A Moment of Hope

by David Chadwick Zechariah concluded his prophecy in verse 79 by proclaiming that John the Baptist would "give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." John the Baptist would proclaim a message that would give light to the shadow of death, which is often people's greatest fear. But this light would also guide our feet to the way of peace. So we don't misstep, trip, or fall! As we discussed yesterday, God gives us the sunrise every morning, simply because of his grace. The sun gives us light for the day. In the same way, the SON of God shines light on the darkness of our sin. What a wonderful insight for Jesus's advent, his coming to us! Jesus aimed to give us light in the midst of our darkness. In fact, in John 8:12, Jesus called himself the light of the world. Why is this significant? Because when sin cursed the world, darkness overtook the light. We became a world without hope. A story without promise. A life with no future. But God! Jesus saved us from all darkness and all sin. Peter said that we were delivered out of the kingdom of darkness into Jesus's marvelous kingdom of light (1 Peter 2:9). If we follow Jesus and his light, we, too, are called to be lights in this dark world! Once Jesus invades our hearts and his light dwells in us, we are salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16). We bring light to the darkness of the world and salt to that which has no flavor. Sometimes that light will cause unbelievers to squint in pain as our light exposes their sin. But it's needed to reveal the purity of the Gospel! The light of Christ helps us see each step clearly that ultimately guides us home to our Father in heaven. Luke 1 concludes in verse 80 by saying, "And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel." Every day that John got older in body, he became older in the Lord. We see in Scripture that God's greatest saints often spent long hours in solitude and contemplation before their ministries became public. This was certainly true of Jesus! Think about him between the ages of 12 and 30. He spent that time in tremendous preparation for his public ministry. As for John the Baptist, God eventually called him into the wilderness until he was to go public. How long was that? We don't know. But by the time God finally made John public, he was preaching a message of repentance that drew thousands to baptism. He spent his life continually preparing the way of the Lord, Jesus, the Savior of the world!

by David Chadwick Zechariah's prophecy gives strong gospel implications to the importance and need for repentance. Luke 1:77-78 says that John, in preparing the way for the Lord, would "give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high…" Zechariah knew that John's life's mission would be to point to Jesus. John the Baptist would bring a message of repentance before people even heard Jesus's message. His words would prime the hearts of people to receive the Word (John 1:1). Jesus's message would then bring people the knowledge of salvation and offer the forgiveness of sins. Through him, all of mankind would be offered the perfect union that had once existed between God and his creation. Jesus would restore everything that had been broken. He would repair, reunite, redeem, and rebuild! My dear friends, our greatest need as humans is not more "stuff" that we don't actually need. Rather, it is to know that we are forever forgiven, that our eternity is secure through Jesus, and that our lives are meant to bear fruit for his Kingdom while living on this broken earth. If we truly understood these realities, we would never need to worry about anything again! God made this salvation message known first through John and then through Jesus. Because of the "tender mercy of our God," he does not want any of us to receive what we deserve. If karma is true, then all of us deserve an eternity in hell for our sins, disobedience, unrighteousness, and godlessness. None of us are blameless and without fault. Any sin, even the slightest one, scars us. God knew this! Instead of leaving us to wallow in our brokenness, God, rich in grace and mercy, came to us. He came to us from "on high," heaven, and visited us like the sunrise visits us every morning of every day. What do we do to cause the sun to rise each day? Absolutely nothing! It's only because God loves us SO much that he gives us this daily reminder of his mercy and grace. Lamentations 3:22-23 says, "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." What a great God we serve!

by David Chadwick The Godhead - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are present throughout the biblical narrative. Much like in Genesis 1, where the Trinity is present during creation, the same holds true with these characters at the cradle. The Bible tells us that many of these characters at the cradle were specifically marked with the Holy Spirit during their encounters with the Christ child. The Spirit "came upon" Mary (Luke 1:35). Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit as she first met Jesus in the womb of her cousin, Mary (Luke 1:41). And then in verse 67, Zechariah is filled with the Holy Spirit. Zechariah continued his Spirit-filled prophecy in verse 76 by specifically addressing his child, John, given to Zechariah and Elizabeth in their old age. He would be called "the prophet of the Most High." John's divine purpose would be to go before the Lord and prepare his ways. What a powerful calling! John's life would be marked as a human mouthpiece for the Most High God. Did you know that Malachi prophesied about John's arrival as the forerunner of Jesus in Malachi 4:5? Malachi was the last of the Old Testament prophets, prophesying right around 420 BC before the 400 years of silence. Take note of the wonder of this situation! The last Old Testament prophet prophesied the coming of the final prophet, who would prepare the way for Jesus's arrival. God chose, ordained, and sent John to prepare the way for his son, Jesus. Both John's and Jesus's miraculous births were a sovereign part of God's plan to redeem the world. Through their providential lives, the grace and mercy of Jesus were displayed, restoring the ability to have restoration between creation and the Creator. John would carry the same spirit of the great Old Testament prophet Elijah, who constantly preached repentance, which paved the way for Jesus to share God's message of rich forgiveness, grace, and mercy. But remember, without the message of repentance, God's grace and mercy are just sloppy sentimentality. True life change should always propel you into a new life of holiness and righteousness that can only be found in Jesus.

by David Chadwick We are looking at the characters at the cradle, the people who found their lives intersecting with the life of Jesus, with divine precision. Each person carried a unique role and responsibility and stewarded his or her place in history with great purpose. Zechariah was one of those characters. In spite of his initial unbelief, which left him deaf and mute for a season, he allowed his time in silence to shape him and refine him for what was to come with the birth of John. Once Zechariah's speech was restored, he was filled with the Spirit and began to prophesy. About what, you might ask? So many things! Let's take a look over the next few days. In verse 70, Zechariah spoke of Jesus being the fulfillment of all the prophecies in the Old Testament. There were 300 plus prophecies in total, all of which were perfectly fulfilled in Jesus. Jesus is the connection between the Old and New Testaments. He is the one who ushered in the new covenant of grace to his people. The birth of Jesus ushered in the long-awaited Messiah to save Israel from its enemies. His birth sounded the alarm that Rome's oppression would not last forever. Through his birth, all the enemies of Israel for all of time would now be judged by God for their anger and fury against God's chosen people. My dear friends, you may not like Israel, but they are still God's chosen people with whom he made an everlasting covenant for the salvation of the world. Every nation, for all of time, will have good and evil. We must live in this ongoing tension until Jesus's return. But this does not change the fact that Israel has always been and will always be an instrument of God's plans for the earth. Jesus extended mercy to Israel, not giving them what they deserved. Fulfilling the holy covenant that God made with Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3, Zechariah gave a reminder that through Jesus, God would make them a great people and a great land (Luke 1:72-73). Through Abraham, the nation of Israel would be formed. From his "seed," through his lineage, all the nations of the earth would be blessed. Delivered from their enemies time and time again, these people were set apart to serve the Lord in righteousness and holiness for all their days (Luke 1:74-75). Through them, the Israelites, the nations of the earth, would be drawn to God as they witnessed how blessed these holy people were by their holy God.

by David Chadwick This week, we cover Zechariah's prophecy found in Luke 1:67-79. This passage is powerful and full of revelation and insight. If you remember where we have been, Zechariah's words come on the heels of Elizabeth's prophetic exclamation in verse 42, Mary's song of praise in verses 46-56, and the birth of John in verses 57-66. Zechariah is coming off his nine months of silence. Because he expressed words of doubt and unbelief when the angel Gabriel had told him that he would finally have a son named John, Zechariah was rendered mute and deaf. By the time John arrived, everyone thought the name of the boy would be "Zechariah," after his father. You can imagine everyone's surprise when he wrote "John" on the tablet. At that very moment, his speech and hearing were restored. Immediately. Miraculously. These verses lay out Zechariah's words after nine long months of listening, observing, thinking, and praying. Not to mention all he had just seen through the miraculous birth of his son. Imagine what you would say after such a long time of silence! When his speech and hearing were restored, Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and said, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel." His silence was broken with praise to God. Pent up praise exploded from his mouth. Zechariah was a front-row witness to an answered prayer and to God's will being accomplished and knew the only proper response was to give him all the glory. Why praise? Because God was visiting his people after 400 years of silence! The Lord had redeemed his people. What started through the angel Gabriel's appearance to Zechariah in the temple continued through the birth of John, who would be a forerunner to the Messiah, and then finally to the birth of Jesus, placed in Mary's womb as the Savior of the world. In verse 69, Zechariah talks about how God has raised up "the horn," which is always a symbol of strength and power. Picture a horn on a rhinoceros, full of brute force. This is what salvation through Jesus would mean for God's people. As prophesied in the Old Testament, Jesus would come through the house of David and bring salvation to the world. How great is our God!

by David Chadwick "And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, 'What then will this child be?' For the hand of the Lord was with him." Luke 1:65-66. When Zechariah's voice returned, he started blessing God for all that had happened to him and Elizabeth. He was incredibly grateful for the birth of his child. The text goes on to tell us that all the neighbors were filled with fear. The "fear" talked about here is not dread or being afraid. On the contrary. It's the awesome respect that one has for another. It's a holy awe. This is what I felt toward my dad growing up. This large, godly man caused me to revere him in every way. Proverbs 1:6 says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Our society and nation have forgotten the fear of the Lord. The reverence of God has become non-existent. To some, he is often treated as a best pal or buddy. For others, he is treated as a genie in a bottle to whom people only go to get their needs met. When God does a mighty work like miraculously bringing John the Baptist into the world, people are forced to come face to face with his divine grace and mercy. And the fear that this produces is good! It should make us want to love, serve, and worship our Daddy in heaven even more! When people thought about John and his arrival, they began to wonder about his future. "What would this child be?" They knew the hand of the Lord was upon John, and they could already sense it was for something great. They were right! This special child went on to be the forerunner for the life and ministry of Jesus, as prophesied in Malachi 4:5. John the Baptist was the beginning of the inauguration of God's kingdom through Jesus. He would go on to baptize Jesus and point people to his earthly ministry. Find Jesus and you will find his kingdom. Find his kingdom and you will hunger to find your place in his story. You will hunger to see the kingdom of heaven come on earth as it is in heaven. His will is to give us glimpses of glory here on earth until the King named Jesus comes again! Awe and wonder filled the hearts of all who heard the news of John the Baptist's birth. I pray that awe and wonder will swell in each of your hearts this Christmas season!

