Wayne Weekly “Wonderful…and Full of Wonder”
Written by Teddy on December 16, 2016
If you’re like many others, you like to make your personal devotionals center around the Christmas story this time of year. This morning I read from Luke chapter one. Its pack full with incredible happenings!
The first miraculous event is the appearance of angel Gabriel to Zacharias, John the Baptists father. We quickly find Zacharias, a priest, fulfilling the once in a lifetime privilege of offering of burning incense when he went into the temple. As Zacharias was attending to his duty and while the people outside were praying, the angelic being named Gabriel appeared to him. Zachariah was in fear, but Gabriel spoke words to put him at rest and gave him great news. His prayer was answered. He and wife Elisabeth were to have a son in their old age. Not just any son, but a special son, the forerunner to preach repentance and announce the coming Messiah. This meeting left Zacharias speechless for almost a year! Check out why!
Next we see another call that Gabriel was summoned by God to make, the announcement to Mary regarding her blessed selection of being the mother of the Savior. Mary’s response is awesome, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it unto me according to thy word.”
We then read of Mary’s visit to Aunt Elisabeth…and the leaping for joy of the baby John in his mother’s womb at the sound of Mary’s greeting, followed by Elisabeth being filled with the Holy Spirit. And then the visit the birth of John and his naming, which gave Zacharias his voice back.
Oh, and let’s not forget the beautiful praises by Mary and Zacharias, words of adoration and prophecy.
Wow! What a powerful single chapter…and all surrounding the Christmas story.
We hear songs about Christmas being the most wonderful time of the year. Let’s reverse the wording a bit. Christmas is “full of wonder”, and that’s wonderful!
“…and His name shall be called Wonderful…” Isaiah 9:6
