Archangel Gabriel informs Zechariah of the birth of John the Baptist
A long time ago, more than two thousand years before our time, there lived a pious priest named Zechariah. His country was called Judea, and it was located in the eastern Mediterranean. It was ruled in those years by King Herod, nicknamed the Great.
Zechariah was already very old, like his wife Elizabeth. They lived peacefully and loved each other very much. In everything they tried to do as God commanded people in His commandments. But they had no children, and they were very sad about it.
In those days, spouses who could not have children were considered by the Jews to be punished by God for their sins. Zechariah prayed many times with tears that the merciful Lord would take pity on them and give them a son or daughter. However, his prayers remained unanswered for a long time.
And then one day Zechariah performed worship in the main and only temple of the Jews, which was located in Jerusalem. He had to pour and pour sacrificial incense - myrrh, frankincense and others - onto the burning coals of the altar of God. The fragrant smoke from them rose into the sky, and along with the smoke Zechariah’s prayer for the people ascended to the Lord.
All the priests of the temple performed such services one by one, by lot. This time it was Zechariah's turn. He had to consecrate the temple with his prayer and sacrificial incense. At this time, the people prayed outside the temple, as was customary among the Jews.
And then the trumpets sounded, Zechariah solemnly moved into the temple sanctuary. Two other priests walked near him: one carried a bowl of incense, and the other a brazier with hot coals. Approaching the altar, they placed the brazier and bowl on it and left. Zechariah was left alone in the temple.
Prayerfully, he tipped the bowl over the brazier. A cloud of thick bluish smoke rose into the air. Zechariah continued to pray at this time. He asked the Lord to bless the entire Jewish people, to give the Jews peace and His generous mercies.
Saying prayer words, Zechariah turned around and saw that someone was standing near the altar behind a cloud of smoke. He was a handsome young man in shining white clothes. Zechariah was embarrassed, his heart sank with sudden fear. But the bright young man reassured him:
- Don't be afraid, Zechariah. Your prayer is heard by the Lord. Your wife Elizabeth will give birth to a son, whom you will name John. And you will have joy and gladness. Many will rejoice at his birth. He will be great before God because the Holy Spirit will dwell in him while still in the womb. He will turn many people from your people to the Lord, return them to the righteous path that your forefathers walked. He will prepare people for the coming of the Savior.
Zechariah listened and could not believe it.
- How do I know that you are telling the truth? - he was amazed. - I am old, and my wife is old. How can we have a son?
“I am Archangel Gabriel,” answered the young man. “I stand before the throne of God and was sent from God to tell you what will certainly come true.” But because you did not believe my words, you will become dumb. You will not be able to speak until everything said comes true.
The angel disappeared.
Meanwhile, the people stood at the entrance to the temple, waiting for Zechariah. People were surprised that the priest waited so long to come out.
- Why doesn’t he come? - some asked.
“Something must have happened,” others wondered.
Finally Zechariah left the temple. He could not speak, he only waved his hands and made signs, trying to explain what happened to him. People, in fear and confusion, realized that he had a vision in the temple.
After this day, Zechariah served in the temple for some time. And when the days of his priestly service ended, he returned to his home.
Miracles
- Turning water into fine wine.
- Healing the paralyzed.
- The miraculous resurrection of Jairus's daughter.
- Resurrection of the son of the Nain widow.
- Calming the storm on Lake Galilee.
- Healing of the Gadarian demoniac.
- The miraculous feeding of the people with five loaves.
- Walking of Jesus Christ on the surface of the water.
- Healing of the Canaanite daughter.
- Healing of ten lepers.
- The miracle on Lake Gennesaret is the filling of empty nets with fish.
The Son of God instructed people and explained each of his commandments, inclining them to God’s teaching.
Jesus Christ healing a blind man
The Lord's popularity grew every day and masses of people rushed to see the miraculous preacher. Jesus bequeathed the commandments, which later became the foundations of Christianity.
- Love and honor the Lord God.
- Don't worship idols.
- Do not use the name of the Lord in empty conversations.
- Work six days, and pray on the seventh.
- Respect and honor your parents.
- Don't kill another or yourself.
- Do not violate marital fidelity.
- Do not steal or appropriate other people's property.
- Don't lie and don't be jealous.
