NEVER TOO LATE FOR GOD TO ANSWER OUR PRAYERS & PETITIONS - A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE, PART 1

Obedience to God always leads to a life bursting with Praise. This truth has no greater example than in the case of the father of John the Baptist himself – the priest Zacharias. As an authentic minister of the Lord, under the Law of Torah, the ancient Jewish ceremonial system, Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth were both called “righteous and blamelessly walking in the law, commandments and statutes of the Law of the Lord” (Luke 1:6).

Faithful and true, Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth were both getting on in years and childless. It was to this wonderful couple which the Lord sent His angel with some incredible news. It is confirmed, from what the angel told Zacharias in Luke 1:13, that as old as he was, Zacharias was still praying for a son! We are not told if Elizabeth, his wife, was aware of any of this, but great change was coming to her as well.

What was about to happen to her husband, Zacharias, reflects this fact – God hears our prayers. The angel said “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, your petition (constant prayer) has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear a son, and you will name him John” (Luke 1:13)!

There is a reason for this “second verse, same as the first” modus operandi by the Almighty – God the Father and Ruler of all things.

1. God is Sovereign and can do anything He wants.
2. God is a God of timing and nothing happens before He is good and ready.
3. God will do as He says. Age, location and circumstance mean nothing to Him. His Will be done.

One would think that a holy and righteous son of Abraham and priest of the Living God – Zacharias – would remember his ancestor and the Patriarch Abraham became a father at the age of 100, with this over 90 year old wife Sarah!  But human nature is what it is. He was skeptical with God’s angel who was extremely specific about what was about to take place! To make a long story short, because this man of God expressed some doubt when God’s great angel Gabriel gave a report directly from the Throne of God, Gabriel temporarily took Zacharias’ voice away.

Here is the parallel with Abraham, in relation to Zacharias:

Genesis 17:17 says "Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?"

Luke 1:18 says "Zacharias said to the angel, “How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.”

So why did Gabriel, the main Angelic Spokesman from the Throne of Heaven, take away the priest's voice for 9 months while nothing happened to Abraham?

Well, for one thing, this is a good lesson for those of us who call ourselves Christians AND are active in ministry. Whether we are a church leader in charge of making sure the snow is cleared off the parking lot on Sundays in December or a mentor to a small group at church - we have a much higher level of accountability than the average person. In fact James, the brother of the Lord, tells us that explicitly in James 3:1.

Zacharias, like us, sometimes forget whose we are and what is expected of us. Scripture tells us that whom the Lord loves, He disciplines. Many of us know this lesson well. Even so, the Lord is still in the miracle working business. Because while the faithful servant Zacharias was without voice for those 9 months, he grew in power, spirit and adoration for the Lord, as we will see in the next post. Just as important as praise which will burst out from the heart of this man, is the fact that while He may take almost a season of refreshing and reflection to teach a man, our Heavenly Father always remembers our prayers, petitions and supplications. He will respond to those prayers and He will do so, in some really incredible sounds.

ZACHARIAS' SONG: JOHN THE BAPTIST IS BORN, PART 2

REPENTANCE: THE WAY OF THE FORERUNNER!

Continuing on a sidebar in the Christmas story which is not as well known as the birth of Jesus, we key in today on this stunning incident. What lessons we can learn from this entire event surrounding the father of John the Baptist, Zacharias? 

If you have read and reread the entire chapter of Luke 1 (here), the picture given of Zacharias is that of a solid man of God, faithful and accepting of what God had given to him in life. His wife, Elizabeth, was barren, descended from the priestly line of Aaron (Moses' brother) and also content with her lot in life. 

Then God's Angel Gabriel showed up. God showed up. When God shows up - things happened. When God shows up big time, as He did here, and we don't believe what He says, there could be a small price to pay! The higher our standing with God, the higher the cost of disobedience, unbelief or the smallest doubt. The Lord disciplines those whom He loves...and some of us, He must love a lot! 

So the first and major thing we need to glean from the passage is:- when God literally sends His heavenly messenger, and He comes with a DIRECT WORD - BELIEVE and OBEY.

This is amazing account of God's Mercy, Grace, Love and Outreach to reconcile mankind to Him in 13 short verses! So much Truth inhabit these verses, that it is incumbent on us to just camp there a while.

