What are you waiting for?
Zechariah didn’t like waiting. But he had been waiting over nine months now, it was a long time. For years they had tried for a baby, without success. They had almost given up hope.
Then it was his turn for Temple Service in Jerusalem, Zechariah was a Levite, to burn the incense in the Holy place, it was a once in a lifetime honour.
Nervously he put on his priestly garments, making sure everything was just right, after all he didn’t want to look bad in the critical gaze of his fellow priests, there were enough that were prepared to mock him for being unable to have children, without the embarrassment of getting this wrong.
Then he made sure the incense bowl was properly prepared, ritually clean, and the incense measured. Yes all was in order.
He quickly shut the lid he lifted the precious vessel and left the room chanting the familiar words as he made his way through the crowds into the inner Temple.
His fellow priests held the door and its inner hanging open, a hush falling on the crowd as he passed them into the dimly lit interior out of their sight and into the silence.
A sense of awe came over him. He had never been here before but somehow it was familiar, yes there it was on his right the Table of Showbread, which King David had eaten from centuries before.
From his left came the light of the Menorah the seven flames flickering steadily on the stand. There it was the Altar of Incense. He stepped up to it then opened the vessel and poured the incense onto the glowing coals that had been specially prepared for this daily ceremony, wondering faintly who that had been. He must concentrate now and continued with the prayers.
Suddenly as the perfumed smoke billowed upwards filling the room he became aware of another standing there, to his right. What? How? Who? Oh my...look at those wings!
Wings? Then the angel spoke to him. "Don't be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayers. Your wife Elizabeth will have a son, and you must name him John."
Zechariah was trembling now.
His birth will make you very happy, and many people will be glad. Your son will be a great servant of the Lord. He must never drink wine or beer, and the power of the Holy Spirit will be with him from the time he is born. John will lead many people in Israel to turn back to the Lord their God. He will go ahead of the Lord with the same power and spirit that Elijah had. And because of John, parents will be more thoughtful of their children. And people who now disobey God will begin to think as they ought to. That is how John will get people ready for the Lord.
Just a minute He thought, but instead the words came out loud "How will I know this is going to happen? My wife and I are both very old."
The angel’s voice, which seemed to penetrate every fibre of his being answered, "I am Gabriel, God's servant, and I was sent to tell you this good news. You have not believed what I have said. So you will not be able to say a thing until all this happens. But everything will take place when it is supposed to."
The Angel rose through the smoke and went from his sight.
Shaken, he continued with the prayers and having finished turned to leave. The door opened and he walked through the crowd with his fellow priests to the robbing room. Once there the questions began, "What took you so long? We were worried." Putting his robes aside he turned as he answered them, but no sound left his mouth as he formed the words. He tried again, trying to sign with his hands, still no sound. He gave up.
Now, ten months later they were asking him the new baby’s name, reaching for the slate he said, "John, his name is John." His voice seeming to boom in his ears. Those around him gasped in shock.
Here in this familiar story we have a man who has gone through years of waiting. Through all the years of trying for a baby waiting, hoping each month that finally they would have a child, over the course of time his wait of hope turned to a wait of despair and years of barrenness.
He would go through the motions each month, but didn’t really expect anything to happen, he knew nothing would happen until, as they got older they gave up.
They got used to whispers, and the furtive glances of others. The well meaning sympathy or even pity that hurt so deeply.
How many times had they prayed pouring out their frustration, pain and shame?
But he wasn’t alone in this, his plight was just an illustration of the nation. If anything for the nation it was worse. The king was worthless, powerless and corrupt. The Temple, well that had it’s problems too, The rivalry between the Sadducees and the Pharisees, the arguments over minute points of doctrine. Who could do what - it never seemed to end.
The Zealots constantly causing havoc with their raids. The Romans occupying their land, the taxes. The round-ups and questioning as they looked for the perpetrators of the latest Zealot outrage in the north.
All this against a background of failing harvests and drought when the rains failed, even the land was barren.
When would the promised Messiah come? That was a question on many people’s minds. They all had different answers. None of them were right. None of them expected what happened.
The Angel then suddenly despair turned into blazing FAITH. His very silence and inability to talk which began before faith overcame doubt. In fact it was in the silence that faith did overcome doubt. When his own voice now stilled by the Angel allowed him to hear the voice of God to be heard. "Fear not. I am with you."
Suddenly he knew that what the Angel had told him would come to pass. There was nothing more to be said for nearly a year, until the moment with his newborn son in his arms he said: "John, his name is John."
Zechariah thought back to the silent months, going over the events time and again in his mind. He remembered what he had said to the Angel. "How will I know this is going to happen? My wife and I are both very old."
The words seemed familiar. Where had he heard them before ? He realised they were Abraham’s words. Abraham had had a similar Angelic encounter. It all flooded back into his mind. Abraham too had a son, because he believed God. As the flame of faith blazed more strongly within him he knew he truly was a son of Abraham, and just like him his faith was counted as righteousness. The Messiah was surely near. Peace settled in his heart.
The rest as they say is history, but not merely history it’s the Gospel.
Another angel, another baby. The Holy Spirit descending as a dove, The voice which seemed to penetrate every fibre of those who heard, "This is my beloved Son, Listen to Him"
Life was never the same for Zechariah after that. It will never be the same for you either if you allow the voice of God to light the flame of faith in your heart.
