AN UNEXPECTED NAMING

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.

On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”

They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”

Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.”

Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?”

For the Lord’s hand was with him.

Luke 1:57-66

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

For Jewish couples in biblical times, pregnancy was seen as a blessing, a gift from God which revealed His favor. For men, the blessing would feel doubled if the child born was a boy as it would mean that the family line would be continued and that line would be carried on by a man who bore the name of his father as it was customary that the first son born would be his father’s namesake.

Now, consider the matter of Zechariah and Elizabeth, a devout Jewish couple who lived in a town located in the hill country of Judea. They had grown old and well past child bearing years, never having a child. It was a constant source of shame and disgrace, especially for Elizabeth because culturally, a woman who never became pregnant was seen as under God’s judgment for some sin. Zechariah’s line on the family tree would end abruptly at his death.

But then God intervened in a big way. He sent the angel Gabriel to announce to Zechariah that he and Elizabeth would have a son, despite their senior status, and that son would have the special privilege to be “filled with the Holy Spirit” before He was born and become “great in the sight of the Lord” as he turned “the hearts of the parents to their children” and “the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous” while making “ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:15-17).

It was a miracle proclamation, one that was too much for the Zechariah the priest to handle. For immediately, he questions that God would do what He said He would do and it would be the last question he would ask for the entirety of Elizabeth’s pregnancy as the Lord took away his ability to speak until the day that his son would be named.

Put yourself in Zechariah’s place. God has muted you for more than 9 months. That’s a lot of time to think about the wrong you committed while yearning for the opportunity to redeem yourself.

As we return to the first chapter of Luke’s Gospel and today’s passage, we see this opportunity begin to present itself as Elizabeth gives “birth to a son”, causing great joy among her “neighbors and relatives” who had heard how “the Lord had shown her great mercy”. And as customary in Jewish culture, the baby boy would remain nameless until the day of his circumcision which always occurred on the “eighth day” after birth in accordance with the Law (Leviticus 12:3).

And so on that eight day after their boy’s birth, Zechariah and Elizabeth had their baby circumcised and as we read in the scriptures, everyone expected the son would be named after his father, Zechariah. How surprised they must have been when Elizabeth quickly spoke up and proclaimed:

“No! He is to be called John.”

Now, Elizabeth would have only known this by Zechariah informing her fully about the angel Gabriel and the message God had sent to them both through him. Although he couldn’t speak, we can be sure he wrote everything out and then made sure Elizabeth understood that her pregnancy was a full blessing from God, one that she confessed had displayed his favor and removed her disgrace from among the people (Luke 1:25).

Now, those in attendance were confused by this very unexpected naming as indicated by their response to Elizabeth as they said:

“There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”

And with that, they quickly turned and looked at Zechariah, knowing full that he couldn’t speak. The scriptures tell us that he asked for a writing tablet on which he astonished everyone present by penning these words:

“His name is John.”

The written words gave way to spoken ones as God “immediately” opened Zechariah’s mouth and set his tongue free, unleashing a voice saturated with praise for all that God had done, praise that had been stored up for the entire duration of Elizabeth’s pregnancy.

The miraculous restoration of Zechariah’s ability to speak filled “all the neighbors” with awe and word spread quickly “throughout the hill country of Judea”, stirring up conversation that left the people wondering:

“What then is this child going to be?”

God had richly blessed Zechariah and Elizabeth, and the birth of John was already causing an impact long before he would grow into adulthood and baptize others in the spirit of repentance of sins as he waited for the day when he would introduce and then baptize Jesus, the coming Savior of the world. As we quickly advance on Christmas Day, we will find Zechariah, like Mary, lifting up his own song of praise as he rejoices in his son, the restoration of his voice, and the God who provided both.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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A DIVINE INTERVENTION

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a Son.

Matthew 1:20-25

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Joseph felt he had no other option. It had to be a harrowing decision, one he knew he had to make but one he didn’t necessarily want to.

Mary had suddenly become pregnant and there wasn’t any conventional reasoning that made sense except that she had relations with another man although she was betrothed to him. Betrothal in biblical times was treated as if a couple was married and so any sexual acts committed by a virgin woman outside of the marital engagement would have been seen as adulterous and grounds for punishment as severe as stoning.

Joseph didn’t wish this for Mary. It’s obvious he loved and cared for her so although he had to act because his love and faithfulness to God was greater than his devotion to anyone else, he decided to divorce Mary quietly so to save her the public disgrace.

