MONDAY December 20, 2021
What Kind of Child Will This Be?
Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea. And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, “What kind of child will this be?” And the hand of the Lord was with him.
Luke 1:65-66
Imagine, all the people who lived around Zacharias and Elizabeth were in awe of what was happening. They began to discuss the miraculous events surrounding the birth of this newborn child––John. At first Zacharias was mute, and the people perceived he had seen a vision in the temple. Then Elizabeth, in her old age, conceived and gave birth to a son! Now, after the child was given the unexpected name of John by his father, Zacharias began to speak again. As the people discussed these unusual events, news began to spread throughout all the hill country of Judea.
What did these extraordinary happenings mean? Clearly the people were aware that God was doing something miraculous, even though they could not understand the full picture of His plan. So for the time being, they kept what was spoken in their hearts. They were left with a probing question in their minds, “What kind of child will this be?”
Godly fear came upon all the people in the hill region of Judea. Those who had heard and discussed what had transpired around them knew God was doing something––He was moving.
A similar question can be asked about Christ. A well-known Christmas Carol written by William Chatterton Dixin in 1865, set to the tune of “Greensleeves,” posed this question, “What Child is this?” The answer was given in his song, “This, this is Christ, the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing: Haste, haste to bring Him laud, The Babe, the Son of Mary!”
The Scriptures fully reveal Christ to us. His eternal existence before His birth, His humility in taking on human flesh, His mission, His death, His Resurrection––what does this Child mean to you personally?
"Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world."
~C.S. Lewis~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
