Characters at the Cradle: The Birth of Jesus, Glory to God in the Highest
A Moment of Hope
by David Chadwick Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem to be registered for taxes. While there, Jesus was born in a smelly manger instead of a nice inn. The God of all creation chose to enter the world in the most humble of states. Jesus is the main character at the cradle. His birth was the catalyst to draw every other character to the cradle. So what happens next in the story? Let’s look at Luke 2:8-14 to see who were the first characters at the cradle following Jesus’s birth. Verse 8 says that the shepherds were “out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.” Suddenly,...
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Characters at the Cradle: The Birth of Jesus, God in Human Flesh
A Moment of Hope
by David Chadwick When Caesar Augustus gave a decree mandating everyone to be registered for taxes, Joseph and Mary’s journey to Bethlehem began. Remember as you read the Christmas story that there was not one aspect that was outside of God’s control or plan. In fact, every moment was a part of his plan. The twists and turns, the ups and downs – all of them point to our great need for redemption through Jesus. While in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to give birth. Let’s look at Luke 2:5-7, where God, through Jesus, entered the world. The main character of the entire story! For being...
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Characters at the Cradle: The Birth of Jesus, The Main Character
A Moment of Hope
by David Chadwick This week, we are going to look specifically at the birth of Jesus and the important role that the shepherds and angels played as characters at the cradle. However, before we look at some more of these secondary characters, we must first STOP and look at the main character. Jesus is the main event. He IS the ultimate character at the cradle, around whom God’s entire story is written. He is the pinnacle of all creation, the peak of all prophecies, and the climax of the story! Join me today as we look at Luke 2:1-4. Did you know that everything in human history is under...
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Characters at the Cradle: Zechariah’s Prophecy, Light to the World
A Moment of Hope
by David Chadwick Zechariah concluded his prophecy in verse 79 by proclaiming that John the Baptist would “give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” John the Baptist would proclaim a message that would give light to the shadow of death, which is often people’s greatest fear. But this light would also guide our feet to the way of peace. So we don’t misstep, trip, or fall! As we discussed yesterday, God gives us the sunrise every morning, simply because of his grace. The sun gives us light for the day. In the same way,...
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Characters at the Cradle: Zechariah’s Prophecy, A Message of Repentance
A Moment of Hope
by David Chadwick Zechariah’s prophecy gives strong gospel implications to the importance and need for repentance. Luke 1:77-78 says that John, in preparing the way for the Lord, would “give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high…” Zechariah knew that John’s life’s mission would be to point to Jesus. John the Baptist would bring a message of repentance before people even heard Jesus’s message. His words would prime the hearts of people to receive the Word (John...
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Characters at the Cradle: Zechariah’s Prophecy, God Sent John
A Moment of Hope
by David Chadwick The Godhead - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are present throughout the biblical narrative. Much like in Genesis 1, where the Trinity is present during creation, the same holds true with these characters at the cradle. The Bible tells us that many of these characters at the cradle were specifically marked with the Holy Spirit during their encounters with the Christ child. The Spirit “came upon” Mary (Luke 1:35). Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit as she first met Jesus in the womb of her cousin, Mary (Luke 1:41). And then in verse 67, Zechariah is filled with the...
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Characters at the Cradle: Zechariah’s Prophecy, About What?
A Moment of Hope
by David Chadwick We are looking at the characters at the cradle, the people who found their lives intersecting with the life of Jesus, with divine precision. Each person carried a unique role and responsibility and stewarded his or her place in history with great purpose. Zechariah was one of those characters. In spite of his initial unbelief, which left him deaf and mute for a season, he allowed his time in silence to shape him and refine him for what was to come with the birth of John. Once Zechariah’s speech was restored, he was filled with the Spirit and began to prophesy. About what,...
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Characters at the Cradle: Zechariah’s Prophecy, Speech Restored
A Moment of Hope
by David Chadwick This week, we cover Zechariah’s prophecy found in Luke 1:67-79. This passage is powerful and full of revelation and insight. If you remember where we have been, Zechariah’s words come on the heels of Elizabeth’s prophetic exclamation in verse 42, Mary’s song of praise in verses 46-56, and the birth of John in verses 57-66. Zechariah is coming off his nine months of silence. Because he expressed words of doubt and unbelief when the angel Gabriel had told him that he would finally have a son named John, Zechariah was rendered mute and deaf. By the time John arrived,...
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Characters at the Cradle: John the Baptist, Awe and Wonder
A Moment of Hope
by David Chadwick “And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, ‘What then will this child be?’ For the hand of the Lord was with him.” Luke 1:65-66. When Zechariah’s voice returned, he started blessing God for all that had happened to him and Elizabeth. He was incredibly grateful for the birth of his child. The text goes on to tell us that all the neighbors were filled with fear. The “fear” talked about here is not dread or being afraid. On the...
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Characters at the Cradle: John the Baptist, Words of Worship
A Moment of Hope
by David Chadwick When Zechariah wrote down, “His name is John,” for all to see and read, he obeyed in specificity all the angel of the Lord had commanded him to do. At that moment, something significant happened. Let’s take a look. “And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God” (Luke 1:64). Immediately. What a powerful word! Not gradual, not slowly… immediately! Zechariah’s act of obedience led to his immediate breakthrough. At that moment, he was able to speak again. And the words that poured forth blessed the one true God. This might...
info_outlineby Marilynn Chadwick
Honor may be best expressed through word and deed, but it begins in my mind. What I think about my husband determines whether my words and actions will honor him. In fact, what we believe about our husbands can make or break our marriages.
We must believe the best.
For me, this means that as a wife, I value and respect David, believing in him even more than he believes in himself. I can choose how I think about my husband. Either with a lens of criticism and cynicism or with a lens of respect and honor. Do I respect him? Appreciate him? Do I focus on his strengths and downplay his weaknesses? Do I take time to reflect on the many ways he sacrifices for our family? Am I there for him to support and strengthen him, especially when he feels weak? In short, am I thankful for him?
Over the years, I’ve noticed a common theme in the marriages I’ve grown to admire. The spouses seem to be intentional about interpreting each other in a positive light. The wives speak about their husbands with respect. The husbands find ways to honor their wives. It’s clear they treasure and appreciate their partner. In short, they believe the best about each other, and it shows.
Turns out there’s some research to back up this observation. Author and longtime Gallup poll associate Marcus Buckingham surveyed thousands of married couples to discover the traits at the core of good marriages. He found something intriguing. The common thread running through happy marriages was this: In the most successful marriages, each partner rated the other person higher than that person rated him or herself.
Choose to honor. Make the intentional decision to be transformed by renewing your mind (Romans 12:2). Take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). Believe the best about your husband and watch as honor increases in your marriage.
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This series is adapted from the book, 8 Great Ways to Honor Your Husband by Marilynn Chadwick. To download your free PDF copy of this book, please visit our website by clicking here!