As Joseph went to sleep with his mind settled on what he was going to do, I’m sure he didn’t rest very well, his mind still invested in all that was happening. But then, the very God that Joseph was so devoted to stepped in and intervened to present a new possibility, one that was instituted and blessed by Him. Look again at what happened here:

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a Son. Matthew 1:20-25

What a dream Joseph had, one like no other in his young life. For the scriptures tell us that like Zechariah and Mary before him, Joseph too heard from an “angel of the Lord” who entered into the chaos of the situation with Mary and offered guidance, comfort, and reassurance.

“Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”

The message from God to Joseph via the angel Gabriel was clear. It was going to be okay and there was no need to be afraid anymore regarding what was happening. Mary wasn’t pregnant by way of any man but rather carrying a Son who was conceived “from the Holy Spirit”, a Son who was to be named Jesus, a Son who was coming into the world to “save His people from their sins”.

Indeed, this was no ordinary pregnancy and it would produce no ordinary child. Further, this extraordinary child, the boy born as the one and only Son of God, was the Messiah predicted by the prophet Isaiah who wrote this 700 years earlier:

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they will call him Immanuel” Isaiah 7:14

By glorious, divine intervention, God brought peace to Joseph’s heart and mind. Through the revelation of the Lord he loved so much, Joseph knew he would soon be given the privilege to father the Savior of the world and he also understood what he needed to do.

And so when he woke up, he did exactly “what the angel of the Lord had commanded him” and, in full obedience and minus reservation, he “took Mary home as his wife” while deferring any consummation of their marriage until Jesus was born. God’s incredible plan to save His people was on track and there was nothing that could stop it.

This Advent season, let us give thanks for the incredible story of Jesus’ conception and birth, and how it served to later bring divine intervention to anyone who would believe in Him, rescuing them from eternal damnation while ushering them into everlasting life.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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A COVENANT COMPLICATION?

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

Matthew 1:18-19

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Think about Jesus’ parents, Joseph and Mary, before God sent His angel Gabriel to inform Mary of her miraculous, supernatural conception.

Both lived in Nazareth and were “pledged to be married” to one another which in biblical times, meant they were engaged to be married to one another. All was well and things were normal and on track.

Now, it’s important to understand that it was very important for women to maintain their virginity. Sexual purity was seen as one way a woman could glorify and honor God, saving intimate relations for the man she would wed and spend eternity with. To violate this norm would be grounds for divorce, excommunication from the community, “public disgrace”, and possible execution by stoning.

In other words, it was a big deal and Mary knew these implications when she simply submitted to what God desired and declared herself His servant. It’s what makes her steadfast faith and trust in her Lord so amazingly impressive. She knew that her pregnancy was going to raise a lot of questions and spawn countless rumors for she would be considered guilty before any consideration of innocence. And as she returned to Nazareth now clearly showing a baby bump after spending three months with her relative Elizabeth, I’m sure some would even bring Joseph into the picture and accuse the couple of engaging in sex before the wedding day, an act that would make them both guilty. In the end translation, there weren’t many very good solutions for Mary or Joseph. Her explaining what really happened wouldn’t make matters any easier.

For imagine how those confronting Mary would have received her testifying that she actually was still a virgin because she had not had sexual relations with any man before sharing that it was God who had impregnated her. Since this had never happened in human history, no one would believe this and actually double down on the rebuking and judgment because any statement like this would be seen as disrespectful and dishonoring to God. It would appear that Mary was placing the blame for her pregnancy on the Lord and this wouldn’t have been believable.

As we see in our scripture passage from the Gospel of Matthew, Joseph didn’t believe Mary and the notion that she was conceived by the Holy Spirit. He was a devout Jew and man of God but he also loved Mary dearly, and so even though he knew he had to divorce here given the circumstances, he didn’t wish harm to come to her. This is why he had it “in mind to divorce her quietly”.

God had promised Mary that she would bear a Son and name Him Jesus. It was a covenant agreement of the highest order but now there were complications that threatened that covenant, complications that we will find God resolve in tomorrow’s message.

For when God makes a promise He always keeps it, even when life circumstances bring complications into play. As we revisit the Christmas story during the Advent season, we need to remember this in our own lives and maintain an unwavering faith and trust in God, following the lead of Mary, and as we will see Joseph, no matter what comes.  

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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GIVE THANKS AND REJOICE

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

And 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.”

“His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation.”

“He has performed mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.”

“He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.”

“He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.”

"He has helped His servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as He promised our ancestors.”

