Zechariah’s Response
Text: Luke 1:5-25
Core Idea: Zechariah’s story reminds us that our God is faithful. The wait is finally over – we get to meet the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the only One who is able to save us from sin and satisfy our souls. Then let’s turn and place our hope in Him today.
INTRODUCTION
Good afternoon, Lighthouse. It is delightful to see you. I want to welcome all of you but especially our Tugboat and Anchor friends. As a church, we want to be intentional about worshiping together at least once a month to remind ourselves that we are a church – not just the adults, but the children and youth as well. I understand that this may be challenging at times, but I firmly believe that it will help us grow as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ – which is why I’m inviting you to persevere. When this becomes our culture, when our children and youth begin to see Lighthouse as their home, when we learn to do life together, we’ll see that all our struggles were worth it. Then let’s continue to work together to accomplish just that.
Well, since today marks the beginning of Advent, we’ll spend the next four weeks looking at Luke 1 to explore the events leading up to Jesus’ birth and think through the true meaning of Christmas. As many of you know, Advent means “arrival” – a season to celebrate Christ’s First Coming and long for His Second Coming. Now, did you know that Advent actually begins the church calendar for the year? In other words, for Christians, the beginning of the year is not January 1st but four weeks leading up to Christmas. And you’re probably like, “Why is that important?” Well, here’s why. Because it means that as Christians, we begin our new year not with resolutions (reminding ourselves of all the things that we must do to change ourselves), but by waiting (waiting for the Savior to come and change us). Then I pray that this Advent will be an opportunity for you to discover and turn to this King for He alone is able to save us, transform us, and satisfy us. Well, with that in mind, please turn your Bibles to Luke 1:5-25. And I will invite Jonah to the front – and he will read the passage for us. And after, Pastor Cindy will come up and share a short message for our children.
5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. 7 But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old. 8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 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. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 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.” 18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years.” 19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.” 21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 22 When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak. 23 When his time of service was completed, he returned home. 24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. 25 “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days He has shown His favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
Thank you, Jonah, for reading the passage for us. And thank you, Pastor Cindy, for reminding us that God always provides more than we expect. Let me share three things from this passage:
· WAITING
· DISBELIEF
· FULFILLMENT
1) WAITING
Our story begins with a man named Zechariah – and here’s what we know about him. First, he was a priest. For those of you who may not be familiar with this term, a priest was someone who stood as a mediator between God and the Israelites – someone who spoke to the Israelites on behalf of God through the Scripture and spoke to God on behalf of the Israelites through prayer and sacrifice. Now, did you know that there were over 18,000 priests in those days? Think about that – 18,000 priests for one temple. So, to divide up the work, the priests were organized into twenty-four orders that served twice a year for a week at a time – and Zechariah happened to be in the priestly division of Abijah. Secondly, he was married to Elizabeth – and we’re told that both Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in the sight of God. They deeply loved the Lord and faithfully obeyed the Word. They were joyfully carrying out the call that they had received – but this didn’t mean that they were without sorrow because the last thing we learn about them is that they were childless. Luke tells us that Elizabeth was not able to conceive and they were now both very old – which implies that they must have struggled with the pain of infertility for a very long time. Month after month, year after year, they must have cycled through hope and disappointment – which would’ve been discouraging and taxing to their souls. In fact, envy may have been growing in their hearts as they looked at other families. Maybe they blamed themselves, blamed one another, or blamed God. But what made this incredibly difficult was the fact that to be childless was considered a disgrace in their society as barrenness was thought to be a curse from God. Of course, we clearly see that this was not the case for Zechariah and Elizabeth since Luke tells us that they were blameless before the Lord – but it doesn’t change the fact that this would’ve been burdensome to their hearts. Then can you imagine the countless prayers they must have offered up to God? They were waiting and waiting for God to answer but God remained silent – and it must have left a huge hole in their hearts thinking that their longings would never be satisfied.
