Month: December 2015

When you are in a rush, one of the hardest positions to find yourself in is “on hold.” How frustrating it is to listen to some smooth sounding “elevator music” while waiting for someone to finally get to the phone and help you with your problem, especially when you are trying to get things checked off you “to do” list! Let me ask you something: “Did you ever go through a time when you felt you were calling Heaven, but we being put on hold?” Have you heard the “elevator music” of the Heavens? If you have walked with God for a long time, you probably know a time in which you appeared to be “waiting for God”.

Let’s face it, God isn’t in a rush to get things done, and sometimes that can seem annoying! Think of it! He announced Messiah some seven hundred years before His arrival, and has announced His return at least two thousand years ago! Here is a truth the Word teaches that we need to rehearse when we think God isn’t moving fast enough to supply us help…

Key Principle: God isn’t in a hurry. We need to learn to wait and trust His plan.

There is help from God’s Word on “waiting for God” and today’s lesson illustrates both how God brings the wait to an end, and even more, how we can navigate the uncertainty of the waiting time.

In this Bible lesson, I want to tell the story of two old people who probably passed by each other in a public place for years, but one day their paths intersected – and secret promises of God to both of them became a time of public celebration. We’ll say more about these two people in a few moments…

The Setting of the Story

Before we tell the story, we need to set the story, and as we do we will need to recall a common mistake students of God’s Word can easily make about the season of the year we call “Christmas”. The mistake is this: Often, we recall all the events of Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2 “pushed together”, but they are actually spread over several years.

• The birth and the visit of the shepherds happened on the night of Jesus’ arrival in Bethlehem.

• The circumcision and naming happened eight days later in Bethlehem.

• The trip to the Temple came about a month later (33 days from the birth).

• The Magi probably didn’t arrive until Jesus was already a toddler some time later, with the flight to Egypt and Herod’s killing of Bethlehem babies well outside the timing of the Christmas story.

It does little harm to recall all of these in a single time of the year as long as students of the Bible keep them separated for the sake of an accurate story line of our Savior’s earth walk.

Our story is set half way through Luke chapter two, where we find ourselves observing Bethlehem. God had entrusted in the early part of the chapter the “watch care” of Jesus to a couple that appeared somewhat stuck in a shameful situation – that it, the scandalous news of a conception outside of a proper marriage. In that time and place, such an event was the stuff of snickering at the local well. Yet, the couple continued to serve God faithfully. These early days were, no doubt, hard. Regardless of the talk around them, when the time came, they carefully obeyed God’s Words to the letter. By their compliance to each Word of the Lord, they both painted a clear picture of Jesus’ mission and inaugurated God’s powerful work (which is something that often happens through obedience).

As the story of the birth and visit of the shepherds ended, the scene for our account was prepared. We pick up the account in Luke 2:21. As the curtain rises on the scene, by the Torah’s standards Mary was still defiled because of the birth process and needed to finish purification and restoration to God’s service. Jesus was, as yet, un-redeemed as first born of his mother. He was also, as yet, still unnamed, and still uncircumcised. The Temple visit with the baby was the setting for the last part of this story concerning “waiting on God” … but let’s follow the story in order…

The Naming and Circumcision (Eighth day)

In Luke 2:21 and following, two events appear condensed into one scene in the passage, but the reader is expected to know they are not based on a greater knowledge of God’s Law as Moses recorded it.

The first event explained was the naming of the child on the eighth day, along with his circumcision, probably done in Bethlehem. Luke recorded:

Luke 2:21 And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

On the eighth day, they named to the Child “Yeshua”. His name was from two Hebrew words that combined as “God (Yahweh) saves.”

Normally a father chose the name of the son, often based on a family name that was passed from generation to generation. In Joseph’s family, the range of names seemed common from the period, as Mark 3 reminded us of the brothers of Jesus and their names (as well as unnamed sisters):

Mark 6:3 “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?” And they took offense at Him.”

It seems clear in the passage that Joseph had experience in naming children during his life, if those were his own sons. Yet, in the case of Jesus, Joseph followed both the instruction of God in the words of Gabriel to Mary (Luke 1:31) and in the words of an angel in a dream to him (Matthew 1:21). Already in the first chapter of Luke, the record of the circumcision of Jesus’ cousin John demonstrated that it was customary at the time to name male babies at their circumcision (Luke 1:59-60).

Also on the eighth day, they circumcised (b’rit milah: cut or covenant of the circumcision) the boy.

Since the timing of circumcision was specified by Scripture as the eighth day for all Israelite males (Leviticus 12), we can easily conclude the naming ceremony of Jesus occurred with the circumcision (as recorded in Luke 2:21). Bible students recall that God commanded Abraham in Genesis 17:12 to circumcise his newborn male offspring on the eighth day, and this was later applied to all Israel in Leviticus 12:3 as follows: “On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.”

Some have questioned over time: “Why the eighth day?” In 1935, Professor H. Dam proposed the name “Vitamin K” for the factor in foods that helped prevent hemorrhaging in baby chicks. This vitamin is responsible for the production (by the liver) of the element known as pro-thrombin. Production of sufficient quantity begins only on the fifth through the seventh days of the newborn male’s life of vitamin K (produced by bacteria in the intestinal tract). The Vitamin K, coupled with prothrombin, causes blood coagulation, which is important in any surgical procedure. On the eighth day, the amount of prothrombin present is elevated above one-hundred percent of normal—and is the only day in the male’s life in which this will be the case under normal conditions. If surgery is to be performed, day eight is the perfect day to do it. (Holt, L.E. and R. McIntosh (1953), Holt Pediatrics (New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts), twelfth edition; and McMillen, S.I. (1984), None of These Diseases (Old Tappan, NJ: Revell).

It is worth noting that no one disputes the doctor’s findings today, but the internet is filled with words about how cruel and heartless it is to circumcise a child, and how barbaric and primitive the command certainly must have been. Let’s remember something: Either God determines what He wants for His people, or men do. For the children of Israel, God commanded something because He knew what was best for them on every level (physical, emotional and spiritual). Consider this: God knew the lesson His people needed. Doing something that would cause pain to your child at the beginning was counter-intuitive to the instincts of the parents, but it established a very important principle: Our children are God’s – not ours. Children are to be cared for according to the “specs of the manufacturer”, not according to our misshapen ideas about what the Creator SHOULD have said. Be very clear: Either right and wrong in life will come from God’s Word, or you will cobble together your own ideas and then blame God when they don’t work. That is what makes knowing His Word incredibly helpful and absolutely critical.

Something else may interest Bible students. It is clear that Matthew and Luke were clear about inter-relating the stories of John the Baptizer and Jesus, but it may be less clear to some WHY that was the case. There is a treasured Jewish legend based on the Biblical understanding that Elijah the prophet is “spiritually present” at every b’rit milah (circumcision rite). Elijah was cited to be the forerunner of the Messiah, and has long been considered by Jews as the “angel of the covenant” (based on the idea of Malachi 3:1), or a “guardian angel” until the naming of the child. It is for this reason that Jews set aside a special chair for Elijah at the circumcision with the baby placed on the chair prior to the circumcision and official naming. Because the yet unborn baby John acknowledged Jesus at the visit of Mary to Elizabeth, some believe this tradition was already a part of Jewish life – and that explains the story’s careful inclusion into the Gospel account. Perhaps for early Jews, the story of John’s “meeting” with Jesus before his birth was much more important than it has become for many of us in modernity.

Eight days after the birth, a naming and circumcision would normally be well-attended by close friends and family. In the situation of Mary’s conception, it was likely a very small affair. Far from her childhood home and surrounded by suspicion, this was likely a very hard time – but she had a secret set of promises of God to ponder quietly. They probably quieted her heart and kept her sane in the face of undue contempt of other women – some who may have even been from Joseph’s family!

The Redemption of the Son and Purification of the Mother (Thirty-three days after birth)

As the story moved forward, some twenty-five days after the circumcision (though some scholars say 41 days) Mary needed to complete her purification from defilement and Jesus needed to be redeemed as a firstborn son – bought back from God’s special ownership. The mother and child were taken to the Temple for the redemption ceremony (“Pidyon Haben”) and for the rites to Mary’s post-natal purification (“Tahorah”), in order to keep the Laws of God for Jewish people. Luke explained:

Luke 2:22 “And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

The “Pidyon Haben” of Jesus

As you look at the account, note first, they brought the sacrifice redeeming the Child: Jesus is the Eternal Son of God, but He was an Israelite by birth. As part of Israel’s Laws, they brought the child (firstborn male of his mother) to the Temple to be redeemed on the eighth day as commanded.

This “Pidyon haben” (Hebrew: פדיון הבן‎) or “redemption of the first-born son” was a remembrance whereby a Jewish firstborn son was “purchased back” from God’s hand – because the opening of the womb for the first time was always considered a unique gift of God. To us that may sound strange. In a society that undervalues the life of a child and expects every blessing at will, it is hard to understand the joy over what was once a very risky and fearful time of bringing a child into the world. It was not always certain that a birthing suite would yield either a live baby or even a living mother. Mortality rates made birthing a time of great tension for families.

If you are less familiar with the idea of the redemption of the first born, consider Exodus 13 and the command of the “Pidyon Haben” with these words:

Exodus 13:1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Sanctify to Me every firstborn, the first offspring of every womb among the sons of Israel, both of man and beast; it belongs to Me.” 3 Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you went out from Egypt, from the house of slavery; for by a powerful hand the Lord brought you out from this place. …11 “Now when the Lord brings you to the land of the Canaanite, as He swore to you and to your fathers, and gives it to you, 12 you shall devote to the Lord the first offspring of every womb, and the first offspring of every beast that you own; the males belong to the Lord. … 14 And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ then you shall say to him, ‘With a powerful hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. 15 It came about, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the Lord killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore, I sacrifice to the Lord the males, the first offspring of every womb, but every firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ …20 Then they set out from Succoth and camped in Etham on the edge of the wilderness. 21 The Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way..”.

By obedience to the “Pidyon Haben” redemption, Jesus’ parents tied His life to the redemption story of Israel! Though the act was not unique to Jesus, this was the first act of his parents in response to the promise “He shall save His people from their sins”. I imagine it was no small affair in the heart and mind of Joseph and Mary. Consider how Moses tied the “Pidyon Haben” to the great story of God’s intervention and salvation of the Jewish people.

It’s also worth mentioning that this act reminded careful observers of God’s plan for a substitute to deal with sin. The “Pidyon Haben” (redemption of the first born) was originally God’s way of supplying PRIESTS to His people. God initially expressed the firstborn of wombs would serve as His priests for Israel; however, after the corruption of the Golden Calf, in which the tribe of Levi did not participate, God substituted the tribe of Levi over the firstborn for this sacred role, as explained in Numbers 8:14-18.

Numbers 8:17 For every firstborn among the sons of Israel is Mine, among the men and among the animals; on the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for Myself. 18 But I have taken the Levites instead of every firstborn among the sons of Israel. 19 I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the sons of Israel, to perform the service of the sons of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement on behalf of the sons of Israel, so that there will be no plague among the sons of Israel by their coming near to the sanctuary.”

The intended place of the firstborn was to uniquely serve God, but their disobedience opened the door for a substitute. The Pidyon Haben reminded people, while standing in front of a Levitical Priest, that a substitution took place, and substitution is at the heart of the Gospel message.

The “Tahorah” of Mary

Along with the visit for Jesus’ redemption, Mary took the necessary purification time and ritual. She went through all the normal steps of purification the occasion demanded according to the Law. Immediately after birth, a woman is considered “niddah” (separated as a result of defilement) as God commanded through Moses:

12:1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying: ‘When a woman gives birth and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean for seven days, as in the days of her menstruation she shall be unclean. 3 On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. 4 Then she shall remain in the blood of her purification for thirty-three days; she shall not touch any consecrated thing, nor enter the sanctuary until the days of her purification are completed. 5 But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean for two weeks, as in her menstruation; and she shall remain in the blood of her purification for sixty-six days.

In order to be purified and restored from defilement, Mary brought two offerings: a sin sacrifice and a dedication offering as commanded.

