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Luke 1:5-25

19 Dec

5 When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron. 6 Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations. 7 They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old.

8 One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week. 9 As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. 10 While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying.

11 While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. 12 Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. 13 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. 14 You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. 16 And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. 17 He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”

18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.”

19 Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! 20 But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”

21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary, wondering why he was taking so long. 22 When he finally did come out, he couldn’t speak to them. Then they realized from his gestures and his silence that he must have seen a vision in the sanctuary.

23 When Zechariah’s week of service in the Temple was over, he returned home. 24 Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months. 25 “How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.”

Luke 1:5-25

Dear God, this is the New Testament reading of the day, but I have to admit I stopped reading at verse 7. I just want to sit with Zechariah’s and Elizabeth’s infertility. I listed Zechariah’s name first because it was assumed back then that it was the female’s fault they couldn’t have children, but it could have been Zechariah’s issue. But this reminds me of the disciples, after seeing a man who had been born blind, who had sinned, the man or his parents, to cause the man to be blind. Jesus replied that none of them had sinned, but the blindness was for your glory. (John 9:1-3) Of course, Elizabeth’s soon-to-be child was for your glory too. But they had no way of knowing that.

What if you hadn’t had Elizabeth be barren before John? What if John had had older siblings or younger parents? How might that have impacted or changed his trajectory? I think we can get a look at that with the stories of Mary and his brothers and sisters coming to try to get him after they thought he was going ’round the bend. How much more so would John have had to endure influence from siblings or parents when we was much more provocatively out there than Jesus was?

So Elizabeth had to live in lament because she was barren and judged for it. She had a longing for a child. I’ve seen couples who suffer with infertility, and the stress of it is difficult. They will spend tens of thousands of dollars on infertility treatments. They will read books on ways to enhance the chances of conception. They will cry and lament.

But there are parts of our lives–of my life–that are like that too. There are things I lament. There are things others judge me for. There are people who look at my wife and me and some of our circumstances and wonder how we sinned to end up where we are. And there are times when we ask ourselves the same questions. Which of us sinned so that this happened? Or did both of us sin?

Father, Elizabeth and Zechariah were found faithful when Gabriel showed up to encourage them. I hope that you will find me faithful today. I love you. I worship you. I trust you. I heard someone say recently that the opposite of faith isn’t doubt but certainty. That plays nicely with the idea that we want to make an idol out of certainty. So I will put my faith in you and walk away from the certainty in my life.

I pray and offer this in the name of Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 19, 2025 in Luke

 

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Joy to the World by John Piper – Advent Days 1, 2, and 3 (Luke 1)

03 Dec
Joy to the World by John Piper

Dear God, I am getting a late start on Advent, but this book (Joy to the World by John Piper) just came in yesterday, so I am going to look at the first three days of it this morning. I want to be very intentional about this Advent season.

Day 1: Luke 1:16-17

11 While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. 12 Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. 13 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. 14 You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. 16 And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. 17 He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”

What a good and hopeful prophecy. I wonder how Zechariah would have felt had he known how this would all play out. A son who appeared a little crazy out in the wilderness. Ultimately beheaded. Yes, all of these prophecies came true, but the package and what the eyes would see would certainly have disappointed him and Elizabeth. It would have broken their hearts. I am sure this prophecy from the angel planted visions in their head of how this would look. Perhaps that’s why they were older when this happened. Maybe you didn’t want them to live to see it. Maybe you didn’t want them to accidentally stop it from happening. Perhaps that’s why John didn’t have siblings as well. By the time he was living out this prophecy thirty years from now, there were no immediately family members to get in his way. Perhaps Elizabeth’s barrenness for so long was also calculated. All of the lamenting she did for all of those years about not being able to have a child might just have been a necessary part of your plan. My wife and I were praying about something together just fifteen minutes ago. Something that brings us heartache every day. But maybe this situation is exactly what you need it to be. Maybe our influence on something would get in the way of what you are trying to do. Perhaps you are protecting something from me.

