Bible Study - The Christmas Story Part 5 - Luke 1:5-25

Last week, we looked a little more at Jesus as our “Substitute” in a perfect life and in suffering for all our sins, in our place. We also looked at Luke’s preface to his Gospel, where he tells Theophilus and us that he writes so that we may have “certainty” about and believe the things we have been taught about Jesus and God’s plan of salvation.

This made me think again about the very different messages we get about believing from so many today. An anniversary edition of the book The Polar Express came out recently. A popular movie has been made with the same title, starring Tom Hanks. A boy has started to doubt if there really is a Santa, and he and other children are taken on a mysterious train ride to the North Pole. They meet Santa and his elves, and are called to believe in him. The boy even has BELIEVE written on his return ticket, and he does believe - BELIEVE IN SANTA - when he gets what he wants at Christmas. Maybe you have also seen one or both version of the movie Miracle on 34th Street. This time it is a young girl and her mom and many others who do not believe in Santa any more and come back to saying, “I Believe.”

These are interesting, entertaining stories and movies. We know better as Christians, but we can be overwhelmed by all these messages, and what we really need to believe - BELIEVE IN JESUS - can be obscured. Santa and all the presents and family activities and gatherings, etc. are good; but they won’t get us far, unless Christ Jesus is at the center as we believe in Him and His good news for us, above all. We need His guidance and love and forgiveness also at Christmas.

Luke 1:5-25 tells us about the miraculous coming of John the Baptist. According to prophecy (Malachi 3:1, 4:5-6, for example) a messenger had to come first, someone like Elijah, to prepare people for the coming of the Lord Himself, in the person of the God/man Jesus. The miraculous birth of John prepared the way for the even more miraculous birth of Jesus, too.

Luke begins in v.5 with mention of “Herod, king of the Jews,” at the time of the announcement of John’s coming birth. Herod the Great ruled between 37-1 BC, though scholars disagree on the exact dates. He was called “great” because of his building projects, especially the work on the temple in Jerusalem, and other things. At the same time, Herod was not even a Jew and had been appointed king by the Romans and was a very cruel leader. (The Herod we hear about in the ministry of Jesus was a relative, but obviously not this same person.)

Genesis 49:10 had predicted that future leaders who held a “scepter,” a kingly symbol, would come from the line of Judah, one of the 12 sons of Jacob. King David was from that line, and so was Jesus, the Bringer of Shiloh, of Peace, (Isaiah 9:6-7) and King of Kings (Revelation 1:5 and 17:14). John would announce the coming of Jesus and the end of the Old Covenant, the Old Testament, the old way that had been corrupted by Herod and so many others.

Zechariah (Luke 1:5-6) was still a priest of the Old Covenant at this time. Josephus, a Jewish historian, and others estimated that there were then about 20,000 Jewish priests, divided into 4 divisions and 24 classes (family groups; see 1 Chronicles 24:10 for mention of the Abijah family). Zechariah’s wife was Elizabeth, who was also from the priestly line, through the first Jewish priest, Aaron, a brother of Moses (Numbers 26:59).

Zechariah and Elizabeth were “righteous” and “blameless” before God. This does not mean that they were perfect, but that they trusted God by faith and sought to follow His commandments (basic principles, like the 10 Commandments) and statutes (specific regulations, like what priests were to do). They were counted as righteous as they trusted God’s promises and lived with His forgiveness.

A great sorrow was that they were unable to have children. Psalms 127 and 128 speak, for example, of the joy and blessing of children and children’s children. Not only did Zechariah and Elizabeth miss out on this blessing, there was also an attitude among many Jews that couples who could not have children had done some things really wrong and were being punished for their sins. (See how Elizabeth speaks of her “reproach among people” - how they looked down upon her, simply because she had no children) (Luke 1:25). The call in Genesis was to be “fruitful and multiply,"” but that does not always happen in a now fallen world, even for people like Zechariah and Elizabeth, who are clearly called “righteous before God.”  Nor do the Scriptures look down on people who are single, or who cannot adopt a child, etc.

It is also clear that Zechariah and Elizabeth had kept their faith and kept praying to God, even when they were beyond childbearing years and did not understand what was going on for them. Zechariah also faithfully went to carry out his work as priest “when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood” (Luke 1:7-9).

Each family group of about 830 priests served for a week in the temple, twice a year. There were many responsibilities, including helping with the weekly Sabbath days and other things, including “burning incense”  in the temple, each morning at dawn and each evening, around 3 pm or a little after. (See Exodus 30:7-8.)

Burning incense was a great honor, because it involved going into the presence of God in the Holy Place in the temple, where the Golden Altar of Incense was located. A priest was “chosen by lot” if he drew out a white stone (see also “a white stone” mentioned in Revelation 2:17); and only once in his lifetime could a priest be chosen for this sacred duty. Another priest would put hot coals on the Golden Altar and then the chosen priest would enter and place frankincense or a similar valuable incense on the coals and burn it, until the good-smelling smoky incense rose into the air.

What was the significance? See Psalm 141:2 and Revelation 8:3-4, for example. The incense represented the prayers of the believers rising toward God in heaven and gave assurance that these prayers would reach God and be heard. People gathered at the temple for prayer, but were not allowed into the Holy Place. They waited in outer areas of the temple, while “the hour of incense” went on. When the specially chosen priest had finished burning incense, he would come out to the people and give them a benediction, maybe Numbers 6:24-26 or similar words, assuring them that God did look upon them and hear their prayers.

