Luke 1
V8 So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
- Notice it says your prayer 'is', not 'was' heard. Since they were much older, how long do you think it had been since they had prayed for a child?
- God is in the eternal Now and He answers our prayers when the time is perfect!
14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of 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.”
18 And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”
- Elizabeth will bear you a son
- Many will rejoice at his birth.
- He will be great in the sight of the Lord
- He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb
- He’ll turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God
- He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
All these amazing promises are made! What was Zacharias’ response? We’re old, how can that happen?
V19 And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. 20 But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.”
You just talked trash, insulting the power and integrity of God, son, so we’ll shut you up awhile until you see this fulfilled.
- If we would be quiet more often, maybe God would speak to us more often. I know if we responded to what He says, not only do we hear God but we’re also able to discern His lead far better.
- Zacharias felt that Gabriel was being foolish promising them a son after they were no longer able to have a son. His reference point wasn’t almighty God, it was human wisdom.
Remember though, that it was said of Zacharias & Elisabeth in V6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
Zacharias was a man of faith, a man in service to God, yet on this day he only viewed his circumstances through human wisdom.
"How much better to get wisdom than gold!
And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver."
Proverbs 16:16
- To see things from God’s viewpoint is greater than all the rewards we can get from this life
V21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. 22 But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.
23 So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. 24 Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”
What strange days they must have had, Zaharias mute, Elisabeth becoming pregnant. Notice she acknowledges the Hand of God knowing this wasn’t a natural happening.
1 Cor. 2:2 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
- I didn’t come to sell you something; I didn’t come to make new friends, I came to serve my God in His power and by His Word.
- I didn’t come to figure you out, what you need and then make my product fill your need. I preached a bloody cross/ I came here to serve God and you are the object of the service I offer to Him.
3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
- I myself was clearly weak and fearful, but I came in the power and authority of almighty God. The words I spoke were His Word which were a demonstration of His strength and His power.
5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God
- Your salvation, the transformation into a new life are a result of God and not me.
1 Cor 1:17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.
Christ the Power and Wisdom of God
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God
Oswald Chambers said:
“The Christian worker has to be a sacramental "go-between," to be so identified with his Lord and the reality of His Redemption that He can continually bring His creating life through him. It is not the strength of one man’s personality being superimposed on another, but the real presence of Christ coming through the elements of the worker’s life.”
My wisdom or charisma may change your mind but it won’t change your life. Jesus Christ came to give you a new abundant life! He came to nail your old life on that bloody cross.
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