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The Birth of John the Baptist - The Gospels · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias,
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  Speaker 1: for thy prayer is heard, and thy wife Elizabeth shall
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  Speaker 1: bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
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  Speaker 1: Luke 1.13 Lord, when I am praying for things to
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  Speaker 1: come forth in my life, I will not look at
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  Speaker 1: my circumstances to determine whether or not it will come
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  Speaker 1: into fruition. I will not laugh, in disbelief like Zechariah.
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  Speaker 1: You will not have to silence my lips because of unbelief. Instead,
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  Speaker 1: I will take the posture of Mary when the angel
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  Speaker 1: of the Lord appeared to her and proclaimed that she
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  Speaker 1: would give birth to Jesus the Messiah and accept your
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  Speaker 1: word as truth with no questions asked. Thank you in
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  Speaker 1: advance for setting people in my life like John the
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  Speaker 1: Baptist who will help pave the way for your calling
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  Speaker 1: in my life. As you deposit the seed of purpose
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  Speaker 1: in me, like Mary and Elizabeth, surround me with others
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  Speaker 1: whose purposes will leap within them as we join in
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  Speaker 1: fellowship and build each other up. I stand in anticipation
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  Speaker 1: because I know that whatever dream you're birthing inside me
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  Speaker 1: will echo in the halls of eternity. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you for praying with us today. Continue your time
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  Speaker 1: with God by listening to today's Bible story. Brought to
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  Speaker 1: you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: The birth of John the Baptist. Four hundred years had
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  Speaker 2: passed since the Lord last spoke to His people through
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  Speaker 2: prophets and For 400 years, they filled the synagogues and
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  Speaker 2: temples with teachings and sacrifices, longing for the presence of
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  Speaker 2: God to be felt once more. Rome had taken over,
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  Speaker 2: and the people longed for a savior. In this story,
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  Speaker 2: we will see a new story set in motion, a
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  Speaker 2: story of a hero unlike any other we have seen before.
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  Speaker 2: And it all starts with a baby, inspired by the gospel.
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  Speaker 3: In our last episode, we heard how Nehemiah returned to Judah,
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  Speaker 3: and undertook the rebuilding of the walls, ushering in a
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  Speaker 3: new era of peace and safety. And yet, that too
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  Speaker 3: was to be short-lived. Sin still held in people's hearts
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  Speaker 3: with an unrelenting grip. The Messiah, the Promised One, was
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  Speaker 3: ultimately the only solution to sin and evil in the world,
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  Speaker 3: to our brokenness and rebellion. So now, let's turn the
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  Speaker 3: page from the Old Testament to the New Testament, And
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  Speaker 3: we'll fast forward 400 years into the future. Israel had
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  Speaker 3: turned from God, but in a different way. It was
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  Speaker 3: a period of religion, but also self-righteousness and legalism. The
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  Speaker 3: Pharisees and priests and other religious leaders held sway over
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  Speaker 3: the people, oppressing them with rules and ritual. Though there
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  Speaker 3: remained a form of religion, people's hearts were very far
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  Speaker 3: from God. It is into this context, into this culture
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  Speaker 3: and world that God would come down as the Messiah,
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  Speaker 3: the Savior, the promised deliverer of His people. So, let's
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  Speaker 3: begin with the New Testament now and today's reading.
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  Speaker 2: Hundreds of years after the exiles returned to Israel, the
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  Speaker 2: Jews had rebuilt their culture. The age of education, religion,
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  Speaker 2: and government had emerged, but not without cost. The Roman
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  Speaker 2: Empire had conquered almost all the known world, and Caesar's
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  Speaker 2: grip on the nation of Israel was hard and cruel.
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  Speaker 2: The Jewish people remained faithful to the practices of the temple,
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  Speaker 2: and the priests and Pharisees grew more rigid in their
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  Speaker 2: religious dogma. The nation was pining for a Messiah. Religious
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  Speaker 2: oppression from within and military oppression from without was left
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  Speaker 2: God's people longing for a savior. This is where the
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  Speaker 2: story of God's rescue mission continues. This is where the
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  Speaker 2: true hero emerges. In the time of King Herod, there
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  Speaker 2: was a Jewish priest by the name of Zechariah. He
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  Speaker 2: and his wife Elizabeth were loved among the people. Their
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  Speaker 2: righteousness and love for God was well known. However, they
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  Speaker 2: lacked children, for Elizabeth was barren. As their years increased,
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  Speaker 2: so did their love for God and one another increase.
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  Speaker 2: although the pain of being childless never left. One day
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  Speaker 2: Zechariah was serving God in the temple. It was his
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  Speaker 2: turn to enter into the sanctuary of God to burn incense.
