Wise men and a kingdom turned upside down (Matthew 2:1-12)

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Not all outcasts are poor.  Or, perhaps more accurately, not all poverty is for lack of riches.  It might be easy to read the Christmas story and focus on figures like the shepherds or the manger’s filthy hay. But sometimes the spiritually poor neither dress in rags nor smell like sheep.

Matthew’s biography of Jesus was written through a strongly Jewish lens.  It’s why he begins with a thorough tracing of Jesus’ ancestry, emphasizing Jesus’ connection to Abraham as well as establishing his legal claim to David’s throne.  But one of the features of Matthew’s gospel is that Jesus offers God’s kingdom to God’s chosen people—the Jews—and they not only reject his offer, but crucify his Son.

So it should come as no surprise, then, that at the beginning of the gospel we find this pattern in miniature, with the unlikely story of the visit of the magi.

WE THREE KINGS?

Admittedly, we have romanticized this story a bit.  Well, actually a great deal, and from a surprisingly early date.  As early as the second century A.D. Christian writers sought to add details and to embellish the story of the wise men to such a degree that it might be helpful to strip away the image cast by our nativity figurines and look at what the Bible (and ancient culture) has to teach us.  Here is how Matthew describes the event:

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”  (Matthew 2:1-2)

Who were these “wise men?”?  The term is magi—or magus, if there’s only one—a term that comes from the Greek magos meaning something like “sorcerer” or “magician.”  The magi were a special priestly caste from the east, usually identified with Persia and Babylon.  If you asked the Greek-speakers of Matthew’s day, they would have told you that the magi were well-respected not only for their wisdom, but also their ability to interpret dreams, tell the future, and even demonstrate magical powers.  The magi were regarded as something of the “Jedi Knights” of the ancient world.

But of course, if you asked the average Jew, they would have described the magi as brutish and vulgar, known as enemies of God’s people since Daniel’s day (Daniel 2:2, 10).

Were there really three of them?  Not likely.  Matthew seems to hint that the city was somehow aware of them, and they attracted the attention of Herod.  It’s likely that these men traveled in a whole caravan—both for style as well as security.  They were, of course, men of wealth; there’s evidence that points to these men occupying positions of political influence in their ancient settings.

What about this star?  Though the wise men quote from Micah, it’s unclear that they shared anything of Israel’s hopes for a Savior.  No; it’s more likely that these wise men were familiar with ancient accounts of stars and signs pointing toward the arrival of kings.

But what about the star itself?  Obviously, it was no ordinary star.  A comet is a possibility, but Halley’s comet passed overhead in 12-11 B.C., at least five years before Jesus’ birth.  Others have speculated that the star they saw was actually the brightness caused by the alignment of Jupiter and Saturn.  Still others have thought that they may have been witnessing a supernova—a distant explosion of a star that would have been visible in the night sky.  Or, perhaps it’s best to think of this star as having only a supernatural, divine origin.  Because if you were reading this story as a faithful Jew, what might this remind you of?  When God’s people fled Egypt during the exodus, how were they guided?  The star guiding the wise men to Jesus seems parallel to the pillar of fire guiding God’s people.  Only this time, the star is guiding men who would be unlikely visitors to Jesus’ side.

A KING’S JEALOUSY

Again, the journey of these magi would have attracted considerable attention, not least of which was from the king himself:

3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

6 “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.”9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. (Matthew 2:3-9a)

The combination of prophecies about Judah and the rumors of stars as royal heralds certainly stirred jealousy in the heart of Herod.  We know from the pages that follow this story that Herod became so jealous that he took the lives of all young boys under age two—only a miraculous intervention spared the life of Jesus.

WISE MEN AND THEIR WORSHIP

It doesn’t seem as if the magi were phased—or even aware—of Herod’s jealousy.  They continued onward to meet the child Jesus:

And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. (Matthew 2:9b-12)

We’re meant to understand that the magi did not find Jesus in the manger, as the shepherds had.  Most likely Jesus was around 1 or 2 years old when they finally reached him.

The gifts they brought were fit for a king in every sense of the word.  Gold seems obvious enough, but frankincense and myrrh were both fine and exotic perfumes that were deeply valuable in the ancient world.  It’s true that each of these elements had distinct religious usage, but it’s more likely that these magi intended to present these treasures as an homage to the newborn king.

But why?  As we said earlier, the Jews didn’t look on the magi fondly; they viewed them as enemies.  What’s going on here?

Matthew is trying to illustrate a point: while Jesus’ own people rejected him, strangers from far away drew near to him.  It’s not clear whether the magi came to anything that resembles saving faith, but what is clear is that for at least this moment, the magi rightly acknowledged Jesus’ unique place as king.

This means that not all forms of poverty are material.  Some live in a deep, spiritual poverty that comes from denying the true authority of Jesus.  Jesus’ kingdom turns everything upside down.  The religious crowds reject Jesus; the outsiders praise Jesus.  Which are we?  We may not follow a star, but God has laid a path that we might continually come to him, to bow our knee, to worship.  While others might reject him as imposter or crucify him as criminal, we crown him as king.