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

Luke 1:46-56

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Mary’s heart was full of gratitude, welling up in a spirit of overflowing love and praise while glorifying God for blessing her with the privilege to carry and birth His only Son, the One who would be the Messiah and Savior of all mankind, the King of kings who would rule over the world forever.

After being told by her relative Elizabeth how very blessed she was “among women” to have the opportunity to bear a divine and holy child (Luke 1:42-45), we find Mary sharing a song of thanksgiving as she openly expressing her feelings while exalting God in the moment. In what has been largely known as the “Magnificat”, here are five specific things we find Mary glorifying God for, things we should also bear in mind ourselves as we bring too seek to pay tribute to the Father:

1. His mindfulness.

“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.”

In Psalm 8, we find David posing this question to God:

“...what is mankind that You are mindful of them, human beings that You care for them?” v.4   

I have always loved this question because it is grounded in humility, understanding who God is and who we are in comparison.

Our God is omnipotent and eternal. He has no rival and is completely self sufficient, needing no one or nothing to exist and do as He pleases.

In contrast, we are limited in power, strength, and ability. We quickly find in life that it’s extremely difficult to try and make it through all the many difficulties and hardships that come our way as we march toward a sure day when we will no longer be alive.

God has nothing to gain personally by being mindful of us and yet He still loves and cares deeply for us, even despite the sinners that we are. It truly is amazing if you think about it and we find Mary thankful for how God was “mindful of the humble state of His servant”, allowing her, a lowly virgin girl from the town of Nazareth, to supernaturally conceive by the Holy Spirit and fulfill His promise issued through the prophets of old as she would give birth to Jesus, the Savior of the world.

This Christmas season, let us rejoice and be glad that God is mindful of us as, remembering all the great things He has done for us by way of His holy name each and every day.

2. His mercy.

“His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation.”

When we realize just how sinful and unworthy we are, amazed at how God could be mindful of us, then we fully understand the blessing of His mercy, a mercy extended to all believers who would fear and respect God for His sovereign authority and unmatched majesty.

None of us deserve any good thing from God and yet He so loved us to offer up His only Son Jesus, the very Jesus who was growing in Mary’s womb, as a sin offering, a perfect Lamb who provided everlasting atonement and life to anyone who would believe in Him as Savior (John 1:29, John 3:16). After the fall in Eden’s garden, every single person in the world was destined for Hell and only the mercy of God, the Maker and Master of creation could stop it.

As we approach the celebration of our Savior Jesus’ birth, let us join Mary in being grateful and filled with joy through the truth that those who believe in God’s Son will not perish but have everlasting life, the greatest gift the Father has ever given.

3. His almighty power.

“He has performed mighty deeds with His arm.”

Every day, I am amazed by the power God holds, a power revealed every day through His creation and the miraculous works He does daily in the lives of those who place their faith and hope in Him.

Going back to the Psalms, this time to number 19, we find David sharing his feelings about God’s daily revelation of His glory and might:

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.

As my wife and I were driving to church yesterday, a man we transport for worship every week remarked that the sun wasn’t shining. We had a storm system rolling into our area and it was dark, cloudy, and rainy but there was one certainty I shared with our friend.

The sun was still shining. It never stops although sometimes our view of it is obscured by the dark clouds as God delivers much needed rain to bless what He has created. We all love the sun but God providing water from above is just as vital to survival of the living things He has created, the species of which are infinite whether plant or animal or insect, whether on land or in the sea.

Nature is one perfect way to be reminded of the amazing work done by the hands of an amazing God. Another way is to stay tuned into stories about how a person’s life was changed for the better by an act that only God could do. Believe it or not, there are countless good news stories out there if we look for them, despite what you may see in the media.

Be assured God is hard at work every day doing mighty works while blessing others in such a way that bring thanksgiving and adoration, just as He did Mary. During this holiday season, look outside at all God has created and be filled with appreciation for His astounding handiwork then look back at the year past and remember all the ways He has worked on your life and the lives of people you know. I think you’ll quickly be reminded that God never rests in taking care of the people He is so mindful and merciful towards.

4. His authority.

“He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.”

I’ve always been amazed at how every major empire in human history rose to prominence, only to collapse and become just a part of human history. This is because people in power tried to rival God, becoming gods unto themselves. Such prideful behavior has always been the downfall of rulers who God removed from their thrones.

Conversely, God elevates the humble as we are reminded by these words from Jesus Himself:

“...those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Matthew 23:12

God didn’t choose a queen of royalty and wealth to bear and give birth to His only Son in a majestic palace, attended to by the best medical professionals in the kingdom. Rather, He chose a humble virgin from Nazareth named Mary who would deliver the Lord of all lords alone with her husband Joseph in a lowly Bethlehem stable. Mary’s own words express her gratefulness for what God had done for her.

