The Incredible Conception of Christ's Forerunner

Well, let me invite you to turn in your Bibles this morning to Luke chapter 1, Luke chapter 1 for our second installment of our Advent series as we are allowing the text of scripture to prepare our hearts for The celebration of Christ's birth on, on Christmas Day. Luke chapter one and We're gonna be looking at Luke chapter 1 verse 5 through 25 this morning and the title of the message today is the incredible conception of Christ's forerunner. And I use the word incredible, incredible because Zacharias in our passage today is going to find that too incredible to believe, but it will indeed happen.

I'm probably not the only one in this room that struggles with this, but I often have a hard time remembering where I have put my wallet.

And my keys. so I have a tile app on my, on my iPhone, and I have musical tiles. I've got a musical tile inside my wallet and on every set of keys, that our family uses, these are items that I tend to waste a lot of time looking for and using these tiles ends up saving me time. When I can't find one of these items, take my keys for For instance, I will use the app on my phone and I'll press the appropriate button.

And the tile will begin to play music. So that I can just follow the music and know where to find the item that I had misplaced. And almost always when I hear the music playing, I will follow the music and discover that my keys are exactly where I had put them. Though I had forgotten putting them there.

On more than one occasion, I have walked around the house trying to follow the music. And I've noticed that the music actually seems to be following me. Because it was coming from my own pocket where my keys were. Maybe you struggle with that if you do, get the tile, or get that as a Christmas gift for that forgetful someone.

In your life. Fortunately, God does not have the problem with remembering that I and some of us Often have. Our story today features a man named Zacharias. He's called in the New Testament.

His Hebrew name is Zechariah. That's how you would pronounce his name in the Hebrew and the, the word Zakhar. That makes up the first part of his name means remember and the Yah at the end of his Hebrew name is short for Yahweh or Jehovah. So the name Zechariah means Jehovah remembers.

And our passage today shows us that indeed, God is a God who remembers his people and remembers his promises. His wife's name, as we will see, is Elizabeth. That's how we would pronounce it in English. The Hebrew form of the name Elizabeth is Elishebeh.

Elishaba or think Eli Sheba. Alie means my God. And then Sheba or Sheba means oath. So Ali Sheba.

Means my God of oath. Speaking of a reliable God who makes and keeps his promises. So these two names of Zechariah and Elizabeth are very appropriate for just even what happens in our story today. Speaking of promises, we studied Malachi 4 last Sunday, and we saw the final promise that God makes in the Old Testament.

The last two verses of the Old Testament are Malachi 45 and 6, where God says, behold, I'm going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land. With a curse. In Malachi 3 we saw last.

We, God promised that he would send his messenger to prepare the way of the Lord. In the Old Testament, God promised a number of times that he would bring salvation or redemption ultimately to Israel. And by the time God is done doing all that he's going to be doing in Luke chapter one, For Zacharias and Elizabeth, Zacharias is going to speak these words amongst others. He's gonna say, blessed be the Lord God of Israel.

For he has visited us and accomplished redemption for his people. As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, to remember. His holy covenant, the oath which he swore. Zacharias would have spoken these very words in Hebrew, even though Luke translates them into Greek for his readers.

And the interesting thing is a part of Zechariah's name and Elizabeth's name are embedded in what Zachariahs says in verse 72. Basically, Zacharias would have said in verse 72 that God has Zakhar. His holy covenant. The Sheba.

Which he Shabbed. And both his and Elizabeth's name or parts of their names are just inside of this celebration. of words that Zacharias is expressing. Our passage today is indeed the story of God, who is faithful and who remembers his ancient promises while at the same time remembering an elderly couple who had prayed.

For years for God to give them a child. God will meet them at their point of longing and despair and do something that moves forward in an amazing way his plan of redemption for the ages. It's probably good for us as we start off this morning to recognize at the outset that from a chronological point of view, the events that are recorded in Luke chapter 1. are the first events in the New Testament era.

Even though Luke is the 3rd gospel. The narrative part of the Gospel of Matthew begins with the moment that Mary is discovered to be pregnant. The Gospel of Mark begins with the public ministry of John the Baptist. After his introduction, John in his gospel starts with the public ministry.

