Luke 1:12. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
And another Monday bites the dust, as we move along with joyful expectation in this Advent season, eagerly working our way to that bright and glorious time we call Christmas, when we celebrate the awesome incarnate birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And all of God’s people gave a loud and grateful shout of Glory Hallelujah! All hail to Him who was born in a manger in Bethlehem to be the propitiation for our sins!
Ah friends, that just shows the great LOVE our wonderful God has for us, sending His sinless Son, born of a woman to intercede on our behalf, to bear all our sins, so that we could have the option of coming back to Him from our sinful ways. Please note, it’s only an option, we still have to use our free will to choose it, and if we don’t, we’ll just continue along our sinful path down to the fires of hell and damnation with Satan and his other evil cronies.
So please, we urge you to accept that once in a lifetime option of accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour RIGHT NOW, so that you would be set free from the bondage of sin that Satan has us in, and spend eternity with Jesus in heavenly places. Believe me, that’s the wisest decision you’ll ever make in this earthly life! End of sermon! (smile)
And today, we want to look at the very different reactions of two people whom the Lord spoke to back in olden times. We’ve already seen the positive reaction of Mary to the angel Gabriel’s news that she would bare the Son of God. Without a whole lot of questions and doubt, she simply responded: ‘Behold the hand maid (handmaiden) of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.’ (Luke 1:38)
Now, before the angel went to Mary, he had gone to an elderly priest named Zacharias. The Bible tells us that as he was doing his duty, burning incense in the temple, with a whole lot of people praying outside: ‘And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.’ (Luke 1:11-12)
Right there friends, we have the first big difference between Zacharias and Mary’s angelic visit. Mary was troubled, but the Bible didn’t say that fear came upon her, like it does with Zacharias, and one would expect the elderly priest to be much more in tune with the godly aspects of life. ‘But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink, and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias (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.’ (Luke 1:13-17)
Now that was also a big godly promise, but not as big as Mary’s where she would become pregnant without knowing a man. So what was Zacharias response to all that eh? The Good Library tells us: ‘And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man and my wife well stricken (advanced) in age.’ (Luke 1:18)
There I think we have Zacharias’ mistake; doubting the possibility of him and old wife having a child through the auspices of the Lord. As a priest in the Lord’s employ, Zacharias ought to have known the story of Abraham and Sarah having Isaac at the respective ages of one hundred and ninety, so there shouldn’t have been any doubt of it being possible for him and his wife Elisabeth, neither of whom were as old as Abraham and Sarah.
Thus this unfortunate happening. ‘And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God, and am sent unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings (this good news). And, behold, thou shalt be dumb (mute), and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season (own time).’ (Luke 1:19-20)
Yes mih bredrin, there is a price we all pay for doubt and disbelief, especially if we are fairly mature believers. I guess we could cut Zacharias some slack because of the surprise factor and his advanced age, but he was supposed to be an experienced man of God, while Mary was just a young child. But there we have the two different reactions to supposedly good news. So what happens after that eh?
The Bible continues: ‘And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried (delayed) so long in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.’ (Luke 1:21-22) Can you imagine the confusion amongst the people when their hitherto very vocal priest suddenly couldn’t speak to them?
But what of Zacharias? God’s Word informs us thus: ‘And it came to pass that, as soon as the days of his ministration (service) were accomplished (completed), he departed to his own house.’ (Luke 1:23) Apparently on the day his duties ceased, that’s the offering of incense in the temple, he was free to return home. And according to the scholars the offering of incense in the temple would be a sacred moment in Zacharias’ life, for no priest could offer incense more than once in his lifetime, and many never even got the chance at all, since there was an estimated 18,000 priests at that point in Jewish history. So, most likely, this was a God-inspired occasion, so that the good news could be shared with Zacharias.
The scholars further tell us that ‘Zacharias’ speechlessness serves to chasten him for his apparent skepticism. One may think it a harsh measure, but God who dispensed this judgement knew his heart. And the promise remained secure. Zacharias was merely prevented from easily spreading the news around.’ But however we look at the decision, it was God’s doing and has to be accepted as such.
The Bible then says: ‘And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.’ (Luke 1:24-25) And as the scholars remind us: ‘Jewish women regarded childlessness as a severe reproach. Elisabeth may have hid herself out of a sense of consternation before God and man. She came to be thankful, but the initial shock of the unexpected (and in human terms quite impossible) must have been considerable.’
No doubt it was my brethren. But it all shows us how our great and wonderful God moves in ways we don’t understand, and therefore we need to submit to His plans without doubt and fear. And No, as we keep saying, that’s not always easy to do, even when we consider ourselves to be very mature believers. But we just have to keep on trying and learning and asking for God’s help to understand what He needs of us; it’s all a lifelong process.
Now, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel! As one sincere voice! ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now, it behooves us to go out and share that LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…belief doesn’t stop doubt and fear from coming…but we have to be strong enough to refute them…
P.S. Yes, it’s long, but oh so good! (smile) Much LOVE!
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