Day 763 – ‘Twas the Year Before Christmas – Ask Gramps

Wisdom-Trek

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy Welcome to Day 763 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom 'Twas the Year Before Christmas - Ask Gramps Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 763 of our trek, and it is time for our Philosophy Friday series. Each Friday we will ponder some of the basic truths and mysteries of life, and how they can impact us in creating our living legacy. Beginning with today’s podcast and for the next three to four weeks we are going to interrupt our regular podcast schedule. Due to travel and other events this next month, starting next week, the Wisdom-Trek segments may be shorter so that I can pre-schedule them for the next few weeks. Today and all next week Gramps will be telling the Christmas story in chronological order. We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. Christmas is just a few days away, but often during this busy time of year, we don’t invest the time to reflect on the true Christmas story as it was revealed in the New Testament. So let’s take the time these next six days to quietly reflect on all that took place during the very first Christmas. Hey Gramps, “Would you please tell us the Christmas story chronologically as it is revealed in the Bible?” 'Twas the Year Before Christmas To get the entire Christmas story in chronological order, you must go to several passages in the books of Matthew and Luke. We will start with Luke 1:5-56. · The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron. Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations. They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old. One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week. As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying. While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.” Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.” Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.” Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary, wondering why he was taking so long. When he finally did come out, he couldn’t speak to them. Then they realized from his gestures and his silence that he must have seen a vision in the sanctuary. When Zechariah’s week of service in the Temple was over, he returned home. Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth,