Luke 1:80 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

NIV: And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.

NASB: Now the child grew and was becoming strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

CSB: The child grew up and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

NLT: John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.

KJV: And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.

NKJV: So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.

Zechariah and Elizabeth (Luke 1:5–7) were surprised to learn they would finally have a child (Luke 1:11–17). Their son will come to be known as John the Baptist (Luke 3:2–3). His purpose is to prepare people for the ministry of Jesus Christ (Luke 1:76; Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1; 4:6). Jesus' arrival has recently been predicted (Luke 1:31–33), and the following chapter is a well-known account of His birth (Luke 2).

In the meantime, John will grow up with a noticeable strength of spirit. His miraculous birth (Luke 1:22, 58, 65) and unusual personality (Mark 1:4–6) will contribute to interest in his message (Matthew 3:4–6). That message will be focused on directing people toward the Messiah, Jesus (John 1:19–23; 3:27–30).

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.

Accessed 5/5/2024 7:20:28 AM