How Did God’s Spirit Inspire Those Surrounding Jesus’ Birth? (transcript)

[Announcer] (0:02 - 0:14) Think about the Bible like you never have before. You're listening to Christian Questions. Access more audio, videos, and Bible study resources at ChristianQuestions.com.

Here's Rick, Jonathan, and Julie.

[Rick] (0:17 - 0:32) Welcome, everyone. I'm Rick. I'm joined by Jonathan, my co-host for over twenty-five years. Julie, a longtime contributor, is also with us.

Our topic is: "How Did God's Spirit Inspire Those Surrounding Jesus' Birth?" Jonathan, what's our theme Scripture for this episode?

[Jonathan] (0:54 - 0:57) Luke 1:31‐33: "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David; and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end."

[Rick] (0:57 - 1:57) We all love to tell the story of Jesus' birth. We love the vulnerability behind God's choice of Mary, the young woman who was engaged to Joseph to be Jesus' mother. We love the humility of his being born in a stable because there was no room in the inn. We love the magnificence of the angel announcing his birth to the shepherds, and then having the heavenly host of angels praising and glorifying God.

We love the reverential sobriety of the Wise Men coming with gifts for the small child Jesus. Some of the things we don't focus on as much, we don't pay attention to as much, are on how God used specific individuals surrounding all of these events to speak in a prophetic way and outline in great detail what this series of incredible experiences would mean. Today, we pause and consider the words of Zacharias and Elizabeth, who were the parents of John the Baptist; Mary, the mother of Jesus; Simeon the prophet; and Anna, the prophetess.

[Julie] (1:57 - 2:10) At Christmas, we always focus on the nativity scene with baby Jesus and the shepherds, and that's great. But as we shall see, Rick, like you said, God gave us wonderful lessons in these other people who also played an important part.

[Rick] (2:11 - 2:20) As we begin with Zacharias, we need to remember how the Old Testament ended four hundred years before these events; four hundred years before.

[Jonathan] (2:21 - 2:22) In Malachi 3:1, God said He would send a messenger who would prepare the way for the Messiah.

Now let's go to Malachi 4:5‐6: "Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse."

[Julie] (2:50 - 3:09) These last words of the Old Testament were the last words of hope and prophecy for four hundred silent years before the New Testament. They foretold how the New Testament would start with the coming of one who would prepare the people for the Messiah by doing the work of Elijah, the Old Testament prophet.

[Rick] (3:09 - 3:44) We've got this basis in the Old Testament. Now let's talk about Zacharias and Elizabeth. They were righteous in the sight of God, and as a result, were chosen to be John the Baptist's parents.

Zacharias served the people as a priest of God. They were aging and childless and had lost hope for having any children, until one day when Zacharias was serving in the Temple. We're going to be looking at the verses in Luke 1:11-20.

We're going to tell the story. We're going to pause and add some comments as we go through these verses.

[Jonathan] (3:59 - 4:05) Luke 1:11‐13: "...an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. But the angel said to him, Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John."

[Rick] (4:05 - 4:32) Think about this. You're just going about your daily business and this angel appears and says, hey, you're going to have a son, okay? I mean, his mind--Zacharias' mind--must have begun to race as the initial fear began to subside, because he's faced with an angel and it's scary. The initial fear begins to subside, and it's being replaced with the questions.

Okay, wait, wait, wait, how can this be? Wait, wait, why me? Wait, why here?

Why now? What is happening? Why an angel? The angel continued (Luke 1:14-15):

[Jonathan] (4:32 - 4:47) "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 he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the holy spirit while yet in his mother’s womb."

[Rick] (4:48 - 5:08) His son was to be named John, and he would be a great man "filled with the holy spirit." This has got to be mind-boggling for Zacharias, who's just going about his business of serving, and this angel is pouring out these incredible details about his life that he has no expectation of.

[Jonathan] (5:08 - 5:40) (Luke 1:16-17): "And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. It is he who will go as a forerunner before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Zacharias undoubtedly recognized that the angel was quoting from the prophet Malachi, the last spoken words of a prophet in over four hundred years!

[Julie] (5:40 - 5:53) These words were a prophecy of the coming Messiah, and this angel had just announced Zacharias' son would be the forerunner of the Messiah.

[Rick] (5:54 - 6:20) Okay, all right, let's talk about impossibility. This is like...this is out of...you just don't know what's happening. The impossibility of all of this must have overwhelmed him. I mean, he and his wife are older.

Having children is a thing that didn't happen in the past. (Luke 1:18): "Zechariah said to the angel (he asked the angel), How will I know this (for certain)? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in her years." The angel Gabriel was quick to respond.

[Jonathan] (6:20 - 6:28) (Luke 1:19): "...I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I've been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news."

[Rick] (6:28 - 6:51) Gabriel the angel identifies himself. Here's my name. I stand "in the presence of God."

