Luke 1:15

15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.

Wow, what an amazing set of information and instructions this messenger angel has for Zechariah. Obviously these instructions are not just ideas off the top of the angel’s head but were given to him by God to instruct Zechariah specifically. I think about the 7 letters to the churches in the book of Revelation. in each one the Lord had specific instructions for each church. I wonder what would be the instructions the Lord would have for me if He were to send a messenger angel to speak directly to me? The good thing is I do not need a messenger angel because I have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in me, to convict me of sin, to lead me to into all truth and to comfort me.

application

I need to decrease so He can increase. Today I will meditate on Psalm 16:8

I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. ESV

Luke 1:14

14He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,

The birth of John the Baptist was orchestrated to become somewhat of a spectacle. How is it that this old woman is able to conceive and then to bring to full term a son? As a priest before the Lord chosen to burn the incense in the Temple, Zechariah was given this responsibility before the people of God. As one who serves the Lord as a minister of a thriving church I know how this position can cause your life to be on display for the congregation to see. This was the case for Zechariah and Elizabeth. This is how many will rejoice because of the birth of John, their long awaited son. I had the experience of serving as an associate pastor to a senior pastor and his wife through their period of not being able to have children. For ten years they tried and tried, and then finally the news that she was pregnant was announced and it truly did delight the congregation. I can also remember the thoughts of how this child would become someone outstanding. Our hearts just went there. How much more this first century congregation must have anticipated that the offspring of this priest and his wife would be remarkable. Eventually as John matured I am sure many awaited the holy nature of his life, yet were not surprised by the assignment he was given from on high.

Though our beginnings were not a spectacular event, anyone's life can be turned into a marvelous expression of the great things God will orchestrate. If we live our lives worthy of the calling we have received and led by the Spirit of God over time our lives unfold a great expression of the living God, and it is awesome to behold.

application

Therefore today I need to be true to the calling God has on my life and walk worthy.

Luke 1:13

13But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.

By pronouncing to Zechariah that he should not be afraid and that his prayer has been heard the angel at once reveals what he is and from whom he has come from. To be a witness that your prayers have been heard is a pretty ominous condition. Our prayers are essentially as a rule personal and private. To have a person appear in a place where you know to be that of solitude and holiness and the first thing they say is that our prayer has been heard is breaking all kinds of boundaries, all at once. So yeah Zechariah is freaked out.

application

Am I ready for God to break through some established boundaries in my life? I am fully confident that He can, the question becomes will He on my behalf? If an angel showed up and said, “your prayer has been heard”. Would I know what prayer he would be talking about? Have I had a particular ongoing prayer before the Lord that I have sought after Him for? The only one that comes to mind is the prayer to be a more gentle person. Therefore today I will meditate on this verse in Philippians

Philippians 4:5  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

Luke 1:12

12When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.

What is the source of this fear? Perfect love casts out fear. 1Jn. 4:18 Ordinary fear is generated by the evil one who gets us confused and immobilized with fear. Chiefly figmented thoughts of failure, rejection, loss, even death. Once we allow ourselves to be influenced by fear of this sort, we in effect give the enemy of our soul an invitation to torment and frolic to his giggles and grins.

Though I suppose this fear that Zechariah is gripped with is not the ordinary sort of fear. Instead it is a Holy fear. One that is generated by the instantaneous reflection of being in the presence of glorified and uncorrupt being.  This is the same reaction of Isaiah when the mist of the Lord’s presence filled the Temple with His Glory. He was hushed and overwhelmed as one who recognizes the vast difference between his sinful self and the nature of the Divine.

application

I need to be still and know that He is God and that His presence in my life is a privilege and that He is Holy, and by association that can make me Holy, set apart for His good pleasure.

Luke 1:11

11Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.

Implied in this verse is that there are angels round about us that do not appear to us. This one at the appointed time did appear to Zechariah. Sometimes we see angels but do not recognize them as such;

Heb. 13:2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

The presence of the Lord is everywhere, the angels may be with us at any time visible or not. The record of our lives is recorded and considered for Holy purposes, or not.

2Tim 2:20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, the practice of His presence is the wisdom of a broken servant.

application

Today as I recognize that my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit I carry His presence with me wherever I go. I need to honor that presence and expand upon it. The only one string on that guitar is to diminish self, and the desires of the flesh. Therefore today I will not listen to any political talk radio shows but replace that with worship music.

Luke 1:10

10And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

The burning of the incense took place every morning and evening before the Lord as an ordinance.