Of John the Baptist. Luke, however, Begins with events that take place about a week or two before John the Baptist was even conceived in his mother's womb. This means that what happens in our passage today are the first New Testament events. After the book of Malachi would have been written.

And this is especially striking given the fact that our passage today will feature Gabriel, the angel quoting from Malachi, chapter 4, clearly making the link between the last chapter of the Old Testament. And these first events that take place in the chronology of the New Testament. Luke 1 shows us that God is faithful and that God is picking up right where he left off in Malachi 4 as he begins to make good on his promise to send an Elijah-like man to bring revival to Israel in preparation for the coming of the Christ.

So the way we're gonna work through the account that we have here in Luke 1 this morning is we'll observe 5 developments and the incredible true story.

Of the conception of John the Baptist, Christ forerunner. And the story begins on this note, development number one is Zacharias and Elizabeth are righteous, old, And childless. What a beginning to a story. Observe what happens in verse 5.

In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias of the division of Abijah, and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron and her name was Elizabeth. They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements. Of the Lord By the way, he says at the beginning in the days of Herod, the Herod being spoken about here at the beginning of verse 5 is the one that we call Herod the Great. He was a wicked king, but also brilliant.

About 2 years from now. He will be having all of the infant boys in Bethlehem killed in his attempt to kill the Christ child. So politically speaking, this is not a good time in Israel's history being under his reign. The wicked Roman Empire prevails over the known world.

And Herod the Great exerts his paranoid and wicked rule over the people of Israel who are living in the region of Judea. From certain standpoints, some people might have thought that this was the least ideal time for God to do the amazing work that he's about to do, but this is the time that God chooses. As much of a vice grip as these godless political entities might hold over the world at this time, they cannot prevent Zacharias and Elizabeth from being righteous. And they cannot prevent the redemptive plan of God from moving forward.

The nations may rage, and the kings of the earth may wield their power to wicked ends, as was happening in this day, but nothing can stop the forward motion of God's redemptive plan for the ages. Do you believe that? We need to remember this truth today and in the days to come. Elections matter.

Federal investigations matter. Impeachment proceedings. Matter And the decisions of judges do matter. But none of those things can make Righteous people, unrighteous.

And none of those things can stop the redemptive plan of God from moving forward toward the climax of the ages. In fact, God bends all of them. In service to his sovereign purposes and history, and he is always in control. Just as he is in Luke one.

We're told in verse 5 that during this time of Herod's reign, that there was a priest named Zacharias of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the Daughters of Erin and her name was Elizabeth. The fact that Elizabeth was a descendant of Erin. Who was a Levite means that John the Baptist will be a priestly descent on both his father and mother's side.

We're told that Zacharias here was of the division of Abijah, which was one of the 24 divisions of the Levites who were said to be officers of the sanctuary and officers of God identified in 1 Chronicles 24, 5 and 10. These priests served in the temple in various capacities on a rotation basis, and I'll say more about that in just a moment. As for their godliness, we're told here that they were righteous in the sight of God. Part of what this means is that they were believers in God and their faith was reckoned to them as righteousness, just as it was for Abraham, centuries earlier.

On top of this imputed righteousness, we also learned that they were walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. This couple did not just seek to obey God in some areas, but in all areas of their life. They obeyed all of the commandments and abided by all the requirements of the Lord. that were enshrined in his word.

What a couple. God promised in the Old Testament that he would bless people like this who walk. In his ways, and one of the blessings that he promises is the blessing of children. In fact, in Deuteronomy chapter 7, verse 14, God promised the people of Israel that if they obeyed him and walked in his ways, listen to what he says, you shall be blessed above all peoples, there shall be no male or female baron.

Among you. The fruit of the womb is a reward. The psalmist says in Psalm 1273. And given passages like this in the Old Testament, we would expect Zacharias and Elizabeth to have had a handful of children as blessing from the Lord for their obedience.

Yet look at verse 7. But they had no child because Elizabeth was barren and they were both advanced. In years Three stubborn facts are mentioned here. They had no child.

Elizabeth was barren, meaning she was unable to have children. And thirdly, they were old. When Elizabeth was young. As a young married woman, there was no doubt some flame of hope that God would open her womb.