Good News for Outcasts (Luke 2:8-20)

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Some people are born outcasts.  Others have the label of “outcast” thrust upon them.

There’s a reason why the Christmas song talks about “certain poor shepherds.”  They weren’t just broke, though the job didn’t pay much.  They were outcasts, the lower rung of society.

Even in the first century they wouldn’t have been highly respected.  Even in today’s world, working with animals isn’t always a privilege.  I remember a young lady starting college to become a veterinarian.  It sounded so great on the surface, right?  I mean, who wouldn’t want a job where you spend all day, every day, playing with puppies?  This young lady knew better, of course—but I still told her to give me a call when they have to work with cows and horses and she realizes what that elbow-length rubber glove is for.

I was kidding, but only partially.

WHO WERE THE SHEPHERDS?

Even in the first century, shepherds weren’t well-respected.  In Luke’s biography of Jesus, he tells us that among the first to hear about Jesus’ birth was a gathering of shepherds:

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. (Luke 2:8)

Let’s not mince words, here.  These weren’t sheep being raised to make sweaters for the local Nautica outlet.  The ancient Jewish writings talked about the need to raise sheep—a lot of sheep—in preparation for Jewish sacrifices, particularly that of Passover in the Spring.  These shepherds would have been taking care of sheep that would eventually make their way to the temple, which during the Passover season would probably have more closely resembled a slaughterhouse.  Talk about your dirty jobs.

THE ANGEL’S ANNOUNCEMENT

We can only imagine their surprise when they are greeted with an angelic visitor.  If you read carefully, you notice that at first only one angel appears to make the initial announcement:

9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”  (Luke 2:9-12)

What sort of “sign” is this?  There’s probably nothing significant to the idea of a “sign;” most likely it’s meant to simply confirm that this is the baby they’d been looking for.  Still, it’s somehow fitting that a group of shepherds would find a baby laying in a manger—an animal’s feeding trough.

Luke goes on to describe how the sky now exploded with an angelic choir:

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:13-14)

And here we have the two distinct sides of Christmas: the king of kings, Lord of Lords, God made flesh—yet found lying in a manger in a pile of dirty hay.

Jesus was God in the flesh, yet he spent so much of his time among the lowly, the outcasts—people just like the shepherds.

People just like you and me.

IT COMES TO PASS

The story wraps up with the angels departing, and the shepherds arriving at the manger:

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. (Luke 2:15-20)

Interestingly enough, the shepherds became the first “missionaries,” so to speak.  They were the first to spread the word of Jesus’ arrival.

But what’s also interesting is that these shepherds were out of a job—or at least they would be in thirty-odd years when the Lamb of God proclaims: “It is finished.”  Jesus’ birth heralds his death.  It heralds the death of all death, in fact.  Though these shepherds raised sheep for religious slaughter, Jesus’ death would wipe away sin in a way that no other blood could.  And that’s how there can be “peace on earth” as we’re fond of quoting the angels as saying.  Even the outcasts can be confident that new life is available to them, even a life that begins as just a little child, asleep there on the hay.

 

Angels, Angels Everywhere! (Luke 2:8-15)

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My college campus years were spent in downtown Philadelphia, the primary building being an eight-story structure just across the street from a large Sheraton Hotel and conference center. On one occasion, President Ford was coming for an event. I worked part-time for the college in campus security, and in advance of the President’s arrival I drew an assignment of manually operating an elevator to take two secret service agents with high-powered rifles to the roof of the building. The advance team and detailed preparation was impressive.

My sister had a somewhat similar experience a couple of year earlier when Ford was Vice President. His oldest son was married in the church facility where my sister attended, and she was the VBS director who had to run a week-long program on that church campus in Catonsville over the days prior to the wedding. While she was dealing with throngs of kids, throngs of secret service agents were running around the same space making preparations for the Saturday wedding, including things like trial runs of helicopter landings and evacuations.

When an important person like a President is coming to town, the advance preparations are extensive. And so it is not surprising to see angels here, there, and everywhere when the King of Kings came to town in Bethlehem.

What exactly are angels? You’re taught in Theology 101 that the answer is found in Hebrews 1:14 – “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?”  They are servants of God to do His bidding. The word for angels – angeloi – means “messengers.”

Every so often in Scripture we see the curtains of heaven pulled back just a bit to reveal the work of angels, most of it being done out of sight. Angels are created, heavenly beings, dating back to before the creation of man. We know that one-third of them followed Satan in rebellion against God, and these fallen angels are the demonic forces at work against the progress of the Kingdom of God.

We know also that the good angels are organized in varied ranks in similar fashion as a military operation. They are given missions and assignments to carry out. And in that the incarnation of Christ and his subsequent work on the cross is the focal point of all history, angelic assignments related to this must have to rate very high with the heavenly hosts. If we are to have a first-person view of their role in the incarnation story, it probably is not stretching the point to imagine that the angels found these missions to be rather special among all their deeds of service over the eons of time.