This was not a “Shelmim” (Peace or Thanksgiving offering as in Leviticus 3:1-17 and 7:11-38) of the joy of the couple, but rather both a “Chata’ah (Sin Offering as in Leviticus 4:1-5:13) of purification to restore Mary from defilement and an Oleh Offering (a dedicatory Burnt Offering as in Leviticus 1:1-17) as the Lord expected (as we noted above in Leviticus 12). We know it was not a shelmim based on the fact that a shelmim could never be fowl.

It is also easy in the account to conclude Joe and Mary had little materially, because of their offering. They gave what they could afford. They could not offer a lamb, but they could bring pigeons:

Leviticus 5:7 ‘But if he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring to the Lord his guilt offering for that in which he has sinned, two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. 8 He shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer first that which is for the sin offering and … 10 The second he shall then prepare as a burnt offering according to the ordinance…

Mary and Joseph brought both bird, and both offerings were made. Her defilement (suspension of eligibility) was completed at the sacrifice, and she fulfilled the first part of her vow to raise the child as unto the Lord.

Amid Joseph and Mary’s moment of obedience a month after Jesus’ birth, the end of a long wait came to two old people in Jerusalem’s Temple. An elderly man named Simeon (or Shim’on) and an old woman named Anna finally came to the day of God’s fulfillment to them. Take a few moments and go back to the end of the hold music, when God answered the prayers of each…

Simeon’s Story

Luke draws our view to an old man standing on the Temple platform, with its large smooth stone pavement. He wrote:

Luke 2:25 And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to carry out for Him the custom of the Law…

Four important words or phrases of the text describe Simeon and his activities:

• First, he was a righteous man. The term “díkaios” meant he was “approved by God”. He was God’s man, stationed to do God’s bidding by God’s hand. He was selected by God.

• Second, he actively lived his God-given role. The term “eulabēs” is translated “devout” and in other translations it is “God-fearing.” He lived out a practical, daily, “godly respect” for holy things. He walked in practical ways with God.

• Third, he acted with anticipation. Coming to the Temple wasn’t a heavy drudgery, but one filled with expectation. The text says he was “looking for the consolation” but the term “prosdéxomai” literally means he was “ready and willing” to receive what God promised. He walked with excited readiness and expectation.

• Fourth, he carried in his heart a revelation – a promise from God that he could not know if God hadn’t told him. The term “xrēmatízō” is the word “revealed” in the verse, but in the language it was a business term “to admonish on the basis of a valid standard” and was used of warnings. He knew God promised something, and he took it seriously and literally.

The man waited for God to openly reveal the Promised One. He knew the child was coming, and he looked, day after day, among the line of people coming to offer their children for the “Pidyon Haben”, the redemption of the firstborn sons to the Lord. The day of the waiting was over! Luke wrote:

Luke 2:28 “… then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, 29 “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation, 31 Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 A Light of revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.” 33 And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed— 35 and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

Can you hear the PURE SATISFACTION in the words of Simeon? He used words like “released” and called his eyes “prepared” for the child. At the same time, He fulfilled his God-given task and offered hard words of warning to Mary and Joseph, because that was part of the message God revealed to him. What did he promise?

• He promised the baby was SALVATION (2:30).
• He made clear the baby would have a WORLDWIDE IMPACT among both Gentiles and “His people Israel” (2:31-32).
• He promised the child would bring about the rise and fall of many in Israel (2:34).
• He made clear pain would come into Mary’s heart because of the child (2:35).
• He flatly promised the child would expose the hearts of many people (2:35).

Simeon walked with God, waited for a LONG TIME and lived His Word in daily life. It was his reason for springing out of bed, morning after morning, and standing in the Temple lines. He watched. He waited. He trusted God’s promises – even the ones that meant tribulation and trouble. His trust was in God’s character, not earth’s comfort. He waited, but he knew if God promised it, God would deliver it. He wasn’t the only one waiting at the Temple.

There was another person who went through YEARS of waiting and pain…

Anna’s Story

When we read the last few verses of the lesson (Luke 2:36-38), we see an elderly woman who lived through tough times on her way to finding God’s peace. If anything, the record of her life reminds every Bible student that God may call upon you to reset your personal expectations in a “Plan B” life. Look for a moment at the snapshot of this woman as Luke reminds:

Luke 2:36 “And there was a prophetess, Anna (shortened form of: Channah, or “Grace”) the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. 38 At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.”

This is the story of a life dedicated to God that was forged through real PAIN and LOSS, not through easy blessing and simple living…

One needs to look only briefly to recognize that Anna learned to live with CURBED EXPECTATIONS! The woman is described as “advanced in years” and widowed long ago. Her marriage that lasted only a brief seven years and she lost her husband. Now eighty-four years old, Anna learned patience and dependence upon God. She fasted and prayed day and night, never leaving the Temple.

She was not like most women of her time. God chose for he a different path. Instead of finding her identity in a second marriage and raising children – she heard God’s direction and went a different way than people around her surely expected. She chose to serve the Lord night and day, fasting, praying and waiting. She learned to move through the terrible pain of losing her husband, and kept growing in trust. She learned to rely on God to financially and emotionally meet the needs of her life. Did you notice the words (?): “She never left the temple, serving night and day with fasting and prayers.”

I keep thinking about the words “night and day”. She just kept going and kept waiting on God to finish what He was doing in her. Hers was not a life tuned to accomplishing things – it was a life tuned to waiting on God. I must admit to you that the people who have encouraged me the most were the people who over the long haul of life have learned to drink from the well of satisfaction from the Lord even when their life circumstances were not ideal. Sixty-five years or so of waiting is incredible patience to wait for anything – much less a baby to mark the redemption.

We must remember that God is in no hurry! We will not experience instant depth, instant passion, instant deep praise. Genuine change of heart takes time. Genuine weaning of self-satisfaction to God’s purposes requires time and a painful transition as I leave the throne of my heart and He takes it. When she curbed her expectations – she sought the Lord and did what He instructed!

What if Anna decided not to come in on Tuesdays because she was feeling let down? What if she accommodated her feelings of disobedience and thought: I don’t feel like looking for the Messiah this morning – Can’t I go later? The blessings of being obedient far outweigh the temporary satisfaction of placating my wants and desires.

Others are defined by their roles – Anna’s role was stripped from her and THEN God defined her real purpose. God used her in spite of being the definition of poor and hopeless. She was not forsaken; she was being set up to accomplish her life’s purpose!

Perhaps she trusted the words of the Psalmist long before: “My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not slipped. I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer.” – Psalm 17:5-6

She waited, while her life seemed like a footnote compared to the BIG NAMES that strolled through the gates of the Temple. She waited as a seeming like a NOBODY… but you can never tell about “a nobody” in God’s economy! God announced and fulfilled the plan for two old people handing out at the Temple in anticipation as they ‘WAITED ON GOD’.

For each, He called them long before they understood why. He didn’t rush the information, but called on them to simply trust Him!

God isn’t in a hurry. We need to learn to wait and trust His plan.

Have you ever been trusting in God patiently waiting for Him to work, and it seems like nothing happens. Then… nothing happens. Then more waiting and suddenly… nothing happens.

Catchy words and platitudes won’t help much in times like those. The battle isn’t just keeping words, it is about keeping hope. Urgency floods in… and time seems like it is running out. Waves of panic strike.

Stop! Have I forgotten that God is the Master of time?

I open my Bible and scan its pages. I see things I must remember when I am incline to forget…

First, my Father wants to bless me – the delay isn’t about that.

Second, I don’t get His blessing because I am more deserving of it. The essence of grace is this: God is good even when I am not. I didn’t earn Jesus or His love – they are both undeserved gifts of God.

Could it be that I have overlooked that God sometimes showers on us good things that are not what we were expecting or what we asked for?

When urgency pushes, it helps to look back on God’s past faithfulness. It will help us move ahead in trust. It will underscore that God’s purposes are often seen more clearly in hindsight. It will open us to the idea that we might not really see the greater purposes God had in mind for us!

When I feel defeated, I feel unlovable. That is the moment I need to remember that God always hears me, and that He likes the sound of my voice (Even when I don’t)!

That is the moment I can stop and recognize that waiting is something we can do to bring God glory. Search the Scriptures. Often, in the Bible people had to wait on God to see God’s power magnificently displayed. Often, the most dramatic display of God takes place in the lives of people when they seasoned by God in a stew of “waiting for it”. God enables us to see Him most clearly when our view of ourselves isn’t blocking His light.

Long ago someone made the astute observation that “Climbing the ladder of success only works if your ladder is leaning on the right wall.” That’s true How many people have lived out the wrong goals and have given themselves to a struggle that won’t help them get, in the end, what they most wanted from life? Far too many, I suppose. Charles Dickens saw it.

In fact, every Christmas I am able, I make it a point to watch Ebenezer Scrooge learn that lesson again. Dear old “Jacob Marley” warned him that misery comes to one who lives for the wrong dream. Let me ask a question then: “What is the RIGHT DREAM?” What purpose of life is truly worth pursuing?

Strange as it seems, the Bible’s answer can be clearly seen in the story of a young woman, set in the first Christmas season. She learned a lesson so profound and so important – it is well worth rehearsing every year at this time. Mary, the mother of Jesus, learned this truth according to the Gospels…

Key Principle: Life isn’t about God fulfilling our dreams; it is about discovering and fulfilling God’s purpose for us.

If you don’t know the God of the Bible, that is a hard truth to hear. If you do, it is a thrilling prospect. I was created for something great, something beyond my own dreams and ideas. I was created for His story! That is at the heart of the story of Jesus’ coming to earth. He came to pluck us from the evil one in a hostile takeover, soul by soul, back to our Creator’s story.

Christmas, of course, is a story about a birth, but it is also a story about a “God interruption” of a cast of characters caught in an invasion from the Heavens; and a story of interrupting one young girl’s life in particular. Though the tale is set in a place on the other side of the globe and in a time long past, Christmas isn’t simply a story of “a long ago and faraway land filled with mythical characters”. This is a sober story about the struggles of real people, each facing a turn in the road they didn’t expect. Every one of the key characters met God by surprise, and Mary was no exception..

The talented singer Nicole Nordeman made that point as she stared at a Nativity scene of small figures and sang words to remind us of Mary’s interruption in her song entitled “Real”:

“Frozen statues in the cold, washed in moonlight, blue and gold. Mary’s babe in plastic hay, quiet wonder on her face… Mary you look so serene, far too pretty; much too clean! We might think we know you well, but what stories would you tell… Of all the dirt and dust and shame, with your body, burning labor pain? And as I turn to walk away, I hear you say: “I am real! Don’t turn me into memory or myth. Let me be real, real…And I’ll show you what it means to love like this, to be real.”

The artist wanted to draw us back to the story of REAL people. Let’s do that! Let’s see the story again – sitting in the little village long ago, and following Mary from an angelic announcement to her baby’s delivery in her ancestral home of Bethlehem a distance away…

Let’s begin our journey in our mind’s eye back some two thousand years, to the un-walled and unevenly sloped village of Nazareth in the Galilee. From archaeology, we know the lower homes of the town included a number of tiny “cave style” homes that were built against the slope covering natural grottos and caves. Each tiny hovel closed over the cave and had a small rock half-wall projecting from the home’s entrance which acted as an outdoor pen for a few goats or sheep. The small area was closed in, and in a few there were a few plants of spices and herbs in small pots that could provide additional flavor to the family’s meals.

If you sat outside the houses, some gnarled olive trees grew out of the chalky soil and offered a bit of shade near the houses, but not much. Beside the terraces of the main village, a flowing spring ran southward into a valley a few hundred feet north of the village’s edge. Some water was collected in settling pools that sat beside the few terraces that shared space between fig and olive trees, a pathway for shepherds and some meager barley fields.

This was likely a town of the Galilee region with mostly poor folks. They may not have had the resources to build aqueducts to bring water close (as their city neighbors in nearby Sepphorus had done). There appear to have been a few of the families on the crest of a hill that were people of means, but on the whole, this town required its women to get water each morning, with a jug perched upon the head of each of the women of the village. As best we know, Nazareth was not more than a few dozen families, but was large enough to have the requisite ten “heads of households” (a minyan) to have local synagogue prayers. At least one chalky road wound into town from the large valley of Jezreel to the south and continued north of the village to connect Nazareth to the villages of Cana and Capernaum further north and east, as well as the larger Galilean cities of Sepphorus (to the northwest that was still under reconstruction) and Ptolemais by the coast.