At dawn, fewer people gathered for prayer, so it was likely at the evening (later afternoon) sacrifice that Zechariah went into the Holy Place alone
to do this incense burning. (See Luke 1:10, and Acts 3:1, as an example of how the apostles Peter and John still followed this practice of waiting in prayer at the temple, with others.)

Suddenly, someone else appeared (was seen by Zechariah) to the right of the incense altar, an angel of the Lord. Zechariah “was troubled” and “fear fell upon him.” The angel, though, spoke and told him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah” (literally, “stop being afraid”). This is  often the reaction when an angel appears to someone (Luke 1:11-13).( See also how the same angel, Gabriel, appeared to Daniel at the hour of the evening sacrifice, in Daniel 9:21, even though Daniel was in Babylon, praying.)

In the case of Zechariah, the angel went on to tell Zechariah that his many years of prayer for a child had been heard, and that finally he and Elizabeth would have a son, who was to be called John (the Lord is gracious and merciful). This child would bring joy and gladness to this couple and to many others. He would be “great before the Lord” and would take a kind of Nazarite vow, not drinking wine or strong drink, and would live a very simple, sacrificial life (Numbers 6). He would be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in Elizabeth’s womb. (Note the reference to the third person of the Triune God here at the beginning of the New Testament era. The Holy Spirit had already been at work in the Old Testament, but now he would be even more evident and active in the New Testament times) (Luke 1:14-15).

John’s primary work would be to “turn many of the children of Israel (back) to the Lord their God.” He would “go before” the Lord God Himself, who was also coming. “In the spirit and power of Elijah,” the Old Testament prophet, John would “turn the hearts of fathers to their children” (with real repentance and spiritual concern for themselves and their children,) that “disobedience” would be turned into “wisdom that justly,” rightly, wants to follow the Lord. Then people would be prepared for the Lord when He came. (See Luke 1:16-17 and the prophecy of this in Malachi 3:1 and 4:5-6, and words of Jesus in Matthew 11:14 and 17:10-13 that John the Baptist was definitely the one who was to come in  “the spirit and power of Elijah” and do this preparatory work.)

Sadly, Zechariah was unprepared for the angel or the angel’s message. Doubt and disbelief seemed to come on him, too. He said, literally, “According to what shall I know this?” It was as if he was looking for a sign or some other evidence for what the angel said would happen. After all, he was an old man and his wife was old, too - far beyond child-bearing years. The angel then introduced himself as Gabriel, the same angel who had appeared to Daniel and who would soon appear also to Mary, as we will see. He had been in the presence of God in heaven and now had been sent to speak to Zechariah and bring him “this Good News.”

However, because Zechariah “did not believe the angel’s words,” he would be “silent and unable to speak until the day that these things took place.” This was a kind of judgment on him for his failure to believe the Word of God; but it was also the very sign he wished for. He would have about nine months to think about trusting God’s Word, no matter what, as he was silent. The angel also promised two more times that Zechariah’s son, John, would definitely be born. The day would come when “these things would take place.” They would be “fulfilled in their time” - in God’s good timing.

This was truly “Good News,” too - Good News for Zechariah and Elizabeth, after all their praying and waiting for a child - and Good News for the whole world, because the Savior of all was coming, and John was coming to prepare the way for Him (Luke 1:18-20).

Meanwhile, many people had gathered at the temple and were waiting for Zechariah to come out from the Holy Place and give them a benediction and assurance that their prayers were heard by God in heaven. They were wondering why he was delayed in coming out to them. Finally, Zechariah came out, but could not speak, and they realized
“that he had seen a vision in the temple.” He could only makes signs in order to dismiss the people.

Zechariah finished the remaining days of his priestly service and then went home, and we hear very simply, “After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived.” It was a normal conception between a man and wife, even though it happened by a miracle of God, for two very old people. Elizabeth then kept away from other people for five months, until it was very clear that she really was expecting a child. She said, “The Lord has done this for me, when He looked upon me in mercy, and has taken away my reproach among people” (Luke 1:18-25). (See also Numbers 6:24-26, again. Blessings come when the Lord looks upon His people with His undeserved favor, with His grace.)

If you had been Zechariah, what do you think you would have done in this situation? Abraham struggled when he was told that he and Sarah would have a child, especially as they kept getting older and older, with no son. Yet we read, Abram finally “believed the Lord, and He counted it to Him as righteousness” (Genesis 15). Mary was “greatly troubled” and had questions, when the angel told her that she would give birth to Jesus, as we shall hear. Yet she also finally said, “Let it be to me, according to your Word” (Luke 1:26-38). Haven’t we all struggled, at times, with what is happening in our lives and trying to understand and accept God’s Word and His plans?

We just heard in worship about John the Baptist himself, later on, sitting in prison and wondering if Jesus really was the Promised One from God, when he, John, was having so much trouble. Jesus told him of all the great things happening and reminded him, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Luke 7:18-28).

Paul also taught, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” The key is staying “in the Lord” and seeking to trust Him and His Word and plans, even if we do not always understand them. Then, as Paul says, “The peace of God which surpasses all” (of our human) “understanding will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4-7). May the Lord give us grace to trust Him in this way, even in the challenges we face.