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The Forerunners of Christmas · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne
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  Speaker 1: of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace
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  Speaker 1: for help in time of need. Hebrews 4.16 Gracious Heavenly Father,
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  Speaker 1: thank you for this incredible invitation to approach you with
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  Speaker 1: boldness and confidence, knowing that we will find grace and
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  Speaker 1: mercy in our time of need. Help us to truly
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  Speaker 1: understand and appreciate this profound privilege. You have opened the
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  Speaker 1: way for us through the sacrifice of your Son. Because
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  Speaker 1: of Him, we can come to you directly with all
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  Speaker 1: our fears, doubts, struggles, and joys. Teach us to turn
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  Speaker 1: to you in every situation, whether in times of joy, pain,
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  Speaker 1: or uncertainty. May we continuously seek your face, assured that
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  Speaker 1: you are always ready to listen, to extend mercy, and
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  Speaker 1: to grant us the grace we need. In the precious
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  Speaker 1: name of Jesus, we pray.
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  Speaker 2: Amen.
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  Speaker 3: The voice of God had remained silent towards his chosen
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  Speaker 3: people for 400 years. the sons and daughters of Israel
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  Speaker 3: ached for the arrival of their prophesied Savior, a Messiah
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  Speaker 3: promised by the Scriptures to liberate them from their shackles.
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  Speaker 3: Despite the silence, their faith persisted, grounded by rituals and
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  Speaker 3: traditions that wove the fabric of their unique culture. Israel
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  Speaker 3: had emerged as a hub of learning, religion and governance.
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  Speaker 3: albeit under the crushing weight of Rome's iron rule. Judaism thrived,
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  Speaker 3: yet was gripped by the rigidity of pharisaical interpretations, and
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  Speaker 3: Caesar's brutal regime overshadowed any semblance of peace. Israel cried
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  Speaker 3: out for a savior to quell the religious and military turmoil.
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  Speaker 3: In the age of King Herod's reign over Judea, a
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  Speaker 3: priest named Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth served as pillars
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  Speaker 3: of their community. childless yet devout, they sought solace and
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  Speaker 3: purpose in serving God. The barrenness of their union was
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  Speaker 3: a silent wound they carried, yet they found fulfillment in
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  Speaker 3: different ways. Zachariah was a priest, and Elizabeth was a
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  Speaker 3: nurturing presence in their village.
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  Speaker 4: Hello, I'm Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the
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  Speaker 4: Bible in a Year podcast. We're taking time from now
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  Speaker 4: until Christmas to to explore the rich and powerful story
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  Speaker 4: of the Nativity. So far, we've taken time to set
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  Speaker 4: the stage for Christ's arrival. We immersed ourselves in prophecy
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  Speaker 4: and history to put ourselves in the shoes of ancient Israel.
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  Speaker 4: The prophecies have been declared, the boot of Rome is
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  Speaker 4: pressed down harder, and Israel is ready for its Redeemer.
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  Speaker 4: Now we enter the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth. These
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  Speaker 4: two figures are significant to the overarching narrative of Scripture.
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  Speaker 4: Zechariah is a priest under the old covenant of Israel.
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  Speaker 4: He ministers in the temple and performs sacrifices on behalf
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  Speaker 4: of God's people. He represents the law of Moses and
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  Speaker 4: the relationship between God and Israel. Elizabeth, much like the
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  Speaker 4: matriarchs of the Old Testament, is barren in her old age.
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  Speaker 4: She also represents the old covenant people who pine after
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  Speaker 4: a child to save them. Zechariah and Elizabeth are about
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  Speaker 4: to be visited by an angel, hearkening to the arrival
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  Speaker 4: of a new covenant established by God. Zechariah and Elizabeth
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  Speaker 4: represent the transition between the Old and the New Testaments.
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  Speaker 4: So let's immerse ourselves in their story and this dramatic
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  Speaker 4: telling of Luke chapter 1. Afterwards, we'll take time to
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  Speaker 4: unpack the timeless Christmas themes.
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  Speaker 3: Zechariah rose from his bed with aching bones. The sun
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  Speaker 3: rose over the hills surrounding Jerusalem. Its light trickled in
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  Speaker 3: ever so slightly through his window, illuminating his sleeping wife
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  Speaker 3: beside him. He adorned himself in his ceremonial garb and
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  Speaker 3: prepared for the Day of Atonement, a sacred occasion marked
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  Speaker 3: by offerings and sacrifices. His priestly division was assigned to
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  Speaker 3: perform the rites that day. As he ascended the temple steps,
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  Speaker 3: the golden tower of Jerusalem shimmered with the dawn's first light.