by David Chadwick When Zechariah wrote down, "His name is John," for all to see and read, he obeyed in specificity all the angel of the Lord had commanded him to do. At that moment, something significant happened. Let's take a look. "And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God" (Luke 1:64). Immediately. What a powerful word! Not gradual, not slowly… immediately! Zechariah's act of obedience led to his immediate breakthrough. At that moment, he was able to speak again. And the words that poured forth blessed the one true God. This might be one of my favorite stories in the Bible. The salvation of the Lord is so evident in the life of Zechariah. Did you notice how the last words spoken by Zechariah before becoming mute were words of unbelief and doubt, but the first words that he spoke after his tongue was loosened were words of faith that blessed God? Over the nine months of silence, Zechariah learned his lesson! His fear turned to faith. Words of doubt into words of praise. Words of unbelief became words of worship. His hesitation became dedication. What a profound transformation Zechariah had. He learned the power of words, praise, and worship. Because of Zechariah's willingness to yield to the transformative work of God in his life, his words and his actions would never be the same. He would be forever marked by an experience with the awesome power of an awesome God. Zechariah had a deep appreciation for his prison of silence because it taught him to praise in ALL things. He understood like never before the power of his words. He learned to worship God no matter what the situation may be. From prison to praise. From silence to worship. This story shows the greatness of our God! This Christmas season, I would encourage you to practice praise. Learn to find words of worship. No matter what circumstance you find yourself in, choose to thank God.

by David Chadwick The ultimate name of the Christmas story is born into a cradle. His name is Jesus. But there are many characters at the cradle who play significant roles in highlighting the Savior of the world. One, in particular, is the forerunner to the message of Jesus. His name is John. Luke 1:61-63 continues the story of John's circumcision. Even though everyone thought this special baby would be named after his father, Gabriel instructed Zechariah to name him John. Because Zechariah was still mute, Elizabeth had just spoken up to tell everyone the name. No one who gathered for this special event understood. They said, "None of your relatives is called by this name" (Luke 1:61). Thinking Elizabeth was wrong, they turned to Zechariah and started to make signs to him, asking him if this was what he really wanted. Why is this so important? Because making signs implied that Zechariah was not only mute, but also could have been deaf! We don't know for sure, but he clearly needed a sign language of sorts to understand what they were saying. Zechariah asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." I would imagine this is probably how Zechariah mostly had communicated with Elizabeth and others during these long nine months. After hearing from Zechariah himself, the people all wondered, "Why? How?" This suggests that they didn't know what had happened in the temple with the angel Gabriel. It was apparently a secret between Zechariah and Elizabeth. What a beautiful nod to the sacredness of marriage. Sometimes there are secrets that only a husband and wife hold dear to their hearts. Can you imagine how Zechariah and Elizabeth communicated their hearts and expressed their faith to one another during those quiet nine months together? Maybe a longing look? A squeezed hand? A silent prayer together? They were one flesh, clinging to the goodness of God and claiming his promises together. A special love language was most assuredly forged between them! A language that most assuredly was imprinted on the heart of John even while growing in the womb You'll have to join me tomorrow to see what happens next.

by David Chadwick What's in a name? There is power in a name. Meaning in a name. Purpose in a name. In Scripture, names often point to someone's God-ordained purpose. Today, you will learn why John's name was significant. After John was born, Zechariah and Elizabeth took him to be circumcised on the eighth day, as was the Jewish custom. This was also the time when the father would pronounce the name of the child. Often in biblical times, the child would be named after the father. This actually still happens a lot in today's culture as well. So for John's circumcision, everyone gathered on that day anticipating that this baby's name would be Zechariah, after his daddy. Now remember, Zechariah is still without his voice. It's been nine months since Gabriel closed Zechariah's vocal cords, and not a word has been spoken in all these months. So it was Elizabeth who responded, "No; he shall be called John." Somehow, Zechariah had clearly communicated with Elizabeth all that Gabriel had told him, including the fact that they were to name their son John. In that moment, Elizabeth communicated with precise obedience from all that Zechariah had been commanded to do. The name John means "God is gracious." This name spoke prophetically to the fact that John would pave the way for the life of Jesus to grace this earth, a life that would forever change the course of history and the trajectory of the world. Do you get a sense as to why God chose Zechariah and Elizabeth to parent this special child named John? I believe it is because God knew that they had a heart of obedience to accomplish ALL that God would command them to do. A heart of obedience often precedes God's gifts of miracles. This still holds true for us today. Do you have a heart of obedience? Do you desire to obey God in whatever he asks of you? I would encourage all of us to posture ourselves to be the kinds of people to whom he will entrust his plans.

by David Chadwick This week, we are going to look at another character at the cradle. Join me as we explore the birth of John the Baptist, found in Luke 1:57-66. We will start today by looking at verses 57 and 58. Elizabeth's time to give birth has finally arrived! After her five months of hiddenness and Zechariah's nine months of silence, the divine time for John to enter the world had arrived! Think about all that must have happened to Elizabeth over those nine months. Somehow, Zechariah figured out a way to tell her about Gabriel's visit to him in the temple. The shock, the unbelief, the awe, the acceptance. You know there must have been a wide range of emotions. Then, as alluded to earlier, for five months, Elizabeth hid herself and spent time absorbing the magnitude of this news. After so many long years of praying and waiting, they would finally have a son. And oh, how great this son would be! Because Gabriel had shut Zechariah's mouth after displaying unbelief, Elizabeth was left with a lot of time to ponder quietly during her pregnancy. She probably spent a lot of time in prayer and meditation. Then, if you remember, Elizabeth also had that special designated time with her cousin, Mary. When Mary visited Elizabeth, John leaped in her womb in the presence of Jesus. Even in the womb, John knew he was in the presence of the Son of God. It's yet another pro-life verse people should study. A child in the womb can leap for joy! When John was born, Elizabeth's neighbors came and shared in her joy. They rejoiced in the Lord's mercy toward her, giving her a child in old age, and ultimately removing the reproach of barrenness for her and Zechariah. JOY! It's what they all experienced. One of the greatest producers of joy is answered prayer. In fact, the Bible says that "hope deferred makes the heart sick" (Proverbs 13:12). Think about the many answered prayers that you have seen take place in your life. As you do, let faith arise that God still may answer the deepest desires of your heart. Answered prayers always produce great joy. Have faith and continue to believe even before you have received the promise! This produces faith, which cannot be taken away. And this faith realized produces great joy!

by David Chadwick Let there be praise! While Mary's Magnificat ends with verse 55, Luke 1:56 tells us what Mary did after she completed this psalm of praise. I often find that the practical action steps that follow a spiritual encounter are equally as important, if not more, than the encounter itself. It is important to put action behind our experiences. Mary did just that. The Bible says that Mary remained with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned to her home. What do you think happened in those three months? I can think of 3 things that I think happened. First, I think Mary prayed and worshiped God, soaking in his unfailing love. I think she probably reflected on the words that she cried out to God in "The Magnificat." The magnitude of the story unfolding. The faithfulness of God through generations. Secondly, I think Mary processed with Elizabeth. If you remember, Elizabeth kept herself hidden for five months after finding out John was on the way. During that time, Elizabeth probably had times of worship and quiet reflection where she contemplated God's mercy and grace. I'm sure she sat and reflected on all Gabriel had said to her husband, Zechariah. I can remember my Marilynn, after long years of waiting for a child, finally learning that our first baby was on the way. She spent hours in prayer, praise, and contemplation. As her belly grew, she would often rub her tummy and thank God. Sing praises. Quote Bible verses. Mary and Elizabeth probably also shared similar stories as they sat together in reflection. Can you imagine the conversations, prayer, and praise? The joy of sharing these two miracle stories? Possibly even writing things down to preserve the memories for generations to come. Whatever happened, I'm sure it was full of wonder. Third, I think Mary prepared her heart to return home. You can't stay on a mountaintop experience forever. When God speaks, it requires action. She probably began to prepare a room in her heart before she ever had to prepare a room in that manger bed. Here's one final thought. Do you think Mary stayed long enough to help deliver John? Her cousin was a bit older. So maybe Mary remained to ensure her cousin and baby were safe. It really is fun to think about how this story unfolded in real life. May we all praise God for his goodness, mercy, miracles, and many gifts to us. May gratitude fill our hearts! God is truly good. He has done great things, and his favor is for all of us. Walk in humility, not pride. And taste and see that the Lord is good.

by David Chadwick Mary's Magnificat in Luke 1:46-56 depicts a profound display of praise and adoration from Mary toward God. In the Latin Vulgate translation, "magnificat" means "magnifies." These verses are designed to purely magnify the Lord God. In verses 54 and 55, Mary said, "He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever." These verses mark a shift in Mary from praise for what God had done for her personally to praise for what this child would do for Israel. Mary knew that this gift of a Savior would be the greatest display of salvation that Israel had ever seen. Jesus would fulfill the promise of a Messiah, as promised throughout the Old Testament. Through Jesus, the Israelites would remember God's mercy for them in spite of their rebellion. They deserved dispersion and God's punishment forever. But God, rich in mercy, not only brings the Israelites back to the land, but also shows them mercy, restoration, blessing, and hope. God spoke to Abraham with covenant promises and then to his offspring through Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses. Throughout history, God continued to speak. And now, through Jesus, God would speak again! Jesus, the Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, and God in human flesh, would invade a dark world to reclaim all that was lost because of sin. Jesus was the ultimate display that God was not finished with Israel yet and that he still had a plan for salvation for Israel. God's love for Israel is clearly seen here. It was revealed through Jesus's life, death, resurrection, ascension, and Second Coming. But this love didn't stop with Israel. This message has always been for the masses! The love of Jesus is so radical that it was always designed to spill out onto the whole world. Salvation belongs to Jews and Gentiles, male and female, young and old, rich and poor. This salvation message has transcended generations and times. The love of God for Israel was the seedbed in which the miracle message of salvation was able to grow, multiply, and touch the ends of the earth. To you and me. All praise to our God for his lovingkindness!

