December 7, 2011 Luke 1:18-20
Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” The angel answered, “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 proper time.”
Rejoice Because of John’s Birth: His Birth Has God’s Word and Promise
I. It is a promise that isn’t dependant on you
Gabriel had just promised Zechariah that his wife was going to give birth to the forerunner of the Christ. He appeared out of nowhere in the temple to the right of the altar of incense. Zechariah was gripped with fear and startled. He knew he was standing in the presence of a holy angel. Yet even after this wonderful promise from God he didn’t rejoice. He had the nerve to ask Gabriel, “How can I be sure of this?”
Zechariah was not the first one to ask God for a sign. When God called Gideon to go to war against a bigger and stronger army and put his life on the line, he asked God for a sign and God gave him one as there was no dew on his outside rug in the morning. The words from Gabriel were not telling Zechariah to risk his life along with an army of faithful soldiers. They were offering Zechariah the precious gift of a child in keeping with the promise of the Messiah; the Messiah that they had all been waiting for and praying for year after year. There was no reason to question Gabriel’s words or ask for a sign. It was just a wonderful free gift that God was going to give Zechariah.
The Word of the angel was not enough for Zechariah. It was not enough because Gabriel attached God’s Word of promise to Zechariah and Elizabeth. I am an old man and my wife is well along in years. Zechariah thought their old age would be too much of a barrier for God to work through. His reason told him that God would need a young and vibrant man and woman to work through, not an old man and an old woman who were beyond child-bearing years. So he was inadvertently asking God for a sign; some sort of proof that would prove to him that God had the power to do what He said He would do.
Call it arrogance or call it unbelief, but this is the core problem that hinders our faith. It is when we think that God needs powerful people or powerful objects to fulfill His promises. You look at yourself as a mother or a father and say, “How am I going to do this?” You know of a big test coming up at work and you say, “I don’t know how I’m going to get this done.” You have an opportunity to witness to a friend, but you think there is no way you will be able to say the right thing.
There is a saying that goes, “God doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the called.” There is some truth to that. Moses didn’t feel like he was a good enough speaker to lead two million people out into the desert. He didn’t feel qualified. God didn’t disagree with him, but He did promise Moses that he would provide him with help in order to get the job done. There is such a thing as false humility. It is found in someone who refuses to go to church with the excuse, “I don’t think God could ever love me for all I’ve done. The roof would cave in.” They base God’s love for them based on how good or evil they’ve been; as if that is the standard for God’s love. Even Christians sometimes refuse to serve as teachers or in offices of the church because they feel like they couldn’t do it. Some fear marriage and the idea of having children because they are convinced that no one could ever love them; they feel that they couldn’t ever do a good enough job of raising children. Basically they convince themselves that because they are sinful and weak that God couldn’t work through them or enable them to do anything; as if God were limited by their ability. Zechariah didn’t think he and his wife were young enough for God to produce a forerunner to the Christ through. He thought God’s power was based on HIS power and ability.
Zechariah had it backwards. If anything, God chose them because they didn’t have those abilities. It is in keeping with the history of God to see that He likes to work through the weak and powerless things. Think back to the battle that Gideon fought. God told him to go into war with jars and torches and trumpets! No one would ever imagine fighting such a war, but that is how God wanted him to fight, and He won the battle! This is how God likes to work, so that people and objects will not get the credit for His work and so that His power will be magnified through the weakness. Think of how God chose to have Moses work miracles through his old staff. Think of how God decided to heal Naaman in the weak and dirty Jordan River. He chose Amos, a fig plucking farmer, to be one of His prophets. Remember how weak and powerless Jesus looked as He was born as a baby and laid in a cattle stall. Think about how pathetic He looked as He was nailed to the cross. Yet within that weakness God was working to pay for our sins. Even today God chooses some of the most common items to work miracles through in the waters of baptism and the wine and unleavened bread of the Lord's Supper. This is the way God chooses to work in order to show how powerful He is and so that the glory has to be His. He chooses to be merciful in and through weakness, instead of only working in power.
II. It is a promise that is meant to be heard
Gabriel was not happy with Zechariah’s response, and so with God’s authority he issued an edict. He said, “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 proper time.” Zechariah used his mouth to question God, and so God used Zechariah’s mouth as a means through which He would humble Zechariah.
