Luke
1:5-13, 18-22a (NIV) 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. 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.
An angel from God tells Zechariah that he and his
wife Elizabeth will have a son, a very special son, whose name will be John. He
will follow in the footsteps of men like Elijah and will prepare the way for
the Lord. Stunned by the appearance and the announcement, Zechariah stammers
out the response, How
can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.
Those would be the last words he speaks until after the baby is born. Outside
the temple, the people were getting restless waiting on Zechariah to pronounce
the benediction so they could live that day with God’s blessing. Finally
Zechariah appears, but stands before them mute, unable to utter a word. Angered
and puzzled, the people leave the temple unaware that God had taken the first
step in answering the prayers of the people for hundreds of years that an
Appointed Deliverer would come to them.
Christmas raises up in us
a Zechariah like experience, for it is a time of angels and heavenly visions,
but I am like Zechariah because of my desire for certainty about God and about
God’s plan and purpose for my life and for the world. But, if Zechariah raises
up the desire for angelic certainty, he also displays our ability to deny any
certainty given. No matter how God speaks to us we have the power to doubt and
deny. When we trust whatever Word has been given us, we are given and receive
more. In learning to discern the whispers of God, we learn to hear His voice.
In learning to see the hints of God we are awakened to see miracles around us.
In learning to sense the small presence of a baby in a manger, we become aware
of being surrounded and filled with the reality God.
From a sermon preached by
Henry Dobbs Pope November 27, 1983
© Rhonda Hinkle Mitchell
Broyles
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