To include the passages related to the angels and the incarnation, we would essentially have to print here the entire Christmas narratives from Matthew and Luke. An angel comes to Joseph on four total occasions. Gabriel visited Zechariah and scared him half to death. An angel spoke to Mary. And of course there was the vast angelic chorus who sang for the shepherds.

You might feel like this entire topic is so “back then” or “over there” in the spiritual realm. We’ll get to see angels when we pass from this life, but what does it have to do with the here and now? Well, chances are you’re not going to see an angel, but the truth is that they are rather near. The Scriptures teach that as children of the King we are in a constant spiritual battle … that though it appears our conflict is very much physical and material, in fact it is a struggle on a much higher level that is the true reality.

Ephesian 6:10 – Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Through the Eyes of Herod (Matthew 2)

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When all you have in life is what you can hold onto in this world, you’ve really not got much. And you might think, “Yep, I’m poor by most worldly standards, so, there isn’t much to grasp.”  But the situation is actually worse for those who possess abundance, even those who seem to have it all – riches, power, and fame. Those poor folks have the problem of worrying about everyone gunning for them to take them down and steal all the accoutrements they believe define success and happiness in life.

This was the problem for King Herod. Everything he had he held onto only in the most tenuous fashion. His authority was only granted by the Romans. Herod had no true rights to be the king in Israel, as he was not even Jewish. Rather, he was descended from Esau and was therefore an Edomite. Though his accomplishments were commendable in terms of civic duties like construction projects, Herod’s soul was especially troubled.

The old phrase about paranoia – “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean someone isn’t really out to get you” – was true of Herod. Such is a rather universal truth of those possessing earthly power. But Herod had it in spades – putting a couple of wives and a couple of children to death because he believed them to be conspiring against him. The Emperor Augustus is famously quoted to have said of Herod that it would be better to be his sow than his son, because the pig had a better chance of survival.

With this background we can see why the text in Matthew 2 says that he was troubled when hearing news from some truly wise guys from another place about a possibly legitimate king being born in Israel. Summoning the experts in Jewish law as to where such a legend would find fruition, he learned that it was in Bethlehem. So it is not surprising that a person who would kill his own family members would order the children in a second-rate hamlet to be executed.

The gifts of the Magi made it possible for Joseph to heed the dream of escape to Egypt. This second exodus back to the Promised Land after the demise of Herod gave a second meaning to the prophetic word of Hosea about God’s Son being called out of Egypt – first the nation, then the Messiah himself … all of which is loaded with redemptive tones, symbols and meanings.

Herod truly is an “exhibit A” of one who has no interest in the incarnation of Christ, being a person with investments only in this world. That is not a rare condition, as we sadly know of so many people.

But if you know and understand the eternal truth that this world is temporary and passing away, there is no need to hold tightly to the things associated with it. True life and true riches are beyond this mere flash of existence. And this incarnation story brings alive the meaning of Paul’s words to the Corinthians when he said, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”

Having thought about the incarnation story through the first-person eyes of Herod, read through this familiar second chapter of Matthew again …

Matthew 2:1 – After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ [from Micah 5:2,4]”

7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

The Escape to Egypt

13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” [from Hosea 11:1]

16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

18 “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” [from Jeremiah 31:15]

19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”

21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.

The Innkeeper and the Common Man (Luke 2:1-7)

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There are some “bad guys” in the original Christmas story. None worse than Herod of course, who had foul motives based in jealousies and paranoia about a Jewish “king” being born, resulting in the slaughter of innocents in Bethlehem.

Another bad guy assumed to be in the story is the presumed innkeeper – the fellow who had no room in the public boarding house for the travelling couple who were expecting a child at any moment. All he had to give them was a stable – a place that tradition ascribes to be essentially a cave for housing animals.

The story derives from the words of Luke 2:1-7 …

2:1 – In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

What a horrible person to be so cold-hearted as to stick a mother-to-be and her soon new-born in the smelly stable of animals with hay, straw, and … well … you know what.

And so it is that the innkeeper stands as the “exhibit A” of a person who has no room in life or priorities for truth and the Son of God. The annual Christmas sermon oft ends with the question, “Are you like the cold-hearted innkeeper, having no room in your heart for Jesus?”

Something that happens annually to me at Christmas is the dredging up in my mind of hundreds of Christmas songs I’ve done in churches over the years. The mental jukebox plays tunes that go back to my earliest musical memories – the annual church Christmas cantata, replete with a candlelit sanctuary.

We would process to the song “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.”  Taking places in the choir loft, like all good evangelical church choirs of that era, we then presented the latest John Peterson cantata. Being a sort of musical prodigy kid, I was always assigned a solo to sing; and if I wanted to have a happy home and food to eat, I had best submit and sing it out! Those songs echo still through my mind, including one from a program entitled “Night of Miracles,” featuring a song I sang called “No Room.”  Here are the lyrics as I recall them …

No room, only a manager of hay / No room, He is a stranger today / No room, here in His world turned away No room, no room.

