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Day 15- Your Prayer Has Been Heard 

Faith and faithfulness are two different things. Faith is what or who you believe in. Faithfulness is what action you take as a result of your faith and/or—your ethics. 

Zacharias and Elizabeth not only had faith in God, they also were faithful in their principles and in their practices of faith. 

They were faithful to God in supporting His work and His temple. But they were also faithful to God by honoring Him in their actions and deeds and by living them out in their everyday lives.

They prayed and God heard their prayer (Luke 1:13). However, the request was not answered immediately and the petition was not fulfilled on their timetable. 

Nevertheless, when the angel of the Lord now appears to Zacharias he is told that their prayer was now being answered. 

Notice that the angel didn’t say your prayers, He said your prayer—singular. I believe that the angel was telling him that the prayer they had prayed for a child was heard, and it was now being answered.

Zacharias and Elizabeth were now older and advanced in age, but I wonder when they had first prayed the prayer for a child? I wonder if it had been so long that they had forgotten?

I’m curious how they had dealt with the frustration, disappointment and humiliation of their prayer not being answered and them being childless. 

I mean after all in their culture, having a child was considered favor from God and not having a child was considered the disapproval of God. 

Nevertheless, in the midst of their public humiliation and private disappointment—they remained faithful and steadfast! 

And now Zacharias and Elizabeth were going to have a son and his name would be called John. And John would be the forerunner of Christ and eventually baptize Jesus in the Jordan.

Take Away: 

1. God hears our prayer even when we don’t see the answer immediately.
2. God will honor your faithfulness.
3. God is faithful and His plan is perfect.

Day 14- The Lord Has Shown Favor

There are so many divine providences in the scriptures that surround the birth of Jesus and God’s grace and favor is seen in them all. For example, verse nine of Luke chapter one, tells us that Zacharias was chosen by lot to burn incense in the Temple. And, it was on this very day that the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, telling him that Elizabeth would indeed bring forth a child and that Zacharias would call his name John.

The name John means- “The Lord (Yahweh) Has Shown Favor (Grace). God had surely shown Zacharias and Elizabeth favor and even though it was delayed—it was divine. You see I don’t believe that there are coincidences or happenstance with God. I believe that things happen in order and at the given time. 

For instance, if Elizabeth and Zacharias would have gotten pregnant earlier when they were believing for it to happen, they would have had a baby, but it probably wouldn’t have been John the Baptist. That’s because John would have had to have be born to Elizabeth during the time that her cousin Mary was pregnant with Jesus. Now I know that I am reading into this a bit, but could it be that was why she was barren so long? Could it have been that God was waiting until this particular miraculous moment to awaken her womb.

After all, this is a story of Gods redemptive grace—God becoming flesh to save us. And at this moment in the story, Elizabeth was barren and past the child bearing age. However, God would now allow her to become pregnant with John at the very same time that her cousin Mary would be pregnant with Jesus. And it would be John who would eventually be the forerunner of Christ and he would also be the one to baptize Him.

Nevertheless, after all these years of being childless—Zacharias and Elizabeth still remained steadfast and they served God consistently and faithfully. Even though at times I’m sure they felt humiliation and frustration, they still remained solid in their faith and now they were about to see the faithfulness of God and His promises fulfilled.

Take Away:

1. Zacharias and Elizabeth never wavered in their faith or faithfulness.
2. Elizabeth was going to bear a son in her old age and Zacharias was going to give him the name John.
3. Zacharias and Elizabeth’s prayer had been heard. (Luke 1:13)

Day 13- John’s Birth Announced

Matthew starts out his gospel with a long genealogy of Jesus lineage. He then begins into the story of Jesus birth. Luke, however, starts his book off with a discourse on how he actually wrote his stories of the life of Jesus. He then begins next by progressing into stories that aren’t entirely about Christ birth. Nonetheless, they definitely intertwine and correlate with the birth of Jesus.

