December 12, 2023

Jesus was always God's plan A.

Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:5-45

Mayra Diaz
Tuesday's Devo

December 12, 2023

Tuesday's Devo

December 12, 2023

Tuesday's Devo

December 12, 2023

Tuesday's Devo

December 12, 2023

Big Idea

God with us.

Key Verse | Luke 1:32-33

"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."

Isaiah 7:14

14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 1 7:14 Immanuel means God is with us

Footnotes

[1] 7:14 Immanuel means God is with us

Luke 1:5-45

Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, 1 1:5 Greek Zacharias of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.

8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 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. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” 21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. 23 And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.

24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”

Birth of Jesus Foretold

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed 2 1:27 That is, legally pledged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 3 1:28 Some manuscripts add Blessed are you among women! 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 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, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 4 1:34 Greek since I do not know a man

35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born 5 1:35 Some manuscripts add of you will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant 6 1:38 Greek bondservant; also verse 48 of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be 7 1:45 Or believed, for there will be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Footnotes

[1] 1:5 Greek Zacharias
[2] 1:27 That is, legally pledged to be married
[3] 1:28 Some manuscripts add Blessed are you among women!
[4] 1:34 Greek since I do not know a man
[5] 1:35 Some manuscripts add of you
[6] 1:38 Greek bondservant; also verse 48
[7] 1:45 Or believed, for there will be

S2:242 Isaiah 7:14, Luke 1:5-45

Listen Now

Dive Deeper | Isaiah 7:14

Luke 1:32-33 tells us God is faithful and always keeps His promises. His Word always proves true!

In this passage, we witness two different responses when experiencing a miracle from God. We enter the scene as Zechariah, a priest who has been selected to burn incense in the temple, has an encounter with an angel of the Lord. The angel informs Zechariah that despite the old age of Zechariah and his wife, God will grant them the miracle of being parents. The angel reassures Zechariah that God has heard his prayers (Luke 1:13). They will have a son named John. That's right, John the Baptist! Not only did God give Zechariah and Elizabeth the miracle of parenthood, He gifted them with a special son, who would make a way for Jesus, the Messiah. Because of Zechariah's unbelief, however, God made him mute for a time. This turn of events tells us that when we don't trust God and His Word, our unbelief prevents us from sharing the Good News.

When the angel Gabriel appears to Mary, on the other hand, she asks questions but believes and surrenders her life to be used by God (Luke 1:38). In both instances, we read the angel's words, "Do not be afraid," before he explains the upcoming miracle. The angel's words teach me that the Holy Spirit is always with me, reassuring me as I step into the next season of God's plan for my life.

I can look back and see all the times when situations seemed impossible, and I'm amazed at how God brought me through every one of them. He has been so faithful and gracious to give me far more than I could ask for. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD." (Isaiah 55:8).

In Luke 2, an angel will announce the birth of Jesus to a group of shepherds (Luke 2:8-12). Shepherds were looked down upon in that culture because their work made them ceremonially unclean and because of their reputation for being untrustworthy. Yet, God chose to announce Christ's birth to them first, proving that Jesus came to rescue everyone. The greatest miracle of all is that Jesus came to earth to rescue us!

This month's memory verse

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
    and renew a right spirit within me.

– Psalm 51:10

Discussion Questions

1. Have you been praying for the same thing for a long time? You can be sure God hears every prayer. The fulfillment of God's promises brings joy and gladness. 

2. Have you experienced the miracle of surrendering your life to Jesus and letting Him take the reins of your life? Today could be your miracle day! Will you pray a simple prayer acknowledging the sin in your life and your need for Him to be your Savior?

3. Can you think of a time when God asked you to do something that seemed impossible? Or are you currently going through a season in your life in which you are in need of a miracle? 

4. What promises has God already fulfilled in your life? What promise(s) are you still waiting for Him to fulfill?

As we gear up to release even more features for Join The Journey in 2025, our staff team, unfortunately, no longer has the margin to continue to support the comment functionality. We have big things in store for Join The Journey 2025. Stay tuned!

