When a man with leprosy seeks Jesus to heal him, Jesus does so. And then Jesus tells him to go see the priest and make an offering. Why is that? Because the priest can decree the man ceremonially clean, which will allow him to be a full member of his community again. Jesus wants more for the man than just to make him well, he wants him to be connected. This is no different than the foundation of the church: just as Jesus makes us new again, he makes us new for a purpose, not to live as lone rangers.

As the Psalms show us how to cry out for God's mercy, Jesus shows us what it looks like. Casting demons out of people is about more than spiritual warfare, it's about wholeness for the people. That is what Jesus does when he shows mercy. He may not make us rich or powerful, but he can certainly make use whole.

Be careful if you're only listening to people who tell you how great things are. Jesus was a popular public speaker until he pointed out that God spread his blessings to outsiders as well, and then his countrymen were ready to throw him off a cliff. Literally. If we've learned anything from Isaiah in the past few weeks, it should be this: sometimes the one who preaches gloom and doom is just being negative. But sometimes, like Isaiah, we should place as much value on bad news as good news. God clearly speaks in both cases.

Make no mistake: God wants to be the one to deliver his people, not the alliances they form with other nations. But how does he do it? The genealogy list in today's reading might seem like something we don't particularly take any great spiritual truth from, but consider this one: God really was made man. He didn't step away from man or make himself something else. He had grandmothers and great-great-great-grandfathers, and he was part of the human story. This was God's method of delivery: to join us and lead us to the Kingdom.

Jesus is baptized, and we see the gathering of the Trinity for the first time. Jesus the Son descends into the water, the Father speaks, and the Spirit descends. It is the culmination of God's promise to deliver, coming true in the flesh.

Psalms speaks of a coronation, Isaiah of the coming of righteous rule, and Luke brings the ruler into his first showing as wisdom incarnate. Even in his childhood, this ruler begins to show the kind of king he will be.

Jesus is born in Luke's account to great fanfare. Why all the shouting? Of course, the incarnation of the Son of God is a big deal. But also, something new is happening. With the birth of this child, things are different for the world. As the Psalm tells us today: Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again - my Savior and my God!

For all the cries for redemption, Zechariah decrees today that the Kingdom is breaking through. Through Israel's trials, God looked to create a people to show his redemption to humanity. As the birth of John occurs, the plan of redemption begins to unfold.

This collection of scriptures works very well together, almost answering a question. In Psalms and Isaiah, we are assured that God will defend us, that he will take up a righteous cause. But how, you ask? And then Mary responds by reminding us that he is the defender of the weak as she carries the redeemer in her womb.

As we start a new gospel, we also encounter Isaiah breaking out in praise in the midst of judgement proclamations. This is important because it's hard to do. Hard words have been spoken, and more are coming. In the midst of hard times, it's difficult to remember to praise God. Hopefully we will do better with our words than Zechariah, who lost the ability to speak throughout his wife's pregnancy! If ever there were a time when a man needs to be able to speak, that would be the time!