A Study of the Book of Luke
Sermon # 1
“How Can I Be Sure?”
Luke 1:5-25
The very last words of the Old Testament found in Malachi 4:5-6 read, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. (6) And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”
The gospel of Luke breaks a silence that has lasted for
over four hundred years. Luke begins precisely at the place where the prophet Malachi left off. Luke begins his story with the angelic announcement of Gabriel to Zacharias or Zechariah, an elderly priest, that he and his wife will have a son, a son who will come in the spirit of Elijah the prophet, and who will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and will prepare the way of the Lord.
We all long for certainty in life, we crave some assurance that the things we believe are real. The story of Zechariah is the story of just such a struggle. In spite of Zachariah’s godliness, his obedience to the law and a lifetime of service in the ministry, his faith was weak when it came to believing such a promise.
Zechariah says, “How can I be sure?” I think that is hilarious! Most of us figure, “God if you would just show me a sign, send an angel, something like that, I’ll never doubt again.” But here is Zachariah and he receives all of that and still it is not enough.
We are introduced to Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth in verse five, “There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. (6) And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. (7) But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.”
Zachariah and his wife were good people but certainly not important people. They lived in an obscure little village in the hill country of Judah. But more important than physical pedigree was their spiritual devotion. Luke describes them, as “righteous in the sight of God.” They were not perfect but they were set apart from their peers in the way in which they walked with God. Their only sorrow was that they had no family.
Zechariah was an ordinary country priest, one perhaps as many as 20,000 estimated to be living in Palestine at the time. Because there were so many of them they were divided into 24 groups. Each group would serve at the Temple for a week at a time, twice a year. When it was time for his division to serve he went to Jerusalem.
Verse eight, “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 . . .” Every day, one of them would be chosen by lot to burn incense in the Holy place. Because there were so many priests, they were only allowed to burn the incense once in their lives, and still some never got the chance to do it. For a priest to receive the honor of burning the incense was the greatest day of his whole life. In this case the lot finally fell to Zechariah, and in an instant he was at the apex of his personal history. This was without a doubt the greatest day in all of his life.
There can be little doubt that his heart was filled with both awe and fear as he stepped into the Holy Place. Verse nine continues, “…. 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.”
Gabriel spoke and prophecy, which had ceased at the close of the Old Testament times, occurred for the first time in 400 hundred years.
The text says that Zacharias was “troubled and fear fell upon him.” That is a tremendous understatement. He wasn’t just startled! He was terrified at the sight of the angel Gabriel. Zacharias was going about his “religious duties” but he never envisioned actually meeting God. I wonder what that says about our own attendance in “worship services,” we come to worship God but do we have any idea that we might actually meet up with Him. Like so many of us today, he seems to have believed in God, but never have expected God to work in his own life. He served God but he was not ready when God spoke to him personally. He did not live with the expecting God to act in his life.
Think of how you would have felt in that awesome place, where you were you alone were allowed, when suddenly you realized that you were not alone, there was another person present with you.
Verse thirteen reveals that the angels first words, were words of comfort; “But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias.” But the angel’s next words are a bombshell. The angel continues with “for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
He assures Zachariah that his prayers have been heard. Zachariah was no doubt praying for the redemption of Israel as he entered the Holy Place.
The angel tells him that his wife will bear a son and you are to give him the name, John. John, Yohanan in Hebrew means, “God has been gracious,” or “God has shown favor.”
The angel continues in verse fourteen to reveal the character of this son. “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.”
This man, John, who would come to be called “the Baptist.” Was to be an extraordinary man! The Baptist would have a great heart. Jesus would later say of him in chapter seven verse 28, “ For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
We have already noted Zachariah response in verse eighteen was a question, “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.”
In spite of Zachariah’s godliness, his obedience to the law and a lifetime of service in the ministry, his faith was weak when it came to believing such a promise.
Zechariah says, “How can I be sure?” He uses an emphatic statement when he says. “For I am an old man.”
God’s blessing for Zachariah are limited by his own lack of faith.
There are several reasons that Zechariah as a man of faith should not have doubted. First, Scripture gave proof of many times in the past when God had intervened in such a way. There are a number of supernatural births in the Old Testament. God was not promising to do something for Zachariah and Elizabeth that he had not done before and if God had done it before then he could do it again. Secondly, Zachariah was a priest, a man whose life had been characterized by faith. He should have known better. Finally, he was confronted by an angelic being so he knew the message was from God. We must conclude that since Zechariah was an upright man whose life was characterized by faith, his failure here is an aberration.
But because of his unbelief the angel says in verse nineteen, “… 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.”
Gabriel counters Zachariah lack of faith using his own words, “You may be an old man, but I am Gabriel.” Zachariah in asking, “How can I be sure,” is in effect asking for a sign. Gabriel grants him a sign, but not any sign that he might be expecting. He is to be temporary deaf and mute until the birth of his son in fulfillment of the promise.
vv. 21-25
“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.”
The task that was given to Zachariah was one that could be performed in a relatively short time. The longer the delay in his return the greater the concern of those who waited became. They may have wondered if he had been struck dead it had happened before (Nadab and Abihu). When Zachariah did appear he could not speak.
Zachariah must have found it difficult completing his days of ministry, not only because of his handicap but because of his excitement. He could hardly wait to return to his home and tell his wife the good news.
Verse twenty- four tells us, “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.”
God kept his promise, just as he always does, and Elizabeth, in spite of her years, conceived a child. As Jeremiah the prophet says, “There is nothing too hard for the Lord.” (32:17). Not only was she to have a son, but the birth of her son was evidence that the Messiah was coming. These were exciting days indeed.
Application
The story of Zachariah and Elizabeth has something to teach us about understanding how God works.
First, our impossibilities are only the platforms upon which God is able to do his best work. When you have come to the end of your hope. Hope that a certain family member will change his or her behavior. Hope that the medical problems you have ever be resolved. Hope that you will ever find the right job. Remember that nothing frustrates God.
Secondly, God’s delays are not denials. Never confuse a “wait” with a “no.” God may simply be saying that you will have to wait. When faced with a wait we can either allow it to cause doubt or we can you the time to grow in our spiritual walk.
Third, when God does choose to intervene it is always for His glory and our good. God may not answer your prayer in the way that you expected, but you can be assured that God’s way is best.
[Principles drawn from Charles Swindoll. The Origination of Something Glorious : A Study of Luke 1:1-6:49 - Bible Study Guide (Insight for Living, 1994) p. 23]
Conclusion
Perhaps some of us came into this place today asking the question of Zechariah – “How can I be sure?” I want you to know that it is possible to leave here today with your question answered.
Jesus said; “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. (John 5:24)
If you came today seeking certainty about spiritual things, if you’re experiencing any struggle, any uncertainly, any fear, in your life right now, why not give them over to Jesus.
