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Third Week of Advent: Thursday 19th December 2019

Daily Word Of God

Luke 1:13-14, 18-20, 24-25

The angel said to Zechariah, ‘Do not be afraid, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth is to bear you a son and you shall name him John. He will be your joy and delight and many will rejoice at his birth. Zechariah said to the angel, ‘How can I know this? I am an old man and my wife is getting on in years.’

The angel replied, ‘I am Gabriel, who stand in God’s presence, and I have been sent to speak to you and bring you this good news. Look! Since you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time, you will be silenced and have no power of speech until this has happened.’

Some time later his wife Elizabeth conceived and for five months she kept to herself, saying, ‘The Lord has done this for me, now that it has pleased him to take away the humiliation I suffered in public.’

Today's Pointers on God's Word

As you read the passage what words, phases or meanings caught your attention?

  • Zechariah’s questioning of a biological fact was construed as doubting the message of God in the angel’s words, and he paid a heavy price for it.

 

  • However, Elizabeth was filled with joy at the good news for the Lord has taken away her public humiliation of being able to bear any child.

 

  • Today, we stand on the brink of the Nativity of Our Lord and Saviour. Let us cast away all our doubts of God’s infinite and unconditional love for us, and focus our attention on showing our praise, reverence and love for this infant Messiah who is about to transform our world from darkness to light and hope.