Breaking the Silence

At the end of the Old Testament, God seems to be in hiding. For four centuries, the Jews wait and wonder. God seems passive, unconcerned, and deaf to their prayers. Only one hope remains - the ancient promise of a Messiah! On that promise the Jews stake everything. Then, something momentous happens! The birth of a baby is announced! 

You can catch the excitement - just by reading the reactions of people in the book of Luke. Events surrounding Jesus’ birth are like a joy-filled musical. Characters crowd into the scene: a white-haired great-uncle (Luke 1:5-25), an astonished virgin (1:26-38) and an old prophetess, Anna (2:36). Mary herself lets loose with a beautiful hymn (1:46-55). Even Jesus’ unborn cousin kicks for joy inside his mother’s womb (1:41).

Luke takes care to make direct connections to Old Testament promises of a Messiah. The angel Gabriel even calls John the Baptist an “Elijah”, sent to prepare the way for the Lord (1:17). Clearly, something is brewing on Planet Earth.

Among the hopeless, defeated villagers in a remote corner of the Roman empire, something amazing is breaking out!!

My prayer for us all this Christmas is that we will recapture something of the amazement and wonder of that first Christmas when God’s silence was broken.

May God bless you as we walk together.

Pastor Roger