Sands in the Hourglass

Matthew 1:1-16

John 1:1-5, 10-14

Luke 1:5-19

Advent Week 1

Each year as the season of Advent draws close, I begin to read the scriptures related to the birth of our Savior. This year, the orchestration of history and the sayings of the different characters has caught my attention and interest. What about what others had to say is important? Well, it is their encounters with Holy God and His divine plan from the beginning to save the souls of mankind. His deep love for His creation and desire to return us to the Garden and walking with Him.

Matthew’s view

Matthew gives us the genealogy of the Son of Man. It confirms Jesus was from Israel’s tribe of Judah, of the house of David, and that there are several less than stellar individuals in His family tree. In fact, there are foreigners, harlots, adulterers, liars, cheats, gluttons, and kings with blood on their hands. (Jesus had skeletons in his closet just like we do!)

John’s View

John the beloved reminds us all that this was God’s plan from the foundation of the world! Son of God became flesh and blood like we are and he lived on this broken planet with all of us! Can you imagine leaving the glory of heaven and the perfect peace that resides there? Would you do it?

Luke’s view

Luke tells us Gabriel came from Heaven and standing in the Lord’s presence to give Zacharias the news of the coming of the long anticipated Messiah and the son of his old age would be a trumpet heralding Messiah’s arrival. Listen to this proclamation: “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And as you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him (Messiah) 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 a people prepared for the Lord.”

Zacharias’ view

As a priest Zacharias knew the prophecy of Malachi. The last prophet to give a word to the people of Israel. It had been over 400 years of silence. Yet, the Word tells us that God is not slow as we esteem slowness (II Peter 3:9).

Is the reaction of Zacharias surprising? Would you believe a “vision” that told you that despite what you know to be scientific fact you are about to be part of the miraculous?

My View

When one of my Beauties was born, God gave me a Word. He told me she would lead many to the Lord. She too seemed to have the Holy Spirit with her from her mother’s womb. Today, NOTHING in the present says this is true. In fact, it appears to be the exact opposite. If Gabriel showed up and told me I was fixing to see all that God spoke earlier come to pass, I too would question. I must battle to cling daily to His word to me to have even a smidgen of hope. It is the human experience to wrestle with God. We don’t die in wrestling but, we are never the same.

Your View

Has the LORD of the universe spoken to you and given you a glimpse of what He has in store for your family and today in the natural world you see no way it can ever happen? Take heart! God is not finished! He is faithful to His Word. (Psalm 145:13) Cling to His faithfulness! Even John the Baptist had questions! And Jesus’ “answer for John, one that would have given John hope in his discouragement,” was not about circumstances but God’s agenda. (from The Forgotten Jesus by Robby Gallaty pg 71)

God the Father’s plan

God’s gift, to the world He created, was Jesus! Jesus’ cousin, John, had the responsibility to proclaim, like a morning alarm clock, “it is time to WAKE UP! The Messiah is here!”

All history prior to this was the preparation for the coming of the Lord! Some 4000 years of putting everything in place. Remember, God’s timing? A thousand years is a day, and a day is a thousand years.

Look up our redemption draws ever closer each day!

 

Strange Way to Save the World, by Four Him

Yvonne Jones