Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever (Hebrews 13:8) 

As I read this scripture, I began to think “Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever?” I feel like this is a powerful question. So I ask you… Do you believe that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever?

Luke 1 overview: We start in the beginning of Luke with a recount of Zacharias and Elisabeth. In verse 5, Luke tells us when this narrative is taking place historically and immediately goes into the righteousness of this couple in verse 6. I believe they started with this statement to curtail any suspicions or rumors that Elisabeth and/or Zacharias’ barrenness was related to a sinful life. The story continues with the account of the day Zacharias learned he was going to be a father. 

When God spoke through Gabriel to Zacharias, he doubted. Who can blame him?

Can y’all just imagine? Elisabeth has dinner on the table. She is waiting for her husband to come home and he comes home unable to speak. After the concern wears off as she realizes what has happened. Do any of you think like me? Do you think maybe she started to chuckle a little? Then it turned into this full belly laugh and maybe even some potential taunting over the many months? If I had been Elisabeth there would definitely have been some ribbing at the very least. 

Elisabeth believed God

24 Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months. 25 “How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.”

When Elisabeth realizes this has come to pass, she goes into seclusion. I read it. I looked it up in the commentaries, online, bible scholars. They all kind of brushed over it. But I wondered why she isolated. 

So maybe Elisabeth didn’t want the naysayers to poo on her parade. She believed God had fulfilled his promise to her and she didn’t want anyone telling her horror stories or creating doubts for her faith. 

Perhaps she realized that now was the time and she decided that she absolutely would not be able to resist telling and she knew people would think she was crazy. Maybe she was in her prayer closet doing a happy dance. Whatever the reason she went into seclusion, we can be sure that it was significant. 

57 When it was time for Elizabeth’s baby to be born, she gave birth to a son.

The baby was here. The baby no one believed she would have. Even Zacharias was not believing it at first even though he just rose up from praying. Still God answered the prayer. 

Are you believing God for something that seems outrageous? Like when you started believing it didn’t seem too far fetched, but now so many years later you are beginning to wonder if he will do that thing and with each passing year it gets more outrageous? 

Can I just gently remind you that God loves to do outrageous things? He raised Lazarus on the 4th day because if he had done it any sooner the miracle could have been discounted. He didn’t heal him. He raised him from the dead. 

So the miracle happened when it seemed outrageous. What did she do next? 

She sent out word that God had fulfilled his promise to her.

How do I know? Well let’s look at verse 58

58 And when her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very merciful to her, everyone rejoiced with her.

Elisabeth believed God even when it looked like there was no way her miracle could come to fruition. She stood strong in the face of impossible circumstances. 

I am not sure if you are in a place like me where the circumstances seem insurmountable. They seem dyer or desperate, You think your heart absolutely cannot break any more. Your stress level cannot rise any more. Your pain level cannot get any higher. 

If he was faithful to all of these in this Bible, he will be faithful to me and to you! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever! 

When he does it… whatever it may be…Tell the world! Rev. 12:11 says they overcame him by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony. 

I can’t wait to hear all about it!

Much Love, Peeps!