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Show A FATHER'S NINE MONTHS ./ l1e /.Io,..,d, re-M.ILM.j,e,r...r "Zechariah asked the anqel, "How be sure wife a/this? is well I along am an old in years. N man can I and my (Luke 1: 18) Everybody knows about the nine months of a mother carrying a child after conception until delivery. We talk openly about the mother's morning sickness, swollen legs, back aches, puffed up feet, jumping babies, growing stomachs, gaining weight, food cravings, dilation, and the pain of pushing and delivery. It is the father's child too but few th i ngs a re known fathers experience a bout what during the months. 1 same nine Both Zachariah and his wife Elizabeth were old. They shared the pain and disappointment of having no children of their own. They had been praying and waiting for the promise of God but avail. His plan seems to delayed and escaped people no have been them. Other doubt made fun and and said that God. Then they one to no were laughed not blessed of day while they were regular day's work and going about their business, God sent the carrying out their angel Gabriel to set in motion His own visit to earth. Zachariah took the temple in Jerusalem and a trip to was selected to be the priest who would enter the Holy Place to burn incense for 2 the people and their wife were sins. He and his known for their personal commitment to holiness and uprightness. They were suited for any special task God needed somebody to do. Suddenly to his unexpected surprise, Zachariah found himself in good a situation perhaps too late to be true. He was in the Holy Place face to face with the Angel of the Lord. The angelic message was that God had heard too and their prayers and was granting their request. "The angel said "Your unto Zachariah wife Elizabeth will bear you and you are He will be a to give him the name a son, John. joyand delight to you, and 3 many will rejoice because of his birtn, for he will be great in the Lord And he will go Lord to make sight of the on before the ready a people prepared for the Lord. N( Lu ke 1L 13-17) Messiah would be born and The they had been selected, chosen to give birth to His forerunner. Zachariah doubted his on ability to father the child the angel promised. He worried that his age would not let it be own possible. old Can I remind you, my sisters and my brothers, that what might be impossible for us humanly speaking is always possible with God. In fact, The Bible teaches that all God we us need do is believe for "with nothing is impossible." 4 prevented So God nine months. When speaking for Zachariah question the the Zachariah from angel angel said, "t am Gabriel. in doubt, / stand in of God and / have been sent speak to you and to tell you this good the presence to news. And now you will be silent and not speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, able to which will come time. N(Luke true at their proper 19-20) imagine Can you husband who left home for work but came back and communicate with pencil? The people happened can a talking only signs and a pad and wondered what had to him and could conclude that he had 5 seen a only vision. Zachariah went back home and on Elizabeth secluded herself for five months. When she along, she was Jesus and John was six months visited by Mary carrying leaped in his mother's womb. Zachariah remained silent and unable to talk. Finally, the baby was born by the mercy of God. The excited neighbors they wanted to name were so the baby after his father Zachariah. Elizabeth said "no, name him John." The people asked Zachariah and when he received he wrote uHis name Like Adam named Garden of son is John. N everything a pad, (Luke 1: 63) in the Eden, Zachariah named his because he would be the forerunner 6 of the Lord. For the Lord's hand upon him. Because Zachariah was was wrote down what he speechless, he wanted. Finally, John was born full of the Holy Spirit because his father was filled with Holy Spirit. the did not need Like father, like closet of a son. fancy clothes He or the newest formula. All John needed was Holy Spirit The hymn "Corne with all power. writer sang: Holy Spirit, heavenly dove thy quickening And kindle a power. flame of sacred love in these cold hearts of ours. 7 (' |
