Friends forever instrumental john zacharias
by John Foster Elizabeth, a descendant of Aaron, was selected by God to be the mother of the great prophet who would prepare the way before Jesus Christ. Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, appears in only one chapter in the Bible— Luke 1. However, we later read an astonishing scripture in Luke 7:28: “ Among those born of women, there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist.” John the Baptist was the greatest prophet, and his father and mother were instrumental in teaching him the ways of God. Elizabeth’s ancestry Luke 1:5 says, “ There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.” Most people quickly read over this passage and don’t realize what is being revealed. Zacharias, John’s father, was a priest of God. To serve as a priest in the temple, one had to be of the tribe of Levi and, more specifically, of the Levitical family of Aaron. And clearly we see that Elizabeth was also of the house of Aaron. Here is a married couple with a profound lineage—both were from Aaron’s priestly family. We also read in the next verse that they both were “righteous” and “blameless” as they were walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. What kind of people were they? God chose Zacharias and Elizabeth for the special task of rearing and teaching a miracle child He provided. The Bible reveals that they had already been chosen, in a sense, to be servants of God. What did God have in mind when He chose the Levites and the house of Aaron (the priests)? The Bible reveals that they were given specific responsibilities related to taking care of the tabernacle and carrying out the work of the tabernacle, which included the various animal sacrifices ( Exodus 27:21; 18:1; 30:30; Numbers ). These sacrifices taught people about the.
Are you looking for a way to make the Scripture narrative come alive for your congregation during Advent and Christmas this year? Try a program based on one of the gospel accounts of Christ's birth. Make the experience even more meaningful by basing your Advent sermon series on the same passages. The program that follows, based on Luke's gospel, is easy to practice and produce. As you and others who participate in the program will discover, Luke's well-known account is arranged in an orderly sequence and told with warmth and beauty The script is taken almost verbatim from Scripture ( NIV). ■ Planning. Begin planning in March or April for the program: Choose practice times and a program date and put it on the church calendar. Publicize the date early to parents and others. Budget for the program. We started with and donations of materials. Choose 4-5 people to be the core committee. You'll need someone to coordinate communication; someone to direct and cast people for the parts; a music person; and a set, costume, and properties person. Decide which age levels will be involved. Our goal was to make the programs intergenerational in order that the family of faith may remember and retell the story together. ■ Music: When the script calls for a choir, use a childrens choir (or Sunday school group youth group, or adult choir; at times the congregation can share in the singing. Choose a variety of types of music—something appropriate for each group. ( Feel free to replace hymns and carols suggested below with those that better fit your situation.) ■ Cast: The roles that need more maturity (including narrators) should be played by older children, teens, or adults. Primary-level children can play the parts of the shepherds and angels. ■ Rehearsals: The program is written for a minimum of three rehearsals: two for the cast, and one final rehearsal with choirs and cast.
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