No room, here in the hearts of mankind / No room, no cheery welcome could find / No room, surely the world had gone blind / No room, no room.

Angels, in heaven up yonder / Watch with amazement and wonder / To see the Son of the Highest treated so / No room.

But the innkeeper was not alone in his status of not anticipating a coming king to be born in Bethlehem. Certainly there was a Jewish anticipation and hope for a Messiah, though the perception as to what that would look like did not include a baby who would become a king. Rather, it had expectations of political and military stature of a dynamic leader. The only ones who had any expectation of an infant king were the astrologically-oriented magi, who put together the ancient text of Micah 5:2 with a sign in the heavens.

Centuries of silence did not mean that God was not at work or had abandoned his plans for mankind, though most had given up hope and expectation. The Scriptures teach rather that God was exactly on schedule, writing in Galatians 4:4-5 that the coming of Christ was perfectly timed … “But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.”

Just because we have not heard from God in some specific way for an extended time does not mean He has forgotten us. He’s not like that professional baseball scout who saw me pitch four shutout innings in college in 1975 and promised he would call me … still waiting for that phone to ring! No, do not believe that God’s silence is equal to God’s inaction or disinterest. And don’t give up trusting and hoping and looking for what God will do in and through you. Stay on course; stay faithful with what you know is the right way to live and serve.

2 Peter 3:3 – Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” …

8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. …

… what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. …

14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.

Mary, did you know? (Luke 1)

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Grace turns the ordinary into the extraordinary.  As human beings we have a long history of constructing our society on the basis of merit—the ugly result being a life of trying to “measure up” or comparing ourselves to others.  Grace shatters this society of merit because in God’s kingdom, human value isn’t rooted in human character, but God’s.

The story of the first Christmas should remind us that God’s grace elevates the lowly while it flattens the proud.  Joseph and Mary remind us that God indeed chooses humble people for noble purpose:

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:26-38)

If you’ve got any background in church, the story should sound familiar.  The curious arrival of Jesus through Mary emphasizes that yes, God is doing something wholly unique.

Did Mary really know what her Son’s life would grow to be?  At Christmas it’s not at all uncommon to hear the song “Mary, Did You Know?”  The lyrics list the many things that Jesus would do in his lifetime, the song repeatedly asking the new mom by the manger if she knew what her special Son would be capable of.  “Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?” “Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?”

But when I read the text, it’s not clear to me that Mary really understood—or could ever have imagined—what being the Messiah was really all about.  As a faithful Jewish woman, she would have shared her people’s hopeful expectation for God’s deliverance.  But would she ever have expected Jesus to live the life that he did—to die the death that he did?

Think for a second what Mary would see through her mother’s eyes:

  • The death of children by Herod’s hand, as he sought to eliminate Israel’s king (Matthew 2:16).
  • Jesus’ preaching would emphasize that “here are my mother and brothers,” referring to the crowds and his spiritual family, rather than his natural family (Matthew 12:46ff).
  • Family division would arise when Jesus’ brothers refused to believe his message about himself (John 7:5).
  • And, most profoundly, Mary was present at the cross and watched her firstborn son breathe his last. The Jews believed in resurrection, yes—but she could never have expected it to happen in a matter of days.  And this is to say nothing of the fact that in Mary’s social world, she would have born the social scorn of being this “criminal’s” mother.

It’s no wonder that shortly after Jesus is born, Simeon would caution Mary that as she witnessed Jesus’ ministry, “a sword will pierce through your own soul also” (Luke 2:35).  Mary, did you know that you would share so much of your baby boy’s pain?

For now, however, Mary responds to the angel’s announcement with humble obedience:

46 And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home. (Luke 1:46-56)

As a side note, we shouldn’t overlook the way that Mary’s words reflect her commitment to and knowledge of God’s word.  Granted, it’s not inconceivable that Luke would have given Mary’s words an editorial polish, but Mary’s theological understanding cannot be denied—a significant feat for a woman of her era.

What does this mean for us?  There was nothing really special about Mary, apart from her faithfulness, but through God’s grace she became “blessed” (v. 48) because of the “great things” God has done (v. 49).

And each of us, though we inhabit a world built on merit, can reflect on the way that our significance comes not on what we have done, but what God has done through us—and for us.  It’s hard to know if Mary understood just exactly what her son would later do, but we know exactly what her son did.  Trust in his work, not your own; this is the secret to true joy.

When Good News sounds like bad news (Joseph–Matthew 1)

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“I’m not afraid of anything in this world, there’s nothing you can throw at me that I haven’t already heard.”  When Bono sang this song back in 2001 with the rock band U2, he was speaking ironically.  Though the song was upbeat, “Stuck in a Moment” was an anthem written amidst tremendous pain.  There are occasions, in life, when our fearlessness is revealed to be mere illusion—occasions when our confidence is shaken all the way to the core.

