Episode 39 - The Butterfly Effect - Baby Chris Week 39

We are continuing to work our way through Marie Bowen's excellent book, Pregnant With Promise, and in this Episode we will learn about the miraculous birth of John the Baptist to Zachariah and Elizabeth, and how both John and Jesus were filled with the Holy Spirit and working out their calling from the moment of conception.  Every child born changes our lives forever and the world for generations to come.  Thank God, that with the birth of Jesus, the world will never be the same.

Scripture references in this episode include:

Luke 1; 19:10               I Chronicles 24                    Exodus 30:6-8

John 16:5-15               Isaiah 64:4                           I Corinthians 2:9

Colossians 1:15-19      Galatians 3:16                     Matthew 20:28

I Corinthians 15:22      Zechariah 14:9                  Revelation 11:15

Colossians 1:19-20

The carol "O Little Town of Bethlehem" was written in 1868 by Episcopal priest Phillips Brooks after he visited Bethlehem on Christmas Eve in 1865. Inspired by the peaceful atmosphere and the hymns sung in the Church of the Nativity, he wrote the lyrics for the children in his Philadelphia Sunday school. He asked the church's organist, Lewis Redner, to compose the music, and it was first performed by the church's choir on December 27, 1868. Listen to the tune here

For a better explanation of the Butterly Effect Theory

Due Date

Labor induction

Caesarian section

Abortion is never medically necessary

https://www.ppl.org/baby-chris

Abortion is never medically necessary

Abortion Pill Reversal https://abortionpillreversal.com    24/7 Helpline at 877.558.0333    Email: help@apr.life  or Chat at the weblink above

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Life Training Institute https://www.prolifetraining.com

Charlotte Lozier Institute https://lozierinstitute.org

Guttmacher Institute https://guttmacher.org

Compelled by the gospel, PPL equips Presbyterians to champion human life at every stage. PPL.org

Transcript

Names, History, And Two Mothers

Host 0:16

Welcome back to the ProLife Kitchen Table, where I have cleared away all my gift wrap so that we can sit and hear about another story of a special pregnancy in the Bible. Today's episode is for everybody named Elizabeth, which feels like almost everybody I know who has that name for a middle name, including myself. In the United States, the Social Security Administration tracks baby names from Social Security Card applications.

Host 0:43

Predictably, Mary is the most common name in U.S. history. But Elizabeth ranks second among girls' names. This week's episode and next will show us that Mary and Elizabeth are indeed a pair. The Bible calls them cousins, but if the stories were written today, they might well be called besties because of their shared experience with the mystery and holiness surrounding the births of their sons John and Jesus.

Host 1:11

And just for comparison, John is the all-time most common name in U.S. history by a massive margin. Boy's name Jesus (or Sp. Jesus), on the other hand, is common but much less common than John. And I can understand why a parent might be reluctant to name their child after God, because it's a pretty high bar for a little kid.

Host 1:34

Even though Christmas is a Christian celebration, it's important to remember that Jesus and all of the people in his family were Jewish, so it helps to understand a little bit about what was happening in the nation of Israel and in the lives of ordinary Jews at the time of Jesus' birth. The Gospel of Luke has the most detailed account that tells the story of Jesus' birth from the perspective of the women Elizabeth and Mary.

Zechariah’s Temple Encounter

Host 2:02

The account of Elizabeth's pregnancy and the birth of John the Baptist is unique to Luke's gospel. John's parents are Zachariah, who belongs to the priestly division of Abijah, and Elizabeth, who, like many of the women we have encountered so far, is childless. Luke describes the couple as upright and blameless, good people who followed God's commands. Once again we see the theme of life springing from barrenness, an ongoing portrayal of a God who brings streams in the desert and life from death and offers forgiveness and blessing when we have earned punishment and cursing.

Host 2:44

The Jews' worship of God in their temple was facilitated by priests who were divided into divisions, and who served by burning incense in the temple during the morning and evening sacrifices. The priest selected for each day was chosen by drawing lots, and being chosen might happen only once in a lifetime, if ever. John's father Zachariah was chosen, and it was during his time in the temple, on that particular day, that the angel Gabriel appeared to him with the announcement that, "Your wife Elizabeth will bear a son, and you are to give him the name John, (meaning God is gracious)."

Host 3:23

And once again, like Samson and Samuel, the angel announces that John will live like a Nazarite from the womb, but his power will not come from his uncut hair like Samson, or from his dedication like Samuel, but he will be empowered by the filling of the Holy Spirit even before his birth. The angel also tells Zechariah that John will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord, and John will go in the spirit and the power of Elijah to prepare the people to receive the coming Messiah. The Bible says that when Gabriel first appeared to Zechariah inside the temple that Zechariah was afraid, which makes perfect sense because angels are not cute chubby little babies with wings, nor do they appear as ordinary human beings except in certain encounters. So we don't know if the presence of Gabriel was glowing and imposing or if he appeared as a man. But either way, Zechariah was supposed to be inside the Holy of Holies, the most sacred space of the temple, where no one could enter and live without taking special precautions. And yet here he was conversing with someone who said he was a messenger sent from God. And so Zechariah says, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years." Seems like a reasonable question from our vantage point two thousand years later at our kitchen table. But it turns out that Gabriel was not amused.