Day 2 Luke 1:46-55

42 Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. 43 Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? 44 When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. 45 You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”

46 Mary responded,

“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
47     How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
48 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
    and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
49 For the Mighty One is holy,
    and he has done great things for me.
50 He shows mercy from generation to generation
    to all who fear him.
51 His mighty arm has done tremendous things!
    He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
52 He has brought down princes from their thrones
    and exalted the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
    and sent the rich away with empty hands.
54 He has helped his servant Israel
    and remembered to be merciful.
55 For he made this promise to our ancestors,
    to Abraham and his children forever.”

56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back to her own home.

When I read this passage just now, it reminded me of Hagar and her angel visit in Genesis 16:13: 13 Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.” She also said, “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?” What it feels like to be seen by you! For Mary, something even more extraordinary is going on. She is coming to terms with what her path forward will be like. With who this baby will be. She probably spent the days between her angel visit and her arrival at Elizabeth’s going over everything in her head. Had she told Joseph already? Had she told anyone? But then, arriving at Elizabeth’s and getting the affirmation that Elizabeth knew what was going on and knew it was good just helped her explode with joy into this song, mixing in a little Psalm 146.

It can be amazing to feel your affirmation. I have to say, I have felt it in several work-related things over the last year. I’ve seen you answer prayers. Even this morning, I was thinking about ow much better something is now than it was in January, and then I realized it was probably you saying, “Yes,” to my prayers. Thank you. Really, Father, thank you!

Day 3: Luke 1:68-71

67 Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy:

68 “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
    because he has visited and redeemed his people.
69 He has sent us a mighty Savior
    from the royal line of his servant David,
70 just as he promised
    through his holy prophets long ago.
71 Now we will be saved from our enemies
    and from all who hate us.
72 He has been merciful to our ancestors
    by remembering his sacred covenant—
73 the covenant he swore with an oath
    to our ancestor Abraham.
74 We have been rescued from our enemies
    so we can serve God without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness
    for as long as we live.

76 “And you, my little son,
    will be called the prophet of the Most High,
    because you will prepare the way for the Lord.
77 You will tell his people how to find salvation
    through forgiveness of their sins.
78 Because of God’s tender mercy,
    the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
    and to guide us to the path of peace.”

80 John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.

Ironically, it looks like these first three days are all about Luke 1, so I guess it worked out anyway. I realized several years ago that Zechariah actually has the wrong idea about what you are going to do through John and Jesus. He thinks that the physical domination by Rome and others is about to end. But that’s not what you have in mind. John is here. Jesus is coming. But even Zechariah doesn’t really understand what that means.

Father, as I sit here at the beginning of Advent, I find that I really don’t understand any more about what is going on around me than Zechariah did. Than Mary did. So what am I to do? Worship. I am to worship. I am to comfort those who mourn. I am to be gentle and a peacemaker. I am to forgive. I am to trust in you and have faith in you. I am to be your worshipper, and accept that you are God and I am not. Help me to live into what you need me to be.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 3, 2024 in Advent 2024, Luke

 

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Luke 1 – Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Mary (and a little Joseph)

19 Dec

Dear God, I am wanting to help a friend lead her young daughter through the Christmas story and see it in a new, fresh way. A way that makes all of these characters more relatable. To that end, I sat down tonight to give her a lesson to take her through covering Luke 1. Here it is below. I pray that we might all see you working in our own lives through what we see in you through the lives of these people recorded in Luke (and Matthew) 2,000 years ago.

I pray all of this through Jesus’s name,

Amen

5 When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron. 6 Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations. 7 They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old.

8 One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week. 9 As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. 10 While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying.

11 While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. 12 Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. 13 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. 14 You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. 16 And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. 17 He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”

18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.”

19 Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! 20 But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”

21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary, wondering why he was taking so long. 22 When he finally did come out, he couldn’t speak to them. Then they realized from his gestures and his silence that he must have seen a vision in the sanctuary.