Ex 30:7-8 “Aaron shall burn on it sweet incense every morning; when he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it. 8 And when Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense on it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations.

So this was a twice daily occurrence. Those who were worshipping and praying were outside of the area where the incense was burned. I find their yearning to be close to the Lord and the things of God endearing. Even though they would not be directly involved in the process they still wanted to be there.

application

do I yearn to be near the things God is doing round about me? Even if I cannot partake personally? I will look to adjust my attitude and be satisfied with the presence and grace of the Lord and not need to be directly involved.

Luke 1:9

9he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

The Scriptures have notoriously omitted specific instruction regarding how to govern the people of God through the Church. We do find big picture goals and objectives but when it comes to tactics and process...not so much. Hence the various denominations, from congregational types to elder led to the “Moses model” to the autocratic “holy see” in Rome. The good thing is that there are as many iterations of Christianity as there are various people groups and personality types. So it works. There is universal need for Jesus and one cookie cutter delivery system just would not fit all the various needs. Which brings us to Zechariah, and the custom of the priesthood. At that time it was ordained for a priest to go into the temple and burn incense. How that priest was chosen from among the other priests was not specified in the Scriptures. So, accordingly the custom they invented to choose the priest for this specific task was by drawing lot. It’s one way, it worked for them, they could have employed any number of tactics or processes. I love that about the Lord. He allows us to become part of the deal by giving us the goal and allowing us to figure out a way to do it.

application

I need to be willing give the men under my charge goals to achieve but to allow them to find their own ways to fulfill them.

Luke 1:8

8Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,  

For a meaning of the name Zechariah, NOBSE Study Bible Name List reads Yahweh Remembers and Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names has Remembered Of The Lord.

Isn’t it interesting after 400 years of silence between God and the human race, the resumption of Divine communication begins with Zechariah, one who is remembered of the Lord. It is as though the eyes of the Lord were searching to and fro looking for who He would bless with this amazing assignment. And lo He remembers Zechariah, an old man who had longed for a son of his own, one who had prayed countless prayers in that regard. Undoubtedly in Zechariah's old age he probably quit praying for a son but God Remembered.

application

I can rely on God and His ability to redeem and transform things and circumstances into His perfect will. I need to have a loose touch on my will and be open to finding my place in His orchestration. Therefore, today I will walk circumspectly and check any temperamental strong headed or spirit of insistence that may be in me, and be ready and willing to “lay it down” under God’s mighty hand.

Luke 1:7

7But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

Childlessness in this culture was considered a curse of sorts. When a family has many children it was able to accomplish more. It was seen as a blessing to have an abundant family. Without children a couple could become purposeless and lose hope for the future. Think about it from a discipleship point of view for a moment. Children are the central focus of a person's’ ability to teach and guide in how to live, based on the things you have learned in life. It would be easy to conceive the thoughts that God withholding children as a rebuke to not allow that person to pass on the things he has learned. Furthermore a childless couple as they would inevitably grow old would have no one to care for them when they could not do the work themselves. Again finding themselves outside of the blessing of God. 

Therefore it is an even more telling tribute to this couple Elizabeth and Zechariah that they lived in a righteous way before the Lord, trusting in Him even when their circumstances seemed otherwise.

application

I need to believe God and not be swayed by my circumstances. I am a blessed man with many, many reasons to be grateful for all the Lord has done for us. Today I will seek to magnify in my heart the sense of God’s goodness to me and my family.

Luke 1:6

6Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly.

There are few people in the Scriptures that are called righteous. There was Job, then Enoch and then Daniel. Now here in the New Testament we have Zechariah and Elizabeth. All of these people are clearly examples of vessels of honor as we see here in 2 Tim. 2:20

20 Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.…

These vessels of honor were prepared for the good work the Lord had orchestrated for them. Each of them played a decidedly pivotal role in the enfolding narrative of God’s story of redemption.

application

I need to be ready in season and out, made ready for any good use under the mighty hand of the Father. Today I will rest as is fitting for a man of God given my rigorous schedule of late. I will make today a Sabbath with personal worship and study and contemplative prayer.

Luke 1:5

5In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.  

So the account begins with historical fact, King Herod was king of Judea and then it goes to the lineage of Aaron and also the detail that Zechariah was in a particular division within the lineage of Aaron that of Abijah, which designated him as a priest.

