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15. Be great. In the estimation of Heaven it is not wealth, rank, noble descent, or intellectual gifts that constitute greatness. God values moral worth and prizes the attributes of love and purity. John was great “in the sight of the Lord” (see Matt. 11:11) in contrast with Herod, “great” in the sight of men who crave rank, wealth, and power. John was a great servant of his fellow men; Herod was a great tyrant over them. John lived for others; Herod lived for self alone. John was great in the same way that Elijah was great, in turning “many of the children of Israel … to the Lord their God” (Luke 1:16). Herod was great in the same way that Nimrod was great (see on Gen. 10:9-12), in leading men to doubt and oppose God (Gen. 10:9, 10; see ch. 11:2-4). See pp. 41, 42; see on Matt. 11:13, 14.

Out of Jericho. Matthew (ch. 20:29) and Mark agree that this incident occurred as Jesus and the Twelve were leaving the city, whereas Luke says that they were approaching Jericho (see Luke 18:35). Various suggestions have been advanced in an endeavor to harmonize this seeming discrepancy.

Some have suggested that although the usual meaning of the Greek words translated “was come nigh unto” (Luke 18:35) is “to approach,” or “to come near to,” it is not impossible that Luke simply meant that Jesus was in the vicinity of Jericho at the time of this incident. Others have suggested that Jesus may have met the beggars on the road between New Jericho and Old Jericho, situated about one mi. to the north, on His way to Jerusalem. There are at least two major difficulties with this explanation, however. In the first place, Old Jericho was in ruins at this time, and it would require a stretch of the imagination to think that Luke would call a pile of ancient ruins “Jericho” and ignore the existing city by that name, so close by. In the second place, the road from NT Jericho to Jerusalem did not lead through OT Jericho, but rather to the foothills to the west, where it follows the Wadi Qelá¹­ up into the mountains (see on Luke 10:30).

Perhaps the following is a more likely explanation. Luke records the story of Zacchaeus immediately after his account of the healing of Bartimaeus (see Luke 18:35 to 19:10). Both Zacchaeus and Bartimaeus apparently lived in Jericho, and Jesus met the one not long after the other. According to the order of the narrative in Luke, Jesus was a guest at the tax collector’s home after the healing of the blind men. Most probably, Zacchaeus’ inability to get a glimpse of Jesus in the streets of the city made it necessary for him to run ahead of the crowd to find a suitable tree to climb, probably on the outskirts of the city (see on Luke 19:4), where he awaited Jesus’ coming. According to Luke 19:1 Jesus had “passed through” Jericho before He met Zacchaeus. Upon meeting Zacchaeus, Jesus turned back with him, to spend the remainder of the day in his home, and it may well have been that the blind men succeeded in getting the attention of Jesus on His way back into the city. In circumstances such as these Luke would be correct in saying that Jesus was entering the city, and Matthew and Mark would be equally correct in saying that He was leaving it.

Wine. Gr. oinos (see below under “strong drink”).

A great number of people. A few days before the Passover there would be throngs of people on the roads leading to Jerusalem.

Strong drink. Gr. sikera, a loan word from the Aramaic shikra’ and the Heb. shekar (see on Num. 28:7). Shekar may be wine or any intoxicating drink like wine, whether made from barley or distilled from honey or dates. The root of the Hebrew verb means “to drink to the full,” “to drink to hilarity,” or “to be drunken.” Some commentators have thought that Luke’s use of the two terms oinos, “wine,” and sikera, “strong drink,” shows that intoxicating beverages made of grapes are not included in the term sikera. But this distinction is not justified because: (1) Sikera is simply a Greek transliteration of the Heb. shekar, which includes all intoxicating drinks. (2) The poetic form of vs. 14-17 does not justify a distinction as to kind between “wine” and “strong drink” any more than between “joy” and “gladness” in v. 14. When we speak of working with “might and main” we do not refer to two separate and distinct sources of power; we simply mean the exertion of all our strength. In the same way, Luke, or rather the angel Gabriel, uses the two terms merely to emphasize the exclusion of anything intoxicating.

Like Samson (Judges 13:4, 5) and Samuel (see on 1 Sam. 1:22), John the Baptist was a Nazirite from birth (DA 102). At all times a Nazirite (see on Gen. 49:26; Num. 6:2) was to keep the appetites and passions under strict subjection to principle (see on Judges 13:5). The important task assigned to John the Baptist would call for mental strength and spiritual insight, that he might stand as an example before the people of his time. In a similar way those who participate in the task of proclaiming the second coming of Christ must purify their lives “even as he is pure” (1 John 3:3).

Bartimaeus. The name is from the Aramaic Bar-Ṭim’ai, which Mark translates for his readers. Matthew speaks of two blind men (see ch. 20:30). Mark’s reason for mentioning only one of them may be that some fact concerning the one appealed to Mark as being of particular interest to his readers (see on ch. 5:2). Possibly Bartimaeus later became one of the more well-known followers of Jesus. See Additional Notes on Matt. 3, Note 2.