At some point along the way, as she grew older, that flame would have dimmed to a flicker. And then at a certain age, that flicker was extinguished altogether. And we know this because the text says they were both advanced in years, and a good paraphrase is they, they both had moved on in years. Meaning that they had advanced in age beyond the capacity.

To bear children. So they are now at a place beyond hope. of having any children. Yet amazingly, even though they are no doubt sorely, painfully disappointed, That God has not given them a child, they're still living a righteous life.

And keeping the commandments of God. In his word They don't have easy answers about why God has chosen not to give them children at this point of their life. Every day they live with the reality of a prayer that God never chose to answer. It's a bitter pill for them to swallow every day, yet they are trusting God and they are walking blamelessly in God's ways, even now when they are past the age.

Of having children. God is honored By this steadfast obedience. And wonderfully in our passage today, this elderly couple begins to experience a reversal of fortunes, which brings us to the next development in the story of the conception of Christ's forerunner. Development number 2, the angel Gabriel appears to Zacharias while he is serving God.

Observe what happens beginning in verse 8. Now it happened that while he was performing, while Zacharias was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division, according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. Understand that there were about 24,000 priests. Who served in the temple.

At some point during the calendar year in Israel, and of these 24,000, there were 500 of these priests that served in the temple on a rotation basis. And Zacharias was of the division of Abijah, which according to 1 Chronicles 24:10 was the 8th division. And this particular week is the week for his division to be called up for weekly service in the temple in Jerusalem. Twice a year, it would be their turn to serve in the temple and do their weekly rotation of service there, and this evidently was one of their weeks.

And amid all of the duties that the various priests would engage in from Sabbath to Sabbath, every day there were two moments when a priest would enter the holy place and pour incense on the altar that stood in front of the 60 ft high curtain that closed off the holy of holies. This pouring of incense would happen before the morning sacrifice around 9 in the morning and after the evening sacrifice around 6 in the evening, and it was a, a high privilege to be able to serve at this altar of incense and to pour incense on this altar in the holy place.

According to custom, a priest was given this privilege only one time. In his lifetime And amazingly, among the 500 priests serving this week, The lot fell to Zacharias.

Who was chosen by lot on this particular day to enter the holy place in the temple for this special once in a lifetime task. And so this almost certainly represents the highest moment. Of his life of service to the Lord. According to custom, after the priests would pour incense on.

The altar of incense, he would pray to the Lord for the peace of Jerusalem and for the redemption of Israel and his prayer as it were, would ascend to God with the smoke of the incense. And Zacharias would have been honored and thrilled to be the one chosen to do this and to represent the people of Israel in prayer to God. At the altar of incense. At this point, before the narrative continues, let's at least take a moment to appreciate.

Zacharias' faithfulness and service in the midst of disappointment. Zacharias has lived a long time and God has not given to him and his wife a child, yet here he is, showing up for work and serving. The Lord faithfully. A lesser man might have given up on his faith and decided, I don't wanna serve the Lord anymore.

Yet here is an elderly man whose lifelong prayer for a child has never been answered. And he is still, as the text says in verse 8, performing his priestly service before God. God is honored and he's glorified by people who serve Him in this way. Even when all of their questions are not answered and their hearts are disappointed.

Even when life does not make sense. To you. Even when God doesn't seem to be hearing your prayers, I would encourage you to keep getting out of bed in the morning. Keep trusting God, keep trusting the fact that God must be up to something bigger that right now may not be visible to you, and just keep serving the Lord.

Keep showing up to serve him. The truth is that even though Zacharias does not know it yet, God is going to meet him right at this point of faithful service. And blow him away with the best news that Zacharias has ever heard in his whole life. And even here we can learn a lesson.

Sometimes we grow weary of the mundane, we grow bored with basic duties to which we are called to be faithful, especially when at the same time we're dealing with disappointment with God over some unanswered prayer. On top of that, our heart's desire may be that we wanna have an encounter with the living God, and sometimes we want that and we think that we need to go off. On a retreat to encounter God. Or go on some epic adventure across the ocean.

