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A few years ago, Sabine and I were watching a Christmas movie and one of the songs stood out to us, here are some of the lyrics:

What a welcome into the temple for a month old baby!

As Joseph and Mary are still trying to process what just happened with Simeon, another prophet comes up to them and starts giving thanks to God for their baby. What an odd thing to witness it must have been from the outside! And what an amazing example of godliness Anna is for us

In today’s reading, we learn of God’s people faithfully following His commands and seeking His promises.

The passage opens up with the naming of Jesus. His name literally means ‘God saves’ serving as a reminder of the purpose for His birth. What a wonder that God Himself came in human form to eventually save us from sin through His death on the cross!

In our reading yesterday we heard of some surprising, dramatic and confusing news.

When we encounter news that, to put it mildly, is out-with our experience and knowledge, we are stunned. It is something new and we need time to process the information which has been received. Sometimes the news is good and sometimes not so good.

These verses are an important reminder of what Christmas is actually about. An angel of the Lord brings good news of great joy - the birth of ‘a Saviour, the Messiah, the Lord’. These titles given to this new born baby signify that he isn’t just another political leader or prince born into royalty, but he has been anointed by God and has come to save his people from their sin.

Today we come to the birth of Jesus. The event that defines the very year we are in. No doubt we’ve heard the story many times before- Joseph and Mary travelling in haste with Mary on a donkey then searching for a place to stay until eventually an innkeeper takes pity on them and gives them the only spare space there is – a draughty stable where Jesus is born that very night.

Zechariah begins his prophecy by being filled with the Holy Spirit (v.67), just like his wife Elizabeth was (v.41). He bursts into praise, and speaking from his perspective as a priest, he zooms out to give an enormously wide picture of God's relationship with Israel.

What’s in a name?

It’s the first question you ask about any baby. What’s their name? Some couples choose it months in advance, while others wait until after the birth to make up their minds. Either way, it tells you more about the parents than about the child, whether the baby is named after a relative or a celebrity, or because mum and dad like the name’s sound or meaning.

In these verses, Mary clearly sees a most remarkable thing about God: He is about to change the course of all human history; the most important three decades in all of time are about to begin. And where is God? Occupying himself with two humble women—one old and barren (Elizabeth), the other young and virginal. And Mary is so moved by this vision of God, the lover of the lowly, that she breaks out in song—a song that has come to be known as the Magnificat.

I love Christmas. It’s my favourite time of year. There's something exciting about cold dark nights, hot chocolate, ice skating, markets, ginger bread, mulled wine, woolly jumpers, offensive lights. I just love it.

Excitement in Elizabeth’s home. Years waiting to get pregnant as she saw her friends get pregnant and their thrill of birth after birth. Elizabeth was sad, inside she felt useless, she could not conceive, what was wrong with her? Was it her fault? Poor Elizabeth.

Zechariah asks ‘How can I be sure of this?’. Is that a familiar question for us. How can we be sure that God is at work in our lives?

Today’s reading introduces us to Zechariah the Priest. He, together with his wife Elizabeth, was righteous, obedient and blameless.

It all begins with an idea.