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Luke 1:25 ““Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”

   These days we have folks who might see it as a good thing to be childless. But, in Israel in that time it was considered a sign of God’s disfavor. This was a shame for both the husband and wife. The brunt of it hit the wife though. Elizabeth was very relieved to be free of this stigma.

Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Soon for all of us who were sinners. You have rolled away our reproach. Your love is amazing! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 1:24 “Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying,”

   Elizabeth hid her size for this period. She knew God had given her this child, but she wanted to be sure of his safety. This may have been customary.

Heavenly Father, You are amazing. Your miracles never cease to inspire us to live for You. Thank You for Your love for us. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 1:23 “So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house.”

   He would have had to remain in the temple area for a time to finish his duties. Surely he went home excited about what the Lord would do.

Heavenly Father, may we always be excited about what you will do in our lives. You have the best plans for us. We never know from one day to the next how you will bless us. Though trials come our way, even then we are taught to rejoice in your provision. You are good to us. May we be faithful to serve you, for you deserve our best! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 1:22 “But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.”

   It was not his inability to speak, but the expressions on his face, that clued the people in to the vision. They interpreted his expressions and his hand gestures to mean that he had seen a vision, before they realized that he was unable to talk.
   Of course, just as Zacharias’ inability to speak helped him to believe the angel, once the people realized that he was mute, it helped them to believe as well.

Heavenly Father, help us to believe You even when our flesh tells us that we know best. Help us to trust You to lead our lives in the way that You would have us to go. Help us realize that You always have our best interest at heart. You will lead us in the path that is best for our feet. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 1:21 “And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple.”

   Though godly persons do not want a ritualistic religion, certain functions do have prescribed times and means. There could be any of a host of problems if a priest took too long in the temple. He could have a physical problem, or he could be doing something he’s not supposed to do. Either case would cause great concern, of course. Or, as was the case here, God could be speaking to him. This was the best of all possible causes.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your ministry. We are blessed both by the unexpected things that You do, and the routine. The routine is good for us in ministry because we are run by routine. But the unexpected is great as well because it reminds us of Your unexpected nature. We praise You for who You are, and how You work in our lives. Your mercy and grace are astounding! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 1:20 “But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.”

   Gabriel gave Zacharias exactly what he asked for. The mute Zacharias had no doubt that Elizabeth would have a child.
   Some might not like this kind of thing. Our sensitivity is hurt by this harsh answer. But, the angel graciously solved a far worse problem than he placed temporarily upon this man. He solved doubt. Disbelief has worse consequences than being mute, or deaf, or blind, or many other physical defects.

Heavenly Father, thank You for being merciful to us, even if we don’t understand or appreciate what You have done. We will always try to be careful to remember that You always want what is best for us. We will praise you forever! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 1:19 “And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.”

   We are not told much about the angels in the Bible. Though many have claimed to know more than what is revealed in Scripture, such assumptions are unwise. What we do know is that they are God’s representatives, and they reflect His glory.
   It is for that reason that we understand Gabriel’s words. He was not trying to boast or be arrogant. He was simply making clear the significance of the Lord’s choice to send him to speak to Zacharias. It was an honor, and Zacharias should have recognized that.

Heavenly Father, thank You for communicating with us. We are so fortunate to have Your Word. May we always believe what we have received from Your mouth. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 1:18 “And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”

   Notice the question. He isn’t asking, how is this possible? He is asking, how will I know this is really going to happen? Being Jewish, Zacharias knew God could work such a miracle. But he wanted a sign. He wanted the angel to do something spectacular to confirm this word.

Heavenly Father, we believe Jesus is coming again. It will be a wonderful day. Thank you for that great future hope! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 1:17 “He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

   This is John’s role in relation to prophecy. What does it mean however that he would turn the hearts of the fathers to the children? This means a couple of things. First of all, because of the traditionalism that had been encouraged by the observers of the law in John’s day, the parents and the children had grown more distant. Their relationship had become more mechanical, and less loving. The revival of heartfelt religion versus empty ritualism that John would bring about would help families.
   Secondly, this phrase speaks of the spiritual fathers, and their children. In John’s day the spiritual leaders suffered from hypocrisy. As a result, they had hypocritical disciples. Their interest in these followers was purely for their own profit. So, John’s Revival would cause a renewal of the mentoring process in Israel.
   We must not underestimate the importance of John’s role. He was preparing a people ready for the Lord because the Lord is the judge. Jesus could have come and chosen to judge the world immediately. Now, truly that would not have happened. But God’s right to such a choice would have been inarguable.

Heavenly Father, You have put in place the things that we need for our lives. Though we often try to engineer our own success, You have given us the tools we need to live as we should. It is amazing to think that we can have a relationship with You after that we have been Your enemy. Salvation through Christ is absolutely amazing! Thank You for allowing us to be part of Your great work. You give us abilities and You strengthen us each day. May we be agents for change in the hearts of others, bringing revival as John did. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 1:16 “And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.”

   This is a beautiful verse. What a picture is being painted for us here! The nation of Israel was planted in Cannan by God. They are His special chosen people. And yet, many had turned their back on the Lord and were concerned only with the things of this life. They had forgotten their first love.
   But John comes to bring them back around. He reminded them of the great God that they had forgotten. Though many still gave Jehovah lip-service, their heart was somewhere else. John had come to convert them back. Conversion is the only way to see true change.

Heavenly Father, we all want to be convert-makers for you. We want to lift Christ high in our lives. You are worthy of our absolute devotion. I love You! May we live every day to make Your Word and Your way more clear to a lost and dying world. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.