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Hugh Stephenson

Good morning Mayra and good morning to all my Journey siblings. I love your focus on the two different reactions for Zechariah and of Mary. Given space and time it would be a wonderful exercise to study Mary’s Song of Praise as compared to Zechariahs prophecy. I am confident God’s has a lot to teach me in those two passages. Q1. and Q4. -Promises fulfilled - For all of my pre teen and teen years I prayed for the special person that God would provide for me. The peak of the intensity of that prayer came 9/14/80 at what was a deep valley in my life. A few weeks later Amy and I were linked via a blind date. As some of you know, Amy’s birthday is September 14. - Promise still praying about- the salvation of my two non-believing children. Many times a day. Q2. Complete and total absolute surrender? I’ll defer to DL Moody as a recently sent note from a friend - “ I firmly believe that the moment our hearts are emptied of selfishness and ambition and self-seeking and everything that is contrary to God’s law, the Holy Spirit will come and fill every corner of our hearts; but if we are full of pride and conceit, ambition and self-seeking, pleasure and the world, there is no room for the Spirit of God. I also believe that many a man is praying to God to fill him, when he is full already with something else. Before we pray that God would fill us, I believe we ought to pray that He would empty us. There must be an emptying before there can be a filling; and when the heart is turned upside down, and everything that is contrary to God is turned out, then the Spirit will come…”  – D L. Moody Q3. There have been many times that I felt the Spirit leading me down an impossible road. In many cases I never took that road. What I understand now is there may have been huge blessings at the end of it. —————————————————————————————————————————————— Some short summaries from the ESV SB- Luke 1:5–2:52 The Infancy Narrative. The opening (1:8–23) and conclusion (2:21–52) of this section take place in the temple and form literary “bookends,” indicating its unity. Luke 1:5–25 The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold. In Jesus’ day most Jews believed that for more than 400 years the Holy Spirit had not been active in Israel, because there had been no more prophets since Malachi. Now God once again visits his people.
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Hugh Stephenson

What one event would be the pinnacle event of your life? If you’re an investment professional it might be paying $19 million for lunch with Warren Buffett. https://www.reuters.com/business/bidding-tops-123-mln-warren-buffett-charity-lunch-2022-06-17/ If you’re a golfer in Dallas it might be 18 holes at Augusta National with Jordan Spieth https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan_Spieth or Scottie Scheffler. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottie_Scheffler If you’re a baseball fan maybe it’s a little game of catch with Nolan Ryan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nolan_Ryan If you’re a chef maybe its whipping up a little dinner with Gordon Ramsey https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Ramsay For basketball maybe its a little driveway 1 on 1 with Luca https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luka_Dončić ————— For Zechariah, it’s offering incense in the temple. Constable edifies- I highlight from the notes below: -‘This occasion was undoubtedly a high point in his life and the greatest honor of his priestly career.” -“It was the most solemn moment of his life ..." Please read these specific notes closely: “Zechariah was serving God faithfully by discharging some temple function as a member of his priestly division. According to Josephus, there were four courses (divisions) of the priests, and each one had more than 5,000 priests in it. Evidently these courses were broken down into 24 smaller sections, each of which would serve in the temple on rotation during two separate weeks each year.[85] When a section was on duty, all of its members were responsible to appear in the temple. There were so many priests in Zechariah's day that the great privilege of offering incense on the golden incense altar in the temple fell to a priest only once in his lifetime. It was a great privilege to stand before the incense altar in the holy place, because this was as close to the holy of holies as any non-high priest could get. The priests decided who would offer incense at the daily sacrifice, morning and evening, by casting lots. Obviously God providentially arranged for Zechariah's selection (cf. Esther 3:7; Proverbs 16:33). This occasion was undoubtedly a high point in his life and the greatest honor of his priestly career. "It was the most solemn moment of his life ..." "... in the Temple of Herod there was neither Shechinah nor ark—all was empty …” ———————————————————————————————————————————— Please go back and slowly read verses 11-17 Taking license, I imagine what was in Zechariah’s mind. He knows this is a once in a lifetime moment. He has been praying for a child for a very long time. Very often in that culture a barren woman was thought to be under judgement. Remember life was all about “kids and crops” (to quote a prior teacher). Clearly Zechariah is a deeply faithful and obedient person - but he is questioning what the angel Gabriel has told him. To me, that’s how big this moment its. He just can’t take it in. Also consider that the prophetic voice has been absent in Israel for 400 years. The presence of God came in the desert in Exodus 40 and left in Ezekiel 10. Then Gabriel comes and speaks to Zechariah. And the presence of God comes a few months later.
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Hugh Stephenson

