Passage
Luke 1:5-25 (ESV)
A New Heaven and a New Earth
Revelation 21:1-8
Key Verse: 21:2
The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold
Date: Dec. 21, 2020
Daily Bread
Key Verse: 1:13
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.
1. Your prayer has been heard (5-17)
The gospel of Luke begins with a priestly couple Zechariah and Elizabeth, who lived blamelessly before God. Yet they were childless. The angel Gabriel appeared to assure Zechariah that his prayer had been heard and that his wife would bear a son, to be named John, meaning gift of God. His son would be a source of joy and salvation with the spirit of Elijah to turn people back to the Lord. God used Zechariah's lifelong, possibly forgotten, prayer topic for a son to fulfill his plan to send the forerunner of the Messiah.
2. You will be unable to speak (18-25)
Zechariah's despair over sterility surfaced. The angel Gabriel rebuked his unbelief and made him mute until John was born. Afterwards, just as foretold, Elizabeth conceived and she testified to God's grace and prayerfully went into seclusion.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for answering my prayers in your time and way. Please forgive my unbelief and quiet me.
One Word: God hears our prayers and answers them according to his salvation purpose.
