Angelic Visitation
Christmas 2017 • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
Let me start you off with a question.....
What if the Lord sent His messenger, Gabriel to you today, What would you think and how would you feel?
I think there might be some fear, some apprehension; you might just be worried wondering what it all meant...
I think that is how Zechariah and Mary must have felt on the day of their visitation.
They wondered why all this was happening and what did all these words mean? Zechariah knew the Lord promised a son, but the message of his life… what, really.....
And Mary, while willing.... I am sure she pondered again and again the message of the Lord to her that day...
Now you might wonder why I have said all of this...... to help us, to help us see what was happening, that we might understand and perhaps identify with them some what as the Lord sent his messenger to them.
Now last week we began looking at the Zechariah and the message the angel brought him. I want us to follow up on him just a bit and see what all happened that day in the temple. Then we will move to Mary, this young maiden whom the Lord was preparing for an incredible journey....
Now lets take our Bibles.... Did you bring your Bibles today?
Ok… I will move on now.
1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.
5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.
8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 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 people prepared.”
18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” 21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. 23 And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.
24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
46 And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.
57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” 62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. 64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, 66 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.
67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,
68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people
69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
74 that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
Luke
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11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 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 people prepared.”
Now remember what we talked about last week.
Zechariah was serving the Lord in the temple. He was a good man, a good husband, in fact the Lord describes their life as one marked by righteousness and blameless before the Lord, ().
These were two godly people, who lived and served the Lord each day… but there was something missing. They had no child for she was barren verse 7.
So here is a couple that served the Lord, who had enjoyed a long marriage and were faithful before the Lord yet they were missing one thing, a child, a son. That is what they desired as they walked with God.
Now God was walking with them, had prepared them for just such a day, they would have a son, but he would be special.
So lets consider this first thought at we consider Zechariah again before the Lord.
So lets consider this first thought at we consider Zechariah again before the Lord.
1. The Angelic Visitation in the Temple
1. The Angelic Visitation in the Temple
So that day, the angel appeared to Zechariah as he served in the temple.
What an amazing site to behold, to see the Lord’s messenger and to know… He has come to see me! Wow!
It was the angels who first knew the measure of God’s love and they were entrusted with the message of the coming Son of God into the world. And it was their joy to also bear the news for Zechariah and Elizabeth, God is giving you a son to you, and he will be special.
The angel told Zechariah that he was to name him John!
And listen at the message Gabriel shared with Zechariah...
15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 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 people prepared.”
Look at what is said… He will be great before the Lord… God has something in store for this life...
And it was said he was to live a life a part from wine and strong drink. This reference refers to a ascetic lifestyle, one of a Nazirite. Nazarites are mentioned in Numbers chapter 6 in the Old Testament. A famous Nazirite was Samson in the OT, although he didn’t always abide by the rules of the obligation God has placed on him.
You see the word itself, Nazirite means to separate oneself. They were a life that was connected to God in a unique way, for His purposes and not their own. They had a holy calling in their life.
And finally the angel Gabriel shares John’s true purpose to Zechariah, look at verses 16-17 again
16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 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 people prepared.”
Luke 1:16-17
I mentioned to you last week, John is a man between to covenants, He would truly be the last OT prophet calling the people to repentance under the power and mantle of Elijah. He would prepare the way for Jesus to come!
This was the news given to Zechariah as he ministered in the temple… then something note worthy happens…
Look at verses 18-23
18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” 21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. 23 And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.
Luke 1
Gabriel doubted.... but how can I know this for certain… we are old, and my wife, but she is past child bearing years......
Consider this with me my friends, here stands a child of Abraham and he forgot that what God had done so in times past, God could do it again..
Zechariah doubted the word of the Lord.... and so he was made mute until his wife would give birth.
Now friends here is some practical advise for you.... if the Lord shows up in your life, if He choose to speak to you personally or by an angelic visitation… do not doubt the words of the Lord!
This was the first message that Gabriel delivers ......
And this brings me to my second thought for today.... are you ready?
