There were 400 years of not so silent silence between the Old Testament and the New Testament. During this time, God didn’t go anywhere. He didn’t speak through burning bushes, send prophets to share His news, or send angels to direct His people. God was silent but present, watching over Israel and preparing the world for something they could never imagine. His silence, as His presence in the Old Testament had been, would only be the beginning to something, Someone, so much greater.

Through His will, God prepared the world through other people for the news they would soon hear. During the 400 years of silence between the Old Testament and the New Testament, God prepared the way for the message to come. The Greeks spread across the world and created a common language amongst the people where one day people would be able to understand and translate the good news of Jesus Christ. The Romans created roads and transportation, a better way to spread the Word and follow the Great Commission that is given to each of us in Matthew 28. Even the people that were against God were used to fulfil God’s purpose and plan.

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

Just as God created mankind last in His order of creation, God created a time and a place on Earth for Jesus to be born to deliver His people from sin.

In Luke 1:5-7, God chose two people to bear a son, a son that would pave the way for Jesus Christ, later known as John the Baptist. God chose Zacharias and Elizabeth a couple that was “righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all commandments and requirements of the Lord.” (Luke 1:5-7) Elizabeth was barren and they were both advanced in age, but the Almighty God chose them to have a child to prepare the way for the Great Deliverer, Jesus Christ. As many of you know, his birth and beginning was only the start to a far greater journey.

 ”…an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.  Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John.  You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.” Luke 1:11-14 

“For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb.  And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.  It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” John was born.”  Luke 1:15-17

Little did they know, 6 months into Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God would send an angel to a young girl named Mary with news that would change the world for the rest of time. Her obedience would lead to a child given by God.

The connection between John and Jesus goes far beyond being born near the same time, but only time would tell the depths of each moment.

As we prepare for Christmas, the birth of Christ is on my mind. Without Jesus, without that silent night in Bethlehem, where would we be today? As important as the birth of Christ is, its just as important to remember the events that led up to that night. What if one stepping stone had not happened, would we still be here today? Imagine if God never chose to create mankind, or He never chose Noah to save during the flood. What if there Abraham and Sarah never had their son, Isaac? Or what if Joseph never interpreted Pharaoh’s dream and saved the people from the 7 years of famine? There are so many events in the Bible that people skip over because they don’t seem as “important” as others, but we need to remember that each event, each moment in time, serves a purpose. Even the events that seem insignificant in time are stepping stones, planned by God, for His ultimate purpose.

I want you to think back to all the times that happened before that glorious day, the day Christ was born. From the beginning of time God showed us His Almighty power. There are many stories in the Bible that so many people miss out on because they only focus on the key points, yet without them, where would we be?

Never stop searching God’s Word and discovering more about your Savior. Reflect on the moments, thousands of years before the birth of Christ, and remember what led up to the star in the sky, the baby in the manger, and the years that would come after His birth. What would become of the child Mary gave birth to? This Christmas remind yourself and others of the big picture, the entire Word of God.

The Word that would change the world.

“He will be great, and will be called the Son of the
Highest .…” Luke 1:32

May God bless you and show you His grace every day!

-Kayla Rampey