Luke 1:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Starting with Zechariah and the announcement of John’s birth is appropriate. As the narrative centers on Christ’s Nativity, and since John is Christ’s Forerunner, it is logical to recount John's birth prior to detailing the Nativity of Christ, which is also miraculous in nature. The virgin birth exemplified how grace facilitated an elderly woman to conceive in defiance of natural law, alongside her husband.

The phrase “of Abijah's line” has been interpreted in various ways. Some believe it references two priests involved in divine service, one named Abijah and the other Zacharias, suggesting Zacharias served in Abijah’s succession. However, this interpretation seems inaccurate. Upon completing the temple, Solomon organized the priestly duties into weekly rotations, designating specific weeks for various families, including the sons of Kore and Asaph, with Abijah assigned to one of these weeks (2 Chron. 8:14; 1 Chron. 24). Thus, understanding Zechariah as “of Abijah's line” signifies that he served in the seventh week allocated to Abijah, rather than stating he succeeded the line of Abijah in ministry.

To further underscore John’s rightful belonging to both sides of the priestly lineage, it is noted that his wife, Elizabeth, was “of the line of Aaron.” It was prohibited to marry outside one’s tribe (Num. 36:6, 9). The name Elizabeth can be understood as “the rest of God,” while Zacharias translates to “the remembrance of the Lord.”

The nobility of John the Baptist is exalted not solely through his parents but also through his ancestral line, which gains honor not from earthly authority but through a heritage of devoutness. Such lineage had to be the forerunner of Christ to ensure that he proclaims faith in the Lord's advent—not a sudden emergence within him, but an inheritance from his ancestors, deeply rooted in the natural order.

The midweek service was observed as a weekday event during this period, as there were two priests from the temple, Abijah and Zechariah, who served in succession. Thus, he comes from the line of Abijah, succeeding him in his priestly duties. His wife, Elizabeth, was also of the priestly descent, being a descendant of Aaron. This detail signifies that the Forerunner, thus, belonged to a priestly heritage from both his father’s and mother’s sides, establishing his remarkable lineage. Elizabeth's name is included here for the sake of completeness.

Some traditions observe that he hailed from Hebron, while others suggest Jutta, located in the territory of Judah (Luke 1:39). This narrative sets the stage for the Gospel accounts detailing the earthly life of Jesus Christ and the conception of John the Baptist.

The priestly lineage of both partners endowed them with a certain respectability among the Jewish community, and they appeared to be held in high regard in their region. They resided in a town situated in the mountainous territory of the tribe of Judah. Zacharias had to travel to Jerusalem occasionally for his priestly duties, but this was infrequent—only twice a year and for no longer than a week. The couple, though advanced in age, were childless; for a people who viewed parenthood as a divine blessing and held the ancestral lineage extending back to Abraham in high esteem, their lack of children was particularly painful. Eventually, they prayed to the Lord for a son, as it saddened them that their noble heritage might dwindle with no descendants. Yet as they aged, their hopes for a lineage diminished.

At the helm of the priests was the high priest, though this office had diminished in stature over time; many high priests had sullied their roles through unworthy rivalries, worldly ambitions, vanity, greed, and a pursuit of purely secular interests. Under the rule of Herod the Great, high priests became tools for political agendas, appointed and dismissed at the king's whim, and submitted shamefully to secular authority by engaging in all kinds of unjust undertakings. Devoid of spiritual integrity, these high priests zealously sought to secure a more advantageous social standing, which led to the emergence of a faction of chief priests around the high priest, intent on preserving their exclusive grasp on this dignity, often employing bribes and maintaining complete control over both the priesthood and the populace. This priestly ‘aristocracy’, largely composed of Sadducees who rejected belief in an afterlife, showcased the religious and moral decline of the chosen people. Fortunately, this elite group was small, and alongside them existed a considerable number of lesser priests who, detached from political strife, humbly fulfilled their sacred responsibilities, nurturing the hope that the promised Redeemer would soon arrive to restore the honor of the desecrated temple. The priesthood remained vigilant during this time and held significant numbers; according to Josephus Flavius, there were over 20,000 priests, a substantial figure for the Jewish community. Although they lived in the thirteen designated cities, they were frequently present in the streets of Jerusalem as they went about their ministerial duties. Most of these priests were poor, as the people were often stingy with their offerings; the typical income from sacrifices and tithes had dwindled, and the priestly elite harshly took what little offerings did come their way. It is not surprising that many of the lower priests lacked extensive education, especially given that the overly intricate rituals demanded their full attention, leaving little room for an independent spiritual life. Nevertheless, this situation was perhaps beneficial. The education of that era was laden with doubt or outright disbelief, as manifested by the Sadducees, or was characterized by a lifeless scholarly approach paired with a destructive self-righteousness as seen among the Pharisees. Thus, authentic piety could only thrive in an environment where there remained some spontaneity, living out the sacred traditions and hopes of the populace. The exact position of Priest Zacharias is unknown, but he was universally regarded as humble. He lived in a small, relatively unremarkable priestly town, distanced from the upheaval of the broader political landscape, leading a tranquil life that allowed him to cultivate a deep spiritual and moral richness, the true foundation of happiness. His wife Elizabeth also hailed from a priestly lineage, and both were descendants of Aaron.

