Before angels sing over Bethlehem in Luke 2, two other voices break into song—Mary and Zechariah. In this episode of Thinking Christian, Dr. James Spencer continues the “Thinking Christian about Christmas” series by walking through Luke 1:39–79, where Mary visits Elizabeth, John the Baptist leaps in the womb, and two rich, Scripture-saturated songs frame what God is doing in the birth of Christ.

James explores how the Magnificat and Zechariah’s prophecy function as “nexus passages,” pulling together themes from across the Old Testament—God’s mercy to those who fear Him, His concern for the humble and marginalized, the reversal of the proud and powerful, and the fulfillment of His covenant promises to Abraham and Israel. He shows how John’s role as forerunner and Jesus’ role as saving light are already anticipated before Jesus is even born, and why Luke wants us to see Christmas as a moment of both fulfillment and ongoing expectation.

If you’ve ever rushed past Luke 1 to “get to the Christmas story,” this episode will slow you down, help you hear the songs before the manger, and deepen your grasp of what—and whom—we’re really celebrating at Christmas.

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To read James's article on this topic, check out his author page on Christianity.com.

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If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Thinking Christian so you never miss an insightful conversation!

Before angels sing over Bethlehem in Luke 2, two other voices break into song&mdash;Mary and Zechariah. In this episode of Thinking Christian, Dr. James Spencer continues the &ldquo;Thinking Christian about Christmas&rdquo; series by walking through Luke 1:39&ndash;79, where Mary visits Elizabeth, John the Baptist leaps in the womb, and two rich, Scripture-saturated songs frame what God is doing in the birth of Christ.
James explores how the Magnificat and Zechariah&rsquo;s prophecy function as &ldquo;nexus passages,&rdquo; pulling together themes from across the Old Testament&mdash;God&rsquo;s mercy to those who fear Him, His concern for the humble and marginalized, the reversal of the proud and powerful, and the fulfillment of His covenant promises to Abraham and Israel. He shows how John&rsquo;s role as forerunner and Jesus&rsquo; role as saving light are already anticipated before Jesus is even born, and why Luke wants us to see Christmas as a moment of both fulfillment and ongoing expectation.
If you&rsquo;ve ever rushed past Luke 1 to &ldquo;get to the Christmas story,&rdquo; this episode will slow you down, help you hear the songs before the manger, and deepen your grasp of what&mdash;and whom&mdash;we&rsquo;re really celebrating at Christmas.
Subscribe to our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Useful_toGod">YouTube channel</a>
🔗 Download a free resource "Making Everyday Decisions So That God Gets the Glory" from Useful to God: <a href="https://www.usefultogod.com">www.usefultogod.com</a>
To read James's article on this topic, check out his author page on <a href="https://www.christianity.com/author/james-spencer/">Christianity.com</a>.
📢 Stay Connected &amp; Keep Growing!
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Thinking Christian so you never miss an insightful conversation!

Christians shouldn’t just think. They should think Christian. Join Dr. James Spencer and guests for calm, thoughtful, theological discussions about a variety of topics Christians face every day. The Thinking Christian Podcast will help you grow spiritually and learn theology as you seek to be faithful in a world that is becoming increasingly proficient at telling stories that deny Christ.

Find more from James at https://usefultogod.com/.

Christians shouldn’t just think. They should think Christian. Join Dr. James Spencer and guests for calm, thoughtful, theological discussions about a variety of topics Christians face every day. The Thinking Christian Podcast will help you grow spiritually and learn theology as you seek to be faithful in a world that is becoming increasingly proficient at telling stories that deny Christ.
Find more from James at <a href="https://usefultogod.com/">https://usefultogod.com/</a>.

Christians shouldn’t just think. They should think Christian. Join Dr. James Spencer and guests for calm, thoughtful, theological discussions about a variety of topics Christians face every day. The Thinking Christian Podcast will help you grow spiritually and learn theology as you seek to be faithful in a world that is becoming increasingly proficient at telling stories that deny Christ.

Thinking Christian: Clear Theology for a Confusing World

Christians shouldn’t just think. They should think Christian. Join Dr. James Spencer and guests for calm, thoughtful, theological discussions about a variety of topics Christians face every day. The Thinking Christian Podcast will help you grow spiritually and learn theology as you seek to be faithful in a world that is becoming increasingly proficient at telling stories that deny Christ.
Find more from James at <a href="https://usefultogod.com/">https://usefultogod.com/.</a>

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