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  Speaker 2: While he stepped into the Holy of Holies, a bright
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  Speaker 2: light emerged from the smoke. Zechariah fell in fear as
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  Speaker 2: he stared at the angel stepping out before him. His
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  Speaker 2: knees trembled as he gazed upon the magnificent creature. Do
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  Speaker 2: not be afraid, Zechariah. The angel said, God has heard
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  Speaker 2: your cries for a child. Elizabeth will give you a son,
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  Speaker 2: and he will be the messenger proclaiming the new age
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  Speaker 2: of the Lord. He will be filled with God's spirit
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  Speaker 2: and a mighty voice for liberation. Zechariah stumbled to his
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  Speaker 2: feet and opened his hands.
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  Speaker 1: How could this be?
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  Speaker 2: He asked. I am an old man, and my wife
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  Speaker 2: is well along in years. This is impossible. As Zechariah
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  Speaker 2: was speaking, a rush of light shot forth toward Zechariah.
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  Speaker 2: HE FELL TO THE FLOOR, COVERING HIS EARS AND EYES.
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  Speaker 2: I AM GABRIEL, THE ANGEL SHOUTED. IT IS I WHO
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  Speaker 2: STAND IN THE VERY PRESENCE OF THE LORD. HE HAS
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  Speaker 2: SENT ME TO GIVE YOU GOOD NEWS, BUT YOU STAND
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  Speaker 2: HERE AS IF GOD IS UNABLE TO FULFILL HIS PROMISES.
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  Speaker 2: ZECHARIAH COWERED IN FEAR AT THE ANGEL'S VOICE. NEVER HAD
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  Speaker 2: HE HEARD SOMETHING SO GENTLE, YET SO TERRIFYING. IT WAS
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  Speaker 2: ALMOST TOO MUCH TO BEAR. Since you have not believed
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  Speaker 2: my words, you will be unable to speak until the
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  Speaker 2: birth of your son. This will teach you to truly
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  Speaker 2: meditate on just how blessed the Lord has made you.
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  Speaker 2: And at that instant, Gabriel vanished. Zechariah emerged silent and
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  Speaker 2: was unable to communicate what had just happened to him.
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  Speaker 2: Yet God's will was revealed shortly after, as Elizabeth became
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  Speaker 2: pregnant with a son. Six months had passed, and the
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  Speaker 2: cousin of Elizabeth was gathering water at the well in Nazareth.
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  Speaker 2: Mary was a young woman filled with hope for the future.
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  Speaker 2: She was engaged to a man named Joseph, a local carpenter,
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  Speaker 2: descendant of David, and a well-respected man of God. Mary
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  Speaker 2: drew the water from the well, humming a sweet tune
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  Speaker 2: in the morning sun. She carried the water back to
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  Speaker 2: the goats, wiped her hands, and entered into her home.
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  Speaker 2: As she entered her home, she saw the angel Gabriel
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  Speaker 2: sitting near her window. Mary gasped and fell back towards
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  Speaker 2: the wall. Gabriel smiled.' Greetings, O favored woman of God,'
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  Speaker 2: he said warmly. Mary was speechless. The angel's presence disturbed her,
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  Speaker 2: and she darted her eyes towards the door to run.'
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  Speaker 2: Do not be afraid,' Gabriel exclaimed.' You have found favor
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  Speaker 2: with God.' Mary's heart was beating fast. She was only
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  Speaker 2: a girl and could not imagine what use God would
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  Speaker 2: have of her. Gabriel bent down closely to her.' You
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  Speaker 2: will conceive a son. His name will be Jesus.' He
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  Speaker 2: will be the promised son of David, the Messiah, the
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  Speaker 2: son of the living God, the king to bring peace
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  Speaker 2: upon all the nations. Mary's eyes began to water as
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  Speaker 2: the angel spoke. His kingdom will reign forever. At his
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  Speaker 2: name every knee shall bow and every broken heart made whole.
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  Speaker 2: Mary wiped her eyes and looked up at the angel.
