The Christmas Story Begins

There had been 400 years of silence from God, between the Old and New Testament. It was like the quiet before something big was about to happen. In Luke 1:5-25 we see a couple Zacharias and Elizabeth who were on up in years and childless. On a certain day Zacharias entered the temple to do his duties, which he may have only done once in his lifetime. He was to take the prayers of the people before the Lord and come back out and tell them whether their prayers had been accepted while they waited, bowed low outside. On this particular day though while he was in the Temple alone, he sensed a presence and was startled to see a figure since he was supposed to be the only one there. It was an angel, Gabriel, who told him there prayers had been heard and they would have a child. He was to name the child John. He would be the forerunner of the Messiah. Zacharias couldn't believe what he was being told and wanted a sign. The sign was that he would not be able to talk until after the birth of John. When he came out, he could not speak. Upon the birth of his son he was able to speak and name the child. This child grew up to be John the Baptist. And so the Christmas Story begins.