Indeed, God elevates those who are humble in nature because they place their full hope and reliance in Him. During Advent, let us examine ourselves as we prepare for Jesus’ coming, eliminating pride so to humbly come to the manger throne of our King Jesus, the One who God delegated all authority over everything in Heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18).

5. His provision.

“He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.”

I can’t remember a time in life when God didn’t provide for my basic needs when I placed my full trust and hope in Him. In my times of hunger, He has filled me “with good things” and made sure I remained healthy and okay. Sure, I wasn’t rich by worldly standards but God has taught me over time through His word that our worth isn’t revealed by the things of the world but rather our spiritual value before a Lord who values our souls more than our possessions. Going back to Jesus, here’s what He said on the matter:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Matthew 6:19-21,24

As Mary sang her song of praise, she did so fully thankful for the Treasure from Heaven that she would soon deliver to the world, a Treasure that would bless mankind for all eternity. All people have a spiritual hunger to be fed by things that this world can’t provide. They can’t live by bread alone (Matthew 4:4) and will continuously thirst without the living water that only Jesus can give, living water that will well up within to eternal life (John 4:13-14).

This Christmas, rejoice and give thanks for Jesus, the Treasure of Heaven and hope of salvation, the gift from God, born of the virgin Mary, who feeds the hunger and need for eternal life.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com

A BLESSED MOTHER

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed:

“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the Child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her!”

Luke 1:41-45

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Mary had to be left amazed and astonished at the words of Gabriel, not only that she would conceive by way of the Holy Spirit despite being a virgin but also that her relative, Elizabeth, well beyond child bearing age was six months pregnant herself.

It was this latter proclamation by the angel that served as the impetus for Mary to quickly journey to a town in the “hill country of Judea” where Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah lived. As Mary entered the couple’s home, a meeting of miracles was about to happen, one detailed in today’s scripture passage from the first chapter of Luke:

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed:

“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the Child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” Vv. 41-45

As one would do when they invite themselves into the home of someone who is family, Mary calls out for Elizabeth and as soon as her greeting was heard, two amazing things happened.

First, the baby who was to be named John, “leaped” in Elizabeth’s womb. This would have been more than just a kick that Elizabeth would have surely been accustomed to given the advanced stage of her child’s development. It’s beyond human comprehension but in some way it seems like the soon to be delivered baby knew God’s plan for salvation was being carried out perfectly and the day was coming when he would fulfill his destiny, the one predicted by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 40:3).

The other thing that happened immediately was that “Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit”. Just as Mary would have been unaware of the incredible pregnancy of Elizabeth so too would Elizabeth been totally unaware that Mary was even pregnant as she had just conceived and wouldn’t have started to show yet.

In what way did the Holy Spirit inform Elizabeth on what had happened to Mary?

We know He disclosed everything to her because of her words and elevated feelings of gratitude as she was the first woman to know that the Lord’s coming was imminent. Look again at her words here:

“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the Child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

The main takeaway from this is that Mary was a blessed mother to be. She was blessed among all women because God had chosen her above any other woman to deliver and raise His one and only Son, a Son who was also blessed as He began to develop and take form in the womb. Mary was additionally blessed because she received God’s offer by an uncompromising faith and complete submission, simply affirming herself as His willing servant (Luke 1:38) as she “believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her.”

Note here how blessed Elizabeth felt as well. She wondered aloud how the Lord would favor her so much that she would entertain the mother of her Lord before sharing with Mary how her baby had leaped inside her out of joy at the mere sound of her greeting.

What a special moment, shared by two mothers who were feeling richly blessed by a Lord who made the seemingly impossible possible. They remind us how we should always be mindful of all the marvelous and miraculous works that our Lord is doing every day in our lives and the lives of so many others.

This Christmas, let us feel blessed in simply knowing that God sent Jesus from Heaven to earth to rescue and deliver us from sure eternal damnation and Hell, not by way of some public celebration of the coming Messiah King, but through a quiet birth in a small and lowly Bethlehem manger, the Son of God coming to be the Savior of the world, born of a blessed mother named Mary.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

A MEETING OF MIRACLES

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth.

Luke 1:39-40

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

It was a meeting of two women who were very different and yet had other things in common.

Elizabeth and Mary were both Jewish and related to one another, although the Bible doesn’t clearly define that familial connection. We do know that Elizabeth was a descendant of the line of Aaron (Luke 1:5) while we know Mary was in the line of David (Matthew 1:16) but we’re given no further background information regarding their parents and how there was a linkage. Speculation is that Elizabeth and Mary were cousins.

