not impossible

Posted on December 1, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Luke 1:34-38

Luk 1:34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am not having sexual relations with a husband?”
Luk 1:35 And the angel answered — he said this to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. This is also why the one to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.
Luk 1:36 And notice, your relative Elizabeth–she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who had been called barren.
Luk 1:37 Because every word predicted will not be impossible with God”
Luk 1:38 So Mary said, “Notice, the Lord’s female bondservant! May it happen to me according to your predicted word.” And the angel went away from her.

not impossible

Mary’s response to the angel stands in striking contrast to Zechariah’s, not because she possessed greater holiness, but because her question came from a different place. Zechariah asked for proof; Mary asked for understanding. She wasn’t doubting whether God could do what He promised. She simply wanted to know how it would unfold, since she had never been with Joseph. Her question was the honest curiosity of someone ready to obey but unsure of the mechanics.

The angel’s answer was simple and profound: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” In other words, this will not depend on human ability at all. God Himself would bring it to pass. The miracle would rest entirely on divine initiative, divine power, divine presence.

And Mary’s response is one of the purest expressions of faith in all of Scripture. She essentially said, “If this is God’s will, then I am His servant. Let Him do in me whatever He desires.” She didn’t negotiate. She didn’t ask for guarantees. She didn’t request a sign. She offered herself. She surrendered her reputation, her plans, her comfort, and her future into God’s hands. That is what faith sounds like—not merely believing that God exists, but entrusting one’s whole life to His purposes.

Mary teaches us that faith is not passive. It is a willingness to be overshadowed by God’s power, to let Him work in ways we cannot engineer, predict, or control. It is the courage to say yes when we do not yet understand the cost. It is the humility to let God write a story we could never have imagined for ourselves.

Her “yes” changed the world. And every time we echo that posture—every time we open ourselves to God’s Spirit, every time we surrender our plans to His will—He works through us in ways that ripple far beyond our sight.

LORD, come upon us. Overshadow us with Your power. Make us willing vessels of Your purposes. Accomplish Your will through us, just as You did through Mary, so that Christ may be formed in our lives and revealed to the world.

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rescue and reign

Posted on November 30, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Luke 1:26-33

Luk 1:26 But in her sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee which was named Nazareth,
Luk 1:27 to a virgin legally committed to marry to a man who was named Joseph of the house of David. And the name of the virgin: Mary.
Luk 1:28 And after arriving, he said to her “Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.”
Luk 1:29 But she was baffled at the statement, and was pondering what sort of greeting this might be.
Luk 1:30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, because you have found favour with God.
Luk 1:31 And notice, you will conceive in your uterus and will give birth to a son, and you will call his name Jesus.
Luk 1:32 This Jesus will be great, and he will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will install him on the throne of his father David.
Luk 1:33 And he will reign over the house of Jacob into the ages, and there will be no end to his reign.

rescue and reign

Let’s compare the two angelic announcement stories. Look at what the angel had told to Joseph:

“But as he thought about these things, see, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for what has happened to her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you will call his name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matt. 1:20-21 JDV)

Joseph and Mary each received a message from God, but the emphasis in those messages was beautifully different. Joseph was told that the child growing in Mary’s womb would be a Saviour—the one who would rescue His people from their sins. That word spoke directly into Joseph’s crisis. He was wrestling with confusion, fear, and the social consequences of Mary’s pregnancy. God met him right there, assuring him that what looked like scandal was actually salvation. The Holy Spirit, not human failure, was the source of this child. Joseph could move forward in courage because God was doing something far greater than he could see.

Mary, on the other hand, was told that her child would be a King—the promised Son of David whose kingdom would never end. Her message lifted her eyes beyond her immediate fear and uncertainty. She was not simply carrying a child; she was carrying the long-awaited ruler whose reign would outlast every empire. What looked like vulnerability was actually honor. What looked like disgrace was actually divine favor. God reframed her entire situation by revealing the identity of the One she would bring into the world.

