Introduction
We are believers.
Christians.
That is who we are . . . and what we do. We believe.
But sometimes we don’t. Sometimes we can’t. In spite of what Christ has done for us and what He has done in our lives . . . we sometimes fail . . . to believe. We doubt.
That is when we need Him most.
Does He abandon us when we fail?
No!
Will He still save us and help us when we cannot believe?
Yes!
“If WE do not believe, HE still remains faithful . . . because He cannot deny Himself!” 2 Timothy 2:13
Let me show you the many examples of this in the scripture.
How Can I Know?
Luke 1:18
The Gospel story begins.
The story of Jesus . . . and the salvation and hope that He would bring.
The opening of the New Testament between God and Man. A new Era. A new Day. A new and wonderful beginning where the plan of God would be revealed and reconciliation between God and Man made possible by a Savior.
And in the very first Act of the drama . . . the Angel of the Lord is met with doubt!
In the very first chapter of the Gospel of Luke . . . the story begins by introducing Bible readers to a man named Zachariah.
He is a Hebrew Priest . . . he will become the Father of John the Baptist . . . and John is foreordained to serve as the Forerunner of the Messiah . . . the Promised Deliverer of the Nation of Israel and of the whole world.
Luke tells us that Zachariah has no idea what is about to happen. His name has come up in the rotation to serve in the Temple in Jerusalem . . . to perform his duties as a priest.
Hebrew priests were all descendants of Aaron, the brother of the great hero of the faith, Moses. Moses and Aaron were members of the tribe, Levi. Abraham was the Father of the Hebrew nation – Abraham had a son named Isaac – Isaac was the Father of Jacob, who fathered twelve sons. The tribal system was based upon Jacob’s sons – there were twelve tribes, each one named after a son of Jacob (whom God later renamed, Israel). So, the Nation of Israel was composed of the Twelve Tribes.
Everyone in the line of descendancy from Jacob’s son Levi, were called Levites. Not all Levites were priests . . . but every priest was required to be a Levite.
Zachariah was born into the Tribe of Levi . . . he was a descendant of Aaron . . . but in his youth he chose to pursue the priesthood. He would have to study, and train, and prepare . . . and he would have to be approved and anointed by the Elders and religious leaders of Israel before he could assume the office of priest.
Zachariah’s father, or Grandfather, and/or Great Grandfather might have served in the priesthood. He might have been the first of his family to do so. We do not know.
The priesthood was not a vocation, a job, or a means of livelihood. Zachariah worked to support and provide for his family by working at some secular endeavor. The priesthood was his calling to spiritual service.
A priest in Israel might study, train, and prepare for his entire life in the priesthood . . . and only be selected or called upon to actually perform the duties of the priesthood . . . once in that lifetime. There were many priests throughout all of the nation of Israel . . . and they served by lot, and list, and rotation. This was not what Zachariah did every day of his adult life. The story that Luke tells about him in his Gospel happens during a once in a lifetime occasion in the life of this humble servant of God.
If anything at all could make this part of the Gospel story seem more important . . . and more God-ordained than the timing of Zachariah’s service, I cannot think of what it might be.
Zachariah is the man of God in the right place at the right time.
During his service in the Temple (how excited, awed, and overjoyed Zachariah must have already been), the Angel of the Lord (named Gabriel) appeared to him. (Luke 1:13-17).
13 The angel said to him, Do not be afraid, Zachariah: your prayer has been heard; your wife Elizabeth is going to give birth to a son, and you will call his name John.
14 And you both will have joy and gladness; and many will rejoice because of his birth.
15 He will be great in the sight of the Lord, and will not drink wine or alcohol; he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from the time in his mother's womb.
16 And He will turn many of the Children of Israel to the Lord their God.
17 And God will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to prepare the people and make them ready for the Lord.
I have always wondered at the passages like this in the Bible (there are several). The Angel of the Lord suddenly appears out of nothing (not just your run of the mill angel . . . but the Angel of all Angels, Gabriel) and says, ”Fear not!” What I wonder is . . . how is that working for you? The not being afraid part, I mean.