23 When Zechariah’s week of service in the Temple was over, he returned home. 24 Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months. 25 “How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.”

Luke 1:5-25

  • If you were Zechariah, what kind of dreams do you think you would have had for the son the angel promised? As you wrote to Elizabeth what the angel told you and you “talked” over the next 9-10 months through him writing and her talking, what kinds of discussions do you think they had about the baby they would have?

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”

35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. 37 For the word of God will never fail.”

38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.

39 A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town 40 where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. 

Luke 1:26-40

  • After the angel left, how do you imagine Mary felt? Scared? Why would she or wouldn’t she be scared? Happy? Why would she or wouldn’t she be happy?
  • In Matthew 1:18-19, we learn that Joseph knew about her pregnancy so we know she told him. How do you think that went? What do you think she said to him, and what do you think he said back? How do you think their conversation might have ended?
  • Do you think Mary tried to tell anyone else about the pregnancy before she went to Zechariah and Elizabeth?
  • Why do you think Mary decided to go to Zechariah’s and Elizabeth’s house?
  • How do you think she felt along the way? What do you think she was thinking while she walked?

41 At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

42 Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. 43 Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? 44 When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. 45 You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”

46 Mary responded,

“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
47     How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
48 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
    and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
49 For the Mighty One is holy,
    and he has done great things for me.
50 He shows mercy from generation to generation
    to all who fear him.
51 His mighty arm has done tremendous things!
    He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
52 He has brought down princes from their thrones
    and exalted the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
    and sent the rich away with empty hands.
54 He has helped his servant Israel
    and remembered to be merciful.
55 For he made this promise to our ancestors,
    to Abraham and his children forever.”

56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back to her own home.

Luke 1:41-56

  • Why do you think Mary broke into the Magnificat after Elizabeth’s greeting?
  • What kinds of conversations and dreams do you think Elizabeth, Zechariah and Mary shared about their new baby boys over the next three months? How do you think they thought their lives would turn out?

57 When it was time for Elizabeth’s baby to be born, she gave birth to a son. 58 And when her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very merciful to her, everyone rejoiced with her.

59 When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father. 60 But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!”

61 “What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.” 62 So they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him. 63 He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.” 64 Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God.

65 Awe fell upon the whole neighborhood, and the news of what had happened spread throughout the Judean hills. 66 Everyone who heard about it reflected on these events and asked, “What will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was surely upon him in a special way.

67 Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy:

68 “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
    because he has visited and redeemed his people.
69 He has sent us a mighty Savior
    from the royal line of his servant David,
70 just as he promised
    through his holy prophets long ago.
71 Now we will be saved from our enemies
    and from all who hate us.
72 He has been merciful to our ancestors
    by remembering his sacred covenant—
73 the covenant he swore with an oath
    to our ancestor Abraham.
74 We have been rescued from our enemies
    so we can serve God without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness
    for as long as we live.

76 “And you, my little son,
    will be called the prophet of the Most High,
    because you will prepare the way for the Lord.
77 You will tell his people how to find salvation
    through forgiveness of their sins.
78 Because of God’s tender mercy,
    the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
    and to guide us to the path of peace.”

80 John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.

Luke 1:57-80

What do you think about Zechariah’s prophecy over John? Was he right about everything he said? If no, what did he get wrong and why do you think he got it wrong?

 
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Posted by on December 19, 2023 in Luke

 

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Luke 1:35-47 – The God Who Sees Me

17 Dec

35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. 37 For the word of God will never fail.”

38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.

39 A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town 40 where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. 41 At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

42 Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. 43 Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? 44 When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. 45 You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”

46 Mary responded,

“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
47     How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!