by David Chadwick The greatness of God is one of the profound mysteries of the Christian faith. His glory, his majesty, his dominion, his power. Our God is mighty! But in his greatness and might, he chose to come down to earth, taking on the form of a servant, to live the perfect life none of us could live, die the death we deserved, and restore anyone who responds to his salvation by grace through faith back into relationship with the Father. In Luke 1:50-53, Mary expounded upon what the birth of Jesus would mean for those who are weak or feel insignificant, for those who are hungry and desperate. She emphasized the mercy of God that extends for all generations. The same mercy available to Mary is available to us. Isn't that wonderfully good news? God doesn't give us what we deserve. He gives mercy to everyone who fears him; to those who have a deep, awesome respect for him. This was Mary. Is this you? Do you ever contemplate how awesome and great God is? There was nothing significant about this 13-14-year-old virgin girl except her faith. And God chose to use her magnificently. He wants to do the same for you and me. The same God who pursued Mary for his will to be done on earth, pursues you and me as well. For a moment, pause and think about all the great things God has done for you. As you reflect on his goodness, you will begin to count all of the miraculous deeds accomplished for you. And you will be reminded of his strength. God's strength is big enough to overshadow any problem we face. Under God's humility and strength, the proud are scattered (verse 51). Just like with the Tower of Babel, God refuses to allow the proud to gather together for harm. He scatters enemies to thwart their malicious plans. Don't wrestle and fight against God's will. Rather, surrender to it. Yield to his mighty hand. In fact, James 4:8 says that those who humble themselves in the sight of the Lord will be lifted up to a place of honor. God fills the hungry and the humble with good things. But to the rich and haughty, they will be sent away empty-handed. God uses the seeming foolish things of this world to confound the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27). Being a fool for Jesus is always the better choice. When we are weak, only then are we actually strong because our strength is found in his strength (2 Corinthians 12:9)!

by David Chadwick Today we will focus on Luke 1:48-49, which says, "For he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name." God looked at Mary. He saw her. But think about this for a moment. Mary spent her life looking to Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Jacob, and Isaac. In turn, God looked to Mary to help him accomplish the greatest mission ever accomplished: the salvation of the world. The gospel of Jesus is a "to you, through you" gospel. God did not just save us for eternity. He has invited us into a partnership with him to reveal his nature and character and to release the message of salvation to a dying and hurting world. We see this evidenced in Mary's life. Mary's praise parallels Hannah's similar hymn of praise in 1 Samuel 2:10 when Hannah learned that she was finally with child after years and years of waiting. In both situations, it appears that God "looked" and pursued these women to give birth to special people: Hannah to Samuel and Mary to Jesus. God's pursuit of us should prompt lives of praise. His love for us should build hearts of worship. Mary knew this. She understood the unworthiness of her life apart from her Creator. She knew that she was just an ordinary human, and she lived from that humble place. God's greatest servants recognize that they are nothing great in the world's eyes. This should serve as a reminder to all of us that God looks for availability more than ability. Mary continued to be overwhelmed with praise as she realized future generations would look upon her life and call her blessed; that for all time people would know that she was the special vessel through whom God chose to reveal himself in human form. From there, Mary's praise extended beyond the impact that Jesus's life would have on the physical world. She began to express profound magnification of the greatness of God. She had an eternal perspective. Mary was overwhelmed by God's goodness and by his decision to choose her to bear, give birth to, and raise the Christ child. She could hardly believe this "great thing" God had done for her and for the world. She began to sing, "Holy is his name." She knew the name of God was set apart. It was different from any other name. The power of God, which would be displayed through the name of Jesus, would be totally perfect in every way. For Jesus alone deserves all worship, all praise, and all glory!

by David Chadwick The Christmas season is truly upon us! As a church, we are going through the book of Luke, studying the many characters at the cradle who surrounded the birth of Jesus. Luke 1:46-55 is one of the most beautiful passages in all of the Bible. Known as Mary's Magnificat, which means "magnifies" in the Latin Vulgate translation, these verses reveal Mary's song of praise to the Lord after being given the news that she was pregnant with the Savior of the world. We now see Mary as a songwriter. A psalmist. A hymn writer! In this chapter, Mary was visiting Elizabeth, her cousin, who was also pregnant. At the point of her visit, John the Baptist had been growing in Elizabeth's womb for six months. If you remember from last week, Mary was carrying the miraculously conceived Son of God in her womb by the power of the Holy Spirit. As Mary and Elizabeth greeted one another, John the Baptist leaped for joy in the womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. The worship of Jesus was displayed, and the recognition of his coming kingdom was detected, even from the womb! In verse 45, Elizabeth blessed Mary's great faith for believing Gabriel's prophecy. The Magnificat was Mary's response to all that was taking place, and it was an eruption of praise. Like David's psalms of thanksgiving, which always began by thanking God for what he had done, this song of praise does the same. Today, let's look specifically at verses 46 and 47. Mary started off by saying, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior." Praise was her weapon. Much like in Psalm 103:1, all that was within her was praising her God and his holy name. Her cry out to God as her Savior showed that she was fully aware before Jesus ever arrived of her great need for a Savior. Notice also that God is a personal Savior. He is loving, good, and kind. Surely Mary's beautiful relationship with God and her deep, abiding faith were important in God choosing her to carry and give birth to the second person of the Godhead. Mary truly was a beautiful human in so many ways. During this Christmas season, I pray that we will all develop a personal faith in God that is as special as the one Mary had! And that we all will sing the Christmas hymns with a renewed passion for the power of praise.

by David Chadwick This week, we have looked at Mary and Elizabeth, two characters at the cradle who loved one another deeply and who both played a significant role in ushering in the birth of Jesus to this world. These two women were full of faith and chose to play their part in God's redeeming story with the utmost humility. They are both to be admired and respected. Especially Mary, as the mother of Jesus, the Savior of the world. Today, I would like to wrap up our week by focusing on one more specific insight to Elizabeth and Mary's relationship. Imagine for a moment what it must have been like for Mary and Elizabeth to share their stories about the angelic visitation. Elizabeth waited for years, even decades, for the promise of a child to come true. She had been hoping for a child. But for Mary, she was a virgin, so her news was startling. It came out of nowhere. She had to fully hear and accept what had been said to her by Gabriel. Knowing the role that Gabriel played in Old Testament prophecies to foreshadow the coming of the Messiah, it could be that Mary and Elizabeth were both pondering the significance and greatness of Gabriel's appearance to each of them. I bet they chatted back and forth with questions like, "Why me? Why us? Why cousins? What does the future hold? And for the nation of Israel?" Neither one of them knew all the answers, but both women gladly accepted what God had chosen to do. They embodied lives of full surrender. And don't forget Zechariah. Surely, he was there as the two cousins chatted. While unable to speak up, I am sure he listened to Mary's story with his own sense of wonder. With a heart of worship. With utter fascination. Full of humility. Fascinated once again by grace and more aware than ever of the salvation that was about to come through this child soon to be born. With every passing word, Zechariah probably thought about the first words he would speak when his son and Mary's child were eventually born. It would now only be a few more months. May we, too, ponder with wonder of our awesome God! May we cherish the power of the gospel once again. Oh, how great is our God!

by David Chadwick Elizabeth's next words to Mary are amazing. Follow along with me as we look at Luke 1:45. Elizabeth said, "And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord." Did you catch what Elizabeth blessed in this verse? She blessed Mary's faith. Mary heard from the mighty angel Gabriel and she believed that every word that he had said to her was true. We all need examples of faith. It doesn't matter if we are old or young, we all need the gift of faith. We must fight to believe that all of God's promises are true. We must train our minds to believe that faith can cause mountains, the seemingly impossible situations of life, to move from here to there (Matthew 17:20). We must believe that what God has promised to us is received even when we can't see it (Hebrews 11:1). We can find many examples of people who modeled this kind of faith both in the Bible and throughout history. Historically, consider missionaries like Hudson Taylor who went to China with little resources to claim it for God's glory. Or Jim Elliott who endured tremendous hardship to reach the unreached in Ecuador, ultimately losing his life. How about David Livingston? He spent decades evangelizing in Africa. There are countless more examples. Or biblically speaking, take a look at Abraham. He waited 25 years for Isaac, the child God had promised him. Or what about Joshua? Even though the Promised Land was within reach, he had to wait 40 years before entering it. Or King David, who was faithful in the pasture before he was ever entrusted with the palace. How about Paul? He spent years in prison for the sake of the Gospel where he had to wait on the Lord. Yet in prison was where he wrote most of the New Testament. Then, there's Mary. Perhaps she should be at the top of the list! As a virgin, she believed the child in her womb truly was the fulfillment of biblical prophecy. That this Jesus whom she bore was the Savior of the world. And that all of God's promises really are true! This is the kind of faith we must seek to emulate!

by David Chadwick Mary and Elizabeth had a very special relationship. They were cousins. They were pregnant at the same time, Elizabeth with John and Mary with Jesus. Both of their pregnancies were supernatural in nature. Both of them were very blessed. Today, we see how extra significant Elizabeth's honor was for her cousin Mary. Let's take a look at Luke 1:42-44. Mary travelled from Nazareth to the hill country of Judea to visit her cousin Elizabeth. If you remember yesterday, when she entered Elizabeth's home, the baby John leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then Elizabeth proclaimed to Mary, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" Notice Elizabeth's posture as a great woman of God. She took a position of humility. She didn't start talking about her situation and what had happened to Zechariah in the temple. Nor how great it was for her personal prayers to have been answered. No, she immediately humbled herself before her cousin, Mary. This scene is almost a preview to John 3:30 when Elizabeth's child, John, would go on to say that he must decrease and Jesus must increase! John was raised by a good and godly mom who was humble before her God as well. Elizabeth knew her place in God's story and took the lower seat. She referred to Mary not as her cousin or her friend, but as "the mother of my Lord." Somehow, Elizabeth knew that this child in Mary's womb was her Lord! The Savior of the world. Could it be that God shared very special things with Elizabeth during her quiet months of pregnancy? It's certainly possible. Elizabeth knew that Mary held a special place in God's heart and that he chose her to carry his Son, our Savior, in her womb. He chose Mary to raise this child in the wisdom and admonition of the Lord. Before Jesus ever went to the cross or was raised from the dead, the power of the Gospel was so very real to both Mary and Elizabeth! We will continue the story tomorrow!