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  Speaker 3: Zechariah greeted his fellow priests as they prepared to cast
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  Speaker 3: lots for the day's rolls, a ritual of divine selection.
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  Speaker 3: As the crowd of worshippers swelled outside the temple, lots
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  Speaker 3: were cast under the radiant glow of the sunrise. Zechariah
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  Speaker 3: looked on as two of his companions were chosen to
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  Speaker 3: prepare the altar and perform the morning sacrifice. As the
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  Speaker 3: third lot was cast, The honor of offering incense in
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  Speaker 3: the Holy of Holies, Zachariah's heart pounded with anticipation. To
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  Speaker 3: his disbelief, his name emerged, bestowing him the rare opportunity
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  Speaker 3: to enter God's sanctified dwelling. A resonating gong signaled his
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  Speaker 3: steps towards the imposing veil that partitioned the Holy of Holies.
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  Speaker 3: Clutching the incense, he entered the veiled room, an enclave
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  Speaker 3: reserved for the yearly rituals. The dimly lit sanctuary, accented
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  Speaker 3: by the soft glow of a solitary lampstand, was filled
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  Speaker 3: with the smoky aroma of incense. An unnerving silence pervaded,
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  Speaker 3: broken only by Zachariah's heightened heartbeat. Zachariah looked around, getting
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  Speaker 3: the feeling that he was not alone. He knew that
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  Speaker 3: entering the inner sanctuary meant he would be in the
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  Speaker 3: presence of God. Yet he felt something else in the room,
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  Speaker 3: something otherworldly was with him. Before he could articulate a prayer,
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  Speaker 3: a radiant being appeared beside the altar. Zachariah covered his
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  Speaker 3: eyes and fell to his knees. A messenger from God
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  Speaker 3: stood before him, an angel whose visage was partially obscured
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  Speaker 3: by the incense smoke. Zachariah pressed his face to the ground,
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  Speaker 3: his mind consumed by the notion of imminent death. Is
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  Speaker 3: God going to strike me down? thought Zachariah. Fear overcame him.
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  Speaker 3: The angel's features were human-like, but he was not a
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  Speaker 3: mere man. Perched beside the altar, he spoke with calming reassurance, saying,
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  Speaker 3: Fear not, Zachariah.
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  Speaker 2: Your prayers have been heard.
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  Speaker 3: He said, a hint of a smile dancing on his
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  Speaker 3: divine features. As Zachariah stood up, the angel unfolded a
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  Speaker 3: divine prophecy.
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  Speaker 2: Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you
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  Speaker 2: shall call his name John. The joy and gladness of
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  Speaker 2: his birth We'll bless your home, for the Lord has
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  Speaker 2: chosen him for greatness.
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  Speaker 3: A smile curled around the angel's face.
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  Speaker 2: He will turn many of the children of Israel back
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  Speaker 2: to their God, and he will go before him with
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  Speaker 2: the spirit and power of Elijah. He will turn the
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  Speaker 2: hearts of fathers back to their children, and the disobedient
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  Speaker 2: back to wisdom.
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  Speaker 3: He will prepare the way of the Lord. Zachariah listened
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  Speaker 3: with awe and disbelief. Although a divine being stood before him,
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  Speaker 3: the concept of his wife conceiving at her age seemed impossible.
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  Speaker 3: But how can this be? Zachariah explained. I am an
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  Speaker 3: old man, and my wife is advanced in years. We
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  Speaker 3: couldn't possibly.
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  Speaker 2: I am Gabriel.
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  Speaker 3: The angel interrupted with righteous light.
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  Speaker 2: I stand in the presence of God himself. I was
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  Speaker 2: sent to bring you good news, yet you stand here
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  Speaker 2: in doubt of his power. Because you have not believed
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  Speaker 2: my words, you will.
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  Speaker 3: Be silent until the promise of God has been fulfilled.
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  Speaker 3: Zechariah held his mouth and felt the power of his
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  Speaker 3: voice leave him. In an instant, Gabriel departed from him.
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  Speaker 3: Emerging from the Holy of Holies, Zechariah was rendered mute,
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  Speaker 3: instilling a sense of trepidation amongst the other priests. He
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  Speaker 3: returned home. unable to share what he had seen. He
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  Speaker 3: entered his home and greeted his wife. They held each
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  Speaker 3: other close and Zachariah shared a tender moment with his
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  Speaker 3: bride of many years. In the ensuing months, Elizabeth felt
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  Speaker 3: the first stirrings of life within her. As she touched
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  Speaker 3: her belly, tears of joy streamed down her face. Even
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  Speaker 3: as she praised God and Zachariah grappled with his enforced silence,
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  Speaker 3: they felt the divine hand in their lives. However, the
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  Speaker 3: full breadth of God's plan was yet to unfurl, something
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  Speaker 3: they would realize with the unexpected visit of Elizabeth's cousin, Mary.
