December 18, 2025 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. Luke 1:59a, English Standard Version This is exactly where you would expect Zechariah-a priest-and Elizabeth to be, and it’s exactly what you would expect them to be doing. They are good, observant Jews who have just been blessed with a baby boy, so the little guy is going to get circumcised when he’s eight days old. Two great truths jump out at me here. The first, as we’ll see in tomorrow’s read

Wednesday December 17, 2025 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. Luke 1:58, English Standard Version Some things are meant to be experienced together. Grief and loss and trials are best faced with caring people surrounding us, supporting us, even carrying us. Likewise, the great celebrations of life are not solo affairs. We gather a crowd for a wedding, for a graduation, for a baptism. No team want

Tuesday December 16, 2025 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. Luke 1:57, English Standard Version Gabriel’s prophecy comes true! Zechariah and Elizabeth’s quiet home is filled first with the cries of a newborn, soon with the babble of a growing infant, then with the words and laughter of a toddler. Their prayers have been answered. It’s so easy to just bounce right over this news of the fulfillment of God’s promise. Of course, the baby wil

Monday December 15, 2025 And Mary remained with her (Elizabeth) about three months and returned to her home. Luke 1:56, English Standard Version Mary sticks around out in the hill country for three months or so, and then it’s time to return to the family and her fiancée back home in Nazareth. I’m intrigued that Luke makes sure to include this sentence in his account. The three months’ duration is important because it takes us up close to Elizabeth’s due date. It makes s

Sunday December 14, 2025 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked on the humble estate of His servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; He has brou

Saturday December 13, 2025 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? Luke 1:41-43, English Standard Version I flat-out love Elizabeth! It’s a shame when she gets overlooked in the all the hustle and bustle of the Chr

Friday December 12, 2025 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country to a town of Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. Luke 1:39,40, English Standard Version Arose and went with haste . We might say she “jumped up and ran.” Or she “beat it.” Let’s just leave it that young Mary wasn’t wasting any time. Into the hill country to a town of Judah . This place is so small it doesn’t even rate a name. “It’s out there,” on

Thursday December 11, 2025 “. . . let it be to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38b The second part of Mary’s statement to Gabriel comes as no surprise. “I belong to God,” she said. “Therefore, I’ll do as directed.” I picture here a quarterback looking to the sideline for the coach to signal the play. Upon receiving the sign, the quarterback-knowing his place on the team and respecting that he is under the coach’s authority-relays the call to the team and then leads t

DAY 11 Wednesday December 10, 2025 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord . . .” Luke 1:38a Gabriel gives the explanation. He knows she’s a virgin, and she will remain one, at least for the time being. All this will take place through the power of God, through the Holy Spirit. And just to offer her some reassurance, he tells her that her cousin Elizabeth is also having a son, even though Mary and the rest of the family had given up hope of that ever happenin

Tuesday December 9, 2025 And Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” Luke 1:34, English Standard Version Mary has obviously already had The Talk with her parents. They’ve explained the birds and the bees to her, so she knows that there’s a little hitch in Gabriel’s plan. “Hey, Gabe,” she seems to be saying. “Could you fill me in on the details of how headquarters is going to pull this thing off? I mean, just in case you haven’t noticed, I’m not t

Monday December 8, 2025 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Luke 1:30-33, English Standard Version Mary is tro

Sunday December 7, 2025 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” but she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. Luke 1:26-29, English Standard Version It would seem that Elizabeth is

Saturday December 6, 2025 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.” Luke 1:24 The very thing the angel predicted is coming to pass. Elizabeth is expecting, which has to be a joyous thing for both she and Zechariah. After all, they both had prayed for a child, seemingly for a long time, and she refers to their infe

Friday December 5, 2025 And when his time of service was ended, he (Zechariah) went to his home. Luke 1:23, English Standard Version According to verses 21 and 22, the conversation with Gabriel took a while, long enough that people were starting to wonder what might have happened to Zechariah while he was burning incense. Finally, he pops out and starts making gestures to them, proof that Mr. Gabriel was serious about the whole silence thing. Today he’d just send them a tex

Thursday December 4, 2025 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” Luke 1:18, English Standard Version You gotta love Zechariah. He’s old, and his wife is no spring chicken. But that didn’t stop him from praying for a kid, even though he had to know the odds were stacked against them. It might have been 2000 years ago, but the guy did understand that the biological clock had stopped ticking a while ba

Wednesday December 3, 2025 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. Luke 1:13, English Standard Version Do you remember when we first met Zechariah and Elizabeth? Luke described them as “advanced in years.” He also said that they had no children. So, they’re way too old to be assembling a crib, decorating a nursery, attending baby showers. And y

Tuesday December 2, 2025 Now while he (Zechariah) was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. Luke 1:8, 9, English Standard Version Zechariah doesn’t just show up when it’s his time. He also does his job. Here’s how it worked. Not only did the divisions rotate their times of service, but they also had to divide up the various priestly du

DAY 2 – Monday December 1, 2025 Now while he (Zechariah) was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. Luke 1:8 Woody Allen is not a source I often cite in matters relating to faith and life, but he is credited with a statement we often hear repeated. “80% of success,” Mr. Allen said, “is just showing up.” Now, you can quibble that percentag

Preface Centuries ago, some smart people developed the liturgical calendar, a format ordering the rhythm of church life. Christmas and Easter form the focus of each year, and each is preceded by a season of spiritual preparation. Lent leads to Easter, and Advent is the four Sundays prior to Christmas Day. Beginning just after Thanksgiving, Advent lasts less than 30 days, roughly a month, but any kid will tell you it’s the longest month of the year. Wait, wait, wait, as the da