Hello, my ‘Walking with Jesus” friends,
With only three days remaining till Christmas 2021, how is your ‘to do’ list? Perhaps the much better question is: how is your heart? This is a wonderful time of the year, but the clash of busyness and the desire for peace and quiet can create turmoil in our soul, am I right?
Yesterday I left you at the home of Zechariah the priest and Elizabeth his wife, both of them old, yet experiencing an almost unbelievable miracle. Elizabeth is pregnant and Zechariah is mute, having had a remarkable encounter with the angel Gabriel while he was in the Temple in Jerusalem! They’ve spent five months in seclusion trying to understand their miracle, what it means for them, and for Jews scattered all across the Roman Empire! The angel Gabriel had announced this miracle son of theirs would be John, the messenger predicted by Malachi the prophet, 400 years before. John would be the announcer, the forerunner of the Messiah! I’m sure Zechariah and Elizabeth spent almost every waking moment discussing how they were supposed to prepare their son for this unique life purpose, this God given role that the people of Israel had been waiting 4 centuries to experience!
May I ask, have you found yourself being invited by God into assignments you felt were larger than what you could handle on your own? Do you understand that is exactly when God can do His greatest work in you… because you are then dependent upon God, and His unlimited resources, and not yourself?
But then came a knock on their door and now old Zechariah and pregnant old Elizabeth are sitting with their young friend Mary, listening as she describes that she too has had a visitation, also from the angel Gabriel! We don’t know exactly what the family relationship was between Elizabeth and Mary, but it seems Mary came to Elizabeth’s home for three reasons. First, Mary felt she was safe here, she would be accepted by Elizabeth, even with such a preposterous story. Second, the angel who appeared to Mary had said “Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:36,37) For Mary, this news gave her hope, for she and Elizabeth were both experiencing impossible pregnancies, and God Himself was doing something unique in both of them. With all these years of prayer and study of God’s Word, Elizabeth and Zechariah, it seemed to Mary, were well positioned to help Mary understand and prepare for the unique path of life ahead of her.
So, Mary explained. She and Joseph had a good, God honoring engagement. They’d been very careful and yet Gabriel the angel had said Mary would “…be with child and give birth to a son and you are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God.” (Luke 1:30,31) Mary paused and looked carefully at Zechariah and Elizabeth to see if they believed her. They swallowed, looked at each other and I imagine they simply said something like: ‘please continue Mary, we too have been challenged by Gabriel to believe the unbelievable. Tell us everything he said to you.’ So, Mary continued, I asked the angel: “How will this be since I am a virgin’… ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God…. For nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:34-37)
I can see Elizabeth holding Mary’s hands, smiling, seeking to comfort her in the swirl of all her natural questions. Zechariah reaches for his writing tablet and simply writes: Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6,7. Then because Zechariah likely had memorized those verses, he began writing them out, word for word. Mary, while a young girl of great faith in God, would not have been privileged to study the Scriptures with the Rabbi in Nazareth like the boys did, so with each additional word Zechariah wrote, can you see Mary’s eyes opening wider and wider, and soon she puts her hand over her open mouth?! It was becoming apparent to all three of these adults… Zechariah and Elizabeth would soon experience the birth of John, the forerunner of the Messiah. And six months after that, Mary would give birth to her miracle son Jesus, who would grow up to be their long-awaited Messiah!?
I’ve often wondered how long it took before Elizabeth asked Mary… ‘what about Joseph? Does he know any of this?’ It appears Mary left Nazareth to visit Elizabeth and Zechariah without telling anyone. Not Joseph, not her parents… no one. Whom could she trust with this preposterous news? She had come to the only people she felt might be willing to help her work through this miracle to a clear understanding of what God was doing. May I ask, do you have anyone you can trust with the very deepest questions in life? The life and death questions that only God can answer?
And so, Elizabeth and Zechariah invited Mary to stay with them, the answers they all needed would take time to discover. Into Mary’s mind began coming words that could only be given by the Holy Spirit in such an unusual situation. So, Mary said: “My soul glorifies the LORD and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me – holy is His name…”(Luke 1:46-55) Time passed. Elizabeth and Mary spent hours each day discussing the miracles happening in both of them, and praying, thanking God, and asking for God’s wisdom in raising their miracle sons. Occasionally they asked mute Zechariah for more from his many years of study of the Scrolls. It was a remarkable three months of spiritual growth for them all.
And then came the time for Elizabeth to bear her son. Oh, such a great celebration! On the 8th day, as the Scriptures made clear, it was time to give the infant boy the Covenant mark of circumcision, and his name. As with all babies lots of names were suggested, but Elizabeth said emphatically, “He is to be called John.”(Luke 1:60) That was shocking, there was no other person in their clan with that name. So, they handed Zechariah his writing tablet and Zechariah wrote simply four words: “His name is John”. Furrowed brows, arms flailing with questions, people shouting at each other… but then a voice, that hadn’t been heard in 9 months, spoke… Zechariah, as God restored his speech! “Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, for He has come and has redeemed His people… And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for Him…” (Luke 1:57-79)
I imagine the celebration lasted long into the night. It may have even continued for several days. Zechariah could speak, and can you imagine all he wanted to say about what he had experienced, and what the Spirit of God had been teaching him, especially about these two miracle boys, over the past 9 months? In all the festivities, Mary evidently felt it was a good time to leave, heading back to Nazareth. She needed to speak with Joseph! She had so much to tell him, so much to explain to him. But would he believe her?
Tomorrow we’ll look at what God did for Mary and Joseph… for today, join the celebration at Zechariah and Elizabeth’s house. The miracle son is born, given the sign of the Covenant, and named John. Zechariah has been given his speech again and he has much to say. Elizabeth sits holding her baby, yet she is older than most grandmothers in the area!
And as you join in the festivities, what are you thanking God for today my friends, with only three days till Christmas? Here’s a song of Christmas celebration, this great news is for the whole world!
Today’s Scripture is Luke 1:39-80.
Choose below to read or listen.
 |  |
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
Archived back issues of “Walking with Jesus” and other resources are available by clicking here to open our ‘home page’ (or go to HOME at upper right of this page).
Share with friends. Subscribe below for daily “Walking with Jesus”.
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Pinterest
Email
WhatsApp