I imagine that Zach was still terrified . . . comforting words aside.
This is a great deal to take in without warning.
So, Zachariah’s response is not contemplated, measured, weighed and thought out. What comes out of his mouth is a genuine and unvarnished reply . . . straight from his shocked heart and mind.
His response is a question, “How can I know that what you have said is true?” (For Zacharias, knowing and believing were the same).
He does overcome his fear enough to express honest doubt and uncertainty.
You might tell an angel anything that you think he wants to hear. You might muster up the strength to boldly accept what you have heard without question or reserve. But Zachariah didn’t do that. He shot straight with the Angel of the Lord and said, “I don’t believe you . . . prove it!”
The Gospel story might have fallen onto the rocks at its very first step. If doubt, hesitation, uncertainty, or unbelief had caused God to ditch His plan we would never have heard or benefited from the story of Jesus. The story would have never begun.
Here is the lesson: God knows how difficult it is for us to believe. He knows how weak we are and how prone we are to question what He is doing (or about to do) and He is always prepared to help us step forward in spite of the pitfalls.
EVERYTHING that the Angel promised came to pass . . . AND he gently tweaked Zachariah for failing to believe from the beginning. The Father-to-be would not be able to speak a word until the day that his son was born!
The first words he spoke since the angelic appearance was, “His name will be JOHN.”
Every single moment that Zachariah was mute was a loving confirmation that God is faithful!
Think for a moment . . .
“Angel, how am I going to KNOW that what you have just told me is TRUE?!”
Well, your wife Elizabeth is going to surprise you by telling you that she is pregnant. And every day for the following nine months you will be able to look at your beautiful wife of so many years . . . and see the glow and joy and wonder of what God has promised as she carries the coming Prophet.
And then . . . you’re going to have a baby! A little, round, pink, cuddly baby boy (he was to be a little rough and craggy as an adult, but he was a normal baby boy). That baby is the ultimate proof that God does what He says that He will do. Every time you hold that baby, feed him, bounce him on your knee, or play with him you will know that you are touching a promise of God that has been carried out before your eyes.
Zachariah . . . if you had only been thinking clearly . . . you would have realized that you would know from the natural proofs of the circumstances appearing before you . . . you would see the evidence of God bringing His will to pass.
Personally, I think being stricken mute by the angel is a humorous touch. Zach may not have thought it was funny . . . but maybe he did. Maybe that silent old man smiled knowingly at everyone who looked at him.
“Look at that poor old man,” someone probably said. “If I couldn’t talk I don’t know if I would be as happy as he appears to be.”
Maybe he enjoyed the little joke . . . he was going to be a Father. Many people who suddenly lost their voice would feel that it was a tragedy . . . the judgment of God. But to this joyful priest, his forced silence was a sign. A sign that God’s plan was going forward, and he and his wife and new son were going to be a part of it.
Was God pleased with Zachariah’s unbelief? No . . . but it didn’t even slow the Creator down.
The story continued . . .
We are believers.
Christians.
That is who we are . . . and what we do. We believe.
But sometimes we don’t. Sometimes we can’t. In spite of what Christ has done for us and what He has done in our lives . . . we sometimes fail . . . to believe. We doubt.
That is when we need Him most.
Does He abandon us when we fail?
No!
Will He still save us and help us when we cannot believe?
Yes!
“If WE do not believe, HE still remains faithful . . . because He cannot deny Himself!” 2 Timothy 2:13
Let me show you the many examples of this in the scripture.
How Can I Know?
Luke 1:18
The Gospel story begins.
The story of Jesus . . . and the salvation and hope that He would bring.
The opening of the New Testament between God and Man. A new Era. A new Day. A new and wonderful beginning where the plan of God would be revealed and reconciliation between God and Man made possible by a Savior.
And in the very first Act of the drama . . . the Angel of the Lord is met with doubt!
In the very first chapter of the Gospel of Luke . . . the story begins by introducing Bible readers to a man named Zachariah.
