Sing: O Come O Come Emmanuel
As we worship in song through the longing and petitioning for our Savior, as we echo with those of times past, O Come O Lord; make we reflect on the goodness of Christ's first coming today.
Zechariah is greeted by an angel in today's text. Zechariah was standing before the Lord, in the temple, doing his priestly duties and an angel of the Lord appears. His first response fear. His second response, disbelief, but we will talk about that tomorrow!
The older priest, who we know loved the Lord, when he a visible and physical confirmation that the Lord hears his prayers, he is full of fear. this is important to note. So many times as we read our Bibles we can err to try and interject ourselves into the stories. Monday morning quarterbacking into time and circumstances laid out to tell the history of Christ, not the history of man. And often in that error we place ourselves as the hero(ine). How many times do we wonder, would we respond like Mary, a young women who sings out in praise that is saturated with scriptural references? We often judge the priest, make him a malicious bad guy, a religious guy doing his job, not believing what he teaches (yes I have heard this narrative before!) But as we step back let us not be robbed of the beauty and grace beyond measure of the coming of Jesus into our world.
It starts with this precious response, "Your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear a son, and he will be named John (which means, "the Lord is gracious.") The prayers of a husband and wife, who probably for decades requested a child, there prayers were not unheard, the timing was just more important than they knew. For this couple who served the Lord, who believed what He said was true, who were awaiting the Seed of Jesse, would get to hold the forerunner of Christ. They would not just have any son, but one whom Jesus would later say, "Not one born among women is greater than John."
This John, the angel tells us, will be filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb. Excitingly we get to see this very prophecy fulfilled this chapter! Keep an eye out for it, as we have promise after promise saw that what God says He will do He does.
400 years, and since the garden, the people longed for a savior. A Redeemer. They longed with hope and yearned for Him to come. They knew not how or when. And in a moments time, it was time. Christ will come and dwell among us, and John would prepare the way. May we pray with hopeful expectations that the will of God would be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Amen.
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