Then let's look at the following portions of Zacharias' song (from Luke 1:68-79)

68  “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel,

For He has visited and redeemed His people,

69   And has raised up a horn of salvation for us

In the house of His servant David,

70   As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets,

Who have been since the world began,

71  That we should be saved from our enemies

And from the hand of all who hate us,

72   To perform the mercy promised to our fathers

And to remember His holy covenant,

73  The oath which He swore to our father Abraham:

74  To grant us that we,

Being delivered from the hand of our enemies,

Might serve Him without fear,

75  In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.

76  “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;

For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,

77  To give knowledge of salvation to His people

By the remission of their sins,

78  Through the tender mercy of our God,

With which the Dayspring from on high has visited[a] us;

79  To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,

To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Verse 68: God's plan to save ALL mankind, began when He called an Iraqi named Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldeans to cross over from his homeland by the Euphrates River and begin the plan. Abraham became the first Hebrew, which means "crossed over", and thus, the first Jew. The plan to rescue mankind from the curse of Adam's sin had begun.

Verse 69: Zacharias the Priest has just prophesied the Messiah - Jesus - before Gabriel has even appeared to Mary!

Verses 70-73: He said that THIS Messiah would fulfill the promise made to and THROUGH the Prophets for the Arrival of He Who saves (the literal meaning of the Name Jesus). It is He Who will rescue many from the enemy and those who despise God's people. 

Then Zacharias speaks about who his son, John, will be and what the true mission of the forerunner is going to be.

Verses 76-79: John the Baptist will become the last "Old Testament" Prophet as he is coming to prepare the way ....with Repentance! This is John's strength and what our take away should be. 

The Way of the forerunner is Repentance. This is the doctrine we should be teaching, preaching and practicing. As Forerunners ourselves, in the tradition of the son of Zacharias, let us then prepare the Message of the Good News of the Arrival of the Savior - not just at Christmas time - but at ALL times. Repentance is the way to Kingdom Living, as John the Baptist, so powerfully started during his ministry on earth.

(Photo Credit Here)

ZACHARIAS' SONG: JOHN THE BAPTIST IS BORN, PART 1

Over the centuries, much has been made of the great praise song of Jesus’ earthly mother – Mary (or the Magnificat).  However another song/Poem or praise Psalm which is relevant to not just the Christmas story, but the entire prophetic plan of God is not as “famous” (for lack of a better word).

It is Zacharias' Prophesy or Song from Luke chapter 1, verses 67-79.  To recap Zacharias the Priest’s background, he was the great father of John the Baptist and the husband of Elizabeth. Elizabeth was Mary much older relative, who was past her time of natural child bearing. The Angel Gabriel was sent by God to inform Zacharias that Elizabeth would have a son named John, while he was attending to his priestly duties in the Temple. Because  Zacharias did not believe Gabriel’s words of John the Baptist’s birth, as spoken directly from the Throne of God,  Gabriel rendered him literally speechless. Zacharias remained unable to speak until the appointed time of the birth of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ.

Can you imagine the thoughts going through the priest’s mind, after he was disciplined by God for unbelief, not being able to minister in the Temple?! Here is a man who is supposed to not just do the daily temple duties, but to proclaim Torah, read the prophets and speak of the Messiah, yet when God sent His main angel Gabriel, Zacharias doubted! Before we get too high and mighty and look down on this great man, we should look in the mirror. We should be very careful because we can  not only be doubters like Zacharias when he got the good news, but we have also done the same thing literally dozens and dozens of times.

Zacharias' voice only returned to him after Elizabeth gave birth and he repeated the words of Gabriel, by writing on the tablet “His name is John” (Luke 1:63). This simple action underscored his belief in the words of Gabriel, who was sent directly by God to give him these instructions. Zacharias' ability to speak immediately returned when he showed his obedience to God’s commands. He promptly broke out in effusive praise and worship of the one True God of Heaven.

He said here in part, in Luke 1:67-79:
67             And his father Zacharias' was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,

68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
    for he has visited and redeemed his people
69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
    in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 that we should be saved from our enemies
    and from the hand of all who hate us;
72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers
    and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
74     that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
75     in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
    for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
    in the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
    whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
    to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Footnotes:

PART 2: WHAT ZACHARIAS' PROPHESY MEANS