Luke 1:35-47

Dear God, for the last few years, I’ve had an interesting relationship with this story. What interests me most is everything that happened from the end of verse 38 to the beginning of verse 40. Yes, I know that means verse 39, but more than that. It’s the “few days later” part. What were those days like for Mary? I imagine a lot of fear. Maybe even some buyer’s remorse. Did she second guess her decision to tell the angel yes? What was it like to go to sleep that night? Is that when she told Joseph. Did Joseph get his angel visit from Matthew 1:18-24 while she was with Elizabeth? It must have been a rough few days.

The angel told her about Elizabeth being pregnant, so she probably figured that would be the safest place for her to go. Maybe Elizabeth would understand. Maybe she was somehow in on this. I would imagine she practiced her speech the whole way there. She probably had it all worked out, but no idea how they would respond. Then there was the joy and wonder of it all. She was called to do something special. To be someone special in God’s plan for Israel. For the Messiah. What a mixture.

What happened when she walked into the room, I’m sure Elizabeth’s response was not what she expected to hear. She probably never expected that Elizabeth would prophecy over her and her baby before she even had a chance to say anything. What a relief!! She didn’t have to explain anything to Elizabeth and Zechariah. They just knew. Sure, she could tell them the story, but she never had to combat their disbelief. She just felt their love, but more than that. She felt your affirmation through Elizabeth’s spontaneous words. I’m sure that any doubts that had accumulated–that Satan had planted–over the previous few days went away immediately, and the result was a bursting of joy out of her mouth: “My soul proclaims the glory of the LORD…” How could she help but worship in that moment? It’s beautiful.

These are all of the thoughts I was having yesterday, but I never got to sit down and journal about them like I am doing now. But today is different. I experienced you in a much smaller but similar way this morning. I was really struggling this morning. I was feeling down. I was feeling some self-pity. I was feeling remorseful. I was feeling a lot of things. And then, out of the blue, something extraordinary happened. I’ve gone to the Catholic church with my wife since 2011 (nearly 13 years). I only occasionally go up for a blessing during the eucharist–usually when I am with our couples group at church. I normally just sit and pray while others go up to take the sacrament. Today was no exception. I was praying for a friend who is gravely ill. I was praying for my children and their significant others. I was praying for my wife. I was praying for myself, even. And then, at the end of the time, the priest came over to me while I was sitting on the front row (I sit there because my wife canters and I like to sit where she can sit with me during part of the service), and he gave me a blessing and a special word of encouragement. I would say that I don’t know why he did that, but I have to confess that about 10 seconds after he walked away, I felt like the Holy Spirit whispered to me that this moment was God, you, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, speaking to me in a similar way (albeit much smaller) as Elizabeth spoke to Mary.

It also reminds me of Hagar in Genesis 16:7-13, when the angel appears to her and she changes her name for you to “the God who sees me.” In that moment this morning, I felt seen and encouraged by you.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, thank you. Thank you for the priest this morning. I don’t know that he had any idea that my heart was struggling and burdened. But I know you did, and you gave him a prophetic word for me. Help me to carry that blessing and be worthy of it. Help me to be your ambassador in this world. The man you need me to be for my wife, my children, my friends, my coworkers, and the rest of the community. And please have mercy on Israelis and Palestinians who are locked in battle, and those who are innocent bystanders and suffering. Please break this cycle of hatred and retribution. Break the war in Ukraine. Please use this pain to bring about a special love of you. In fact, even that prayer seems feeble. I don’t really know how to pray for any of it. But Holy Spirit, please pray what the Father needs to hear. You know our hearts. May your kingdom come into this world, and your will be done throughout the world through your body, and even through those who do not call on you. Come, Lord Jesus, come.

I pray all of this through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, my intermediary to the Father,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 17, 2023 in Genesis, Luke, Matthew

 

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Mothers of the Bible — Mary, Mother of Jesus (Part 2)

18 Apr

In those days Mary set out and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah where she entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and your child will be blessed! How could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken to her!”
Luke 1:39-45

Dear God, I can only imagine the buyer’s remorse Mary felt when after Gabriel left her. It’s easy to say yes in the moment, but then reality starts to set in:

  • What will my parents say?
  • What will Joseph say?
  • What will my friends and the community say?
  • Will Joseph break off the engagement?
  • Who will ever believe me?
  • Will the town stone me?
  • How am I going to raise this baby?
  • Who will this baby turn out to be?
  • How can I be the person chosen to do this?
  • Did I just imagine this whole thing? Am I really pregnant?
  • This isn’t how I thought my life would go at all!