Commandments of Jesus Christ
But the more Jesus won people's love, the more the nobles of Jerusalem hated him. The nobles were afraid that their power would be shaken and conspired to kill the messenger of God. Christ triumphantly enters Jerusalem on a donkey, thereby reproducing the Jewish legend about the triumphant coming of the Messiah. The people enthusiastically greet the New Tsar, throwing palm branches and their own clothes at his feet. People expect that the age of tyranny and humiliation will soon end. With such pandemonium, the Pharisees were afraid to arrest Christ and took a wait-and-see attitude.
A crowd of people meets Jesus Christ
The Jews expect from Him victory over evil, peace, security and stability, but Jesus, on the contrary, invites them to renounce everything worldly and become homeless wanderers who will preach the word of God. Realizing that nothing would change in power, people hated God and considered God a deceiver who had destroyed their dreams and hopes. The Pharisees also played an important role here, inciting a rebellion against the “false prophet.” The surrounding situation becomes more and more tense, and Jesus step by step approaches the loneliness of the Gethsemane night.
The Archangel brings the Good News to the Virgin Mary. Mary visits Elizabeth
Zechariah's wife had a young relative, Mary. Her parents made a vow to dedicate their only daughter to God. Therefore, from an early age, Mary lived at the temple of God in Jerusalem; her father and mother sent her there to be raised.
Quiet, meek and loving, Mary spent her days in prayer, doing handicrafts and thinking only about how to please the Lord.
Other girls were brought up with her at the temple. When one of them turned fourteen years old, the high priest announced that the girl should return home and get married. The Jews considered this age to be adulthood, and a fourteen-year-old girl to be ready for marriage.
But Maria refused the marriage. She told the priests that she wanted to stay at the temple for the rest of her life and devote herself to the Lord. By that time, Mary’s parents had already died, and the priests had to arrange Her fate themselves. By the inspiration of God, they decided to betroth Mary to the old widower Joseph, who was eighty years old.
Joseph was a distant relative of Mary. He, like Mary, descended from the ancient king and prophet David. Joseph was obliged to maintain Mary's chastity, protect Her and take care of her.
Submissive to the will of the priests, the girl went with the elder to Nazareth. It was a small, poor town in the Galilee region. Joseph's house was located there, where he worked as a carpenter all his life.
Having settled in Joseph's house, Mary led the same pure and secluded life as in the Jerusalem temple. She prayed, read the Holy Scriptures and worked - spinning, weaving, embroidering.
One day, when the girl was fervently praying to the Lord, Archangel Gabriel suddenly appeared before Her. The same one who appeared in the temple of Zechariah.
He said to Her lightly and affably:
- Rejoice, full of grace! The Lord is with you! God has blessed You above all virgins and wives.
Maria was very embarrassed by such a greeting. She guessed that the Angel of the Lord was in front of her, but did not understand what his strange words meant.
“Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the Angel continued. – With your meekness, humility and prayers, you attracted the grace of the Lord. A son will be born to You, whose name You will name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. He will inherit the throne of King David and will reign over the whole world. And His kingdom will have no end.
Mary was in awe and perplexed.
“How will this be,” she asked, “after all, I don’t even have a husband?”
“The Holy Spirit of the Lord will come upon you,” answered the Archangel, “and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” Therefore Your son will also be called the Son of God. Your relative Elizabeth, who was childless until old age, will also soon have a son, because this is the will of the Lord. God promised her a son, and His word is never powerless or fruitless.
Maria bowed her head and said quietly:
- I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done according to Your word, and His holy will be done!
A few days later she went to visit Elizabeth - in the city where she lived with her husband.
Maria entered their house and warmly greeted the hostess. Elizabeth was very happy about her guest. On a whim from above, she exclaimed:
- Maria! Blessed are You among women, and blessed is the Child that God gives You. And why am I so happy now that the Mother of my Lord came to me? When I heard Your voice, the baby leaped in my womb, and my heart was filled with joy. Blessed are You, who believed that everything predicted to You by God will be fulfilled.
Mary humbly accepted these prophetic words of old Elizabeth into Her heart. In joy She turned to God:
“My soul praises, thanks and magnifies the Lord, and rejoices in Him, My Savior. He saw My humility, His servants, and sent Me great honor, because from now on all nations will glorify Me. May the Lord's mercy always be upon those who love Him. May the name of Him be holy, Who by His power overthrows the arrogant from their thrones and lifts up the humble. He who gives grace to the meek, but lets those who boast of their riches go empty-handed...
Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home to Nazareth.
Personal life
Since the Middle Ages, controversy about the personal life of Jesus has not subsided. Many people were worried about whether he was married or whether he left any descendants behind him. But the clergy tried to reduce these conversations to a minimum, since the son of God could not become addicted to earthly things. Previously, there were many Gospels, each of which was interpreted in its own way. But the clergy tried to get rid of the “wrong” books. There is even a version that references to the family life of Christ are not specifically included in the New Testament.
Meeting of Mary Magdalene and Jesus Christ
Other Gospels mention the wife of Christ. Historians agree that his wife was Mary Magdalene. And in the Gospel of Philip there are even lines about how Christ’s disciples were jealous of their teacher for Mary for a kiss on the lips. Although in the New Testament this girl is described as a harlot who took the path of correction and followed Christ from Galilee to Judea.
At that time, an unmarried girl did not have the right to accompany a group of wanderers, unlike the wife of one of them. If we remember that the risen Lord first appeared not to the disciples, but to Magdalene, then everything falls into place. The apocrypha also contains references to the marriage of Jesus, when he performed the first miracle by turning water into wine. Otherwise, why would he and Our Lady worry about food and wine at the wedding feast in Cana?
Scientists suggest that Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalene
In the time of Jesus, unmarried men were considered strange and even ungodly, so there was no way an unmarried prophet would become a Teacher. If Mary Magdalene is the wife of Jesus, then the question arises as to why he chose her as his betrothed. Political trends are probably involved here.
Jesus could not become a contender for the throne of Jerusalem as an outsider. Having taken as a wife a local girl belonging to the princely family of the tribe of Veniamin, he already became one of his own. The child born to the couple would have become a prominent political figure and a clear contender for the throne. Perhaps this is why persecution arose, and subsequently the murder of Jesus. But the clergy present the son of God in a different light.
Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene
Historians believe that this was the reason for the 18-year gap in his life. The Church tried to eradicate heresy, although a layer of indirect evidence remained on the surface.
This version is also confirmed by a papyrus released by Harvard University professor Carin King, in which the phrase is clearly written: “Jesus said to them: my wife...”.
Birth of John the Baptist
The time came, and old Elizabeth gave birth to a son. All her friends and relatives rejoiced with her at this mercy of the Lord.
On the eighth day from birth, Jewish custom prescribed to perform a sacred rite over the boy and give him a name. The relatives gathered in the house and the priest wanted to name the baby in honor of his father Zacharias. But Elizabeth did not agree. She said that the child should be named John. Everyone was surprised and began to tell her that neither she nor her husband had anyone with that name in their family. Elizabeth stood her ground.
Then everyone went to the mute Zechariah to ask him. He asked with signs to give him a wax tablet on which they usually wrote, and inscribed the name on it - John. At that moment, the muteness left him and he was able to speak. From such an obvious miracle, all the guests were confused.
Zechariah, having regained the gift of speech, began to prophesy. The Holy Spirit Himself spoke through his lips:
- Blessed be the Lord God! He visited His people and gave them the salvation that He had announced through the ancient prophets. He kept the oath he made to our forefather Abraham that he would deliver us from all enemies and show us mercy. And you, Child of God, will become a prophet of the Most High. You will go ahead of the Lord and prepare His way. You will enlighten the dark and unreasonable. They will learn from you: their salvation lies in the fact that the Lord, in His mercy, forgives them all their sins...
For a long time after this day, rumors and conversations continued throughout Judea about what had happened in Zechariah’s house. People marveled and said:
– What will happen to this child next if such miracles are performed and such prophecies are uttered at his birth? Probably God is with him and the grace of the Lord is overshadowing him.
Folk traditions of the holiday
The traditions themselves, which are now observed by Christians, have ancient roots that go back to pre-Christian times. But these traditions became consonant with the holiday that Christians began to celebrate as the resurrection of Christ.
Hence the widely used symbols of life and fertility:
- Eggs;
- Easter;
- Rabbit, etc.
There are also instructions in traditions about what and when to do on holidays. For example, what to eat, how to say hello on this day. The custom of breaking the fast or meeting the first rays of the sun, going to visit and observing Lent.