For example, Luke begins with the birth of John the Baptist and his parents, Zacharias and Elizabeth. This is totally in line with what’s to follow, because it would be John who leaps in the womb of Elizabeth when Mary shows up with the Promised Child in her belly, telling what had taken place.

Luke picks up this story by letting us know that Herod is king of Judea. And, this is about where we left off in Matthew Chapter two. Anyway, he begins by telling us that Zacharias and Elizabeth are righteous people, but Elizabeth was barren. This is important because the Jews considered children to be a sign of Gods favor and childlessness was considered a sign of His displeasure. 

Therefore, Luke was letting us know up front that Zacharias and Elizabeth were righteous people and that God viewed them as such. He says in verse six of chapter one, “They were both righteous before God, walking in all of the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 

Luke continues in verse seven by saying, “But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.” Nevertheless , they were righteous and they consistently and continually did all that the Lord had required of them. Again, God viewed them as righteous and blameless. In other words, the barrenness wasn’t because of disobedience, nor was it about them being unrighteousness or unworthy.

Take Away: Maybe you feel a little bit like Zacharias and Elizabeth. Maybe you feel like you’ve done everything right, yet you still haven’t seen what you’ve been believing for. I want you to know today that God sees you, He knows you, and He is for you, not against you. 

Maybe you feel like your time is up, or that your time has passed. Perhaps you just simply feel like you are just too old. Nonetheless, I want you to know today that God has a way of making all things new and as you will see in the lives of Zacharias and Elizabeth—God was faithful! He was faithful to them, and in His time and in His way, He will be faithful to you as well. 

Day 12- He Shall Be Called a Nazarene 

On day twelve of the 25 Days of Christmas (from the Bible) we will close out the book of Matthew chapter two. It is important to recognize that the accounts in Matthew chapter 2: The Birth in Bethlehem |vv. 5-6| (Micah 5:2 and 2 Samuel 5:2), The Flight into Egypt |vv. 13-15| (Exodus 1:15-2:10), The Massacre of the Innocents |vv. 16-18| (Jeremiah 31:15), and The Settlement in Nazareth |vv.19-23| (Judges 13:5), all underscore a divinely designed prophetic fulfillment.

We pick up in verse sixteen where Herod is angry because he felt that he had been deceived by the Magi, so he ordered that all the male children who were in Bethlehem or its surrounding districts to be put to death. Then Matthew in verse seventeen declares it was a fulfillment of prophecy and quotes a verse from Jeremiah 31:15. What a tragic scene of events—the weeping mothers of Bethlehem.

Matthew then quickly moves on in verse nineteen to letting us know that Herod is indeed dead.  An angel of the Lord actually appears again to Joseph in Egypt, telling him to go to Israel because Herod and those who were seeking to harm to the young Child are now dead. 

Joseph however, heard that Herod’s son was now reigning in his place. This caused him great concern, so he turned toward the region of Galilee. Then being warned again in a dream, he continued on until they (Mary, Joseph and the young Child, Jesus) came and dwelt in the city of Nazareth. 

So now the stage is set; Matthew has brought Jesus to Nazareth and in a very real sense, Nazareth was the gateway to the world. This is where Jesus would grow in wisdom and in stature, with God and with man. He was now a young child that would grow into a man. 

In Nazareth Jesus would see all kinds of travelers from all kinds of nations on all kinds of journeys, coming, and going from the very ends of the earth. This is where Jesus would become the master craftsman of Nazareth and it is where He would be until He was baptized by John and begins His short three and a half year earthly ministry.

Take Away: The Journey of Jesus birth through the book of Matthew took us from His lineage, to him being born and becoming a young child, to now Him living in Nazareth. Every step was prophetically and strategically plotted out in a significant manner. Each event and its sequence led him to exactly where He was to be at that very moment. These passages prove to me that we can trust the timing of God. Next we will look at the book of Luke and its stories that lead up to the birth of Jesus.

