Hidden Power

By: Kari Vo
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December 11, 2025

"In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years." (Luke 1:5-7 ESV)

Luke starts his story with two people: Herod the king and Zechariah the priest. You could hardly get a stronger contrast—Herod may have been a genius in many ways, but he was also paranoid, dangerous, and a murderer of his own family. Zechariah, on the other hand, is called "righteous" and "blameless," along with his wife.

Which was more powerful? At first glance we'd all say "Herod." After all, he was a king, with the power of life and death in his hands. But Elizabeth and Zechariah have a different kind of power—God's power, not their own, working to bring life to the whole world. God used this humble elderly couple to produce the baby who would grow up to be John the Baptist. And John prepared the way for our Lord Jesus, our Savior, who died and rose again so that everyone who trusts in Him would live forever.

We pray: Lord, thank You that You choose the humble to show Your saving power. Amen.

Reflection Questions:
* Do you think Elizabeth and Zechariah considered themselves important or powerful?
* Why do you think God chose them to be John's parents?
* Are you too unimportant for God to use? Why do you think so?

Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on December 3, 2024
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights

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John the Baptist said, "The time has come...The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 1:15). But what exactly is the Kingdom of God? Check out "Basics of Basileia", a four-part mini-series by Brother Suresh Manoharan designed to help us have a better understanding of God's Kingdom!