Forming Faith Blog

Two Births, Connected (Luke 1 & 2)

Posted on December 12 2023 by Gregory Rawn

For anyone struggling about what to do with Advent 4 and Christmas Eve being on the same day, here is a reflection on how the two readings (the births of John and Jesus) are connected.

Two sets of baby bare feet in close up shot.
Photo by Kübra Kuzu on Pexels.com
It Probably Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time

Advent is calculated as the four Sundays prior to Christmas—that’s Christmas Day, not Christmas Eve. The first Sunday of Advent could be as early as November 27 or as late as December 3, which means that the fourth Sunday of Advent can be as early as December 18 or as late as—December 24. If you work in a church that celebrates Advent at all, you know that this year, Advent 4 falls on the same day as Christmas Eve. This leaves pastors, worship leaders, and other faith formation leaders with a question: what do you do with December 24?

I have seen three main decisions churches have made. First, do business as normal with Advent 4 in the morning (with or without normal educational programming) and Christmas Eve in the, well, evening. Second, skip Advent 4 completely, drop Sunday morning (and Saturday evening) worship and programming, and focus on Christmas Eve. Or, third, move the season of Advent back a week and celebrate Advent 4 on December 17 (and drop Saturday evening and Sunday morning worship and programming). None of these options are ideal, and I pray that no one judges the leaders who had to make these decisions.

Why Bring This Up?

Why do I, a faith formation publisher who writes weekly reflections on faith formation connections to the Narrative Lectionary readings, mention this? Well, partly because I decided to combine my reflections for Advent 4 and Christmas (just like I did four years ago). I’m also trying to integrate my thoughts on the two texts to make it easier for anyone trying to do the same.

John’s Birth

The assigned reading for Advent 4 is broken into three pieces, one of which is considered optional. If you can spend some time focusing on these readings, I do hope you include the optional portion. That’s where the plot is. In summary:

  1. Luke 1:5-13—The first two verses of this section set up the context and characters, and the third verse (v. 7) introduces the problem: this older couple has no children. Then we move into the specific story. While Zechariah is doing his priestly work, he is visited by the angel Gabriel and receives the pronouncement that he and his wife will have a son, John.
  2. Luke 1:14-25—The story continues with Gabriel’s further explanation of John’s significance and Zechariah’s reaction: doubt. For this, the priest’s ability to speak was temporarily stripped away. But the angel’s first words came true and Elizabeth conceived.
  3. Luke 1:57-80—We skip over part of Mary’s story to get to John’s birth. Zechariah is finally able to speak and gives a twelve-verse prophecy about John and Jesus.
Mary’s Story

If we’re going to connect the stories of both John’s and Jesus’ births, then we can’t start with Luke 2. The pre-birth narratives of the two are literally tied together. The angel Gabriel brings an announcement of a miraculous birth to both Zechariah and Mary. Beyond the whole “Mother of God” thing, the main difference between the two episodes is how they react (somewhat). Zechariah reacts with (understandable) doubt:

“How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.”

Luke 1:18

Mary reacts with confusion:

“How can this be, since I am virgin [lit. do not know a man]?”

Luke 1:34

I guess that the difference is that Zechariah is doubting the angel’s word, while Mary is trying to understand the biology of it.

Zechariah’s Prophecy

When Zechariah sees his newborn son, he proclaims a prophecy. And this prophecy forms a bridge from what came before to what is coming. Not in the right order, but he proclaims:

  • His son John would be a prophet who prepares the way for the Lord (see Isaiah 40:3-5).
  • John will prepare the way by teaching them about God’s forgiveness of sins.
  • God is finally sending the Messiah, from the house of David (e.g., 2 Samuel 7:1-17)
  • The Messiah is the fulfillment of promises, including God’s promise to Abraham and from God’s words through the prophets.
Bethlehem and Shepherds

A few verses after Zechariah’s prophecy, we hear an echo of his words. We learn that Joseph, Mary’s husband, was “descended from the house and family of David (Luke 2:4). Jesus, through his stepfather (according to Luke), is a descendent of David and savior of the world.

Angelic beings show up one more time in these readings, this time to a group of shepherds. After the angels’ announcement of Jesus’ birth, the shepherds do not react with doubt, or even confusion. They decide to go check it out. (Admittedly, going to look at a baby is a lot smaller ask than having a baby as a father or a mother!).

Faith Formation Connections

We’re talking about Christmas here, and most churches have long-standing traditions for faith formation. You might have a pageant, a program, or even a student-led worship service. The last thing you need is something else do to, right? But if you happen to be looking for a creative way for all ages to interact with the story in worship (or outside of it), you can check out our FREE download by clicking or tapping the purple button below. And while the script in the activity specifically references the Christmas story, you can also adapt the activity to the story of John’s birth!

Glory to God in the highest!

Gregory Rawn (Publisher)

Download a FREE Worship Activity for 12/24 or 12/25/2023
Free Resource

During the main Narrative Lectionary year (this year: September 10 to May 19), we provide a free resource download from one of our products to help you in your faith formation ministry. This week, download the activity “Creative Worship” from our Living the Word: Cross+Gen Worship (NL) resource (which is also available as single lessons!), though the activity can be adapted for with most ages and with either Bible reading!

Order Faith Formation Resources

The Winter quarter began on December 3, 2023, with the first Sunday of Advent! Did you only order the Fall quarter and need to complete the year? Are you still looking for easy-to-use, theologically sound, and effective resources for the Narrative Lectionary, the Revised Common Lectionary, or even classic Sunday school Classroom curriculum for PK-2nd and 3rd-6th (check our blog post for a special discount)?

Looking for a resource for intergenerational events, a whole-church series, or even something new for Sunday school? Check out our Learning Together series! These five-lesson units are available on six different topics, one of which is FREE! The other five are quite affordable with variable pricing starting at $25 for a program with 1-10 participants. Perfect for children’s and intergenerational ministries, family or churchwide events, and even a whole-church Epiphany or Lenten series!

At Spirit & Truth Publishing, we might just have exactly what you are looking for:

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