He is a Hebrew Priest . . . he will become the Father of John the Baptist . . . and John is foreordained to serve as the Forerunner of the Messiah . . . the Promised Deliverer of the Nation of Israel and of the whole world.
Luke tells us that Zachariah has no idea what is about to happen. His name has come up in the rotation to serve in the Temple in Jerusalem . . . to perform his duties as a priest.
Hebrew priests were all descendants of Aaron, the brother of the great hero of the faith, Moses. Moses and Aaron were members of the tribe, Levi. Abraham was the Father of the Hebrew nation – Abraham had a son named Isaac – Isaac was the Father of Jacob, who fathered twelve sons. The tribal system was based upon Jacob’s sons – there were twelve tribes, each one named after a son of Jacob (whom God later renamed, Israel). So, the Nation of Israel was composed of the Twelve Tribes.
Everyone in the line of descendancy from Jacob’s son Levi, were called Levites. Not all Levites were priests . . . but every priest was required to be a Levite.
Zachariah was born into the Tribe of Levi . . . he was a descendant of Aaron . . . but in his youth he chose to pursue the priesthood. He would have to study, and train, and prepare . . . and he would have to be approved and anointed by the Elders and religious leaders of Israel before he could assume the office of priest.
Zachariah’s father, or Grandfather, and/or Great Grandfather might have served in the priesthood. He might have been the first of his family to do so. We do not know.
The priesthood was not a vocation, a job, or a means of livelihood. Zachariah worked to support and provide for his family by working at some secular endeavor. The priesthood was his calling to spiritual service.
A priest in Israel might study, train, and prepare for his entire life in the priesthood . . . and only be selected or called upon to actually perform the duties of the priesthood . . . once in that lifetime. There were many priests throughout all of the nation of Israel . . . and they served by lot, and list, and rotation. This was not what Zachariah did every day of his adult life. The story that Luke tells about him in his Gospel happens during a once in a lifetime occasion in the life of this humble servant of God.
If anything at all could make this part of the Gospel story seem more important . . . and more God-ordained than the timing of Zachariah’s service, I cannot think of what it might be.
Zachariah is the man of God in the right place at the right time.
During his service in the Temple (how excited, awed, and overjoyed Zachariah must have already been), the Angel of the Lord (named Gabriel) appeared to him. (Luke 1:13-17).
13 The angel said to him, Do not be afraid, Zachariah: your prayer has been heard; your wife Elizabeth is going to give birth to a son, and you will call his name John.
14 And you both will have joy and gladness; and many will rejoice because of his birth.
15 He will be great in the sight of the Lord, and will not drink wine or alcohol; he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from the time in his mother's womb.
16 And He will turn many of the Children of Israel to the Lord their God.
17 And God will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to prepare the people and make them ready for the Lord.
I have always wondered at the passages like this in the Bible (there are several). The Angel of the Lord suddenly appears out of nothing (not just your run of the mill angel . . . but the Angel of all Angels, Gabriel) and says, ”Fear not!” What I wonder is . . . how is that working for you? The not being afraid part, I mean.
I imagine that Zach was still terrified . . . comforting words aside.
This is a great deal to take in without warning.
So, Zachariah’s response is not contemplated, measured, weighed and thought out. What comes out of his mouth is a genuine and unvarnished reply . . . straight from his shocked heart and mind.
His response is a question, “How can I know that what you have said is true?” (For Zacharias, knowing and believing were the same).
He does overcome his fear enough to express honest doubt and uncertainty.
You might tell an angel anything that you think he wants to hear. You might muster up the strength to boldly accept what you have heard without question or reserve. But Zachariah didn’t do that. He shot straight with the Angel of the Lord and said, “I don’t believe you . . . prove it!”
The Gospel story might have fallen onto the rocks at its very first step. If doubt, hesitation, uncertainty, or unbelief had caused God to ditch His plan we would never have heard or benefited from the story of Jesus. The story would have never begun.
