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Blameless

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“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.”   Luke 1:5-7 (ESV)

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Blameless- amemptos- (Strong’s #273) -    “irreproachable” blameless, faultless, unblameable.

 

Imagine living 50+ years B.C.  Imagine you are a Jew, a priest, or perhaps his wife.  Imagine praying for a child, but having no child, year after year after year.  Bitterness, shame, jealousy, doubt. Not so for Zechariah and Elizabeth. They may have wondered, but the  scripture says they were blameless.

 

“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.”  Luke 1:8

 

Zechariah was not looking for a special assignment, yet while he was serving in his customary way, he was chosen for a significant task at a pivotal moment in history.

 

“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. ” Luke 1:13-14

 

The long awaited Messiah was coming!  Zechariah was the first to know it.

 

It is now 2000+ years A.D.  Imagine we have a prayer, a longing.  Imagine we are called to serve, not in extraordinary, but in a simple ways.  Will we serve, as we have been chosen, or are we waiting to be chosen for different service?  Do we believe that our prayers are heard? Do we believe that God is bigger than our circumstances?  Will we serve him in an ordinary way on an ordinary day because He has and still is, doing great things?  

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Christ has always been the center of Christmas.  Like Zechariah, we can take part in the story. Christ’s is the glory, ours the opportunity to behold it.  Christ’s is the power to change lives, ours the opportunity to share His good news.

Blameless.  That is what we can be.  Not because we ever were, but because Jesus Christ was, and he took our blame, sin, and shame, and nailed it to His cross.

   

May this year be a whiter than snow Christmas for your heart and mine.