We do not know what time of the year it was, but the Bible says that an angel appeared to a young unmarried virgin girl in that village, named Miriam. She was quite young, no doubt, but old enough to have gained a reputation of integrity and tender mercy that reached past the doorstep of the Heavenly palace. She was no one of consequence in her world – that is, until God came knocking and gave her a call that would change all of us!

Consider the way Dr. Luke shared her story:

Luke 1:26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall 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 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. 36 And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Sketch it out in brief. A young woman was busy living a life of integrity, and God interrupted her to show her something HE wanted to accomplish through her. Can you see it? For a follower of God, this is thrilling. For a stranger to God, this is terrifying. Let’s look at how the story reflects a woman who understood the truth about a life worth living…

A God of Invitation

Go back to the beginning. Mary had a dream about her life, as most young women do. She thought she knew what she wanted, and she thought she was on the way to getting it. God’s angel interrupted her regularly scheduled programming with a message from on high.

Luke 1:26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth.

Mary’s Sovereign God sent a message. It is worth recalling that though we live as though we own our lives, we really don’t. We live as if all of what we will be is in our hands, but it really isn’t. Consider this: you already had nothing to say about the time of your birth, the home you were placed into, the gender God provided you, your race, the wealth of your family – none of that was YOUR CHOICE. From the beginning, if we really looked at our lives we would see fingerprints of the Divine on us; for God has been executing a sovereign power over a carefully timed plan.

Note the text records that “Gabriel was sent”. This angel was mentioned by name only four times in Scripture, each time to designate something about God’s future plans for His people, Israel:

• In Daniel 8:16, Gabriel interpreted a vision of earthly kingdoms for the prophet;

• In Daniel 9:21, Gabriel explained the timing of Messiah’s coming to Daniel at the direction of God;

• In Luke 1:19, Gabriel announced the coming of John the Baptizer to an unbelieving priest named Zacharias;

• Finally, here in Luke 1:26 Gabriel announced to Mary the child she would carry would come to set people free from sin and darkness.

Gabriel didn’t think up the plan; he was sent. This was God’s plan. We are used to seeing angels as beings that serve God, but less familiar with looking at men and women of earth that way. Jesus’ prayer “as in Heaven, so on earth” hasn’t quite made a personal dent in many who recite the prayer the Savior taught. They miss the point. In Heaven, all who dwell before God know they are made by Him to serve His story. On earth we must begin to learn this lesson as well.

God sent Gabriel, and then God sent Jesus – because God is BOTH Sovereign and Personal! He is not removed and aloof, but desires a close and personal relationship with you and I. I remember a picture that helped me understand the extension of power into personal relationship:

“When John F. Kennedy was President of the United States, Life magazine published photos of his children, John Jr. and Caroline, playing with their toys on the floor of the Oval Office. Those images captured the hearts of the American people like nothing before or since. Why? I think it’s because it bridged a gap between two thoughts: Kennedy was the President of the United States, but he was also a father. He held ultimate political power in the Free World, but playing at his feet were two little kids who called him Daddy. I don’t think your kids would have been allowed to do that. Nor mine. But his kids were. Why? He was their father. He was not only President of the United States; he was also their dad. In the same way, God is both our Father and the Lord of glory. We can approach Him confidently in prayer because we are His dearly beloved children, but we must never forget that He is also the Sovereign of the universe.” David Jeremiah, Prayer, the Great Adventure, pp. 89-90.

In times past, Christians were encouraged to understand and recognize the sovereignty (the absolute righteous rule) of the Lord. We must remember that Jesus didn’t come just to be King of Kings, but King of me. The first fact is easier to swallow because it is theory to me. The second requires submission, and that never comes easy.

When Martin Luther stood before one of the Papal Delegations who came to him they asked “Where will you be when all of your supporters desert you?” His reply, “Where I’ve always been, in the hands of the sovereign God.” Believers that recognize God’s Sovereignty, don’t feel beat up by life’s apparent uncertainty.

A Young Woman of Character

Every time I read of Gabriel’s visit to Mary, I am reminded anew that God does not choose as men choose (based on influence). He isn’t impressed by popular, wealth or station, but He does notice PURITY. God notices people who quietly make the tough choices of honoring HIM in their life. Note the way she is introduced by Luke:

Luke 1:27 “to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.”

First, note that God chose a woman of character, not of position.

Her tenuous position (an unmarried woman who was engaged) was the first thing noted about her. The term “engaged” is also translated elsewhere “..to an espoused virgin” because the term “parthenos” is a combined word based on “para” – from, of, at, by, besides, near and the word “theion” which is related to cultic incense. In the Greek world (from which the language of the text was derived) the ancients believed that burning brimstone was regarded as having power to purify, and to ward off disease. Here is the point: Though she was considered of great value to her loved ones, but of little influence in society. No matter, God has a different measure than our society.

The call was not as shiny bright and obvious as the plays of Christmas seem to record. It was not bound up in a snowy white angel or the rumbling of an earthquake. It was a visitor that brought her the declaration of God’s call. Though in hindsight she knew it was an angel, at the time the visit likely fell somewhere in the range between “I must be dreaming” and “Who is this that drops in on my life to share these words?” We know she took some time to believe the words, for the Bible records that the original greeting, “You are highly favored of God” caused her to be agitated and hesitant (Greek: “tarasso” means to be stirred and agitated as a pot of water, v. 29).

Over the years of teaching, I have told this story twice, but I will never let it go. I love it for its simplicity and power. I love it because I have seen it captured in my autistic brother Devon. It illustrates well the notion that sometimes we have to become simple in faith to grasp God as He truly is – all through the eyes of a young challenged man named Kevin. The writer shared:

“I envy Kevin. He thinks God lives under his bed. One night he was praying out loud in his bedroom, and I stopped to listen, “Are you there, God?” he said. “Where are you? Oh, Under the bed…” I laughed & tiptoed to my room. My brother Kevin’s unique perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night something lingered long after the humor. I realized for the first time the very different world in which Kevin lives. He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled due to problem in labor. Apart from his size (he’s 6-foot-2) there are few ways in which he’s an adult. He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and always will. He’ll probably always believe God lives under his bed, Santa Claus fills the space under the Christmas tree and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them. I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life? Up before dawn each day, off to the workshop for the disabled, home to walk the dog & eat his favorite macaroni/cheese dinner, and later to bed. The only variation in the routine is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over the washer like a mother with her newborn child. He does not seem dissatisfied. He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work. He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner. He stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day’s laundry chores. And oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That day my Dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of the passengers. “That one’s goin’ to Chi-car-go!” Kevin shouts as he claps his hands. His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights. And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips. He doesn’t know what it means to be discontent. His life is simple. He will never know the entanglements of wealth of power. He doesn’t care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats. His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be. His hands are diligent. Kevin is never so happy as when he’s working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it. He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax. He’s not obsessed with his work or the work of others. His heart is pure. He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue. Free from pride, unconcerned with appearances, Kevin’s not afraid to cry when he’s hurt, angry or sorry. He’s always transparent, always sincere. He trusts God. Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ he comes as a child. Kevin seems to know God – to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an “educated” person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion. In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith. It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions. It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap, I am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances – they all become disabilities…when I do not trust them to God’s care. Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn? After all, he’s spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of God. And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I’ll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed. And Kevin won’t be surprised at all!

My point isn’t that Mary was somehow simple-minded, but that her TRUST in God was a grand attraction point for her USEFULNESS by God. Is that really hard to understand? God uses most completely those who trust Him most fully. He can use anyone – but not everyone delights in the idea. Those who trust Him more fully do.

Next, note she was seeking God’s favor but not men’s flattery.

Mary wasn’t immediately comfortable with the words of the angel for a good reason – she didn’t feed on the attention of others. Luke recorded:

Lk. 1:28: And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.

Look at her reaction recorded in verse 29, and you will note a skeptical and cautious Mary. She was not simply flattered into a new venture, she was careful to measure the words of this visitor. She felt a churning in her heart, an agitation. There is always a temptation to buy into flattery. At the same time, there is an even greater problem for the less mature among us. We need to learn not to form our self-image based on the affirmation of others alone. Our hunger to be affirmed can drive us, or we can settle ourselves in God’s affirmations.

Again, don’t hear the extreme in theory and cut off the practical application. We all love to be complimented – but we dare not live for the responses of others. My two girls both can pre-wired to “put on shows” and perform for people as children. I remember them standing of the coffee table as children and putting on shows and dances for us. They waited to see us smile, laugh, and of course, to clap for their marvelous dance. They wanted us to enjoy them, and they wanted to be the center of attention. As we grow, each of us needs to put off that need and look more intently to God for His approval. If we don’t, we will find ourselves seeking more and more attention of others. It is no secret that Mary, at the age we meet her in the story, could have been that kind of girl. The fact is she wasn’t, and it showed in her healthy distance from fast flattery.

Third, notice that God knew what He was getting with Mary.

Look back to verse 28, and consider that God was knocking on her door to do something marvelous. She wasn’t going to be the first “miracle mom” – even though her miracle was substantially different than that of Sarah or Hannah. She was going to be the first caretaker to the Savior. Could she do it? Gabriel exuded confidence in his words. We must remember that God will never call you to do what He cannot accomplish through you as you yield to Him. When the angel greeted Mary, he shared that God knew her character.

It is worth remembering at this moment that we are not unknown to our Heavenly Father. God knows our failings, our victories, our hopes and dreams, our very personality is fully grasped by God long before He calls us to do something in His name. He is aware of every shortcoming, but He knows every potential much better than we. Moses need not have told God of his speech problems, God already knew. Elijah need not have moaned about the lack of others to share the ministry load, God already had a full head count of the faithful. It is important that we remember that God wants us to be productive, useful to Him, and fulfilled in so doing. At the same time, it is important to remember that God knows what He bargained for when He bought us with His Son’s blood. He knows us well. Where God guides, God provides. If we are part of His provision for a situation, He will supply to us and through us what is needed.

A Task of Incredible Magnitude

Continue reading the words of the angel and imagine for a moment that God called and commissioned her with an immense work.

Luke 1:30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall 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 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”

Perhaps this is the point in which you will say: “Here is where you lost me. God wouldn’t ask me to do anything nearly so grand as this story!” Stop and think about Mary the DAY BEFORE Gabriel’s visit. Ask her at the well about herself. She would likely say: “My life is exciting! I am going to be married to a wonderful man, and begin my life with him soon.” I doubt she would have even dreamed of the size of ministry God had planned for her. I doubt you can either.

No matter what it looked like, God’s call is always for us to fulfill specific and measurable tasks that have an eternal impact when we yield to Him. For some, that call is more public, lauded and notable. For others, it is the quiet work of raising two godly children on modest means, or being a testimony of Jesus in a godless fabrication shop.

You are wrong if you believe God has a lesser plan for you than He had for Mary. In the tapestry of His story, every thread is essential. God has a plan, and every spoke holds the wheel in place. Perhaps your call to parent your children does not seem dramatic, and I am equally sure the call to mother Billy Graham was not to his mother and father either. You have no idea what God is going to do with your faithful following of Him! Greatness is revealed in our daily positive attitude about our walk with our God – NOT great actions taken for God (as measured by men)! The acid test of one’s character is the uninspired momentary tasks of life!

Note that when God calls, He has the details worked out.

Facing a commission with realistic problems and questions allow us to regulate our emotions. Mary expressed the problem of not “knowing a man” (1:34). Since every child ever conceived in history required both a man and a woman, it really wasn’t hard to understand why she found it hard to understand!

Luke 1:34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”

There was no precedent for what the Holy Spirit was about to do. She rightly pointed out that apart from a Divine move of God this was not going to happen. She wasn’t rejecting the promise, but simply pointing out the practical side of the problem and making clear that she did not intend to involve herself in something untoward. It is not resistance we observe un her words, but common sense.

Note also that because God has the details worked out, it doesn’t mean we can easily see the whole plan.