Here is the lesson: God knows how difficult it is for us to believe. He knows how weak we are and how prone we are to question what He is doing (or about to do) and He is always prepared to help us step forward in spite of the pitfalls.
EVERYTHING that the Angel promised came to pass . . . AND he gently tweaked Zachariah for failing to believe from the beginning. The Father-to-be would not be able to speak a word until the day that his son was born!
The first words he spoke since the angelic appearance was, “His name will be JOHN.”
Every single moment that Zachariah was mute was a loving confirmation that God is faithful!
Think for a moment . . .
“Angel, how am I going to KNOW that what you have just told me is TRUE?!”
Well, your wife Elizabeth is going to surprise you by telling you that she is pregnant. And every day for the following nine months you will be able to look at your beautiful wife of so many years . . . and see the glow and joy and wonder of what God has promised as she carries the coming Prophet.
And then . . . you’re going to have a baby! A little, round, pink, cuddly baby boy (he was to be a little rough and craggy as an adult, but he was a normal baby boy). That baby is the ultimate proof that God does what He says that He will do. Every time you hold that baby, feed him, bounce him on your knee, or play with him you will know that you are touching a promise of God that has been carried out before your eyes.
Zachariah . . . if you had only been thinking clearly . . . you would have realized that you would know from the natural proofs of the circumstances appearing before you . . . you would see the evidence of God bringing His will to pass.
Personally, I think being stricken mute by the angel is a humorous touch. Zach may not have thought it was funny . . . but maybe he did. Maybe that silent old man smiled knowingly at everyone who looked at him.
“Look at that poor old man,” someone probably said. “If I couldn’t talk I don’t know if I would be as happy as he appears to be.”
Maybe he enjoyed the little joke . . . he was going to be a Father. Many people who suddenly lost their voice would feel that it was a tragedy . . . the judgment of God. But to this joyful priest, his forced silence was a sign. A sign that God’s plan was going forward, and he and his wife and new son were going to be a part of it.
Was God pleased with Zachariah’s unbelief? No . . . but it didn’t even slow the Creator down.
The story continued . . .
How can this be?
Luke 1:34
At this chapter and verse (while the Zachariah and Elizabeth story continued) step number two in the beginning of the Gospel story takes place. The Angel Gabriel appears to a young woman named Mary at her home in Nazareth. He has come to announce to her the part that she will play in God’s plan.
Luke 1:
26 And in the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to Nazareth, a city of Galilee,
27 to a virgin espoused to a man named Joseph, he was descended from the house of King David; her name was Mary.
28 The angel appeared to her, and announced, ‘Hello, Highly Favored One! The Lord is with you, and among all other women – you are blessed.’
29 When she saw him and heard what he said it troubled her. It made her wonder if she were losing her mind.
30 Gabriel said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Mary: you have found favor with God.
31 Listen – you are going to conceive and bear a son – you will call him JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God will present Him with the throne of his forefather, King David:
33 And He will reign as Royalty over the House of Jacob forever - His rule and His Kingdom will never end.’
Mary’s response was not one of complete faith and acceptance – but of total unbelief.
“How can this be true (supernatural, angelic appearances aside)? I have never been with a man!”
So . . . step number two in the beginning of the Gospel story . . . and again Gabriel is met by someone who (at least at the outset) was without faith.
A rocky beginning – Gabriel is 0 for 2.
Mother Mary.
What a wonderful person, and I believe she was the very first Christian. The first person among the human race to believe that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
Yet her first step on the Gospel Road was without faith.
No problem.
Luke (a physician, remember) was very deliberate in his description of Mary as a virgin.
Liberal theologians and outright pagans have proposed that possible meanings of the word parthenos (Luke’s word for virgin) are young woman or maiden.
Yes, these are possible meanings, or possible translations of that word.
But coupled with Mary’s statement: “I have never intimately known a man!” little doubt is left about what the scriptures are conveying. Mary was a virgin. She had never had sexual relations with a man.
Mary was young, but her mother had taught her the facts of life. A woman required the contribution of a man in order to create a pregnancy. What Gabriel was saying must be incorrect, because a part of the equation was definitely missing.
