God in Sandals

By Christopher Shaw

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This confession, made first by Peter to the Teacher of Galilee, is a cornerstone of any relationship with the Lord. Although Peter had received this insight from the Father, later pictures that we see of him in the Gospels show a considerably imperfect understanding of who Jesus really was. Peter’s distorted view of Christ fed attitudes and actions in him that frequently contradicted the basic principles of the kingdom of heaven. When our perspective of Jesus is similarly unclear, it can produce in us bitterness, indifference, anxiety or legalism. Through daily encounters in the Gospels, God in Sandals offers a fresh approach to the Person of Jesus. This unique devotional resists providing a finished portrait of Christ. It rather invites you to join the people who walked with Him—the people who were surprised again and again by the extraordinary mystery of the Word made flesh. The resulting adventure will not only allow you to enjoy Jesus as never before but will also deeply stir your soul and plant the seeds of genuine and dramatic spiritual transformation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: CLC Publications
• Release date: Jan 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9781936143313

Christopher Shaw

Chris Shaw (PhD, Queen's University, Belfast) is professor of drug discovery in the school of pharmacy at Queen's University in Belfast. He is the author of hundreds of peer-reviewed papers and the cofounder of a biomarker discovery company.

Book preview

Solomon’s Prayer: First Things First (1 Kings 3:5–15)

Ask What You Wish Me to Give You

Day 1

If you haven’t read the preface to this book entitled Don’t Read This Book! or if you’ve deliberately decided to skip it, I’d like to encourage you to go back before you read any further. You’ll find some interesting observations on how God in Sandals came together, plus a list of suggestions on how to get the most out of it. Why not just take a moment to read it now?

When you’ve read the preface, then read today’s text. Which of God’s qualities are revealed by the offer he made to Solomon in verse 5? What was Solomon’s burden? How was his prayer affected by the responsibility that weighed him down? How did the Lord respond to his request?

The Lord’s appearance to Solomon at Gibeon is one of the most precious moments in the history of God’s people. The offer made to the king shows, first, the risks that God is willing to take in His relationships with His children—He was basically allowing Solomon to choose whatever he wanted. This freedom is one of the greatest gifts the Lord has given humanity.

Solomon’s response, which pleased the Lord exceedingly, gives us a glimpse of the extraordinary potential of a life completely centered on the kingdom of the Lord. Solomon could clearly have chosen any of the things the Lord subsequently mentioned—long life, riches, the lives of his enemies—but the only thing on his heart was to please God by responsibly carrying out the task with which he had been entrusted. When somebody is entirely absorbed by the things of the Lord, all that the world has to offer becomes less than worthless.

Now, I’d like to invite you to carry out a short exercise based on Solomon’s story. Imagine for a moment that God appears in person and gives you the same offer He gave Solomon: Ask what you wish Me to give you. This is an offer Jesus also made to some of the people He met during His three years of public ministry. How would you respond? Take time to think about it. Think about the implications of this offer and the deepest desires of your heart. What would you ask of the Lord? Turn whatever comes to your mind into prayer.

Now I invite you to take an additional step in this exercise. Imagine that this meeting between you and the Lord takes place, but that the roles are reversed. Instead of the Lord asking you, you say, Lord, what would You like me to do for You? How do you think He would answer? Would you be willing to do what He asks? I am sure that as you progress in the challenge of walking through the Gospels with Jesus, you will find the answer to some of these questions. May God, in His goodness, give you courage to respond well to the challenges He sets before you!

In the Beginning: Jesus, Eternal God (John 1:1–14)

Beyond Time

Day 2

Read this week’s text, and then focus your attention on verse 1. In your opinion, why did John choose to open his Gospel with this message?

It is good and appropriate that our adventure with Jesus should begin at this point: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1).

The apostle’s declaration echoes the Genesis creation account, which also assumes origins outside our planet’s history: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. This beginning referred to by both authors lies outside the parameters we use to measure the passing of time—it is hidden within eternity itself.

John doesn’t expect to enter into the mystery of this phrase; he simply affirms that the Word was always in existence because the Word is God Himself. His declaration helps us realize what humanity’s correct posture before the Lord has been from the very beginning. He is the origin of all things, including our own personal history. Over and over again, as we walk with Him through this section of Scripture, we will come back to this truth. Each scene we witness will inevitably lead us to the Person of God. Man is, and always will be, the one who responds to divine initiative, a secondary player in a story much bigger and more profound than the fleeting tale of our brief time on this planet.

The beloved disciple’s pronouncement also places the Messiah’s earthly pilgrimage within this eternal framework. Jesus’ presence in this world, limited to a short thirty-three years, is part of a plan born in the heart of God Himself and, as such, is part of eternity.

It is so good, therefore, to start out on this adventure with an attitude of worship, full of wonder that we are able to be in contact with the Eternal. We can exclaim, like the psalmist: Oh, LORD, . . . when I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; what is man, that You take thought of him? And the son of man, that You care for him? (8:1, 3–4).