So she naturally set out to see Elizabeth since Gabriel told her in verse 36 that she is pregnant too. Maybe she will understand.

So I’m sure all of these thoughts (and more) were running through her mind as she went to see Elizabeth. Perhaps she hoped Elizabeth and Zechariah would help her with her parents. But the big thing happened as soon as she showed up, and it the thing I mentioned back when I talked about Joseph and the shepherds showing up in the stable: affirmation! As soon as she got there she never had to tell Elizabeth anything. Elizabeth just spontaneously told her, “Blessed are you among women, and your child will be blessed! How could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside of me. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken in her!”

Mary had to have thought, Oh, thank goodness I don’t have to justify anything to you. I can just tell you my story and you’ll believe me. I’m sure Zechariah and Elizabeth had had a lot of written conversations about what Gabriel had told him and now the puzzle was starting to make sense to them. I want to spend some time tomorrow breaking down Mary’s response to this, so I’ll do the Magnificat later. Right now, I want to just sit with the relief. The anxiety and then the way you alleviated her fears.

I guess one last thing here. I think it’s interesting that Matthew gives us Gabriel’s visit to Joseph and Luke gives us his visit to Mary. Neither book gives both. Thank you for giving us both of these gospels.

Father, thank you for the little affirmations you give to me. There are times when I have great anxiety, but you are faithful to me and you are always there to comfort me. I don’t always come to you for that comfort. Sometimes I am sinful and try to assuage my anxiety with self-indulgence. But when I come to you, you comfort me. You will send me signs and wonders. You will meet a need in a miraculous way. You are good. I am truly sorry for the times when I am only looking for distractions to ease my fear instead of looking to you.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 18, 2020 in Luke, Mothers of the Bible

 

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Mothers of the Bible — Mary, Jesus’s Mother (Part 1)

16 Apr

Luke 1:26-38
26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be. 30 Then the angel told her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.”

34 Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?”

35 The angel replied to her: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”

38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary. “May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her.

Dear God, it is one thing to be Joseph and Jesus’s “step-father,” if you will. It’s another thing to be his actual mother. Flesh of her flesh. What an amazing thing for her in a physiological, psychological sense. This child was part of her and was partly her. Her DNA was in there along with yours. It add whole layer to what Joseph experienced. I’m sure it meant just that much more to her than to him, although I know it meant a lot to him too.

I think it’s interesting that Mary gets a little more latitude from the angel than Zechariah did. Zechariah asked in Luke 1:18, “How can I know this? For I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” Mary asks in Luke 1:36, “How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?” Those questions don’t appear that different to me given each circumstance. But where Gabriel is a little harsh with Zechariah, he is gentle with Mary. I have a feeling that each actually got what they needed to prepare them for their journey. Zechariah probably needed those months (almost a year?) in silence to contemplate, study, and prepare himself to raise John the Baptist. Mary, on the other hand, needed the encouragement of Elizabeth. She needed to be able to communicate freely with Joseph. And she was just a young woman whereas Zechariah was older. Mary deserved a little more guidance.

With all of that said, that’s not what hit me when I first read this passage this morning. What hit me is the idea that none of us know what we are getting into when we become parents. We can think we are ready, but we aren’t. We can think we do have or don’t have enough money, but we are wrong. We can think we know what we are doing, but we have no idea. Even on the second or third child, we aren’t prepared like we would like to be. In her case, Mary had no idea what she was saying yes to. If she had, would she have done it? Would she have signed up for giving birth in a stable, moving to Egypt, moving back to Nazareth, losing Jesus when he was 12, watching a ministry from him that would lead to his crucifixion, and then going through the resurrection and the ascension? She lost her son at 33. Yes, he rose again, but he was still gone 40 days later. I’m sure this was not how she planned it out as she visited with Elizabeth or traveled to Bethlehem with Joseph.

