“The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” –Luke 1:35 Mary is a model disciple. She is worthy of being imitated. Mary did God’s will, no matter what it entailed as the servant of the Lord. She welcomed and received the Holy Spirit. Then she ministered with the Spirit’s power and the gifts during her visit to Zechariah and Elizabeth. She gave her body to the Lord. So many these days will not let the Lord have their body. Often in today’s me-first culture, we hear: “It’s my body, and my...

“I was sent to…bring you this good news.” –Luke 1:19 “Each man speaks from his heart’s abundance” (Lk 6:45). Zechariah’s words to the angel give evidence that his heart did not trust God. He possibly felt that God turned a “deaf ear” to his decades-long prayers for a child. Thus, when the angel Gabriel announced that God had heard his prayers (Lk 1:13), the doubt and lack of trust that filled his heart flowed naturally out of his mouth. For his lack of trust in God’s messenger, Zechariah was struck mute (Lk 1:20, 22) and deaf (Lk 1:62). He thought...

“Joseph her husband, an upright man unwilling to expose her to the law, decided to divorce her quietly.” –Matthew 1:19 Joseph planned to divorce Mary and, therefore, Jesus. This Christmas, we also may be tempted to divorce Jesus indirectly, and thereby miss out on Christmas. Throughout history, there have been more innkeepers and Herods at Christmas than wise men and shepherds. Even now, few are at the side of Jesus in the manger. Most of the world continues to ignore the Christ of Christmas. Joseph would have rejected Jesus if he had not made a super act of faith and...