Imogen Campbell
But the angel said to him: 'Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth …' Luke 1:13-14, NIV
Two years ago, Philippi mom-to-be, Sylvia Nodela’s excitement rapidly evaporated after she discovered that her baby was developing outside the womb, a condition which could cause a myriad of complications.
Consequently, she underwent a high-risk operation that proved successful, and baby Joshua made quite the extraordinary entrance into this world. Stories like this help us to believe in the miraculous.
About two millennia ago, there was more than one miracle-birth story in the Judaean countryside. Angel Gabriel had his hands full heralding the births of men who would change the world. First, baby John, destined to be the forerunner of the Messiah.
His parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth, were both descendants of Aaron and considered righteous in the sight of God. My inference here is that the reader could in no way attribute barrenness to anything sinful. Sarah, Rachel and Hannah’s struggles come to mind; all of them had to wait on God’s timing for rather special children.
Zechariah’s angelic encounter was probably extremely startling considering that there had been a pregnant pause of about 400 years when Israel had been without a prophetic voice.
It explains how startled Zechariah was by the angel’s words as he served in the temple. Doubtful, he asked, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well on in years.” (Luke 1:18)
Clearly, the angel realised that Zechariah did not believe him, and put the priest on mute for the entire time that Elizabeth was pregnant. I always wondered why the angel acted so decisively. It seems that God expected Zechariah to believe his messenger.
How do you respond when God speaks through the messenger of his Word, even when you have feelings of doubt? Perhaps you feel like you have a raw deal in life, that God has forgotten you? Do you keep serving God through thick and thin, like this couple?
Fortunately, all ends well. John the Baptist, as he would be known, was a healthy young tot and brought joy to his family, one would presume, as that was what the angel had heralded. However, after naming John, nothing more is said about this couple.
Prayer: Father God, you often work in ways beyond comprehension. Help us to remain steadfast in our faith, even when nothing makes sense. Amen.
Imogen Campbell
maar die engel sê vir hom: “Moenie bang wees nie, Sagaria, want jou gebed is verhoor. Jou vrou, Elisabet, sal aan jou 'n seun skenk, en jy moet hom Johannes noem. Hy sal 'n bron van blydskap en vreugde vir jou wees, en baie sal bly wees oor sy geboorte ..." Lukas 1:13-14, 1983-vertaling
Twee jaar gelede het Sylvia Nodela, 'n verwagtende moeder van Philippi, se opgewondenheid oor haar swangerskap vinnig verdwyn toe sy moes hoor dat haar baba besig was om buite die baarmoeder te ontwikkel, 'n toestand wat tot 'n magdom komplikasies kon lei.
Gevolglik moes sy 'n hoë risiko operasie ondergaan wat suksesvol was, en baba Joshua het 'n buitengewone intrede in hierdie wêreld gemaak. Verhale soos dié help ons om nog in wonderwerke te glo.
Ongeveer 2 000 jaar gelede, was daar meer as een storie van 'n wondergeboorte op die Judese platteland. Die engel Gabriël het sy hande vol gehad met aankondigings van geboortes wat die wêreld sou verander. Eers die geboorte van die baba, Johannes, wat bestem was as 'n voorloper vir die Messias.
Sy ouers, Sagaria en Elisabet, was beide afstammelinge van Aäron en is beskou as regverdig in die oë van God. My afleiding hier is dat die leser geensins onvrugbaarheid aan enige sonde kan toeskryf nie. 'n Mens dink aan Sara, Ragel en Hanna se stryd om 'n kind te hê; hulle moes almal wag vir God se tyd vir besondere kinders om gebore te word.
Sagaria se ontmoeting met die engel was heel moontlik vir hom 'n skok, veral as ons in ag neem dat daar ongeveer 400 jaar verloop het wat Israel sonder 'n profetiese stem was.