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  Speaker 4: Our podcast has been dedicated to finding the synergy between
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  Speaker 4: the Gospel and the Hebrew Bible. One of the most
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  Speaker 4: significant links between the two is the story of Zechariah, Elizabeth,
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  Speaker 4: and John the Baptist. These figures connect the traditions of
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  Speaker 4: the Old Testament to the hope of the New Testament.
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  Speaker 4: Zechariah is a priest under the old covenant of Israel.
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  Speaker 4: He ministers in the temple and performs sacrifices on behalf
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  Speaker 4: of God's people. Those sacrifices ultimately pointed toward the atonement
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  Speaker 4: of Jesus on the cross. When he meets Gabriel, he's
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  Speaker 4: told that his son would be a herald proclaiming the
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  Speaker 4: way of the Lord. John the Baptist would go on
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  Speaker 4: to be a forerunner for Jesus, preparing people's hearts for
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  Speaker 4: his arrival. John, the baptizer, would go on to be
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  Speaker 4: a forerunner for Jesus, preparing people's hearts for his arrival.
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  Speaker 4: We cannot underestimate the powerful imagery used in the account
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  Speaker 4: of Luke. Zechariah entered the presence of God with fear,
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  Speaker 4: adorned in ceremonial garments, not sure if he would live
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  Speaker 4: or die. Contrast that with the encouragement we are given
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  Speaker 4: in Hebrews chapter 4. Having then a great high priest
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  Speaker 4: who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God,
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  Speaker 4: let's hold tightly to our confession. For we don't have
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  Speaker 4: a high priest who can't be touched with the feeling
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  Speaker 4: of our infirmities, but one who has been in all
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  Speaker 4: points tempted like we are, yet without sin. Let's therefore
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  Speaker 4: draw near with boldness to the throne of grace that
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  Speaker 4: we may receive mercy and may find grace for help
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  Speaker 4: in time of need. The role of a priest like
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  Speaker 4: Zechariah was to be an intermediary between the people and God,
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  Speaker 4: making prayers and sacrifices on their behalf. In a greater sense,
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  Speaker 4: Jesus is our high priest, which connects us to the
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  Speaker 4: heart of God. Because of his sacrifice on the cross,
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  Speaker 4: we don't have to approach God with trepidation, but with
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  Speaker 4: boldness and assurance of his love for us. Zechariah's story
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  Speaker 4: is the last biblical account of a temple ritual, hearkening
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  Speaker 4: to a new age of Christ, who is the fulfillment
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  Speaker 4: of the Old Testament. There's also profound imagery found in Elizabeth.
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  Speaker 4: She had waited long for the Lord to provide her
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  Speaker 4: with a child and had lost hope that she would
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  Speaker 4: ever conceive. Her barrenness represents the lifeless state of Israel then.
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  Speaker 4: Israel had pined after the promised son foretold by the prophets,
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  Speaker 4: but it had been so long that hope was fading.
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  Speaker 4: But God was on the move. He visited Elizabeth in
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  Speaker 4: her old age just like he did with Sarah. Rebecca, Rachel,
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  Speaker 4: and Hannah. He opened up her womb and gave her
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  Speaker 4: a son, John. All these accounts in the Bible of
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  Speaker 4: barren wombs bearing children illustrate what God does in our hearts.
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  Speaker 4: Spiritually speaking, we are unable to produce life for ourselves.
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  Speaker 4: We feel empty and without hope. But God chooses to
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  Speaker 4: enliven us with His Spirit and fill us to the
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  Speaker 4: brim with new life, The miraculous nature of John's conception
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  Speaker 4: also prepares us for another miraculous conception. In our next episode,
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  Speaker 4: we'll meet Elizabeth's cousin, Mary, who receives a visit from
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  Speaker 4: the angel Gabriel. God chooses her to carry a significant burden,
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  Speaker 4: and the world will never be the same. Thanks for
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  Speaker 4: listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Pastor
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  Speaker 4: Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download the Pray.com app and
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  Speaker 4: make prayer a priority in your life. If you enjoyed
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  Speaker 4: this podcast, share it with someone you love. By sharing
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  Speaker 4: this podcast, you can make a difference in someone's life.
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  Speaker 4: And if you want more resources on how to tap
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  Speaker 4: into God's power for successful Christian living, be sure to
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  Speaker 4: visit jagram.org. God bless you.