For centuries, people had looked forward to the coming of the Messiah, the Savior that God had promised. But when He actually came, people could hardly believe it. His coming turned out differently than they had expected. This reading plan looks at four announcements surrounding Jesus’ birth and four reactions to them. Will you read along?
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Day 1
Scripture: Luke 1:5-17
The birth of John announced
“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. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.’” (Luke 1:13-14)
The birth of a baby is a very special moment for the parents. Aside from all the cares that may be involved, a birth usually brings joy and happiness. Zechariah and Elizabeth, two people who lived in Israel around the year 0 BC, also longed for a child. But this blessing did not seem to be theirs. They had already grown old and had given up hope of pregnancy.
But one day, an angel appeared to Zechariah. He announced that Elizabeth would have a son named John. What a miracle! And the angel continued, “Many will rejoice at his birth.” This baby would be a source of joy not only for his parents but also for others. Why? Because he had a special task. He was to “turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.” He was to prepare the people for a new period in their history. God would send a Savior, and John would announce Him.
Regardless of the task John was about to receive, his birth was a source of “joy and gladness” for his parents. This child was an answer to their prayers! Do you know if your parents were also happy about your birth? How does that affect you?
Day 2
Scriptures: Luke 1:18-25, Genesis 18:1-15
Zechariah doubted the angel’s words
“And Zechariah said to the angel, ‘How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.’” (Luke 1:18)
When Zechariah suddenly saw an angel standing there, “he was troubled […] and fear fell upon him.” That was a very understandable reaction. However, the angel reassured him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard…”
Then, the angel told Zechariah that he and his wife would have a son. That was great news! But Zechariah questioned the angel’s words. This seemed too good to be true. After all, Elizabeth was already far too old to get pregnant.
Zechariah’s doubt is understandable but not good.
Centuries earlier, Sara did the same thing. She, too, was already very old. Therefore, when the Lord God announced that she would have a son, she laughed. Rebukingly, God asked her, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14).
The angel also reproachfully responded to Zechariah’s unbelief: “Behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words.” Everything happened exactly as the angel had said. Elizabeth became pregnant, John was born, and only then was Zechariah able to speak again. The first thing he did then was … sing a song of praise to God!
Do you understand Zechariah’s reaction? Are there any promises of God that you have doubts about? How do you deal with them?
Day 3
Scripture: Luke 1:26-33
Jesus’ birth announced
“And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.’” (Luke 1:30-32)
Six months after the angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah, he visited a young woman in Nazareth, a village in Galilee. Her name was Mary. She certainly did not have a high opinion of herself, describing herself as “God’s lowly servant.” But the angel addressed her as “favored one” and said the Lord was with her. This confused Mary. What did the angel mean by these words? Did he have the right person in mind?
Yes, he did, for Mary was given a special task. She was to become the mother of a very special child. Her son would be the “Son of the Most High” and be king over Israel for all eternity. What great promises! For Mary, this news came completely unexpected. At the same time, the angel’s words connected back to well-known, centuries-old prophecies. The people in Israel lived in expectation of a Savior, a King from the family of David, who would bring redemption. Of this Savior, then, Mary would become the mother. Now, the time has come for God to redeem His people!
Mary was to name her baby Jesus. That name means God saves, and it fits this promised Child perfectly.
What image do you have of Jesus? Does your image match the angel’s words?
Day 4
Scripture: Luke 1:34-45
Mary believed the angel’s words
“And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’” (Luke 1:38)
The news from the angel came completely unexpectedly to Mary. No wonder she was concerned. The question occurred to her, “How will that be possible, since I have no intercourse with a man?” Mary was engaged but not married. She was still a virgin. So a pregnancy seemed totally illogical. The angel was happy to explain it to her: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.”
So, there would be no man involved at all. This child would be God’s Child.
Moreover, the angel gave Mary a sign confirming the wonderful news: her cousin Elizabeth was also expecting a child, although she was well along in years. This was a second miracle! Finally, the angel said, “For nothing will be impossible with God.” That was enough confirmation for Mary. She took the angel at his word and committed herself to God’s plan. No doubt she still had plenty of questions, but she trusted God. Mary went to visit Elizabeth, and together they praised God for the miracles He was doing in their lives.
Can you do the same: praise God when you don’t understand everything or when all promises have not been fulfilled yet?
