The songs of the beginning of Luke's gospel as providential background - The songs of the beginning of Luke's gospel as providential background

incarnation in context

We’ve looked some before at the interesting differences of each gospel particulary in their beginnings. It’s a fascinating study that sheds a different light the author’s purpose and emphases. We saw with John this view from eternity: the pre-existent Word dwells with God and is one with him, making all things, and it’s that Word which becomes flesh. Mark goes in the complete opposite direction. There is no recounting of Jesus’ birth, childhood, or anything at all before he comes to John for baptism. In Matthew we find first a genealogy and then an infancy narrative both streaked through with refernce to the Old Testament. Today we’ll look at Luke who has by far the most extensive build up the the actual ministry of Jesus.

magnificat

Mary’s song is a rich reflection of Old Testament themes about the God’s work among his people Israel, but in interesting ways it’s also looking forward to the life that this Son, devoted to Yahweh, will lead.

v. 46-47, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior”

  • Recalls Psalm 34:1-3, “magnify the Lord with me”
  • Mary’s song also offers parallel’s to that of Hannah who offers up Samuel “all the days of his life”, 1 Sam. 2:1-10

v. 51, “He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts”

  • Psalm 89:8-11, the LXX departs somewhat from the Masoretic text (88:11), “You humbled the arrogant as a wounded one, and with the arm of your might you scattered your enemies”

benedictus

Much like Mary’s song, the psalm that Zechariah respond’s with focuses not mainly on what is happening now, but God’s work to bring these events about.

v. 68, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people”

  • 1 Kings 1:46-50, Solomon is anointed (age 20-25), “And the king bowed himself on the bed. And the king also said, ‘Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who has granted someone to sit on my throne this day, my own eyes seeing it.’” v. 79, “to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace”
  • Isaiah 9:2-7, a light shines among those who are in darkness. This is the child.

gloria

The continuation of the peace theme.

nunc dimittis

v. 29, “Lord, now you are letting you servant depart in peace”

  • There is an echo of God’s words to Abram (Gen. 15:15). He assures him of what will come, his descendants will be sojourner’s in a strange land but they will not remain there, but as for Abram, “As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace”. v. 32, “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel”
  • Isaiah 49:2-6, The servant:
    • God will be glorified in the servant
    • Formed by God in the womb for service
    • Will gather the people of God
    • Will be a light to the nations
    • Extending salvation to all the earth

Why I find typology so important

I talk a lot about typology. Perhaps too much. It was one of the two ideas that absolutely captured me during my study in seminary. I think this was the case because typology pulled so many things into place for me that didn’t quite fit together previously. The reason for this is simple:

at the root of typology is God’s consistent action among and for his people throughout history.

It’s the full implication of this that I love. This is a statement ultimately about God’s providence. Consider the words of Peter at Pentecost:

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him Acts 2:22–25a

In the first Christian sermon, delivered by an Apostle after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, we learn something extremely important. The idea behind this is not new of course but it’s applied in the extreme case here. The murder of Jesus—if it’s usefult to even talk in these categories—perhaps the most sinful thing to have ever happened, occurred “according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God”. What this requires of us is to have an understanding that allows for evil things to happen according to God’s plan. This may be uncomfortable but there is not another (reasonable) way to understand these verses.