WATCHWORD:
Six Prophecies of Jesus
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. Micah 5:2 (Circa 750 BCE)
The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” Isaiah 40:3-5 (Circa 700 BCE)
“I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” says the LORD of hosts. Malachi 3:1, 4:5 (Circa 430 BCE)
11 While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. 12 Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. 13 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. 14 You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth 16 And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. 17 He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.” Luke 1:11-16. (7 BCE)
And when his time of service was ended, Zechariah went to his home. After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.” Luke 1:23-25 (7 BCE)
1 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. Luke 2:1-7 (6 BCE)
Meditation:
Preparing for Jesus
We’ve heard this story, probably all of our life. It is the substance of the advent story: The prophecies that foretold the coming of John the Baptist, the messenger, and of Elizabeth and Zachariah. More importantly, look at the six Scripture passages, and the estimated dates. What makes this part of the advent story amazing, are the prophecies that started nearly 750 years before Christ was born. How can we ever doubt that this was an act of God?
When his temple service was over, Zechariah returned home and told his wife what happened. However it happened, Elizabeth knew she was carrying a baby almost as soon as it happened—long before the most obvious signs of pregnancy came upon her—and she hid herself. She stayed at home as much as possible and didn’t socialize or go out on her normal routine.
Elizabeth had a lot to think about. Her life was being turned upside down. Never again could she be pitied for wanting a child and having none. Instead, the too-quiet house would soon ring to the sounds of a baby’s cry, and later to the clatter and chaos of a little boy running in and out.
But that probably wasn’t the main thing on her mind. God had said that her son would be the one to prepare the way for the Lord. That could mean nothing else but that the Messiah was coming—that God was about to redeem His people from the power of evil, as He promised so many years ago. What a wonderful thing! And Elizabeth’s baby would be part of it.
But, then, six months into her pregnancy, her cousin Mary arrives, and suddenly the baby within her womb gets active! She begins to wonder, who is this that has caused my God-blessed baby to react? And the ancient story continues, and we are blessed. Amen.
(A portion of this Meditation was written by Dr. Kari Vo for the website Daily Devotionals by LHM)
Bulletin Board:
Creating story is the only way to run away without leaving home. — Stan Escott
A line is a dot that went for a walk. — Paul Klee
Closing Prayer:
“Let Your goodness, Lord, appear to us, that we, made in your image, conform ourselves to it.
In our own strength we cannot imitate Your majesty, power, and wonder nor is it fitting for us to try.
But Your mercy reaches from the heavens through the clouds to the earth below.
You have come to us as a small child, but you have brought us the greatest of all gifts,
the gift of eternal love.
Caress us with Your tiny hands, embrace us with Your tiny arms and pierce our hearts
with Your soft, sweet cries.” Amen.
— St. Bernard of Clairvaux
