Day 11, Read Luke 1:5-25

Luke 1 introduces to us some amazing people, beginning with Zacharias and Elizabeth.  He a priest and she from a priestly family, they were righteous before God (i.e. people of faith, likely meaning they were waiting for the promised Messiah) and blameless in their walk.  They were older, though Zacharias was no more than 50, the age when priests no longer served.  And they were childless.

Zacharias belonged to the priestly division of Abijah (cf. 1 Chron. 23-24, there were 24 divisions, Abijah’s mentioned in 24:10) and it was their month to serve. Zacharias chose the white stone indicating he would on a particular day burn the incense at the command of the High Priest.  But while in the holy place he was met by the messenger angel Gabriel (cf. 1:26 and Dan. 8:16) who informed him that his wife would bear a son, to be named John (v13).  Zacharias did not believe the angel and thus was made mute until the day of John’s birth (v20).  Elizabeth did conceive and went into hiding to protect the child in her womb.

Gabriel spoke concerning the life of this child who would be named John (v14-17), that he would be a special person in God’s plan.

·        He would be great in the Lord’s sight, something not often said of God’s men.

·        He would be a Nazirite, someone especially devoted to God (cf. Num. 6).

·        He would be filled with the Spirit from the womb (fulfilled in v39-45).

·        And of great significance, he would turn many Israelites to the Lord.  His would be a ministry promised 400 years earlier by the prophet Malachi, the closing words of the Old Testament (Mal. 4:5-6).  He would serve “in the spirit and power of Elijah.”  Jesus said of John that he was Elijah, by which He meant that John carried out the ministry of Elijah and was Elijah to those who received that ministry (Matt. 17:12; 11:14).  His ministry was to prepare the people for the coming of the Lord (Isa. 40:3-5).  Note today’s passage.  Who is the Him (v17) that John goes before?  It is the Lord their God (v16). 

Try to put yourself in the sandals of Zacharias and Elizabeth.  Here are 2 righteous people living in a horribly sinful time.  The Romans are vile.  Religion is more politics than worship.  And the chosen nation continues under the power of the Gentiles.  For 400 years they and others have waited for God to move; but there has been seemingly no activity at all.  But now, in the time of the sovereign Lord, Elijah is coming.  The Messiah could not be far behind.

How different is our world today?  Not much!  And yet how many professing believers have a firm hope in the promised return of Jesus Christ?  But the same sovereign God has a time and He will keep His promise.  The birth of Christ was according to God’s time (Gal. 4:4); He will return according to God’s time.  Let us live confidently today in the hope of God’s promise.