Luke 1 Meditations (Pt 2)

Luke 1:14-17 (ESV)

[14] And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, [15] for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will 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] 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.”

The passage quoted above is part of a prophesy concerning the birth of John the Baptist. His father, Zechariah, was a priest in the division of Abijah. King David had divided the priesthood into 24 divisions. Each division served in the temple twice a year for one week. The priest who served in the Holy Place was chosen by lot. Given the number of priests serving at that time, this was likely a once in a lifetime opportunity for Zechariah. He was an old man. According to Numbers 8, priests served from age thirty to fifty. Given that Zechariah is called an old man, this may very well have been his last year of service. He was likely about fifty years old. While serving at the end of his eligibility, chosen by lot, he enters the Holy Place and encounters an angel. God’s timing in all of this is perfect.

The Old Testament parallels in these few verses are incredible. An angel brought a message to Zechariah in his old age that he would have son, just as an angel brought a message to Abraham in his old age concerning a son. The phrase “you will have joy and gladness” connects back to promises of the restoration of Israel. Zechariah is to name his son John, but “he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.” That is a description that parallels Samson in Judges 13. Of course, “He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah” connects to the story of Elijah. The reference to Elijah coupled with the final phrase, “. . . to make ready for the Lord a people prepared,” is a quote from Malachi 4:5-6.

This is not just an interesting story. This is a direct connection between the Old Testament promises and the birth of Jesus that will follow. The timing is perfect. The prophecies are clear. There is no denying that this child promised to Zechariah and Elizabeth is a special child with a special calling. The son of a priest, John will become the last of the Old Testament prophets pointing the people of God toward Messiah.

Why do we care? Can’t we just enjoy the story without getting all caught up in whether it is true or not? Your eternal fate hangs on the answer to that question. If this is just a nice story then the story of Jesus has no validity either. The death of Jesus then becomes meaningless. We are left with a nice story to motivate us to try and be good, nothing more. But if this is truly the record of an encounter with an angel connecting back to Old Testament promises and pointing us to Messiah, then we have hope.

Christmas is a time of wonder. Not because the lights are pretty and the gifts are mysterious.  It is a time of wonder because what we celebrate at Christmas is the wondrous true story of the coming of the King. The story of John introduces us to that truth. In these times of uncertainty, may we turn our hearts to the truth and wonder of these almost unbelievable promises that came to pass at just the right time.

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