Both Joseph and Mary were told to give Him the same name: Jesus. That name held together both messages—He is the one who rescues, and He is the one who reigns. He saves those who look to Him for deliverance, and He rules over a kingdom that will never crumble. In that single name, God wove together comfort for Joseph, courage for Mary, and hope for the world.

Their obedience in naming Him Jesus was more than compliance; it was an act of faith. They were declaring from the very beginning who this child truly was. They were aligning their lives with God’s purpose, even before they fully understood it. And through their trust, the Savior-King entered the world in the fullness of God’s timing.

LORD, thank You for sending Your Son—our rescuer and our king. May our lives honor His saving power and His eternal reign.

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the days during which he looked on

Posted on November 29, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Luke 1:21-25

Luk 1:21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering why he was delaying in the temple.
Luk 1:22 And after 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.
Luk 1:23 And when his days of service were completed, he went to his house.
Luk 1:24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she kept herself hidden for five months, and this is what she said:
Luk 1:25 “this is what the Lord has made, in the days during which he looked on, so he could take away my shame among men.”

the days during which he looked on

Elizabeth’s words carry a quiet but astonishing truth: “The Lord has looked on me.” She wasn’t simply saying that God had finally granted her a child. She was declaring something far deeper—that through all the years of waiting, aching, and wondering, God had been watching. He had not turned away. He had not forgotten her story. He had been looking on.

If we could truly believe that one thing—that our Lord is looking on—it would reshape the way we endure seasons of delay, disappointment, or confusion. So much of our fear comes from the suspicion that God has stepped back, that our prayers are unheard, that our lives are unfolding without His attention. But Elizabeth’s testimony pushes back against that fear. God had been watching her long before she ever held John in her arms. His supervision was constant, even when His timing was hidden.

And when He finally acted, His purpose went far beyond removing her shame in the eyes of her neighbors. God was not merely fixing a social embarrassment. He was weaving her life into the arrival of the Messiah. He was answering her prayer in a way that touched history, not just her household. That is the pattern of God’s work: He listens to our cries, but He answers them in ways that exceed our imagination. He sees our personal pain, but He also sees the generations that will be shaped by His response.

This is why Scripture calls us to dare—to dare to believe what He has said, to dare to trust that His promises are not empty, to dare to expect that He can make a difference not only in our lives but in the lives of our children, our communities, and the people we disciple. Faith is not wishful thinking. It is the courage to believe that the God who sees us is also the God who acts.

Elizabeth’s story invites us to live with that awareness: God is looking on. Not occasionally. Not when we feel spiritual. Constantly. Attentively. Compassionately. And if He is looking on, then we can seek His help daily, not as a ritual but as a response to His nearness.

LORD, make us so aware of Your constant supervision that turning to You becomes our instinct. Let the knowledge that You are looking on give us courage to trust, to pray, and to hope.

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faithful and faith-filled

Posted on November 28, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

 

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Luke 1:18-20

Luk 1:18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I know that this? Because I am elderly, and my wife is well matured in her days.”
Luk 1:19 The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and announce these good things to you.
Luk 1:20 But, notice! you will be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things happen, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their appointed time.”

faithful and faith-filled

Zechariah and Elizabeth were not casual believers. Luke goes out of his way to describe them as people whose lives were aligned with God’s heart—upright, obedient, steady, and sincere. They lived the kind of lives that made heaven smile. But God asks more of His people than outward obedience. He asks for trust. When He speaks, He expects His faithful ones to believe Him. Faithfulness is the posture of obedience; faith is the posture of the heart.

That distinction becomes painfully clear in Zechariah’s story. He and Elizabeth had walked blamelessly for decades. They had honored God in their marriage, in their worship, in their daily choices. Yet when the angel delivered God’s promise—“your prayer has been heard”—Zechariah stumbled. He could obey God’s commands, but believing God’s word in that moment felt impossible. Years of disappointment had worn grooves in his heart. Hope had become costly. Faith required more than obedience; it required trust in a promise that contradicted everything his eyes could see.

