A Special Message
by Kathy Dillenbeck
Christmas, 2007
Luke, in his great Gospel, tells of Jesus’ lowly birth,
How angels came and spoke to several people here on earth.
Zacharias was a priest who, like Elizabeth, his wife,
Was righteous in the sight of God. They led a blameless life.
Though they had longed to have a child, they knew it was too late.
They both were well-advanced in years, Zacharias and his mate.
Then Gabriel, an angel of the Lord, appeared to him,
While he was serving in the temple--oh, what fear enveloped him.
The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. God heard your heartfelt plea.
Elizabeth will bear a son – a great man he will be.”
When Zacharias doubted what the angel had to say,
Gabriel struck him dumb and told him he would be this way.
He could not speak until the birth of his long-awaited son,
When he wrote upon a tablet that his name was to be John.
Six months after Gabriel told Zacharias what would happen,
The angel went to Galilee to visit a young maiden.
As Isaiah had predicted many hundred years before,
A virgin girl would bear a child, yes, this and something more.
That child would be Immanuel which means that God is with us.
The baby Gabriel talked about was the Savior Who would free us.
As soon as Mary heard the words that Gabriel had to say
She pondered them, made up her mind that she’d be on her way
To see her cousin and find out if all she’d heard was true,
When Elizabeth confirmed the truth, in her heart young Mary knew.
A host of angels also came to Bethlehem one night
To shepherds watching over flocks--it must have been a sight.
The glory of the Lord came down and the men were sore afraid.
To hear the news that Christ was born and in a manger lay.
They went down to the stable to see what the Lord had done.
And in a manger found the child, the Savior, God’s own son.
The Savior Who is Christ the Lord, came down to earth to die,
To redeem our souls from sin so we can reign with Him on high.