Now, I don't know, perhaps it began to dawn on Zacharias that he was speaking to this mighty angel Gabriel and he was actually doubting what this mighty angel Gabriel was saying. Gabriel continues:

[Jonathan] (6:52 - 7:04) (Luke 1:20): "And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time."

[Julie] (7:04 - 7:19) God's word will be fulfilled regardless of human disbelief. His (Zacharias) silence would be temporary but transformative, because it would turn his doubt into reflection, and as we're going to see, reflection into praise.

[Rick] (7:19 - 8:03) That's an important transition. He did doubt, and the angel Gabriel is like, okay, you're going to be silent here. Doubt in the face of God's power and mercy does bring a consequence.

But even if we doubt, it does not cancel God's power and mercy. You say, okay, was he being punished? Is this like, oh, shame on you?

I don't think so. I think this was a preparation. I know this is completely out of your reality.

You're going to be silent and be really put in the position to truly, truly think these things over. Here we have a now silent Zacharias. Let's go to Luke 1:23-25:

[Jonathan] (8:04 - 8:08) "When the days of his priestly service were ended, he went back home."

[Julie] (8:08 - 8:22) "After these days Elizabeth his wife became pregnant, and she kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying, This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to take away my disgrace among men."

[Jonathan] (8:23 - 8:38) Even in the face of a long-forgotten hope, and under the circumstances of unlikely events, God's blessing would take root and grow. God was gathering those faithful ones to unfold His glorious plan.

[Rick] (8:38 - 9:12) Zacharias and Elizabeth are the two first faithful ones that God is putting in place in the New Testament to make His plan unfold. We've got these two, this husband and wife, who are really faithful and really love God and they are always looking to serve Him. They're given this incredible opportunity, and now, probably quietly between them, they're working out, what does this mean?

What do we do? For Zacharias can't speak, but he can write. Let's jump ahead now to the birth of John the Baptist.

Luke 1:57-63:

[Jonathan] (9:12 - 9:34) "Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her. And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zacharias, after his father."

[Julie] (9:34 - 9:39) "But his mother answered and said, No indeed; but he shall be called John."

[Jonathan] (9:39 - 10:13) "And they said to her, There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name. And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. And he asked for a tablet and wrote as follows, His name is John.

And they were astonished." Let's remember the context of this moment was at the baby's circumcision, eight days after Elizabeth gave birth. This is what set the nation apart from all others.

This was a right they had, and the holy spirit was dramatically expressed at this pivotal point.

[Rick] (10:13 - 11:00) You see this unfolding, and even in the naming of the baby--now Zacharias can't speak--and Elizabeth knows. She knows the truth. Oh no, we're going to name him John.

Everybody's like, no, no, no, no, we should name him Zacharias, because nobody in your family's got that name. They're going by tradition, and Zacharias can't speak, so he writes "his name is John." There is a clarity of these two incredible, faithful individuals.

You're right, Jonathan, this is at the time of circumcision. This was a reverential time of honoring God for the nation of Israel being separated from the rest of the world. That's what circumcision was a representation of.

We have this beginning to unfold. Let's look at Praising the Power of God's Influence:

[Julie] (11:01 - 11:17) This part of Zacharias's story is all about obedience and humility before angelic authority. Though he didn't speak a word over these many months, Zacharias's faithfulness was evident. He precisely carried out the angel's instructions, even though they went against tradition.

[Rick] (11:17 - 11:20) Isn't that interesting? There's no more doubting the angel.

[Julie] (11:20 - 11:21) He gets it. He gets it.

[Rick] (11:22 - 11:34) He gets it in a very big way, and we're seeing this unfold in a very big way. What had been a secret between Elizabeth and Zacharias was now beginning to be revealed to all others. What a blessing was beginning to unfold!

[Jonathan] (11:34 - 11:45) Now that Zacharias had effectively communicated the angel's instruction, what would be his next task?

[Rick] (11:45 - 12:36) Think about the learning and maturing that Zacharias would have experienced over those many months. His last spoken words were questioning Gabriel, a mighty messenger of God, about how will he know for certain that they would have a son who would pave the way for the Messiah. Now the son was born, and now he was appropriately named.

Now the event can truly begin to unfold. We're at this circumcision, and he just writes "his name is John." What we're going to see now is, the faithfulness of Zacharias while he was silent would be made plain by the power of his first words.

Yes, he would begin to speak after the birth of his son, and again at John's circumcision. Here's what happens. Luke 1:64-66:

[Jonathan] (12:36 - 12:43) "And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God."

[Julie] (12:44 - 13:00) Now think about the suspense, how nine months of his silence was actually going to amplify his voice when it finally returned. He's talking. What's he going to say?

He last talked to an angel. People would know that these weren't ordinary words, but they were the culmination of God's promise.

[Rick] (13:01 - 13:16) He speaks in praise of God. His mouth, his tongue is loosed, and the first words out of his mouth are this overwhelming praise to God and to give credit for all where the credit is due. Let's continue with these verses (Luke 1:65-66):

[Jonathan] (13:16 - 13:54) "Fear came on all those living around them; and all these matters were being talked about in all the hill country of Judea. All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, What then will this child turn out to be?

