I’ve entitled our message this morning, “Do You Believe, Theophilus?” When we take the time to read Luke chapter 1, verses 1-4, we learn how the gospel of Luke was written to instill a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ in a person by the name of Theophilus, who was actually a student of Luke (v. 4); and Luke tells us that he sought to teach Theophilus what had been delivered unto him by eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word concerning the certainty of what had been seen and heard about Jesus (vv. 2, 4). This teaching included not only the life of Jesus, but it included Old Testament prophecy and theological and spiritual lessons too.
Luke chapter one contains the accounts of the birth of John the Baptist and the birth of Jesus; but there is a spiritual lesson contained in this chapter as well. The lesson we will see deals with “belief” and “unbelief” in the virgin birth, and shares the consequences of unbelief. There is a similar account in the Old Testament, which portrays the same spiritual lesson; and, therefore, it will be used along with Luke chapter one to expound on something important that God wanted to reveal to Theophilus and to each of us. I’m going to begin our message this morning by reading verses 5-25.
Part One: The Conception of John the Baptist (vv. 5-25)
5 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.
8 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. 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.” 19 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.”
21 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 And 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.”
One Who Prepares the Way (v. 17)
From these verses we learn how the angel Gabriel appeared to Zacharias to announce that God would give he and Elizabeth a son; one who would prepare the way for the Lord (v. 17). Zacharias, being a Jewish priest, should have been familiar with Old Testament prophecy concerning the coming of the one who would prepare the way for the Messiah. For example, Malachi 3:1 declares, “Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple.” Knowing that Zacharias should have been familiar with this prophecy, we must wonder why he responded the way he did.
Zacharias’ Unbelief (v. 18)
So, how did Zacharias respond to Gabriel’s message that he would receive a son? We see that he doubted. He said, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years” (v. 18).
The promise made to Zechariahs reminds me of the promise of a son made to Abraham. Listen closely, as I share the promise in Geneses 15-4-6: “The word of the LORD came to him, saying, ‘This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.’ 5 Then He brought him outside and said, ‘Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.’ And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ 6 And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.”
We read that Abraham believed the Lord and it was credited unto him as righteousness. Even though Abraham believed, he apparently misunderstood how God’s promise would play out. We learn in Genesis 16:1-4, how Sarah complained to Abraham that she could not have a child; it was taking too long. So she convinced Abraham to conceive through his handmaid Hagar. The impatience demonstrated by Hagar, and the jumping ahead of God that they both entered into, revealed a gradual erosion of their belief. It appears as though they began to doubt that they would have a son; they entered into unbelief.
After Abraham’s first son Ishmael was born through Hagar, God appeared to Abraham again and said, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.” 17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!” (Gen. 17:15-18).
Abraham’s response echoes that of Zacharias in Luke 1:18. He doubts his own age and Sarah’s age in being able to have a child. Commentator Warren Wiersbe says, “You would think that the presence of an angel and the announcement of God’s Word would encourage Zachariahs’ faith, but they did not. Instead of looking to God by faith, the priest looked at himself and his wife and decided that the birth of a son was impossible. He wanted some assurance beyond the plan word of Gabriel, God’s messenger, perhaps a sign from God. This, of course, was unbelief, and unbelief is something God does not accept.”(1)
He continues to say, “Zacharias was really questioning God’s ability to fulfill His own Word! Had he forgotten what God did for Abraham and Sarah? Did he think that his physical limitations would hinder Almighty God? But before we criticize Zacharias too much, we should examine ourselves and see how strong our faith is.”(2)
Punishment for Unbelief (v. 20)
So, what was the result of Zacharias’ unbelief? He was punished by not being able to speak. I’m not the only one who observes how this sealing of the lips was punishment. Warren Wiersbe says, “Faith is blessed, but unbelief is judged, and Zechariahs was struck dumb until the Word was fulfilled . . . When he left the holy place, he was unable to give the priestly benediction to the people or even tell them what he had seen. Indeed, God had given him a very personal ‘sign’ – [one] that he would have to live with for the next nine months.”(3)
Abraham’s unbelief was punished also. He had a child through Hagar, a child whom he loved very much; but he was about to lose Ishmael as punishment. We see this in Genesis 21:9-11, which says, “9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing. 10 Therefore she said to Abraham, ‘Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac.’ 11 And the matter was very displeasing in Abraham’s sight because of his son.” The NRSV says, “The matter was very distressing to Abraham on account of his son” (v. 11). Abraham was distressed on account of his son Ishmael. Abraham would lose contact with his son Ishmael as punishment for his unbelief.
Unbelief can result in sin, like that of Zacharias and Abraham. Zacharias was punished by the loss of speech, and Abraham was punished through the loss of his son Ishmael. God promised Zacharias a blessing by giving him a son named John who would prepare the way of the Lord (Luke 1: 13-17); and Abraham was told that he would receive a son who would have kings come forth from his lineage (Gen. 17:16). But they both doubted these seemingly impossible births that would result in a great blessing; and so, they temporarily missed a blessing.