Joseph and Mary go to Bethlehem for the census
Mary, meanwhile, told Joseph what the Archangel Gabriel had announced to Her. She said that She would have a son and that he would be an unusual Person. And at night the Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. He said:
- Joseph from the line of David! Your betrothed bride, Mary, will have a Son from the Holy Spirit. You will call Him Jesus, which means Savior. For He will save people from their sins. This is how the ancient prediction that the Lord spoke through the prophet will be fulfilled.
From that time on, Joseph began to protect Mary even more and began to treat Her with reverence. After all, She was destined to become the Mother of the Lord, the Son of God, the Savior of the entire human race.
At that time, Judea was one of the provinces of the vast Roman Empire and was subject to Roman rulers. And so the order of Emperor Augustus was announced throughout the state. He ordered a census of his subjects in all lands of the empire, including Judea.
Every Jew had to come to the city where his family came from. There you had to tell the scribes your name, as well as the names of all members of your family.
Joseph, like Mary, came from the family of King David. And David’s hometown was small, poor Bethlehem, located not far from Jerusalem. Joseph and Mary went there.
They reached the town at the end of the day and spent a long time looking for where to stay for the night. Bethlehem was crowded with people flocking from all over Judea for the census.
Only late in the evening did Joseph and Mary find shelter. They settled in a cave near the city, which served as a stable for livestock.
There were sheep bleating, cows sighing, and a little donkey stepping with its hooves. But Joseph and Mary were glad to have such a refuge. They knew that the Lord cared about them and sent them this warm cave. In it they found peace and relaxation.
Joseph laid his cloak on the floor of the cave. And Mary, having prayed to God and feeling the approach of childbirth, lay down.
Shepherds worship the newborn Son of God. The Magi approach Baby Jesus
At night, in a field outside the city of Bethlehem, shepherds sat around a fire, guarding their flock. Suddenly, an unearthly light shone before them, brighter than the flame, and in this radiance the Angel of the Lord appeared. The shepherds were so frightened that they fell to the ground out of fear and covered themselves with their hands and cloaks.
- Do not be afraid! - the Angel told them. “The Lord sent me to inform you of great joy for all people.” On this night, the Savior of the human race, the Lord Jesus Christ, was born in the city of David. Here is an indication for you: in a cave near the city you will find a swaddled Baby lying in a cattle feeder.
While the Angel was saying this, the radiance around him became brighter. The light rose up, illuminating the sky, and the shepherds saw countless other Angels there. The heavenly angelic army glorified God with sweet-sounding singing: “Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace and good will toward men.”
Finally, God's messenger disappeared and the heavenly vision disappeared. When the shepherds recovered from their fear, they got up and went to look for a cave to worship the Child.
That night, Mary really gave birth to a Son - God gave Her and all people great joy. The baby Jesus was born in a cave, in a cattle shed - as a simple man. His mother wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him on hay in a manger, that is, in a trough from which cows usually ate. The child smiled quietly, and Joseph and Mary admired, looking at Him.
Suddenly, shepherds entered the cave. They looked at the Child and fell to their knees. In joyful emotion, the shepherds bowed to the ground to the born Lord.
At the same time, three more people were rushing to the newborn Son of God. These were sages from a distant eastern country. They had great knowledge, which they received from books. The sages learned about the world by exploring nature and watching the stars. People called them magi, that is, wizards, magicians, because they told fortunes and predicted by the stars.
One of the Magi - Melchior - was already a gray-haired old man. The other - with blond curls, beardless and rosy-cheeked - is the young man Kaspar. The third was named Balthazar. He was a middle-aged man, black-haired, thin and very dark.
By studying the movement of the stars, the Magi learned the fate of people and the world. And then one day a new, very large and bright star appeared in the eastern sky. The sages were amazed and began to look in books for what this could mean. It turned out that such an unusual star indicates the birth of the greatest man, the King of the Jews.
“If at the birth of this Man,” the Magi reasoned, “a new, unprecedented star appeared, then He is truly great in the eyes of God.” Or maybe this one who was born is God Himself. We should go to Him with gifts and worship Him.
The wise men already knew that the King of the Jews was to be born in Judea, and the main city of Judea was Jerusalem. Therefore, quickly getting ready for the journey, the Magi went there.
“In Judea we will certainly find out in which city this Great King was born,” they said to each other.
The Magi bring gifts to Baby Jesus
Eastern sages came to Jerusalem and began to ask where the King of the Jews was born.
“We saw a new, extraordinary star in the east, which announces the birth of the King of the Jews,” they told everyone. “And that’s why they came to worship Him.”