For the hand of the Lord was certainly with him." The people just witnessed miraculous events. Elizabeth conceiving in old age, Zacharias struck mute for nine months, and his speech suddenly being restored when he obeyed Gabriel's command.

God was clearly involved, and they knew it.

[Rick] (13:54 - 14:24) Zacharias had been struck unable to speak by an angel, and the first words out of his mouth are the praising of God, and all of the people around now are starting to have reactions. Think of the chatter among the people around these events and the powerful reverence they would all experience as they were hearing of these God-directed developments regarding this child. There was a swelling of observation going on, and that reverence. They were afraid.

[Julie] (14:25 - 14:26) That's fear.

[Rick] (14:27 - 14:54) Because this was not something that you would see every day. Zacharias, this priest of the people, had been made silent. Suddenly he's speaking.

He's praising God. This child is born. They're too old to have children.

You put it all together, and you're seeing this incredible event beginning to unfold. You say, okay, what's happening? Well, now that Zacharias can speak, he's going to explain it.

Let's go to Luke 1:67-71:

[Jonathan] (14:55 - 15:01) "And his father Zacharias was filled with the holy spirit, and prophesied, saying..."

[Rick] (15:01 - 15:12) Okay, he praised God and now he's filled with the holy spirit, and there's a prophecy that's coming. You can see his faithfulness here. This prophecy would be firmly grounded in Old Testament truth.

Go ahead. JONATHAN (Luke 1:68-71): "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David His servant--and He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old--Salvation FROM OUR ENEMIES, and FROM THE HAND OF ALL WHO HATE US."

[Julie] (15:33 - 15:49) Zacharias talks about a "horn of salvation in the house of David" being God's ultimate deliverance, fulfilling what the prophets had long ago declared. Horns are a symbol of power, scripturally, and we know that Jesus was from the royal line of David.

[Rick] (15:49 - 16:04) Okay, so you've got this horn of salvation, and he's giving this incredible praise, and it says that he's filled with the holy spirit as this praise is coming out of him. This praise that he's speaking sounds very similar to Psalm 18:1-2.

[Julie] (16:05 - 16:20) This is David speaking: "I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower."

[Rick] (16:21 - 16:43) You've got Zacharias essentially leaning on the Psalm to express his own praise. You're seeing how God's spirit is working and taking Old Testament scriptures, and he's going to sprinkle them throughout all of these things that are said. He also quotes the deliverance from Egypt, from Psalm 106:9-10:

[Julie] (16:44 - 16:54) "He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it was dried up: so He led them through the depths, as through the wilderness. And He saved them from the hand of him that hateth them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy."

[Rick] (16:55 - 17:20) He talks about this horn of salvation, he gives praise and honor to God, talks about the deliverance from Egypt. He's painting the picture of the bigness of Jesus coming, the Messiah coming. We don't yet see how John fits into this, but this is the big picture. He's going back to Old Testament scriptures and giving us the big picture.

Let's go further. He doesn't stop here. Luke 1:72-75:

[Jonathan] (17:21 - 17:54) "To show mercy toward our fathers, and to remember His holy covenant, the oath which He swore to Abraham our father, to grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days." Zacharias moves from the Davidic covenant of Israel's king back to the Abrahamic covenant, which promised the seed of Abraham would bless all the families of the earth in Genesis 22:18.

[Julie] (17:54 - 18:00) Right, and the point is this arrival of Jesus wasn't a new plan. This was promised throughout the centuries.

[Rick] (18:01 - 18:39) Now think about this. John the Baptist, John who would be the Baptist, had been born, and he's eight days old, and Zacharias is quoting these prophecies that are leading to Jesus. He is setting the table for the big picture, for this little eight-day-old boy to be a part of.

Zacharias recognizes that the foundation of all promises of salvation and blessing came from the Abrahamic promise. That's a powerful, powerful statement. Jonathan, you're right, he went from the Davidic perspective back to Abraham.

We believe he's quoting Psalm 105:8-10:

[Julie] (18:39 - 19:15) "He hath remembered His covenant forever, the word which He commanded to a thousand generations. Which covenant He made with Abraham, and His oath unto Isaac; and confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant." To me, this strongly suggests that Zacharias spent those nine months meditating on Scripture. Remember, he was a priest, so his mind would have naturally turned to the covenant promises, the prophecies in the Torah, the Psalms, the prophets.

He's putting all this together and with the holy spirit, he's able to proclaim it.

[Rick] (19:15 - 19:45) You're right, he probably spent his time just pouring over these prophecies because he was told by an angel named Gabriel what was going to happen. He knew that that had to be true. He knew that had to be true, because the angel Gabriel himself--and we'll see this in a moment--was quoting Old Testament Scripture.