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  Speaker 2: How could this be? I am a virgin and I
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  Speaker 2: am not yet married to Joseph. GABRIEL GAVE A WARM
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  Speaker 2: GRIN TO THE GIRL THE SAME HOLY SPIRIT THAT HOVERED
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  Speaker 2: OVER THE WATERS OF THE EARTH WILL COME UPON YOU
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  Speaker 2: THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH GOD WILL BE WITH
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  Speaker 2: YOU THE BABY WILL BE BORN HOLY AND WILL BE
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  Speaker 2: THE SON OF GOD HIMSELF GABRIEL STOOD TO HIS FEET
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  Speaker 2: AND BEGAN TO EXIT HE TURNED TO MARY AND SAID
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  Speaker 2: MUCH HAS BEEN SET IN MOTION O FAVORED ONE EVEN
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  Speaker 2: YOUR COUSIN ELIZABETH HAS BECOME PREGNANT IN HER OLD AGE
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  Speaker 2: YOU MAY GO AND SEE HER FOR YOURSELF The word
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  Speaker 2: of God will never fail. And with those words, the
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  Speaker 2: angel disappeared. Mary's heart felt as though it was about
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  Speaker 2: to beat right out of her chest. She whispered a
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  Speaker 2: prayer to the Lord. I am your servant. Then she
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  Speaker 2: sang to him and went to go visit her cousin Elizabeth.
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  Speaker 2: Mary traveled across the hills into the town of Elizabeth
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  Speaker 2: and Zechariah. Elizabeth was tending to the garden when she
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  Speaker 2: saw Mary arrive on a small carriage. The two met
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  Speaker 2: one another and all of a sudden Elizabeth felt a
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  Speaker 2: jolt in her womb. Then another, then another. Elizabeth laughed
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  Speaker 2: and tears of joy streamed down her face. Mary, she said,
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  Speaker 2: you are with child. Mary stepped back, amazed that Elizabeth
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  Speaker 2: knew so early. How did you know, she asked. My child,
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  Speaker 2: it is an honor that the mother of the Lord
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  Speaker 2: himself should visit me. When you came close, the baby
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  Speaker 2: in my womb leaped for joy. He is kicking now,
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  Speaker 2: filled with the delight of God's Spirit. The two women
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  Speaker 2: praised God together, although Mary was still nervous about what
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  Speaker 2: Joseph and her family would think of her pregnancy. Would
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  Speaker 2: they believe her? Would they judge her? Would Joseph still
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  Speaker 2: love her? All these questions filled her mind, but the
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  Speaker 2: Lord was steadfast towards Mary. He gave her a quiet resolve.
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  Speaker 2: Three months had passed, and the night had covered the
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  Speaker 2: small village outside Nazareth. Painful cries could be heard from
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  Speaker 2: the home of Elizabeth and Zechariah. Mary watched as her
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  Speaker 2: brave cousin endured the pain of childbirth at an old age.
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  Speaker 2: She wailed throughout the night, persevering through the agony. Mary
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  Speaker 2: could not help but think of her own inevitable pain.
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  Speaker 2: The screaming ceased and was replaced with the quiet cries
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  Speaker 2: of the newborn infant. Elizabeth held her baby boy in
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  Speaker 2: her arms. Tears streamed down her face as she looked
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  Speaker 2: upon her miracle child. We should name him Zechariah, after
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  Speaker 2: his father, she whispered. Then, after nine months of silence,
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  Speaker 2: a deep voice could be heard from the corner of
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  Speaker 2: the room. No, Zechariah said. Elizabeth gasped, as did Mary
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  Speaker 2: and the others with them. Zechariah smiled and held up
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  Speaker 2: his boy. His name will be John, he said. Zechariah
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  Speaker 2: laughed and cried. You, my little son... will be a
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  Speaker 2: prophet of the Most High. You will prepare the way
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  Speaker 2: of the Lord. You will point people towards their salvation.
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  Speaker 2: You will show them the way. The morning light of
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  Speaker 2: heaven is breaking on us this day. So John grew
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  Speaker 2: strong and grew in the favor of God and attention
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  Speaker 2: of man. And Mary returned home to face her family.
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  Speaker 3: In today's scripture, Israel is being ruled by two different forces.
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  Speaker 3: First and foremost, they were under the rule of the
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  Speaker 3: Roman Empire, the new world superpower. Though Israel has some
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  Speaker 3: degree of self-governance in their own land, they are not
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  Speaker 3: fully free, and they are oppressed by foreign rulers. But
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  Speaker 3: there is another force that is crushing the people in
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  Speaker 3: a different way. The rituals and temple practices were still
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  Speaker 3: being observed, but the religious leaders, the leaders of the
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  Speaker 3: religious order, were oppressing the people with countless rules and
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  Speaker 3: legalistic teaching. Though it appeared to be zeal for God,
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  Speaker 3: it was an attempt to earn righteousness by behavior, and
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  Speaker 3: it was, of course, futile. The people needed a perfect sacrifice,
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  Speaker 3: someone to rescue from sin, to bring them back to
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  Speaker 3: the Lord. They needed God himself, as they always had.
