5 In 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. 6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. 7 But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.
8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But 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. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 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. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”
19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”
21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 22 When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.
23 When his time of service was completed, he returned home. 24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. 25 “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
Read Luke 1:5-25 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!
Probably the one thing Zechariah, the priest and father of John the Baptist, is known for the most is questioning the angel that appears to him in the temple while he was preparing to burn incense.
The gospel of Luke shares what happened. Zechariah was chosen by lot to be the one to go in and burn the incense, and an angel appears to him with the promise of an answer to his prayer. But immediately following the angel’s message, Zechariah taints his reputation by asking, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” (v. 18)
Zechariah’s question is self defeating. By asking for more proof, he shows the lack of belief he really has. At this point in his life, he has given up hope for ever having a child, and the angel’s promise seems too unbelievable. Had the angel come ten years earlier, it would have at least been feasible in his mind, but Zechariah has already resigned himself to die childless.
His question of doubt would be the last words he would speak until the birth of his child. In an unexpected turn of events, the angel does give Zechariah a second form of confirmation. He responds by saying, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.” (v. 19-20)
Zechariah probably thought the entire 10 months or so between when this happened and when his son was born about the foolishness of his questioning God’s promise. If Zechariah were alive to give us a message, it would likely be something along the lines of, “When God gives you a promise, you should simply believe it.”
However, in Zechariah’s doubt, we also see an amazing picture of God. God gives Zechariah a very tangible sign that the promise would come true – and it is a sign that would stand out to everyone who knew this elderly couple. Zechariah’s doubt opened the door for God to draw more attention to the birth of the man who would prepare the people of Israel for the Messiah’s arrival.
This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!
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