Father, I still don’t know what being the father of my children really means, and they are in their 20s now. I don’t know what they need from me today, and I have no clue what they will need tomorrow. don’t even know how much longer they will have me on this earth, nor do I know how much longer I’ll have them. But I know that in this moment right now, I need to simply be your servant. I need to be your worshiper. I need you to flow through me and touch the world through me. And I need to simply rest in the knowledge that you know what my children need more than I do and you will be responsible for giving it to them. Much like Mary didn’t understand what was happening with Jesus’s life most of the time, I have no idea either. Help me to use that ignorance to my advantage and to build my faith in and worship of you.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

 
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Posted by on April 16, 2020 in Luke, Mothers of the Bible

 

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Mothers of the Bible — Elizabeth (Part 2)

21 Mar

When it was time for Elizabeth’s baby to be born, she gave birth to a son. And when her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very merciful to her, everyone rejoiced with her. When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father. But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!” “What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.” So they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him. He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.” Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God. Awe fell upon the whole neighborhood, and the news of what had happened spread throughout the Judean hills. Everyone who heard about it reflected on these events and asked, “What will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was surely upon him in a special way. Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy: “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David, just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago. Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us. He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant— the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham. We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live. “And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.” John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.
Luke 1:57-80

Dear God, there are several parts of this story and Elizabeth’s experience I want to look at.

And when her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very merciful to her, everyone rejoiced with her. When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony.

First, the friends and relatives were excited for her and they were giving glory to you for this wonderful thing. What a great time! And then for them to all gather at the bris to celebrate must have been such a joyous occasion. And I am sure this made Elizabeth’s day. I can’t imagine the years and years (decades and decades?) of disappointment. The seeming fruitlessness of her life. And now she had a baby and she got to celebrate with her friends and family. A mother’s heart just full of celebration and thankfulness!

They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father. But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!” “What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.” So they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him.

Uh oh. Now she is going to have some conflict. This is her baby and they are telling her what to do. How did this make her feel as she held her child and the others were telling her she was doing it wrong? And then they decided that what really mattered was Zechariah and his opinion. Of course, Zechariah had already told her that Gabriel said they should name the boy John, so he will go on to confirm what she said. It just must have taken a little bit of luster off of the moment. Isn’t it interesting when others try to insert themselves into our lives with unsolicited advice? Then again, how often do I do that?

He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.” Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God. Awe fell upon the whole neighborhood, and the news of what had happened spread throughout the Judean hills. Everyone who heard about it reflected on these events and asked, “What will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was surely upon him in a special way.

I love how “awe fell upon the whole neighborhood, and the news of what had happened spread throughout the Judean hills.” Not just their friends and neighbors, but everyone knew that this child was special–a literal miracle baby–and that there was a prophecy about him. Of course, it’s only natural for them to ask themselves, “What will this child turn out to be?”

So how hard was it to raise John the Baptist (JTB) in this environment. Whereas Mary and Joseph pretty much got to raise Jesus without too many people knowing about the prophecy (this is an assumption on my part), JTB started about a celebrity. How much unsolicited advice did Elizabeth and Zechariah get over the years? How much judgment did they receive when JTB just got stranger and stranger? Did they feel pressure to parent him differently? Did they spend most of the rest of their lives on their needs looking for your guidance and help?

Tomorrow is my daughter’s birthday. I bought her a card that is one of those “For my daughter” cards. I don’t normally like those, but in this case the sentiment was perfect.

Remembering the first time I saw you, I can still feel that jolt of love and amazement at what a miracle you were. And now here you are, just a quick blur of birthdays later, all grown-up and still a miracle! I’ve loved watching you discover your talents and grown into your gifts…sharing with the world the light that’s been shining inside you right from that first day.