He had every reason to go back and say let me figure this out, let me understand this, and to pour over those scriptures. Let's continue; Luke 1:76:

[Jonathan] (19:45 - 20:01) And you, child (my son John), will be called the prophet of the Most High..." What a prophecy from a father to his son, speaking to him when he was only eight days old!

[Rick] (20:01 - 20:16) Again, now this isn't...you're not looking at a prophecy from the Old Testament. He's saying, "you will be called..." This really foretold how Jesus himself would describe John many years later.

Let's look at Matthew 11:9-10:

[Jonathan] (20:16 - 20:31) "But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet.

This is the one about whom it is written, BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU."

[Rick] (20:31 - 20:46) You've got this powerful statement of the New Testament. Jesus would fulfill what Zacharias was saying about his eight-day-old son. Let's continue.

Luke 1:76-77:

[Jonathan] (20:47 - 20:57) For you (John) will go on BEFORE THE LORD OT PREPARE HIS WAYS; to give to His people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins..."

[Rick] (20:58 - 21:21) Here you have the opening of the door. He's now, he's seeing the big picture, and now John, little eight-day-old John, is coming into play. John will grow up to announce the one who will bring deliverance.

Zacharias keeps quoting Scripture; more prophecy. Julie, let's go to Malachi 3:1:

[Julie] (21:21 - 21:49) It says, "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me. and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts."

Rick, I just love how through Zacharias we now know we can take these Old Testament words and pull them into Jesus and John and the New Testament. That's a big deal.

[Rick] (21:49 - 22:29) It is. Another big part of this that's kind of subtle, maybe unseen, is remember, Gabriel appeared to Zacharias months before and said, I am Gabriel, a messenger of God. Now the prophecy that Zacharias is quoting is that my son is going to be a messenger of Jesus, a messenger of the Messiah.

There's the messenger from heaven, and then there's the earthly messenger prophet who brings the Messiah and makes him plain and known. This is a remarkable application of Old Testament prophecies. Zacharias quotes what the angel Gabriel told to him, so you know that those words stuck with him.

Let's look at Luke 1:17:

[Jonathan] (22:30 - 22:49) "It is he who will go as a forerunner before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." He's got Gabriel's words in his heart and mind.

[Rick] (22:50 - 23:16) He's got the Old Testament in his heart and mind. Now he's got God's spirit--God's power and influence--driving him to pull the pieces out and put them together and make public announcements of what is going to be unfolding, and all this with an eight-day-old little boy named John. That's what God is revealing at this moment.

Let's continue; Luke 1:78-79:

[Jonathan] (23:17 - 23:31) "Because of the tender mercy of our God, with which the sunrise from on high will visit us, TO SHINE UPON THOSE WHO SIT IN DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

[Rick] (23:31 - 23:51) Now, Zacharias just before this had quoted from Malachi. Again, he's going to quote from Malachi one more time. Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament.

There were four hundred years of silence between the Old and the New. The New Testament events unfold, picking up where the Old Testament left off. Julie, let's go to Malachi 4:2:

[Julie] (23:52 - 24:01) "But unto you that fear My name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall."

[Rick] (24:02 - 24:21) It says "the sun of righteousness," sun, S-U-N. When Zacharias spoke, he said "with which the sunrise from on high will visit us." He's showing us these words of Malachi are real, and they're happening right here.

He also quotes from Isaiah about the light of Jesus in Isaiah 9:2:

[Julie] (24:22 - 24:28) "The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them."

[Rick] (24:29 - 24:43) He is pouring out Old Testament Scripture in front of his eight-day old son and in front of whoever is there to listen, to show what's going to happen. Luke 1:80:

[Jonathan] (24:43 - 24:52) "And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel."

[Rick] (24:53 - 25:25) His prophecy has ended, and now we get the historical perspective of "this child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit." We want to notice the remarkable similarity between the growth of John as a boy and the growth of Jesus as a boy. An example of that from when Jesus was twelve years old; we remember the story when he got left behind and he was in the Temple with the priesthood, asking questions for three days. His parents were like, where did he go?

Where did he go? We lost him. Then they find him and they have that conversation.

But here's what it says afterwards; Luke 2:51-52:

[Jonathan] (25:26 - 25:42) "And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and he continued in subjection to them; and his mother treasured all these things in her heart.

And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."

[Rick] (25:43 - 26:07) You can see Jesus keeps "increasing in wisdom and stature," and John continued "to grow and become strong in the spirit." You have this pattern, this pattern of miracles, this pattern of growth and development, this pattern of the holy spirit showing what's happening-- God's power and influence helping us to understand things.

Once again, Praising the Power of God's Influence:

[Jonathan] (26:07 - 26:28) It's easy to see why Zacharias was chosen to be the father of John the Baptist. His zeal for God, his knowledge of the scriptures, his life dedication as a priest, and his prophesying through God's spirit all led up to John having a powerful example of dedication to follow.

[Rick] (26:29 - 26:48) You need a dad, and that's what Zacharias was to John the Baptist. He was the right man for that very important mission. When God's spirit influences one of his faithful servants, it's easy to see how powerful the results can be.

[Jonathan] (26:49 - 27:00) Now that we have seen God's power influence the father of John, what did it look like when His power influenced the mother of John and the mother of Jesus?

[Rick] (27:00 - 27:27) Okay, I'm going to change gears a little bit. The fact that Elizabeth and Mary were cousins and that Elizabeth, in her old age, was six months pregnant with John when young Mary came to see her, those events beg for our attention. These two women would in turn mother the greatest messenger among men and the Messiah of Israel, the Savior of the world. Neither of them had any previous clue that they would be in such a position.

[Julie] (27:27 - 27:40) It will become obvious that God handpicked these mothers--with such wonderful characters--to John and Jesus so that they would grow into the men that they became. These women were given amazing blessing and responsibility.

[Rick] (27:41 - 28:08) Absolutely, and we're going to begin to unfold that. Let's review the message the angel Gabriel delivered to Mary, and observe her strong and grounded faith.

We're going to be looking at the verses in Luke 1:26-45. Again, we're just going to be telling the story and just putting in a perspective with comments in between. You can see all the details of what verses are where if you go to Rewind Show Notes.

Let's get started in Luke 1:26-29:

[Jonathan] (28:09 - 28:26) "Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city...called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph... and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, Greetings, favored one! the Lord is with you.

[Julie] (28:26 - 28:32) But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was."

[Rick] (28:32 - 28:48) Well, wouldn't you? I mean, really, you know what's happening here? Very similar to Zacharias in some ways.

The angel Gabriel's greeting to Mary was one of great favor, and yet her reaction is confused and fearful because like, wait, wait, what are you saying? Gabriel continues (Luke 1:30-33):

[Jonathan] (28:48 - 28:57) "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus."

[Julie] (28:58 - 29:00) This is similar to what Zacharias was told.

[Jonathan] (29:01 - 29:24) "He will be great and will be called the son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end."

The angel revealed all the hopes the Israelites had been waiting for. Mary was being chosen by God to give birth to the Messiah.

[Julie] (29:25 - 29:29) Her response was calm and logical (Luke 1:34). Luke 1:34: "...How can this be, since I am a virgin?"

[Rick] (29:30 - 29:36) Yeah, that is a really important question. How does this happen? Gabriel answers (Luke 1:35-37):

[Jonathan] (29:36 - 30:03) "...the holy spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy child shall be called the son of God.

And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. For nothing will be impossible with God."

[Julie] (30:03 - 30:29) Mary asked, and the angel answered. She would now need to rely heavily on her faith. Doesn't say she doubted at all. Gabriel's last words must have rung true in the deepest recesses of her young heart--"for nothing will be impossible with God."

She answered (Luke 1:38), "...Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word. And the angel departed from her."

[Jonathan] (30:30 - 30:35) Mary's great faith opened the door for God's world-changing miracle to take place.

[Julie] (30:35 - 30:48) We aren't told how old Mary was at the time, but it's generally assumed that she was a teenager. It was Jewish practice to be engaged soon after puberty, so perhaps she was anywhere from twelve to sixteen years old.

[Rick] (30:48 - 31:34) That's pretty young. To have this kind of faith at a young age, whatever the age was, is very, very remarkable. I find it interesting also that the angel Gabriel, in telling her this very, very incredibly unbelievable turn of events, also mentions and by the way, your relative Elizabeth, remember your old relative?

Well, she's pregnant. She's six months pregnant. I think that helped Mary understand God is in this, because she's seeing that this is not a singular isolated incident. God somehow is working in ways that are just not according to the way nature seems to go.

What's Mary's response? Her faith drove her to immediately seek out Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-42):

[Julie] (31:34 - 31:58) "Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the holy spirit. And she cried out with a loud voice and said, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!"

[Jonathan] (31:59 - 32:11) Elizabeth was blessed with God's spirit and understanding. She knew that her baby, who would be named John, would clear the path for Mary's baby, Jesus, who would save the world.

[Rick] (32:11 - 32:51) The key factor here is it says, "Elizabeth was filled with the holy spirit." Again, you've got God's power and influence helping Elizabeth to respond in a way where the story can be told before the story is able to unfold. That's what's happening.

We're seeing this unfold in a descriptive way before the actual events are going to happen. It's a remarkable way for God to plow the road for helping us to see what was going to happen, to see His incredible foresight. As we go further, we're going to see that Elizabeth's humility, her humility would be incredibly obvious (Luke 1:43-45):

[Julie] (32:52 - 33:24) "And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord."

These are definitely the right women for the task. Can you imagine if Elizabeth were bitter that she was so close to carrying the actual Messiah, but her relative got the privileged blessing instead? That never crossed her mind.

She was thrilled.