Day 11- Flight out of Egypt 

These thoughts are taken from Matthew 2:12-15:

An angel of the Lord appears to both the Magi and to Joseph in a dream and divinely warns them to avoid king Herod and his schemes.

The wise men didn’t return to where Herod was, but departed another way back to their home country. Mary and Joseph and the new born baby Jesus would then flee to Egypt.

The angel commands Joseph to stay in Egypt until he brings him word that it is safe to depart. He goes on to tell him that Herod will seek to destroy the young Child, so they had departed to Egypt by night.

Matthew ends this intriguing passage with these words: “Out of Egypt I called My Son.” He is wanting to make a connection for his readers by showing the symbolic link to Egypt in regard to God’s redemption and the release of His people from the bondage of Pharaoh.

This symbolic and prophetic connection would include the link of Pharaoh trying to kill Moses and king Herod attempting to kill Jesus. We also know this symbolically and ultimately points to the redemption for all mankind.

The flight from Egypt for God’s people included the people of God painting the lintel of their doors posts with the blood of the lamb from their sacrifice. When the blood was applied the death angel would pass over that house and the family would escape the curse of death.

The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus. The symbolism of Jesus coming out of Egypt and ending up in Nazareth is a story of redemption for mankind.

Take Away: Jesus was born to redeem us and it would be His blood that would ultimately lead to us being freed from sin and having the gift of eternal life. Sin is a bondage that leads to death. The gift of God is eternal life because of Christ. The children of Israel left the bondage of Egypt and obtained the promise land because of the blood of the lamb. Jesus fled Egypt and went to Nazareth. He eventually redeemed us to Himself through His blood— the Blood of the Lamb, and gave us the gift of salvation, so that one day we could enter the promised land of heaven.

Day 10- Herod the King Heard This and Was Troubled

I can understand why Herod the king was troubled, but was EVERYONE in Jerusalem troubled too? I can’t answer for everyone, but I also can’t help but think that some were excited and expecting the arrival of a Messiah. Matthew is probably referring to the Jewish council, leadership and those in authority.

Nevertheless, king Herod, or as he was also known—“Herod the Great”, was definitely troubled. King Herod wasn’t all bad—as of matter of fact, he did some noble deeds at times. However, it was  his worst character traits that gave him such a bad name and distasteful reputation. His bad traits were, he was suspicious and insecure, and these were terrible traits for a leader.

These traits were what made him kill anyone or anything that was a threat. And Jesus, in his mind would be no exception to that rule. Jesus was already being hailed as King of the Jews and this was definitely a threat to Herod and his reign. However, we know that Jesus came to serve, not to rule or to be served.

In verse five of Matthew chapter two, the Magi told king Herod that Jesus was born in Bethlehem because it was written in scripture by the prophet Micah (Micah 5:2). This scripture again links Jesus with David. And, the knowledge of this scripture and the prophecy shows the Magi’s knowledge in regard to both. As a side note, verse six of Matthew two is that actual verse from the book of Micah.

Herod now secretly tries to trick the wise men from the east in to telling him the exact location of Jesus, the young child. This passage just states that they heard him (Herod), but the wise men continued to follow the star and it eventually led them to where Jesus was. Matthew says that the star stood over where the young child was and when they (the Magi) saw the star they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.

This passage continues by saying that when they came into the house they saw the young Child with Mary His mother and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened up their gifts that they had brought to Him, which were: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 

Take Away: You can’t help but notice that Matthew consistently uses the word worship when describing the attitude and posture of people that were encountering Jesus. And lastly, the three gifts were symbolic: 1. (Gold) for a King, 2. (Frankincense) symbolic of Priestly Access, and 3. (Myrrh) used to prepare bodies for burial. Jesus is the King of Kings in whom we access to God the Father because He died for our sins and rose again on the third day.

