Today we begin a journey through the Christmas Story as
related to us through the living Word of God.
This month long adventure combines the Old Testament prophecies with the
New Testament records of the actual events as they occurred over 2000 years
ago. Our journey will take the form of
an Advent Calendar that will give us daily insights, encouragement, and some
ideas for activities to enhance your celebration of the birth of Christ.
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, gift or candy was 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 Holiday tradition! Please feel free to share your thoughts and
personal experiences with us all throughout this Special Season!
A
Puzzling Announcement – Monday,
the first week of Advent
Today’s Reading:
Mark 1:1-3 / Luke 1:1-25
From His very selection of Zechariah and Elizabeth with
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, as well
as 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.
Another point 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.
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 small oversight 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. These sense based reactions have a tendency to
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.
After he had time to consider everything that had happened, I would
think that Zachariah 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? Zachariah has given us some insight, and it
would probably be a good idea for us to consider it!
This might be a good conversation starter for you and
your family and friends as we begin this year’s Holiday season. Have a great day. Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking
yourself… “What Course of Action am I
expecting To Take today?”
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