And this is where the story presses on us. Many of us are faithful in the sense that we try to live rightly. We serve, we pray, we read Scripture, we try to honor God in our decisions. But when God speaks—through His Word, through His Spirit, through His promises—do we believe Him? Do we trust what He has said about His presence, His power, His forgiveness, His provision, His timing? Or do we quietly assume that His promises apply to others but not to us?

Zechariah’s hesitation is not recorded to shame him but to teach us. God does not only want people who behave well; He wants people who trust Him. Faithfulness without faith becomes duty. Faith without faithfulness becomes sentiment. God desires both—a life that obeys and a heart that believes.

So the question is not simply, “Are you being faithful?” The deeper question is, “Do you believe what He said?” Do you trust His promises even when they stretch your imagination, challenge your fears, or contradict your circumstances? Faith is not pretending everything is easy. Faith is taking God at His word when nothing around you seems to support it.

LORD, make us faithful in our actions and faith-filled in our hearts. Teach us to trust what You say, even when it feels beyond us.

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keep praying

Posted on November 27, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Luke 1:8-17

Luk 1:8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty,
Luk 1:9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priestly office, to enter the temple of the Lord and offer incense.
Luk 1:10 And the whole crowd of people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering.
Luk 1:11 But an angel from the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the incense altar.
Luk 1:12 And Zechariah was deeply disturbed when he saw him, and fear landed on him.
Luk 1:13 But the angel said to him, “Do not fear, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth is going to give birth to your son, and you will name him John.
Luk 1:14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,
Luk 1:15 Because he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine or beer; and he will be filled from the Holy Spirit, while still in his mother’s uterus.
Luk 1:16 And he will restore many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.
Luk 1:17 And he will precede before him, in the same Spirit and power as Elijah to restore hearts of fathers to children, disobedient ones to right standing wisdom, to prepare a people who have been built for the Lord.

keep praying

Zechariah’s long ache for a child wasn’t a casual wish he mentioned once in a while. It was the deepest longing of his heart, shared fully by Elizabeth. They weren’t praying out of habit or politeness. They were praying because this mattered to them. And the older they grew, the more fiercely they held onto that hope. Every year that passed made the desire sharper, not weaker. Every new family in their village reminded them of what they lacked. Every child’s laughter in the street stirred both joy and grief. Still, they prayed.

They prayed through the early years of marriage when children seemed likely. They prayed as their friends began raising families. They prayed as their hair began to grey. They prayed when Elizabeth’s body made it biologically impossible. They prayed when their peers became grandparents. They prayed when every outward sign said, “It’s too late.” They prayed when hope felt unreasonable. And still, nothing changed.

So when the angel appeared and said, “Your prayer has been heard,” it is no wonder Zechariah hesitated. He wasn’t doubting God’s power; he was struggling under the weight of years of disappointment. He had prayed so long that the words had become part of his identity, even when the outcome seemed unreachable. His skepticism wasn’t rebellion. It was the fatigue of a faithful heart that had waited a lifetime.

But here is the part we must not miss: John came to Zechariah and Elizabeth because they kept praying. Their persistence did not force God’s hand, but it positioned their hearts. Their long obedience, their stubborn hope, their refusal to stop asking—these became the soil in which God planted a miracle. Their story reminds us that unanswered prayer is not wasted prayer. Every whispered request, every tearful plea, every moment of choosing to ask again was gathered by God and answered in His time.

Their waiting did not disqualify them. Their age did not disqualify them. Their weariness did not disqualify them. God answered because He had always intended to answer, and their perseverance kept them ready to receive what He had prepared.

LORD, give us the wisdom to keep praying for the desires You have placed in our hearts. Teach us not to surrender our hopes simply because the waiting is long. Keep us faithful, expectant, and open to Your timing, even when the dream feels impossible.

