Teaching Notes

We come to worship the true king.

MONDAY
During the rule of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest assigned service in the regiment of Abijah. His name was Zachariah. His wife was descended from the daughters of Aaron. Her name was Elizabeth. Together they lived honorably before God, careful in keeping to the ways of the commandments and enjoying a clear conscience before God. But they were childless because Elizabeth could never conceive, and now they were quite old. - Luke 1:5-7

This scripture sets the tone of the beginning of the book of Luke.  This story starts not with the life of Jesus and his mother Mary, but with Elizabeth and the child that she will have.  This child we will later come to know as John the Baptist.  We see that this couple is old and have never had any children.  We also get a description of their character. They lived honorably before God and kept the commandments.  They stood holy before God, yet they had not had any children.

Thoughts for today: What can we learn from the life of this couple? This couple teaches us that we must be obedient to God even when the things we desire seem to never come.  This couple could have lost hope and refused to trust God because they did not have a child.  Yet, God has another plan and we will see that as we continue this week.  For right now we can take the lesson that we must be willing to have a character that people will say we are upright before the Lord.

Prayer: Lord today help me to be like those in the scripture today. Help me to obey you and live for you even if things do not seem to be going the way I want them to.  Help me to trust that you know what is best for me, so help me trust.

TUESDAY
It so happened that as Zachariah was carrying out his priestly duties before God, working the shift assigned to his regiment, it came his one turn in life to enter the sanctuary of God and burn incense. The congregation was gathered and praying outside the Temple at the hour of the incense offering. Unannounced, an angel of God appeared just to the right of the altar of incense. Zachariah was paralyzed in fear. - Luke 1:8-12

It now fell on Zachariah to carry out the duties before God. This was his first time to do this. It was at this time that he had an encounter with God.

Thought for today: Can you image what it must have been like to have such an encounter? Well we have an idea it says that he was paralyzed with fear.  To be in the presence of God was something unexpected to say the least.  We do not yet have what was said (that will come tomorrow) but we can take away this valuable lesson.  We should always be in the place where we can meet God in the most expected ways.  How do you do that?  You simply do it by going along with the duties that God has ordained for you to do.  When you are trusting God and obeying him, he simply shows up and allows you to be in his presence.

Prayer: Lord today I thank you for your presence being with us.  Thank you for helping me to obey you.  I want to obey you more so that during this Christmas I can come to know you better. 

WEDNESDAY
But the angel reassured him, "Don't fear, Zachariah. Your prayer has been heard. Elizabeth, your wife, will bear a son by you. You are to name him John. You're going to leap like a gazelle for joy, and not only you—many will delight in his birth. He'll achieve great stature with God. "He'll drink neither wine nor beer. He'll be filled with the Holy Spirit from the moment he leaves his mother's womb. He will turn many sons and daughters of Israel back to their God. He will herald God's arrival in the style and strength of Elijah, soften the hearts of parents to children, and kindle devout understanding among hardened skeptics—he'll get the people ready for God." Zachariah said to the angel, "Do you expect me to believe this? I'm an old man and my wife is an old woman."  - Luke 1:13-18

The angel told Zachariah not to be afraid.  He also came to tell him about his wife, Elizabeth.  She would have a child and he tells him what this son will do.  He will be the one that will go before Jesus and prepare the hearts of the people for the coming of Jesus.  Zachariah's response was disbelief.  How could this be since me and my wife are old?

Thought for today: What can we learn from Zachariah's doubt? We all have times when something seems to great to be that we doubt it happening.  Haven't you doubted that you might be able to get a good grade in a class or that you would not accomplish something you wanted to do?  Well this is the same thing.  Zachariah doubted because he was looking at what things were.  He was old and so was his wife so they should not be able to have children.  However what seems impossible for you and I is not impossible with God.  So for this season let us have an expectation of the impossible being possible (with God).  Let us begin to seek God for impossible things he want to do in your life.  It might seem impossible to you that you will be able to go to college.  Yet God may be waiting for you to trust in him so that he can make the impossible, possible.

Prayer: Lord there is nothing too hard for you.  There is nothing to great or wonderful that you cannot do.  Help me not to doubt like Zachariah did.  Help me not to look at my situation and think that this is all there is.  Help me to see my life with your vision and no longer with my own.

THURSDAY
But the angel said, "I am Gabriel, the sentinel of God, sent especially to bring you this glad news. But because you won't believe me, you'll be unable to say a word until the day of your son's birth. Every word I've spoken to you will come true on time—God's time." Meanwhile, the congregation waiting for Zachariah was getting restless, wondering what was keeping him so long in the sanctuary. When he came out and couldn't speak, they knew he had seen a vision. He continued speechless and had to use sign language with the people. - Luke 1:19-22

Because of his doubt he was not able to speak.  The angel Gabriel told him he would not be able to speak until the birth of his son.  Gabriel also told him at that time everything spoken would come to be.

Thought for today: Why do you think his mouth was shut up?  Did you know that doubt has a way of "shutting you up"?  It might not be physically but doubt has a way of stopping you from focusing on what God wants you to see.  Sometimes God has to shut us up and allow us to simply see what he can do.  When he does then we can only focus on him and no longer "voice" our doubts releasing them into the air.  In other words God does not want us speaking those doubts over our lives.  What we can learn is God wants us to trust him even when things seem too great for our understanding.  We must trust that he will do things in his time and in his way.

Prayer: Lord shut up my doubts.  Help me to release anything that stands in the way of me being able to trust in you.  If there be any doubt in my heart please remove it.  You have spoken a purpose over my life so help me to reach out and receive it.

FRIDAY
When the course of his priestly assignment was completed, he went back home. It wasn't long before his wife, Elizabeth, conceived. She went off by herself for five months, relishing her pregnancy. "So, this is how God acts to remedy my unfortunate condition!" she said.  - Luke 1:23-25

The scripture says it was not long before Elizabeth conceived.  The promise that God made was going to happen.  Elizabeth's response was this is how God is going to change my life.

Thought for today: Why do you think Elizabeth responded the way she did?  Surely she was old so she may have given up on the hope of every having a child. So when what she thought was never going to happen she must have surely thought, God you are giving me back a hope that I had lost, this is how you are going to release me from this place of lack.  Did you know that we can learn a lesson about not giving up hope in what God can do.  It does not matter how long you think you have had to wait for something, God can still fix it or change it.  You might be struggling in some area and it feels like it will never end.  Yet God wants to remind us that he is able to do even what we think is impossible.  So this week as we reflect on the scripture let us think about how Christ came to offer you and I the opportunity to trust in the wondrous work of God.  It is through Christ that you and I can trust in God to make the impossible, possible.

Prayer: Lord thank you today for placing in me a purpose.  It might seem at times that the purpose will never be fulfilled but there is coming a time if I contiue to trust you, when you will bring that purpose to light.  You will birth in me that which you want.  There is nothing too hard for you.