- John the Baptizer's birth is announced to his father, Zechariah, a priest. Zechariah's wife, Elizabeth, is barren and now the couple is older and past child-bearing age. It is Zechariah's turn to burn the incense on the altar of incense in the Holy Place. The angel Gabriel appears to Zechariah in the Holy Place within the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. The angel proclaims to Zechariah, "...for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John." When do you think Zechariah and Elizabeth prayed this prayer for a child? Could this have been a desire they had prayed many years ago? If this is the case, what does this teach us about our prayers and God's answers?
- Zechariah is muted by Gabriel. He will not be able to speak until the baby is born. Zechariah's question to Gabriel in verse 18 is real similar to Mary's question in verse 34. Why was Zechariah muted and Mary was not?
- In Luke 1:46-55, Mary sings a beautiful prayer song to the Lord. This song is a collection of Scriptures from the Old Testament. Everything she says can be traced back to The Text. This young lady knew her Bible by heart. No wonder the Lord judged her to be faithful. Note: It's interesting to see how Mary expresses her heart to God by quoting Scripture back to Him. In the most exciting time of her life, she chose to express herself with the Word of God. Her words would not be adequate. Only God's Own Words could praise Him like this. What can we learn about praise, worship and prayer from Mary's use of The Text?
- John the Baptizer is born and Zechariah's speech returns, just like Gabriel promised. Zechariah immediately prophesies over the child in verses 67-79. This prophecy is a collection of Scriptures from the Old Testament. Zechariah does not prophesy out of his feelings or his thoughts. These words come straight out of The Text. What can we learn about prophesying from this passage?
- Luke 2 - Messiah is born. The Genesis 3:15 promise along with countless others is being fulfilled. This event shows how God changed the world by sending His Son, Jesus. Notice how humble all of this is. A young virgin, a young couple, a long journey, a cave, a baby, a manger and shepherds. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah is born in a sheep stable (cave) and laid in a feeding trough. Very little pomp and circumstance, only a few angels to some young shepherds. God loves humility - this is how His Son was born, this is how He lived, this is how He died and this is how He instructs us to live - humble.
- Notice how God honors the shepherds, Simeon and Anna in the birth of Christ. These were all humble servants of the Lord. God loves humility.
- Simeon prophesies over the Christ Child. His prophesy is a collection of Scriptures from the Old Testament. Again, what does this teach us about the marriage of Scripture and prophesying?
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Luke 1-2
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3 comments:
I believe they prayed constantly about having a son up until the point where they were "too old" to conceive; after that, I believe they prayed much less frequently and with some doubt, but with much hope. Eventually they may have stopped praying altogether. God answered their prayer in His time and for His purpose, just like he does for us.
Zechariah was muted because he doubted God's word. Mary believed and willingly accepted it.
Mary's words being from the scriptures should tell us that when we pray God's word back to him, our prayer will be fulfilled.
God's word is truth; it is impossible for him to lie, so praying the scriptures is a very powerful way to pray.
Does anyone else have any insight on this? I feel like I've missed some of it. Thanks.
Probably the most beloved scripture of all time, today's reading protrays what Israel had been waiting for all those long, silent years.
Zacharias evidently never stopped praying for a child, for when the angel of Lord fell upon him the angel told him (Luke 1:13) "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard.."
I think people like Zacharias and Elizabeth realized how silent God had been to the people of Israel for such a long time and that it was a common practice to constantly pray to hear from God. Boy, when it happend, it was a BIG WORD.
I also wonder if upon hearing the news from Gabriel, if he thought for a moment that his child would be the Messiah because Gabriel described him as if he may have been. That would be a shock and answer to prayer for every man of Israel, especially those who had barren wives but still kept their faith and prayed.
Mary was overshadowed and filled with the Holy Spirit, accepted it and sang praise about it. We should feel that and more when we are spirit filled.
To sweetteaqueen:
Good comments on Zechariah & Mary. The difference was the state of their hearts. Zechariah asked in doubt and Mary asked in faith. Interesting how two can ask the same question with different attitudes and intentions.
Praying the Scriptures: Praying the Scriptures is one of our most powerful ways to pray. Scripture rescues us from just praying what's on our hearts and minds. It helps us develop the right vocabulary, concepts and faith in prayer. It also helps us get our mind off ourselves and set it on the things of God. When left to our ourselves in prayer, it almost always is about us and what we want. But praying the Scriptures trains us to focus on God: His name, His Kingdom and His Will. Sound familiar - The Lord's Prayer. Jesus learned to pray with the Scriptures, esp. The Psalms. And He teaches us to do the same.
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