[Jonathan] (33:24 - 33:30) Yeah, she recognized Mary's faith and its role in the accomplishment of God's will.

[Rick] (33:31 - 34:09) Elizabeth is focusing, entirely focusing, on the glorious event that's happening to Mary. She's putting it in perspective. She's seeing the bigness of this.

All of this comes from the angel Gabriel. The angel Gabriel came to Zacharias. Elizabeth would have known that because Zacharias would have told her.

Now Gabriel comes to Mary. You see this incredible unfolding. Elizabeth is just about recognizing the power of God in this young woman.

Mary's response was one of faith, humility, and praise. She recognized her own honored position (Luke 1:46-49):

[Julie] (34:09 - 34:39) "And Mary said: My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; for behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name."

[Jonathan] (34:40 - 34:43) While this doesn't explicitly say Mary was filled with the holy spirit, we can definitely see God's power and influence driving her. Hers is a remarkable response for someone so young.

[Rick] (34:44 - 35:15) She recognizes that this is coming to her as a very specific blessing, a blessing that she had no concept, no idea of. Her praise in these first few words of her response sound very, very similar to Hannah's praise. Remember, she was the childless woman who asked the Lord for a child and said if You give me a child, I'll dedicate him to Your service.

Samuel was born to her. Here's Hannah's praise. Listen to the similarity.

1 Samuel 2:1-2:

[Julie] (35:33 - 35:45) "And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in Thy salvation. There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside Thee: neither is there any rock like our God." I noticed that horn imagery again, representing strength and deliverance from Hannah's shame, her public shame and barrenness. This was another woman of outstanding character.

[Rick] (35:45 - 36:08) It is. It's incredible to see how the Scriptures just tie so many things together. You see so many pictures that are Old Testament events that are unfolding as New Testament truths to God's plan.

Here's what happens; Mary recognizes the power of God's mercy upon all men, especially upon Israel. We know that because that's what she says next in Luke 1:50:

[Julie] (36:09 - 36:13) "And His mercy is upon generation after generation toward those who fear Him."

[Rick] (36:13 - 36:19) No surprise, she's quoting the Old Testament. She's quoting Psalm 103:17-18:

[Jonathan] (36:19 - 36:32) "But the loving kindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children's children, to those who keep His covenant and remember His precepts to do them."

[Rick] (36:33 - 37:03) Mary is now quoting the Old Testament. Zacharias was quoting the Old Testament previously. You see how the Old Testament is telling the story of the New Testament.

It's unfolding, and we're seeing it unfold before the events of the New Testament actually begin to unfold. Mary also recognizes the power of God's strength over all men. She recognized his mercy in Luke 1:50.

In Luke 1:51, she recognizes the power of God's strength over all men:

[Julie] (37:04 - 37:10) "He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart."

[Rick] (37:10 - 37:22) Again, she is singing praises to God and talking about His strength in their lives. No surprise, it sounds just like Psalm 98:1-2:

[Jonathan] (37:22 - 37:40) "O sing to the LORD a new song, for He has done wonderful things. His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him. The LORD has made known His salvation;

He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations."

[Rick] (37:40 - 38:03) You can see the beauty of the Old Testament. We go back and we read the Psalms and we read the prophecies, and they're beautiful. But look at them now in the context of the unfolding of the New Testament and the saving of the world. They have such so much more of a meaning.

Now Mary goes further. She continues to recognize things. She recognizes the power of God's capacity to restore balance.

Let's look at Luke 1:52:

[Julie] (38:03 - 38:13) "He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were humble. He has filled the hungry with good things; and He sent away the rich empty-handed."

[Rick] (38:13 - 38:22) You think about that, and it's okay, there's this restoration of balance. That sounds just like Psalm 107:9:

[Jonathan] (38:22 - 38:27) "For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, and the hungry soul He has filled with what is good."

[Rick] (38:28 - 38:44) You see that the Old and the New cannot exist without one another. Mary goes further. She further recognizes the power of God's loyalty to those who serve Him.

Luke 1:54-55:

[Julie] (38:45 - 38:53) "He has given help to Israel His servant, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever."

[Rick] (38:54 - 39:26) She's saying "as He spoke to our fathers" and to Abraham. Okay, you've got a whole lot of scriptures to go back to there. Just go back and see God's loyalty to His people.

That's what she's telling us. When we look at Elizabeth's response when she sees Mary, and then Mary's response when she is able to talk about what's happening, what we see is these two blessed women encouraging each other, and they continue to do that. They stayed together for three months right up until about the time that John was born, and that's reflected in Luke 1:56:

[Julie] (39:26 - 39:29) "And Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home."

[Jonathan] (39:30 - 39:37) Think about it; three months of support and praise. Zacharias must have been smiling the whole time.

[Rick] (39:37 - 40:01) You're right. He can't talk, but he's smiling because he's listening and he's hearing and he's seeing the power of God unfolding before his eyes in such a grand way. Again, you have the angel Gabriel behind all of these three individuals that are working through these incredible miracles happening in their lives.

