In her latter years, my grandmother loved for me to read to her from the book of Luke. Because of this, this is the Gospel I generally turn to first for the Christmas story. I wonder, sometimes, if it wasn’t that she wanted to ensure that I knew the story more than just her loving it. Granny’s are a little sneaky like that.

Luke Chapter 1 introduces us to the reason for this account being written, and what it is about from a the perspective of Luke, a physician and eye witness to Christ’s ministry. This chapter carries us on a rapid journey beginning with Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth, and ending with the childhood of the man sent to us by the Almighty to prepare a way for Christ and his ministry.

What anything here, in this particular chapter didn’t happen? I am not here today to attempt to provide you answers to this question, but rather encourage you think beyond the text..and, of course, there’s a point to all of this. Of course, these are hypothetical questions, as God knows how we will respond and react and prepares our paths and hearts to meet his will and the challenges set before us. All the while, we have a choice in our words, in our responses, in our actions – or lack thereof.

What if Luke did not tell his story as he was led to do? v 1-4

• Would fewer people have read the Gospels?
• Would fewer people have understood the Gospels?
• Would fewer people have believed the Gospels?

What if Zechariah had not questioned Gabriel? v 5-23

• Would he have continued to question God’s power?
• Would have turned others away from God with his doubts and questions?
• Would he have missed his blessing?
• Would Elizabeth have been denied her blessing? (of course, there’s more to this story in other books of the Bible)
• Would Elizabeth have had the same responses when John was born?

What if Elizabeth had not seen this as blessing? v 24-25

• Would she have been able to encourage Mary?
• Would she have been as accepting of Zechariah’s punishment?
• Would she had trusted God and willingly given her child and his life over to what God had planned?

What if Mary had responded with more fear than worship? v 26-56

• Would Joseph have had different response?
• Would she have been able to make the journey to her cousins home to connect with her, and to connect the children in their wombs?
• Would others understand the power of praise and worship as fully as is necessary?

What if Zechariah and Elizabeth had not followed God’s path? What if they had argued over the naming of their child?

• Would others have understood the reverence of the Lord of the reverence of custom?
• Would their marriage have suffered for this lack of unity?
• Would others recognized the power of God?
• Would Zechariah been blessed with the prophecy he shared at John’s birth.
• Would Zechariah and Sarah have been able to raise this blessed child knowing he what he would later face?

We’ll look more at the life and ministry of John the Baptist in later chapters. For now, consider the significance of this chapter, and all of the events and repsonses leading up to John’s birth…how many years, how many people, how many lives impacted.

If not for the birth and ministry of John the Baptist, though just a few short months younger than Christ, would the world they born into have been ready and prepared to accept the ministry of Christ. Every finite detail is important to the playing out of the Salvation of the world. What is your part in this journey? What is it that you can respond to? How can you praise your God today? How can you tell tell the story to your family, to your loved ones, even to the world today?

For we are not called to remain silent as Zechariah was.

WHAT IF WE DON’T HEED THE GREAT COMMISSION?

Disregard your fears and doubts and the ‘what if I dos’.

WHAT IF YOU DON’T?

My absolute favorite hymn is Tell Me the Story of Jesus. Oh, how the world longs to hear the story. Even if it doesn’t know it yet.

Much Love to you and yours!

Cindi

^{Self proclaimed Godmother of the Messy Bun Mafia.}

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