Have you ever been in that place? This part of the story may feel uncomfortable because some of you are in the same place as Zechariah and Elizabeth. You’ve been praying and waiting for a long time, but it feels like your cry for help is met with silence. You’re filled with disappointment and frustration – wondering why God hasn’t responded. “Why, God? Why can’t we have kids? Why can’t I find someone? Why can’t I get that promotion? Why can’t I get a financial break?” And there’s actually something else that makes this story even more puzzling – it’s the fact that Zechariah and Elizabeth were good people. You may be thinking, “How can a good God allow bad things to happen to such good people? Why wouldn’t He bless them for their faithfulness? Doesn’t He love them?” If this is something that you’re struggling with, I want to turn your attention to Psalm 73 because there was someone else who asked the exact same question. Asaph, the author of this Psalm, was the worship leader for the Israelites – but when he saw that his enemies prospered while he suffered, it drove him to the edge of doubt and anger. Listen to what he says in Psalm 73:2-5, 13, “My feet had almost slipped. I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from common human burdens; they are not plagued by human ills… Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence.” Translation: “What’s the point of being faithful to God? What’s the point of praying and singing? It’s not like I’m more blessed than others. In fact, the wicked seems to be doing much better than me. I should just live like them – do whatever I want to do.” Friends, have you ever said those words before? If so, listen to what Asaph says in verses 16-17, “When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary of God.” Asaph remained faithful to God not because he finally understood why God was allowing all this to happen or because God suddenly changed his circumstances so that he prospered, and his enemies suffered. He was able to remain faithful because he entered the presence of God – and this completely changed his perspective. In other words, when he remembered who God was, when he saw his life through the eyes of God, even though the circumstances had remained the same, his heart was changed. Brothers and sisters, if waiting has been hard for you, if you’ve been having difficulty understanding God, I invite you to fix your eyes on Him and anchor yourselves to the truths of God because when you do that, even though you may never fully understand His ways, you’ll know that He’s always good – and He’ll give you the power to sustain through all things.
Waiting is a normal part of the Christian experience – which is why the Bible is full of people who were waiting. Abraham waited for a son, Joseph waited in prison, Moses waited in the wilderness, Job waited through suffering, David waited to be on the throne, Daniel waited in the lion’s den, and even Jesus waited 30 years before He began His ministry. But in each case, God was shaping them and preparing them for something greater. Waiting is not an awful place between where we are and where we want to go – it’s a place of sanctification. So, for example, waiting causes us to pray without ceasing, it cultivates patience in us, and it increases our faith as we learn to trust God and His ways. All that to say, waiting is always purposeful in God’s eyes. Then let me ask you, “Are you waiting today? If so, how well are you waiting? Has your waiting produced in you a faith that is stronger or weaker? Has the manner of your waiting drawn you closer to God or further away?” In each case, the choice is yours. But my prayer for you is that you’ll continue to place your hope in God – and that He will strengthen you to remain faithful knowing that our waiting is not wasted but that He is using it to accomplish greater things for His glory and our joy. Remember that waiting is not just about what we get at the end, but about who we become as we wait.
2) DISBELIEF
Verse 8. Luke tells us that Zechariah was chosen by lot to go into the temple to burn incense for the people. Now, this would’ve been a special day for him because, as I shared before, there were 18,000 priests – which meant that not everyone got to enter the temple. The Bible makes it clear that our God is not a God of chance (Ps. 16:33). There are no coincidences with God – which means that He wanted Zechariah to be there that day. Why? Because He had a Word for Zechariah. Verse 11, “Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.” In Hebrew, it literally says that Zechariah fell over – in other words, he was terrified. And to this trembling priest, Gabriel said, “Don’t be afraid – your prayer has been heard.” Now, what was he praying for? A child. Then here was Gabriel telling Zechariah that he would finally have a son. But it wasn’t going to be just anybody – his son was going to prepare the way for the coming King. Then it dawned on me – here was the reason why God waited so long to answer their prayers. It’s because He had something better in store for them than they could ever imagine. They may have been simply praying for a child, but God didn’t want to give them just any child – He wanted to give them the forerunner to the Messiah. In other words, it’s not that God was ignoring Zechariah’s prayer – God was waiting for the right time to answer their prayers. Zechariah thought that he was waiting but God was also waiting – He was waiting with Zechariah and Elizabeth because He had something amazing prepared for them. And more than that, God waited because He wanted to satisfy the longings of not just this couple but the Israelites as a whole. Zechariah and Elizabeth may have been waiting for around 30-40 years for a child – but the Israelites have been waiting for hundreds of years for the Messiah. So, God waited for that perfect time to answer both of their longings – a child who would usher in the King. Then this should’ve left Zechariah in awe – this should’ve filled him with joy and gratitude. But unfortunately, that’s not what we see here.