Maintaining this attitude throughout the year will be one of the most important factors in helping us enter into the depths of the Person of Christ. We do not approach Him in order to analyze, explain and pick Him to pieces. Rather, we approach Him so that we can experience the irresistible charm of His Person.

"Lord, You are the incarnation of all our longings, the manifestation of our boldest dreams. In approaching Your Person, we do no more than respond to Your initiative. We come with open hearts, willing to let You lead us wherever You wish. Produce in us the experiences You desire. We do not ask that You explain what You do, but that You keep us close to You. To be with You, Lord, is all that our hearts desire."

In the Beginning: Jesus, Eternal God (John 1:1–14)

The Word of Life

Day 3

John chose to refer to Christ as the Word. Meditate on the meaning of this term. What image of the Messiah does it suggest to you?

John is the only New Testament author who refers to Jesus as the Word. This detail leads us to believe that Genesis 1 inspired the introduction to this Gospel. The world as we know it today began to exist from the moment the Word was spoken by the Creator. The phrase God said is repeated seven times in this first chapter of Genesis, followed by the affirmation and it was so. We can’t help but notice the extraordinary power of the Word of God, and this power is what leads John to declare: All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being (John 1:3). In other words, everything that exists in the universe originated in the Word, and outside the Word nothing exists.

Let us think for a moment about the meaning of Word, or logos, in the original Greek. It is through the use of words that we can live as we were intended to. We are called to commune with our fellow human beings and with our Maker. Words afford us the opportunity of making ourselves known to others and of getting to know them so that the alienation brought about by sin can be broken. Words help to narrow the gap that separates us from one another.

How much greater then is the power of the Word that comes from the mouth of God! His Word is not like any other in the universe, since it comes from the very source of life. For this reason, life and the Word which birthed it are one and the same. Only God’s words bring life, because He is the one who upholds all things by the word of His power (Heb. 1:3).

This Word, therefore, is indispensable, since it contains life itself. Without it men are condemned to wander in the world with no objective, led and seduced by words that are no more than poor imitations. It reprimands, corrects, cleans, purifies and guides, for it is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (4:12).

As we start out on the adventure proposed by this book, it would be good for us to adopt Simon Peter’s affirmation as our own: Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life (John 6:68). May God, in His goodness, lead us beyond the words on these pages so that we can come to the feet of the Word Himself. In Him is the life we so desperately long for!

"Lord, make us hunger and thirst for the Word that brings life."

In the Beginning: Jesus, Eternal God (John 1:1–14)

Light in the Darkness

Day 4

Today we will meditate on verses 4 and 5. Imagine for a moment what life would be like if we had no access to light. What would this mean for us?

John proceeds with his analogy, still linked to the creation narrative, and now introduces the subject of light. The Genesis account declares, God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness (1:3–4). Similarly, the evangelist declares about Christ: In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it (John 1:4–5).

We should bear in mind that in the times during which this Gospel was written, darkness was a real limitation. When the sun set and night fell, most activities had to be halted. People had no means yet of prolonging the useful daytime hours with artificial illumination, so nighttime really hindered any additional work that needed to be done.

This analogy shows how completely incapable we are when it comes to discerning the path we should choose in order to make the most of life. Even those with the best eyesight can’t see anything clearly at night. Everything is shrouded in gloom, hidden in a world of shadows and silhouettes. The need for light becomes essential, for without it any progress made will be extremely tortuous and risky.

The Son of God, declares John, is the Light we so badly need. Jesus’ light does not have the transitory quality of a man-made light, such as a torch, a candle or a lamp. These imitations last only as long as the fuel source which sustains their light. When the fuel runs out, the darkness stretches out its shadowy hand over everything once again. In contrast to these unreliable sources, the light of Christ is more intense than the shadows, so the darkness cannot overcome it. Jesus’ light, unlike others, possesses its own source of life, and this enables it to conquer, absolutely, the places in which darkness had previously reigned supreme.

The closer we are to the Person of Christ, the greater clarity we have of our calling. Increasing discernment of the Kingdom is not found in the disciplined and detailed study of the Scriptures in and of itself. The light we seek cannot be grasped with the mind but only with the spirit.

The coming of the Messiah to earth heralded another coming when darkness will cease to exist forever, for the day will arrive when there will no longer be any night, and the people of the Lamb will have no need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever (Rev. 22:5).

In the Beginning: Jesus, Eternal God (John 1:1–14)

Lost Identity

Day 5

The visit of the Light to the world of humanity should have been a reason for profound rejoicing among the people. Nevertheless, John reveals a very different reaction from what we would expect. Read verses 7–11 of this chapter. How did the people react to Jesus? What does this tell us about our condition as sinners? What must happen for us to see the light shining in the darkness?

