As we saw two weeks ago, the prophet Isaiah and other prophets foretold the Messiah's coming. They prophesied how he would come and when he would be born in history. The prophets were expecting Jesus, and they even knew how he would come, through a virgin birth, in the region of Nazareth, a side street, small town of no value to culture. In that sense, from the prophets, Jesus was expected. In fact, the bible even tells us, in prophecies, that before Jesus would be born and begin ministry, there would be another one to come, a messenger, who would begin to prepare the way for Jesus (read Isaiah 40:3-5 & Malachi 3:1). Malchi is the final prophecy of the Old Testament concerning Jesus. The stage is set. There had been prophecies; there were made promises of a coming Messiah. Then, for 400 years (following Malachi), there is silence. For 400 years, the Jewish people were waiting for a promised gift. God’s people, the remnant, established and rooted in the laws given to Moses and their ancestors, were waiting. They were expecting, but then, they wait. No more messages. No more prophecies. Had God forgotten his promises? They were expecting, but maybe they were expecting the expected instead of the unexpected. Most likely, they were waiting on royalty and a king to be served rather than a humble king who would serve. This is the tension we find ourselves stepping into as we open up Luke 1 and the Christmas story that we often take for granted rather than realizing that it is God speaking to His people again for the first time in 400 years of waiting.