John's Birth Announcement (Luke 1:5-25)
Lest we think Luke is going to be a modern, secular historian, however, he begins his account deeply rooted in the religion and cult of the temple, and in supernatural events. These “infancy narratives begin and end in the temple, the whole Gospel account begins and ends in the temple. (Nolland)
After centuries of silence and seeming inactivity from God, our story begins with an exciting and miraculous announcement. Zechariah is a faithful priest. He and his wife serve God as they should. And yet, they are childless and seemingly beyond any hope of ever being blessed by God in this way. Zechariah is selected by lot to serve in the Holy of Holies. This is an event that he will never again experience, and it was extremely fortunate that he even got this once-in-a-lifetime chance. As he goes in and performs his duties, he is suddenly visited by an angel. And this is not just any angel, but Gabriel. Gabriel is the same angel that came to Daniel back when God ceased to speak to His people.
Gabriel tells Zechariah that his prayer (for the forgiveness of the sins of the people, the duties that he is performing) have been answered. However, he also tells Zechariah that he is going to have a son, and not just any son. His son will prepare the way for the Messiah! So, the prayers Zechariah has been offering for the atonement of the people, are about to be answered in a way that they had never been answered before. The Gospel message is about the ultimate atonement sacrifice.
Zechariah is astonishingly doubtful of the angelic message. How much doubt must one have to not believe a message from a supernatural being? This is the way of humanity, however. We are always prepared to ignore miraculous signs and evidence. Even as we ask for signs, we miss all the signs being offered!
Zechariah is rendered mute until the prophecy is fulfilled. And, even though we can think of ways that Zechariah could communicate the message he had received (he will even later communicate through writing) he keeps the message to himself. Apparently, some doubts linger in spite of the muteness. Even after Elizabeth is pregnant, they keep her secluded for months, as if they are unsure the pregnancy will pay off. Perhaps they had been through the heartache of miscarriage before!
How are we at hearing from and trusting in the words of God in our lives?
After centuries of silence and seeming inactivity from God, our story begins with an exciting and miraculous announcement. Zechariah is a faithful priest. He and his wife serve God as they should. And yet, they are childless and seemingly beyond any hope of ever being blessed by God in this way. Zechariah is selected by lot to serve in the Holy of Holies. This is an event that he will never again experience, and it was extremely fortunate that he even got this once-in-a-lifetime chance. As he goes in and performs his duties, he is suddenly visited by an angel. And this is not just any angel, but Gabriel. Gabriel is the same angel that came to Daniel back when God ceased to speak to His people.
Gabriel tells Zechariah that his prayer (for the forgiveness of the sins of the people, the duties that he is performing) have been answered. However, he also tells Zechariah that he is going to have a son, and not just any son. His son will prepare the way for the Messiah! So, the prayers Zechariah has been offering for the atonement of the people, are about to be answered in a way that they had never been answered before. The Gospel message is about the ultimate atonement sacrifice.
Zechariah is astonishingly doubtful of the angelic message. How much doubt must one have to not believe a message from a supernatural being? This is the way of humanity, however. We are always prepared to ignore miraculous signs and evidence. Even as we ask for signs, we miss all the signs being offered!
Zechariah is rendered mute until the prophecy is fulfilled. And, even though we can think of ways that Zechariah could communicate the message he had received (he will even later communicate through writing) he keeps the message to himself. Apparently, some doubts linger in spite of the muteness. Even after Elizabeth is pregnant, they keep her secluded for months, as if they are unsure the pregnancy will pay off. Perhaps they had been through the heartache of miscarriage before!
How are we at hearing from and trusting in the words of God in our lives?
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