The description John gives us of the Person of Christ would seem to lead to a logical finale: the light that the world needed so much appeared and enlighten[ed] every man (John 1:9). The people, ecstatic because they had finally found what they had sought for so long, received the light with open arms and reorganized their lives according to this newfound vision. The reality, however, gives us an unexpected twist: He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to his own, and those who were His own did not receive Him (1:10–11).

The arrival of the Messiah presented a unique opportunity in the history of humankind, and that opportunity still exists today. Jesus is not someone who can help us decipher life’s mysteries but someone who will lead us into contact with Him from whom all life flows. He is the answer to all our questions, the object of our deepest longings and the reason for our very existence.

Faced with this extraordinary opportunity, the texts we have just read reveal a tragedy of unimaginable dimensions. John tells us that the world did not recognize Jesus. The distortion caused by sin had been so absolute that the sinner no longer recognized any resemblance to himself in His Creator. The distance separating the people from the One who was the source of life was so vast that no memory remained of what it meant to have been created in the image and likeness of God.

Paul’s tone in his letter to the church in Rome is very similar: There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God (3:10–11).

Despite our conviction that we are people who seek God, the truth is that Christ is not welcome among those who live in darkness. The relationship between the Creator and the created has suffered irreversible damage which can only be restored by the direct intervention of the Lord.

It is not our own initiative that brings us close to God. When we turn to Him, it is always a response to His initiative. This principle is important to a healthy spiritual life.

In the Beginning: Jesus, Eternal God (John 1:1–14)

A Unique Gift

Day 6

Read verses 12–13. What distinguishes the people who received Christ from those mentioned in previous verses? What privileges are given those who welcome the Lord?

Atiny glimmer of hope appears in the discouraging picture painted in verses 10– 11. In the atmosphere of indifference, God still touches some lives sufficiently for them to start out on an adventure—the objective of which is the transformation of the nations.

We could feel tempted to think that these few belonged to an especially noble, committed category of humanity. However, such an idea is completely refuted by the explanation added by John in his declaration: But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:12–13).

This is an excellent moment for us to pause and savor the privilege allowed us—the right to become children of God. Although understanding this fully may take us a whole lifetime, it is a completely indispensable condition if we are to experience the fullness to which we have been called.

To understand this truth we need only look at the elder son in the parable of the Prodigal Son. Despite being a son he lived like an employee, hoping to eventually receive a reward for his faithful service. The sad thing is that his efforts were completely unnecessary, since he was trying to earn what was already his by right of inheritance. How tragic it is when we work for what is already ours!

The disgrace of their poverty—despite the fact that they were heirs to the King—is what motivated Paul to pray passionately for the church at Ephesus: I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe (1:18–19). The fact is, if the eyes of our hearts are not enlightened, we will live in defeat, excluded from the victory of Christ. We will face the future with little enthusiasm when, in reality, each day brings with it the promise of incredible spiritual adventures for those who follow the Lord.

I know that within my own heart there is a deep longing to live this kind of life. Nevertheless, the darkness continually threatens to blur my vision. So I must take Paul’s prayer and, time and again, make it my own. I urge you to pray in the same way. Do not allow the Enemy to convince you that you are a poor wretch. Declare that you are a son and, as such, heir to the Kingdom treasures. This is a right that God has given to His children. It is up to each one of us to exercise it each day.

In the Beginning: Jesus, Eternal God (John 1:1–14)

The Word Becomes Flesh

Day 7

Verse 14 describes the biggest missionary enterprise of all time. Read the text several times and ask the Spirit to reveal to you something of the dimensions involved.

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth"(John 1:14). As I meditate on this verse, a profound sense of incompetence comes over me. The text summarizes the most mysterious transformation ever seen in the history of the universe. The Word, who created life itself, laid down His eternity to become robed in the fragile and transitory form of a human being—the God who wore sandals.

It is only when we consider our reluctance to step out of our own world and show even a vague interest in others that we can begin to understand the enormity of this enterprise. It shook the very foundations of the universe. In effect, although He existed in the form of God, [He] did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Phil. 2:6–8). Jesus’ way of life goes completely against our grandiose ambitions. The Lord gradually reduced His authority till He was only a humble bondservant.

What motivated the Lord to impose such drastic limitations on Himself? It was an inexplicable passion for forming a relationship with us! The Word, who chose to live in the flesh, set out to die so He could free us from the eternal consequences of our rebelliousness against the Creator. This represents much more than the satisfaction of a legal requirement. Though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich (2 Cor. 8:9).

Jesus’ example shows us the only way that people can be relieved of the afflictions, suffering and misery of walking in darkness. The redemption of one person always implies that there is another willing to be sacrificed for them. Perhaps this is why the church makes so little impact in these times. We all want others to be saved—as long as it doesn’t mean any sacrifice on our part.