by David Chadwick Mary and Elizabeth. Two women called by God, both of whom were carrying children with tremendous purpose. Jesus, the perfect God-man, was conceived in Mary's womb by the power of the Holy Spirit. The angel Gabriel delivered the news to her. In addition to this news of her supernatural pregnancy, Mary was also informed of her cousin Elizabeth's miraculous conception in her later years. If we think family news spreads fast, imagine how quickly this news must have spread from family to family and from village to village. The fulfillment of biblical prophecy was happening before people's very eyes. I can only imagine the relief, the excitement, and the wonder that filled the hearts of all who heard. Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth in the hill country of Judea. We don't know exactly where Zechariah and Elizabeth lived, but one could suspect that it was relatively near Jerusalem because Zechariah had regular rounds of service in the temple. Elizabeth's pregnancy with John was 6 months ahead of Mary's pregnancy with Jesus. I am sure that both of them could not wait to share their stories with one another. Especially with the angel Gabriel being at the center of both narratives! Let's not forget the significance of Gabriel. He is the mighty angel who was always delivering news about the Messiah. He did so in the book of Daniel hundreds of years earlier and now was also the one to bring the news of Jesus's birth. Mary entered Elizabeth's home. As she greeted her cousin, the baby John the Baptist leaped in Elizabeth's womb, and at that moment, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. There are three significant takeaways that I want to give you when it comes to John's leaping inside the womb. First, this leaping could very well have been prophetic, as John's calling was to rise up as the forerunner of the Messiah, Jesus. Much like a leap displays energy and action, John's fiery message called the world to attention. Secondly, John's leaping was a sign of worship, as John seemingly acknowledged, even from the womb, that Jesus was God's chosen instrument to save the world, not himself. Finally, this leap is an undeniable pro-life statement. The term "baby" used in this passage is also the term for a "child" that Jesus later used when he said, "Let the little children (child) come unto me." Only a life can worship Jesus. And the Bible recognizes this baby as a child. To God, this is so very clearly a life both inside and outside the womb. Jesus came to give life and life abundantly, and this message held power even while he was in the womb!

by David Chadwick This week, we will continue to look for glimpses of glory throughout the life of Mary, but specifically in the context of her very special relationship with Elizabeth. Both called by God to very high, very important tasks. Let's briefly recap where we are in the story. Zechariah was visited by Gabriel and given the news that he was going to have a son named John. But because of his unbelief, he was made silent until the birth of his son. Can you imagine for a moment how Zechariah communicated the news to his wife without the ability to speak? Did he write down what the angel Gabriel had said to him? Or maybe he used hand signals like a game to get her to guess that she would have a child in her old age? It's fun to think about this! Now, try to imagine what Elizabeth must have felt as she processed Gabriel's visit to her husband. To know that she was called by God. After years of prayers and waiting, she would finally have a son! Per Gabriel's specific instructions, she was to name the baby John, a name that means "God is gracious." John sure lived up to his name! He was a demonstration of God's grace to both Zechariah and Elizabeth, and his life's mission was to pave the way for Jesus, the fullness of grace (John 1:16), to walk out his life on earth. Afterwards, Gabriel appeared to a young virgin girl named Mary, who we began to study last week. Also called by God, Mary loved God and was a true example of Godly womanhood. God chose Mary to bear the Son of God, Immanuel, which means "God with us." Her child would be named Jesus. He would be the Savior of the world, forgiving humanity of its sin and restoring people to the heart of the Father. The Holy Spirit's presence overshadowed Mary's humanity and paved the way for the incarnation of Jesus, God in human form. This week, as we look at Mary and Elizabeth's very special relationship, remember that their closeness was deeper than being biological cousins or even being close friends. They carried similar callings. They were both called by God to extremely hard tasks for his kingdom. I like to think that there is no greater closeness than the kind that is formed while living on a common mission for Jesus. There is no greater joy than to work alongside other believers to see the gospel message go forward. Mary and Elizabeth shared this kind of closeness and joy with one another! I would encourage you, too, to prioritize relationships with others who are called by God to live on mission for Jesus and his kingdom!

by David Chadwick I hope you are enjoying these characters at the cradle. These are stories of biblical figures who find their lives intersecting with the entrance of Jesus into the world. In each story, you will see so much wonder, purpose and significance. After Mary had the encounter with the angel Gabriel, her response spoke volumes. However, before we see how she responded, do you remember what Zechariah's response was when Gabriel told him that he would have a son after many years of waiting and praying? Zechariah spoke words of doubt and unbelief, and because of that, he was made mute throughout Elizabeth's pregnancy. As you consider the implications of unbelief in Zechariah's life, let us finish this week by pondering Mary's response to the angel Gabriel after all that she heard. Mary was different. Of course, she was initially stunned. But after realizing what Gabriel came to tell her, Mary showed nothing but faith. She said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38). There was not even a shred of unbelief in her response. Only words of faith. Mary was the kind of woman who all women (and men!) should admire. Though not sinless, she should be a model for how to relinquish control of our lives and submit to God's call. Instead of shrugging her shoulders with a casual, compromising "whatever" in unbelief, she held herself strong and said, "Whatever you will, my God." God wants all of us to have a heart that is postured toward this kind of surrender and trust. A disposition that is willing to do whatever God calls us to do, no matter the cost. After Mary's response, Gabriel departed from her. It is almost as if he knew his task was complete. The message was delivered. Her faith was evident. Job well done. Gabriel then returned to the Father in heaven for his next assignment…

by David Chadwick Mary. Cousin to Elizabeth. Betrothed to Joseph. Visited by the angel Gabriel. While she wore many hats, the most important one was this: Mary, mother of Jesus! After Gabriel visited Mary, she became aware of the divine conception that would take place in her womb. She also found out that her formerly barren cousin, Elizabeth, was now with child. The story of Mary is full of faith, hope, and wonder. Threaded throughout Mary's life is a strong and fervent belief that with God, nothing is impossible! In fact, these were Gabriel's last words to Mary (Luke 1:37). Take a moment to break down this verse with me today. It starts with these two words: "for nothing." As I often joke, I looked up nothing in the dictionary. Guess what it means? Nothing. Not a single thing. Then comes that word "impossible." Did you know there is not one single hurdle, roadblock, or setback that is impossible for the Lord? The next two words are also very important: with God. Communion with the Father. A life of abiding. Perfect union with the God of creation. The Savior of the world was ushered in on a foundation of faith and a life deeply connected to the Father. What a firm foundation! This theme of faith is found throughout the Bible. Do you remember Sarah? After 25 years of waiting for a promised son, she was told that one year later she would finally have a son (Genesis 18:14). Then in Jeremiah 32:17, we are told that nothing is beyond the power of our God who created the heavens and the earth. Consider Jesus's own words in Matthew 19:26: "But Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."' Meditate on Ephesians 3:20-21: "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." We should contemplate these truths today and forever. Whatever you are facing, consider Sarah, consider Jeremiah. Meditate on Scripture that strengthens your faith. Now consider again this beautiful story of Mary. And remember that with God, nothing is impossible. Just as Mary did, let us all contemplate these last words for our lives today as well. Nothing is impossible for God.

by David Chadwick Gabriel's initial appearance to Mary left her "greatly troubled" as she tried to figure out why he said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" The angel went on to tell Mary not to fear and explained that she had found favor with God. Mary settled into the news that she would bear a son and would call him Jesus. He would be the Son of God and the Savior of the world. Gabriel went on to say that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and the power of the Most High would overshadow her. With every word that she held in her heart, her fear turned to faith. After a powerful proclamation of the news of the coming King, Gabriel gave Mary an "Oh, by the way." What did he tell Mary, you might ask? He said, and I paraphrase, "Oh, by the way, your cousin Elizabeth, in her old age, is also with child." He told her that Elizabeth, too, was pregnant with a son and was just six months ahead of Mary. If you remember, Elizabeth was barren and she had been totally healed! Can you imagine Mary trying to process all this information? In those moments following Gabriel's message, Mary had to contemplate that she was a virgin who would be having a child who was the Son of the Most High God. She also had to wrap her head around the fact that her cousin Elizabeth was also going to have a miracle child as well. In Elizabeth's old age, she found herself miraculously pregnant. Without Gabriel telling her, Mary could not have known of her cousin's pregnancy because Elizabeth had been in solitude and quiet for five months. In those quiet early months of Elizabeth's pregnancy, without a soul ever knowing, promise was growing, hope was arising, and promise was flourishing. Every word of the story God was writing would point to the ultimate hero, Jesus, the Savior of the world. I wonder if Mary had enough time to even contemplate all that was happening in those moments. Do you think she had the wherewithal to recognize God's redemptive purpose for all of mankind? Did she feel the anticipation swelling inside of her? Was she overjoyed? Was she stunned? I'm sure there was a mixture of many emotions! Whether she fully knew it or not, Mary was watching the early stages of God's plan of salvation begin to unfold before her very eyes!

by David Chadwick There are many holy and purposeful connections that took place between the Creator of the universe and his creation leading up to Jesus's entrance into the world. Join me as we continue to look at some of the special characters at the cradle. I love the significance of both Gabriel and Joseph as characters at the cradle. But today, I want to place our focus more specifically on Mary, who played the very special role as mother of the Savior of the world. I left you with a cliffhanger yesterday, thinking about the profound question Mary asked after hearing from Gabriel of the coming Savior. Mary said to Gabriel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" The answer: it was only done by the power of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, who is also known as the silent sovereign. Mary's conception as a virgin is the reality that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. It is one of the most profound mysteries of the Christian faith. Some false theologians have tried to downplay the importance of the Virgin Birth. They have implied that it is not an essential doctrine of the Christian faith. Hear me loud and clear, my dear friends, and I don't use this phrase lightly, but this is a false teaching. Anyone teaching this could not be more wrong, and their teaching is heretical. You should never ascribe to it as a follower of Jesus. It's a biblical teaching. The early church's credal statements affirmed it. So should we if we are faithful followers of Jesus. The Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary's humanity to conceive a holy child in her womb. Jesus, the Son of God, would be different. He would live as a perfect human and the Savior of the world. Perfect God and perfect human at the same time. A mystery, for sure, but it's what the Bible clearly teaches. Jesus's perfect holiness came from a divine conception. He had to be perfectly human in order to die for our sins, but perfectly God in order to forgive us for our sins. The Incarnation, God coming to earth as a man, paved the way for the greatest story ever told! As we wrap up the miracle of divine conception, do you notice the Trinity here? The Father, the Most High God, ordained the entrance of Jesus, his Son, who was then created by the Holy Spirit in the womb of a virgin. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all present in the divine conception!