Another commonality between these two women was that they were pregnant and miraculously so in different ways.

Elizabeth was old and well beyond child bearing age but we know God made the way for her to have sexual relations with her husband Zechariah and conceive. As the angel Gabriel had promised, she would give birth to a son who would “be great in the sight of the Lord” as he went “before the Lord” in spirit and power “to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous” while making “a people prepared for the Lord”. His name was to be John.

Mary was a virgin and betrothed to a Nazarene Jew named Joseph. She had never had sexual relations with a man and yet was pregnant as she visited Elizabeth while carrying the very Son of God after conceiving through the power of the Holy Spirit. We don’t know the exact town where Zechariah and Elizabeth lived but we know it was “in the hill country of Judea” so given that it’s believed Mary’s journey to see her relative was around 80 miles or so, nearly the same distance she would travel to Bethlehem nearly nine months later.

As Mary arrives to see Elizabeth, a blessed meeting of miracles occurs. Mary is well aware of her relative’s pregnancy, now through the second trimester, but note Elizabeth has no prior knowledge of what has happened to Mary. Gabriel had offered no heads up to her but as we will see in tomorrow’s message, the Holy Spirit was about to send a wonderful notification that would further bless this get together, a get together ordained by God as a part of His wonderful plan to bring His Son into the world.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

A FAITHFUL SERVANT

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.”

Then the angel left her.

Luke 1:38

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Zechariah and Mary.

Two people each visited by the angel Gabriel.

Both received a message from God about a miraculous conception that would change their lives and, in Mary’s case, the course of history forever.

And yet here is where the similarities end, largely based on their responses to Gabriel’s delivery of God’s divine promise.

You’ll remember that Zechariah immediately doubted. The assertion that he and Elizabeth could somehow have sexual relations and conceive a child in their old age was just too impossible for the priest to accept. It was an error that brought on immediate consequences as Gabriel pronounced God’s punishment, a removal of Zechariah’s ability to speak until the time God would choose to restore it. Meanwhile, events unfolded afterwards, just as God had proclaimed they would. Elizabeth became pregnant and was finishing up her second trimester when Gabriel paid Mary a visit in Nazareth.

As we saw in yesterday’s message, the angel’s appearance was sudden and unexpected as he came to the virgin girl God had chosen to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah some 700 years earlier when he stated the following:

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and will call Him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

After working to settle Mary’s fear, set off by his appearing, Gabriel told Mary that she had found favor with God who had chosen her to be the mother of Jesus, the “Son of the Most High”. This holy, divine Son would “be great” and be “given the throne” of David where He would “reign over Jacob’s descendants forever” because “His kingdom" would “never end” (Luke 1:30-33).

This pronouncement led to one big question, not grounded in doubt as to whether God would or could do what He said He would do but rather how He would do it as Mary was a virgin, betrothed to be married to a man named Joseph. Gabriel accepted Mary’s inquiry, telling her that the conception wouldn’t be by conventional means but rather supernaturally by way of the Holy Spirit who would cause her to become pregnant (Luke 1:34-37).

Now, with that, Mary could have made the same mistake as Zechariah.

She could have questioned the validity of such an unbelievable proposition, one that had never happened before to any woman.

She could have pushed back against it happening to her because she was engaged to Joseph and becoming pregnant outside of her relationship with him would have terrible social ramifications. He and others would think she was unfaithful and had sexual relations with someone outside of the marital agreement, an act considered to be an egregious sin in violation of God’s commandment that would garner severe consequences.

And yet, Mary didn’t doubt at all. We never see her waver in her faith that God would do what He said He would do and trusted that He would see her through what happened afterwards. She simply said to Gabriel:

 “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.”

Friends, we have a lot to learn from this young virgin girl named Mary, the faithful servant who would become the mother of Jesus.

For when we are staring down circumstances that are seemingly impossible, we need to remain steadfast in our faith and submit our situation to the God through which everything is possible, the God who perfectly keeps His promises and is always working things out for the good of those who love Him, those who have been called according to His purposes.

And in those times when the Lord is calling us to do things that we don’t think we can carry out, possibly in fear of the unknown outcomes of our actions, we need to simply submit in purity of trust as Mary did, simply saying:

Lord, I am Your servant. I will do as You ask so that Your word and will to me will be fulfilled, no matter what comes my way. Thank You for choosing me to carry out Your work here on earth.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.