The birth of Jesus turned everyone’s world upside down.  And the first people to have their lives shaken by the Savior’s arrival?  A young couple, who had been making plans for their upcoming wedding, when God throws something that they’d not quite heard before…

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT

Matthew’s biography of Jesus takes great pains to connect the life of Jesus to the story of the Old Testament.  His life would be a continuation—nay, a fulfillment—of Israel’s history and hopes.  In Matthew 1:1-17, we find a genealogical record that establishes Jesus as being in the line of David.  This alone would establish Jesus as the legal heir to David’s throne.  But this wasn’t enough—or, at least, this wasn’t all that God intended.  For a king could rule his subjects but never save them from the captivity of sin.  Only a Savior could do that, and a Savior’s arrival would transcend the boundaries of nature:

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. (Matthew 1:18-19)

The first and most obvious clue that Jesus’ birth was a supernatural event was that he was born of a virgin.  We’re told that Mary and Joseph were engaged (“betrothed,” in the older way of saying it), but had remained faithful to God’s plan for a physical relationship.  This meant that Joseph knew that—unless he never paid attention in health class—if Mary was pregnant, he wasn’t the daddy.

Let’s not gloss over this.  It means that one of the first reactions to Jesus’ arrival was one of fear, anger, and betrayal.  We might imagine that if Mary had tried to explain the situation, he’d have found it a ludicrous way to conceal her infidelity.  In the absence of trust, the “good news” of the gospel first sounds like bad news, and for Joseph, that meant limited options.

He could proceed with the marriage, but being a “righteous” man he may have considered this shameful under the commands of God.  He could publicly expose his fiancée as unfaithful.  At minimum she’d endure the shame of a public divorce (cf. Deuteronomy 22:23-24), but this would mean that Mary would risk being stoned.  His only option was to divorce her quietly.  All he’d need to do is hand her a written certificate with two witnesses present (cf. Numbers 5:11-31).

But before his decision is final, God intervenes:

20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).  (Matthew 1:18-23)

THE MEANING OF “FULFILLED”

But is this really a fulfillment of prophecy?  Sometimes the educated elite tend to look askance at the more radical of the Bible’s traditions.  In this instance, it’s become popular to point out that Isaiah—the text that Matthew quotes as being fulfilled—doesn’t actually refer to a virgin at all.

Keep in mind that Matthew is writing in Greek.  Isaiah wrote in Hebrew.  The Greek word parthenos means virgin in the literal sense, but Isaiah uses the Hebrew term ‘alma, which can simply refer to any young woman of marriageable age.  While the term often refers to literal virgins (cf. Genesis 24:43), the Hebrew language has a different word to refer to literal virgins—bethula.  So Isaiah never explicitly says that a literal virgin shall bear a son—only that a young woman will conceive and bear a child.

Confused yet?  What’s going on, here?  Prophecy isn’t always fulfilled just once.  So it’s perfectly likely that Isaiah is referring to a young woman in his day that conceives and bears a child.  But the prophecy is now being fulfilled in Jesus’ day through an actual virgin.  The emphasis here isn’t on the prophecy itself, but on the way it’s fulfilled.  It’s almost like Matthew is telling us: “You heard Isaiah say that a young woman shall conceive, but now—get this—not just a young woman, but an actual virgin.”  This is also why Matthew tells us that this doesn’t fulfill the prophecy directly, it fulfills what God said through the prophet.  Isaiah’s initial prophecy is a small portion of God’s unfolding plan—a prophecy that takes on greater meaning in the lives of Mary and Joseph.

JOSEPH’S TRUST

Joseph’s angelic visitation left him with a critical choice to make: do I trust God with this, or not?  Personally, I can imagine being tempted to dismiss the dream as just that: only a dream—“a bit of undigested beef,” to quote the Dickens classic.  Instead, Joseph demonstrates devotion.  And trust.

24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. (Matthew 1:24-25)

Many of us have a similar choice to make.  Sure, maybe not a choice of this scale, but a choice nonetheless.  Do we trust God with our lives?  Do we trust God even when the path ahead appears unclear, or even socially disastrous?

If we’re honest, we tend to trust God with only portions of our lives.  Think about it: aren’t there times when you say, “I trust God when ______________” or “I’ll trust God if he _______________.”  What we fill in the blanks with are our real saviors, we just don’t admit it.  I’ll trust God if he helps me if I return to school.  I trust God when my choices seem easy.  But God calls us to trust him even when it doesn’t immediately seem clear.  And, without trust, the “good news” of the gospel sounds, to our ears, like bad news, and like Joseph we feel our options are limited.

But the wonderful good news of the gospel is that God engenders faith and trust even when we cannot find it within ourselves.  Joseph teaches us that we are to trust God for no reason other than he is God—and I am not.  Put in that perspective, trust becomes a clear choice, albeit a difficult one.  If you struggle with trusting God, the answer will never be found through self-examination.  On the contrary, if we struggle with trusting God, then we find the solution in him, in a God who empowers our faith and illuminates our paths when the way seems dark.

For Joseph and Mary did more than just give Israel her king; God used them to bring forth salvation itself.

