If you will recall, the Advent Calendar is a special calendar that
originated with the 19th century Lutheran’s in Germany and is used
to count down the days until Christmas.
Each day a special event such as a reading, activity, a gift or candy is unveiled to the participants. It is a
great family experience, but also can be used as a daily devotional for
individuals or for small groups. It is a
wonderful opportunity to focus on the true meaning of Christmas. So I would encourage you to let this month’s
blog postings become a part of your Christmas tradition! Please feel free to share your thoughts and
personal experiences with all of us throughout this Holiday Season!
A Puzzling Announcement – Monday, the first week of Advent
Today’s Reading: Mark 1:1-3 / Luke 1:1-25
As I studied the first
chapter in the book of Luke verses 1- 25, I was repeatedly amazed at the significance
of every little detail of the interaction between Zechariah and the angel
Gabriel. It became very evident that our
heavenly Father wanted to make sure that every part of His plan for our
salvation was accomplished in perfect order, according to the prophecies of
old. From His very selection of
Zechariah and Elizabeth and their shared family heritage from the line of
Aaron, their having His approval because they chose to live a life that “followed all the Lord’s commands and
regulations perfectly” (Luke 1:6 God’s Word ©), to the specific location of
the visitation in the temple in Jerusalem, and the particular hour that it
occurred during the daily time of public prayer. In legal investigation jargon you could say
that God wanted to leave a clear and undisputable paper trail that would easily
lead the Jews to the correct understanding of the importance to the event that
happened on that day.
A few more points to
consider would be that the angel Gabriel was the same heavenly messenger that
prophesied to Daniel some 500 years earlier about the coming of the Messiah,
and that his appearance to Zechariah was the first such visit or prophesy given
to the Jews for some 400 years. This was
an earth shaking event that should have shook the very foundations of the
nation of Israel… but then the human part of the equation came into play!
As a descendant of Aaron
according to the division of priests from Eleazar, the eldest son of Aaron, Zechariah
was most likely trained in the Holy Scriptures from his earliest childhood
years. He had to have been very
knowledgeable of the prophesies regarding the coming Messiah, but when the
angel appeared to him and presented his glorious message, Zechariah immediately
slipped into the natural mode and could only see the impossibilities of his wife’s
and his old age! His exhibited no faith,
but demanded physical proof before he would consider accepting what had just
been told him. That seemingly little
slip caused the potential of a big snag in God’s highly planned series of
events that were to begin with the birth of the one who “will prepare the people for their Lord.” (Luke 1:17 God’s Word)
Gabriel though, was a
seasoned messenger and probably had a good understanding of the human
disposition and quickly remedied the situation by silencing Zechariah so that
his unbelief would not stop the plan of God.
His inability to clearly explain what had happened with the heavenly
visitation to the people who anxiously awaited his over-extended return from the
Holy of Holies outside of the temple, just added to the confusion surrounding
the event and resulted in the puzzlement of the people. The people knew that something special had occurred,
but had to wait another year before they understood the true significance of
the event that day.
This story makes me
consider all the well laid plans that God has for yours and my life, and the
many times we have stepped in trying to understand the plan from a natural
point of view and thereby throw a wrench into God’s directions for us. God knows us, He knows our idiosyncrasies,
our personalities, our education, our family backgrounds and our job
resumes! When He outlines something for
us to do, He has already taken that all into consideration. Zechariah was the perfect choice for this
part of God’s plan for the coming of Jesus, but he looked at the natural and
panicked! God used him anyway, but I am
sure that the time between the announcement of the event and the birth of their
son was very difficult and emotional for the old priest. I would think that Zechariah wished he had responded
differently to the heavenly messenger who approached him on that fateful day
while in service in the temple.
This event that occurred
at the very beginning of the New Testament is a good place for each of us to
take a personal look at ourselves and where we stand when it comes to our faith
in the callings that God chooses for us throughout our lifetimes. Like Zechariah, would you have a hard time
looking beyond the physical state of things in the situation you faced? Would your health, your finances, your
education or what your family and friends may think be more influential to you
than your personal experience and trust in God?
How would you like to live the time between the announcement of God’s
plan for you and its fulfillment? Zechariah
has given us some insight, and it would probably be a good idea for us to
consider it! Have a great day. Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking
yourself… “What Course of Action am I
expecting To Take today?”
Yes, God, I am listening.
ReplyDeleteI am doing a online Bible Study right now on Steven Furtick's book Greater. As I have been reading and praying and thinking the questions just flood my mind. God how? I too old. I don't have any abilities. I don't have any money. Yada, yada, yada
Yes, I am afraid that I am just like Zechariah, but I don't want to be that way. I want to have hope and faith in God from now until my last breath.
Thanks for your honesty. If your just like Zechariah then you are doing GREAT! Check out Tuesday's post!
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