He asked Gabriel in verse 18, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years.” He was basically saying, “Okay. Wow. But let me be honest. I’ve been waiting for decades for You to answer. Others mocked me and at times I doubted. But I didn’t give up. I kept my faith. But look at me now. I’m old. My wife is old. Are You kidding me? Don’t You see that it’s logically, physically impossible for us to conceive? You’re too late, God. Why didn’t You come earlier? Do You know how desperately we longed for a child? We were finally coming to accept this reality (that we’re going to be without a child) – and You come to us now and say that You’re going to answer our prayers? How can You assure me that this will really happen? Honestly, I don’t believe You. I don’t want to have my hopes up and be disappointed again. Give me evidence so that I can believe.” In other words, he questioned God. Then listen to how Gabriel responded in verse 19, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.” He basically said, “I’m literally standing in front of you. Isn’t that good enough for you? What more do you need? Did you forget that our God created the heavens and the earth? How dare you question His power? In fact, because of your unbelief, you won’t be able to speak until the day this happens.”
Brothers and sisters, is this where you may be today? You’ve prayed and prayed and prayed – but God is silent. It feels like God is ignoring you – so, you’ve stopped praying, you’ve stopped believing, you’ve stopped hoping. You question His power. You doubt His character. And even though God may be saying, “Trust Me. I will take care of you. That’s what I said in the Bible. Isn’t that enough?” you just respond, “No, that’s not good enough. I want more. I need something more tangible for me to believe that You love me. Show me. Prove it to me.” If this is you, I pray that you would have ears to hear what God is saying through this text – that He has heard your prayer but that He will answer accordingly in His perfect time.
Now, some of us may think that Gabriel was too harsh on Zechariah by forbidding him from speaking – but one thing we must remember is that no matter what the situation may be, it doesn’t give us the right to sin. Holiness cannot be compromised in any circumstances. We cannot pick and choose when to be holy. We don’t pursue holiness only when things are going well. We must pursue holiness at all times because this is His will for our lives (1 Thess. 4:3). And let me make it clear: questioning God does not please Him. God loves to field hard questions from us; He loves to hear our anguished cries; and He even loves to hear our honest doubts (that was the case for the father who said, “Help me overcome my unbelief!”; that was the case for doubting Thomas; that was the case for Peter as he stepped out of the boat into the sea). Don’t get me wrong – doubt can lead us to sin which is why we need to guard our hearts. But I want to make this clear because some of us can falsely believe that we can never doubt. Doubting is not a sin – it’s a sign of our weakness. It just shows how fragile we are as humans. This is so important to point out because it means that it’s okay to doubt – it’s just that we should always take our doubt to God. We should always wrestle with God. He’s able to handle your doubts. But disbelief is another story. Doubt isn’t the opposite of faith – disbelief is. Disbelief is a sin because it’s this unwillingness to trust that God can do the impossible. It’s to deny the sovereignty and faithfulness of our God – and that’s exactly what Zechariah was doing here. He wasn’t just doubting – He was questioning, unwilling to believe, demanding evidence. Just because it feels like God is silent in our lives, we don’t have the right to think that God is not going to get things right. The truth is that He will. And He will always do so in the most perfect way possible. He is never late. He never forgets. His timing is always perfect.
