Expecting the Coming of the Lord

Here we are, just a day or so before we celebrate the birth of Christ, God with us.  It is a day for which we wait in expectation.  Of course we know the rest of the story.  It is hard to imagine what that would have been like to believe beforehand, that this pregnancy was the one that would bring about the foretold Messiah.  God sent an angel to both Mary and Joseph separately in order to tell them, which definitely built their faith and courage to obey.

Yet we learn in Luke chapter 1, months before the birth of Jesus, both Elizabeth and Zechariah would surely be waiting in expectation as well, because of their experiences with Mary and their own son.  For when Elizabeth met Mary, she was filled with the Holy Spirit proclaiming blessing and in doing so calling the child in Mary's womb her Lord. (v. 43)  Then when John was born, Zechariah, being filled with the Holy Spirit he prophesied. The song began with praises for fulfilled prophesies, for salvation, for mercy and for God that has come (v. 68) to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all of our days. (v. 75)  Zechariah was prophesying the Christ.

Zechariah continued, prophesying over his newborn son's life.  John would be called "a prophet of the Most High."  He would prepare the way for the Lord.    My favorite part comes at the end of his song.

"because of the tender mercy of our God, 

by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, 

to guide our feet into the path of peace." (v78-9)

I love this because it shows even then, before Christ was born in Bethlehem, how He had come for everyone, from God's own people (v. 71) to the lost of the world (v 78).  It was God's mercy that gave foreknowledge to them in regards to the coming of the Lord to empower them for the purpose He had set before them.  It is God's mercy that brought Christ to us so that we may fulfill the purpose He has set before us now.  Let us celebrate with great expectation!

Happy Christmas!

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