Scripture: Luke
1:5-7
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. They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking
blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. But
they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in
years.
Insights: The first line
in verse five tells us that Herod was king.
You need to understand that Herod was not a good king to the Jewish
people. He was self-absorbed and cared
only about his comfort, reputation, and power.
Remember, this is the same king who after hearing about the birth of
Jesus killed every male child two years old and younger in the area of
Bethlehem. His oppression on the people was
horrific at times. In other words, he
created a very dark world in which the people of Israel lived. We, today, also live in a dark world. All you have to do is watch the news or read
a newspaper and you will quickly find out that there is a great deal of
darkness pervading this world. Notice,
however, the type of people Zacharias and Elizabeth were in the midst of this
darkness. They both were righteous in
the sight of God. Even though Jesus had
not come on the scene yet and the Holy Spirit was not permanently dwelling
inside those who receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, it was still His working in
their lives that made them righteous people.
The next part of the verse tells us the guiding principle in their lives
which equipped them to live this righteous life out before the Lord God. They walked blamelessly in all the commands
and requirements of the Lord. In modern
day vernacular, they lived by the truths found in the Bible. The Scriptures were their authority for how
to live life. As a result of this
righteous and blameless lifestyle, they were shining lights in the midst of a
very dark world. Their lives were a
testimony to God’s faithfulness and love.
They were a beacon of hope to a world in desperate need of a Savior, which
ultimately was to be found in Jesus Christ, their second cousin. Beloved, we need to be that very same light
in the dark world we presently live. If
Jesus is your Lord and Savior, then let your light, which is found in Him,
shine brilliantly!
Questions:
- What
are some of the examples in this world that help you recognize its
darkness?
- In
what ways are you letting the light of Jesus Christ shine forth from your
life?
Prayer: Father, the
world in which I live is fallen, sinful and dark. Yet, Your Son is in my heart and helps me
shine a light of hopeful righteousness to those desperately needing a
Savior. Let me courageously point people
to Jesus. Amen.
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