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  Speaker 3: And what we begin seeing now is God setting in
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  Speaker 3: motion his plan of redemption in Jesus Christ. But before
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  Speaker 3: the Messiah would come, one who announced his arrival would
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  Speaker 3: also come, a man who had been foretold by the
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  Speaker 3: prophets Isaiah and Malachi, a voice who would cry out
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  Speaker 3: for the people to prepare a way for the Lord.
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  Speaker 3: And so in our reading, we learn of a priest
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  Speaker 3: named Zechariah whose wife was named Elizabeth. Like others before them,
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  Speaker 3: they had waited for years and years for a child.
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  Speaker 3: But in old age, they were still childless. But they
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  Speaker 3: were righteous. and found grace, favor in the eyes of
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  Speaker 3: the Lord. So God sent an angel, Gabriel, to tell
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  Speaker 3: Zechariah and Elizabeth that they would have a child. And
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  Speaker 3: this child would proclaim a new era of freedom and faith.
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  Speaker 3: Zechariah laughed at the news, not believing they could bear
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  Speaker 3: children at their age. So he was made mute until
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  Speaker 3: the child came. And just as promised, Elizabeth became pregnant.
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  Speaker 3: We then heard how six months after Elizabeth conceived, her
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  Speaker 3: younger cousin Mary was visited by the same angel. Mary
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  Speaker 3: was engaged to be wed to a carpenter named Joseph.
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  Speaker 3: She was a virgin, a righteous young woman. So the
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  Speaker 3: news the angel brought her was both incredible, miraculous, and terrifying.
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  Speaker 3: Gabriel was quick to tell her that he brought good
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  Speaker 3: news from God, that she had found favor with the Lord.
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  Speaker 3: and had been chosen for this responsibility that would change
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  Speaker 3: history forever. Though she had no union with a man physically,
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  Speaker 3: Mary was going to conceive a child. His name would
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  Speaker 3: be Jesus, the son of David, God's promised Messiah. As
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  Speaker 3: you can only imagine, Mary could not comprehend how this
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  Speaker 3: is possible. Gabriel explained that the Holy Spirit would come
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  Speaker 3: upon her and that God would be with her. God's Spirit,
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  Speaker 3: the one who had been there from the very beginning,
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  Speaker 3: hovering over the waters at creation, the one who had
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  Speaker 3: been with Israel in the pillar of fire and smoke.
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  Speaker 3: He would be with Mary. She would conceive a child.
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  Speaker 3: Gabriel then spoke of the miracle of the virgin conception.
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  Speaker 3: In Luke 1.37 we read, Nothing is impossible with God.
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  Speaker 3: I love the way the New Living Translation puts it,
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  Speaker 3: For the word of God will never fail. God keeps
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  Speaker 3: His promises. So Mary submitted herself faithfully to the Lord
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  Speaker 3: and His will, saying that she was His servant. When
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  Speaker 3: Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth, the baby Elizabeth
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  Speaker 3: was carrying leapt in her womb because the baby knew,
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  Speaker 3: alive in the womb of Elizabeth, knew that he was
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  Speaker 3: in the presence of the Lord. Both of these pregnancies
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  Speaker 3: were not just unlikely, they were miraculous. But as the
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  Speaker 3: angel said, with God there is no impossible. This is
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  Speaker 3: the glorious impossible. When Elizabeth finally gave birth, everyone wanted
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  Speaker 3: to name the child after his father. But Elizabeth protested
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  Speaker 3: and said it should be John, to everyone's confusion. Zechariah
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  Speaker 3: was still speechless, but he knew that she was right.
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  Speaker 3: So he called for something to write on and scribbled down,
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  Speaker 3: His name will be John. And immediately he was able
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  Speaker 3: to speak and began praising God. John said, grew into
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  Speaker 3: a strong and righteous man with a powerful voice, the
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  Speaker 3: very voice that God had promised to proclaim the kingdom
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  Speaker 3: of God and the announcement of his glorious Messiah. Dear
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  Speaker 3: God of the impossible, we know that there is no
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  Speaker 3: miracle that you cannot perform, and we thank you for
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  Speaker 3: the miracle of Jesus, the miracle of the story of Jesus,
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  Speaker 3: and we praise you that your word never fails. that
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  Speaker 3: we can always trust you to fulfill what you have promised.
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  Speaker 3: And we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you
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  Speaker 3: again for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
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  Speaker 3: I'm Jack Graham, pastor in Dallas, Texas. You can download
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  Speaker 3: the Pray.com app and make Bible study and prayer a
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  Speaker 3: priority in your life. If you enjoyed this podcast, please
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  Speaker 3: share it with someone else. And if you want more resources,
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  Speaker 3: I would love for you to contact us at jackgram.org.
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  Speaker 3: God bless you and have a great day.