What Gabriel was suggesting was something about which Mary had never heard.
So it was very sensible and logical (a girl . . . who would have thought?) for her to respond without faith.
Did this cause a hitch in God’s plan?
Not in the slightest.
And . . . Gabriel did not choose to chasten young Mary with muteness, or leprosy, or a plague . . .
As a matter of fact he set up a date for her to meet with her pregnant Aunt – Elizabeth.
Elizabeth. “You know, Mary . . . your older, childless Aunt? Yes, that one.
She is going to have a baby, too.
Does that help, Mary?”
Read the rest of Luke 1.
Mary goes to visit Elizabeth and when they meet (though her Aunt had no knowledge that her young Niece was expecting) the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaps for joy.
“Mary, when you entered the room my unborn son leapt for joy at your presence. You are blessedly carrying the Savior of the World!”
Mary’s faith was growing . . . her first step was without faith . . . but she would soon be filled with all of the faith that was required for the first Christmas.
Believers
The Wise Men who would travel from the East believed that a great King would soon be born.
They would arrive in Judea . . . following a miraculous sign in the sky . . . looking for a newborn baby who would change human history . . . and change the world.
When did they start their journey?
Did they, as Elizabeth, know before Jesus was conceived?
Did their distance from Bethlehem require that they travel for months . . . to be able to arrive at the proper time?
How did they learn about the coming birth of the Messiah?
I don’t think they figured it out . . . or saw it on their astrological star charts . . . or wised it out from their powerful intellects and minds.
I don’t think they knew about the birth of Jesus because they were students of the Hebrew scriptures.
It is true that they reveal that they had knowledge of the prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah. The Hebrew Prophets preached about God’s Promises to send a specially anointed King/Priest. They even said that He would be born of a virgin in the city of Bethlehem. He would be born from the lineage of King David.
But apart from these specifications . . . an exact date and time is not revealed (in my opinion). Some Bible interpreters believe that a passage in the book of the Prophet Daniel (chapter 9) indicates an exact time . . . but I am without faith about that interpretation.
How did they know?
It is simple to me.
The mystical men from the East found out the same way that Elizabeth did . . . the way that Mary did. The Angel Gabriel probably paid them a visit.
I do not have great confidence in the wisdom of men . . . and I do not think that God does either.
The Old Testament scriptures strictly forbid consulting the stars and the planets in an effort to discern God’s will or the future. The practice is clearly condemned and has no favor with God. It is NOT one of the tools or methods that He employs, encourages, or permits. God is the Director of the heavens . . . and I do not believe He would have permitted even a CLUE about what He was planning for Judea to be painted among the celestial bodies.
But what about the STAR that led the Wise Men to Bethlehem?
The bright body that appeared to the Wise Men (as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew) and led them to Jesus’ birthplace is clearly described as an illumination that was within the bounds of Earth’s atmosphere . . . not in outer space.
The bright phenomena “went before them.” (Matthew 2:9)
True celestial bodies cannot be described as moving in any direction that would prescribe a journey (movement from a place on Earth to a destination).
A single celestial body cannot be used to pinpoint a singular position on the globe. Using two stars or planets, or a planet and a star . . . a navigator can triangulate a position on the earth (the two celestial bodies plus the point on the earth), but this is not what the story of the journey of the Wise Men describes.
Then there is this information recorded by Matthew. The Wise Men lost sight of the miraculous light. They couldn’t see it. It disappeared from view.
A heavenly body in outer space is either there . . . or it is not. It is either in view at a particular time (cloudy skies aside). It doesn’t come and go.
When the Wise Men lost sight of the light they stopped in to visit with King Herod, the ruling Monarch of the Land of Judah to see if he could help them apart from the star. Apparently these men were not particularly wise. “Hello King of the Jews . . . we’re here looking for a baby who was born King of the Jews . . . your replacement. Can you help us?”
“No, I can’t,” said the madman, “but good luck and let me know what you find out!”
