Advent Midweek 1 – December 4th,
2013 – Luke 1
In the Name of Christ Jesus, our Advent King +
In the Name of Christ Jesus, our Advent King +
This Advent season we will be taking a look at some Angelic
appearances. Next week we will get the
famous Annunciation, where Gabriel comes to Mary and tells her that she will be
giving birth to Jesus. The week after
that we will hear the angel talk to Joseph.
And of course, the week after that, on Christmas Eve, we will get the
Angel Hosts singing to the Shepherd of Bethlehem. But tonight, to start, we have the often
forgotten angelic appearance of the New Testament, Gabriel appearing to
Zechariah in the temple. So let us
consider this appearance.
In the days of Herod, king of Judea,
there was a priest name Zechariah, of the divison of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of
Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God,
walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statues of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and
both were advanced in years. And
that’s the start of the whole story, the way Luke really begins his
Gospel. We see an old priest and his
wife. Nothing spectacular, nothing great
or noteworthy. Just a good, faithful old
couple without a kid. A priest getting
long in the tooth, used to just letting the days go by, as they always
had.
Now,
while he [that is, Zechariah] was serving as priest before God when his
division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen
by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were
praying outside at the hour of incense. Now, just think for a moment
about how normal, how typical this is.
This is just the normal stuff that goes on, a normal, everyday sort of
thing. It would be no more unusual than
any service we have here – and that’s the thing. Everything has been usual. Everything has been typical and humdrum in Jerusalem. They’ve been that way for quite some
time. There’s been no prophet for a good
400 years. There really hasn’t been
anything astonishing at least since the whole stuff that leads to Hanukah, the
festival of lights, and that was a good 160 years ago. That’s a long time – that’s like us talking
about the Civil War. It’s a while
ago. And nothing strange happens, and
days just drag on into the next, and still Zechariah goes on with his long
life, with his old wife, and they are just getting old together and that’s all
there is, that’s all that ever happens.
And
there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the
altar of incense, and Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell
upon him. Well, that’s certainly different. Zechariah’s no rookie, he’s not some
wet-behind the ears priest offering up incense for the first time. This sort of thing doesn’t happen… it’s not
supposed to happen, and Zechariah is petrified.
Did you note this – Luke doubles up the description. He’s troubled and fear falls upon him. Zechariah assumes one and one thing only –
that what is coming is going to be bad.
You break with the norm, and it’s going to be bad.
Of
course, Gabriel comes with good news.
You’re going to have a son – Elizabeth
is going to conceive. But not only you,
many will rejoice, for he is going to be a prophet. And he will turn many of the children of
Israel to the Lord their God, and he will 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 for the Lord a people
prepared. And not just a prophet
– but the last prophet. The final one,
the one who will be preparing the way of the Messiah. It’s all coming, and it’s really starting
with your son, Zechariah, yes, your son.
But
here’s the rub. Zechariah doesn’t buy
it. And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall
I know this? For I am an old man, and my
wife is advanced in years.” We
don’t get what Zechariah is saying. What
he says here is basically, “Says who?”
I’m going to have a kid – says who?
Now, you listen up, I’m an old fogey and my wife is old too, and nothing
happens to us – so there. Now, all you
angels get off of my lawn. What he says
is totally dismissive – because Zechariah knows the way things work – he’s been
around the block far too many times, and stuff like this just doesn’t
happen. Now go away and bother someone
else, because I ain’t buying it. And
this is why Gabriel lays the smack down on him.
And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence
of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to
speak until the day that these things take place because you did not believe my
words, which will be fulfilled in their time.”
Do you get the irony of it.
Alright, you are here in the temple offering the incense in the presence
of the Lord – hey buddy, I LIVE in the presence of God, not just when my lot
turns up. And pal, I was sent here to
speak to you, but since you didn’t want to listen, just shut it. Keep silent.
And it is totally ironic – John will come to turn the hearts of fathers
to their children… but right now, papa Zechariah hadn’t had his heart turned
towards John yet. He was dismissive even
of the idea. The great prophet’s papa is
render silent because he disbelieves the word.
But
if God says something, it’s going to happen.
Zechariah finally comes out, and he is mute, and they realize he’s seen
something – and probably messed it up because he can’t talk, and he goes home,
and Elizabeth gets pregnant – although she keeps it hidden, she hides herself
away. It’s great, it’s wonderful, but
it’s all still a little strange.
So,
what do we learn, what do we take from this?
Zechariah serves as a warning for us.
He’s a good fellow, he’s blameless, he’s your good little
Christian. But, he’s just sort of run
down. He has just gotten so used to life
as he knows it that he can’t believe or expect anything wondrous to happen to
him – even when God sends him an angel. Zechariah
has fallen to the mundane. Things are
just how they are, and that’s all there is, end of story. And this is a danger to us. We live in a day and age of materialism and
consumerism, where we are told to expect just the normal humdrum of life –
where our thoughts on religion and God are pushed more and more into a little
quiet corner of our lives. And as such,
we can be deluded into missing it when God Himself speaks to us.
No,
I’m not telling you to be on guard for an angel – something better. As Peter points out in His epistle, we have
something better than an angel. We have
the Gospel of Christ Jesus – we know the story, we know that John comes and
proclaims the coming of Christ Jesus, we know that this Jesus lives and suffers
and dies for our sins, we know that He rises, we know that He come again. And how do we know this? Because God has given us the gift of His Word
– the New Testament where everything confusing and hidden in the Old is revealed. The coming of the Messiah that was longed
for, it’s explained and revealed in Christ – and you and I hear it, and we know
it. And the danger is the world wants us
to treat the hearing of the word as just another mundane thing. But it’s not.
It is not the mere word of an angel, as amazing as that is – it is the
Word of Christ about Christ for you. It
is the word of your forgiveness. Every
Sunday, every service when we gather here, we aren’t just going through the
motions, but rather once again God brings us life and Spirit and forgiveness
and hope through His Word – even until He comes again. God grant that we see and hear this great
truth and wonder for what it is!
As
for Zechariah, well, he does learn his lesson.
John is born, and Zechariah will speak again, he will open his mouth in
praise. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for He
has visited and redeemed His people.
This is the great truth we celebrate and marvel whenever we gather
here. God grant that we see it, that we
know it ever more. In the Name of Christ
Jesus, our Advent King +
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