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when life is not fair

Posted on November 26, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Luke 1:5-7

Luk 1:5 In the days when King Herod was ruling Judea, someone named Zechariah became a priest of Abijah’s division, and his wife was also among the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
Luk 1:6 And they were both in right standing before God, because they were walking blamelessly according to all the Lord commanded and required.
Luk 1:7 And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well matured in their days.

when life is not fair

Zechariah and Elizabeth appear in Luke’s Gospel not as distant figures from a sacred story but as a couple whose lives feel remarkably familiar. Luke describes them with rare praise: they were upright before God, people whose lives were aligned with His heart and His commands. Their obedience was not selective or superficial. They lived with integrity, honoring God in the ordinary rhythms of their days and in the deeper posture of their hearts. If anyone deserved blessing—at least by human standards—it was them.

And yet their lives carried a wound that would not heal. They longed for a child, prayed for a child, waited for a child, and still the years passed with empty arms. In their culture, childlessness was not only a personal sorrow but a public shame. Every passing season reminded them of what they lacked. Every prayer that seemed to go unanswered pressed the question of whether God saw them at all. They were faithful, but life was not fair.

Luke does not hide this tension. He lets us feel the weight of it, because it is the same tension many of us live with. We can walk with God, obey His word, and still face disappointments that cut deeply. We can pray earnestly and still wait longer than we ever imagined. Faithfulness does not exempt us from sorrow. But Luke also shows us something else: God’s reputation is revealed not only in the blessings He gives but in the endurance of His people. When His children remain steady—trusting Him when prayers seem unanswered, honoring Him when life feels unjust—His character shines through them. Their perseverance becomes a quiet testimony that God is worthy of trust even when His timing is mysterious.

Zechariah and Elizabeth did not know that their long season of waiting would become the stage for one of God’s great surprises. They simply stayed faithful. And in their faithfulness, God was honored long before the miracle ever arrived.

LORD, when life feels uneven and our prayers seem to echo in silence, anchor us in Your goodness. Teach us to remain true to You, trusting Your heart even when we cannot trace Your hand.

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apologetics and discipling

Posted on November 25, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Luke 1:1-4

Luk 1:1 Considering the fact that so many have tried to put together a record of the prophecies that have been fulfilled among us,
Luk 1:2 attempting to be just as accurate as the original eyewitnesses and officers of the word were who told us about them,
Luk 1:3 I also thought, after carefully reviewing all these works, to write a historical account for you, Dr. Theophilus,
Luk 1:4 so that you may know well about the reliability of the things you were taught.

apologetics and discipling

Dr. Luke stands out in Scripture as a man shaped by disciplined inquiry. He was trained in medicine, which meant he approached the world with the instincts of a scientist: observe carefully, verify claims, test evidence, and refuse to settle for hearsay. When he encountered the story of Jesus Christ, he did not accept it blindly. Instead, he investigated it with the same rigor he would bring to diagnosing a patient. He examined historical records, interviewed eyewitnesses, compared accounts, and traced events back to their sources. After all of this, he reached a clear conclusion: the gospel message held up under scrutiny. What Christians had been taught was not myth or exaggeration but truth anchored in real events, real people, and real history. The objections raised against Christ and His resurrection collapsed when weighed against the evidence.

Yet Luke’s confidence did not lead him into private satisfaction. Knowing the truth was never enough for him. Truth, once discovered, creates responsibility. Luke felt compelled to share what he had verified. He believed that the reliability of the gospel could be demonstrated, explained, and passed on. His goal was not merely to defend Christianity but to strengthen the faith of others by showing that the message they embraced rested on solid ground. That raises a searching question for us: do we share that same objective? Do we see the defense of the gospel not as an academic exercise but as an act of love, a way of helping others grow into mature disciples?

Luke’s desire to strengthen faith became personal in his relationship with Theophilus, a man of influence and education. Luke wrote his Gospel and the book of Acts specifically for him, offering a carefully ordered account so that Theophilus could “know the certainty” of what he had been taught. This was Luke’s way of discipling a friend—by giving him clarity, confidence, and a trustworthy foundation for belief. His example reminds us that defending the gospel is not about winning arguments; it is about nurturing souls.