Christ’s decision to take on the form of a man also signifies an act of amazing mercy. Because of the frailty of our fallen human condition, we do not understand or even tolerate the slightest manifestations from on high. So making Himself as one of us, Jesus closed the breach separating us from Him and presented real life in a format that humans could easily recognize. But the spiritual atrophy imposed by sin was so thorough that many were still not able to perceive the presence of Christ among them. Despite this Jesus’ time on earth gives us the clearest picture of the God who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in (Isa. 40:22).

In the Beginning: Jesus, Eternal God (John 1:1–14)

We Beheld His Glory

Day 8

Meditate today on the meaning of the phrase we saw His glory. In your opinion, why are grace and truth the outstanding characteristics of this glory?

The extraordinary nature of Christ’s journey as a man is captured in the phrase and dwelt among us. The word dwelt literally means that Jesus set up home in our midst. Surely John, as he wrote, could not help thinking of the tabernacle that accompanied the people during their wanderings in the desert. The expression also reveals a wholehearted commitment on the part of the One who came to live among us. There are people who, although present physically, choose to distance themselves as much as possible from others. When John indicated that the Word established His home among us, he was affirming that Jesus could have been a neighbor to any of us, subject to the same conditions we live in.

It is precisely this element that allows men like John, who was a true representative of the man on the street, to approach the eternal God and contemplate Him. This is the experience that enabled him to say, We saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father (John 1:14).

One of the definitions of glory provided by the dictionary is a person or thing that greatly ennobles or illuminates another. In this sense the beauty of Jesus was a true reflection of the beauty of the Father, so that the Son could say, He who has seen Me has seen the Father (14:9). As well as this, the disciples saw in Christ the clearest, most faithful manifestation of what God intended when He created men and women—the ideal to which we must all aspire. In fact, we are predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29).

The apostle indicated that this glory has two outstanding characteristics: grace and truth. The concept of grace refers to all that is contrary to the earthly, natural, demonic laws (James 3:15) that govern interpersonal relations in this world. Christ’s life shows a completely different approach from ours, His attitudes and behavior contradicting the popular wisdom of our fallen culture time and again. In a world where turning away one’s face from others is as natural as sleeping or eating, this concept is particularly striking.

Jesus also proclaimed the existence of an absolute truth to which all humankind should submit, and He lived in total submission to it. If you allow the Spirit to lead you where He wants to through this study, you will realize right away that to be close to the One who is grace and truth can sometimes be uncomfortable. In His presence all our meanness and weaknesses are exposed. But the Lord insists on setting up His tent close to ours. Give yourself up to this relationship and allow Him to gradually order your life so that His glory may be seen in all that you are.

A Surprise from Heaven: A Visit to Zacharias (Luke 1:5–25)

From Anonymity

Day 9

Read this week’s text. Who were Zacharias and Elizabeth? Why were they chosen by God to be John’s parents?

The account of Jesus’ birth begins with two people who are complete strangers to us: Zacharias and Elizabeth. Although they don’t know it yet, they have been chosen as parents of the prophet who will go ahead of the Promised One. Their involvement in the events surrounding the Messiah’s arrival is limited to a few verses in Luke’s Gospel. What happened to them after John’s birth is as unknown to us as the years before their brief appearance in the Scriptures. They were, however, at that time in history, the most faithful representatives of the vast majority of individuals who made up the people of God.

Their names are unfamiliar to most people. The details of their lives are not registered in any Who’s Who of the great historical figures of humanity. They probably hadn’t taken part in any dramatic events like the confrontation with Goliath, the defeat of four hundred prophets of Baal or the experience of passing through Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace. From a worldly perspective one could easily conclude that they were insignificant, the kind of persons we easily forget.

The Kingdom perspective on this subject, however, is different. Among those people tossed aside by the world, we find some of the most precious spiritual beings. Of Zacharias and Elizabeth, for example, we are told, They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord (Luke 1:6).

This phrase, rather than a commentary on an event, summarizes a lifestyle of deep devotion and faithfulness to the Lord. This couple possessed integrity, a quality so lacking today. The years had not dented their commitment to living holy lives, as busy as they were in the service of God. While they concentrated on living faithful lives, the Lord chose them for something greater than they could ever have imagined. But note, however, that they had done absolutely nothing to be chosen. They had not applied for any position nor suggested to the Lord that they were available for greater works than the ones they were involved in.

This attitude illustrates an important principle, often seen in the Word: when God bursts upon a person’s life, He chooses someone who is being faithful where they have been placed. Apart from a life of faithfulness to our call, there is nothing within us that can bring about these visitations from God. It is not necessary to plead and clamor for those manifestations that so obsess the church nowadays.

We often long for a more dramatic experience, but God is greatly pleased with men and women who remain faithful to their commitment throughout the months, years and decades.