King Herod couldn’t see the star.
The Elders of Israel that Herod consulted could not see the star.
But suddenly, the Wise Men could see it again (though, apparently Herod nor the Elders never did) and it “went before them” and led them specifically to the house where Joseph, Mary, and the child Jesus were living in Bethlehem, perhaps a year or more after the baby’s birth.
Matthew reports that the star “stood over the house” where Jesus was . . . bodies in the heavens do not do this.
This was not a conjunction of starts and planets . . . it was not a super nova . . . it was not any comet, asteroid or other heavenly body. It was a special, miraculous, leading sign from God that cannot be explained as a natural physical phenomenon.
Isn’t it strange?
The Wise Men had great faith . . . enough to compel them on a long, arduous, and dangerous journey.
King Herod believed. He was so strongly convinced that his faith led him to order the slaughter all of the babies in Judea up to two years of age.
The Elders of Israel believed that the Wise Men . . . and their insane King . . . were correct.
The primary actors in this drama . . . Zachariah and Mary . . . had difficulty believing . . . but the Wise Men, Herod, and the Elders believed without hesitation or debate.
Such, I have learned, is the nature of Faith . . . and the nature of the will and working of God.
Some fail to believe . . . they might be convinced and grow in their faith . . . others believe so effortlessly. The faith of Herod and the Hebrew Elders was not blessed by God . . . but the persistent faith of the Wise Men brought them to Jesus.
The plan and work of God marches on.
The Wise Men who would travel from the East believed that a great King would soon be born.
They would arrive in Judea . . . following a miraculous sign in the sky . . . looking for a newborn baby who would change human history . . . and change the world.
When did they start their journey?
Did they, as Elizabeth, know before Jesus was conceived?
Did their distance from Bethlehem require that they travel for months . . . to be able to arrive at the proper time?
How did they learn about the coming birth of the Messiah?
I don’t think they figured it out . . . or saw it on their astrological star charts . . . or wised it out from their powerful intellects and minds.
I don’t think they knew about the birth of Jesus because they were students of the Hebrew scriptures.
It is true that they reveal that they had knowledge of the prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah. The Hebrew Prophets preached about God’s Promises to send a specially anointed King/Priest. They even said that He would be born of a virgin in the city of Bethlehem. He would be born from the lineage of King David.
But apart from these specifications . . . an exact date and time is not revealed (in my opinion). Some Bible interpreters believe that a passage in the book of the Prophet Daniel (chapter 9) indicates an exact time . . . but I am without faith about that interpretation.
How did they know?
It is simple to me.
The mystical men from the East found out the same way that Elizabeth did . . . the way that Mary did. The Angel Gabriel probably paid them a visit.
I do not have great confidence in the wisdom of men . . . and I do not think that God does either.
The Old Testament scriptures strictly forbid consulting the stars and the planets in an effort to discern God’s will or the future. The practice is clearly condemned and has no favor with God. It is NOT one of the tools or methods that He employs, encourages, or permits. God is the Director of the heavens . . . and I do not believe He would have permitted even a CLUE about what He was planning for Judea to be painted among the celestial bodies.
But what about the STAR that led the Wise Men to Bethlehem?
The bright body that appeared to the Wise Men (as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew) and led them to Jesus’ birthplace is clearly described as an illumination that was within the bounds of Earth’s atmosphere . . . not in outer space.
The bright phenomena “went before them.” (Matthew 2:9)
True celestial bodies cannot be described as moving in any direction that would prescribe a journey (movement from a place on Earth to a destination).
A single celestial body cannot be used to pinpoint a singular position on the globe. Using two stars or planets, or a planet and a star . . . a navigator can triangulate a position on the earth (the two celestial bodies plus the point on the earth), but this is not what the story of the journey of the Wise Men describes.
Then there is this information recorded by Matthew. The Wise Men lost sight of the miraculous light. They couldn’t see it. It disappeared from view.