Doubt, Silence, And Divine Timing

Host 4:57

Reacting to Zechariah's expressed unbelief, the angel says, "I am Gabriel! I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and bring you this good news! And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time."

Host 5:21

And that's what happened. Zechariah came out of the temple unable to speak at all until John was born. Angels know how to make their point.

Host 5:32

After Zechariah served in the temple and was finished for the day, he went home to Elizabeth, but he was unable to tell Elizabeth about the incredible thing that had happened to him. And the Bible doesn't tell us how their communication went, but I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall, wouldn't you?

Host 5:50

And it came to pass that Elizabeth did conceive, and she kept herself hidden for five months.

Host 5:58

The story continues that in Elizabeth's sixth month of pregnancy, Gabriel again appears this time to a virgin named Mary. And since we will be hearing about Mary in our next episode, I will save the details of that announcement. But the lives of Mary and Elizabeth become intertwined as God acts to accomplish his redemptive plan for humanity.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

Host 6:23

But most Christians will be familiar with the story that Gabriel tells Mary that she will conceive a son named Jesus, who will be called the son of the Most High. And then the angel goes on to reveal to Mary Elizabeth's hidden pregnancy. Mary doesn't waste any time and immediately hurries off to visit Elizabeth. And what follows is an amazing encounter between two women of faith, but even more wonderful is the record of the encounter between the two unborn babies. So I'm going to read you Luke chapter 1, verses 39 through 45, so you can hear for yourself what the scripture says about this meeting.

Host 7:06

"In those days Mary arose and went with haste to the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, and why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy, and blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord." This is the word of the Lord, thanks be to God.

The Babies’ Womb-To-Womb Encounter

Host 7:55

The baby in Elizabeth's womb, later to be known as John the Baptist, begins his service of preparing the way of the Messiah even while he is still in the womb. Elizabeth's baby John leaped for joy when the Holy Spirit in him encountered the Holy Spirit present in Mary's womb and her son Jesus, and how amazing is that?

Host 8:43

This, along with many other accounts in scripture of servants of God, who are called from before birth while still in the womb, affirms the personhood of each human being from the moment of conception and the plans of God for that child even from before conception. For those who live with a materialist worldview, where only what can be seen and measured is real, this is a reality that they cannot grasp - and refuse to acknowledge - that reality includes the activity of the spiritual realm.

Host 8:53

There is no choice to be made between the material world and the spiritual world because it is all of one piece, and the material world cannot be understood without making space for the evil activity of the troubler of God's people and the bringer of death Satan, and the lifesaving, redemptive, and restorative activity of the Creator God, whose image is borne by all people.

Host 9:18

And now back to the material world where, on the day that his son John was born, the voiceless Zachariah is once again able to speak, and he, too, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and his first words were a song of praise to God and a prophecy of salvation.

Host 9:37

At the point that he was able to speak, the Bible says that all of the neighbors who had come to see the birth were afraid, because they knew that the hand of the Lord was with him, and that the circumstances of John's birth were talked about throughout the hill country.

Host 9:54

When you have read a lot of the Bible, you will see that fear is usually the first response of people who find themselves in the presence of God's angels and in the presence of those who are filled with the Holy Spirit of God. Sometimes well-meaning people who want to paint a picture of an all-loving-Jesus- all- the-time, want to make a point that when the Bible translators use the word fear, what they really mean is awe-inspiring, thus reducing the visceral fright in the presence of holiness to the thrill of a roller coaster ride.

Fear, Holiness, And The Spirit

Host 10:33

But I offer that fear in the sense that there is something so pure, powerful, and holy that it is clear that I am none of those things, and should not be allowed to live in the presence of all those things, and that if this power were to kill me where I stood, it would be righteous, justified, and unavoidable. So when an angel of God says do not fear, those are sweet words indeed.

Host 11:00

And even today, when unbelievers with the materialist understanding of the world see or hear of the presence of the Holy Spirit in and around them, their reaction is to dismiss it as hysteria, hallucination, or ignorance, followed immediately by "Glad it wasn't me." But to do so, they have to pretend that they are not afraid of the presence of holiness.

Host 11:25

And in my opinion, that is the root of why people want to kill babies before they are born. The conception of every child is because of the presence of holiness. The child at the moment of birth is the only possessor of purity in our presence. The holiness at the moment of birth and the purity and innocence of the child only serves to highlight our own impurity, sin, and perversion, like a straight stick highlights the crookedness of a bent twig. That is why the presence of the unborn cannot be tolerated by those who are not themselves indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The effect on them is like a cross held up to a vampire, and they recoil in fear and lash out with violence towards God and God's work in the womb.

Host 12:14

And so ends my prayerful word study on the fear of God.

Host 12:19

The story of Elizabeth and Mary records the stunning encounter between John and Jesus when they are both still in the womb. Jesus would have been the tiniest of embryos, only a few days or weeks old, yet at the sound of Mary's greeting, Elizabeth's baby boy John the Baptist leaps. These voiceless, yet-to-be-born born babies begin to fulfill their calling in that moment at the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

Host 12:45

Before Mary is able to tell Elizabeth that she has conceived a child, Elizabeth is filled with the Spirit herself, and through the revelation of that spirit she loudly proclaims Mary to be the "mother of my Lord."