 

A dream deferred (Elizabeth–Luke 1)

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“What happens to a dream deferred?” asked Langston Hughes, a poet of the 1950’s Harlem Renaissance.  “Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?…Maybe it just sags, like a heavy load.”

Desire is a fragile thing.  Our unmet desires can fill us with hopeful expectancy, or they can drive us to utter despair.

Culturally, Christmas is a season of desires, of wish lists, of anticipation.  But for many it’s a season of lost loves, empty chairs, and teary eyes.  I’ve had friends tell me how strange it is, after their divorce, to send out Christmas cards without the name of their spouse attached.

With enough time, the “heavy load” of our deferred dreams transform into bitterness—toward ourselves, toward one another, and toward God.

A WOMAN’S REPROACH

As we saw last week, the Christmas narrative isn’t simply played out as some God-sized drama.  It’s a deeply personal story, with characters of real flesh and blood, feelings and thoughts, and—like many of us—dreams that have gone unsatisfied.

Zechariah and Elizabeth, we learn, were a couple who had been very faithful.  Yet their faithfulness only threw their childlessness into sharper contrast:

5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. (Luke 1:5-7)

The ancient Jewish community saw children as a blessing from God.  Recall that God had promised Abraham that through him, God’s people would experience the blessing of the Promised Land and countless descendants.  Thus, children became seen as a sign of God’s providential care.  The ancients would likewise speak of having “quivers full” of children (Psalm 127:3-5).  To be barren, to be childless—well this was indeed a sign of reproach.

Elizabeth, of course, could recall the stories where God had enabled women like Rebekah (Genesis 25:21) and Leah (Genesis 29:11) to conceive—and this is to say nothing of Sara conceiving in her old age (Genesis 21:2).  Still, these were the exceptions—not the rule.  What hope remained for her?

So as the years went on, we can imagine Elizabeth’s quiet pain, the subtle ache that came from seeing friends or family bear children.  She could share their joy, yes—but only as an observer, never from holding a child of her very own.

That this couple continued to serve faithfully is a testimony to their enduring trust in God, and their satisfaction in him even amidst their anxious grief.

THE REVERSAL OF REPROACH

One thing has always been true regardless of the century: a baby changes everything.  When Zechariah is promised that he and his wife would conceive, it turns their world upside down, and it turns Elizabeth’s reproach into joy:

24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.” (Luke 1:24-25)

We might imagine that Zechariah found a way to communicate to his wife what was happening, what the Lord was doing.  The text doesn’t clarify why Elizabeth spent five months in seclusion, though it’s reasonable to expect that this aging woman took some time in her first trimester or so to ensure the health of both her and the child.

It’s not clear that Elizabeth fully understood what was happening in the life of her cousin, Mary—at least  not until the Holy Spirit reveals this knowledge to her through supernatural means.  Mary makes a journey covering 80-100 miles (3-4 days, in that era) to visit Elizabeth.  Why?  We’re not told, but presumably she’s reacting to the Lord’s leading.  And it’s in that encounter that we find our first tangible expression of the child’s future purpose:

39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” (Luke 1:39-45)

Elizabeth would later give birth to John, who, later in life, would make a career out of pointing people to Jesus, “the strap of whose sandal [he] is not worthy to untie” (John 1:27).  So dedicated, it seems, that John began his ministry in utero.

THE OBJECT OF OUR EVERY DESIRE

Finally, the child came:

57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son.58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” 62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. 64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, 66 and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him. (Luke 1:57-65)

Many of us have desires that have long gone unmet.  There’s a reason that the return lines are so long on December 26.  People return their gifts to get what they really want.  Or they go on a shopping spree with all their gift cards.

Still others will not get what they want, or perhaps cannot have what they want.  And that’s heartbreaking.

But even this should never be seen as an interruption to our holiday; it should remind us why Christmas was necessary in the first place.  The desires of our hearts are only shadows and hints of a deeper desire, a desire that can be satisfied only in the Creator of the universe, the author of human destiny, and the Savior of the soul.  Our culture’s Christmas emphasis has long been that if you’re good, you get good gifts for Christmas.  But the gospel promises that because God is good, he gives you himself, and he is what satisfies the soul long after our sweaters go unraveled.  The cross promises forgiveness of sins, just as it invites us into a life of personal transformation.

What happens to a dream deferred?  It rests in the hands of Jesus.

 

The Song of Zechariah (Luke 1)

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The story of Zechariah continues here as he talks about his special son John, who will grow to become the forerunner of Jesus Christ – John the Baptist …

(Zechariah speaking) …

I am not going to live long enough to see it fulfilled myself. But I have been given a prophecy about this little boy.

So let me read to you what I wrote and have said. I tell you, of anything I have ever said or written, I was never so “INSPIRED” as with these words … they really are, I can assure you, words that came through me under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit …

68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them.