Dit verduidelik ook hoekom Sagaria bang geword het toe hy die engel se woorde hoor daar waar hy in die tempel diens gedoen het. Vol twyfel het hy vir die engel gevra: “Waaraan sal ek dit weet? Ek is 'n ou man, en my vrou is al op ver gevorderde leeftyd.” (Lukas 1:18)
Dit is duidelik dat die engel besef het dat Sagaria hom nie glo nie, en die ou priester is met stomheid geslaan vir die hele verloop van Elisabet se swangerskap. Ek wonder altyd hoekom die engel so beslissend opgetree het. Dit wil voorkom of God van Sagaria verwag het om sy boodskapper te glo.
Hoe reageer jy wanneer God deur sy Woord met jou praat, selfs wanneer jy twyfel? Miskien voel jy asof jy onregverdig in die lewe behandel word, asof God jou vergeet het? Hou jy aan om, soos hierdie egpaar, God deur dik en dun te dien?
Gelukkig eindig alles goed. Johannes die Doper, soos hy bekend was, was 'n gesonde seuntjie wat na alle waarskynlikheid, soos die engel gesê het dit sou gebeur, groot vreugde vir sy familie gebring het. Nadat Johannes besny is en sy naam ontvang het, hoor ons egter niks meer van hierdie egpaar nie.
Gebed: Hemelse Vader, U werk dikwels op maniere wat ons nie begryp nie. Help ons om standvastig in ons geloof te bly, selfs wanneer niks vir ons sin maak nie. Amen.
Imogen Campbell
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. James 1:12, NIV
James, traditionally understood as the author of the book bearing his name, was Jesus’ half-brother. During Jesus’ early life, there was no sign of familial unity among the siblings of the King. In fact, they thought Jesus was out of his mind. (Mark 3:21)
Joseph’s sons and daughters would surely have been rich sources of information regarding Jesus’ early years. I would have loved to hear the advice he doled out to his younger siblings. I wondered if they listened.
But alas, all we know is that they did not particularly believe Jesus was the Messiah. Would you though, if your sibling came along telling you that he/she had a kingdom not from this world?
But then something happened. An event shook Jerusalem – Jesus of Nazareth was brutally nailed to a cross – that day was a catalyst for change in James’ heart.
In "No God But One, Allah or Jesus", Nabeel Qureshi is at pains to point out, “The cross often came after a flogging, as in the case of Jesus, which was itself a horrendous torture. The whip was designed to rip into skin and turn muscle into pulp, making a victim’s ‘blood flow in streams.’ Josephus tells us that victims were ‘whipped to the bone’ and that their intestines were at times exposed by the flogging.”
In "Unlocking the Bible", David Pawson notes: “It is said that when Jesus died on the cross, his brother James was so deeply upset and full of regret about what he had said about him and how he had teased him that he said he would never eat food again. He would have fasted until he died, except that three days later Jesus appeared to his followers and to James personally. From that moment on, James called himself a bond-slave of Jesus.”
"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18)
My own sister often says, “A lot can happen in a day.” When it comes to that day at Calvary, I couldn’t agree more. Are you struggling to believe that your family can come to faith? Then there is good news.
Because of that day, we can have hope for all of us, our families, and for dispelling any brokenness or disunity. For good, for ever.
Prayer: Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for us. May our unsaved family members also come to know you, the power of the cross, and so be saved. Amen.
Imogen Campbell
Gelukkig is die mens wat in versoeking standvastig bly. As hy die toets deurstaan het, sal hy as oorwinningsprys die lewe ontvang wat die Here belowe het aan dié wat Hom liefhet. Jakobus 1:12, 1983-vertaling
Jakobus, wat tradisioneel beskou word as die skrywer van die boek wat sy naam dra, was Jesus se halfbroer. Gedurende sy aardse bestaan, was daar geen gesinseenheid onder Jesus en sy broers en susters nie. Inteendeel, hulle het geglo Jesus het van sy kop afgeraak. (Markus 3:21)
Josef se seuns en dogters sou werklik 'n ryk inligtingsbron gewees het oor Jesus se vroeë jare. Ek sou graag wou hoor watter raad Hy aan sy jonger broers en susters gegee het. Ek wonder of hulle geluister het.
Helaas, al wat ons weet is dat hulle nie juis geglo het dat Hy die Messias is nie. Sal jy jou broer of suster glo as hulle kom vertel dat hulle 'n koninkryk het wat nie van hierdie wêreld is nie?