by David Chadwick This week, we will continue to look at some more characters whose lives had profound intersections with the cradle of Jesus. Over the past two weeks, we studied Zechariah and Elizabeth. This week, we study Mary, the mother of Jesus. But in order to understand Mary, we have to understand Gabriel and Joseph as well. After Gabriel visited Zechariah with the amazing news that his wife would give birth to a baby named John (the Baptist), God gave him a second assignment. He told him to go visit a young virgin girl named Mary in the town of Nazareth in Galilee. She was betrothed to a man named Joseph who was from the house of David. In those days, the betrothal time was a set apart year-long period during which a couple could get to know one another before marriage. In order to fully understand the significance of Mary and Joseph, you must know these two important biblical truths. First, Mary was a virgin. She had to be a virgin in order to fulfill the Isaiah 7:14 prophecy. The Christ child had to be conceived by the Holy Spirit to a virgin woman in order to bypass the way that Adam's sin was transmitted through humanity ever since the Fall in Genesis 3. Secondly, Joseph had to be in the household of David in order to fulfill the prophecy that the Messiah would come from David's lineage (Jeremiah 23:5). Joseph, too, is an important part of the story. Gabriel appears to him in Matthew's gospel to assure him that Mary is impregnated by the Holy Spirit. He obeyed and must have been a great father. Gabriel, the same angel that appeared to Zechariah, also appeared to Mary saying, "Greetings, O favored one." He announced the coming Messiah, telling Mary she would have a son named Jesus, which means Savior, for he will save the world of its sins. Jesus would be the Son of the Most High God. He would reign over Israel and God's Kingdom. Mary was a Godly woman, likely a young teenager, who was specifically chosen by God to carry out a very important mission. She was not perfect, as Catholics assume, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). But I do think she should be honored more than many Protestants tend to honor her. Much like Zechariah, Mary was troubled, startled, and overwhelmed. Mary wondered, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" This question is profound, and I will help answer it tomorrow. Stay tuned.

by David Chadwick After the encounter with the angel Gabriel and being rendered mute by the Lord, what did Zechariah do next? Luke 1:23 says this of Zechariah: "And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home." To Elizabeth and to his safe place of love and care. I can only imagine how he felt as he pondered all he had just seen and heard, probably praying in his spirit to the Lord about John. And have you ever thought about how he told Elizabeth about his experience with the angel Gabriel? Hand gestures? A game of charade? Writing it out? Surely he found a way to tell her. What a special moment that must have been! A few days later, Zechariah's wife Elizabeth conceived. The Bible says that "for five months she kept herself hidden' (Luke 1:23)." Can you imagine what she felt? The joy. The anticipation. The excitement. But given the fact that she went silent for five months, she probably also felt the extreme holiness of this moment. Can you believe Elizabeth kept this pregnancy a secret for five months! When someone becomes pregnant after a long wait, they often rush to tell everyone and anyone who will listen! The excitement overwhelms them, making it hard to keep a secret. But Elizabeth, a good and Godly woman, went silent. Why? Most likely to pray and to ponder God's goodness. To reflect on the other childless women in the Old Testament like Sarah and Hannah who waited many long years for a child and finally saw God answer their cries as well. I can only imagine the tenderness she felt as she watched her belly swell day by day, week by week, probably rubbing her belly with great joy! Then, after five months, when Elizabeth began to show her child, she began to say all around her, "Thus the Lord has done this for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among the people" (Luke 1:25). During that time, barrenness was considered a curse. Upon seeing a barren woman, people would ask, "What is her sin that has brought this curse upon her?" Now, in a single moment, with an angel's word of promise, all of the shame and chatter was taken away. Done. Forever removed. Elizabeth's mountain was moved and her breakthrough occurred. If God can do it for Elizabeth, he can do it for you! Keep praying. Keep believing. And make your request known to God. And know that it's in his hands to do it 1) his way and 2) in his time.

by David Chadwick In Luke 1:18-22, the angel identified himself as Gabriel. Gabriel also appears in the book of Daniel in chapters 8 and 9. In the Bible, whenever Gabriel came on the scene, he was addressing prophecy about the Messiah. The same holds true in this story with Zechariah. Gabriel came to Zechariah from the presence of God and told him that he was sent by God to share this wonderful, good news of a coming child. After all this information from Gabriel had been given to Zechariah, Zechariah asked the question, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years." God calls all people to a life of faith. He is constantly urging his people to not be afraid, to be bold, to be strong and courageous, to not be terrified. Zechariah's question was shrouded with doubt and unbelief. Because of his disobedience and doubt, God made Zechariah mute, unable to speak a word. But how could this be? Gabriel had just released a word and said what WILL take place "in their time," in accordance to God's perfect plan and timing. So why would God silence Zechariah? I think it's because God wanted to highlight the power of words. Over the unborn life of someone whose mouthpiece would pave the way for the soon and coming King, I think God placed a hedge of protective and holy quietness over this child's life, where the only words John the Baptist would hear would come from his perfect heavenly Father or his believing mom. No doubt. Not questions. No lack of faith. Only words of life and blessing were to be spoken over this child during those nine months. This story also speaks powerfully to the fact that babies can hear in the womb. Parents should always be very careful about their words when the mother is pregnant. Avoid arguing and avoid words of unbelief! Pray over the baby in utero and play songs of praise with the baby in utero. As Zechariah left his temple service, he could not say a word. Completely mute and speechless. The people who saw his face as he walked out concluded he had seen a vision, which he had! I can only imagine inwardly how much Zechariah was praising God with great joy for what he had seen and heard, and, yes, even for the silencing of his words after his expressed unbelief. I believe Zechariah somehow knew that God had a reason and would work it all together for good (Romans 8:28).

by David Chadwick John was the long awaited son to Zechariah and Elizabeth. His birth paved the way for Jesus's birth. His voice prepared the way of the Lord. His life pointed to the soon and coming King. Luke 1:16-17 says this of John: "And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people." The personal calling of John's life in God's story grabs my heart every time. Turning many hearts to God. Going before the Messiah. Carrying the same spirit and power of Elijah, perhaps the greatest of all Old Testament prophets. God entrusted so much to John's hands. Pause for a moment and consider the magnitude of John's call and what Zechariah must have felt as he anticipated the coming of his long-awaited son. Now pause and consider the swell of anticipation that Israel would have with the coming of their long-awaited Messiah. Zechariah's story is full of wonder! Both personally and for God's people. A deeply personal and a deeply corporate groan were being answered all at once! John would fulfill Malachi 4:5, the prophecy that told of one preceding the Messiah who would turn hearts of fathers back to children and the disobedient back to the wisdom of the Lord. John would call the world to repentance and to ready their hearts for Jesus's entrance. As you may know, this John is John the Baptist. 6 months older than Jesus, he preached a message of repentance in the wilderness. Many followed him. But he kept pointing all of his followers to Jesus saying, "I must decrease and he (Jesus) must increase" (John 3:30). May we all have John's courage in spirit and an unwavering desire to point people to Jesus and never to ourselves. For Jesus alone is worthy to be praised!

by David Chadwick The story of Zechariah continues in Luke 1:8-15, which we will look at today. While serving as priest, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple during a high holy feast. Take note that even the drawing of straws is under the sovereign hand of Almighty God according to Proverbs 16:33. We serve a mighty God who has a timing and purpose for everything! Undoubtedly, while serving in the temple, Zechariah prayed for Israel, as all priests regularly did. However, I would suppose he also prayed fervently for a child, and probably more specifically a son, as sons were considered a special gift from God in those days as they served as a continuation of the family name. While Zechariah was serving in the temple, an angel, who later in the story self-identifies as Gabriel, appeared to him. 400 years of silence from God is now broken. He said to Zechariah, "Your prayers have been heard." Could there be a more perfect and wonderful message to receive from an angelic visitation than this? God heard Zechariah's prayers, which were probably offered many times throughout the years, both for Israel and for a child. After Gabriel's encounter with Zechariah, Zechariah was filled with fear, which is a common emotion when anyone in the Bible experienced a divine revelation. Can you even imagine a perfect angel appearing to you as a sinful human? I can only imagine the fear of the Lord that would come upon me if that happened to me. The angel went on to tell Zechariah that he would have a son and he was to be named John, which means "God is gracious." And God certainly is gracious. He gave this man a son in his old age by grace, through faith. He told Zechariah that he and his wife would be filled with joy because of this baby. John would be great before the Lord, not given to strong drink or wine, and with a heart totally devoted to the Lord, filled with the Spirit from the womb. As a side note, what a miraculous demonstration of that fact that life begins at conception and that God can encounter and give promises to children in the womb! No matter what you're going through, especially if you want a child, keep praying in faith! God hears your prayers! Nothing brings greater joy than answered prayers.

by David Chadwick This week, we begin our series called "Characters at the Cradle." Join me as we explore the major characters whose lives intersected with Jesus's life as he entered into this world through a cradle in a manger. Zechariah is our first character. We will spend an entire week looking at his life and exploring why he is so important to the incarnation of Jesus. Luke was very careful to tell his readers exactly what was going on when Zechariah entered the story. Luke 1:5-7 begins by giving us several important insights into Zechariah's life. He came on the scene during the reign of King Herod. At this point in biblical history, there had been 400 years of silence since a prophetic word from the Lord had come through Malachi. Can you imagine how much anticipation there was for God's people to hear from the Lord? After four centuries, God finally spoke! There were 24 divisions of priests who were regularly called upon for temple duties at the high holy times of the calendar and this was one of those times. A priest named Zechariah was called to his duty. Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth, who you will learn about in a couple of weeks, were both childless. But the Bible makes it very clear that their barrenness was not because of sin. They were both described as righteous and blameless before the Lord in verse 6. Not sinless by any means, for only Jesus is sinless, but Zechariah and Elizabeth were devoted to obeying God's Law, the Torah. Zechariah and Elizabeth were also advanced in years and fervently desired a child, probably praying regularly to the Lord for this gift. My wife, Marilynn, and I can relate to this fervent desire for a child. We were married for 8 years before God gave us our first child. A long, awaited journey to have children drives you to prayer like nothing else ever could. Much like Marilynn's and my story, Zechariah and Elizabeth's desire for a child seemed hopeless…until God intervened. I believe that the children born from barrenness often are God's greatest servants because of the number of prayers offered to God on their behalf. Keep following this story with me tomorrow…for nothing is impossible with God!