Once again, let's Praise the Power of God's Influence:

[Julie] (40:01 - 40:22) For Elizabeth and Mary, the power of God's influence in their lives was first manifested by physical events. However, the power of these physical things was fully supplanted by the power of understanding that God graciously opened up for them. They could both now see beyond the miracles and appreciate what the results of those miracles would bring.

[Rick] (40:23 - 40:53) It's one thing to see a miracle happen. It's another thing to be able to see the big picture of what that miracle brings and to focus in on that as the big story, the big thing to be looking at. It just shows their faith and their humility and their perspective.

These two women are powerful examples for every one of us in their display of humbly receiving God's gifts while being able to see the big picture as well.

[Jonathan] (40:53 - 41:01) All of these spirit-driven proclamations were made by these individuals before Jesus' birth. What about after his birth?

[Rick] (41:02 - 41:28) All right. God does not stop allowing broad explanations of Jesus' mission to be revealed. Very much along the lines of Zacharias being able to speak when his son John was circumcised on the eighth day, we will see more spirit-driven prophecy come out on the eighth day when Jesus as a baby was circumcised. This time those words would come through Simeon.

[Jonathan] (41:28 - 42:06) This striking example of Simeon the prophet shows us the peace that a God-centered life brings. Here is the context; Luke 2:21-24:

"And when eight days had passed, before his circumcision, his name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. And when the days for their purification...were completed, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord...and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord..."

[Julie] (42:06 - 42:16) Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were given no special entitlement or dispensation. They were simply given opportunity to obediently show their faith just like everybody else.

[Rick] (42:17 - 42:52) That's such an important observation. On the eighth day after he is born, they go and do what everybody else is supposed to do. They offer the sacrifices that everybody else is supposed to offer.

You can say wait a minute, wait, wait, wait, this is the Messiah, pave the way, everybody step aside, let's do it differently. No, let's fulfill the Law that God had put in place. You can see this humble acquiescence to God's will and God's way here, according to the Law.

Now let's get into the role that Simeon plays. Let's look at Luke 2:25-26:

[Jonathan] (42:52 - 43:13) "And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel;

and the holy spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the holy spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ."

[Julie] (43:14 - 43:30) I really appreciate how these are all being put together because I hadn't noticed how often the holy spirit is directly influencing this. Again, you've got "the holy spirit was upon him." That's the power and influence of God working through these devout people.

[Rick] (43:30 - 44:40) When the power and influence of God goes to work, it's to reveal what is in the mind of God. That's where His power goes to work. We can see that the mind of God is telling us, I am setting everything in order while these two children are infants.

I'm putting it together so we can have the understanding long before. Now remember, Jesus doesn't start preaching for thirty years after this, but He puts it all in place long before. What a revealing on the part of Simeon here.

Here was a man who had not forgotten hope, who had not allowed doubt or fear to rule his heart, but rather he lived in anticipation and expectation of God's gift. He was told that he would see the Messiah before he died. He's an old guy.

Because he was old, and because this was a time of expectation in Israel, he was attentive and he was obedient to the spirit's leadings. You've just got to appreciate the power of faithfulness in every one of these individuals. Let's go further and see what he says in Luke 2:27-29:

[Jonathan] (44:40 - 45:16) "And he came in the spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for him the custom of the Law (circumcision), then he took him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, Now, Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, according to Your word." Simeon was granted just a glimpse of God's gift of redemption.

He sees the baby, takes him in his arms, and knows that his own life is now fulfilled. In my arms, I hold the hope of the world.

[Rick] (45:17 - 45:36) You think about that. He says "Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace..." He says, I can die fulfilled because of what you have given to me and given to us.

That's revealed a little bit more fully in Luke 2:30-31:

[Jonathan] (45:37 - 45:43) "For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples."

[Rick] (45:43 - 46:02) Here he is talking about it, and he's holding this beautiful child, and I can just imagine the emotion. He looks at him and he says, "...my eyes have seen Your salvation," and You've prepared it "in the presence of all peoples". Well, you know what he's doing?

He's alluding to Isaiah, because Isaiah said something similar in Isaiah 52:10:

[Julie] (46:03 - 46:10) The LORD has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations, that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God."

[Rick] (46:10 - 46:28) "My eyes have seen Your salvation," and Isaiah said "that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God." He's the first one to be able to proclaim I "have seen Your salvation," which will be revealed to everybody else. He continues in Luke 2:32:

[Jonathan] (46:28 - 46:34) "A light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel."

[Julie] (46:35 - 46:49) It's very telling that he sees this Messiah has purpose beyond just Simeon's own Israel. Jesus would be a light unto all people. Simeon, I don't think, could have anticipated this without the holy spirit.

[Rick] (46:49 - 47:15) Right. There's a reason that God's spirit put it into his heart and his mind, so that we could understand the pre-planning of God putting things in place. Here he's quoting Isaiah 9, just like Zacharias did at John's circumcision.