Maar iets het gebeur. 'n Gebeurtenis het Jerusalem geskud – Jesus van Nasaret is wreed gekruisig – en daardie dag was 'n katalisator vir verandering in Jakobus se hart.
In "No God But One, Allah or Jesus", verduidelik Nabeel Qureshi: "Die kruisiging het dikwels, soos in die geval van Jesus, gevolg na lyfstraf wat op sigself 'n verskriklike marteling was. Die sweep was ontwerp om die vel te skeur en die spiere in 'n pappery te verander en dit het die slagoffer se bloed in strome laat vloei." [vrye vertaling] Die antieke historikus, Flavius Josephus, beskryf hoe die slagoffers dikwels tot op die been gegesel is en dat hulle ingewande dan hierdeur ontbloot is.
In "Unlocking the Bible", sê David Pawson: “Daar word gesê dat toe Jesus aan die kruis gesterf het, was sy broer Jakobus so diep ontsteld en vol berou oor wat hy oor Hom gesê en hoe hy Hom bespot het, dat hy gesê het hy gaan nooit weer eet nie. Hy sou tot met sy dood gevas het, as dit nie was dat drie dae later Jesus aan sy volgelinge en aan Jakobus persoonlik verskyn het nie. Van daardie oomblik af het Jakobus na homself as 'n slaaf van Jesus verwys." [vry vertaal]
"Die boodskap van die kruis van Christus is wel onsin vir dié wat verlore gaan, maar vir ons wat gered word, is dit die krag van God." (1 Korintiërs 1:18)
My eie suster sê dikwels: "Baie kan in 'n dag gebeur." Dink ek aan daardie dag by Golgota, kan ek nie anders as om saam te stem nie. Sukkel jy om te glo dat lede van jou gesin tot geloof kan kom? Dan is daar vir jou goeie nuus.
As gevolg van daardie dag is daar hoop vir ons almal, ook vir ons gesinslede, dat enige gebrokenheid en onmin herstel kan word. Goeie nuus, vir altyd.
Gebed: Jesus, dankie dat U aan die kruis vir ons gesterf het. Gee dat ons ongeredde gesinslede U en die krag van die kruis ook sal leer ken en sodoende gered word. Amen.
Ruanne van Zyl
Wees veral versigtig met wat in jou hart omgaan, want dit bepaal jou hele lewe. Spreuke 4:23, 1983-vertaling
Die hart waarvan hierdie vers praat, is nie net emosies nie, maar die sentrum van ons gedagtes, begeertes en motiewe. Alles wat ons doen, begin hier. Daarom sê God ons moet dit “veral versigtig” bewaak.
Ons harte word daagliks beïnvloed deur wat ons sien, hoor en oor dink. Negatiewe woorde, vergelyking met ander, vrees en bitterheid kan stil-stil wortelskiet. As ons dit nie aanspreek nie, begin dit ons houding en optrede beheer. 'n Onbewaakte hart lei tot 'n onrustige lewe.
Om jou hart te bewaak, beteken nie om koud of afgesluit te wees nie. Dit beteken om doelbewus te kies wat jy toelaat om jou binneste te vorm. Dit vra dat ons gereeld ons gedagtes aan God se waarheid toets. Wanneer leuens soos “ek is nie goed genoeg nie” of “niks sal verander nie” opkom, moet ons dit vervang met wat God sê.
'n Gesonde hart bring lewe. Dit lei tot geduld, liefde en wysheid in moeilike situasies. Wanneer ons hart vol vrede is, reageer ons anders op druk en konflik. Die kwaliteit van ons lewe word dus direk beïnvloed deur die toestand van ons binneste wêreld.
God is nie net geïnteresseerd in ons dade nie, maar in wat dit dryf. Wanneer ons Hom toelaat om ons harte te reinig en te vernuwe, verander Hy ons van binne na buite.
Gebed: Here, wys my wat in my hart nie van U af kom nie. Help my om my gedagtes te vul met u waarheid en my hart te bewaak sodat my lewe U eer. Amen.