3. Birth of John Foretold (Lk 1:5-25)

In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, whose wife, Elizabeth, was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. They were very old and childless, though, because Elizabeth was unable to conceive.

Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty, he was chosen to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. When the time came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and gripped with fear. But the angel said: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I believe this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”

The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.

When his time of service was completed, Zechariah returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

As a priest, Zechariah would have had little difficulty describing the many miracles God had performed throughout history. Believing God could do a miracle in his own life, however, was another matter.

Do you have difficulty imagining God at work in your life? When you reflect back over the past, is it easier to see God’s involvement in what seemed at the time random acts or even tragic situations?

Prayer: Help me remember, Lord, there is no reason to think miracles are a thing of the past.

2. Overview (Jn 1:1-18)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God and all things were made through him. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness; the darkness hasn’t overcome it.

There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to testify about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but the true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world.

The true light was in the world that had been made through him, and yet the world didn’t recognize him. Even those who were his own didn’t welcome him when he came to them. But to as many as welcomed him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become God’s children, born not of human desire, but born of God.

The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory as the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. John testified about him, saying, “This was the one of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me, because he was before me.’” From his fullness we’ve all received grace upon grace. The law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus the Messiah. No one has seen God at any time. The one and only Son, who is in the heart of the Father, has declared him.

According to Genesis 1, creation began with God saying, “Let there be light.” By picking up these themes of creation, word and light, the gospel writer confronts the reader with the idea that this story is not just another story about just another man: it is the story of life itself.

How do you react to these words and this Word? Does your heart soar as you read them. Do you feel the joy of welcoming a beloved friend into your heart and home?

Prayer: Clean out the clutter of my life, Lord, to make space for grace and truth.

1. Introduction (Mk 1:1; Lk 1:1-4)

The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Many have undertaken to set in order an account of what has happened among us, even as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses delivered them to us. It seemed good to me also, most honorable Theophilus, having traced the course of all things accurately from the beginning, to write to you that you might know with certainty what you were taught.

The quotation above comes from two of the four gospels that tell the story of Jesus: Mark 1:1 and Luke 1:1-4. They are from the World English Bible, an updated version of a 1901 translation. I’ve chosen to use this translation because it is in the public domain, meaning I can copy it verbatim or paraphrase it as I choose without having to seek anyone’s permission. 

My goal is to make this telling of the story of Jesus as simple and understandable as possible. I’ve taken out all chapter and verse notations from the text because they weren’t added until nearly 1,500 years after the Bible had been written and they often inhibit the flow of the text. I’ve also taken the liberty of changing the grammar from time to time to aid in readability. I haven’t intentionally changed anything related to the content.

My purpose in publishing this is to encourage people to discover the story of Jesus in all its richness. A lot of people are familiar with some of the miracles Jesus did and the parables he told, but even many long-term church members have never read any of the gospels in its entirety, much less all four of them. Those who are not actively involved in a church generally know even less about Jesus.

How about you? Does the quote with which Mark and Luke begin their gospels speak to you? Do you consider your understanding of Jesus to be fairly accurate? Do you know with certainty what you have been taught? 

Prayer: Open my heart and mind, Lord, to discover the good news of Jesus in all its wonder.

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