A Surprise from Heaven: A Visit to Zacharias (Luke 1:5–25)

An Unexpected Visit

Day 10

Read the account of the angel’s appearance to Zacharias once more. How did Zacharias react? In your opinion, why did he behave in this way?

There is no doubt that the appearance of the angel excites us much more than does this couple’s faithfulness, which had made them blameless before the Lord. Blamelessness is a quality applauded by everyone, but since the process of achieving it is so slow and onerous, we don’t feel too inclined to go down that road. Influenced by a culture addicted to adrenaline and intense emotions, we feel the need to sustain our spiritual lives with dramatic experiences. We want to feel that God has touched us, that He has moved among us or that we have witnessed a spectacular miracle. For those who think that this is what spiritual life is all about, receiving an angel’s visit would certainly be like touching heaven with one’s hands. From Zacharias’s experience, however, we can learn three important lessons.

First, it happened while he was performing his priestly service before God (Luke 1:8). This is precisely the context that causes us so many problems, for we find the while rather boring. Nevertheless, being faithful in the work entrusted to us is an indispensable condition for being entrusted with greater works. Our faithfulness must sometimes be tested throughout an entire lifetime, as it was with Elizabeth and Zacharias. It’s not up to us whether or not we participate in bigger responsibilities; it is a decision exclusively in the hands of the Lord.

A second lesson comes from Zacharias’s reaction: he was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him (1:12). The angel’s appearance was not as agreeable an experience as you might imagine. In fact, a look through the Scriptures will reveal that fear was common to everyone who received a heavenly visit. The truth is, we as human beings don’t have the capacity to endure intense spiritual experiences.

This brings us to a third lesson: we find no indication that Zacharias ever had another experience like this in his whole life. If we consider the two-thousand-year history of the people of God registered in the Bible, we see that this kind of visitation is extremely rare. I think the reason is clear: our spiritual development does not come through the extraordinary but rather through the ordinary. The Lord well knows that this kind of experience can easily develop into a distraction. This is why those who are wise disciples will make the psalmist’s prayer their own: O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; nor do I involve myself in great matters, or in things too difficult for me. Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child rests against his mother, my soul is like a weaned child within me (131:1–2).

A Surprise from Heaven: A Visit to Zacharias (Luke 1:5–25)

A Prophet Will Come

Day 11

Read the message brought to Zacharias by the angel. According to God’s plan for him, what kind of life was John to lead? What work was the Lord entrusting to him? Why was it necessary for someone to carry out this work?

On seeing Zacharias’s reaction, the angel immediately said to him, Do not be afraid (Luke 1:13). This phrase is used at least fifty-eight times in the Scriptures, mostly in the context of a manifestation or a word from on high. The fact that it was necessary to calm people’s fears each time the Lord revealed Himself shows how terribly distanced we are from His heart. If we fear someone, it is because we think they might hurt us or that relating to them will do us harm.

Before the Lord can begin to straighten out our lives, He has to calm our anxieties. If we don’t understand that He is seeking the best for us, each time we hear His words we will feel a certain amount of distrust. Surely this is why God encouraged Joshua’s heart by saying, Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go (Josh. 1:9). We need courage to overcome the constant fears that surface in our hearts.

The news brought by the angel was very good. Zacharias and Elizabeth, already well on in years, had never been able to have a child. Now the angel announced that a son would be given to them. The baby would not only bring joy to his parents’ hearts but to the hearts of many others as well. This was a clear indication that this child had been chosen to fulfill more than simply the role of a son.

What would the little one’s calling be? First, the angel declared that he would be great in the sight of the Lord. There is no greatness comparable to the favor of God, although we often labor over lesser things that we consider great. In explaining the child’s greatness, the angel indicated that even while still in the womb, the baby would be filled with the Spirit. And so one of the key figures for the coming era was introduced into the story: the third person of the Trinity, the Helper, the One who would personally dwell within every member of the family of God.

After the angel’s first declaration about the child, he went on to state what the boy’s task would be: he would prepare the way for the Promised One. His calling was similar to that of officials who go before a king in order to arrange the necessary details for his arrival in a city or town. Zacharias’s son was to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. He was not the person who would change the hearts of the people; he would work to make them ready for the Lord’s ministry.

The work assigned to John is something we can all do as collaborators in eternal pursuits. We cannot change anybody’s life, since we don’t have the capacity to transform hearts. Nevertheless, we can help position people so that they are well placed for God to minister to them—and that is no small detail!

A Surprise from Heaven: A Visit to Zacharias (Luke 1:5–25)

Praying Out of Habit

Day 12

Read the dialogue between Zacharias and the angel once again. Why did Zacharias have doubts? What light does his doubting shed on his prayers? In our particular case, how could we correct a perspective like this?

The message brought to Zacharias by the angel was sent because his petition [had] been heard (Luke 1:13). I have no doubt that Zacharias and Elizabeth had poured their hearts out in prayer for many long years. There seem to be few things that move us as much as not being able to have a child. I can imagine too that with the passing of the years, it became difficult to keep the flame of hope alive that they would ever have a family. Certainly, from a human perspective, the time when it would have been possible for the longed-for offspring to arrive was well past.

