Luke 1:19

Note

In Luke's Gospel the verb for bringing good news first appears beside the altar of incense in the temple. The one who brings the news is the angel Gabriel; the one who hears it is an old priest who cannot believe it.

Zechariah "was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense" (Luke 1:9), while the whole congregation prayed outside. An angel tells him that his wife Elizabeth will bear a son, who will go before the Lord "in the spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1:17). Zechariah asks, "How can I be sure of this?" (Luke 1:18), and points to his age and his wife's. This verse is the angel's reply: his name, his place and his errand. Gabriel is the name of the one who came to Daniel as he prayed, "about the time of the evening sacrifice" (Daniel 9:21); here too he comes in the hour of prayer. The reply ends with a sign. Because Zechariah did not believe, he will be silent until the day these things happen (Luke 1:20).

The verb is euangelizomai, here an aorist middle infinitive, euangelisasthai. With the infinitive before it, lalēsai, "to speak," it states the purpose of apestalēn, "I was sent": the angel was sent to do these two things. The news is brought "to you" (soi), and its content is tauta, "these things": a son for an old couple, and a forerunner for the Lord. Luke uses this verb ten times in his Gospel and never the noun euangelion, the reverse of Mark, who uses only the noun. For Luke the gospel is first something that happens between persons, someone bringing news to someone, and the first in his book to do it is an angel who stands before God and is sent from there.

The KJV has "to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings," where "shew" means to make known. The BSB has "to bring you this good news," the LSV "to proclaim this good news to you." None of them says "gospel" here, and to an English ear that is right: the news is of a child's birth, before the Christ is born. Yet it is the same verb that becomes "to preach good news to the poor" at Nazareth (Luke 4:18), and the versions show one Greek word moving from "glad tidings" to "the gospel" as Luke's story unfolds.

John Wesley finds "a remarkable gradation in the words, enhancing the guilt of Zacharias's unbelief" Wesley: this is Gabriel, a holy angel of the highest order, sent from God with a message for Zechariah in particular, and with "glad tidings, such as ought to be received with the greatest joy and readiness" Wesley. In the Catena, Chrysostom draws out the angel's point: "this is the merit and excellence of a messenger to relate nothing of his own" Chrysostom. Gregory reflects on how one who stands before God can also be sent: "The angels therefore even when sent are before Him" Gregory. Matthew Henry sees kindness in the silence as well as justice: "God dealt kindly with him, for thus he prevented his speaking any more distrustful, unbelieving words" Matthew Henry.

Zechariah's doubt did not stop the news. The angel's words were to "be fulfilled at their proper time" (Luke 1:20), and on the day the child was named the old man's mouth was opened "and he began to speak, praising God" (Luke 1:64). Luke's first good news came before its hearer was ready for it and kept its own time.