Luke

Dear Lover of God

Many people have put together accounts of what God has done among us recently, listening to the stories told by those who saw these things with their own eyes. In the excitement it can be quite confusing, so I decided to start again, doing my own careful research, in order to compile an accurate, ordered account so that you may know the truth about the things you have been taught.

It started in the days of Herod, king of Judea when a priest named Zechariah (part of the Abijah division) was married to a descendant of Aaron (another priest!) called Elizabeth. They were both making right choices before God, walking blamelessly in all the requirements of the Lord. Yet they had no children and were both passed the point where this seemed possible. Now it happened that whilst his division was on duty, Zechariah was chosen by drawing lots to enter the temple for the daily ritual of burning incense (symbolic of the people’s prayers ascending to God). Whilst he was doing this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of incense! Zechariah was frightened but the angel told him not to be afraid but that his prayers had been heard and that he and Elizabeth would have a son to be called John. He went on to say that this would bring great joy not only to him and Elizabeth but to many because his birth would be a sign to the people that God’s Messiah was soon to come. For this reason he was to be distinctive – God would play his part in that he would be filled with the Holy Spirit from his conception, they were to play theirs by giving him nothing alcoholic to drink.

Zechariah would not take the angel at his word and asked for proof, pointing out that he was an old man and that Elizabeth was well passed child-bearing age. Exasperated, the angel responded: ‘I am Gabriel, I stand in the very presence of God and was told to bring this good news to you. But now, because of your unbelief, you will be unable to tell this good news until the words are fulfilled.’ The people were waiting for Zechariah to come out, puzzled at the delay, but of course he couldn’t tell them and eventually went home to Elizabeth. After this Elizabeth became pregnant but kept herself secluded, filled with joy that God had taken away the shame people had for those who were childless.

In the sixth month of her pregnancy, Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin contracted in marriage to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David;

and the virgin’s name was Mary.....