Filled with the Holy Ghost. Rather than with strong drink (see Eph. 5:18). When at Pentecost the apostles were “filled with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:4, 15-17), they were accused of being “full of new wine” (v. 13). With those whom God has chosen for His service there must be no doubt as to the type of stimulation that moves them to action. The lower form of stimulation excludes the higher form. John was to be illuminated, sanctified, and guided by the influence of the Holy Spirit. In his Gospel and in the book of Acts, Luke mentions the Holy Spirit more than 50 times, compared with 13 times by all the other gospel writers combined.

Highway. Gr. hodos, “way,” “path,” or “road” (see on ch. 11:4). The beggars probably sat just outside the city gate, where passers-by would take pity on them.

From his mother’s womb. John’s very existence was due to the will and power of God, not of man. He came into the world with his assigned lifework, and was to be dedicated to God from the very first. It was possible for the Holy Spirit to “fill” John from birth because the Spirit had first been able to fill John’s mother, Elisabeth, directing and controlling her life. During the early years of the children, parents are to stand in the place of God to them (PP 308). “Happy are the parents whose lives are a true reflection of the divine” (PK 245). It was through the Holy Spirit that Mary received wisdom to cooperate with heavenly agencies in the development and training of Jesus (DA 69). Mothers today who choose to live in communion with God may expect the Divine Spirit to mold their little ones, “even from their earliest moments” (DA 512). Thus our children, like John the Baptist, may enjoy the happy privilege of being “filled with the Holy Ghost.” See on ch. 2:52.

15. Be great. In the estimation of Heaven it is not wealth, rank, noble descent, or intellectual gifts that constitute greatness. God values moral worth and prizes the attributes of love and purity. John was great “in the sight of the Lord” (see Matt. 11:11) in contrast with Herod, “great” in the sight of men who crave rank, wealth, and power. John was a great servant of his fellow men; Herod was a great tyrant over them. John lived for others; Herod lived for self alone. John was great in the same way that Elijah was great, in turning “many of the children of Israel … to the Lord their God” (Luke 1:16). Herod was great in the same way that Nimrod was great (see on Gen. 10:9-12), in leading men to doubt and oppose God (Gen. 10:9, 10; see ch. 11:2-4). See pp. 41, 42; see on Matt. 11:13, 14.

Wine. Gr. oinos (see below under “strong drink”).

Strong drink. Gr. sikera, a loan word from the Aramaic shikra’ and the Heb. shekar (see on Num. 28:7). Shekar may be wine or any intoxicating drink like wine, whether made from barley or distilled from honey or dates. The root of the Hebrew verb means “to drink to the full,” “to drink to hilarity,” or “to be drunken.” Some commentators have thought that Luke’s use of the two terms oinos, “wine,” and sikera, “strong drink,” shows that intoxicating beverages made of grapes are not included in the term sikera. But this distinction is not justified because: (1) Sikera is simply a Greek transliteration of the Heb. shekar, which includes all intoxicating drinks. (2) The poetic form of vs. 14-17 does not justify a distinction as to kind between “wine” and “strong drink” any more than between “joy” and “gladness” in v. 14. When we speak of working with “might and main” we do not refer to two separate and distinct sources of power; we simply mean the exertion of all our strength. In the same way, Luke, or rather the angel Gabriel, uses the two terms merely to emphasize the exclusion of anything intoxicating.

Like Samson (Judges 13:4, 5) and Samuel (see on 1 Sam. 1:22), John the Baptist was a Nazirite from birth (DA 102). At all times a Nazirite (see on Gen. 49:26; Num. 6:2) was to keep the appetites and passions under strict subjection to principle (see on Judges 13:5). The important task assigned to John the Baptist would call for mental strength and spiritual insight, that he might stand as an example before the people of his time. In a similar way those who participate in the task of proclaiming the second coming of Christ must purify their lives “even as he is pure” (1 John 3:3).

Filled with the Holy Ghost. Rather than with strong drink (see Eph. 5:18). When at Pentecost the apostles were “filled with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:4, 15-17), they were accused of being “full of new wine” (v. 13). With those whom God has chosen for His service there must be no doubt as to the type of stimulation that moves them to action. The lower form of stimulation excludes the higher form. John was to be illuminated, sanctified, and guided by the influence of the Holy Spirit. In his Gospel and in the book of Acts, Luke mentions the Holy Spirit more than 50 times, compared with 13 times by all the other gospel writers combined.

From his mother’s womb. John’s very existence was due to the will and power of God, not of man. He came into the world with his assigned lifework, and was to be dedicated to God from the very first. It was possible for the Holy Spirit to “fill” John from birth because the Spirit had first been able to fill John’s mother, Elisabeth, directing and controlling her life. During the early years of the children, parents are to stand in the place of God to them (PP 308). “Happy are the parents whose lives are a true reflection of the divine” (PK 245). It was through the Holy Spirit that Mary received wisdom to cooperate with heavenly agencies in the development and training of Jesus (DA 69). Mothers today who choose to live in communion with God may expect the Divine Spirit to mold their little ones, “even from their earliest moments” (DA 512). Thus our children, like John the Baptist, may enjoy the happy privilege of being “filled with the Holy Ghost.” See on ch. 2:52.