I was planning to start with the announcement of the birth of Jesus, but the story of John the Baptist is so amazing that I couldn’t skip it.
First Event 0: John the Baptist’s birth foretold – Luke 1:5–25)
Let’s start by summarizing the 20 verses for today.
During Herod’s reign, the angel Gabriel appears to Zechariah, a righteous priest. Gabriel announces that Zechariah’s elderly wife, Elizabeth will bear a son named John, who will be great and filled with the Holy Spirit, preparing people for the Lord. Skeptical, Zechariah is struck mute until the prophecy’s fulfillment, demonstrating God’s power and faithfulness.
There are three thoughts in this passage that truly amaze me.
1. Man’s “things just worked out” is often God working things out.
Look at verse 9. It says that Zachariah “was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.” In that temple, Zachariah met the angel. Surely all believers understand that he was not merely “chosen by lot,” it just looked that way to man. God was working behind the scenes to make things happen. We need to remember that God works behind the scenes for us as well.
2. God remembers our prayers long after we stop praying them.
I love verse 13. As he is in the temple, “The angel said to him, ’Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.’” As our story continues, Zachariah challenges the angel that he and his wife are both too old to have children. The angel said, “your prayer has been heard.” I wonder how many years since he had prayed that prayer. Zachariah and Elizabeth had probably stopped praying for a son as they got too old. God took his old prayer and answered it.
3. I especially love verse 19. In verse 18, Zachariah tells the angel that it can’t happen because of their age. The angel responds, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.”
That is an amazing job description, “I stand in the presence of God.” I wish Zachariah had said, “Tell me about that.” The amazing thing is that we too will stand in his presence someday.
I share these things because I don’t want you to miss them.
Read today’s passage and you will see them.
Lonnie Davis