Could this have been why Zacharias reacted the way he did? How shall I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years (1:18). An innocent reply—but it reveals his disbelief that such a thing could actually happen. It is easy to fall into the habit of repeating certain requests in prayer even when we have long ago stopped believing that anything might actually happen. We continue to ask, but the passion that once moved us has been lost.

This situation demonstrates one of the great dangers that erodes our spiritual lives: living out our relationship with Christ on autopilot. All activities tend to become routine after a time, and routine lulls the spirit to sleep. We continue going through the motions, but our hearts no longer participate. When we enter this plane, our spiritual life inevitably begins to fade. In fact, the Lord reproached Israel precisely for this kind of behavior: This people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote (Isa. 29:13).

If you have ever been singing in a meeting but thinking about something else or been surprised that after five minutes in prayer, you don’t remember anything you’ve said, you will understand how easy it is to fall into a religious routine. Even reading this book may simply be part of a daily routine, one in which you’re not really experiencing all that the Lord wants for you. We need to change our routines from time to time so as not to become imprisoned by boredom.

"Lord, just thinking about my spirit becoming disconnected from You while I carry out my daily activities fills me with fear. Perhaps I have not understood that the secret of the spiritual life is not in the things I do, but in following You. What You are doing is what should make the difference in my life, because my call will always be to follow You, wherever You go. Give me eyes to see You, Lord, even in the midst of my daily duties! I want You to surprise me, make me uncomfortable, challenge me and . . . even confuse me. I don’t want to fall asleep while life goes on around me."

A Surprise from Heaven: A Visit to Zacharias (Luke 1:5–25)

An Adventure Halved

Day 13

Note the angel’s answer to Zacharias’s question. Think about all the ways our lack of faith affects our lives.

Zacharias’s question to the angel contains a certain innocence that we would judge to be inoffensive. Who among us would not be surprised by such an announcement? There’s nothing wrong—we might think—in asking for an explanation about the strange news of a pregnancy in old age.

The angel Gabriel, who evidently possessed amazing spiritual perception, immediately identified the root of Zacharias’s question. It was not curiosity but a lack of faith. In the secrecy of Zacharias’s heart, he did not believe it possible that an old man whose wife was advanced in years could conceive a child.

Lack of faith is always a serious obstacle to the development of spiritual life. On occasion, as happened with the ten Israelite spies, it can lead to calamitous consequences: a whole generation of Israelites was denied access to the Promised Land, condemned to perish in the dryness of the desert. Sometimes lack of faith has less drastic consequences. But even if we only miss out on a portion of the blessing God had in store for us, our part in the adventure of walking with Him will be limited as a result of our belief.

This was true in Zacharias’s case, although the consequences in his life were not without a touch of humor: And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time (Luke 1:20). In a situation in which other parents relish the pleasure of telling everyone the good news that they are going to have a baby, the priest had to be content with being a mere spectator. How frustrated he must have been at not being able to speak during that time!

It is worth considering the warning Zacharias leaves us all. The full life Christ offers lies within our reach. However, in order to experience the potential of every adventure with God, we must follow Him with all our heart. We can identify a certain boldness and madness in the heroes of the faith—they didn’t fool around when they received a word from God. They understood that the words spoken by the Lord must be responded to with obedience, not a feasibility study!

It’s not that those who live by faith never experience doubt. We all experience some hesitation when we receive instructions from the Lord. The difference in people of faith is that they don’t allow their doubts to affect their decisions. No doubt too they understand what Gabriel’s explanation to Zacharias meant: I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news (1:19). They move forward in the certainty that God is always the bearer of good news. He will never lead us along a road that will be harmful to our life in Christ.

A Surprise from Heaven: A Visit to Zacharias (Luke 1:5–25)

Repercussions

Day 14

Continue to meditate on this week’s passage. What happened when Zacharias left the temple? What does this teach us about how our lack of faith affects others?

While Zacharias was inside the temple, the people were waiting outside, surprised that he was taking so long. But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them; and they realized he had seen a vision in the temple; and he kept making signs to them, and remained mute (Luke 1:22).

The conviction that faith is something private and personal is firmly instilled in our understanding of what it means to be a Christian. We have accepted the idea that each of us has the capacity to construct our own experience in Christ—alone. Our weak commitment to the church often reveals how little value we give to our brothers’ contributions to the work of God in our lives.

What happened to Zacharias shows that our individual, private experiences invariably affect others as we go about our daily business, even when we don’t realize it. Our lives are strongly linked to the lives of those we share them with.

The apostle Paul chose the analogy of the human body to explain this mystery, showing that what one limb suffers affects all the others: And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it (1 Cor. 12:26). This is a perfect image to help us understand our relationships with others. If a person loses a hand in an accident, the arm will suffer most directly—but the whole body will suffer the consequences.

