The Manifestation of the Spirit in Luke 1-2 Andrew Perry The manifestation of the Spirit features strongly at the beginning of Luke’s story. Luke narrates a prophetic witness in terms that evoke Joel 2:28-32, which predicts dreams, visions and prophecies for old men and young men, sons and daughters, handmaids and servants. Zacharias, an old man has a vision (Luke1:22), utters charismatic praise (Luke1:64-65 1 ) and prophesies (Luke1:64); Mary, a handmaid, sees an angel and utters the Magnificat; Elisabeth, an old woman, prophesies (Luke1:41-42); shepherds experience a theophany (Luke2:9); Simon, an old man, has a revelation (Luke2:26), and Anna, an old woman, is declared to be a prophetess. Given the cessation of prophecy since Malachi, this explosion of prophecy, vision and praise, is as much a fulfilment of Joel as Pentecost, and as such, part of the “last days” (Acts 2:17). John the Baptist and Jesus are presented as prophets in Luke’ story (Luke 1:76, 4:24, 7:16, 26, 13:33, 20:6, 24:19, Acts 3:22-23, 7:37), and as such their possession of the Spirit falls within the compass of Joel’s latter day bestowal of the Spirit. The principal term for their preaching is one employed in Joel’s prophecy. The LXX of Joel 2:32 has “they that have the good news preached to them”) as the corresponding interpretation of the Hebrew term for “the remnant” (KJV). The same verb, is used by Gabriel to announce the birth of John the Baptist (“to bring you this good news”, Luke1:19 RSV), as well as the general “preaching” of the Gospel (e.g. Luke 4:18), and the apostolic mission (e.g. Acts 5:42). This commonality ties the three ministries of Luke- Acts together as an activity directed to the same generation rather than separate actions belonging to different epochs. A further detail that suggests Luke was writing the fulfilment of Joel’s prophecy into the terms of his story opening is the expression, “power of the highest” (Luke 1:35). This strikes an echo with Luke’s later expression, “power from on high” (Luke 24:49), which refers to the bestowal of the Spirit at Pentecost. If Luke regarded the “last days” as beginning with the advent of John the Baptist, it is likely that he viewed the manifestation of the Spirit throughout Luke-Acts as fulfilling the terms of Joel’s prophecy. The utterance by Peter, 1 The invasive nature of this charismatic praise (like that of Pentecost) is indicated by the aorist passive “his mouth was opened” (avnew,| cqh); in the same way that Pentecost led to discussion by those round about, so too Zacharias’ praise was discussed by those all around; and similarly too, Zacharias’ praise leads to a question by the “hearers” and an answer through proclamation.