Day 5
Scripture: Matthew 1:18-23
An angel informed Joseph
“Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.’” (Matthew 1:20-21)
Mary would become the mother of Jesus. No man was involved in her pregnancy. But there was indeed a man in Mary’s life: her fiancé Joseph. When he noticed that Mary was pregnant, he concluded that she must have been cheating. After all, he had not slept with her. Joseph considered leaving Mary quietly so as not to put her to shame. But God did not want that. He sent an angel to explain to Joseph that the Holy Spirit had conceived the child Mary was carrying. She had not cheated, and Joseph was to marry her.
Mary had already heard that her Child should be named Jesus, and that is repeated here: “For,” the angel said, ”He will save His people from their sins.” So Jesus would indeed be a Savior. The angel also made it clear that salvation would be about the people’s sins. Jesus would not primarily bring political or economic freedom but spiritual liberation.
As additional confirmation, the angel mentioned an ancient prophecy that was now being fulfilled: a virgin would give birth to a son, and that child would be “God with us.”
When you think of a savior, do you think of the problem of sin or of very different things from which you want to be liberated?
Day 6
Scripture: Matthew 1:24-25, Matthew 2
Joseph took responsibility for Mary and Jesus
“When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave Him the name Jesus.” (Matthew 1:24-25, NIV)
Joseph had received clear instructions from the angel. He carried them out carefully. He took Mary as his wife and took responsibility for the Child, who was not his own. In doing so, he also endured the shame that an extramarital pregnancy entailed. The circumstances surrounding Jesus’ birth were not exactly ideal, and Joseph could not change that. But he did stand beside Mary as a loyal husband. The birth took place far from home, in Bethlehem, because Joseph and Mary had to go there for a census. Then, King Herod wanted to kill the Child, and the young family had to flee to Egypt. When this Herod finally died, his successor proved to be at least as dangerous. Therefore, Joseph went to live with Mary and Jesus in Nazareth, where they originally came from. There, Jesus grew up, and He “grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.” (Luke 2:40)
At key moments, Joseph received instructions from an angel, which he meticulously followed each time, even though those instructions repeatedly sent his life into disarray. His role as Jesus’ ‘father’ must not have been easy. However, Joseph accepted that role as a command from God.
If you had been in Joseph’s shoes, would you have acted the same way?
Day 7
Scriptures: Luke 2:8-13, Isaiah 53:1-2
Jesus’ birth was announced to a group of shepherds
“And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.’” (Luke 2:10-11)
Once more, God sent an angel to announce Jesus’ birth. This was no longer a pre-announcement; His coming was now a fact. The angel was not sent to the royal palace to inform King Herod or the Roman officials, nor did He go to the religious leaders. The news of Jesus’ birth was first delivered to a group of shepherds who spent the night in the field watching their sheep.
Like Zechariah and Mary, the shepherds were startled by the angel’s sudden appearance. However, the latter reassured them: instead of fear, he came to bring “good news of great joy, ” not only for these shepherds but for all the people. The promised Savior was born!
The angel also gave a sign confirming this great news. “And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” This sign still required faith in the angel’s words. After all, there was nothing to prove that this baby was the Lord. As Isaiah put it centuries earlier, “He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.” And yet this baby was the Son of God.
All glory to Jesus Christ, who was willing to humble Himself so deeply to save us humans!
Day 8
Scriptures: Luke 2:14-20, Luke 24:44-53
The shepherds witnessed the miracle and praised God
“When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.’” (Luke 2:15)
An angel had told the news of Jesus’ birth to a group of shepherds. After the angel’s words, a great company of the heavenly host appeared and praised God in honor of the newborn Savior. Then they returned to heaven, and everything was quiet and dark again. But in the shepherds’ hearts, the angel’s words still resounded. They were convinced that this message came directly from the Lord. Now, they wanted to go and see for themselves what the angel had told them about. In the middle of the night, they hurried off and found Joseph and Mary with the baby. Now, they could see the miracle with their own eyes, confirming the message they had heard. In turn, the shepherds could tell Joseph and Mary about the heavenly host that had sung and about the angel who announced the news. That must have been a welcome confirmation to these brand-new parents of the special identity of their Child.
After all this, the shepherds returned to their sheep. Meanwhile, they glorified and praised God — just as the angels had done. Ultimately, that is the only proper response to an encounter with Jesus. Getting to know Him culminates in “great joy” that we may express in praise and thanksgiving. Do you experience this, too?