Songs of Promise

Luke 1:72 – “…To show the mercy promised to our fathers.”

We know a few things about Luke who wrote the story of Jesus we know as the Gospel of Luke and the book called The Acts of the Apostles (or Acts) that tells the story of the early church after Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to Heaven. We know he was probably a doctor, because Paul called him the “beloved physician” in Colossians 4:13. From the “we” passages in Acts we can surmise he first met and joined Paul’s ministry in the city of Troas near Homer’s Troy in what is today Northwest Turkey. We also know he was not Jewish and probably the only Gentile to write any of the New Testament, yet his gospel is more Jewish than any of the others. He even copies the style of the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament used in his day.

Luke Chapter 1 is loaded with words, concepts, and the style of the Old Testament. There are many direct references and allusions to Old Testament passages, but this is not just Luke’s efforts to try to fit in with his new Jewish buddies. To Luke, Jesus’ coming is a direct fulfillment of God’s promises given over and over for hundreds of years before.

Luke records two Holy Spirit-inspired songs, one sung by Jesus’ mother Mary, the other by John the Baptist’s father Zechariah. Both are loaded with phrases from the Old Testament that show that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah, not a deluded opportunist. He came to fulfill promises God made to the people of Israel, but he also brought hope to the whole world. God keeps His promises. I pray you embrace them today.