Luke 1:5-15, 24-25, 39-45 (CEV)
An Angel Tells about the Birth of John
5 When Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest by the name of Zechariah from the priestly group of Abijah. His wife Elizabeth was from the family of Aaron. 6 Both of them were good people and pleased the Lord God by obeying all that he had commanded. 7 But they did not have children. Elizabeth could not have any, and both Zechariah and Elizabeth were already old.
8 One day Zechariah’s group of priests were on duty, and he was serving God as a priest. 9 According to the custom of the priests, he had been chosen to go into the Lord’s temple that day and to burn incense, 10 while the people stood outside praying.
11 All at once an angel from the Lord appeared to Zechariah at the right side of the altar. 12 Zechariah was confused and afraid when he saw the angel. 13 But the angel told him:
Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayers. Your wife Elizabeth will have a son, and you must name him John. 14 His birth will make you very happy, and many people will be glad. 15 Your son will be a great servant of the Lord. He must never drink wine or beer, and the power of the Holy Spirit will be with him from the time he is born.
24 Soon after that, his wife was expecting a baby, and for five months she did not leave the house. She said to herself,25 “What the Lord has done for me will keep people from looking down on me.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 A short time later Mary hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea. 40 She went into Zechariah’s home, where she greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, her baby moved within her.
The Holy Spirit came upon Elizabeth. 42 Then in a loud voice she said to Mary:
God has blessed you more than any other woman! He has also blessed the child you will have. 43 Why should the mother of my Lord come to me? 44 As soon as I heard your greeting, my baby became happy and moved within me.45 The Lord has blessed you because you believed that he will keep his promise.
So, there I am, suddenly find myself pregnant. Zechariah had heard right all along!
This child growing in me. God working in and through me. Who knew! God is good. People will be able to see now what God has called me to. They will see. He wasn’t punishing me. He was waiting for the right moment, his exact timing for what he needed to do. He needed me and it has happened.
Thank you Lord
for your timing,
right timing,
to work in me.
Help me not to push things along
by my agenda,
but to work with yours.
Give me patience,
grant me strength,
may I live in hope,
as I wait
for you
and what you are going to do.
Join us reading Walking Backwards to Christmas by Stephen Cottrell from SPCK Publishing this advent. Be part of #adventbookclub, share your thoughts here, on your own blog (and let us know we’ll link to it), on Twitter using #adventbookclub or on the Adventbookclub Facebook page