But at the same time, I do want to clarify that God was not punishing Zechariah – He was disciplining Zechariah because He loved him. Zechariah was silenced so that he could quiet his lips to hear the words of God. In other words, God was calling him to reflect. God disciplines not because He’s full of wrath, but because He’s full of love. I know it’s hard to understand this, but we must realize that the wrath of God is best seen when He does nothing about our sins. This is scary because God is letting us experience the full consequence of our sins which always leads to death. In contrast, the love of God manifests itself when God shows up and says, “I’m not going to let you sin any longer. I’m going to discipline you so that you’ll turn, so that you’ll learn, so that you’ll change. Yes, it’s going to be hard. It’s going to hurt – but this is the only path to life.” Hebrews 12:6 says, “The Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastens everyone He accepts as His son.”
Then how do we guard our hearts against disbelief? How can we continue to trust and believe that He is working for us even in times of suffering? We do so by preaching the gospel to ourselves every single day. If I can summarize the gospel in one word, it would be “substitution.” When Jesus died, He was taking our place so that we would take His place of righteousness. He was being treated the way we should be treated so that we would be treated the way He should be treated. He was bound so that we might go free. He died so that we might live. The Son of God was forsaken so that we may become sons and daughters of God. The gospel guards our hearts against doubt because it reminds us that God, who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, is continually working for the good of those who love Him. Brothers and sisters, if you’re questioning His love for you today, look to the cross because it tells us that God loves us unconditionally. Even when it seems like the whole world is against you, even when it feels like nothing is going the way you wanted, it doesn’t mean that God has abandoned you or forgotten you. He’s not ignoring you. He is patiently waiting with you because He loves you. And when the right time comes, He will act, He will provide, and He will move powerfully. God’s purpose may be hidden but that doesn’t mean that He is not working. Listen to the words of a hymn called My Hope is Built on Nothing Less, “When darkness veils [hides] His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace; In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil.” May this be true in your lives today.
3) FULFILLMENT
Verse 24, “After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. ‘The Lord has done this for me,’ she said. ‘In these days He has shown His favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.’” Luke doesn’t tell us exactly how long it took from the moment of his return to her pregnancy. It could’ve been that day, a week, a month, or a year. But what we do know is that God’s Word was fulfilled – Elizabeth was pregnant. And she confesses that the Lord has done this for her – that this is the evidence of His grace in her life. Even though she had stopped believing, stopped hoping, stopped praying, God did not treat her the way she deserved – He graciously blessed her with a son. Brothers and sisters, what this teaches us is that God is sovereign and that His plans will never be thwarted by our faithlessness. God is faithful – and He will always keep His promises. He kept His promises to Israel. He kept His promises to Zechariah. And He will keep His promises to you because He loves you. Then what’s His greatest promise to us? John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Friends, this gift of everlasting life is available to everyone who places their trust in Jesus. This is God’s greatest promise to us, which He will keep, because God is always faithful. Have you received this gift? If not, you can receive it today. Give your life to Him and tell Him, “Help me. Save me. I’m lost without You.”
Two applications for Christians. First, trust and wait. If you find yourself in the posture of waiting this Christmas, remember this story and don’t give up. Continue to pray, continue to trust, and continue to wait because He will act in His perfect time. Sure, it may not be in a way that you may have desired, but you can be sure that His way is always good. Second, evangelism. Can you imagine how frustrated Zechariah must have been when he couldn’t say a word about his experience? But we have everything we need to share our experience with the world. Then let’s not miss that opportunity. Let’s invite people to come and hear this life-giving message of the gospel so that they too will meet this glorious King.
CONCLUSION
Lighthouse family, Zechariah’s story reminds us that our God is faithful. The wait is finally over – we get to meet the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the only One who is able to save us from sin and satisfy our souls. Then let’s turn and place our hope in Him today.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1) Zechariah and Elizabeth were waiting people. Are you waiting for something today? If so, how well are you waiting? Why is waiting so hard? How can we wait well in the Lord?
2) What is the difference between doubt and disbelief? Then how do we guard our hearts against disbelief? How can we continue to trust and believe that He is working for us even in times of suffering, struggles, and trials?
3) How will you spend this Advent more meaningfully? What can you do to prepare for this Christmas in a way that honors God?