Incarnation From Conception

Host 13:00

This critical account makes unmistakably clear that Jesus identified with humanity not only from the moment of his birth, but from the moment of his conception. The glory of God laid down His power and became the most vulnerable of all human beings, an embryo, Jesus fully human, fully God, Emmanuel, God- with- us.

Host 13:26

God is able to speak loudly even through the voiceless. The silent Zechariah, the two unborn babies, and the clueless Elizabeth, and through all who believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and who are inhabited themselves by the Holy Spirit.

Host 13:44

In the book of John chapter 16, we read that the work of the Holy Spirit is to guide us into all truth and to tell us what is yet to come. The Spirit does nothing to bring attention to Himself, but brings glory to Christ by taking from the knowledge that belongs to God the Father and God the Son, and making it known to us. Pray that God will help you to grow in the ability to hear and recognize the Spirit of truth in your own life through prayer and Bible study. You can increase your ability to know God's voice and learn from Him. Thanks be to God.

Advent, Hope, And Our Place

Host 14:26

Well, what an amazing story, and how good it is to repeat this story every year during this season of Advent while we look backwards to Christ's first coming and forward to his second coming. All of humanity is living between those times, waiting like a pregnant woman waits and prepares for a birth that she knows is coming and will be unavoidably brought to the conclusion that is in fact a new beginning. The chaos and trouble that we hear about in the world can seem overwhelming at times, but knowing that everything is falling into place and having our focus on Jesus makes this the most hopeful season of every year. Everyone alive today was born and is alive at exactly the right time according to the will of God. What wonderful knowledge it is to know that your place in the world is important and that you matter to the redemptive work of God's plan.

Host 15:27

I need a cookie and a cup of coffee after all that. So join me and then come back after the break and hear about Baby Chris's week 39 in the womb, because his birth will come quickly.

Announcer 15:58

Current statistics and information, discussion starters, and devotionals to help you think about and share about pregnancy and abortion, adoption, foster care, and even suicide, assisted suicide and end-of-life challenges. Visit ppl.org to learn more.

Host 16:15

This week 39 Baby Chris Devotional is called The Butterfly Effect. Hear the word of the Lord: "What no eye has seen nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him." Isaiah 64:4 Corinthians 2:9. Thanks be to God.

Baby Chris Week 39

Host 16:43

At 39 weeks all organ systems are developed and ready for life outside the womb. The head will soon be settled in a downward position lower in the uterus. Between thirty eight and forty-two weeks, medical professionals consider to be the range of time that is considered normal and safe to deliver.

Host 17:05

A t thirty-nine weeks, baby Chris's lungs are now moving very rhythmically, making thirty five to forty five breathing movements every minute. All organ systems are developed and ready for life outside the womb.

Host 17:18

Everything is ready for the big reveal, and at any time now the birth will be accomplished and we will get to meet this little one we've watched develop for the past nine months. At last we will get to count his toes and fingers and see the color of his hair and skin and search for his birthmark.

Host 17:37

In 1963, MIT meteorologist Edward Lorenz was conducting research on weather patterns. His research revealed that the smallest of changes could have large, unpredictable effects. He later termed this The Butterfly Effect, saying that a butterfly could flap its wings in one part of the world and it could cause a typhoon in a completely different place.

Host 18:04

This in turn led him to the conclusion that even with knowledge of primary conditions, the future was virtually impossible to predict.

The Butterfly Effect And Emmanuel

Host 18:16

The arrival of every baby creates a butterfly effect. As he enters into our relational world, he will require more movement on our part than is expected by someone so small. Each child changes our lives forever and the world for generations to come. Our identity will forever be bound up in our relationship to him and with him.

Host 18:41

According to Lorenz's theory, we have no way of knowing what particular effect any child will have. No way of knowing if the future unknown impact will be positive or negative, large or small.

Host 18:56

But Lorenz's theory of unknown impact does not hold when it comes to one unique child named Emmanuel, God- with- Us, the child who is the revelation of God to humanity.

Host 19:08

This child was specifically promised in order to rescue us. This child would ransom us out of our slavery to sin at the cost of his own life. This child would lift the curse from the world. This child has forever bound the world up in its relationship to him and with him. Thank God the world will never be the same.

Host 19:35

"How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given, so God imparts to human hearts the blessing of his heaven.

Host 19:44

No ear may hear his coming, but in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive him still, the dear Christ enters in.

Host 19:54

O holy child of Bethlehem, we descend to us we pray. Cast out our sin and enter in, be born to us today.

Host 20:05

We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell. O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel."

Hymn, Scripture, And Closing Blessing

Host 20:15

Hear the word of the Lord: "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood shed on the cross." Colossians 1:19-20. This has been the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Announcer 20:46

We hope you enjoyed this week's reflection. We encourage you to share it and join us next time on Pro Life Kitchen Table. May God bless you.