We often look at this as a judgment on Zechariah, and that is true. Yet even in judgment God’s mercy can be seen. He always judged the Israelites in the Old Testament with the purpose of having them repent and come back to the LORD. Zechariah had not fallen from faith; his faith was just not as child like as it should have been. His reason and great learning got in the way of just taking God at His Word. He was a priest; and as a priest he was also used to teaching and talking. So with the loss of his ability to speak, Zechariah had the opportunity to sit and just listen. He also had the opportunity to contemplate what was going to happen with his wife. In addition to that, he also had a lot of time to contemplate what he had said. Here he was in the presence of an angel; a part of God’s plan; his time to shine. He had been faithful in his duties and a faithful believer just as Elizabeth. So what did he do? He opened his mouth and questioned Gabriel!
This is a big part of Advent; for us to just sit and listen. Life is so full of duties; especially around Christmas time. We are so busy shopping and cooking and putting up decorations. As a pastor it can be easy to get so wrapped up in all of the preparations for all of the services that we have. Yet one of the warnings to pastors is never to get the mind set of only thinking about “what I have to get done.” People run from one job to the next; one chore to the next; then they take the time to come to church, but their minds are completely consumed about what their next chore is. They say, “We don’t want to hear about what happened to the Amalekites or the Amorites.” So the churches buy into this mind set. They say to themselves, “We don’t want the people to be bored!” They make the service as quick paced as they can; flash hundreds of images up on the screen; keep the music as fast as possible; all so the people “don’t get bored” or so the service will “speak to me.”
It’s easy within your daily routine to only think of your relationship with God as uttering a prayer or two to Him during the day and leaving it at that. We treat God as a cheap date that has to entertain us and make us feel good about ourselves; and the minute He is “boring” we threaten to walk out the door; instead of repenting of our sin and contemplating how merciful God is to us in Christ.
It is good for me and good for all of us just to sit and listen; to soak in the Word of God and remember what the season is supposed to be about. It is good to take time alone to contemplate and think about who you are and what you’ve done; to turn back to the Word and listen to what God has to say. The setting behind these services is meant to be slower; more subdued. It is meant to reflect how we as sinners come to be fed by our merciful and forgiving and yet powerful God. It is purposely designed to be relaxing and mellow in word and song. The idea is that when you come in here after a day of work, you are able to sit and relax and listen to the Word. Let God speak to you.
This is the greatest blessing we can have, when God gets us to stop listening to ourselves talk and start listening to Him. Don’t approach prayer as only a laundry list of things you’re going to tell God to do. Don’t approach the Bible from such a narcissistic mind set; demanding that God give you the greatest advice for your relationship or your job. We get so consumed with what we have to do and how we have to do it and when it has to be done. But how often do we just close our mouths and listen? How often do we take the time to really examine ourselves in light of what God’s Word has to say and contemplate our own sin and our need for a Savior? How much time do you spend reading God’s Word each day and just taking it for what it’s worth? This silent time for Zechariah gave him time to listen to His Lord; to contemplate his sinful behavior; and to also be attentive to his pregnant wife.
III. It is a promise that will come true at the proper time
In spite of Zechariah’s doubt, the angel did not change God’s promise to him. God did not base His faithfulness or change His plans just because Zechariah had a moment of weakness and doubt. The final words of the angel were still comforting. Listen again from this angle. 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 proper time. Gabriel left no room for doubt, even in his words of correction. There was no doubt that Zechariah would be silent, but there was also no doubt that Elizabeth would be birth to a son just as Gabriel promised. All of what Gabriel said would come true. John would be born. He would be great in the eyes of men and the Lord. He would be used to bring people to repentance. There would be no doubt about it. All of it would happen “at their proper time.”
Zechariah thought that God’s timing was too late. Gabriel’s words show us that God purposely waited for Zechariah and Elizabeth to grow old. He wanted this to be an obvious miracle. He knew exactly when Elizabeth would give birth. He knew the gender and name of the boy. He knew what the boy would do before it ever happened. The confidence of Gabriel conveyed to Zechariah and it conveys to us that God is in charge. God does everything exactly when and how He wills it.
