Hi how are you all? Welcome to the Christmas season for 2024. I don’t know about you but that time can be overwhelming and busy. We need to buy presents, cook food, put up Christmas trees and sometimes like me be involved in our church’s Christmas production and community carols.
However, in the busyness I want us to stop and see the lessons from God for us in the stories of the people in that fist Christmas story in the Bible. I am going to tell their story how I see it. I hope you will like it.
Zacharias awoke from his sleep to the sun coming through the window. As he lay there, he remembered what today was and the big responsibility that he had. God, he thought, please be with me.
After eating breakfast, he kissed Elizabeth and made his way to the temple. It was his turn as priest to go in and light the incense.
As he walked the question still arose in his mind. Would God find him worthy? He had never been in the Holy place before as there were many priests that had the same role.
Elizabeth was praying at home as Zacharias entered the temple. He burnt the offering on the altar. He then washed his hands and changed his clothes.
He entered the Holy place and lit the lamps He put the showbread on the table that had been prepared before. Then he went over to the Altar of incense to burn the incense on it. A sweet aroma filled the place. He stood for a few minutes just being in the presence of God and closed his eyes to pray.
When he opened his eyes, he realised he wasn’t alone. Fear and distress came upon him as he looked upon the angel that had suddenly appeared. I thought I prayed enough, he thought, trembling.
The angel started speaking to him and said, in Luke 1 in the Message Bible:
Don’t fear, Zachariah. Your prayer has been heard. Elizabeth, your wife, will bear a son by you. You are to name him John. You’re going to leap like a gazelle for joy, and not only you—many will delight in his birth. He’ll achieve great stature with God.
15-17 “He’ll drink neither wine nor beer. He’ll be filled with the Holy Spirit from the moment he leaves his mother’s womb. He will turn many sons and daughters of Israel back to their God. He will herald God’s arrival in the style and strength of Elijah, soften the hearts of parents to children, and kindle devout understanding among hardened skeptics—he’ll get the people ready for God.”
Zacharias thought the angel was kidding and doubted him but he stated:
Do you expect me to believe this? I’m an old man and my wife is an old woman.”
But the angel replied:
I am Gabriel, the sentinel of God, sent especially to bring you this glad news. But because you won’t believe me, you’ll be unable to say a word until the day of your son’s birth. Every word I’ve spoken to you will come true on time—God’s time.”
The angel left and Zacharias tried his voice but nothing came out. He walked quickly out of the tabernacle. Those waiting outside were worried as he had taken so long. But to their amazement and fear, he couldn’t speak.
Zacharias finished serving then went home.
He knocked on the door to let Elizabeth know he was there for he couldn’t speak. He wrote down everything the angel told him and she was totally amazed but worried too- what would people say.
Elizabeth did fall pregnant and gave birth to a son. At eight days old, they named him John just like the angel said.
So what can we learn from this. When God gives us a promise, we need to believe it by faith and total trust that God will bring it to pass.
God shut Zacharias’ mouth so he couldn’t negate the promise by his words. We need to remember this- don’t negate Gods promises by our faithless words.
God is faithful to His Word and we need to be too.
I hope this helps us to keep living the life that God has intended for us.
Bless you
Karen
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