Months after the stars signal to Magi in the East that a God-sent King will soon be born in Judea, Zechariah visits the Temple in Judea to fulfill priestly obligations. He is given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and then discovers a surprise waiting for him when he is alone.

To stay with the chronology of the Advent story, we are jumping from Matthew 2 to Luke 1. For more information on where these stories and meditations come from, or for more great stories, visit my free online community at Joseph's Table.