But the truth is that God is perfectly happy to show up and meet you right in the middle of you being faithful. In service to him, in your present duties. Wherever they may take you. So let's be faithful.

To God and doing what he has called us to do. Serve your family members as God commands you to serve your employer as God commands, be a faithful servant in the church to your brothers and sisters, as God instructs. Even if your heart is hurting and confused, even if it seems that God is not answering your prayers, serve him anyway, show up and serve him. And let no service be too mundane.

For you. Put 1 ft in front of the other and keep showing up to serve God in your even in the most basic of duties. And it may just be. That God has a special appointment.

With you right in the place of service to him. Just as he has an appointment with Zacharias here in Luke 1. I'm sure at the end of this day, Zacharias was so glad he showed up for work on this day. Zacharias is serving the Lord, he's pouring incense on the altar in the holy place, and then praying a prayer for the peace of Jerusalem and the redemption of Israel.

And while he's doing this inside the holy place, verse 10 tells us that the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering. But it was while Zacharias was inside the holy place praying that something amazing begins to happen. Look at verse 11, and an angel of the Lord appeared to him standing to the right of the altar of incense. We learned later that the name of this angel is Gabriel, but for now, all we're told is that he is an angel of the Lord.

And look at how Zacharias responds. Verse 12, Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel and fear gripped him. This is almost universally the response of people in the Bible, whenever an angel makes an appearance to them. It's the way anyone would respond.

Who has a sensitive conscience. who understands their own sin, and they understand the justice and the holiness of God. Zacharias' fear in the presence of God's angels shows that he is clearly among the God-fearers. But Gabriel has not appeared to Zacharias because he intends to do harm against him, but because he has a wonderful message to deliver to Zacharias.

And this brings us to the 3rd development in this amazing story of the conception of John the Baptist, Christ, forerunner. Number 3, Gabriel tells Zacharias good news that he will have a son who fulfills prophecy. Gabriel tells Zacharias good news that he will have a son who fulfills prophecy. Observe what Gabriel says to Zacharias in verse 13.

The text says, but the angel said to him, do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name. John Whenever an angel of the Lord appears to anyone in the New Testament, his first words usually are, Don't be afraid Or literally stop being afraid. They always see fear. In the countenance of whoever they've made an appearance to, and they have to say, stop being afraid.

And that's what Gabriel says to Zachariahs here. Because Gabriel is not here to do harm but has good news to share. And the first part of his good news to Zacharias is this, he says, your petition. Your prayer Has been heard.

Keep in mind that Zacharias has just been praying. And he has no doubt just prayed for the peace of Jerusalem and the salvation or the redemption of Israel. So there is a high likelihood that Gabriel is telling Zacharias that God has heard this prayer. That he has just prayed on behalf of the people of Israel.

But let's not forget that Zacharias and his wife used to pray a lot for a child in prior decades. Most commentators do not think that Zacharias has just prayed for a child on this occasion. Given his old age and given the fact that he won't even believe Gabriel. In a few minutes when Gabriel tells him the good news that he's going to have a child.

But we can be sure that Zacharias had prayed for a child on thousands of occasions in years prior. So when Gabriel tells Zacharias here that God has heard his prayer, he's likely referring to Zacharias prayer for Israel that he's just prayed, and he's also, no doubt, including in that, Zacharias' past prayers for a child, and Gabriel is here to tell him that God hears prayer. He's heard all of his prayer. Over the course of his life.

Gabriel continues speaking. He says, your petition has been heard and your wife, Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. And this son will be the answer. To Zacharias's prayer for a child and will also serve the purpose of bringing about redemption for Israel.

And Gabriel tells Zacharias that when his son is born, he is to name him John, a name that literally means Jehovah is gracious. Gabriel wants Zachariah's son to bear this name because The primary message that God is wanting to convey through the life and the ministry of John the Baptist is that Jehovah is indeed gracious towards sinners. Gabriel continues in verse 14, saying to Zacharias, you will have joy and gladness. When your son is born.

Many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother's womb. He says he will be great in the sight of the Lord. Even Jesus will give testimony. To the truth of John's greatness.

