Christmas 2018 – Page 3 – Three Minute Bible

December 13, 2018December 12, 2018

Without Fear

In verses 69-71 (“Horn of Salvation”) we looked at the difference between how the Israelites viewed their enemies and who God sees as the real “enemy.” In this passage, Zechariah returns to that same theme but here he explains the reason why this is important.

…the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
and to enable us to serve him without fear
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

Luke 1: 73-75

To serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness is a picture of great beauty.

December 12, 2018December 11, 2018

Ancestry

When Zechariah regains his voice he bursts out in praise for God and prophesies by the Holy Spirit (v67). Referring to Jesus, he explains what God has done and how He, God/Messiah, has come to redeem his people. He then tells us that God has come …

to show mercy to our ancestors
and to remember his holy covenant…

Luke 1: 72

The ancestors Zechariah refers to are probably not those who are still living, but the dead.

This is an important point because one of the questions I hear asked now and then is, “What about those people who were alive and then died before Jesus came?”

December 11, 2018December 10, 2018

The Horn of Salvation

Zechariah’s song is a rich source of prophecy. In these verses, he tells us God’s plan for the Messiah.

He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David
(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us—

Luke 1: 69-71

Strong’s Concordance has this to say about the Greek word for “horn”:

“since animals (esp. bulls) defend themselves with their horns, the horn with the Hebrews (and other nations) is a symbol of strength and courage, and used as such in a variety of phrases”

December 10, 2018December 9, 2018

Zechariah’s Song

The story of the birth of Jesus Christ is also the story of John the Baptist. The two men would be bound together in their service of God’s will. When Zechariah is finally able to speak again, Luke records his first words.

After stating, “His name is John,” Zechariah bursts into praise for God, and the praise he speaks tells us about who the coming Christ is and also what God promises through him.

His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
‘Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come to his people and redeemed them.’”

Luke 1: 67-68

Like John the Baptist, Zechariah heralds the coming of Christ. It is interesting, too, how he phrases his prophecy.

‘Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
    because he has come to his people and redeemed them.’

December 9, 2018December 8, 2018

The Hand of God

When John the Baptist was born nobody would know about the “Baptist” part for almost 30 years. What people did know was that something amazing was happening. Zechariah had seen a vision in the temple and had become mute, unable to argue with anyone let alone The Messenger from God. Then Elizabeth, a woman well past the age of childbearing became pregnant. For nine long months, Zechariah was unable to say anything until the time came to name the baby.

Luke 1: 65-66

” All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?’ For the Lord’s hand was with him.”

If you were God and you wanted to prepare your chosen people for a major event, what better way than to be silent for two hundred years or more? No prophets, no word from God until without warning God’s Messenger Angel, Gabriel, appears to Zechariah and then to Mary herself. Two women become pregnant within six months of each other, both by miraculous means. In a world where people love to talk about what happens to others, suddenly there was much to talk about!

December 8, 2018December 9, 2018

Baby John

This time of year we hear a lot about “the baby Jesus,” but no one ever seems to talk about “the baby John.” From a human perspective, John is a very important person in history holding a place of renown. He was the one who announced the arrival of Jesus, did the advanced groundwork, prepared the hearts of the people to be repentant and open to God’s will, and baptized the Savior himself. From God’s perspective, however, John is just a herald: No more than the guy in the Robin Hood story who rides out on a horse bearing a trumpet and a scroll to read from. He gets people’s attention and then relays the royal decree. Exit stage right.

Even so, this herald is very important to God’s plan. God fills John with the Holy Spirit from birth and keeps him set apart for a very special use. Today’s story is the follow up to the angel’s announcement of the coming birth.

Luke 1: 56-64

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.
On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, 60 but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”

They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.” Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.

Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.

December 7, 2018December 7, 2018

Mary’s Song

Luke 1: 46-55

” And Mary said:

My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,
    for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
    holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
    from generation to generation.

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
    but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
    but has sent the rich away empty.

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

I wish we could camp on this passage for a whole week, but Christmas is coming and we need to keep moving toward our Savior’s birthday.

Yesterday I wondered why Mary went to visit Elizabeth. Today we get a peek into her soul. This young woman sets the bar exceedingly high for purity of heart and motives. She is overcome with joy at the words of the Holy Spirit through Elizabeth and her own joy overflows into this beautiful song. She bursts forth with, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…”

December 6, 2018December 5, 2018

God’s Affirmation

Luke 1: 39-45

” At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!'”

After Mary hears the message explaining that she has been chosen to give birth to the Messiah, she leaves immediately to go and visit her relative, Elizabeth. Why?

Apparently, the Messenger is quite willing to share information if you don’t challenge his credibility like Zechariah did. Mary was told what was going to happen, approximately when, why it was happening, and where. The only question left was how it would be done. In response to Mary’s question about “how” the angel volunteers that her relative Elizabeth is already in the sixth month of what was considered to be an impossible pregnancy.

Did Mary go to see if Elizabeth was really pregnant? Continue reading “God’s Affirmation”

December 5, 2018December 4, 2018

How?

Luke 1: 34-38

” “How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?’ The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.’

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

Unlike Zechariah who questioned the credibility of The Messenger, Mary’s question is a practical one. She correctly understood The Messenger to mean that this thing that was to happen was imminent. She already knew the who, what, when, and where. She probably knew the “why” as well. What she didn’t know was how. It was this question of “how” that led Abraham and Sarah to try and fulfill God’s promise of a child through her Egyptian slave instead of waiting on God. (Genesis 16) Mary wants to wait on the Lord but she needs to know how. Continue reading “How?”

December 4, 2018December 3, 2018

The Message

Luke 1: 31-33

” You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to receive a message from God? Sometimes it is tempting for me to want God to explain things in terms that I can understand. Sometimes I have wanted God to give me a message.

Fortunately for me, the kind of messages God has had for me have been messages of hope and encouragement. Sometimes they come through God’s Word, sometimes through brothers and sisters in the faith, and sometimes it feels like God is talking to me directly. In Mary’s case, God sent a very special message and sent it by messenger. Continue reading “The Message”