He Came For a Visit and Never Left!!
Tis the season! Families come from near and far to be together. Sometimes we’re fortunate enough to have a long lost prodigal come home. What a joy fills the room. We are all excited about family being together, but that joy is multiplied when someone shows up that we have long been waiting for.
Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth were advanced in age. They had waited year after year to have a child, and none came. Finally, in their old age, Zacharias was visited by an angel who told him that he and Elizabeth would have a son; and not just any son, their son who would prepare the way for the long-awaited Messiah! A message like this took Zacharias by such surprise that he could hardly believe it. Because of his unbelief, the angel told him he would be unable to speak until the birth of the child. That is exactly what happened, and it was not until the child was born that his lips were loosed, and then Zacharias not only spoke, he prophesied:
76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. Luke 1:76-79 (KJV)
Zacharias spoke first of the coming Messiah who his son John would precede. Then, however he spoke of the mission that John would have, to be the"prophet of the Highest", to prepare the world for the coming of the Messiah and the salvation of God’s people. And then the beautiful words were spoken of who would send this Messiah:
"Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us," :ice 1"78 (KJV)
God Himself came for a visit, to bring light to all those in darkness, to all those who were walking dead among the living, through His mercy, "the dayspring on high hath visited us". And that dayspring that visited us, came for a visit one starry night in Bethlehem in an ox stable; and He never left us. He promised He wouldn’t . When His earthly sojourn was over, He sent another part of Himself, the Holy Spirit to live and abide in us forever and ever.
Our relatives who come for this season, will have to go home, after the holidays are over. Yet the visit from the "dayspring on high‘, the Christ child – came for a visit and if we make room for Him in our hearts, He will never, ever leave us.
Maria