Here is the truth: God understood her question, and God knew her heart. If the call is from Him, the supply of your needs to fulfill it will be fully met by God (1:35)! Keep reading:

Luke 1:35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.

This was the mechanical explanation for the miraculous work. God is the ultimate Quartermaster, a supply sergeant that is intimately involved in caring for every need to get the task completed. He may offer us the answers of supply by providing a job that pays the bills. He may simply nudge someone else to aid us in the work. He may miraculously care for what we cannot do through the power of His Spirit (as with Mary’s need). In any case, He will not call us and not supply us. He calls and He equips, for it is His work.

One of the great ways to learn to trust God is to look carefully at the way He has touched others (1:36). Mary went off to see God’s handiwork and verify the words of Gabriel. Luke recorded:

Luke 1:36 And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month.

To Mary, the news that her once barren cousin was now with child was another confirmation of the way God was at work. For the believer today, we have lives filled with incredible examples of God’s great power. Search the Scriptures for those men and women of God that have a great track record of seeing God at work! Look into our own fellowship for stories of believers that stir us right where we live. The Spirit of God has not left the scene, and God is on the move in the lives of those who yield to Him. Getting around people in whom God is powerfully at work provides us new energy! That is why Mary made her way, at her first chance, to be with Elizabeth! (1:39-40).

The key to success in the enormous task God called Mary to live out can best be expressed in Luke 1:37. God never sends us on a mission without His thorough knowledge of the outcome (1:37). To God, the word “surprise” has no personal meaning. Luke made it clear through the voice of Gabriel…

Luke 1:37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”

He is not limited in His abilities to use you, even though you feel limited in your abilities! He can, and will get His work done. You have the opportunity to experience the awesome power of God, if you will let His strength be made complete in your weakness.” That isn’t all. Don’t forget that when the mission is clear, and the call has been made – it is time for us to trust and obey. That’s what Mary did! Luke made her words clear:

Luke 1:38 And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

We need not meet every need, God has promised to supply. We need not figure out the end plan; God is already there on the last page of the book. We need to commit to be what He wants us to BE, and He will determine what we can DO. Consider this:

One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway, so it just wasn’t worth the effort to retrieve the donkey. He called for his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey seemed to realize what was happening and cried horribly. Then, after a short time, to everyone’s amazement, he quieted down. A few shovel loads later the farmer finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing! He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off….

As you face this Christmas season, I don’t know if you feel like dirt is raining down upon you or not – but I can say this: “It could be the weight that is coming down upon you will take you to higher places, and even set you free.” God knows what He is doing, and He knows who you are. It is God that holds your future. Perhaps He is knocking right now on your heart. Can you hear Him? He is waiting for your response. He has something He wants you to do… But remember…

Life isn’t about God fulfilling our dreams; it is about discovering and fulfilling God’s purpose for us.

One of the frustrating truths we must face in our faith is that God has made plain to us in His Word that we have a different mission than the one most of us thought we had from the “default setting” of our heart. What do I mean? Most of us grew up learning lessons about life by “figuring things out”…

If you watch a small child grow, you will observe how they test different sounds with their mouth as they eventually figure out how to speak a set of understandable syllables, and eventually even words. They get toys and try to work out how to get them to make the sounds they want, or to open up the way they want them to. In short, children figure out life by a long series of frustrating trial and error experiments as they grow. That basic method carried all of us from our infancy into our kindergarten class. In school we learn through a series of guesses that show up on homework, on quiz grades, and eventually even guide us in our High School dating experiences. We guess, we try, we fail and we keep trying until grades improve and eventually we end up with a date to the party. Life is learned by trial and error – and if you are a guy like me, it was (by far) mostly error – with a few hospital stops along the way for good measure. The biggest problem is this: When we meet God, we think this is the way we are to learn to walk with Him. Our “trial and error” grow by experience mentality places us on the wrong path for the journey of spiritual growth – because we think we have to figure out how God works and plot a course in life for where He wants us to go. The problem is: We weren’t told to do either.

Here is the truth: You and I aren’t called to figure out God, we are called to walk with Him. The journey isn’t nearly as much about understanding each turn in the road along the route, or even really grasping the destination as it is about one thing – learning to walk with our traveling companion… He can lead us where He wills, and our job is to learn to trust Him in spite of the terrain.

That isn’t easy, but it is true. Let me be honest: I am a planner by nature. I don’t go on journeys without checking out the route and knowing the roads. If I am going to a place with which I am wholly unfamiliar, I pull up the map on the computer and check out distances and traffic patterns. I look for places of interest, potential food stops and gasoline stations, and even places to pull off and rest if the trip is going to be long and potentially tiring. Having made so many trips over the years, I have found it prudent to check this all out before I leave for the journey. These habits have served me well in both business and vacation travel. What they DON’T do well, is teach me about how life works. We don’t often get to see the journey of life very well until we are on the road. Often we don’t know how breathtakingly beautiful a moment is going to be until it is in front of us.

Maybe I was supposed to know them, but some of the most profound moments of beauty and wonder embedded in my heart, came when I wasn’t truly prepared for what I would see until I was standing in position for that incredible blessing. I remember standing next to my Pastor at the front of the main aisle of Immanuel Baptist Church in Maple Shade, New Jersey, the day when my beautiful bride stepped into the room, surrounded by our friends and family, and looked right into my eyes as she came down the aisle in her gorgeous wedding gown. I remember, it is frozen in my mind, the very moment each of our three children came into this world! I stood by their momma’s side as she worked so hard to get through the process. I remember these moments, and a number of others, each which captured my heart and even, if the truth were told, overwhelmed me in ways I didn’t expect.

I remember the day I trusted Jesus to be my Savior. I was very young, and I had as little understanding of what I was doing as I did when I got married or became a father. The amount I DIDN’T know was much more vast than the little I did know – but it was a great day of wonder that is still embedded in my heart…

For a few moments as we move toward the Christmas celebrations, I want to think about the step-father of Jesus, and remind us from the Scriptures of Joseph’s tale of what happened that first Christmas season. His recollections as they have been handed to us include much less certainty and direction than we may realize. He learned a truth worth recalling as we think about the coming of the Savior…

Key Principle: Life isn’t about predicting our path and controlling our outcome; it is about holding tightly to God’s hand and following His lead.

If I took a moment, and began to survey believers about the last year and its many experiences, I am certain I would find that all of us were surprised at some of the path we experienced this year.

Some of us faced a loss this year we didn’t expect. We know we will lose friends and family over the journey through life, but each time we gather at a funeral it reminds us how fragile life truly is, and how little we are prepared to lose the ones we love.

Some of us experienced the joy of a new life entering the world this year. I have been surrounded by a “baby boom” in our little place of ministry – and there is little that can compare with such joy. Every baby truly is God’s vote that life will continue. Looking at the tiny fingers move and the little facial expressions is of the most fascinating views on the planet.

Go back with me to an earlier time and re-read with me a familiar story. It will be worth your time. If you watch, you will see anew that God is not always obvious in His direction. If Joseph could tell HIS VERSION of the first Christmas season, the tale might not sound anything like the inside of a Hallmark card. Matthew introduced him this way:

Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.

Joe had a plan, but it looked NOTHING like the one that developed at God’s hand. The text was clear: Joe anticipated marrying the young woman and perhaps, if God allowed, he would build a family with her. A careful look at 1:18 reveals several truths:

First, Joseph was betrothed, and held up his end of the sexual purity bargain with her. Joe was without any blame in his conduct with Mary. Joe was CLEAN before God in regard to purity. Look at the phrase “was found to be with child” and read this: Joe’s plan was derailed and he was blind-sided by what appeared to be Mary’s misbehavior. He wasn’t trying to do something unusual – he was just attempting to build a family like countless other men had done before him.

Second, if you continue reading statement in Matthew 1:18b, you will note the immediate claim that the baby was “by the Holy Spirit”. Joe’s responses aren’t fully explored in the text, because they wouldn’t bring any better understanding to the story, and because all of us can easily imagine the range of emotions introduced to Joe’s life by the Spirit’s actions. It is entirely safe, I think, to say that Joe was SHOCKED and (based on his initial planned response to the news) Joe was SKEPTICAL.

If you will allow me a moment of conjecture, based on what I know about life as a man, and based on the predictable response of virtually every man I have ever known in life; let me say this. Joe had to have been deeply FRUSTRATED. I would even say he was HURT by the situation.

I think we can all agree that frustrations rise when deep hurt seems left unattended – especially when we cry out to God about our deepest needs. One thing particularly encourages me about this story of deep frustration – this record came after the fact. That should help us understand the advantage of waiting to judge experiences in life until after they have run their course. If you look back on your own life, you can usually see God’s hand better at a distance. If you are moving through a time of uncertainty and don’t really understand what God is doing, let me encourage you to wait until you can look back. Distance may clarify the picture of what God did for you during a stressful time just as it did for Joe long ago. His response as the text related it showed the fact that he didn’t really understand what God wanted when the news of the pregnancy broke in his ears the first time. Keep reading…

Matthew 1:19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly.

Another idea about Joe is made clear when you observe closely Matthew 1:19. Joe was a responsible and careful man. He recognized his reputation was important, and he kept that in balance with his caring and sensitive spirit toward Mary. He did what responsible adults do when faced with difficulty; he made a plan. He wanted to be proactive to protect both his and Mary’s reputations and get her to a confidential place to have the child. Joe was a PLANNER and a KIND MAN. He didn’t rail against her infidelity, nor figure out a way to publicly shame her so he could be exonerated before all. He didn’t want to be a VICTIM; he wanted to avoid public shame.

It seems that spirit is lost in many today. We have raised many in our time who choose to be victims, accept labels as the walking wounded, and never take responsibility for self-change. I love the fact that Joe shifted quickly away from a vindictive spirit – even when he was deeply hurt. I am sure he faced confusion, and even hurt – but that doesn’t necessitate a burning anger and vindictive approach to the world. The idea of “not wanting to disgrace her” was a deep sentiment for a man wounded.

Joe lived within the law, and understood authority and purity, but still wanted to show mercy. Who can’t admire that in our polarized era with the posturing of so many about the need to defend ourselves from others. He wanted to be merciful if there was any way he could do that without endangering his family, his reputation and his soon to be “ex-fiancé”.

Before we go on, don’t lose the lesson of Joe’s experience, because many believers seem to grow deaf at this particular feature of the very familiar story of Christmas… Joe walked with God. Joe wanted to be kind and honorable. He did NOTHING wrong. Yet, in all this, His walk did NOT protect him from misunderstanding God’s plan for his life. He responded to what God had revealed to him, and needed more revelation to alter course.

That is the difference between two people who open the Word of God today as well. Some come hungry because they feel they don’t understand what God is doing – so they listen intently for the next truth from the Word. Others come with little hunger, either because they are living in a period of peace in their life, or because they have settled their souls amid the current disruptions. Let’s say it clearly: God has the right to take us through a wilderness of confusion to deepen our walk and understanding of Him. Further, a true walk with God opens us not simply to unending peace and prosperity, but to becoming mature by being forced to grow in trust.

The kind but confused Joe got a word from His Creator that helped him take the next step. In fact, the mercy of God flowed through the voice of an angel, because MORE than the immediate plan was unfolded. Matthew recorded:

Matthew 1:20 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 “BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,” which translated means, “GOD WITH US.”

I took special note from the words of the angel in Joseph’s dream that Joe was “afraid” to marry the now pregnant Mary. From the stories unfolded from Genesis to Revelation, you will notice something important: fear is a terrible motivator to drive good decision making. Fear leads to over-reaction to the problem. Fear often leads to pre-empting God’s direction and closing our ears to God’s gentle voice. Fear isn’t God’s way – but the enemy thrives in the shadows of the scary things that don’t make sense, beckoning us to abandon trust in God’s goodness and draw our strength from our pain instead.

Part of listening to God is seeking and then hearing His voice OVER the fear that would otherwise distract us. Fortunately for Joe, God stepped in God answered through the angel’s assurance. Joe was not only a GOOD LISTENER; he was a GOD LISTENER. He didn’t simply accept the word of the angel – because the apparent source wasn’t enough to conclude the message was TRUE. What he did, and what we must do when we hear new information is this: Joe compared the new information of the angel with the Holy Scriptures already revealed by God. Don’t overlook the fact that this prophecy of the child was wrapped in an Isaiah quoting package of promises.

