Luke 1:26-27
(ESV)
[26]
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee
named Nazareth, [27] to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of
the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.
This paragraph
connects back to the previous twenty-five verses. Gabriel told the priest,
Zechariah, that his wife Elizabeth would have a child despite their old age.
This paragraph starts when Elizabeth is in her sixth month of pregnancy.
Gabriel shows up again. But who is Gabriel and why is that important?
We know two
things about Gabriel. His name is only used four times in the Bible. It is used
twice in the New Testament, both times here in Luke 1. The first is when he
speaks to Zechariah in the temple. The second is when he speaks to Mary
concerning the birth of Jesus. In his conversation to Zechariah we are
introduced to him with these words, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of
God” (Lk 1:19). The Bible does not tell us a lot about angels because the story
is not about them. They are servants behind the scenes, but occasionally we get
a glimpse of them. Gabriel is one of the few angel names that we know. His name
means Man of Elohim, or God’s Man. The certainty of his message is assured by
the fact that he stands in the presence of God. He appears to be one of the
angels that attends the throne of God. As one who attends the throne of God, he
brings a message to Zechariah, and then to Mary concerning the births of John
the Baptist and Jesus the Messiah. Gabriel is God’s Man who stands in the presence
of God.
The second thing
we know about Gabriel is that he is connected with End Times prophecy in
Daniel. Gabriel shows up twice in Luke 1, and twice in Daniel. In Daniel 8
Gabriel explains a vision to Daniel concerning far future events when the sacrifice
would be cut off in the temple. It is a reference either to Antiochus
Epiphanes, or to Anti-Christ who is yet to come, or possibly to both. Gabriel
shows up again in the next chapter of Daniel where he comes in response to
Daniel’s prayer of confession. There he gives Daniel the prophecy of
seventy-sevens that relate to the future of Israel. The final seven refers to
the Great Tribulation yet to come. So Gabriel is connected to End Times
prophecy, particularly concerning Israel.
There is a lot of
speculation about angels, but the Bible tells us all that we need to know about
them. Throughout scripture, one of the primary things we see angels doing is
bringing messages from God to people. Here in Luke 1 we find Gabriel, the Man
of God, an End Times messenger bringing the prophecy of John’s and Jesus’
births. For the Jews this is End Times stuff. It should have been a powerful
indicator that something significant was happening in their world. Yet, for the
most part, they missed it. Zechariah and Elizabeth didn’t miss it. Mary didn’t
miss it. They recognized the apocalyptic significance of Gabriel’s messages.
But the most of the Jews missed the message.
How does one
respond to this kind of event? Well, too often people get enamored with angels.
They start talking about angels. They study angels. They might even try to talk
to angels. A preacher back in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s built his whole
ministry around the presence of angels. But that’s not a healthy response.
Notice how Zechariah and Mary responded. Zechariah did what the angel told him
to do. He named his son John despite social pressure to the contrary. Mary
responded, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to
your word” (Lk 1:38).
As we come to
this record of Jesus’ birth let us not get caught up in the fascination of
angels and dreams, but in the wonder of God’s faithfulness and grace. Zechariah
and Mary wondered that God would choose to use them. They rejoiced in God’s
provision and blessing. They humbly submitted to God’s plan for their lives
despite the fact that it clearly disrupted their plans. Zechariah, an old man,
was certainly not expecting to raise a child at his age. Mary did not sign up
for the accusations and social awkwardness that would come from a virgin birth.
She did not plan to spend part of her early married life in Egypt. Yet God’s
disruption of their lives brought blessing to the world in ways they never
could have imagined.
It make me wonder
about my own life. I have often said that I have never yet ended up where I
thought I was going. But, am I willing to have God shake up my plans? Am I okay
when life throws me a curve ball? Do I trust that God, in his sovereignty will
truly work this out for my good, or do I grumble, complain, and move forward
kicking and screaming? Am I okay with God changing my plans? Am I willing to
say, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord”?
Comments
Post a Comment