What one event would be the pinnacle of my life? We know what the event and words were for Zechariah. For me, the event would be arriving in Heaven. The words would be- “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
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Michael Sisson

Re: Isa 7:14 Isaiah 7:14 (NASB) “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, >>>a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.”<<< The controversy surrounding this verse typically centers on whether “maiden” or “virgin” is the correct translation of (עַלְמָה alma). In short, “maiden” is probably the more common translation, >>>but neither is incorrect.<<< Most virgins are maidens, but not all maidens are virgins. Moreover, Isa 7:14 is not the only prophecy in Scripture with more than one fulfillment. Hence, the best translation may come down to the fulfillment in view. In the short-term, this prophecy will be fulfilled when a >>>maiden<<< (Abi, daughter of Zechariah; see 2Kings 18:2) gives birth the Hezekiah son of Ahaz. Hezekiah will be the most righteous ruler since David and a type of the Messiah to come. In the long-term, this prophecy will have a second, greater fulfillment when a >>>virgin<<< (Lk 1:31-35) will give birth to Messiah Yeshua. Re: Lk 1:5 Luke 1:5 (NASB) In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Because we know Zacharias served with the “division of Abijah,” scholars know which two weeks year of the year he would have been serving in the Temple. This, in turn, gives us a rough chronology of John’s annunciation and conception, Yeshua’s (Jesus’) annunciation (we know John was six months older than Yeshua; Lk 1:36) and conception, John’s birth, and Yeshua’s birth six months later. This chronology has given rise to two traditions for the timing of Messiah’s birth: 1) He was born during Sukkot [the Feast of Tabernacles] or 2) He was born on, or about, December 25th [Christmas]. To read a fascinating overview of the evidence for each tradition, read Hebrew for Christians’ article “Christmas Day — Was Jesus Really Born on December 25th?” https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/Christmas/christmas.html Re: Lk 1:10 Luke 1:10 (NASB) And >>>the whole multitude of the people were in prayer<<< outside at the hour of the incense offering. Collectively, they were quite possibly praying the Amidah. The Amidah, also called the Shemoneh Esreh, is the central prayer of the Jewish liturgy, and its origins predate Yeshua. The Amidah includes a request for G-d to send the “Scion of David” and G-d’s Salvation (i.e. Messiah). Re: Lk 1:13 Luke 1:13 (NASB) But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for >>>your petition has been heard,<<< and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. For what had Zacharias petitioned and when? While it’s entirely possible the angel was referring to Zacharias’ and Elizabeth’s private, unrecorded prayers for a child, likewise it is equally possible the angel is referring to the petitions within the Amidah (see note on Lk 1:10 above), including calling for G-d to send the Messiah (see Lk 1:17). Re: Lk 1:33 Luke 1:33 (NASB) and >>>He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”<<< The promise of an eternal reign reaffirms the deity of Messiah hinted at previously in the Hebrew Bible. In 1Sam 8:7, G-d did not abdicate His kingship when he permitted Saul's coronation. G-d eventually reasserted His own sovereignty when He installed HIS anointed, David (in whose loins was the Messiah), as king over a people who despised His kingship and His sovereignty (see also Lk 19:14). However, when He enthroned David, He enthroned Messiah "Son of David," the descendant of David. Thus, 1Sam 8:7 supports the deity of Messiah. For permanently (2Sa 7:16; Ps 89:3,4; Isa 9:7; Je 33:17; Da 2:44; 7:14,27; Mic 4:7; Lk1:33; Heb 1:8) enthroning a Messiah who is NOT G-d the Son would also be, in essence, a rejection of G-d as King, just as enthroning Saul had been. Most (not all) Jews will dispute the Son of David’s divinity. However, there was, is, and ever shall be only One King of the Jews. In that foundational truth is the very authority behind the suzerainty treaty that is the Torah. G-d will never abdicate His kingship, not even to step aside for the Son of David. Therefore, G-d the Son best resolves the tension between 1 Sam 8:7 and Jer 33:17. Re: Lk 1:35 Luke 1:35 (NASB) The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and >>>for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.<<< “Son of God” was NOT a title unfamiliar to Jewish ears. In ancient Jewish literature Enoch 105:2 and 4Ezra 7:28-29, 13:32-52, 14:9 refer to the Messiah as the “Son of God.” However, Yeshua would be the most literal, most miraculous expression of this Messianic title. Re: Lk 1:41 Luke 1:41 (NASB) When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, >>>the baby leaped in her womb;<<< and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Juxtapose John's reaction here to his statement in Jn 1:31. Jn 1:31a I [John the Baptist] did not recognize Him (the Messiah)...” I wonder what made John the Baptist more spiritually perceptive as a fetus than he was as an adult? Re: Lk 1:43 Luke 1:43 (TLV) Who am I, that >>>the mother of my Master<<< should come to me? How much did Elizabeth know and understand about Yeshua’s Messianic mission at this point?
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Sue Bohlin