The inappropriate answer given by Zacharias when the angel visited him meant that he would miss part of the adventure God had prepared for him. It is tempting to think that the subject ends here, but obviously the people waiting for him outside were also affected by his experience. When Zacharias came out, the people realized something had happened, but they couldn’t find out the details because Zacharias was unable to tell them anything.

Imagine for a moment that Zacharias had reacted to the angel’s announcement with faith. What would have happened when he left the temple? Wouldn’t he have shouted to the far reaches of the earth that he was going to be a father and that God Himself had made the announcement? The people would have been able to share his joy fully. Instead, they returned home confused, having a feeling that they had missed out on something important.

What we experience in the private sphere of our lives affects our relationships in public. When we neglect faithfulness in our personal lives, we are not the only ones who are hurt. The entire body of Christ suffers.

A Surprise from Heaven: A Visit to Zacharias (Luke 1:5–25 )

And So It Was

Day 15

Read this week’s passage again. How does the story end? How will the elderly couple’s lives be changed?

Zacharias eventually got over his fright at the angel’s visit, and his fear, no doubt, gave way to wonder. Just like his forefather Jacob, the elderly priest must have shouted, I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved (Gen. 32:30). Nobody can be the same after such an experience.

Perhaps in Zacharias’s experience we find the clearest evidence of a genuine spiritual experience. In every church meeting we experience a range of emotions, and we attribute the most pleasant ones to the Lord. However, these feelings may not last any longer than the meeting itself, and our lives may continue unchanged. But as previously mentioned, the most spiritual experiences often come about in the midst of ordinary circumstances. God calls us to learn to value the commonplace in our lives, since we spend most of our time in this sphere. And so it was with Zacharias: When the days of his priestly service were ended, he went back home. After these days Elizabeth his wife became pregnant (Luke 1:24).

Elizabeth was in seclusion for five months, saying: This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to take away my disgrace among men (1:25). How many tears had this woman shed and how many anxious moments had she gone through? How often had she felt left out of the joys of other families? Her pain, however, had never turned into bitterness against the Lord, because the evangelist tells us that both she and her husband were blameless. At some point Elizabeth had accepted her lot and gotten on with her life.

Reaching this point of acceptance is one of the greatest victories of the spiritual life. We find freedom the moment we let go of the situation that has caused us such anguish and choose to fall in submission at the feet of Christ. Our unfulfilled desire ceases to be an obsession, because we have reached the conviction that the situation is completely in the hands of our good heavenly Father, and we rest in Him. We embrace death so that the life of Christ can be strengthened in us.

This will not automatically remove our anguish, although doubtless an important healing process will have begun in our hearts. But we will have managed to look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Cor. 4:18). Our soul can rest in the knowledge that our Father will do what is best for us, even if it is not what we consider best.

God’s intervention came many years later for Elizabeth, when she had lost all hope of conceiving a child. Her joy was multiplied because she understood, as no other mother did, that every child is truly a gift from heaven.

Most Favored One: A Visit to Mary (Luke 1:26–38)

The Lord Is with You

Day 16

Read the account of the angel’s visit to Mary. Notice how he greets her. Why does she react to this greeting with fear?

God’s great plan was underway, and the different participants began to take their places. Once again the angel Gabriel was sent by the Lord, this time to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary (Luke 1:27).

This appearance of the heavenly messenger had many of the same ingredients we observed in the visit to Zacharias: Mary had not asked for this visit, nor do we find any indication that she had spent days praying that God would use her in an assignment of eternal significance. She was simply being faithful where she was, busy with preparations for her wedding to Joseph. We note as well that Gabriel’s words—Greetings, favored one!—perturbed her, confirming that people are not really comfortable with visitations from on high. Our initial reaction to an angelic visit would certainly be one of fear.

It is interesting to note that the phrase used by the angel—The Lord is with you—was spoken in practically every situation in which there was a revelation from heaven. Many of these visits were disturbing, because they were usually accompanied by a message which required radical obedience. Abraham was ordered to leave his parents’ house, Moses to return to Egypt, Joshua to take charge of the conquest of Canaan, Gideon to expel the Midianites, Ananias to visit Saul, Peter to share the gospel with Cornelius, a Gentile. The Lord’s instructions never sound good to those who hear them. Rather, they inspire fear, and in each of these situations, the Lord answers, Do not be afraid; I will be with you.

Most of us would prefer something more tangible than the Lord’s promise to accompany us. This is, however, the only word we need, and God knows it. Walking with confidence in the Lord’s ways does not depend on logic, but on the certainty that the One giving the instructions knows us well. We receive so many controversial instructions from the Lord that it would be impossible for us to obey Him unless we held firmly to the conviction that He knows what is good for us. The great heroes of the faith are those who, faced with difficult circumstances, never ceased to trust in the goodness of the God who guided them. This is the path Mary would have to take, just as each of us should.