He wanted this miracle to be a precursor of the greater miracle to come; the Virgin Birth. For all intensive purposes it may have seemed that the Jews missed their chance. God intended for the Messiah to be born through the Jews, but they had all been taken captive and their “kingdom” didn’t really even exist at the time of Zechariah. They were being ruled by the Romans and they weren’t able to enforce many of their laws. The Messiah could have and should have been born into a powerful Jewish nation; instead He was born into a stump. Yet even this was according to God’s own timing; He sent Jesus exactly when He wanted to send Jesus. The same was true of John.
So this Advent we remember to trust in God’s timing. There are times in life when it seems like the time will never come; and other times when it seems your time is past and you missed your chance; or that God didn’t open up the window when you wanted Him to. You may have missed your opportunity at a promotion or at romance or having children. You’ll kick yourself or want to kick God over having waited too long. You’ll find yourself questioning God and second guessing His timing. At those times it is good to just be quiet and go back to the Word. Remember that God’s promises have always stood firm and that God’s timing has always been spot on. He knows when to give you sickness and health. He knows when to give you comfort. He knows when to make you quiet and He knows when to let you speak. Throughout all of it, if you go back to God’s Word, you will be assured of this. You’ll see that God sent Jesus to be born into this world at just the right time. God allowed Jesus to die exactly how and when He wanted to. God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day, just as He said. Jesus will come again in the clouds, right when the time is proper and right. In spite of your unfaithfulness and in spite of your questions, He will still remain faithful to His promises of love and forgiveness and redemption in Christ. No matter how many questions you ask, and no matter how many doubts rise in your mind, learn to go back to His words again and again.
If you think about it, Zechariah could have sulked under his correction. He could have been angry over the fact that Gabriel was “too harsh” with him. But if he sat back and listened to the rebuke carefully, he also could have rejoiced that God was going to keep His Word and still give him and Elizabeth a child; and also give them a Savior. The punishment was temporary. It wouldn’t last forever. God’s promise would.
So think about that in your life as well. Maybe you are suffering as a result of inaction or doubt in your life. Maybe things haven’t turned out as you planned with your family. Maybe you have missed the boat in some way. Any suffering that you have to suffer in this life is temporary in comparison with heaven. God’s promise will still come true and God’s mercy is still real and effective even in the midst of your doubt. Even if you have been inactive, God hasn’t and God won’t be. God doesn’t allow your doubt and questions make Him change His mind. He knows even good Christians will go through periods of doubt. We contemplate on our doubt and feel sorrow over it. But we also take comfort in the fact that God doesn’t take back His promises of salvation at the Final Judgment because of doubt. Who has a perfect faith? It isn’t perfect faith that saves, but faith in Christ that saves; the perfect Savior at the perfect time. This isn’t something to sulk over, but to rejoice in.
Sometimes people ask the question, “What would you rather lose - your eyesight, hearing, or speaking?” I would think the most difficult to deal with would be the sense of seeing. That is hard to say as I have enjoyed all three, although some might say that my hearing doesn’t always work too well. I would think that your other senses could help overcome obstacles more than they could if you lost your eyesight. Either way, you’d have to rely on the other senses more.
God often works in seeming paradoxical ways. When He converted Paul, He made him blind in order to humble him and lead him to Ananias; but then opened his eyes so he could see. He used the deafness of people so they would be brought to Him and be healed; and so be able to hear the Gospel and believe. Jesus said that it isn’t until you realize that you are blind and deaf that you will able to truly see and hear God’s Word. So in today’s text we find Zechariah questioning God’s strength and ability to be able to perform a miracle through him self and Elizabeth. He used his reason and voice to question God. Gabriel answered him by making him unable to speak; forcing him to use his ears more and listen; to use his mind and contemplate his sin and his need for the Savior.
It is difficult to lose your abilities to walk or hear or see. It is such a humbling thing to need to be dependent on other people to just live life every day. It is tempting to question God and consume your spiritual life with prayers to God; only talking to Him. It is hard to rejoice. As old age forces you to slow down or sickness makes you unable or unwilling to speak; remember to listen to God’s Word. Slow down and listen. Use your seeming curse as a blessing. God’s promises to you in Christ will always remain faithful. He kept His promise of sending a Son. He kept His promise to pay for your sin. He will keep His promise to raise you from the dead; all at the proper time. This always gives us reason look at God’s Word, listen to it, and then to use our voices to rejoice. Amen.
