Luk 1:1-25
1 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.
5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.
8 So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
18 And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”
19 And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. 20 But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.”
21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. 22 But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.
23 So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. 24 Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”
In v. 6, we read that Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth were “righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.” They were also “both well advanced in years”. (v. 7) My point is that Zacharias had served the Lord faithfully as a priest for MANY years and had been praying for a child. (v. 13) And yet, when the angel appears to tell this faithful, aged saint that God is going to grant his request, Zacharias does not believe the word of the Lord!
One of the temptations that those of us who have been walking with the Lord for years will face is the temptation of complacency. We’ve been obedient for a long time, but we just sort of settle into a routine. Worship can become mundane, and we can lose our sense of wonder and awe of the God we serve. Remember, we are instructed to approach Him as a little child. (Luk 18:17) When my kids were little, they thought I could do anything! They’ve been let down so much by my inability that they no longer make that mistake, but there’s a lesson to be learned from little children who have such a large view of their parents’ abilities. We have a heavenly Father who can indeed do ALL things! May we not lose our consciousness of the truth that, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” (Luk 18:27)
I like Luke’s diligence to write an orderly account for Theophilus and for us to rely upon. It is interesting how God uses Luke’s personality and educational experience to write this orderly account so we may know the certainty of the things that we are taught about Jesus.
With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
Luke 1:3-4
But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.
Luke 1:13
God always hears when we talk to Him. It gives God pleasure when we tal to Him.
Also, God has our life all planned out from the first day until we finally join Him.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord , “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11
Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Psalm 139:16
God chose that the lot would fall on Zechariah that day and that angel that lives in God’s presence, Gabriel, would be sent to give Z the good news to answer to his prayer. God also tells Z about the things that are planned for John’s life. The PRIMARY PURPOSE of John’s life and also our life is to “make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Luke 1:17
Zechariah’s temporary unbelief and amazement cause him to be one of the first persons to have to communicate to the others outside of the amazing events that he experienced by using charades.