Also note the veracity of the angel’s words that declared “you will have a son” coupled specific evidence with a command: “you will call Him Yeshua”. Underscored by Biblical promises already unfolded and paired with measurable events that Joe could see, he believed the words of the angel and got ready. Joe apparently served in the Galilee scouting program and believed the motto: “Be PREPARED”.

It occurs to me that Joe’s qualification to be used by God in this special way was at least partially rooted in the fact that Joe was a Biblically sound man. His knowledge of the Word settled him. That helps me recall an important truth as well: Joe began his preparation to be used by God listening to and learning about the scrolls of God’s Word. Because he spent time growing in truth, he was ready for God’s use. Isn’t that worth noting? Have you ever spent time in study of the Word and not been able to connect the truth under examination with where you were at that moment? Does that make the study worthless? Not at all! I wonder if Joe knew when he studied Isaiah in synagogue, years before as a child, that each promise of Messiah would one day become critical to his life choices. I doubt it.

Joseph grew up in an ancient Hebrew atmosphere of Biblical examination and God expectation. People who don’t search out God’s promises don’t expect much from God, and they aren’t prepared for an encounter with Him. Joe knew Isaiah’s promises, and the angel used them to direct his next steps. I doubt Joe thought one Bible study was a waste after God’s purposes were made clear. If he hadn’t studied, by then it would have been too late.

Many people want God to use them, but they won’t do what it takes to get ready for God’s encounter in their lives. Joe was ready. Matthew recorded:

Matthew 1:24 And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, 25 but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.

Hearing God is important, but following Him is even more important. Joe awoke with a commitment in his heart to do as the Lord revealed. He would call the baby Jesus, Yeshua or Savior… He would maintain the purity of the marriage. He would not endanger the reputation of the baby as Abraham was willing to do with Sarah before Isaac’s birth. Joe was OBEDIENT, and obedience to God opens the door to use by God.

Joe lived inside the boundaries of sexual purity and obedience. He learned the Scriptures and led a community with a circumspect life. But here is the really important thing so many overlook… none of that INSULATED HIM FROM LIFE’S PAIN OR THE NEED FOR CONSTANT DIRECTION from God!

Three times in the Gospel accounts God re-directed Joe by breaking into his life and revealing truth to him that he did not already know. Each one was an essential direction, and looking back – the reasoning for each one is clearer to US – than it was when Joe received it. His life reads like a textbook on “lessons in resting during God’s destruction of your life plan.”

Joe’s life map got derailed by a surprise baby announcement.

He acted within what he knew, and then needed God to direct him in what he did not know. The first dream came in the backdrop of a deep interpersonal confusion. Joseph committed to marry Mary, but she appeared to be unfaithful. Look at some spiritually encouraging lessons that emerge:

Lesson #1: Make a plan following what God has said – but remember things don’t always work out the way you planned even when you follow God.

The reason is simple: the point of life isn’t your plan, or your destination – it is your companion. When God desires to grow your life deeper, He will often chip away at your plan and open you to something you never would have otherwise considered. He does it in health issues. He does it in relationship issues. He does it with employment issues. He does it to get you to know Him better. If the prize is eternity with Him, the idea of Him deepening our resolve to walk with Him makes perfect sense.

Joseph made a promise to Mary and she appeared to have broken the promise, though she didn’t (1:18). He was thrust into God’s plan in an awkward way – at least that is how it looked to him. God’s disruption of your plan always feels a little like that – and sometimes feels STRONGLY like that!

I must understand that God can and will move in my life in a way that makes no sense to me at the time of His Divine incursion. God reserves the right to cut into the lane of my life and slow me down, even when I am sure I am really “getting somewhere” and “making great time” for Him. This is part of His Divine Prerogative. He is entitled as my Creator and my Master to do this, and we must not be surprised by this work. After all, isn’t the Bible filled with stories that make this truth obvious?

• What sense did boat construction make to Noah before the first rain drop fell?

• Did old Abraham really understand he was to make a crib for his geriatric life companion’s offspring after years of waiting?

• Didn’t God’s call to the ex-con named Moses, seem like a mistimed and a wrongly cast role when the bush lit up?

• Wouldn’t you think God wasn’t paying close enough attention when a bear and a lion attacked your sheep if you were the little boy David was in the wilderness? How could he know he was in combat training for giant slaying?

We must affirm in our minds, over and over, that God’s call in our lives is to follow Him, not to figure Him out. God is not a man that we should demand to fully understand! (1:19; cp. Job 38).

Remember, it was pointless for Joe to get mad at Mary – for she was not driving the situation. God was working a plan in her and Joe was going to be HURT in order for God’s will to be done. We must understand that or we won’t mature in our understanding of God at all. We will be locked into an infantile self-benefit relationship with God. Why are we so certain that God will only work in our life when we choose for Him to do so, and in a way I that make us immediately pleased with that work? From what Bible did we derive that mistaken idea?

Let me clearly say it: God can deliberately bring me into a path that includes pain to serve His purpose. He doesn’t do it cruelly, He does it lovingly… but He still does it. Yet, in the grip of pain, He offers me a place to cry when I cannot stand alone. God hears our cries! One writer said it this way:

Lesson #2: Take time to discern God’s next step when the plan has been disrupted. Quick reactions often confuse and thwart God’s direction.

How we respond when we have been disappointed by another’s behavior, or even when we think we have been wronged can be the water mark of our real maturity.

When Joseph discovered that Mary was pregnant (likely she told him after the visit of Gabriel recorded in Luke 1:26-38), any one of us would likely have backed Joe up if he stormed out angrily and slammed the door – and we would have been wrong. Who couldn’t understand that reaction? What friend, hurt for Joe, wouldn’t have consoled him that such an outburst was both normal and justified. The only problem is that our understanding would have blocked God’s lesson in Joe’s life. God didn’t pick a short-fused man – He seldom does for the delicate task. A godly person is patient, circumspect and gentle – they are not vindictive when wounded – no matter how deeply.

Joseph was a leader in the synagogue, and as such he wanted to dispose of the contract without public scandal to himself or the girl (Matthew 1:19). He was willing to draw up the papers and seek a quiet legal finding of the rabbis on Deuteronomy 22:24-26 while she was away from the village.

Every time I read the story, I am stuck on verse 19…

Joe’s response to what looked like betrayal was the key to all that God would do through him.

If he publicly shamed her, the whole story would have changed. If he grabbed her and shoved her before the elders of the village – there would be no dream, no direction, and no “dad” role appointed by God to protect His Son. We could understand his reaction and some of us would even have encouraged it.

Let me be direct with the point: God cannot entrust some work to us because He knows we will all too quickly whip out our “righteous indignation sword” and slash at His plan. Sometimes when people sin against us, what we need to do is patiently love them back into obedience. Tough talk and a whip aren’t the only tools for the job.

As long as we think we have the right not be wounded by God as we follow Him, we will live in confusion about what God is doing in our life.

God is busy, right now, telling His story. He wanted to tell it through Joseph’s life, but that included wounding him, bringing him through a misunderstanding – and then making him a key part of the story. No man or woman of God should think God will do otherwise. If we would be used of Him mightily, we must place ourselves in His hand willingly – and be slow to react to the pains of His direction.

Lesson #3: Remember God loves you, and He won’t leave you struggling in the dark forever.

John’s Gospel opens with the presentation of Jesus as both the Word and the Light. He makes a simple statement: “The light came, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” The bright light often brings pain to the eyes of people who have been dwelling in confusion – but the pain will pass. Sight will come. God will speak again.

We are all glad that God stopped Joseph from executing a plan to put her away by revealing truth in a dream (Mt. 1:20-23). It is worth recalling that God will “turn the light on” for those who are truly seeking and trusting Him in the dark (1:20a). When troubles come, we can seek Him about them. The Apostle James told early church believers that when they were under the grip of troubles they could ask God about them – and God would, in time, reveal the secrets: James 1:2 “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials …5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

God knows WHO we are, WHERE we are, and WHAT we are facing (Matthew 1:20b). He can speak clearly and concisely – but He does so normally ONLY to the open heart of the hurt one. Our problem is usually not so much ignorance – as it is WILL to obey. The issue is always the same – will I trust His Word? If I do, I will gain the inner qualities that offer fulfillment and sufficiency! (1:20).

Don’t ever forget: God does not leave His children in a night without end.

What has happened to our Christian message when we have come to believe that “He is Lord” only when my plumbing is fixed, my bank account is full and I feel good about His path? Ask a martyred missionary like Jim Elliot if God’s plan is always found in the comfortable.

When a believer matures, they face the fact that God’s direction isn’t as confusing as it is demanding.

What settled Joe? It was nothing more or less than the very verified in the Word of God. Let me say it plainly: Know His Word to know His peace and to discern His direction.

Don’t choose a local church for any other reason above this one: Will it help me know the Word and follow God’s voice? Great music and fun fellowship won’t help you get through a time of crisis like the Word will. Friends are important. Worship is important. Knowing God’s Word is the difference between following truth and falling into error.

Follow the voices that are truly both teaching and living His Word. Check what you hear against His Word. Trust His Word – not the messenger, but the message.

Lesson #4: Never forget that God’s role for you is incredible. When you see Him, it be worth any cost!

This lesson has shared much about the COST of following God. It may be interesting to you that Jesus spoke much of this same subject. At the same time, even though our primary focus shouldn’t be on “what we get” – God is careful to include in the story the way Joe was compensated for listening to God’s direction. Matthew reminds us of the end:

Matthew 1:25 “… and he called His name Jesus.”

Joe got a privilege few of us can ever hope to have. He held in his arms the Savior, and was the first to pronounce His name and official purpose: “He is Yeshua – He is the Savior of man.”

Joe obeyed. Imagine the cost of that decision. Joe would probably have many snicker beside the village well at the tale of his angelic dream. Some would call him a fool or a romantic dreamer. Their words would sting at the scar of disappointment and hurt if Joe did not allow God’s healing balm to cover him.

How many times have believers felt it…God sometimes asks the hard thing – but it is always a simple call to trust and obey. It is a simple call to exchange our experience and expertise, our accomplishment and developed insight – and humbly surrender to the demands of God’s Holy Word. The world may laugh at us, and our family may not really understand. Our dearest friends may call our trust in God a delusion – but ours is a call to fully surrender to the “KNOWER OF THE UNKNOWN”.

Now imagine holding in your hands the Creator of the Universe in the tender package of a helpless baby. Feel the thrill, and grab the weight of the responsibility of being his “fill in” dad. Do you think he will say in Heaven, “It was worth it! I obeyed the Lord and it was truly worth it!” I bet when we gather in the great throne room of Heaven, and the King of Kings steps forward to the thunderous sound of the song, “Worthy is the Lamb! Worthy is the Lamb!” Joe will be upfront with the “proud pappa” smile. You will recognize him… He will have the tears running down his face and a deep thankfulness in his heart for the whole experience. He will be grateful to have been included in the plan… and so will you.

Life isn’t about predicting our path and controlling our outcome; it is about holding tightly to God’s hand and following His lead.

One of the foundational truths of Christian teaching is this: the Bible says that God hears our prayers. Jesus was soon to be nailed to the Cross, and on the night in which He was betrayed, He had a solemn talk with His disciples. John 16 recorded the words, and they were heavy. His heart was heavy. The air seemed thick, and the hour was late. Listen to what Jesus said before He left them:

John 16:23 “In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.”

Jesus was promising that He was about to be far away, and they would need to ask His Father in Heaven, for He would not be with them any longer. He continued:

John 16:24 “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.”

The Savior commanded the men to begin to ask in His name for the things they seek from Heaven. They hadn’t been doing that, because they could ask Him face to face and He could seek the Father on their behalf. Like Israel requested Moses to intercede, so the disciples often didn’t face God directly while Jesus was with them, but let the Son speak to the Father on their behalf. Jesus continued again:

John 16:25 “These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father. 28 I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and going to the Father.”