69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David 70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), 71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us—72 to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, 73 the oath he swore to our father Abraham: 74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear 75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, 77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven 79 to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

Yes, the Messiah is coming, and John will play a role in preparing the way for him to fulfill God’s greatest plan of the ages. People – don’t miss this truth, don’t fail to see and understand God’s salvation revealed for all people. This is what ALL of God’s work is ALL about!

Before I go, let me share with you some timeless lessons from my life experience …

God is able to use us in our weakness, even redeeming our failures.

I’m not pleased I did not believe immediately, having prayed for the very thing that was now happening. And it was annoying to not have a voice for many months. But God used all of that for great good, adding to the witness that He was doing a special work in the birth of John and in who he will become.

The important thing when making a mistake is to not double-down on it and try to fix it and twist it yourself. Acknowledge the failure and get right back on the road of trusting God and following His way.

God remembers his promises and fulfills his word, even if it seems often to be terribly delayed in arriving.

Remember my name? Yahweh remembers. That name was so popular in Israel over the years because it has been the nature of our nation’s history to believe that God does not remember … that He forgets … that it takes a long time for answers to problems and injustices. But God does not forget; He is always working His plan in His time. And His timing is always perfect – both in the big plan of things, right down to the details of each of our lives. And remember also that His plans are much bigger and eternal when compared to our small lives and brief time in this world.

God may choose to use our offspring to accomplish greater things than we ever imagined for ourselves.

I don’t know what it is like in this time and in this place, but too many people where I am from believe that they are the center of the world and that everything should circulate around them. The greatest achievement of our lives may be what we make possible through the family and generations that follow us. It is the place of greatest potential impact for all of us.

Pastor Randy told me in our brief time together that this is a major focus of this synagogue … and you should listen to him – he’s a really smart guy!

God is able to do the impossible, to bring life from that which is even dead.

There is simply no way possible that a child could be born to Elizabeth and me at our advanced age. But the God who created life in the first place was able to bring life to the death of her womb. This “life-giving” is God’s business.

We are all born dead – separated by sin from the perfect relationship such as God had originally intended in the creation of man. But there is a perfect plan of salvation that is to come through one person – God’s Anointed One – don’t miss that! Don’t overlook that. Don’t minimize the importance of the unfolding of that story.

My Name is Zechariah (Luke 1)

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Our First-Person Christmas series will feature five Sundays of first-person narrative sermons. The initial presentation was this past Sunday, featuring a personal look at the life of Zechariah. For those of you who missed being there, here today and tomorrow is much of that manuscript. And even if you were there, reading it will likely refresh your memory with new insights you may not have caught by ear.

My Name is Zechariah

Yes, my name is Zechariah, you may have read about me in the Bible.  OK … I know what you are thinking.  “Yes, Zecharia, like in Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, ZECHARIAH, Malachi!”

Wrong!

Actually, there are 31 different men in the Bible who have the name Zechariah … which means “Yahweh remembers.”  You need to remember that, because I’m going to tell you more about that later!

My home is in the hill country of Judah, were I live with my wife Elizabeth. I am a priest and serve the nation of Israel in that capacity. My background is not just from the tribe of Levi, but actually I am descended from the line of Aaron, dating back 1500 years to that brother of Moses. And I might add that my wife Elizabeth is from the same unique family lineage of the Aaronic priesthood.

And as you can see, I’m a rather old fellow, as is my wife; and therein lies the great sadness that has attended our lives over the decades. We had been childless, even to well past the time and age of bearing children.

This was a great sadness for both of us, but particularly for my wife Elizabeth. In our culture, childlessness can be seen as a sort of judgment from God … or at least a suspicion of that.  But we knew that was not true in our circumstance. We have lived our lives consistently in an upright fashion, trusting God and honoring his commands – being faithful to observe the law, doing so joyfully as servants of the one true God.

Even so, I have to say, it still was an inner hurt that never went away. Our home was terribly quiet. The sounds of children at play would always dredge up to our conscious awareness that there was a vacancy in our lives – a hole that was never filled, not even by all of the good and blessings we received.

You may not know or understand this, but there are literally thousands of priests in Israel (somewhere around 18,000 right now), all connected to the lineage of Aaron. I have a lot of distant cousins! God wasn’t kidding when he told Abraham that his offspring would be like the stars of the sky or the sands of the sea. I am from the family – the division – of Abijah. There are a total of 24 divisions of the priests – this set-up dating all of the way back 1,000 years to the time of David.

Though I have responsibilities on a regular basis, particularly during the festival times of the Jewish calendar, my division only serves in the Temple for a week at a time, once every 24 weeks. Those 7 days are a busy and intense time.

Not long ago, during my rotation week of serving, I was chosen by lot to go into the Temple and into the Holy Place to burn incense. It was a daily event that accompanied the daily sacrifice – before the morning sacrifice and after the evening offering. This was an amazing opportunity – a day that would/could only happen once in my lifetime. The incense represented the prayers of our people – the whole nation – before the Lord. The focus of the entire nation at that moment in time is upon that priest who goes before the Lord.