She won’t fully understand those words until she has a child of her own. I wouldn’t have understood it at her age. I might have rolled by eyes at the schmaltziness of it and moved on. But I do, indeed, remember the first moment I saw her. In fact, I was the first person on earth to physically see her. No one wants the best for her more than I do. My wife might match my fandom of my daughter’s life, but she certainly can’t exceed it. Of course, it was a challenge to know the right thing to do as a parent. It still is. I guess that explains why my wife and I have spent so much time praying for our children, both individually and conjugally.

Father, help me to ignore the world and how it sees my children or judges my parenting decisions. Help me to simply look to you, trust in you, and rest in you. Help me to hear you. Help me to see with your eyes. Help me to hear with your ears. Help me to love with your love. And do it all so that your kingdom might come and your will might be done on earth as it is in heaven.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 21, 2020 in Luke, Mothers of the Bible

 

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Mothers of the Bible — Elizabeth (Part 1)

19 Mar

When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron. Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations. They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old. Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months. “How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.” A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”
Luke 1:5-7,24-25,39-45

Dear God, maybe this comment is more about Mary that it is Elizabeth, and I’m going to hold off on Mary and Joseph until they end of this series (they’re obviously the best parents in the Bible, after all), but it is so nice that you have her Elizabeth and Zechariah. You gave her a safe place. And the angel told her about Elizabeth being pregnant so she’d know that Elizabeth will understand what’s going on. Elizabeth will believe you. She’ll believe you because she’s living in the midst of her own miracle.

For those first seven or eight months of conceiving and pregnancy before Mary arrived, I wonder what Elizabeth’s communications with Zechariah were like. Did Zechariah write down what Gabriel told him for her to see? I’m sure he did. Did they talk about it, with Zechariah writing his part down? I’m sure they did. Did they pray to you? Did they dream of what this would look like? Were they filled with hope and joy? Did they mistakenly dream of power and might for their child? I’m sure they never imagined him living in the wilderness, wearing animal skins, eating bugs, and eventually being beheaded. No, they didn’t need to know that about him. As with me, you kept them on a need-to-know basis. They needed to know their child’s relationship and connection to the Messiah. They needed to know to not cut his hair (I still don’t know why that was a thing except to maybe help John the Baptist [JTB] have a constant reminder that he was set apart for you). Knowing what they knew helped prepare them to raise this boy, but it also gave Elizabeth the intuition and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit that she needed to recognize what you were doing through Mary.

A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judaea, to the town where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her. Elizabeth was filled wit the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and y our child is blessed.”

What a great affirmation for Mary! I’m sure she was scared. She knew the angel mentioned Elizabeth so she “hurried” to Zechariah’s house. But now, how will she tell Elizabeth what is happening with her? How will she explain? Well, she didn’t have to. What a gift. You used Elizabeth’s motherhood of JTB to grow her in a new way and make her available to Mary in a way she never would have been before.

Father, you certainly stretch me through my children. You love others through me because of what you have taught me as a father. You have taught me lessons I’d have never otherwise learned. You continue to show me new aspects of who you are through them. And just as Zechariah and Elizabeth had no idea what JTB’s and Jesus’s futures looked like, I have no idea what the futures of my children or even my wife and me will look like. But you have shown me what I need to know for today. You have given me good work to do today. Help me to have eyes that see and ears that hear. Make me slow to speak and discerning.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 19, 2020 in Luke, Mothers of the Bible

 

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Fathers of the Bible — Zechariah (Part 2)

17 Mar

When it was time for Elizabeth’s baby to be born, she gave birth to a son. And when her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very merciful to her, everyone rejoiced with her. When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father. But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!” “What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.” So they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him. He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.” Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God. Awe fell upon the whole neighborhood, and the news of what had happened spread throughout the Judean hills. Everyone who heard about it reflected on these events and asked, “What will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was surely upon him in a special way. Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy: “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David, just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago. Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us. He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant— the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham. We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live. “And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.” John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.
Luke 1:57-80

Dear God, I think you used all of those months of silence for Zechariah to prepare him to parent John the Baptist (JTB). He was ready to go. I would imagine he might have spent those months studying and reading. He might have been looking at the prophecies to try to figure out what this boy would be like and what being like Elijah would be all about.