Jesus told the men that parable teaching was giving way to straight talk about the days ahead, because the time had come. After Jesus was gone from them, He foretold that they would ask God for things in Jesus’ name, but the Father would hear them directly, because the Father loved the Son’s disciples deeply. Isn’t that a comfort? God hears the followers of Jesus when they cry out to Him! Now let me ask you a very personal question, if I may. Did you ever feel like your prayers were bouncing back from the ceiling and hitting you on the head?

Honestly, can you remember a time when God seemed distant? You kept going, but you may have secretly stopped believing He was truly on your side. For some, they describe it as a time when it seemed like God put them and their life on hold. If you are in that time right now – I have an encouraging story for you in this study from the Gospel according to Luke. Long ago there was a couple that seemed to have the problem of a silent God, and they needed Him to listen. The problem wasn’t God, however. The problem was their ability to rest in Him long enough to hear His response to the longings of their hearts. I am referring to the parents of John the Baptizer, to an elderly couple named Zechariah and Elizabeth. Here was their lesson…

Key Principle: God answers prayer, but gaining “ears to hear” Him requires maturity.

As we look at their learning process to help inform our own walk with God, we should start by acknowledging something:

Zech and Liz were beloved of God, and had special advantages God placed into their lives.

First, they were born into a Godly heritage (1:5).

Luke 1:5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife [i]from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

God specified the family of Aaron and the 24 “Mishmarot” or family divisions that would serve in the Tabernacle and later the Temple (1 Chronicles 24:1-19). Zechariah was a designated servant of God from before his birth; given a unique privilege of a family dedicated to the Lord and His service.

This wasn’t their choice, but it was their blessing. Never discount the power of a godly family in the lives of the generations that follow them. Godly parents raised these two, and chose these two children to be married and form another home that would follow after God. The truth was even invested in them IN HIS NAME:

Zechariah’s name means “Yahweh remembers.”

It may seem ironic in light of his story, but the truth is God always remembers. For years he cried out to God and didn’t get his answer… Yet, every prayer he ever uttered that went seemingly unanswered, God remembered. Every moment he felt like the heavens were strangely silent, God remembered. That’s the testimony of Zechariah today: Don’t give up on your prayer—God has not forgotten you.

Second, their hearts were clean before God (1:6a).

Luke 1:6 They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.

Look at the first half of the sentence. Can you see they had an INNER FAITH. It wasn’t just religion with them, it was REAL faith. They had in their hearts a deep and intimate walk with the Lord God of Israel. The word “righteous” (dika-o) meant virtuous, but also has a deeper meaning. It meant “rendering to each his due in the judicial sense”. They knew God was God, and in their hearts they gave Him their lives. That didn’t mean they understood what He withheld from them. It meant they were walking without denial that He had the right to do as He desired with them – for He was their Creator.

Everything else that happened in the story hinged on the truth of their yielded heart. Like the fictitious but famous story of the “Little Drummer Boy”, they had only one thing they could give the Lord; that was their heart. Just because they were surrendered, though, does not mean they had a “hot line” to the checkbook of God to get what they wanted when they wanted it. That isn’t a mature view of God at all – and they had a mature view. Here is the question: How do I get to know God in that way?

• First, I can’t meet someone I have never even acknowledged. We may both be at the party, but it isn’t until I begin talking with them that I have any hope to get to really know them. I may know their reputation, but that isn’t really reliable. When I meet them, I “size up” the situation better by myself. In the end, it begins with a meeting. In important relationships, like the meeting of a dignitary or ruler, I will remember the meeting.

• Next, I must acknowledge the importance of the ruler that I have just met. It is required that I stand in the presence of the President. I can do no less when I meet God. What does that mean? I haven’t truly met Him if I don’t understand his position, and in God’s case, His greatness.

• Finally, I must recognize His right as Creator to direct us and know more than I know. We can’t expect the God of the universe to become a genie in a lamp for us. God does not play fetch. He has standards and as Creator, He has disclosed what is best for us. When I render Him that which is due Him, I respect Him supremely. I come to God on the terms that are acceptable to HIM.

So they had a godly heritage and clean hearts… but also…

Third, they lived according to the standards God set over them (1:6b).

Luke 1:6 They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.

They are described as blameless (a-memptos: an artisan’s term for ready for sale, without flaw or defect; a “premier product” and not a “second”). The text said they were without flaw under the quality control standard of the Torah of God. (Someone said one time: “They were 613 for 613 in the commandment department!”). Wow! They had faith, but they had the walk to back it up. Having real faith requires that we LIVE the truth according to the set standard of God’s Holy Word.

Let’s not water things down here, the standard is what God has said, and we must understand that He is serious. How do I do that?

• First I must understand the judge’ legal right to judge my life. If He isn’t the standard, someone or something else is. He SHOULD be, because He has the RIGHT to be.

• Second I must read and know the content of the standard of the judgment. When the Creator outlines what He wants, it isn’t like anyone else. It requires my attention. People that ignore God’s Word don’t really believe that is what it is – God’s Word. No matter what they say, their actions show they don’t really believe it came from God and He is active in their lives.

• Third, I must conform my life to living within the legally declared judgment on each issue, according to what the judge says is right. Honestly, how I feel about things is not the point. What He says is always the point. I know when I say that I sound like a legalist, so let me address that side of the equation.

There are incredible benefits to walking within the rules. When a sports player enhances their performance with steroids that have been deemed illegal and illegitimate, they demean themselves. Even if they aren’t caught, the victory isn’t as sweet because they don’t know if they ever could have achieved the goals without the “help” of a drug. It isn’t just getting caught that sours the victory; it is acting outside the rules. So it is in our lives. There is a peace and sweetness to walking within God’s standards. It isn’t counterproductive. It doesn’t somehow mean that we need less grace or are “working our way to Heaven.” That is nonsense. Why would we inadvertently elevate disobedience? The world is SCREAMING that unfaithfulness and carousing will make you happy, they use up their lives without purpose and are not fulfilled! It isn’t true. God gave His Word because He wants us to know it and follow it.

Here is the problem. These benefits don’t tell the whole story. With them, came three flaws that could have been their undoing for years of their walk with God. The Holy One placed them in the Word for us, so we must take a close look.

Zech and Liz had a secret that kept their walk with God under a quiet cloud:

Honestly, they were secretly disappointed with their lives, and felt shamed in their circumstances.

Luke 1:7 recorded: “But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.” To be sure this was not well with them, we should also read the later words of Liz, after Gabriel made Zech aware of her future, and she began to show a baby within… Luke 1: 25 “This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to take away my disgrace among men.”

Elizabeth, in particular, must have felt the shame intensely. How many prayers of Liz were represented in the word “disgrace”? How deep was her pain? We don’t know, but we can imagine it was a daily pain.

I think it is important that Scripture makes not their hope was slipping away that things could ever change when it shared “they were both advanced in years” (1:7b). They were getting past the time that it would be normally possible to have children. They had to “settle” for second best, and muddle through.

What is incredible is they didn’t give up working for God (1:8), but it appears they lost the wonder that God could do anything (1:18).

Luke 1:8 made the point they kept working…”Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division…” Gabriel showed up. The message was clear. A baby would be granted. Yet, Luke 1:18 made another thing clear – Zech couldn’t and wouldn’t accept that word on its face.

Luke 1:18 Zacharias said to the angel, “How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.” Why NOW? Zech must have thought.

We need to make the point that God considered Zechariah a useful tool in the priesthood. Inside hurts did not stop him from faithfulness, but his inside was somewhere between hurt and cynical.

His knowledge of the Scriptures should have helped him at this point. After all, this was not the first time in history God chose to use a barren or older couple to bring forth a special child. Had he missed the instruction on Abraham and Sarah? Had he forgotten Elkanah and Hannah, who brought forth Samuel! No, these weren’t forgotten – they just weren’t HIS LIFE. Zechariah asked too many times and got no answer… He wasn’t going to let himself be suckered into some quick and easy belief.

Why wouldn’t he believe an angel of God? In part, because he was focused on his own abilities and limitations rather than focused on God’s unlimited ability to bring forth His will. That’s always a part of it – but that isn’t all. Zech wasn’t sure of God’s love for HIM, God’s place for HIM in the story of history.

Most believers know God CAN do extraordinary things – they just aren’t nearly as sure that He WANTS to do those things in THEIR LIFE. That is at the heart of deep disconnection. Zech and Liz worked for years to face pain, and find a way to be faithful in spite of that pain. They deserve to have their lives viewed. God put them in the book. Take a few moments and let’s pick out some vital lessons from the example of these two:

Lesson One: God never stops working, even when we don’t see it. (1:9)

For these two in that time and place, the absence of children was often seen as a reproach—evidence of God’s judgment on a person’s sin. It was at least a lack of reward, and at most an overt judgment that warned others to keep these from offering great counsel. How hard it must have been for Zechariah, a spiritual leader in Israel, and Elizabeth, to keep on obeying God, keep on remaining consistent in their faith, and still bear the sentence of a life seemingly unaccepted by God. When you are doing all that God has asked you to do, and He still doesn’t respond to your prayers, that’s incredibly hard. Yet they pressed on.

Luke recorded the story about the day came when Zechariah was chosen to burn incense in the temple.

Luke 1:9 “…according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering.”

Scholars generally estimate there were likely just over 100,000 members of priestly families in the C1 CE in the land. About 7,200 were eligible for service in the functioning priestly role. These were divided into the 24 courses called “Mishmarot”. Each mishmar had about 300 servers for their week at the Temple. They served in rotation and all 7200 at national feasts declared by God in Dt. 16:16.

Of the 300 of the week, 50 served per day with all 300 serving on Shabbat (the Sabbath). Only one of the 50 would be selected to mix and offer the prayer incense inside the Holiest Place.

This isn’t a busy work mathematics exercise – there is a point to it! God selected from the tribes of Israel only one tribe to serve in the Temple. He selected from the twenty-four courses of that tribe to serve that day. He selected from the three hundred eligible in that “course” of Aviyah only that fifty. He selected only ONE of the group to mix the incense and offer the prayers of Israel. That ONE was Zech.

As a priest, he may have only gotten this opportunity once in his life, and God chose the day. The lot “fell” by Divine appointment. Zechariah didn’t know it, but God had been planning this day from the very beginning. Zechariah and his family were going to be a part of God’s plan to offer salvation to the world. He was worried about having a child for his wife and his name, but God inscribed in history a different role – a child who would make his a household name among believers for centuries. What seemed like unexplained silence was really God preparing Zechariah and Elizabeth for an incredible day.

When God seemed silent, He was at work on a bigger plan. When Zech and Liz’s prayers seemed to go unanswered, God was not asleep on the job.

Often, before God works on our problems, He wants to work on us.

One Bible story after another makes that point:

• A careful study of Genesis indicates that Noah worked on the ark for between 55 and 75 years before it ever started raining.

• God first revealed to Abraham that he would be the father of many nations when he was 75 years old. When Abraham was 90, God renewed that promise. At age 100, Abraham and Sarah finally had their son, a full twenty-five years after the first promise.

• Moses herded sheep and goats in the wilderness for forty years before God spoke to him at the burning bush.

The list goes on and on in the pages of God’s Word. In each situation, we may be inclined to ask, “Did God just forget what He was doing? Did He get distracted?” The answer would always warrant a “No”. God was working, preparing each person for what He had planned. While you’re waiting on God’s answer, God is working on you and those around you.

Lesson Two: God chooses when and how He will speak into your life.

First, go back and scan the text of this story, and consider a few details.

It is interesting that God didn’t wait until Zechariah believed, but He did respond to the man’s faithfulness and moved circumstances they didn’t control (i.e. God led them with the “falling of the lot” to a message of blessing in Luke 1:9).

God sent a messenger to deliberately reveal they were to be blessed. When they encountered God, He already knew their longing. This wasn’t a genie popping up and asking what they desired – God already knew when Gabriel spoke to them (1:13).

God didn’t share their concerns, for He had even bigger ones! I am thinking of the expression in Luke 1:16: “And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God...”

We don’t see things the way God does. His view is the end from the beginning, the meaning from the detail, the answer before the question.

