Zechariah asked . . . “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”
— Luke 1:18
Zechariah and Elizabeth had grown old waiting for a child. But then one day, when Zechariah had an opportunity to burn incense in a holy, inner room of the temple, an angel of God appeared and said that their prayers had been heard. They would soon have a child!But it seemed too good to be true. Zechariah didn’t believe the message at first, so the angel told him he would not be able to speak anymore until the child was born.When we wait for a long time for something to happen, it’s easy to let our doubts and fears overshadow God’s promises. Sometimes we feel more secure in clinging to our sinful habits and our broken dreams. “You expect me to talk about what God is doing in my life? With people who know me all too well? No thanks,” we easily say, “not me.”In some ways the story of Christmas seems too good to be true. Can sinful human beings really have a relationship with the holy God? Can people searching for purpose in life really discover the call of God on their hearts?Yes! God promises that we too can be part of the story he is writing—about humanity being redeemed and restored to live in favor with the One who made heaven and earth.Thankfully, not even our doubts can cancel God’s plans. And, in Jesus, God comes into our world offering new life for us all! Can you believe it?
Lord, show us that your patience means salvation (2 Peter 3:9), and help us to believe your promises even when it seems to take a long time for them to be fulfilled. Amen.
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Broken Dreams
They were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.
— Luke 1:7
The Christmas story begins with broken dreams. Elizabeth and Zechariah had prayed fervently to have a child (see Luke 1:13), but God had not answered in the way they had hoped or expected. And being childless was not only personally disappointing; it also carried a social stigma in their culture. Now that they had grown old, Zechariah and Elizabeth had likely given up on their dream of ever having a child.Many of us come to Christmas with disappointments too. Our family life has turned out differently than we had hoped. We hold a job that provides little more than drudgery from day to day. We look around at our culture and lament the loss of important values and safety that we thought we could take for granted. We are confused and wonder if our prayers are even heard.But trying to do everything right, as Zechariah and Elizabeth did, does not mean our dreams will be fulfilled. The longing we sense here reflects a deeper longing for a relationship with God that was lost because of human sin.What’s more, if we have waited a long time, that doesn’t mean God is not at work. God knew Zechariah and Elizabeth’s situation. He knows the human condition. God knows each of our situations and our disappointments as well. At Christmas we can see how God works to restore his people—and that includes me and you!
Father, you know our hopes and dreams. Help us to trust that you are at work even in our long seasons of disappointment and waiting. Amen.
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What We’ve Been Taught
I . . . decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
— Luke 1:3-4
The Christmas story is familiar to many people throughout the world, wherever the message of Christ has spread. In various parts of our world today, though, the Christmas season has become a time when focusing on Jesus competes with shopping, holiday parties, and a frenzied rush.In the book of Luke, the story of Jesus begins with a reminder that can help us even today in our world of competing ideals. Luke writes to a reader called Theophilus (“friend of God”) so that this person may know deep-down that the story of Jesus is certain and true.God wants the Christmas story to inspire a kind of certainty in us. This is not intended to promote pride or superiority, as if to suggest that we know God better than anyone else. Instead, this is to instill wonder at the reality of the birth of Christ and what it means for the whole world (see John 3:16).Do you feel overwhelmed by the busyness of the Christmas season? Do the holidays remind you of stresses and hurts from the past that have not healed? In this season, turn again to the story of what God has “fulfilled among us”—the promise to provide a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. See how Jesus changes the lives of all who come into contact with him, and let his birth renew in you the certainty of God’s love for us all.
Spirit of God, thank you for sharing the story of Jesus with us. May the wonder of this story sink into our hearts, giving us certainty and hope in you. Amen.
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Just the Right Time
When the set time had fully come, God sent his Son. . . .
— Galatians 4:4
Christmas can seem like a magical time for children. In our family we have several traditions that our children look forward to at this time of year. Especially when they were younger, it seemed to them like an awfully long time to wait for Christmas after putting up decorations in early December—particularly when presents under the tree caught their attention!For many long years, God’s people waited in hope for a Savior to come. God had given the people his law, filled with rules and guidelines about how to live as his people. But the law was not enough to bring the people closer to the Lord, and they longed for a deeper relationship. God also promised that he would raise up a leader from his people who would “do what is just and right” (see Jeremiah 23:5-6). And they learned that God would fill their hearts and minds with his will so that they could live more closely with him (see Jeremiah 31:33).It must have seemed like forever to wait for God to keep those promises. But the Bible tells us that this happened at just the right time. God sent his own Son, Jesus, into the world to fulfill the law so that all who would believe could be saved from sin and freed by his Spirit to live with him, sharing his love and grace with others.This Christmas, look for ways in which God’s Spirit is changing you because of Jesus’ birth.
Holy God, sometimes it seems hard to wait for you. But your timing is always right, and your promises are always rich! Help us wait faithfully for you, and make us your people in Christ. Amen.
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The Way Home Again
“For their sake I will remember the covenant with their ancestors. . . . I am the Lord.”
— Leviticus 26:45
In Jesus’ parable of the lost son (Luke 15:11-24) we read of a young man who leaves home to seek adventures in wild living. Soon, however, his money runs out, and his life begins to unravel.Leviticus pointed God’s people to the joy of his presence in their lives. Yet in spite of all God had done to make it possible for them to live with him, God knew they would soon go looking for joy elsewhere. They would find his laws too burdensome, and they would spiral again into sin. The first part of our reading today warned the people that disobedience would lead to punishment and the withholding of God’s blessings. God’s aim in all this was not to inflict pain but to break down pride and stubbornness.Thankfully, God does not give up on his wayward children. God remembers his covenant promises, and he restores all who repent and ask for forgiveness. Perhaps you too have wandered away, and you have faced the consequences of sin in your own life. Perhaps your relationship with God is a long-past memory, and your present life is a mess.The young man in Jesus’ parable returns home, sorry for his wrongdoing, and he is surprised to be welcomed back with joy and grace by his loving father. Through faith in Jesus, we are guaranteed an even greater welcome home to our Father’s love!
Lord and God, thank you that, because of Jesus, we may come home to our true home with you! We thank and praise you for your kind mercy to us in Christ. Amen.
México