by David Chadwick Luke wanted Theophilus, and any future readers, to know the certainty of things taught (Luke 1:4). How were truths passed on during these biblical times? First, through oral tradition. Never underestimate the ability of people to remember what has been taught to them verbally. For some in Luke's day, this was the only way to transmit truths to future generations. Therefore, people repeated truths through families, in public arenas, and within gatherings in order to both learn and pass on information. Without oral tradition, truths and generational realities were lost. Secondly, through written tradition. As societies became more advanced, written transmission of information became more doable. There were scrolls, parchments, ink, pens, and other means of writing available to authors. Luke took advantage of means and made sure that the gospel truths were not just passed down orally, but through written word. He wanted writings to be available to other people to grow in personal discipleship and to pass down these truths to future generations. The Gospel of Luke did this. Luke carefully, painstakingly, and proudly wrote down everything he saw and heard. He provided great certainty through eyewitnesses and gave intricate details that only a doctor would seek to find. I would surmise that Luke recorded with divinely inspired certainty, yes, for Theophilus, but also for his good friend Paul, and with future generations, including you and me, in mind! Aren't you grateful for Luke? I sure am! I am so glad that God called this amazing man and physician to give us this beautiful Gospel that we will study together over the coming months. This book of the Bible makes me love my Lord and my Savior, Jesus, with greater fervor. I pray it does the same for you! Now that we understand the author named Luke, join me next week as we take a look at our first character at the cradle, Zechariah.

by David Chadwick Luke wrote the Gospel of Luke as a letter to the "most excellent Theophilus" (verse 4). Who is Theophilus? This friend to Luke is another important piece in understanding who authored this book. Luke was a Greek, undoubtedly impassioned to reach those like himself. This should inspire each of us. We, most likely, have been given keys by God to reach others like us as well. Maybe you are a businessman. You have skills and knowledge to reach other businessmen. Maybe you are a mom. Chances are you have unique insights to reach other moms. And so on and so forth. Theophilus most certainly lived up to his description, "most excellent." In ancient times, this term was most often used for people of great importance. He was probably a person of great cultural influence and someone of high-ranking social standing. Yes, most of Jesus's followers in the early church were people of no means. Converted slaves. Common people. Fishermen. But that doesn't mean that Jesus does not love people of influence. He does! He loves all people! Joanna, wife of someone in King Herod's inner circle, chose to follow Jesus. Barnabas had great wealth and decided to follow Jesus. Jesus will use anyone, rich or poor, young or old, Jew or Gentile, to make up his team and build his kingdom! Sometimes, it's actually important for high-standing people to be converted so that they can influence those around them toward the gospel of Jesus. Luke, as an outstanding doctor, probably had the ability to speak to people with means and bring them to Jesus. Could it be that Luke was responsible for Theophilus's conversion to Jesus? Perhaps! Finally, it is important to note that some scholars don't think Theophilus was an actual person, but that he represented a general people. The name Theophilus means "lover of God" ("Theo" is God and "philus" is a form of "philea," which is a Greek term for love). Ultimately, none of us will know the full truth until heaven one day, but whether Luke was writing to an individual or to a group of people who were lovers of God, the truths of his writings are timeless and apply to all of us.

by David Chadwick The Gospel of Luke gives an account of the life of Jesus that is significant. Written by a physician with a tremendous attention to detail, Luke's perspective was heavily focused on the important reality that God took on human flesh to accomplish his mission. What else do we know about Luke? Let's keep unpacking Luke 1:1-4. Dr. Luke counted on the testimonies of actual eyewitnesses. He emphasized in verse 2 that his compilations included information delivered to him from "those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word." It seems as though these eyewitnesses must have been the 12 apostles, minus Judas and then Matthias, and Paul. Luke must have spent countless hours talking with them, verifying their stories, and ensuring their accuracy. Since there are multiple accounts of the same stories between Matthew, Mark, and Luke, one can assume they talked and compared notes. Luke had an especially close relationship with Paul. Surely, while traveling together on missionary journeys, as is outlined in Acts 16:22 and beyond, Luke must have taken copious notes from Paul about what he knew, what he had seen, and all he heard from those around him. In case you didn't know, Luke also wrote the book of Acts. Luke and Acts go together. In fact, it appears Luke wrote both as one volume. This will become evident as you read Luke 24 and then Acts 1. Between the 12 apostles, Paul, and the others, Luke received a plethora of information about Jesus in order to pen this Gospel for his primary audience, the Greek people. Trust the Gospel of Luke. It was Dr. Luke's account of Jesus's life, death, resurrection, and ascension after having spent countless hours with important eyewitnesses who saw these events. Luke desired to pass on everything he knew of the life of Jesus both to the people of that day and to us as well. His careful study of all eyewitness accounts gives credence to the gospel. Luke recounts words of people who saw and experienced Jesus. We are grateful to Luke for the number of hours he spent making the stories come alive for us.

by David Chadwick As we continue to learn more about Luke in order to further appreciate this New Testament author, let's turn our eyes back to Luke 1:1-4. What else does Scripture teach us about him? Luke was a physician. In fact, Paul called him "the beloved physician" in Colossians 4:14. Apparently, Dr. Luke joined Paul in his missionary journeys in Acts 16:10-11, and they obviously became close friends. He may have even cared for Paul physically when he was imprisoned and/or in peril. We all know that Jesus, the Great Physician, is the ultimate supernatural healer. But it is clear through the life of Luke that God also uses gifted and competent doctors to provide exceptional care. Why is knowing that Luke was a physician so important to fully comprehending his writings? Because doctors, by nature and practice, are aware of details. They see things that others may not see. They pay attention to intricacies that others may overlook. Having an understanding of the brilliance of medical professionals should remind us that Luke wrote this book with painstaking detail. Luke described this Gospel as being "a narrative of all things" and an orderly account (Luke 1:1, Luke 1:3). Then in verses 3-4, Luke wrote that his desire was "to write an orderly account" for his friend, Theophilus, so that Theophilus could have "certainty concerning the things [he had] been taught." From the beginning of Jesus's birth narrative in chapters 1-2 to Jesus's resurrection in chapter 24, Luke tried to make sure that everything he wrote was true, specific, and detailed. His writings were carefully documented, checked, and rechecked to ensure accuracy. God used all kinds of people from all different professions in order for his purposes to be accomplished on this earth. In the case of Luke, God chose a brilliant physician to document a crucial account of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Let's keep leaning into Dr. Luke's wisdom as his writings teach us more about Jesus!

by David Chadwick This week, throughout the Christmas season, and even into the new year, our church is going to be doing an in-depth study of the Gospel of Luke. After doing a brief overview of Luke himself, we will be looking more specifically at the characters at the cradle. Somewhere along the way, from the conception of Jesus until his birth, you will see how each of these characters had a divine intersection with the incarnation of Jesus– the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This week, we will focus on Luke 1:1-4. Let's take a look at Dr. Luke. Who was he? To whom was he writing? What clues do these four verses give us into Luke's perspective, life, and writings? Who was the man who authored this book of the Bible? Without this piece, you will have a hard time understanding the lens with which he wrote this book. He was a physician, evangelist, apologist, and historical writer. He was so multi-gifted, you can readily see why God chose him to write this account. The name Luke means "light of the world." This book is the only one of the four Gospels that was written by a Gentile and Greek, which suggests that it was primarily also written for the Gentiles and Greeks. Luke's style presented some of the finest Greek writing in early Greek antiquity. He was obviously very intelligent and masterfully skilled in his writing craft. Luke wanted his readers to see the fully human side of Jesus, whereas John had a stronger emphasis on Jesus being fully divine. Both of these disciples' descriptions of Jesus are incredibly important in establishing a full and complete understanding of the Savior of the world! If you look at the Greek statues that were sculpted during biblical times, you will quickly see how much the Greeks loved the human body. Luke's writings, specifically in stories like The Good Samaritan, placed a strong emphasis on Jesus's desire to care for the hurting and the sick. He also emphasized the importance of women in a culture that often degraded them. Every day this week, we are going to look at some specific insights into the book of Luke, a beautiful Gospel that points to Jesus, the light of the world! Written by a man who deeply loved and respected Jesus. Join me as we learn together!

by Marilynn Chadwick Are you growing in your faith merely to become a "deeper" disciple? I call this a "so what" faith. I believe Jesus is calling us to more. God's Word urges us to grow in our faith "so that" we'll give our lives away to the least and lost. I hope our lessons from the Gospel of Luke will encourage us to reflect on the question, "Is my life a so what or a so that?" How can we make a difference in our world? Remember how Jesus always noticed the least and the lost. So often the poor are invisible to us. We may have to ask the Holy Spirit to help us regain our sight to see those who need Jesus—they are all around us. Or God may call us to speak out for someone who can't speak out for themselves. Throughout the Old and New Testaments, God's people have been called to side with the poor, speak out for them, and use our time, talents, and treasure to help. Jesus affirmed the poor widow's sacrificial gift. He said, "Truly I tell you; this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on" (Luke 21:1-4). Do you see what happened here? In the race to be righteous, against all the rich leaders who wanted to appear holy, this poor widow won the prize. She won God's favor. In a desire to learn more about the widow's sacrificial gift, I called my friend Angela. Her insights proved eye opening because she had experienced both great poverty and God's great provision. She read much more into the story because of those life experiences. Angela confided, "Years ago, I gave all I had to live on. I put my last $6 into the church offering." In a very short time, provision came from an unlikely source. The Lord gave me many times what I had given." She smiled, "You can't outgive God." For Angela, like the poor widow in Luke's account, giving was an act of faith—tied to worship. This is a woman who knew Jesus as her provider, her Jehovah Jireh. She had seen God come through before and she trusted him with her life. So what does that mean for you and for me? Are we to sell all we have and follow Jesus? Some believers do. I know a pastor's family who sold everything and moved as missionaries to Thailand. The widow in Luke's story gave just two mites, the least coin. And she was the least in her community. But Jesus said she gave all. Remember, small things matter to God. Give your time, your treasure, your love. As someone wisely said, "You can't do everything, but you can do something."

