29–30).

Jesus' first coming to earth will be to establish this means of forgiveness (John 3:16–17). His sacrificial death and resurrection will be the mechanism for those who believe to be rescued from the penalty of sin (2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:8). That corresponds to Old Testament predictions that God would establish a new covenant with His people (Jeremiah 31:31–33), including forgiveness of sin (Jeremiah 31:34). Christ's second coming (Revelation 19:11–15) will finish God's prophetic promise to end all sin and evil (Revelation 21:1–5).

Luke 1:57–80 describes the first of two births predicted by the angel Gabriel in this chapter (Luke 1:13, 31). Despite their old age, Elizabeth and Zechariah have had a son, who now needs to be named. Zechariah has been stricken mute for months, after doubting the angel's message. Elizabeth surprises her family by naming the child "John." When asked, Zechariah writes down the same name and is immediately able to speak again. Amid the awestruck reaction of family and neighbors, the legendary reputation of John the Baptist has begun. Zechariah then prophesies about the powerful ministry of his son.

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.