Zech probably felt a bit like an idiot when the lot fell on him. His most deeply sought prayers never got answered, and now he was going to stand for the prayers of all Israel? A myriad of emotions needed to be quelled. This was an incredible honor. On the other hand, there was probably a holy fear of what it meant to minister in God’s presence.

He probably rehearsed his actions over and over in his mind with the prayer that he would emerge from the Holy Place alive. The altar in the Holy Place was just in front of a tall curtain (porekheth) behind which was the place of the Holy Ark of God. This is as close as Zechariah would ever get to that place. He mixed the spices and prepared them carefully. I wonder if his hands trembled?

This mixture of spices produced a heavy smoke that symbolized the prayers of God’s people, rising up to heaven. It would be seen outside as it filled up the room and billowed out from the openings around the tops of the walls. Like the song in Psalm 141:2 “May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.” (NIV) – this was the moment Israel awaited the prayers to waft into the nostrils of the Almighty. Revelation 5:8, reminds the reader that prayers were bound up in incense, as does Revelation 8:3,4.

As Zech performed his duty, a messenger from God appeared at the right side of the altar—considered the side of favor. Now keep in mind that Zechariah stepped into the area, though in front of the screen, still considered part of the Most Holy Place (Hebrews 9:1-4). The other priests working inside the room stayed back from this area and left before the lighting of the incense. Others were in the courtyard outside the temple praying and watching for the incense smoke.

Some were probably praying for the repentance of God’s hardened people. Some were probably praying for the Messiah’s coming. Some were probably praying for another prophet from God. After 400 years of no singular prophetic voice in Israel top which all could agree, the seeming “silence” was unsettling.

Inside, God was answering all of those prayers, as He was speaking through Gabriel. The answer to Zechariah and Elizabeth’s prayers, and the answer to Israel’s prayers were connected in a supernatural way. What God was doing was answering the bigger questions that cared for their individual needs, in His own good time.

Note that God spoke in the context of worship. God spoke in the context of the knowledge of His holiness. God spoke to one who recognized His authority and faithfully continued when it didn’t seem like God really cared much about what he cared about most. God didn’t speak with great fanfare, but He spoke with clarity. Angels know their job, and they do it well. Don’t forget this, however – God chose when and where to speak. If God spoke to us only when we demanded answers, all the focus would be on us. The truth is, that isn’t what life is all about us. It’s all about Him – His plan, His desires.

Lesson Three: God evaluates our life and use differently than we do.

Listen to the words of Gabriel in Luke 1:13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. 14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. 17 It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Gabriel described to Zechariah the answer to their prayer for a child in great detail. He described how Zech’s coming son would be seen as great by God Himself. That’s enough to cause us to pause and clarify how God defines greatness. What is it about John’s life that would make Him label it as great? John would have the Holy Spirit’s power, and it would show up as it did in Elijah of old. He would have a voice that would turn back the disobedient, and a clarion call for all to prepare for the coming of the Lord to Israel. His message would be life-changing. His preaching would call for change. He would point out sin and plead for a return to God. Zech didn’t accomplish that. Under his tenure as a priest, people kept their coldness and weren’t prepared for the Lord’s arrival.

God defined John’s life, work and message as great – and God is the only One who makes a TRUE EVALUATION.

Doesn’t it make you pause and ask, “What does God see when He looks at me? Does my life call people to follow Him? Do I show evidence of the Holy Spirit’s power in what I do? That’s how God defines greatness. While you’re waiting on your answer to prayer, take some time to clarify how God is evaluating your life.

Lesson Four: God’s may have a different plan for my life than I do – but His is the RIGHT PLAN.

It is obvious from the text of Luke 1:18 that Zech failed the test when confronted the truth – but don’t be too hard on him. After years of waiting, anticipation gets covered by the dust of mistrust. His doubts were wrong, but not completely beyond explanation. By the way, Zech did know some things in his old age.

I note that in Luke 1:18 he said: “…“How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.”

He may have failed the faith quiz, but he had learned something about women. Did you see it? He used two different words here age. One describes himself (“old”), and the other describes Elizabeth (“advanced in years”). (SMILE!) Zech knew not to call his wife an “old lady!”

Zechariah had to be thinking, “Why now?” God could have answered this prayer in our prime, but how can we have the health, the energy, the stamina, to raise a child at our age? I love Gabriel’s response. He said, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God.” I truly believe Gabe was mystified! He said:

This is GOD’S plan devised by the MOST HOLY since before time. Don’t you think He knows how to carry it out? Let’s learn it clearly: God’s timing and the way that God implements His plans rarely fits our way of thinking. Don’t forget what Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote year ago: “Doubt causes us to Focus on what we can’t do, Rather than what God can do.”

Lesson Five: Learning to wait on God’s timing is a necessary discipline.

Zech wanted proof, and for his disbelief he lost his voice for a time. Luke recorded: Luke 1: 20 And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”

Every believer needs to be warned: Cynicism can cause us to forfeit the blessings of God! Look at the blessings that Zachariah forfeited because of doubt

• He could have had the blessing of going to those outside the temple and telling them about his angelic visitation.

• He could have had the blessing of telling people that, even in his old age, God was going to give him a son.

• He could have had the blessing of going home to his beautiful wife who was barren and feeling disgraced because of her inability to have a child and telling her “you are going to have a baby”.

I’ve heard someone say that he wasn’t sure what the bigger miracle was—Elizabeth having a baby or a preacher keeping silent for nine months! I’ve often thought about how this sign affected Zechariah over the next few months. Each day, as his wife progressed in her pregnancy, he was reminded of how unbelieving he had been, and how loving and faithful God had been. That the sign accomplished its purpose in his life – he needed to take God’s Word very seriously even when he didn’t understand what God was doing.

In the beginning, when my wife and I were married, we made a commitment to one another that was sealed by a legal contract—we call it a marriage license. But as the years go by, we don’t maintain that commitment to one another because of a contract. We remain committed because of the love that has grown out of our commitment. That license now is a keepsake instead of a contract.

If you and I view our salvation as a contract —something that forces us to wait patiently while God does His thing so we get heaven at the end—we may grow impatient and be tempted to give up and walk away when we don’t understand His direction. But if you view God’s salvation as the beginning of a daily relationship – the Cross becomes a keepsake, a loving reminder of His commitment to us and His faithfulness to do what is needed, we will want to wait in faith and remain confident that God’s answer for our next issue is coming.

God answers prayer, but gaining “ears to hear” Him requires maturity.

I can’t be the only person who gets annually bothered by how early Christmas décor is placed in some public places like shopping malls and department stores. After all, though I love Christmas time, I have found myself on occasion feeling like the Thanksgiving turkeys haven’t even lost their “oven glow” before sprigs of holly were going up over the doors in the local shopping mall! I don’t think it is a complete coincidence that Christmas in America has become filled with a holiday spirit that seems so well suited to the marketplace…

I wonder: “Have you noticed how people celebrate Christmas these days?”

Thinking about it, it appears not everyone does it the same way. It seems…

Some people celebrate by shopping. That’s the truth! They live for the opportunity to scan the malls, pick through the piles of goods, and fight their way forward with bargains. They supposedly do it for the gifts they give and the ones they love – but their happiest moments don’t seem to be beside the tree on Christmas morning, but in the hustle, bustle and even the tussle of the shopping. Increasingly, there is quantitative evidence that some American “check out” counters on “Black Friday” appear in store security cameras to imitate “Federation Wrestling smack-down” bouts. If you love to shop for everything from air guns to cheese wedges, there is no better season in our beloved western culture than the Christmas season to get a new sense of holiday “joy”.

Some people seem to celebrate family more than anything else at this time of year. Honestly, if you listen to some talk, they don’t seem to have much “Jesus” in the season. Their excitement sounds more like it is an opportunity to see the children and grandchildren packed into their house, trying to discern the true ingredients of a Christmas fruitcake. Maybe it was the movies that made us think this was what Christmas truly was – a time for Bob Cratchett to come home with Tiny Tim on his shoulder and watch the little ones spying the pot for the Christmas pudding.

The “family Christmas” folks love the thought of people getting together around a sumptuous meal set by a well-ornamented tree. They can almost smell the fire in the fireplace and hear the crackle of the logs. In their mind’s eye, children are laughing with delight, playing with that little toy that captivates them. That is their Christmas dream, a bit of “Currier and Ives meets a Hollywood dream sequence.” Ask anyone in the Smith extended family, and you will hear that it seldom actually looks anything close to that, but it is the dream nevertheless. Christmas seems to offer the unwritten expectation for the family to gather and spend time together, teens willing or not. Jesus may not get invited, but old uncle Harry surely will.

Some people celebrate tradition. Sappy people (like me) watch the same Christmas specials, year after year, as if Marley might show up this year in a better mood, or the Grinch’s heart might not grow fast enough for him to save the sleigh of stolen goods from utter destruction. We KNOW what the stories are, so why do we watch them? The short answer is this: we like the nostalgic feeling of a traditional holiday. After all, much of life is swiftly changing. Everyday my computer tells me to update to Windows 10, because it is so much better than the version I paid them for already. I resist. I don’t like change, and I don’t trust companies that keep pushing out products only to update them the next month. I like the familiar, and so I like the traditions.

I love the smell of a Christmas tree. I like to see lights hung outside as I drive through our festive neighborhoods. I look forward to the jingle of the bells and smell of the cookies. People like me love the warmth of each of our Christmas traditions.

I have also noticed that some people don’t seem to celebrate Christmas much at all; it is more like they “endure” it. Not long ago I read:

“Harried by the holiday, a woman stepped onto an elevator filled with shoppers as she struggled to hold both her bags and her children and sighed, “I think the one that started this whole Christmas thing should be found and shot!” A few snickered, but in the quietness someone from the back of the elevator exclaimed, “No worry, ma’am – they already crucified Him long ago!”

With the idea of “celebration” in mind, let me ask another question: “What SHOULD the celebration be like for Christmas when we think about it from God’s Word?”

Key Principle: Biblically speaking, Christmas Day looked like “Thanksgiving Day”.

Pilgrim hats and turkey with stuffing aside, the original celebration of God’s gift of Messiah was met (by those who knew) by a celebration filled with thankfulness! It was neither solemn, nor tradition-laden. When God sent His Son to put on human skin, the world was interrupted by an invasion from the Heavens – and those who recognized the event couldn’t help but cry out words and actions of thanksgiving.

God promised the arrival long before the Savior’s coming to be sure, as the prophets often unfolded secrets of the story – but only in small amounts of information at a time. His actual arrival was like the “BIG REVEAL” of an HGTV makeover show, as the couple stands in front of their new home, complete with tears and deep words of thanks.

First, the Celebration recalled Promises.

Scan the Bible, and you will see the promises were abundant, but offered in bits and pieces that needed to be assembled to make the whole story clear:

The “What”:

From one of the earliest stories of mankind, the record of the “Fall of Man” as revealed to Moses offered the first promise of a Savior from the Garden of Eden. God declared the “Promised One” would come as a man to deal with Satan’s successful enlistment of Adam and Eve in mutiny against God. In Genesis 3:15 we can see the promise, given amidst God’s cursing of the serpent. He said:

Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

The “seed of a woman” would be wounded by the enemy, but crush his head. Man may be in league with the enemy of God for the moment, but the Promised Ruler would one day decisively change the whole battle. Notice carefully that the MEANS of arrival was MIRACULOUS SEED was “of the woman”, not the more customary reference to the male contribution to a child’s formation in the womb. This Promised One was not from man, but supplied to the woman by God alone. Mary needed no man for the Spirit was completely capable to supply the needed DNA material. God related that Messiah would have a specific kind of mother – one who was a virgin at the time of the conception: Isaiah 7:14 “He would be born of a virgin.” The miraculous means was certainly something to celebrate!

The “Where”:

Continue to scan the books of the Hebrew prophets and you will find many references to that Promised One. The reference to the PLACE where Messiah would be born – a tiny village in an obscure province – was proclaimed by Micah the Judean prophet:

Micah 5:2 records: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Elsewhere, God stated that Messiah would work in a specific geographic area away from His birth place:

Isaiah 9:1 promised: “Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan— 2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned…6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace…7 …The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this…” Messiah, though born in Bethlehem, was assigned to live and work in the region of the Galilee, where Zebulun and Naphtali were allotted their ancestral tribal lands. These promises told of the Messiah’s birthplace AND His workplace. The coming of the God-man to these tiny Jewish towns and villages was certainly a cause for celebration!