It’s interesting that his prophecy starts with Jesus. That’s what makes me think he spent a lot of time studying the texts and prophecies. The closest Gabriel gets to talking about the Messiah during his visitation is when he says, “He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord.” Everything else Gabriel says is about John, according to the text. So when Zechariah starts prophecying about Jesus he doesn’t necessarily get it correct. For example, “Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us.” (Luke 1:71) But he knows the Messiah is coming.

Then he turns his attention to JTB: “And you, my little son…” I love that little bit of adoration for his child that is thrown into this. He doesn’t know exactly what this will all look like. He doesn’t know how he is going to parent this child. As the years go by, I’m sure he’ll be confused and wonder if it was all a dream because this kid is just a little weird. And I don’t know if Zechariah lived long enough to see JTB living in the wilderness, but I’m sure that gave rise to questions as well.

Father, I’ve often said that you keep us on a need-to-know basis and we very rarely need to know. Help me to live into that spirit. Help me to meet each situation, ask your counsel, and listen for your still, small voice. I don’t need to know how all of this will turn out. In fact, it’s probably better if I don’t. But whatever happens, I pray that you will find me faithful in the midst of it.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 17, 2020 in Fathers of the Bible, Luke

 

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Fathers of the Bible — Zechariah (Part 1)

16 Mar

When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron. Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations. They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old. One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week. As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying. While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.” Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.” Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.” Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary, wondering why he was taking so long. When he finally did come out, he couldn’t speak to them. Then they realized from his gestures and his silence that he must have seen a vision in the sanctuary. When Zechariah’s week of service in the Temple was over, he returned home. Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months. “How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.”
Luke 1:5-25

Dear God, I was going to do Zechariah all at once, but there’s too much good stuff here. I’ll do this visitation and pregnancy first. I’ll come back and do Elizabeth in a couple of days. Right now, I want to focus on Zechariah and this angel visit. I had two main thoughts when I read this part of the story:

  1. He and Elizabeth had seemingly done everything right their entire lives, but I’m sure they felt like you were not honoring who they were and what they did (as is evidenced by Elizabeth saying, “[The Lord] has taken away my disgrace of having no children.” Just living faithfully day to day. What a witness!
  2. Even when our faith isn’t enough, it won’t get in the way of your plan. You’ve got it covered. When he questions Gabriel, Gabriel didn’t take it back and say, “Never mind.” No, Zechariah didn’t have to have enough faith in that moment. He just had to be the kind of man that you needed to raise John the Baptist (JTB).

As I type all of this, I’m now starting to wonder what those 10 or 11 months until John was born were like for Zechariah. Did he try to write down everything Gabriel said so he wouldn’t forget? Did he think about what kind of person JTB would be? Was he intimidated by the thought of raising a prophet that would have the spirit and power of Elijah? Maybe you needed him to have those months alone with his thoughts. Maybe he spent most of that time in prayer, preparing for his new role as father to the prophet.

Father, you can do all of what you want to do with me or without me. I can be all yours or I can lose all my faith, and you will have it covered. I can do the right thing for the rest of my life and never see the fruit of it and that can be okay. There is a great peace in all of this. I am making a lot of decisions right now for the clinic where I work. I’m doing my best to listen to you. To hear your still small voice. Now, help me to talk less and listen to you more. Help me to put my head into a space that is still and can hear your voice. Do it all so that your glory might shine and that you might use my life to make this crisis count.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 16, 2020 in Fathers of the Bible, Luke

 

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