LORD, teach us to follow Luke’s pattern. Show us how to defend the reliability of the gospel with humility, clarity, and love, so that others may grow firm in their faith and confident in Christ.

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for the people of Israel

Posted on November 24, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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THE PURPOSE BEHIND THE RULES

Leviticus 27:30-34

Lev 27:30 “Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is Yahveh’s; it is holy to Yahveh.
Lev 27:31 If a man wishes to redeem some of his tithe, he will add a fifth to it.
Lev 27:32 And every tithe of herds and flocks, every tenth animal of all that pass under the herdsman’s staff, will be holy to Yahveh.
Lev 27:33 One will not differentiate between good or bad, neither will he make a substitute for it; and if he does substitute for it, then both it and the substitute will be holy; it will not be redeemed.”
Lev 27:34 These are the commandments that Yahveh commanded Moses for the people of Israel on Mount Sinai.

for the people of Israel

As we take our last look at Leviticus, we are reminded of the specific context in which the LORD gave these laws. He gave them through Moses, and for the people of Israel as they were about to enter the land that the LORD promised them. Everything that land produced for the Israelites belonged to the LORD, and had to be tithed. The tithe was one way of acknowledging that fact in gratitude.

For those of us under the new covenant ratified not with an animal sacrifice, but with the death of Christ — tithing is not required. But many of us tithe our incomes, because we want to show gratitude and commitment. We also want to further the work and ministry of our churches.

Many of the rules in Leviticus no longer apply under this new covenant, but the purpose behind those rules is eternal. We all need ways to show that we value our relationship with God, and are committed to him.

LORD, as we walk through our lives, show us how to reflect our commitment to you, and our gratitude to you.

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rich man, poor man

Posted on November 23, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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JUSTICE SHOULD BE BLIND

Leviticus 27:26-29

Lev 27:26 “But a firstborn of animals, which as a firstborn belongs to Yahveh, no man may dedicate; whether ox or sheep, it is Yahveh’s.
Lev 27:27 And if it is an contaminated animal, then he will buy it back at the valuation, and add a fifth to it; or, if it is not redeemed, it will be sold at the valuation.
Lev 27:28 “But no devoted thing that a man devotes to Yahveh, of anything that he has, whether human or beast, or of his inherited field, will be sold or redeemed; every devoted thing is most holy to Yahveh.
Lev 27:29 No one devoted, who is to be devoted for destruction from humanity, will be ransomed; he will surely be put to death.

rich man, poor man

The rich might be tempted to buy back someone condemned to death, either for profit, or to gain a slave. The LORD would not allow it. Criminals must receive their just punishment, regardless of how rich or influential they are. The covenant was designed to protect the people from themselves.

LORD, you have called us to seek justice. Help us to bring justice to the poor, and not be influenced by someone else’s riches.

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giving back

Posted on November 22, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Leviticus 27:22-25

Lev 27:22 If he dedicates to Yahveh a field that he has bought, which is not a part of his possession,
Lev 27:23 then the priest will figure out the amount of the valuation for it up to the year of liberation, and the man will give the valuation on that day as a holy gift to Yahveh.
Lev 27:24 In the year of liberation the field will return to him from whom it was bought, to whom the land belongs as a possession.
Lev 27:25 Every valuation will be according to the shekel of the sanctuary: twenty gerahs will make a shekel.

giving back

Land purchased and used could be dedicated to the LORD, but land that had been owned by someone else could only be given until the jubilee. Then the land ownership would revert back to its original owner. Even God would not keep it, because the gift was not about enriching God. It was about the giver worshipping him with his gift. When Christians give to their church, those gifts go back to the original owner as well. Everything we own belongs to God, so when we give to the church’s ministry, we are actually giving back what we have been blessed with.

LORD, bless the gifts we receive, and the ones we give back.

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