The descendants of Eleazar, the firstborn of Aaron, included 16 divisions, while those of Ithamar accounted for 8 divisions; Abijah's division was the eighth (1 Chronicles 24:10). - "His wife was from the lineage of Aaron": thus, the Forerunner of Christ was connected to the priestly line through both his father and mother, enabling him to serve as a priest. However, the Lord Jesus did not descend from this lineage, as He belonged to the tribe of Judah.

From the outset, the mystery of the Savior’s entrance into the world appears removed from all that humanity deems grand or splendid. It does not overwhelm and blind the feeble eyes of men, unaccustomed to brilliant light but gradually emerges amidst profound moral darkness (John 1:5). This mystery, which is both approachable and understood by the reverent faith of those attuned to God’s providential ways, becomes the leaven (Matt. 13:33) of the new life (Col. 3:10-11). The voices of the prophets who proclaimed the coming of the Messiah had long been silenced; the era of Daniel was drawing to a close, and the opportunity for the Jews to comprehend and internalize the prophetic declarations regarding the anticipated arrival of the Messiah had lapsed.

Nonetheless, despite the 400-year silence in divine revelations, a spiritual connection links the prophecies of the former prophets to the accounts shared by the Evangelists. The last prophet, Malachi, concludes the series of Old Testament prophecies with a foretelling of the Lord's Forerunner, while St. Luke commences his Gospel with the joyful news of this Forerunner's birth. “Behold, I send My angel, and he will prepare the way before Me,” speaks God through the prophet (Malachi 3:1); “Behold, I will send you Elijah the Thessite before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord” (4:5). This Elijah, destined to herald the Messiah’s arrival, is the Forerunner John, as affirmed by the Lord Himself (Matt. 11:14). The Archangel Gabriel, the same messenger tasked with revealing to Daniel the seven days appointed before the Savior’s coming, was sent to proclaim the imminent fulfillment of those days and the birth of the Lord’s Forerunner.

In the southern region of Palestine, within the hilly terrain of Judah, lived a devout couple, the priest Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth. Both descended from Aaron's lineage, they were righteous in the eyes of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and ordinances without fault (Luke 1:6). Their righteousness was not merely a superficial adherence to the Old Testament law but was alive with a spirit of love for God as commanded by Moses (Deut. 6:5) and infused with genuine piety and love for others taught by the prophets (Is. 1:11-18). This culminated, according to the Holy Church, in their faith in the coming Messiah. In honoring the Forerunner's parents, the Holy Church proclaims, “as the moon is illuminated by the shining sun of righteousness, you walked in all the commandments of the Lord, O beloved of God, Zacharias and Elizabeth." It is affirmed that they were justified “now by the grace of God” through “the Messiah” (from the Church hymns).

According to divine wisdom and providence, this righteous couple lacked the visible blessing of God, which, among other things, was understood by the Jews as the gift of numerous offspring (Deut. 28:4; Psalms 126:3; 127:3-4). God had assured the patriarchs of the Jewish people of the promise of their descendants (Gen. 15:5; 22:17; 35:11; Ex. 32:13; Deut. 10:22; Rom. 4:18; Heb. 11:12). This promise had been handed down through generations and remained etched in the memories of the people; thus, a true Israelite lived in hope, anticipating the arrival of the promised “Seed of the woman” (Gen. 3:15), the great “Prophet” and “Reconciler” (Deut. 18:18; Gen. 49:10; Heb.). In their culture, childbearing was viewed as a source of honor and glory (Gen. 24:60; 30:1-13; Ps. 112:9), while barrenness was seen as a severe misfortune (Is. 47:9; 49:21; Hos. 9:14). The childlessness of this righteous couple persisted into their old age, a time when, according to the natural course of life, children were no longer expected. However, a miraculous event, foretold to Zechariah, was at hand to alter their fate.