by Marilynn Chadwick Luke stresses the importance of the widow's sacrificial gift. Jesus tells us the Father loves this kind of faith. We bring him glory when we trust him as our loving Provider. Such a message is vastly different from what the religious leaders were teaching. Jesus rebukes them, "What sorrow also awaits you experts in religious law! For you crush people with unbearable religious demands, and you never lift a finger to ease the burden" (Luke 11:46 NLT). Can you imagine? These teachers of the law even got mad when Jesus healed someone on the Sabbath. Luke encourages us to see God through the eyes of society's least, especially the little ones. I find myself wondering, "Why is it so hard to have simple faith like a child?" Perhaps it's because most people long to be important. Even the disciples hungered for greatness. They once came to Jesus and asked, "Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" (Matthew 18:1). Jesus shocked them with his answer: He called a little child to him and placed the child among them. And he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:2-3). We can spend our lives searching for "greatness," only to end up self-sufficient, far from God, and just plain tired. Life wasn't meant to be this complicated. What can we learn about keeping it simple from children? We can learn to be humble: "So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew 18:4). Spend time with children. Be teachable and learn from them. We can learn to love our neighbor. Don't look down on children or the childlike. If you're a parent or grandparent, guard little eyes. Don't push them to grow up too fast. A lost childhood is hard to regain. Cultivate a childlike faith. Remember the pathway to heaven is only by grace through faith—faith like a child. The Bible promises we will experience God's favor when we minister to those who are childlike—the least and the lost. "When you have done it to the least of these, you have done it unto me" (Matthew 25: 40). Luke's story of the widow's mite (Luke 21:1-4) is about an open door that all can enter. God is the God of Small Things. If a poor widow's small gift is accepted by Jesus, then anyone can be welcomed and loved by Jesus: Little children, babies, tax collectors, Samaritans. Even people like us.

by Marilynn Chadwick Throughout Luke's Gospel, Jesus was always teaching. Sometimes he got his message across by preaching to a crowd, such as the Sermon on the Mount. Other times, he made a strong statement through his actions...like turning over the money-changers tables for their misuse of the temple (Luke 19). I think he got his point across, don't you? Still other times, Luke points to how Jesus performed signs, wonders, and miracles to convey his message and especially to show the love and power of God. Like raising a widow's dead son (Luke 7), calming a storm; driving out a demon (Luke 8); Or feeding the 5000 (Luke 9). Miracles got a lot of attention and Luke records more healing miracles than any other Gospel. And he includes 24 angel stories, more than any book of the New Testament, second only to Revelation, earning Luke the nickname, "The Gospel of the Angels." But Luke also shows how Jesus would often find teachable moments while doing ordinary life with his disciples. He might say something like, "don't do this but do this." "Don't be so busy and worried, Martha, but do spend time in my presence like Mary" (Luke 10). Or "Don't neglect the wounded neighbor in front of you like the religious leaders did; but do stop and care for him like the Good Samaritan [an outcast]." Jesus sounds a lot like any good coach, doesn't he? We've seen how one of Jesus's most significant teachings about money took place in the Temple. He called out a group of corrupt religious leaders and lawyers. What was it about these religious leaders? Why did Jesus warn his followers about them? "Look out!" he exhorted. "Don't listen to their teaching. Don't follow their example. And especially, don't love what they love." And just what did they love? Luke points out how "They were lovers of money" (Luke 16:14). They loved status: "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets Luke 20:46). They especially loved looking good—appearances mattered. They wanted to be seen in the right places wearing the right clothes at the right time. Always with an audience. Maybe the Holy Spirit is speaking through Luke's Gospel, warning us to guard our hearts against the love of money, the love of status, and the love of looking good. Social media tempts us to compare. Appearances are deceitful. But Jesus sees our heart. As my husband David is fond of saying, "The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart."

by Marilynn Chadwick I shared yesterday how my friend Angela challenged me with her sacrificial giving and great faith. She firmly believes the poor widow in Luke's story had seen God come through for her before (Luke 21:1-4). She had faith he would care for her again. But it was Angela's final comment that brought a new dimension to the power of the widow's gift. Angela said quietly, "For this woman, her gift is her worship. This story of the poor widow is all about worship." No one else in Luke's accounts of Jesus's teachings did what the poor widow did—which was to give away "all she had to live on." The poor widow's offering, though meager, was remarkable when weighed against what she had. If her gift was truly her worship—as my friend Angela believes—then her offering to God stands as a silent but powerful rebuttal to the worship of power, prestige, and money, both then and now. Luke's account of the widow's mite challenges us even today. We've seen how Luke speaks repeatedly of the "divine reversal" and points us to another kingdom—an eternal kingdom. He reminds us to beware of the false teaching and corrupt examples of the religious leaders and their oppressive treatment of the poor. Jesus calls us as believers to refuse to follow their worship of money, status, and appearances. We're also called to "look up," as Jesus did (Luke 21:1). We are to look up and see the poor—who are often invisible to us—with new eyes. Luke won't let us forget to speak up and to give generously. God's people have an ongoing responsibility to advocate on behalf of the poor. But let's reflect further on the poor widow's example. What can we learn from her? Those who are most affluent sometimes criticize the poor for not "saving their money" or for sharing with others when they should "take care of themselves." Studies have consistently shown the poor give proportionately more of their income than the wealthy. Some believe the poor give more because they require less to be happy. "When you have just a little, you're thankful for what you have," said the pastor of a tithing, largely low-income congregation in Washington, D.C. "But with every step you take up the ladder of success, the money clouds your mind and gets you into a state of never being satisfied." Let's be inspired by my friend Angela's generosity. Challenged to give sacrificially. To explore practical, "doable" ways to engage with the poor. It's easy to speak out about the injustice we see around us—much harder to take steps of action. Dare to pray about how you can become more generous. Move beyond the tithe? Simplify your lifestyle? Share your home through hospitality? A wise person once said, "You can't do everything, but you can do something." Even the smallest gift can make a big difference when you put it in God's hands.

by Marilynn Chadwick Why does Luke choose to highlight this particular poor widow's gift in Jesus's showdown with the scribes in Luke 21:1-4? Perhaps, as discussed earlier, she is an example of Luke's theme of "divine reversal." Luke consistently honors the smallest of things—small children, outsiders, widows, and especially the poor. Or perhaps it's because her gift was the most sacrificial of all. But what if the widow's gift represents something more? I decided to look at this story through the eyes of a very generous friend who had actually experienced poverty. I find it valuable to look at stories about the poor from the perspective of those who have actually experienced poverty themselves. Angela, a deacon in her congregation, had immigrated to the US from Africa many years ago at age fifteen when she fled the horrific civil war. She landed in LaGuardia, alone and not speaking any English. Angela managed to receive an education, married, and raised a family. Now a grandmother, Angela works as a home health care assistant and makes enough to live on—barely. I asked her this question: "What do you see in the story of this widow?" Angela answered, "I see this poor widow as a woman of deep faith." She added, "She was not a victim but a survivor." Then as an afterthought, "This woman knew God as her Jehovah Jireh, her Provider. Now, this particular friend is a tither and gives sacrificially to those who are poor. She carries "care packages" in her car to share with the homeless. Sometimes she creates outdoor events to offer free food and clothing. She trusts God to provide. Angela challenges me with her lavish generosity and great faith: "I believe this poor widow had seen God come through for her before." Angela is sure the Lord didn't let the widow's sacrificial gift go unnoticed. She challenges us to see this poor widow through different eyes—as a survivor, with courage, persistence, and generosity. And more importantly, as an example of great faith. The growing numbers of poor in our city have broken Angela's heart. She waged a singlehanded effort to feed the hungry, encouraging her church friends to help her cook meals and prepare care bags for the homeless. She often gives money that she could use for herself. Her joy has inspired others to join her cause. I feel sure when Jesus looks at Angela, he and all of heaven is applauding her sacrificial gifts.

by Marilynn Chadwick We've seen how Luke compared the Temple offerings of the rich people with the sacrificial gift from the poor widow: Jesus looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. He said, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on" (Luke 21:1-4 ESV). Jesus criticized the rich, who merely gave "out of their abundance [perisseuo]" (Luke 21:4). Perisseuo can be translated excess or surplus; spare change; or even leftovers. Luke makes no mention of size, implying only that Jesus knew their gifts would not be missed. The Greek phrase used to describe the widow's gift, ek tou hysterematos, is translated "out of her poverty" (Luke 21:4). The King James version renders hysterematos as "penury," an old English term describing a destitute beggar. The widow's extreme poverty helps us understand the sacrificial nature of her gift. Jesus knew she gave everything. He honors this widow who gave "all she had to live on," while denouncing the wicked abuse of those who oversaw the Temple system and tragically neglected the poor. God's Holy Temple was to be the place to care for the poor, not crush them. In Old Testament times, the ministry of the Jewish Temple was to provide for widows and the poor. "Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation" (Psalms 68:5). This theme is also present throughout Deuteronomy (10:17-18; 24:17; 27:19). Luke emphasizes Jesus's public attack of this Temple evil. When we look at the widow's gift in Luke's Gospel, she seems to shine brightly as the most generous with her offering. Jesus recognized that this poor widow gave that which the rich young ruler had refused. And proportionately, she outgave Zacchaeus (Luke 18,19). She even bypassed the religious leaders and all the rich with her extravagant gift (21:4). Her story reminds us of the story of the poor widow of Zarephath. She, too, gave "all she had to live on." Believing the "word of the Lord" through Elijah, the widow gave her last bit of meal and oil (1 Kings 17:16-24). The poor woman's great faith resulted in supernatural provision for herself, her son, and Elijah. The poor widow's gift in Luke was a similar act of faith according to Ambrose, an Early Church Father. He wrote that Jesus honored the widow's two mites because "that precious poverty of hers was rich in the mystery of faith." May our generous giving help us understand this same mystery of faith today.

by Marilynn Chadwick Let's take a look at the poor widow's gift (Luke 21:1-4). Luke reminds us how she gave what the rich young ruler would not (Luke 18:22). And proportionately, she gave even more than Zacchaeus (Luke 19:8). All the more reason for Jesus's public affirmation of her gift in front of the corrupt teachers of the law. In addition to their worship of money, the religious leaders also worshiped status. Jesus had already reprimanded them as "those who justify yourselves in the sight of others." "But God knows your hearts;" he warned, "for what is exalted by human beings is an abomination in the sight of God" (Luke 16:15 ESV). Jesus' denouncement of the scribes sounds remarkably similar to the condemnation leveled by the Old Testament prophets. One Early Church father, Cyril of Alexandria, wrote that the scribes' behavior showed their unbelief. "Beware and don't expose yourself to their vices and disregard of God." Now, in the presence of all the people, Jesus warns his disciples to watch out for these teachers of the law. He knew they craved honor and recognition. Their teaching, or "leaven" was corrupt as shown by their status-seeking behavior. "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at feasts" (Luke 20:46). For the religious leaders, appearance was everything. Jewish customs such as the wearing of long robes and the places of honor coveted by religious leaders are important to understand. The scribes' outer garment was a festive robe worn to celebrate status in that day. Luke would have known that in the Roman Palestine region, clothes signified a special social standing. Wealth was their ticket to status. The Temple setting is appropriate, since the scribes' status was attached to the Temple. It was the religious focal point and the center of all social activity—command central for these leaders to exercise their abusive authority. Temple offerings took place in plain sight for all to observe, adding to their "sense of show." The religious leaders were known to defraud the poor while appearing pious to the community. Jesus condemned their hypocrisy as those who "devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers" (Luke 20:47). There's evidence they mismanaged property, received large sums of money for prayer, and absconded widows' houses for debts that could not be paid. Money and power corrupted religious leaders then just as it sometimes does today. It's been said that absolute power corrupts absolutely. Some things never change.

