Laurie Hopkins

Without Christmas, there is no Easter.  

The Easter story, although it began before the foundation of the world, hit an important milestone in the Christmas story.  

After 400 years of silence, at the beginning of the Christmas story, Zacharias, Mary and Joseph all heard from God, through an angel, but individually. 

The first widespread proclamation of the Good News that had arrived was to the shepherds. 

What was that Good News?  

The Good News was that Christmas, the birth of Christ, was never meant to be celebrated out of context, but always to be celebrated looking ahead to Easter.  

The angel didn’t say Christ the baby was born, but rather, “for there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” 

The Good News of Christmas was that the Babe had been born, which, although the people didn’t understand at the time, pointed us directly to Easter. 

That baby had to grow into a man, walking the journey the Father had set out for Him, go to the cross for our sins, be crucified, dead and buried, to rise again on the third day, to ascend to the right Hand of the Father, that we, dead in our sins, may be reconciled to the Father. 

As we move on to devotions on Jesus’ ministry, we must always remember, without Christmas there is no Easter and without Easter, Christmas has no meaning.

The angel Gabriel was sent to Mary to deliver an amazing message.  

She, a young girl, who was not yet married, would be overshadowed by the power of the Highest and would bear the Son of God. 

This message was amazing at several levels.   

We often romanticize the visit of the angel to Mary while not taking the time to consider the realities of the world she was living in and what it would mean to her in her daily life.  

She would have to live in a society where pregnancy before marriage was shameful and punishable by stoning.  

Yet, in spite of the challenges that she knew she would face, Mary’s response to the message of the angel was one of acceptance and trust.  

“Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” 

God calls us to things in this life that others may romanticize but which we understand will present challenges in our daily life. 

It is very important, no matter how much others romanticize the calls on our lives, that we are honest with ourselves about the challenges.  

Then the question becomes not whether or not challenges will come, challenges will come.  

The question becomes how will we respond to the call?  

Will we shy away in fear because of the challenges we know will come?  

Or will we, like Mary, choose the call on our lives with acceptance and trust?  

“Behold the maidservant of the Lord! 

Let it be to me according to your word.”

There had been 400 years of silence from God following the Old Testament book of Malachi.  

And then the silence was broken. Zacharias and Elizabeth were righteous before God.  

They prayed for a child.  

And yet Elizabeth was barren and they were both well advanced in years.  

When Zacharias went to burn incense before the Lord in the temple, he encountered an angel of the Lord, who delivered a message to him.  

“For your prayer is heard.” 

Zacharias and Elizabeth were both well advanced in years; 

it is safe to assume that they had been praying for a child for some time. 

The Bible says they were righteous before God.  

Why then did God not answer their prayers earlier? 

This is the question we often find ourselves asking.  

Why hasn’t God answered my prayers?  

I am in a solid relationship with Him, I’m doing the work He has called me to, why then are my prayers going unanswered?  

We often wonder if God even hears those prayers.  

“For your prayer is heard.” 

Zacharias and Elizabeth wanted a child, but God had a plan, a perfect plan, for them to have a specific child in a specific time.  

That child would go ahead of Jesus to prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. 

The angel was clear, “for your prayer is heard.” 

It wasn’t that God didn’t hear or acknowledge their prayer, but the timing of the answer had to fit into his perfect plan.  

So now, in their well advanced years they would have a son.  

It may not have looked exactly as they had pictured it, but God heard their prayers and their prayers were answered. In the same way God has heard your prayers. 

The answer will come in time, God’s perfect time.  

It may or may not look the way you imagined it. 

But it will be in line with God’s perfect plan for your life.  

Be encouraged today – 

“For your prayer is heard.”