by Sharon O | Dec 8, 2017 | Uncategorized
After hearing Elizabeth’s reaction and excitement over her own tiny little baby; we find Mary’s response as she listened when she said ‘the mother of my Lord’.
Mary’s Song Luke1:
46 And Mary said:
[“My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.]
I have often wondered if Mary stayed there till John was born and perhaps learned how to deal with labor and delivery.
In those times they did not have fancy ‘delivery’ rooms like we have now.
It could have been very primitive and very private.
We are not told. We just know Elizabeth was old and this was a pregnancy chosen by God to be special.
Mary returns home to where Joseph was and the story continues.
by Sharon O | Dec 7, 2017 | Uncategorized
I have often wondered how the visit between Mary and Elizabeth played out.
Remember Mary is ‘with child’ and Elizabeth is also. Like most expectant mom’s the desire to encourage and or compare experiences with each other would be for them too. Both were expecting miraculous babies.
Both were amazed at the news and the power of the Spirit from on high.
I could just see or imagine how Mary would ask to feel Elizabeth’s tummy and the movement of the baby to be.
I find it amazing and hopeful that even in the word God showed value to unborn little ones.
It tells us how JOHN leaped in the womb upon hearing Mary’s voice. They have done studies about the unborn how they react or respond to music or stimuli. This was no different.
I wonder if Mary stayed with Elizabeth because she was accepting of her and maybe there were problems at home? Certainly Joseph had to have an agreement for her to travel to see Elizabeth.
We are never told about Mary’s family and their reaction to her ‘pregnancy.’
To be expecting and not be married would be a very serious crime meaning one could lose their life.
If Elizabeth was in her sixth month when Mary saw her, John would be close to Jesus age as they grew up.
He was also called to fulfil and used to proclaim the news about ‘the Lord.’
Amazing stories and an awesome God to choose a young teen and a old lady to fulfill the prophecy of a coming Savior.
by Sharon O | Dec 6, 2017 | Uncategorized
In the book of Luke chapter 1:
[26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,
27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”]
Remember GOD SENT the angel Gabriel to where Mary was. It was a Choice.
[29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.
31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,
33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”]
{We have to remember the genealogy of Jesus, Yes He was fully God but also Joseph had to be in the lineage.}
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month.
37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,
40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth.
41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!
43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”]
There is so much wonder in these passages.
Mary knew her aunt was barren so to hear she had a child coming, would have been a sign for her to believe in her own ‘miracle baby.’
I think that is why she rushed to see Elizabeth. To see and know for sure, was this true?’
Her response was a choice. Her response was normal.
Her response was amazing. “I am the Lord’s servant.”
by Sharon O | Dec 4, 2017 | Uncategorized
There are many factors that make the Christmas Story as I shared before; the orchestration of people create the whole in depth story of Hope.
God through His DEEP love for us created a way for a Savior to come to restore peace and give life to a dying world.
In the book of John it says:
“For God so loved the world that HE gave his one and only Son so that whoever chooses to believe in him will have everlasting life.”
It was a choice for God to send His Son who was fully God, fully human, fully Spirit in the form of a baby.
Like in an orchestra, each had a part; each has a ‘place’ in the story.
We all have heard the nativity story.
How Mary was a young teen and how the Holy Spirit came upon her after the angel told her she would be the ‘chosen one.’
Mary had heard the story over and over of a Savior to come someday; but she surely would not have considered herself to be the one bringing him life.
Before we learn about Mary; we find Zachariah and Elizabeth and their miraculous baby who would become John, and the cousin of Jesus.
[5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.
6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly.
7 But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.]
8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,
9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.
12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.
13 But the angel said to him: “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.
14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,
15 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.
16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.
17 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.”
18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”]
19 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.
20 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.”
21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple.
22 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.
23 When his time of service was completed, he returned home.
24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.
25 “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.”]
The story shows us so much already. Three players already mentioned and chosen.
by Sharon O | Dec 1, 2017 | Uncategorized
It’s hard to believe it’s December 1st already.
The older I get I sense the passing of time like a wind that blows one year into the next.
Life as we know it keeps us busy.
Routines are good and healthy and so are the goals we set for ourselves both individually and as a couple.
One of my goals is to keep on track with my writing and I remind myself that this is the time for the Christmas series again.
The words must move to a new level of exploring the message for us one more year.
The Christmas story is not one we can get tired of reading. It is the showing of the heart of God.
It is an orchestration of God creating an opportunity for us to have and receive a Savior as an outpouring of His intense love and willingness to let go.
We cannot read the story lightly for without the Christmas story, Hope would not be approachable for us.
There were many characters who were involved and it amazes me how beautiful it presents itself.
As we move with the characters and journey along I pray we find new awareness and new insight of what we have always believed and what we know to be true.
I am not an expert on scripture so if something doesn’t seem right check it out for yourself.
There is great depth to the story and the hymns and carols we often find ourselves listening to and singing.
As we begin this month of remembering may we challenge ourselves to learn more and see differently.
The power and wonder of the Christmas Story.
A book written by a friend of mine, you can find it on Amazon.
