Merry Christmas!! This is a special article for the Nugget series. I’ve been trying to read Luke for a few years now to get the life of Jesus before Christmas…there are 24 chapters. I will NOT cover all 24 chapters in this article. We will be doing mostly the first chapter.
When you start reading Luke 1, verse 4 tells us WHY Luke is writing this book. Our first nugget hit me when I read it. “…that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.” So, you can be sure, confident, and believe what you’ve been told…concerning Jesus. Wow!! I love this because God has it in there so we can read it today thousands of years later and have the same assurance. LOVE! IT!
Then in Luke 1:5, we start right off learning of John the Baptist’s coming into the world. Nugget two starts with his father, Zechariah, a priest and his mom, Elizabeth, from the line of Aaron, another priest. (Brother of Moses) Two people considered to be “…righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statues of the Lord.” (Luke 1:6) Long story short, the angel Gabriel comes to tell Zechariah he and Elizabeth will have a child, but he doesn’t really believe it can happen because they are “old and advanced in years.” (Luke 1:18) Zechariah doubts this news and the angel silences him for it! (Luke 1:19) Read (Luke 1:5-25, 67-80) for a more complete story.
Let’s think about that for a moment. Zechariah is silent for NINE MONTHS!!! I realize some women would be saying, “Oh great! He won’t hardly talk as it is!” and others, “Silence is golden!”
Does this seem a little extreme for doubting? But remember, Gabriel was an angel who stood in the presence of God Himself, was sent by God TO Zechariah, and again this was a priest who would have known more closely, we assume, the legitimacy of angels appearing to people from the Scrolls!
This was a man who did all the right things and believed deeply in the God he was serving and still struggled with trusting and believing. Again, would we be any different? Trusting God is a constant day by day, moment by moment choice.
Our consequences tend to be less peace, bad choices, and/or missing out on blessings He has for us. He IS the Prince of Peace.
In this same chapter we see Mary’s response to Gabriel coming to share she will be the mother of Jesus. (Luke 1:31) Our third nugget. Her response was so different from Zecharia’s. He, like many others were afraid at the APPEARANCE of Gabriel, while Mary was more concerned about what he SAID!! (Luke 1:29) And while Mary has questions about what Gabriel says, it doesn’t seem to be doubt it will happen but understanding how it will work. (Luke 1:34) Mary’s response in verse 38 should be our response to all the Lord asks of us. “And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord: let it be to me according to Your word.’” (Luke 1:38)
Nugget number four. We see the fulfillment of verse 15 in verse 41 of chapter 1 when Mary goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth. John the Baptist leaps/jumps for joy at Mary’s voice…in the womb. He was aware through the Holy Spirit and Elizabeth recognizes Mary as the mother of her Lord! Also because of the Holy Spirit. So cool!!!
Elizabeth tells of the fulfillment of Mary’s visit from the angel in Luke 1:45, “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” And this will happen in months not years!!! The fulfillment the people of God had been waiting for MANY generations would soon be here for all to see.
Nugget five is in the speech Zechariah makes in Luke 1: 72-75. He says “…we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies…” Jesus DID that. He is STILL doing that today!!! It’s just not in the way they expected. Jesus did NOT wipe out Rome just like he doesn’t take out our enemies today. The chains broken and freedom given were from sin and death. They needed this as we do still today.
Jesus came “…the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:78-79) Jesus came to light our way. He IS the Light of the world! Jesus is our peace and the ONLY way to find true peace.
We pray you have found this peace through this little baby Jesus who came, lived a perfect life, died on the cross for all, was buried, and rose again to conquer sin and death. He gave us the ONLY way to get to God the Father. Take some time to read Luke 1 for the rest of the story and Luke 2 to see how another angel came to shepherds to tell of this Jesus born in Bethlehem whom we take time to celebrate.
Next time I’ll be back in Genesis. Until then, keep reading His word and hope to see you soon at CultivatingFaith.org. Blessings. #CultivatingFaithOrg