Day 9- Now After This Jesus Was Born In Bethlehem 

Matthew chapter two and verse one lets us know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king. And, by telling us where Jesus was born, Matthew continues pointing us to the lineage of David. This was especially important for the Jews during this time period. Therefore, Matthew unapologetically points out the fact that Jesus was indeed the Messiah from a Davidic lineage, and these stories highlighting Bethlehem as His birthplace, help solidify that Jesus was a rightful descendant of King David.

This passage in Matthew chapter two, continues by telling us that wise men from the East came to Jerusalem asking, “Where is He who has been born, King of the Jews?” Did you pick up on that? “King of the Jews.” The Magi new the Biblical history and they new the lineage of Jesus. They were from the East and they were astrologers. Astrology was a sophisticated science during this era of time and they had studied this for years through scripture and prophecy that had continually been passed down to every generation in this priestly caste. 

However, it is important to recognize that these men were men of scripture that were reading a “prophetic sky,” and that they were seeing a scriptural message in the stars that could be traced back to Daniel, who many theologians would have believed was also a part of the Magi during his own time. Nevertheless, these men that were seeking the new born Messiah were not pagan astrologers reading some hidden occult wisdom by means of pagan astrology. These were men who had studied scriptures,  prophecies, and the sky, and they were coming to worship the Savior of the world— Jesus.

The wise men mentioned here in Matthew’s gospel were a continuation of what would have been the ancient priestly caste called the Magi, which included “wise men” from almost every known religion of that day. However, these men were followers of the most high God—the God of Daniel. And the star that they saw in the sky was only interpretable in an accurate way by their knowledge of the Scripture that for them, and for us, would have come from the Old Testament major and minor books of the prophets.  

Take Away: These Magi would further demonstrate their great knowledge of Scripture, the Messiah and His mission to come, by the gifts that they brought to Jesus. Matthew ends verse two of chapter two by saying what the Magi said after they had asked the question about where the child was—they said that they saw the star and they had come to worship Him. 

Many commentaries believe that the study of prophecy and their study of the sky would have spanned over 400 years and their journey that led them to Jesus that day would have been somewhere between five hundred and seven hundred miles. They studied the scripture, they remembered the prophecies and they came to worship Jesus, the Messiah— King of the Jews from the lineage of David. 

Day 8- The Dream Was Over and Reality Was At Hand

Matthew 1:24 says, “Then Joseph being aroused from sleep did as the Angel of the Lord commanded.” He took Mary to be his wife. He believed the Lord and he did as he was told. 

Mary and Joseph were obedient in what the Lord was requesting of them. Mary said, “Nevertheless, Lord, at Thy Word.” And Joseph woke up from his dream and did as the Lord said to do.

Verse twenty-four is pretty much cut and dry, but verse twenty-five is a little more PG-13. Nonetheless, it is a powerful verse that is usually not talked about much, probably because of the sanctity of this passage and it being about the story of our Lord and Savior’s birth.

We can probably read into verse twenty-four and assume that Mary and Joseph are now husband and wife. But verse twenty-five starts out with five little words: “and he did not know her.” 

The word “know” means getting acquainted with someone in a general sense, but it also means knowing someone in an intimate way. It is actually a Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse. The most intimate of relationships.

Notice that it says that Joseph  didn’t “know” her until after she had brought forth her first born Son. Mary and Joseph were now husband and wife and they lawfully could have had sexual relations. Nevertheless, I believe that Matthew includes this in his writing to make a statement about Joseph’s character.

Joseph didn’t have to wait, but he did. This verse says that he didn’t know her “until” she brought forth her first born son. This would be her first born Son, which meant that she would have other sons and other children. 

Therefore, Mary and Joseph would later have sexual relations and produce more children, but for now, Joseph waited until what God had planned—came to pass. Then when the Baby was born, he named Him, Jesus. 

Take Away: Joseph honored God, he honored Mary, and he honored Jesus. You honor God by who you honor, and by what you honor.