In The Days of Herod

Luke 1:5-9

5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah ; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

6 They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.

7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.

8 Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division,

9 according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

Being somewhat specific about the time period here, he mentions "Herod, king of Judea", who we know as Herod the Great (circa 74 BC - 4 BC)*.  Of him, Caesar Augustus said, "I'd rather be Herod's pig than one of his sons", for in 7 BC Herod executed two of his sons: Antipater and Aristobulus.  After Herod's death, his kingdom was divided between his other three sons: Herod Antipas (executioner of John the Baptist), Archelaus and Philip (a half brother to the others).

In this passage, Luke focuses on a priest named Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth. They were Godly people, but had no sons or daughters.  Now they were old, and so the likelihood of having children was as remote as could be.  As a Levite, he was "randomly" chosen to burn the incense (I put that in quotes because God clearly influenced the choosing this time, noting Proverbs 16:33).  Apparently, the incense was offered once per day in the morning.  At the time of this event, only the selected incense-offering priest was to be in the sanctuary.  Later, an assistant was included, but at this time, Zacharias was alone. Jewish Encyclopedia - topic: incense  

* the Roman calendar we use today is 4 years off...Jesus was actually born in 4 BC!

Having Investigated Carefully

Luke 1:1-4

1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us,

2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word,

3 it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus ;

4 so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.

Luke from the start acknowledges that many people had already written about Jesus and the event surrounding his life, but now offers his own account.  The writer’s approach is unique in that he didn’t just write about what he had heard, but looked into the matter carefully.

In what ways had Luke done this?  He would have visited sites where these events occurred, interviewed those who had witnessed these events, check his facts and made sure that what was written was accurate.  Evidence of this journalistic approach include several references to actual times and rulers, specifically 1:5, 2:1, 3:1, Jesus genealogy (3:23-38), and from the book of Acts, chapter 2 (the one following the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, in which would be significant to the people of the time), Act 18:12, and Acts 12:20-23 (the historian Josephus records this event as well).  These specific references not only help give the reader a better sense of when things happened in Luke and Acts, but also add authenticity, as they could be checked by anyone at the time.

Most Excellent Theophilus

Opening up to the first chapter of Luke, we see the author (attributed to be the physician Luke) beginning the long task of writing two epistles (letters) to one Theophilus.  These books are the gospel of of Luke (focusing on the life of Jesus Christ), and book of Acts, covering the acts of the apostles (primarily Peter and Paul).

Theophilus means "one who loves God", so we don't know if Luke is talking to a general audience or to a person actually named Theophilus.  He does use the term "most excellent" (vs 1:3) in referring to his intended audience, so I lean toward him referring to a specific person, but then, "most excellent" could refer to any people who "hunger and thirst for righteousness" (Matthew 5:6).

One thing we know for sure about Luke...he is a very thorough researcher (1:1-4), and he recognizes the importance of his task. Some evidence of this investigative mind (which I believe includes actual interviews of witnesses) are indicated in these passages: Luke 2:19 and 2:51 (where Mary ponders/treasures certain events in her heart) and passages like 2:17-20.  Another example is 18:31-34, where Jesus takes his 12 apostles aside and talks privately with them, which could have only been revealed to Luke if one of these men told him about it.

So, in this ongoing study, I will be quoting from the New American Standard Bible, which I consider one of the most accurate translations of God's Word we have today.  As for my credentials, I am no Bible scholar, but I do love the Word and pray that I can provide you, most excellent reader, some insight on this magnificent story of Jesus and the early church.