In this age the priests were raised up by the Lord through a family line. Beginning with that of Levi and his sons. Moses and Aaron were great grandsons of Levi as we see here in 1Chron.6:1-3

The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

2 The descendants of Kohath included Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

3 The children of Amram were Aaron, Moses, and Miriam.

The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

In the new covenant there is a distinctive shift in this priesthood. As the gospel became open to the Gentiles and the Holy Spirit indwelled the believers, there became the doctrine of the holy priesthood of the saints.

1Peter 2:9

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

and again here in Romans 15:14, although Paul does not refer to a priesthood he does refer to the activity of the priest which is to instruct or counsel.

I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another.  

application

Today I need to be mindful of the calling as a priest. I have authority and I need to be gentle yet instructive with it.

Luke 1:4

4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

So obviously Theophilus was schooled in the way of Christianity and this account by Luke was written to help him gain security in the teachings he was brought up with. Sometimes we can learn things just because they are given to us by a person of authority while we are young and tender and impressionable. Afterward as we mature and consider the facts as we know them with perhaps some critical thinking we were incapable of as children, we may find an orderly and carefully formulated account of the record helpful to fully grasp the things we already believe but do not understand fully why we believe. This is the reason we need to learn the history of our faith and the foundations of the various doctrines from the virgin birth all the way through the hundreds of prophesies of surrounding the coming of Jesus and back to the issues that transpired in the garden at the beginning and everything in between. The sum total of all of these things as we construct every aspect and see how it fits together serves to solidify and underpin the things we already believe.

At salvation as we assess our lives and are moved to surrender to Jesus it is not due to any of these things but due to the very circumstances that we find ourselves dealing with. Only afterward do we investigate the value and necessity of certain things such as the virgin birth. We do not need to necessarily believe in that at the point of salvation, in fact it may be irrelevant. What we do need is a loving savior who forgives and offers us a fresh start. Then as we dig into why we believe we find how all these things matter and it further bolsters our faith.

application

To be ready to give an answer in season and out of season. Today I will look for opportunities to underpin the faith of those I encounter.

Luke 1:3

3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most ex2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.

So the eyewitness reports of the servants of the Word became the enduring element of all that Jesus said, did and happened to Him and through Him. This is why we see in:

Rev 12:11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.

The testimony of the presence and activity of God in our lives is a powerful tool in the furtherance of the Kingdom of God. As it was in the beginning it is still now. Jesus has called us into a greater more intimate relationship with Himself, with that He challenges us to live in a more excellent way, and then He provides opportunities for us to be His witnesses, to point to Him as our loving Savior.

MARK 6:11 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.

application

I will look for an opportunity to use my testimony today to enlarge the Kingdom.

Luke 1:2

2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.

So the eyewitness reports of the servants of the Word became the enduring element of all that Jesus said, did and happened to Him and through Him. This is why we see in:

Rev 12:11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.

The testimony of the presence and activity of God in our lives is a powerful tool in the furtherance of the Kingdom of God. As it was in the beginning it is still now. Jesus has called us into a greater more intimate relationship with Himself, with that He challenges us to live in a more excellent way, and then He provides opportunities for us to be His witnesses, to point to Him as our loving Savior.

MARK 6:11 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.

application

I will look for an opportunity to use my testimony today to enlarge the Kingdom.

Luke 1:1

1Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been
fulfilled among us,

Obviously the things that have been fulfilled at that time in that community were so remarkable that various people from many walks of life were compelled to put pen to paper and record what took place. We do not how many accounts were begun but we do know that at least four were completed and eventually adopted as part of the canon of Scripture which we have today in the form of the gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Interestingly two of these were part of the twelve disciples, Matthew and John. The other two Mark and Luke were eyewitnesses and involved in the ministry of Jesus and of the disciples after the Lord resurrected. This gospel of Luke is a meticulous and careful record of the ministry of Jesus. Luke the human author and is the only  gentile writer of any of the New Testament books. It is well believed that Luke was a physician, perhaps his training in this would explain the many aspects of Jesus’ ministry that are only found in his record. Many of the parables and miracles are only found in this account. Also the early life of Jesus is depicted exclusively here in this gospel. As a physician he would be trained in investigative, critical thinking and it serves him well as this gospel stands out among the rest for the amazing qualities of the detail orientation and the chronological order of the narrative.

application
I need to be more careful of the details of my life and ministry. In that light today I will write a note of encouragement to my brother Austin, working as the overseer of the school of Ignite in Guatemala. Also I will prepare my outline for next Sunday’s message. This is uncharacteristically well in advance of my more common practice of doing it the day before.