Thanks so much, Mayra. I was struck by the final words of Gabriel's prophecy about John the Baptist: "And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” Today I realized he was connecting the dots between God's long-awaited activity in Israel and the last words of the Old Testament scrolls, the last time anyone heard from Yahweh, 400 years before at the end of Malachi: "Look, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord arrives. He will encourage fathers and their children to return to me, so that I will not come and strike the earth with judgment.” How many times over those 400 years had people reread and recited that promise, wondering if God had forgotten what He had said? Nope. He never forgets. And He never fails to fulfill HIs promises. Even when things seem crazy impossible, which is why I love Luke 1:37, "For nothing is impossible with God." I learned today that in the Greek, there is an emphasis on the word "nothing"--it's as if it was bolded and italicized and written in capital letters.
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Greg Jones

I can look back and see all the times when situations seemed impossible, and I'm amazed at how God brought me through every one of them. He has been so faithful and gracious to give me far more than I could ask for. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD." (Isaiah 55:8). Love that what a great testimony. Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 ESV Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman[b] shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Imman′u-el. Isaiah 7:14 RSV [b] or virgin The Hebrew word being translated as virgin in the ESV is “almah”. Generally speaking the word refers to a young girl. In a general context virginity can be assumed because the word is used to denote a young girl. The specific Hebrew word used for virgin and to denote virginity is “betulah”. Verses that use the word “almah” Genesis 24:43, Exodus 2:8, Song of Songs 1.3 and Proverbs 30:19. Verses that use the Hebrew word “betulah” Genesis 24:16, Exodus 22:16-7, Leviticus 21:14, Deuteronomy 22:13-21 If someone says they don’t believe Isaiah 7:14 was originally a predictive verse announcing a future virgin verse the original Hebrew word in Isaiah and the context it is used in is probably the reason. It can be debated but I doubt if anyone is going to have their mind changed. But it’s never a bad thing to understand why a person with a different view is basing that view on.
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Michael Scaman

And 3rd trimester John leapt for joy over 1st trimester Jesus. It's just like it was planned. One thing for sure. Mary and Elizabeth lived together for six months and no way was Aunt Elizabeth sending the mother home without making sure she could read and teach Jesus to read.
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Michael Scaman

Isaiah saw the glory of God seated on his throne and after that was probably well able to talk to a problematically corrupt king Ahaz about Emanuel in chapter 7. Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub,[b] to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field. (this reminds me of Moses and Aaron going out to meet Pharoah as he went for his morning trip to the river )
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Amy Lowther

1. Everyday is a new day. I have some prayers that are the same everyday, and I have some prayers that are particular for each day. 2. Yes. 3. God helps me know what to do everyday. When there are new things or unknowns, things seem impossible, but trusting and believing in God helps make things possible. 4. God is with me no matter what I do or where I go. God shows His promises in His words in the Bible. Because I study God’s Word, I do not wait on any promises. Mayra - Thank you for sharing your ideas. I appreciate you considering there were two different responses to miracles from God in this passage.Their results definitely showed the value of believing in God versus not believing in God. I also appreciate you sharing God brought you through what you thought was impossible. God is a good helper and makes things possible when you believe in Him.