Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.

Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty,according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.



After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”

Luke 1:1–25

The story of Christmas doesn’t begin in Bethlehem. It begins in silence.

For four hundred years, the people of Israel had not heard the voice of a prophet. Heaven seemed quiet. No fresh word from God, no new revelation—just waiting. Generations came and went clinging to promises they barely remembered, wondering if God had forgotten.

And then, one ordinary day, in one ordinary temple, God broke the silence.

Luke 1 tells us about a priest named Zechariah, a faithful man who had served God his whole life. He and his wife, Elizabeth, were righteous before the Lord, yet they carried a deep ache– they had no child. They were older now, and their prayers – once fervent, now whispered—seemed unanswered. As Zechariah went about his priestly duties, offering incense in the sanctuary, something extraordinary happened. The angel Gabriel appeared and said, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard.”

That one sentence changed everything.

Gabriel announced that Elizabeth would bear a son, and they were to name him John. But this child would be no ordinary boy. The angel said, “He will be great before the Lord... and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb.”

And forgive this writer if the next part seems comical. But Zechariah, though pious and faithful, doubts this just a bit. Referring to his and Elizabeth’s age, he essentially asks Gabriel (an ANGEL) how this could be.

Gabriel, as if to say, “Do you know who I am?” snaps his fingers and lets Zechariah know that he (Zechariah) will be silent until the baby is born. He is then rendered mute.

Back to our story--Before Jesus took His first breath in Bethlehem, before the shepherds saw the angels or the magi followed the star, the Holy Spirit was already moving—preparing a way.

Filled Before Birth

John the Baptist holds a unique place in Christian history. He is the first person the Bible describes as being filled with the Holy Spirit—not as an adult prophet, not even as a child, but while still in his mother’s womb. That’s remarkable.

Even before John could speak or move freely, the Spirit of God was at work in him. Later, when Mary, pregnant with Jesus, visited Elizabeth, Luke tells us that “the baby leaped in her womb.” John—still unborn—recognized the presence of his Savior, who was also yet unborn.

It’s a moment of profound mystery and beauty. Two mothers, two miracles, two unborn children—and yet the Spirit was already weaving the story of salvation through them. It’s as if the entire cosmos held its breath in that meeting, heaven whispering to earth: “The King is coming.”

John’s leap was more than a baby’s movement—it was worship. It was recognition. Even before he could speak, John bore witness to Christ.

Joey Smith