It was the regular experience in the Temple at this daily moment for a crowd of people to gather and see the priest go into and out of the Holy Place; and they pray during this time as well.  So, yes, I was a bit excited about this and could feel my heart pounding somewhat as I went inside and began to offer the prayers. Others had told me of what an intense spiritual moment this was for them.

But none had a story quite like what happened to me. Suddenly I was not alone!!  There appeared an angel on the right side of the altar. I was terribly frightened!  How many of you have had an angel show up when you least expected it?

And he began to talk to me, telling me that my prayer had been answered. My prayer??  I was praying – as all the faithful in Israel would pray – for God’s ultimate redemption in the coming of a long-awaited Messiah. Was this to be the prayer to be answered?  Well, more on that later …

But the angel’s words were, “Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.”

Ah … OK … I wasn’t really thinking about that right now. And … well … I wondered – Does this angel not see how old I am?  And if you think I look bad for having babies, you should see Elizabeth!

Before I could debrief with him a bit on this matter of age and discuss my natural skepticism, even seeking some sort of sign or evidence beyond his words, he continued his message.  He said some interesting things that are to come true of my son John. Let me list them for you …

He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.

There is no doubt that a child could bring great delight to us, and beyond that to those who know us.  But this seems to be speaking of something more than that. Somehow this revelation is that this boy of mine is going to be powerfully blessed in God’s work…

He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.

Of course we understand that a vow to abstain is related to a particular commitment to God’s work, which is clearly the future for John. And it is wonderful to hear that God will be with him by the filling of the Holy Spirit – that is for us in Israel only the rare benefit of those that God particularly sets apart…

He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.

There is no doubt that a great need exists in the nation for people to return to faith and trust in our God. These are discouraging times with the Roman occupation. So many of our national and spiritual leaders are in an unholy alliance with them, while others – the “Zealots” we call them – look for a political or military solution. But the heart of the matter is a spiritual issue – a declension from a true trust in God and obedience to Him.

And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Wow, speaking of the hopes of a Messiah – this part of the message was truly messianic – bringing up the name of Elijah.  It was not the prophet of my name (Zechariah) who spoke about Elijah coming again, but the next and last prophet – Malachi … writing, “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents…”

Some people believe Elijah himself is to come again, though I have always understood it to be someone in the same God-given power and authority to lead the nation to revival … and this angelic message to me was that my son John was to do this service.  And why?  It would be to prepare the nation for this promised Messiah to come with true and full salvation.

Up until this point, I had not said anything, as this was a lot to take in … I mean, I just couldn’t stop thinking about how old I am … and then … (not the best moment of my life or career, I admit), out of my mouth comes, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”

You would think that being a priest and a descendent of Aaron – being one who has always been deeply aware of the details of the Jewish scriptures – that I would be quickly open to the idea that God can intervene miraculously and bring life to that which is dead and hopeless. No less than our Father Abraham had the same experience and he believed the prophecy – being credited to him as righteousness for believing God’s promise … though his wife Sarah was worse than me – she outright laughed at it.

But they weren’t the only ones. Samson and Samuel were born to women of advanced age. But so many years had passed with no children. So much pain … and for my wife Elizabeth – the shame of being barren. We had given up hope long before the angel Gabriel showed up.

Yep, Gabriel – that’s who this angel was – the same one who spoke to Daniel on two occasions. I didn’t have a chance to say something like, “Sorry I didn’t recognize you; I’ve never seen an angel before!”  He went on to say …

I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.  And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

Well shut my mouth!  Literally!  That’s what happened. Try as I might, I couldn’t talk, though I remembered every word perfectly as stated to me.  And yes, I deserved it for not believing immediately. And though I could not talk, I knew altogether that this was real and going to happen exactly as stated.

All of this took a lot more time than was the routine for a priest doing the incense.  The folks standing and praying outside were wondering what the delay was all about. I’m sure I was a sight when coming back out to them; and when I could not talk to them, they knew that I had seen a vision and had an unusual experience. Through motions I attempted to share what had happened, though few understood much about it.

My week of service time had passed and I went home, communicating mostly in writing to my wife about all that had occurred. Elizabeth and I were much secluded in the coming months, though her relative Mary – the mother now of a baby named Jesus – came and spent three months with us. In time, our son John was born.

Elizabeth has also been invited by Randy and Chris to speak to you… just don’t tell her about how I talked about how old she is!

According to Jewish law and tradition, we took John to be circumcised on the 8th day. Now remember, I haven’t been able to talk all this time. In the Temple, they thought that we would surely name the boy Zechariah, after me.  But Elizabeth spoke up for us and said that, no, he would be named John (as the angel had told me).

Not believing we would do this – there were no “Johns” in our family – everyone looked at me to see my reaction. And asking to be able to write my response, I wrote that indeed his name was to be John. This surprised everyone; but even more surprising was that at that very moment, my voice returned.

All of these events have caused quite a stir, I must say … especially back home in the hill country of Judah. Though John is still just a little fellow, it is clear that there is indeed something special about God’s hand on him – everyone can see it and they all comment about it.

(the rest of the story will come tomorrow)