King Herod, who ruled Judea at that time, was an evil and cruel tyrant. Rumors reached him about what the Magi were asking about in the city, and he was terribly afraid. Herod thought that this unknown King of the Jews, born somewhere, would soon grow up and take the royal throne from him.
In great anxiety, Herod summoned the Jewish high priests and Jerusalem learned scribes to his palace. He asked them:
– Where should Christ, the King of the Jews, be born? What do the holy books say about this?
The chief priests and scribes showed him the place in the Holy Scriptures. The words of the prophet Micah were recorded there that the leader who would save the people of God would be born in Bethlehem.
Hearing this, Herod ordered the Magi to be called to him. He gave his order secretly so that the high priests would not find out. After all, they could accuse him of turning to foreign sages for advice. The Magi were from a pagan people who did not know the One God, but worshiped many false gods. God forbade the Jews to seek wisdom from the pagans.
Herod asked the wise men who came to him about the appearance of the star and what it foreshadowed. Then he sent them away to Bethlehem.
“When you learn everything about the born King,” he finally said to the sages, “return to Jerusalem to tell me.” I also want to go and worship Him.
The Magi believed Herod and that same day, in the evening, they went to Bethlehem. When they left the hotel, the first thing they did was look at the darkening sky. The star they had seen all this time in the east was still in its place. But when the Magi set off, the star moved. Now she hung in front of them and moved with them, showing the way. The three travelers were very surprised and delighted. Following the star, they headed to Bethlehem.
The star stopped over the house where the Baby Jesus was. By that time, Joseph and Mary and their Son had left the cave. People who came to the census were already leaving Bethlehem, and the inns in the city were being vacated.
The Magi entered the house and saw the Baby. A quiet light spread around Him. It was the light of the Lord's grace, the light of God's love for people. The born Son of God himself was the embodiment of this love for all living on earth.
The pagan sages knelt before Him. They worshiped the newborn Jesus as King and God, and then placed their gifts next to Him.
One of the wise men presented Jesus with myrrh, a precious fragrant oil. This was a gift to the Christ Child as a man who was born on earth and must die, like all people. At that time, the dead were anointed with fragrant oils in preparation for burial.
Another sorcerer brought gold as a gift to Jesus - as the true King of the Jews. The third placed incense in front of the Baby, which is used during divine services.
This was a gift to Jesus as God, because the smoke from burning incense rises to the Lord along with people's prayers.
With these gifts the Magi testified to their wisdom. But this wisdom was no longer pagan, because it came to them from God. It was the Holy Spirit who inspired them that the Son born to Mary is at the same time a man, and God, and a King over all people.
Baptism
God appeared to the prophet John the Baptist, who lived in the desert, and ordered him to preach among sinners, and to baptize those who wanted to be cleansed of sin in the Jordan.
Baptism of Jesus Christ
Until the age of 30, Jesus lived with his parents and helped them in every possible way, and after that an insight descended on him. He strongly desired to become a preacher, telling people about divine phenomena and the meaning of religion. Therefore, he goes to the Jordan River, where he is baptized by John the Baptist. John immediately realized that this very youth was in front of him - the son of the Lord, and, perplexed, objected:
“I need to be baptized by You, and You come to me?”
Jesus then went into the desert, where he wandered for 40 days. Thus, he prepared himself for the mission to atone for the sin of the human race through an act of self-sacrifice.
Satan tempts Jesus Christ
At this time, Satan is trying to hinder him through temptations, which became more sophisticated each time.
1. Hunger. When Christ was hungry, the tempter said:
“If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.”
2. Pride. The devil took the man to the top of the temple and said:
“If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, because the angels of God will support you and you will not stumble on the stones.”
Christ rejected this too, saying that he did not intend to test the power of God for his own whim.
3. Temptation by Faith and Wealth.
“I will give You power over the kingdoms of the earth, which is given to me, if You will worship me,” Satan promised. Jesus answered: “Get thee behind Me, Satan, for it is written: God is to be worshiped and only served.”
The Son of God did not give in and was not tempted by the gifts of Satan. The rite of Baptism gave him strength to fight the sinful instructions of the tempter.
12 apostles of Jesus
After wandering through the desert and fighting the devil, Jesus finds 12 followers and gives them a piece of his own gift. Traveling with his disciples, he brings the word of God to the people and performs miracles so that people believe.