2. The Angel Gabriel visits Young Mary.....
2. The Angel Gabriel visits Young Mary.....
When you look at the text you see that the Lord is keeping His messenger Gabriel busy .... just a few months after visiting with Zechariah the Lord sends Gabriel to a young engaged maiden by the name of Mary!
Now Mary and Joseph are of the lineage of David and also with Elizabeth being a cousin to Mary, she was closely akin to the line of Aaron as well. So physically Jesus was be born of God through the virgin as both King and Priest with fits with this Messianic title.
, she was closely akin to the line of Aaron as well. So physically Jesus was be born of God through the virgin as both King and Priest with fits with this Messianic title.
But this day the angel of the Lord comes to this young lady and listen to what is said to her...
Lets look at and verses 26-33
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Now there is a lot of information in this passage for you to see my friends.
First off, notice the time that is mentioned, it is the sixth month, so we believe this refers to the 6th month since the messenger of God, Gabriel visited Zechariah and Elizabeth, so its about the 6th month of Elizabeth pregnancy.
And of course we know the location of everything that is happening, the Word of God says that God himself sent his messenger Gabriel to a city in Galilee by the name of Nazareth. It would have been Mary’s parents home since she was betrothed.
Now this is a big deal, God has sent Gabriel at a certain time to deliver a message on His behalf. And Gabriel, he is one of the highest angels, a Archangel....
He goes and does what the Lord instructs him to do
Now move forward.... Next is the recipient of the message… a virgin, named Mary who was betrothed to a man by the name of Joseph.
Next is the recipient of the message… a virgin, named Mary who was betrothed to a man by the name of Joseph.
Now Mary is un-married, yet she is under a legally binding contract that mean she was reserved for Joseph. These marriages were often arranged by the grooms parents. But the no physical intimate contact would have been allowed until the wedding day.
But before all of this happens… the angel of the Lord visits Mary and look at the greeting...
Listen with me to these thoughts....
A. Mary is the favored one.....
Verse 28a “Greetings favored one, the Lord is with you! ....”
Listen, that is special, for Gabriel calls her “favored”..... the root of that word in the Greek is grace, she is the one to whom great grace has been given…
She is the object of God’s attention for something wonderful and it has been bestowed upon her like a gift!
What wonderful words for this young maiden to hear....
What wonderful words for this young maiden to hear.... oh that they were said of us as well
And then for her to hear those words, the Lord God of Israel was with her… watching over, protecting, helping and yes, He is blessing her life....
But Mary, like Zechariah was a bit scared, afraid for it wasn’t everyday that one saw and angel of the Lord… but the angel tells her do not be afraid, and again reassures her that she has found favor with the Lord.
Gabriel wastes no time speaking to her… Look again at verses 31-33
31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Can you consider Mary for a moment as she heard this news....
First off young lady, you are going to have a baby! a son! and you shall call his name Jesus!.
Those words are powerful my friends, there are three things that every young maiden desired..
A. Get married....
B. Have Children
C. Have a Son
For a young maiden that was every young girls dream, They wanted to grow up and have a family, a husband, children and yes a Son.... it was in this way that their life was truly fulfilled in those days.
but she is not married yet… so how can all this be...
Suddenly, as fast as those words could be comprehended, Gabriel told her what type of Son this child would be.... in fact the angel tells her 5 things....
A. He would be great B. Be the Son of the Most High
C. The Lord would give Him the throne of His father David.
B. Be the Son of the Most High
D. He would reign over the house of Jacob forever E. Would be no end to His kingdom.
Can you say wow?
Can you say wow?
Now there was no mistaking what was being said or what was understood. The angel makes it clear that this child is the Son of the Most High.... that is a special title for YHWH God himself.
In it was Melchizedek who identified YHWH God as the God MOST HIGH… it was important and it was significant as well.
Jesus, this child who would be born to Mary would be the son of the Most High God.
This child would be special....
Man, what wonderful news… but Mary didn’t know how… she was engaged but she had never been withe a man… look at verse 34
Man, what wonderful news… but Mary didn’t know how… she was engaged but she had never been withe a man… look at verse 34
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
Mary questions the angel, but the angel does not rebuke her, he calmly explains what will happen to this young maiden....
Mary, your name and integrity will not be lost… look at verse 35
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.
