Luke 1:5-25 Lk1.16“>http://biblia.com/books/niv/Lk1.16
I’ve been preparing for the upcoming retreat on the gospel call to women, and I came across a story I thought you would enjoy. A priest named Zechariah, a man whose lifework is to serve in the temple, gets his once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go inside the temple. Something astonishing and yet really not surprising at all happens when he enters – an angel shows up. Zechariah is terrified – something this spiritual isn’t really supposed to happen.
The angel’s words unnerve him even more – “Don’t fear, Zechariah. Your prayer has been heard. Elizabeth, your wife, will bear a son by you.” It turns out Zechariah’s wife, Elizabeth, is barren, and they have been praying for a baby for years. The angel goes on to describe the child in detail, giving his name, his lifestyle (no wine, beer), his heart (filled with the Holy Spirit), and his mission (call the Israelites to turn back to God).
And Zechariah’s response? He asks, in utter disbelief, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years?”
I love this story, because I could see myself in Zechariah’s skepticism. I ask for things I don’t really believe are possible. And then when they happen, I don’t even notice, or wonder how they happened. Furthermore, God has already described in detail the wonders of what He plans to do, and I need to live in that story as if it were already real — because it is. (Revelation 21-22).
How about you? Has an “unexpected angel,” a messenger of God’s grace, ever surprised you?
Have you ever had someone tell you your “dream would come true” and still doubted it? What realities about what God has done or will do are hard for you to get your mind around?