When John was only eight days old, he quotes Isaiah 9:2-3:

[Julie] (47:15 - 47:31) "The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them. You shall multiply the nation,

you shall increase their gladness; they will be glad in your presence as with the gladness of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil."

[Rick] (47:32 - 48:00) You've got the Isaiah scripture based on what Simeon said, and Simeon prophesied the full import of redemption here. He's showing you this is a big picture. I have seen your salvation with my own eyes.

Jesus is the light that reaches to the Gentiles. It's not just the favored people Israel. It reaches to the Gentiles.

He is the light and he's the glory of Israel as well. What a massive statement he's making.

[Jonathan] (48:01 - 48:08) A reminder; every prophetic statement refers back to what God's holy prophets have already said.

[Rick] (48:09 - 48:55) That is something that we need to make sure we repeat to ourselves again and again and again. The New Testament is the fulfillment of the Old Testament. Put the two together.

They belong together. You understand the New much better when you understand the Old, and vice versa. Let's go to what happens next; Luke 2:33.

Joseph and Mary are watching Simeon with their child, and they're looking, saying, this is beyond our ability to grasp. Jesus, who's just now an eight-day-old newborn baby, is publicly revealed as the hope of the world.

[Jonathan] (48:55 - 49:00) I was wondering, who was observing and hearing these profound truths?

[Rick] (49:01 - 49:40) That's a good question. We don't have a whole lot to go on, but I would imagine this was a relatively public event because it was at the Temple. People would have been doing things, going about their business. The fact that prophecy is being spoken, it's not falling on nobody's ears. It's going to somebody.

We're seeing things happen and things unfold. Whatever it is, it was written for us to remember that God had it in order at the very, very beginning of the life of Jesus and the life of John. Now Simeon is going to speak some more, and it's going to take a little bit of a different turn. Everything up to this point has been, it's magnificent, it's beautiful. Here's what he says in Luke 2:34-35:

[Jonathan] (49:40 - 50:03) "And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed-- and a sword will pierce even your own soul--to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed."

[Rick] (50:04 - 50:27) He's talking about the hardship and the trial to come. Simeon also knew that fulfilling the plan of God would bring great sacrifice, and that sacrifice would be brought to Jesus. He would have to fulfill it as he would stand for righteousness, and as the hearts of men would be revealed, and as his own mother would have to suffer the loss of her son so many years later.

[Jonathan] (50:27 - 50:28) You're right, Rick. There will be conflict and heartbreak for Mary.

[Rick] (50:28 - 50:53) Yeah, yeah, in a big, big way. We've got Simeon giving his prophecy, and you're saying, wow, this is amazing.

It's quoting the Old Testament, just very similar to Zacharias speaking at the circumcision of John. But now something else happens. Anna, the prophetess, appears on the scene.

Let's look at Luke 2:36-38.

[Julie] (50:53 - 51:31) Anna was an eighty-four-year-old widow, and the Scripture says "she never left the Temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem." This is another example of God blessing a faithful woman.

As an old lady, she got to be one of the first to publicly testify to the identity of the Messiah. Her specific words aren't recorded, but she was also a blessed vessel of revealed truth because she continued what Simeon had started.

[Rick] (51:32 - 52:15) It really is remarkable. Think about this. It says that she's eighty-four, okay?

She is definitely senior. You've got Mary, who's a very, very, very young woman. Then you've got Elizabeth, who's right in between.

It's like part of this revealing is God saying all of the ages of a woman is reflected in the glory of God bringing His plan to pass. There's just a beauty in that because every one of these women had incredible faith, incredible humility, incredible sense of doing whatever it was that God would have them to do. Anna is speaking about those who are looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

She's encouraging them. Finally, Praising the Power of God's Influence:

[Jonathan] (52:16 - 52:34) The accounts surrounding the birth of Jesus contain so much more than the record of his birth. They contain several details of the comprehensiveness of God's incredible plan that brings all of humanity back into harmony with God.

[Rick] (52:34 - 54:10) We have Zacharias. We have Elizabeth. We have Mary. We have Simeon. We have Anna.

We have these individuals who were blessed to be tools of God at the outset of John the Baptist and the outset of Jesus' life. Those two lives would be two lives that would change the world. They were not only given the privilege to participate, they were given the privilege to speak the words of God through His spirit to show what God was doing.

What a powerful, powerful statement that is. Let's go back to Isaiah 9 because both Zacharias and Simeon referred to it. Let's read Isaiah 9:6-7:

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.

He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this." We can see the Lord's zeal accomplishing, telling us beforehand through His spirit, through these individuals, what was going to happen.

What a God we have! What a planet it is! Think about it.

Folks, we love hearing from our listeners. We welcome your feedback and questions in this episode and other episodes at ChristianQuestions.com. Coming up in our next episode: "How Do I Know If I'm Really Following Jesus?"

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