Likewise, if we doubt the birth of Jesus, then we too will miss a great blessing. The blessing we receive from Jesus Christ is eternal life. And if we miss the blessing of eternal life, it won’t be temporary like it was for Zacharias and Abraham, it will be a forever-missed blessing.
Part Two: The Conception of Jesus Christ (vv. 26-38)
26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.
30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” 35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.”
38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Blessing Given unto Mary (vv. 28, 31)
The angel Gabriel spoke to Zacharias earlier, but right here we see how he spoke to Mary. Gabriel declared, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” (v. 28). Referring back to Genesis and the account of Abraham, we learn that his handmaid Hagar ran away. In Genesis chapter 16, we see that after Hagar conceived, Sarah dealt very harshly with her (v. 6); and this is the reason why she fled.
In Genesis 16:7-12, the angel of the Lord spoke with Hagar, similar to how he spoke with Mary. First of all, the angel of the Lord told Mary, “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.” (v. 31). Similar to this, when the angel of the Lord spoke with Hagar he said, “Behold, you are with child, and you shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has heard your affliction” (Genesis 16:11).
Hagar bore a son. His name was not Immanuel, but Ishamel which means “God hears.” Because of Abraham and Sarah’s sin, Hagar felt the sting of sin too. But God made a promise to her through the naming of Ishmael. He promised that He had heard her affliction. But let me tell you that God also heard the affliction of the entire world: Ishmael, “God Hears.” And because of the affliction of the world, He brought forth His one and only Son, Immanuel, “God with us,” to come down among us and die for us, in order to save us from our sins.
Mary’s Faith (vv. 32-33, 34, 38)
Back in verse 17, we saw how Zacharias was promised that his son, John, would fulfill the prophecy of Malachi 3:1, in being the person to prepare the way of the Lord. But his son’s task was to be only the one who prepared the way for the Messiah, and that is all; but yet he doubted. Mary was given an even greater promise. Her son would not be the one who prepared the way for the Messiah, but He would be THE MESSIAH. She received the greater promise – the more incredible promise – and yet she did not doubt.
In verse 34, Mary questioned the Lord. Earlier, Zacharias had questioned the Lord about how someone of his age could have a child; and his questioning was counted as unbelief. Mary’s questioning, however, was not a reply of unbelief. It may have been a matter of “concern” as to her reputation as a virgin. She stated specifically, “How can this be, seeing that I know not a man?” Her question is understandable, being that she could have been put to death for having a child out of wedlock.
Mary’s final response, in verse 38, reveals her heart. She pretty much said, “So let it be.” Her response is a lot like that of the prophet Isaiah when the Lord extended His calling unto him. Isaiah declared, “Here am I; send me!” (Isaiah 6:8). Warren Wiersbe says, “Mary’s believing response was to surrender herself to God as His willing servant. She experienced the grace of God and believed the Word of God, and therefore she could be used by the Spirit to accomplish the will of God. A ‘handmaid’ was the lowest kind of female servant, which shows how Mary trusted God. She belonged totally to the Lord, body, soul, and spirit. What an example for us to follow!”(4)
Time of Reflection
Mary’s response to the angel of the Lord was different than that of Zacharias. She did not doubt that the Lord was able to accomplish what He promised. She said, “Let it be to me according to your word” (v. 38). The Lord promised a virgin birth unto Mary, and this birth was unlike any promised before. She was to give birth to the Savior of the world. Mary believed in this virgin birth concerning the Savior, and in Luke 1:42 she was called blessed. If we too believe in the birth of God’s one and only Son, Jesus Christ, then we too will be called blessed before God. We will receive an eternal blessing; which is eternal life.
Theophilus was being taught a lesson of spiritual significance in his life. He was shown that if he did not believe in an impossible birth, such as that of John the Baptist being born unto some senior saints, that there would be no way that he would believe in the birth of Jesus Christ conceived in a virgin. And without trusting in the virgin birth of the Messiah, he would receive eternal punishment for his unbelief; but if he believed, he would receive a great blessing like Mary – an eternal blessing.
If we believe in the virgin birth of the Lord, Jesus Christ, then we will also come to trust and believe in His death on the cross. By believing in His birth, death and resurrection, we will be blessed with eternal life. Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Let us remember that when we are in sin, God hears us, “Ishmael.” He has heard our cry and has sent forth His Son, who is God with us, “Immanuel,” the one who came to save us from our sins, if we will choose to place our faith and trust in Him.
NOTES
(1) Warren Wiersbe, The Complete New Testament in One Volume, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary (David C. Cook: Colorado Springs, Colorado), p. 138.
(2) Ibid., p. 138.
(3) Ibid., p. 138.
(4) Ibid., p. 140.