God would be at work in the life of Mary… The Holy Spirit would come upon here so that they child she carried would be called the Son of God.
Now let me stop here for a moment, there are some different lines of thought here about the virgin birth.
We sometimes call it “Immaculate Conception...” This is a term that has been used by the church and primarily the Orthodox and Catholic churches .... It says in order to preserve the sinless nature of Jesus, Mary herself was set aside and kept from sin as well.
In essence God would have done a work of grace in here life to make here without sin. And this attributes to the elevated status Mary has within the Catholic church.
Others want to say Jesus was both of illegitimate birth, that while Joseph isn’t the father some poor man was… liberals and feminists agree to this point.. and it is sad.
It is sad .... it is sad because to say Jesu was not born of a virgin, it stripes away his deity,
The God in one person has been removed....
Now here is what I believe, Jesus was without sin, he came into this word sinless, lived sinless and His true parent was the Father in heaven, Mary was the means to bring Jesus into the world.
But no where was it taught in the gospels to revere her, pray to her or elevate her statues other than respect her as the mother of our Lord.
It is sad
The virgin birth of Jesus reminds us of the mystery of God, yet in mercy he prepared himself as the Savior, to redeem mankind from their sin.
and as you look
Now concerning the Angels visit to Mary, the last thought in our passage I want you to consider and that is simply her submission...
With all that has been said we see the Mary giving herself over to the will God, look at verse
38
36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Here is character and a desire to serve the Lord no matter what my friends. Upon hearing the word of God the angel Gabriel brought to her, she submits and makes herself ready to be used of God,
There is a lesson to be learned from her, when God speaks …simply say yes! Mary didn’t say no, she didn’t worry about others… she simply submitted herself to the will and hand of God.
let me stop right there and ask a question..
What has God been saying to you for a long time but you keep on doing your will and pushing God away?
Be His Servant today...
Now just one more thought for today....
3. Zechariah’s Praise....
3. Zechariah’s Praise....
This is one of the greatest moments of praise, the angel had come to months ago and told him of the good news, God was giving them a child, a son....
It was a special day, a special time for Zechariah as he served in the temple… And as the angel visited and shared the good news, Zechariah wondered how could this really be happening.
And he asked.....How could this be verses… 18-23
18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” 21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. 23 And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.
So jump ahead.. 9 months, the time as come… Elizabeth's time is about to be completed.
Look with me at verses 57-66
57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” 62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. 64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, 66 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:
So the day comes and when the child was born His mother named him John, since this is what they were told.... but there was a problem.
Male children were named after their father or another male relative in the family. and John was not a name they recognized....
Verse 62 they asked Zechariah, and motioning for something to write with they gave it to him and he wrote "....His name is John.” verse 63 and immediately this mouth was opened and he could talk.
And listen ole Zechariah couldn’t contain his thoughts, his heart any longer.... he spoke and blessed the Lord. And while people wondered about Zechariah praised the Lord
I just want to share a couple verses of his praise with you.. look at verses 67-69
67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,
68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people
69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
After 400 years of silence Go has revealed Himself again to the people, and this time two children are involved, The first child has already been delivered and the world was waiting on the second.
But this child, John would change the world and prepare it for His entrance.
So Zechariah is filled with the Spirit of the living God and he spoke
“...Blessed be the Lord God of Isreal for he has visited redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation in the house of David.”
God would redeem, He would purchase Israel back from their sin, but not only them the whole would would experience the joy of redemption that God was doing in their midst,
Now, here we are the second Sunday of advent and we are celebrating two gifts that God brought into the world,
John who under the of Elijah would prepared the the way for God’s salvation… how special it was...
The angel came to visit them so long ago....
And yes I believe that angels can still come and visit us … to make us aware of what God is doing...
But also the Holy Spirit is at work in your life today… are you ready?
What is God preparing you for today?
56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.
57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” 62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. 64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, 66 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.
1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.
5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.
8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 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 people prepared.”
18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” 21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. 23 And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.
24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
46 And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.
57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” 62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. 64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, 66 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.
67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,
68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people
69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
74 that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
What an amazing