Mary responded to her arrival at Elizabeth’s with overflowing praise for God. She was just pregnant with Jesus, and Elizabeth was six months pregnant with John the Baptist. Mary had traveled from Nazareth to the town where Elizabeth and Zechariah lived, a distance of over fifty miles. The trip would have given her time to …
God gave Elizabeth a word of knowledge. Luke 1: 42 Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. 43 Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me?[1] An angel had told Mary that she would conceive and bear …
We see the joy of the unborn as Mary greets Elizabeth. Luke 1:41 At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. [1] Elizabeth was carrying John the Baptist, who would be the forerunner of Jesus. Mary was pregnant with Jesus. She knew about Elizabeth’s pregnancy …
The angel told Zechariah that God had a purpose for his son. We know God used John to prepare His people for the coming Messiah. Luke 1: 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 …
God answers prayers in His timing, calling us to trust that He knows best. Have you ever prayed for something only to have Him say no or wait? Did you question God at the time? Sometimes, we think we know more than God. As we reflect on that thought, we see how ridiculous it is. …
God spoke through the drawing of lots in the story of Zechariah. Luke 1: 9 As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. [1] At the time, there was an abundance of priests, and they were divided into twenty-four groups (1 Chronicles …
Angels are God’s messengers working in His Kingdom at His direction. Hebrews 1:14 Therefore, angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation. [1] The world we live in consists of the visible and the invisible realms. Although angels can appear in the visible realm, most of their ministry is in the …
Angels in the Bible announced two births. Since we are in the Christmas season, we first think of the birth of John the Baptist. An angel came to announce his birth to his father, Zechariah. Zechariah was performing his priestly duties in the Temple when the angel said that God heard his prayers and that …
John’s coming was prophesied four hundred years before he was born. Malachi 4:5 Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives. 6 His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers.[1] In this prophecy, God supernaturally spoke …
Jesus finished the story about John’s questions by giving wisdom’s results. Luke 7:35 But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it. [1] God created wisdom, and Jesus demonstrated it in His teachings and deeds. The miracles confirmed Jesus’ authority to teach and His Messianic identity. People who incorporated the …