The “Who”:

Search even further, you will find God specified the LINEAGE from which Messiah would come. Moses reminded us of a time shortly after Abraham made clear to God he was willing to give up Isaac and obey even God’s most difficult commands, that God made clear through Isaac and Jacob the Rescuer of mankind would spring forth. Again from the words of Moses we read:

Genesis 22:18 “…and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” That Messiah was longed for among Jewish women, looked for by Jewish leaders of old and recognized within the people of God as coming from their own tribes of the Jewish people is no secret at all.

The “How”:

In fact, the ASSIGNMENT of the Promised One was clearly related, in detail, by prophets who foretold of Messiah’s innocent life and violent death. One need only read from the prophet Isaiah to see a graphic depiction in Isaiah 53:

Isaiah 53:5 “But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities… 7 …He was led like a lamb to the slaughter…8 …He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people He was punished. 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth. 10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes His life an offering for sin, He will see His offspring and prolong His days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in His hand…12 …Therefore I will give Him a portion among the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

With remarkable specificity, Messiah was prophesied to come and be crushed because of the sin of others. He was to be killed in the place of the wicked, but entombed in the place of the rich. He was to be an offering for sin, but to be rewarded after His own sacrifice with great honor. He was to be counted as a criminal, but celebrated as a victor.

Surely His arrival was something to celebrate – because it kept exacting promises long made!

There are literally dozens more of clear statements like these. The promises concerning Messiah can be easily traced – but not all in one passage at one time. God expected His people to search and learn His Word, and take it seriously – but He made no attempt to simplify it to bullet points. The point is this: If we want to follow God, we must take His Word seriously and carefully put the whole of it together, or we will miss the most important parts of the story. Lazy believers miss out. The story must be COMBINED and CONSUMED. We need to spend TIME on the whole of what God said to get a clear picture.

Second, the Celebration touched people:

If we took a moment to scan the Biblical account of the long-awaited coming of the Savior in Luke’s narrative, we would see a cast of characters that were each mentioned (in addition to Mary at the birth). Luke dutifully reported each of their thankful responses to the revelation that Messiah was finally coming to the world:

Elizabeth (1:41-43) – representing the longing women of the Jewish world

Since the promises were given and made known through Moses, women began looking toward one that would be used by God to meet the need. One day, that promise came true in Mary. As she journeyed to the home of her cousin relative, Elizabeth offered words of thanks to God:

Luke 1:39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”

Luke made careful note of Elizabeth’s thanksgiving for Mary’s visit, for the visitor in Mary’s womb, and the clear greeting of this young pregnant girl as the “mother of my Lord!” There was no ambiguity of the arrival, nor of her desire to give thanks! God kept His promise in this young woman of Nazareth, and Elizabeth made that clear. God is as good as His Word – and that is worth the giving of thanks!

Baby John the Prenatal Prophet (1:44) – representing all unconscious creation

Into that same scene we are reminded that John, not yet born, also had a reaction to the arrival of Jesus:

Luke 1:44 [Elizabeth exclaimed]: “As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.”

Though mom gave the meaning, the baby did the flipping. This was a cartwheel of joy by a prophet under construction! God chose to meet man’s sin need – and surely that was worth thanksgiving!

Zechariah (1:17,68,72) – representing those who needed to be convinced

It is easier to look back and comment on another’s response than it would have been to BE the person in the story. Luke told us of those who believed and gave thanks, but also of those who found it hard to do without some additional learning. Not everyone seems ready to encounter God when He knocks on their heart. The angel Gabriel told Zechariah:

Luke 1:17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

But Zech didn’t immediately believe. Because of that disregard for the Word of the Lord, the Lord took his voice for a time. When God’s people don’t give thanks to God for His goodness, they always lose their voice for a time. After he learned his lesson inside, months later he saw the baby born and wrote down the name of the child as he was told by Gabriel. The simple scribble was an expression of late obedience. Luke recorded:

Luke 1:67 [Then] His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: 68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them…72 to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant…”

Zech clearly understood the identity of the coming of his son, as well as the work of announcing another child – that of Messiah. This was a celebration of one who needed extra time to truly believe, but it was another moment of thanks in the story. Thankfulness for God’s patience toward those of us who are slow of heart is also included in the story. We may get to the party late, but with time we can learn to say thank you as well!

Angels (2:10) – representing the long awaiting host of God

The story included more than people – it included the Heavens:

Luke 2:10 says: “But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

The Heavenly armies were not poised above the Bethlehem hills to simply bring hot hits from the Heaven Opera Company – they had guard duty that night! Yet, they knew it was an occasion to celebrate. It was a time for Heaven to teach a song that generations would sing – for this invasion of God should be remembered with praise!

Shepherds (2:20) – representing the non-theologian lowly but caring

The lowly were a part of the party as well. Reading from Luke 2:20:

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

What the angels sang the shepherds hummed – all the way to the village! They testified to what they saw and heart – but they did it with the ring of celebration, praise and awe. Even those the world discounts can learn the song of the Almighty. God didn’t make the important people and forget the lowly – He is Father of all. A thankful response poured from those who felt undeserving, but knew they were the selected messengers of God.

Simeon (2:28) – representing anxious believing Israel

The thankful story poured out, not only on the day of His arrival, but on Jesus’ first arrival at the Temple, eight days later. Arriving to name the child at His circumcision, an old man took the child from Mary’s arms:

Luke 2:28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”

An old man saw God’s promise realized – the promise he awaited for years and his people awaited for centuries. The right response was thanks because God keeps His personal commitments – and Simeon had one from the Creator. How could he do anything but thank God for His faithfulness?

Consider what we have heard: God touched those who believed His promises. He changed those who didn’t believe at first, but later saw them come true! He taught songs to the lowly from the host of Heaven and confirmed truth outwardly that He had promised in an old man’s heart. It is true, the celebration recalled promises. It is also true the celebration touched lives. It is worth remembering one more thing as we come to the Christmas season this year…

The celebration taught people critical lessons that helped them trust God more.

Inside Luke’s assortment of characters are some women who needed to experience God’s work and learn of His character in a profound way. God snatched away their plans for life and gave them an experience they could not have anticipated. He did it by derailing and interrupting. Why was it important to recall their stories in the text?

Perhaps there is a point we need to remember. God may do His best work in us by disrupting and re-directing our steps…

Interrupted lives

Consider two women who had no idea what God had planned when they started life’s journey. Neither knew their names would be so well remembered in the generations to follow. Neither could imagine how many times their faces would be imagined by painters, sculptors and cutters of stained glass. These women humbled and used by God in the story – and they learned how to join in the CELEBRATION even when God detoured their plans.

Mary learned to recognize the character of God in a new way (Luke 1:48-56).

Consider what Luke 1 tells of Mary’s lesson, given in song. To understand the song, we need to set it in the context of the narrative…Think of Luke 1 as a six-part story:

• First, there was a prologue: Luke 1:1-4 explained how Luke set out on the quest to write this volume, lining up both his purpose and the procedures he used.

• Second, in Luke 1:5-7 the parents of John the Baptizer were introduced with their background information.

• Third, Luke 1:8-25 explained the prophetic announcement of John’s coming by Gabriel, and Zacharias’ silent months.

• Fourth, Luke 1:26-38 replayed the story of Gabriel and Mary – with the prophetic announcement of Messiah’s conception.

• Fifth, Luke 1:39-56 offered the story of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth, together with the exclamations of “The Magnificat” – where we are going to look in just a moment.

• Sixth and finally, Luke 1:57-80 closed the chapter with the story of John’s birth and naming, when Zacharias’ mouth opened in praise.

Go back for a moment to Luke 1:39-56 records the journey of Mary to Elizabeth, and the fabulous “Magnificat” of Mary. Look what she learned about God…

Luke 1:46 And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord, 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 48 “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. 49 “For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name. 50 “And His mercy is upon generation after generation Toward those who fear Him. 51 “He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. 52 “He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble. 53 “He has filled the hungry with good things; And sent away the rich empty-handed. 54 “He has given help to Israel His servant, In remembrance of His mercy, 55 As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and his descendants forever.”

Mary became the mother of Jesus, but she also likely became an author and song-writer of Scripture. Is this song a construction of Luke or of Mary? I don’t know, but I suspect Mary’s pondering in her heart came out in SONG! Let me ask this…what is the SONG about?

Mary’s song is about what she learned about God!

She praised God for WHO GOD IS in the giving of the gift. That is the heart of one who has met and experienced God. She called Him the…

1. All-seeing God (1:48a). You have seen one of low rank and elevated her. Principle: No one and no place is God forsaken, He misses nothing on earth!
2. Distinctive God (1:49) God does NOT work like men, His priorities are distinct and apart. No one is like Him.
3. Attentive God (1:50). God observes and recalls those who are faithful in their worship and walk. Her song warns – be not weary in well doing!
4. Innovative God (1:51a). God is not limited to the options we can see or even conceive of! (God loves to make surprise endings!) He can and does reverse the normal order of things!
5. Just and Gracious Judge (1:51b-52). God is ready to bypass those who are proud but elevate those of humble estate.
6. Merciful God (1:53). God fills those who hunger but have been left by other unsatisfied (cp. Ps. 107).
7. Faithful God (Covenant-keeping God, 1:54-55). God does what He promises, no matter how long it takes or how hard the circumstances. He overcomes the ages and the dark clouds. He gets it done… EVERY TIME!

When Gabriel spoke, Mary had no idea how his words would announce changes. Everything in her life changed. Her relationships changed. Her future changed. Her expectations changed. Most of all, her understanding of God changed. Celebration and thanksgiving came from a woman changed in heart, because she truly experienced God.

Anna (2:36-38) – a woman redirected

Late in Luke 2, there is another woman who was changed by God’s hand in her life. She wasn’t at the birth. She didn’t go to Bethlehem. She was at the Temple for the circumcision of Jesus. She was waiting…for God to do something in her life. Take a moment and consider her story.

Luke 2:36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

Her name meant “grace” (Channah) and her story showed how she learned to be a woman groomed by that name. If there was ever a case of God’s redirection, it was in the life of Anna. She learned: God may call upon you to reset your personal expectations to be of best use to His service. Her story touches me every time I read it.

She learned to find her identity in God’s call, instead of through a husband and children. She learned to move through the terrible pain of losing her husband, relying on God to financially and emotionally to meet the needs of her life – and she found the ultimate blessing wrapped in a bundle of the porch of the Temple. She learned that to be used of God fully, you may need to stop dwelling on the things that haven’t worked out and the ones who have committed a wrong against you, and learn to be thankful for God’s direction and those who do right to you!

Anna was very old by the time we are introduced to her in the Word. She was widowed after a marriage that lasted only a brief seven years. Now eighty-four years old, Anna learned patience and dependence upon God. She fasted and prayed day and night, never leaving the Temple. She was not like most women of her time. She chose a different path. Instead of finding her identity in a second marriage and raising children – she heard God’s direction and went a different way than people expected. She chose to serve the Lord. Her expectations, probably the same as other women of her day, were dramatically altered by God’s superintending in her life. She learned to move through the terrible pain of losing her husband, relying on God to financially and emotionally meet the needs of her life.

The people who have encouraged me the most were the people who over the long haul of life have learned to drink from the well of satisfaction from the Lord even when their life circumstances were not ideal. Sixty-five years of waiting is incredible patience to wait for anything – much less a baby to mark the redemption. God is in no hurry!

We will not experience instant depth, instant passion, instant deep praise. Genuine change of heart takes time. Genuine weaning of self-satisfaction to God’s purposes requires time and a painful transition as I leave the throne of my heart and He takes it.

Others are defined by their roles – Anna’s role was stripped from her and THEN God defined her real purpose. God used her in spite of being the definition of poor and hopeless. She was not forsaken, she was being set up to accomplish her life’s purpose!

In the Bible Christmas was Thanksgiving time.

It was a time to see God touch the lives of people, keep His promises, and redirect lives to His purposes. Shouldn’t it be that time for us as well?