A heavenly body in outer space is either there . . . or it is not. It is either in view at a particular time (cloudy skies aside). It doesn’t come and go.
When the Wise Men lost sight of the light they stopped in to visit with King Herod, the ruling Monarch of the Land of Judah to see if he could help them apart from the star. Apparently these men were not particularly wise. “Hello King of the Jews . . . we’re here looking for a baby who was born King of the Jews . . . your replacement. Can you help us?”
“No, I can’t,” said the madman, “but good luck and let me know what you find out!”
King Herod couldn’t see the star.
The Elders of Israel that Herod consulted could not see the star.
But suddenly, the Wise Men could see it again (though, apparently Herod nor the Elders never did) and it “went before them” and led them specifically to the house where Joseph, Mary, and the child Jesus were living in Bethlehem, perhaps a year or more after the baby’s birth.
Matthew reports that the star “stood over the house” where Jesus was . . . bodies in the heavens do not do this.
This was not a conjunction of starts and planets . . . it was not a super nova . . . it was not any comet, asteroid or other heavenly body. It was a special, miraculous, leading sign from God that cannot be explained as a natural physical phenomenon.
Isn’t it strange?
The Wise Men had great faith . . . enough to compel them on a long, arduous, and dangerous journey.
King Herod believed. He was so strongly convinced that his faith led him to order the slaughter all of the babies in Judea up to two years of age.
The Elders of Israel believed that the Wise Men . . . and their insane King . . . were correct.
The primary actors in this drama . . . Zachariah and Mary . . . had difficulty believing . . . but the Wise Men, Herod, and the Elders believed without hesitation or debate.
Such, I have learned, is the nature of Faith . . . and the nature of the will and working of God.
Some fail to believe . . . they might be convinced and grow in their faith . . . others believe so effortlessly. The faith of Herod and the Hebrew Elders was not blessed by God . . . but the persistent faith of the Wise Men brought them to Jesus.
The plan and work of God marches on.
Believers, Too
An angelic host appeared to a group of shepherds on the evening of Jesus’ birth.
(See? It is Angels that announce the birth of Jesus to everyone concerned . . . from shepherd to Wise Men).
It appears that they immediately believed this good news . . . and headed to the manger.
This was long before the Wise Men (in ALL of their wisdom) would arrive.
And when Jesus was eight days old, Mary and Joseph took Him to the Temple in Jerusalem to formally present Him and dedicate Him to God. It was their custom as commanded by God in the Jewish Law.
While there . . . the young family was approached by two special people . . . a man named Simeon and a woman named Anna. These two people were full of faith.
They had been waiting for and believing in the plan of God their entire lives. They did not know all of the specifics or all of the players . . . so they spent every day in the Temple . . . waiting for the promised Savior to arrive.
When the eight day old Jesus was brought into the Temple that old man and that old woman knew it immediately. They praised God and worshipped the baby.
What great Faith!
The faith of Simeon and Anna filled the hearts of Mary and Joseph . . . they would need all that they could get. God was providing all that they would need.
An angelic host appeared to a group of shepherds on the evening of Jesus’ birth.
(See? It is Angels that announce the birth of Jesus to everyone concerned . . . from shepherd to Wise Men).
It appears that they immediately believed this good news . . . and headed to the manger.
This was long before the Wise Men (in ALL of their wisdom) would arrive.
And when Jesus was eight days old, Mary and Joseph took Him to the Temple in Jerusalem to formally present Him and dedicate Him to God. It was their custom as commanded by God in the Jewish Law.
While there . . . the young family was approached by two special people . . . a man named Simeon and a woman named Anna. These two people were full of faith.
They had been waiting for and believing in the plan of God their entire lives. They did not know all of the specifics or all of the players . . . so they spent every day in the Temple . . . waiting for the promised Savior to arrive.
When the eight day old Jesus was brought into the Temple that old man and that old woman knew it immediately. They praised God and worshipped the baby.
What great Faith!
The faith of Simeon and Anna filled the hearts of Mary and Joseph . . . they would need all that they could get. God was providing all that they would need.
