Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son...
And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying:
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of His servant David— Just as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient times— Salvation from our enemies, And from the hand of all who hate us; To show mercy to our fathers, And to remember His holy covenant, The oath which He swore to our father Abraham, To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, Would serve Him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days. Luke 1:57, 67-75 (NASB)
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Zechariah, filled with the Holy Spirit, begins to prophesy, not about his own newborn son, but about the child that Mary is carrying. God has finally returned to give the Jews a new word and a new hope. The long awaited promise of a Messiah, Savior and King is finally being fulfilled. God is no longer silent.
Zechariah demonstrates the same humility that his son John would one day display as John tells his disciples, “He [Jesus] must become more important, while I become less important.” (John 3:30 CJB) Zechariah's son would prepare the way for the Messiah. He would be an important prophet, popular among the common people, but he would be only the “bridegroom's friend,” overshadowed by the holy bridegroom. God receives the glory.
The story of the birth of Jesus is filled with faithful, humble people who put God's will above their own desires. They longed for God's glory more than their own fame or comfort. They rejoiced to be a part of God's story rather than trying to make God a part of their story.
Let's come before our Savior this Christmas remembering that he is what the holiday is all about. It is about God's story and God's glory. He is the source of our joy. He is the source of our hope. He is worthy! How can we make him more important and all other things less important?
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Holy God, I praise you, the patient and faithful redeemer who includes even me in your story. I thank you for giving me your word and the hope of life with you now and forever. Please help me to make you always the most important and all other things a distant second. Your glory overshadows all else! Amen
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org”
Taken from the Complete Jewish Bible by David H. Stern. Copyright © 1998. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Messianic Jewish Publishers, 6120 Day Long Lane, Clarksville, MD 21029. www.messianicjewish.net.
Illustration from Good News Productions International and College Press Publishing
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