by Marilynn Chadwick Luke's Gospel emphasizes society's outcasts—those lacking in power, prestige, and money. He tells stories of Jesus's kindness toward women, the weak, and the powerless. But he gives an especially prominent place to the poor. Luke flips society's "script" about who has value and who does not, a motif sometimes called the "divine reversal." The proper attitude toward possessions is also a major theme in Luke. He shines a glaring light on the use and abuse of money. This theme repeats itself again and again as Jesus contrasts the dangers of wealth with the virtues of generosity—and more specifically, the gifts of the rich compared to the gift of the poor widow (Luke 21:1-4). Money, for Jesus, appears to be a litmus test for one's spiritual condition. Luke presents us with several snapshots of Jesus's teaching on money. Earlier, Jesus had warned his disciples to watch out for the "leaven," or teaching, of the hypocritical Pharisees (Luke 12:1). He challenged his followers on the upside-down nature of heaven's value system, warning them not to trust in riches. "Sell your possessions and give to the poor" he encouraged them. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Luke 12:33,34 NIV). It's no secret where the Pharisees' treasure resided. Luke tells us plainly they were philargyros, or "lovers of money" (Luke 16:14). Money was at the core of their corruption. Jesus warns that those who have not been "faithful with dishonest wealth" cannot be trusted with true [eternal] riches (Luke 16:11). He warns that no one can serve both God and wealth (16:13). Other versions translate mamonas, or "wealth," as "mammon," personifying the deity-like quality of money (KJV). In short, these religious leaders worshiped money. The worship of money was a stumbling block for the rich young ruler who asked Jesus for the way to "inherit eternal life." Jesus answered him, "One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me. But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich" (Luke 18:22,23 ESV). In contrast, Zacchaeus was a despised tax collector and known as a great "sinner." But his heartfelt response to Jesus upon receiving salvation was to cry out, "Look, Lord! Here and now, I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount [double what the law required]" (Luke 19:8 NIV). Luke shows how true repentance dramatically impacted Zacchaeus's relationship with money. When we truly encounter Jesus, it naturally follows that we loosen our grip on this world. Think about the words of this beautiful old hymn, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace."

by Marilynn Chadwick Most of us know Luke as the physician, but did you know he's also widely regarded as a respected historian? According to Luke's opening verses, the author himself refers to his work as an "orderly account" rather than a Gospel (Luke 1:3). The story of the poor widow's sacrificial gift (Luke 21:1-4) is one of Luke's most well-known stories about Jesus and money. It takes place near the end of Jesus's earthly ministry. Luke devotes much of his narrative to the journey of Jesus and his disciples (Luke 9-19). The action now moves quickly as Jesus approaches the cross. Jesus enters Jerusalem, weeps over the city, cleanses the temple, and responds to a series of heated arguments with the religious leaders. He condemns the scribes (Luke 20:45-47); honors the poor widow for her gift; and turns the tables on the rich (Luke 21:1-4). Jesus's confrontation with these corrupt leaders has been a continual theme throughout much of the Gospel of Luke. Luke shows us how Jesus used surprising examples for the religious leaders. His listeners would have been shocked and offended at the heroes of his stories. Some call this Luke's "divine reversal." For example, children in that day were completely powerless. "People were bringing even the infants to Jesus." (Luke 18:15 NIV). And even the disciples rebuked them. Yet, Jesus responded, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these" (Luke 18:16). The word, brephos, is used for infants and children—born and unborn. Luke uses the same word to describe John the Baptist who "leaped" in his mother's womb (Luke 1:41). Women were also considered as second class citizens. Yet Jesus, in another example of "divine reversal," included women in his community of followers. He even entrusted the first news of his resurrection to a woman, Mary Magdalene (Luke 24:10). Finally, there's the example of Zacchaeus. Tax collectors were despised as traitors, working for the Roman Empire, not for their Jewish community. They were known to be corrupt. Luke tells the story of Zacchaeus's dramatic heart change. He gave back all he had stolen and even restored twice what was required. Throughout Luke's Gospel, Jesus is always "flipping the script," bringing surprising heroes to his stories. Perhaps this should give us hope for our stories as well.

by Marilynn Chadwick Money was Jesus's most talked-about topic. He addressed money matters in nearly a third of his parables and often referred to money in his teachings about the condition of a person's heart. Did you know the Bible mentions money, possessions, and wealth over 2,000 times? Jesus even referred to money as a rival god. "No servant can serve two masters," he warned, "for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money" (Luke 16:13 ESV). Jesus's attitude about money is clearly captured through the eyes of Luke in his Gospel account. He mentions money more than any of the Gospels and gives us a compelling picture of Jesus's warnings about the dangers of wealth and riches. The Gospel of Luke is widely regarded as some of the most beautiful writing from its era, noted for its polished literary style. Luke was a well-educated Greek physician. Even outside of religious circles, Luke's Gospel was referred to by a 19th-century French scholar as "the most beautiful book ever written." Throughout much of Luke, we see Jesus embroiled in a running conflict with corrupt religious leaders over their love of power, prestige, and money. These religious leaders, who were part of the Temple system, somehow found ways to defraud the poor while appearing pious to the community. Jesus publicly rebukes them for their mistreatment of the community's most vulnerable citizens—poor widows. "Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely" (Luke 20:46, 47 NIV). Jesus observed the offerings which were presented publicly at the Temple. He watched the rich putting their gifts into the Temple Treasury. Then, he noticed a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. "Truly I tell you," he said. "This poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on" (Luke 21:1-4). In one sweeping sentence, Jesus condemned the hypocritical religious leaders and honored the poor widow's generosity. Jesus challenged them and us, not with the size of our gift, but with how much it truly costs us. Her gift cost her everything.

by David Chadwick What an exhilarating time it is to visit the mountains in the fall. Every color of the leaves shouts out that God exists! As you're visiting local mountains, let it remind you to also explore the biblical significance of mountains. Each mountain range in the Bible has some kind of spiritual truth we need to grasp. For example, we need to go to Mount Hermon. It's the mountain range King David was referring to in Psalm 133:1-3. He wrote that when brothers and sisters dwell in unity, it's like receiving the refreshing dew from Mount Hermon falling on us. Are you presently in disunity with someone? Then go to Mount Hermon. Forgive them. Love them. Seek unity with them. As much as possible, we are to seek peace with all people (Romans 12:18), trying to be of one mind and spirit as God's people (Philippians 2:2). Always remember: the Holy Spirit was only poured out in power at Pentecost when the 120 disciples were praying in unity together (Acts 1). Such was Jesus's desire for his followers to continue to dwell in unity (John 17). Refreshing blessings from God are poured out when we gather in unity with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

by David Chadwick Mountains in autumn are captivating. We can't stay away. And rightly so. The colors alone make us gasp at God's beauty. If you visit the mountains this fall, also think about the purpose of mountains in the Bible. They have a spiritual significance that is as deep and wondrous as the physical beauty. For example, go to Mount Sinai. It's the place where Moses received the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20). It's God's moral law, perfectly describing his character. These laws are not suggestions, but commands. God gave them to us for our own good. They serve as celestial guardrails to protect us from harm. From forces trying to destroy us. When you visit Mount Sinai, remember that we don't break God's laws, they break us! Do you love God's law? Is it a pleasure, even a privilege, to obey what God has clearly told us to do? How should we live? Examine each one of the Ten Commandments. How are you doing with each one? We are never closer to God than when we are obeying his law and will.

by David Chadwick Don't you love going to the mountains this time of year? The majesty and colors of the leaves often leave us breathless. When you see the beauty of the mountains, remember to also take time to visit the different mountains in the Bible - ones that hold special significance for our spiritual development. For example, make sure you visit Mount Carmel. What happened there? Elijah, the mighty prophet of God, did battle with the 450 godless prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18). Some call it the Super Bowl of faith. As the contest begins, Elijah confronts all the prophets and says, "If God is God, you should follow him. If Baal is god, then follow him." Then he prayed in fervent faith and God's victory over Baal was overwhelming (James 5:17). Here is the spiritual importance of visiting Mount Carmel: Who is your God? The Lord God who created the universe? Or the counterfeit gods of this world: money, sex, and power? God or Baal? How would you answer?

by David Chadwick If you're going to the mountains this fall to enjoy its splendor, do some spiritual mountain-gazing as well. How can you do so? Go to Mount Moriah. It's where God told Abraham to go and sacrifice his only beloved son, Isaac (Genesis 22). Why would God ask Abraham to do this heinous act? Abraham had waited 25 years for this promised son. He was now a teenager and the love of his life. The answer is given to us in Genesis 22:1. God was using this command to test Abraham's faith. God wanted to know if he was still the primary passion of Abraham's life. Or had Isaac replaced God's place of primacy? When you visit Mount Moriah, God tests your faith as well. Tests determine whether we know the information. And here is the one question God wants to pose: Does he possess first position in your heart? How would you answer? Is Jesus first in your life? It's a very important question we all must answer. It's a test God wants you to pass with flying colors. Will you?

by David Chadwick The fall season always offers a chance to see God's multi-colored glory like no other time during the year. How? By going to the mountains. If you do so this year, always remember that mountains in the Bible are called "the high places." They are places where you can experience God like nowhere else. This autumn, make sure you visit the biblical mountains that will enhance your life in Jesus. For example, visit Mount Ararat. As the rain ceased and the flood waters abated, the ark that carried Noah, his family, and all the animals landed on Mount Ararat (Genesis 6-9). It was from there that they descended to dry land and the human race had a new beginning. Mount Ararat can mean the same for you in your spiritual journey. In Jesus, your sins are forever forgiven and you can begin anew. Start over. Have a new beginning. The old, your past, has passed away. The new, your present and future, begins today (2 Corinthians 5:17). No sin is beyond God's grace. Nothing in your past is beyond God's goodness. Make sure you visit Mount Ararat. It's a place of new beginnings. And new hope.