Build up this trust in us, Lord, so that when You speak, we will not focus on the message but on the heart of the One who sent it.

Most Favored One: A Visit to Mary (Luke 1:26–38)

Son of the Most High

Day 17

Read the message Gabriel gave to Mary. Why was she chosen by God? Try to make a list of the characteristics the Child to be born will have.

The key to what was about to happen in Mary’s life is found in the phrase You have found favor with God. This favor, translated grace in some versions, is basically something conceded to us irrespective of our abilities or merits. To speak of grace is to touch on something beyond human reach. Grace refers to attitudes and postures that are a result of divine action in a person’s life. It activates God’s goodness toward us, allowing us to live lives that are pleasing to Him. This is why the apostle Paul exhorted Timothy to be strong in grace, for the young pastor would work in vain if the benefits he wanted to obtain did not come from God. If Mary had tried to explain what was about to happen in her life, it would have been wasted effort, for grace completely escapes the rational and logical ways of this world.

We also notice that Gabriel did not announce that Jesus would do great works, but that He would be great. This difference highlights the contrast between lives lived at a human level and those lived in the sphere of the kingdom of heaven. On earth our identity revolves almost exclusively around what we do. We tend to estimate people’s value according to the level of excellence attained in what they do. We find refuge in staying busy because we believe this to be the surest way of gaining the approval and recognition our human nature so craves. Imposing rest on this kind of lifestyle can be a real challenge because of our excessive fear that others will consider us lazy—a shameful label reserved for those who are unproductive.

In God’s kingdom, however, doing is to flow out of what we are. Thus, being is what really matters and will give meaning to our activities. What we do is only temporary, but what we are is eternal. When being is neglected, what we do becomes simple movement, devoid of the life that should sustain it.

Recovering the equilibrium between being and doing is one of the biggest challenges facing our present hyperactive culture. The very activities which nourish and develop our being are missed because we are too busy doing.

The profound impact made by Christ on the lives of the Twelve, the seventy and the crowds that accompanied Him throughout His public ministry lies principally in the kind of person He was. Nothing quite impacted His life as much as the fact that He was the Son of the Most High. His relationship with the Father gives His life unique weight and authority. As we progress through the Gospel narratives, we will be able to see, time and again, that Jesus’ ministry is no more than the visible face of an invisible reality: a Man who is entirely committed to the God who has sent Him.

Most Favored One: A Visit to Mary (Luke 1:26–38)

Nothing Will Be Impossible

Day 18

How does Mary react to the angel’s announcement? Why was she given an explanation when it was withheld from Zacharias? What must she have felt when she heard the explanation?

The angel’s announcement brought confusion to Mary: How can this be, since I am a virgin? (Luke 1:34). Her question was very similar to Zacharias’s but doesn’t seem to be rooted in lack of faith, since the angel did not reproach her. Rather, he provided some additional details: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God (1:35).

I think one reason the Lord often doesn’t offer us explanations is that they would only awaken new questions in our minds. We can’t escape the fact that the Word of God disconcerts us. God’s proposals, frankly, make us uncomfortable, because His plans lie completely outside what we consider natural. Many years before this incident with Mary, the Lord declared through Isaiah: My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways (55:8).

The ways of the Lord are not simply an improved version of humanity’s best intentions. God’s ways are completely unlike ours, despite the fact that the god we often show to the world seems to work along the same lines we do: our anger is his anger, and he disapproves of the same people we do. His heart is as mean and miserable as ours, and he dedicates most of his benefits toward a small minority.

The God who sent the angel Gabriel is not this god. His works are completely beyond all that we know or can even imagine. We don’t understand what it is He sees in us or why He chose to approach us, to invite us to walk with Him. Accustomed as we are to moving in a culture that requires a reasonable, logical explanation for everything, we feel disconcerted when we come face to face with a God who completely disregards the systems we rely on for our security.

A pregnancy brought about by the Holy Spirit is just as incredible today as it must have been for Mary two thousand years ago. The principle controlling the action of the Most High, however, is the same throughout all eternity: Nothing will be impossible with God (Luke 1:37). Those who are wise know that the Lord cannot be contained or explained by even our most sophisticated reasoning. We should never discard the possibility of being surprised by His actions.

Submitting to God is not an invitation for us to stop thinking but rather to realize that our thoughts are extremely limited when it comes to understanding how He works. Living by faith doesn’t mean believing that He can do everything but knowing that when God chooses to act, there is nothing in heaven or on earth that can prevent Him from working out His plans.

Most Favored One: A Visit to Mary (Luke 1:26–38)

Behold, the Bondslave of the Lord

Day 19

Read the account of Gabriel’s visit to Mary once again. Think about what the implications of God’s announcement would be for Mary. How