Monday after Gaudete, The Third Sunday in Advent
Posted on December 18, 2023 by under
Scripture: St. Luke 1:1-15 (NKJV)
1:1 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.
5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.
8 So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.
11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, seven from his mother’s womb.”
Devotion
As we approach Christmastide we rightly focus on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, especially on the accounts of His birth. It is absolutely right and proper to understand the circumstances concerning our Lord’s birth.
One circumstance that can be easy to overlook is the announcement and birth of John the Baptist, the great forerunner of Christ who identified himself as the voice crying in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord!”
Not many people—prophets, priests, or kings—have their births foretold by an angel. John was one such person. John would go on to leap for joy in the presence of Jesus while both of them were still in their mothers’ wombs. John would go on to baptize Jesus, and point Him out as the true Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. John would eventually be put to death due to fearlessly pointing out the sin of Herod, who had his brother’s wife. In all of this, he resolutely pointed not to himself, but to Christ, even saying, “He must increase; but I must decrease” (John 3:30).
May God give us the same hearts to always look to, and point others to, Christ. And may God give us the same faithful hearts to do what we know is right, even when we must suffer consequences for it in this world.
Collect: Lord, we beseech Thee, give ear to our prayers, and lighten the darkness of our hearts, by Thy gracious visitation; Who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for the Season of Advent
Stir up, we beseech Thee, Thy power, O Lord, and come, that by Thy protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins, and saved by Thy mighty deliverance; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
