Luke 1:5-25
Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

Luke recounts the foretelling of John the Baptist’s birth (vv5-25) alongside the foretelling of Jesus’ birth (vv26-38), inviting us to compare the two events. The similarities emphasize the consistent ways in which God operates. The differences make us sit up and take notice.

Pastor Dave taught that God doesn’t sit on His throne and hurl down lightning bolts to accomplish His plan of redemption. Rather, He uses His people – Zechariah and Elizabeth, in the case of John the Baptist, and Mary, in the case of Jesus. That means I cannot sit back and wait for the light show to begin. Rather, I must be open and ready for Him to use me, and you must too. How can a person be open and ready? It’s not by staying alert for angelic messengers! Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous and blameless before God – not perfect, but serious about obeying God’s commandments and repenting when they failed. The same must have been true of Mary, given her song of praise, the Magnificat (vv46-55). Lord, I am an ordinary person, like these people of Yours in Luke 1. Help me faithfully follow Your ways and honor you in all the ordinary things I do so that, if you give me an extraordinary assignment, I am ready. I pray this also for all my brothers and sisters at Calvary.

God often uses the hardships in His people’s lives to accomplish His purposes. He uses what feels like a curse to bless. Elizabeth was a barren woman in a culture that viewed childlessness as divine punishment. Her miraculous pregnancy proclaimed that her son John would play a special role in God’s redemptive plan, preparing the people for the coming of Messiah. Mary’s extraordinary assignment came wrapped in a God-created hardship: unwed pregnancy. Yet it resulted in the incredible blessing of salvation for all who would believe in her son. These women’s stories remind me of a man born blind, healed by Jesus. When the disciples wondered why the man was born blind, Jesus said, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.” (John 9:3) Lord, change how I think about hard things in my life. Instead of feeling sorry for myself, keep reminding me that You can display Your works in and through my hardships. Do it, Lord!

God works through His people, using even their trials and hardships. But we are not robots or puppets. How we respond matters. When Zechariah and then Mary heard startling news from the angel Gabriel, both responded with, “How?” Same word, but different questions. Zechariah asked with disbelief, implying that not even God could cause a menopausal woman to conceive. Mary asked with amazement, honestly trying to wrap her mind around the news. Lord, when You, by Your Spirit, give me “marching orders,” I want to respond like Mary did: “Yes, Lord … I am Your servant.” I don’t want to respond with disbelief or reluctance. Help me!

In Christ,
Carol Gilbert

 * This is an abbreviated version of our weekly prayer blog. For the full version, including congregation prayer requests, subscribe  .