Christian Reflection and Prayer

According to the custom of the priesthood, (Zechariah)
was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and
burn incense (Luke 1:9).

 

Luke’s account provides us rich detail regarding Zechariah
the priest and the part he played in the first Christmas.
Herod the Great was king over Judea at the time. We learn
that Zechariah belonged to the priestly division of Abijah,
one of 24 divisions of priests. Each of these divisions
worked two weeks out of the year at the Jerusalem temple.
Each afternoon these priests cast lots to see who would
enter the temple alone to burn incense.

 

Luke takes us to the day the lot fell to Zechariah. It may
have looked like luck or chance to us, but Zechariah knew
better. God was inviting him into His presence. As
Zechariah smelled the clouds of sweet, fragrant incense
rising to heaven, he knew God was pleased with the prayers
His people were offering to Him. These were prayers that
rose from hearts that believed His ancient promise to send
their Savior.
 
At Christmas we are often invited to other people’s houses.
Sometimes we get the honor of a special invitation. But God
extends a greater invitation to us. Like Zechariah we can
enter His presence in His house. And not just once in a
lifetime can we do this, but every week. At the same time
He promises to make His home in us. What a great privilege
and honor to sit in God’s presence and learn about His
saving love.
 
THE PRAYER:

 

Heavenly Father, what a tremendous honor You give when
You invite us into Your house. Thank You for coming to us
and making Your home with us. In Jesus’ Name. Amen

 

(Advent Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

There was a priest named Zechariah ... and he had
a wife … Elizabeth. And they were both righteous
before God … but they had no child (see Luke 1:5-7)
.
Christmas Eve holds a special place in my memory.
I remember my family sitting together in the living
room after the candlelight Christmas service, enjoying
a crackling fire. The only other light comes from the
Christmas tree and dozens of candles. We spent
hours passing around funny Christmas memories,
while steam rose from our coffee and hot chocolate.

 

Luke’s account of the first Christmas begins with an
introduction to Mary’s relative Elizabeth and her
husband Zechariah the priest. Zechariah and
Elizabeth were both good, upright people. Not that
they were good enough to earn heaven—none of us
can do that. They were good in God’s eyes because
they believed His promise to save them through the
coming Christ. They had both lived to a good old age
but were childless. In that age it was considered a
disgrace when a couple was without child. For many
long years the couple had prayed and wondered why
God had kept them from having a child. By this late
age, they had given up hope completely.

 

Is there something missing in your life? Something
you have prayed long and hard for but nothing
changes? Does that make you question God or
yourself? Stick around and see that God always has
a good reason, when He holds something back from us.

 

THE PRAYER:

 

Lord God, sometimes life doesn’t seem to have any
rhyme or reason. I want something desperately but,
for whatever reason, You withhold it from me. Give me
patience and faith to trust that You are good, loving and
gracious, so I may wait patiently for Your time. In Jesus’
Name. Amen.

 

(Advent Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

It seemed good to me … to write an orderly account for
you … that you may have certainty concerning the things
you have been taught (see Luke 1:3-4).

 

Are you dreaming of a white Christmas this year? I always
did. I’d hope and pray, but most years I’d look out the
window and only see the same old, brown grass and bare
trees. Sometimes we feel that same disappointment in our
Christmases. We get our hopes up; we make all our
preparations, but then we feel disappointed when the day
rolls around.

 

Maybe our problem is building our Christmas excitement
on uncertain things—a white Christmas, the perfect presents,
everyone getting along at Christmas time. Luke had
something different in mind when he wrote about the first
Christmas. 

 

Luke wasn’t your typical writer in the Bible though.
Unlike Matthew he wasn’t one of Jesus’ 12 disciples; he
never met Jesus face-to-face. He wasn’t even Jewish; he
was a Gentile physician from Antioch in Syria. He joined
Paul in his later missionary journeys. In Acts 16 notice
Luke’s commentary changes from “they went” in verse
six to “we went” in verse 11.

 

To write his Gospel and the earlier chapters of the book of
Acts, Luke gathered his information from interviews he had
with people who saw and heard Jesus, people who lived with
Him, ate and drank with Him. Being an educated man, Luke
didn’t get swept away by the ramblings of dreamy-eyed
followers of Jesus. He made sure to ask for historical
details and evidence from his witnesses—including Jesus’
mother Mary.

 

THE PRAYER:

 

Almighty God, I want to learn more about that first Christmas.
Thank You for leaving us a record in the words of Jesus’
own mother Mary. Help me learn why Jesus was born and
why that matters for my life now. I pray in Jesus’ Name.
Amen.

 

(Advent Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)