In Matthew 11:11, Jesus will say, among those born of women, there is not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist. What a high honor this is for Zacharias to be the father of this one who will be so great. Gabriel also tells Zacharias that John will drink no wine or liquor, but it'll be filled with the Holy Spirit instead. As one writer says, John the Baptist's complete abstinence from alcohol conveys the idea of total lifelong consecration to special service for the Lord.

In fact, you might want to write down that reference Leviticus 10:9 in the Old Testament, in that passage in Leviticus 10, priests were forbidden to drink. While they were on duty in service at the tabernacle or the sanctuary, and this would have applied to Zacharias while he's serving in the temple during this week. But John's whole life. Not just one week out of the year, his whole life will be a life of service, 52 weeks of the year, every single year of his life.

He will always be on duty. And thus will never drink. And according to Gabriel, John the Baptist will not just be filled with the Spirit, but filled with the Spirit even while in his mother's womb. This thing is said of no one else anywhere in scripture, meaning that John the Baptist clearly will be a most unusual man.

And we're gonna see next Sunday, how God actually has something he wants John the Baptist to do even while in the womb of his mother. So it's important that he be filled with a spirit even. In her womb By the way, imagine asking John the Baptist. To share his testimony with you.

What would he say? He'd say, yeah, I, I was filled with the spirit, even in the womb of my mother. And things went from there. And then he'd say, so tell me your story.

every testimony of salvation is Wonderful, but this is a tough testimony to beat, right? But this is being said of him even in advance. As for the purpose and the impact of John's ministry, listen to what Gabriel says in verse 16 and following. He says, and he, John, will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.

It is he who will go as a forerunner before him. Before the one, the Messiah, the Christ, and the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared. For the Lord Basically, there's 5 things that John the Baptist will do. First of all, he's gonna turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.

Secondly, he's gonna go as a forerunner ahead of the Christ, letting people know that the Messiah is coming, and he will do this in the spirit and the power of Elijah, which takes our minds back to the prophecy of Malachi 4:5, where God promises to send Elijah before The day of the Lord. And thirdly, in connection with that, he will turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children. That's a direct quote lifted from Malachi chapter 4 verse 6. Fourthly, he will turn the disobedient to the attitude or the mindset of the righteous, and fifthly, he will make ready a people who are prepared for the Lord, prepared to receive him and believe in him and follow him when he comes.

So what we have in these verses is an amazing multi-layered promise from an angelic being who is speaking to an old man, who is married to an elderly wife who couldn't have children even when she was younger. What happens next clearly reveals that Zachariahs hardly even hears what Gabriel has said in verses 16 and 17, because he's stumbling over the promise of verse 13. That he and his wife will have a son. This brings us to the 4th development in this amazing story of the conception of John the Baptist, Christ's forerunner.

Number 4, Gabriel renders Zachariahs speechless for not believing his good news. Observe what Zacharias does in verse 18. Zachariahs said to the angel, how will I know this for certain, for I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years. Notice the question here, how will I know this for certain, the new American Standard says.

Literally, the Greek is, he's just simply saying, how can I know this? Which implies that he doesn't yet know or believe that This is going to happen. What he's really saying to Gabriel is, I've heard what you've said, but I do not yet know it to be true. What else can you give me that will convince me that what you are saying will really come to pass?

I agree with the commentator Leon Morris when he says that Zacharias's question amounts to a demand. For a sign. Zachariahs states the reason he needs a sign or some extra token to help his faith. He says, for I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.

Zacharias is not at his best moment here, but But notice how he seems to know how to speak about his wife in a tactful way. Did you catch that? He describes himself as an old man, but describes his wife as advanced. Advanced in years.

Smart guy. We can give them credit for that. But he's making a huge mistake here in doubting the truthfulness of Gabriel's promise and asking for some additional token of assurance from Gabriel, when in fact the sign that he's asking for has already been given to him. What is the sign, you ask?

Let me answer that question by giving all of you a tip for future reference just in case you need it. If the angel Gabriel ever appears to you, If he ever comes from the very presence of God and appears to you and promises you that God is going to do something that directly fulfills scripture, don't talk back to Gabriel, looking at Gabriel and say, how can I know this for sure? Could you give me a sign? If you do that, Gabriel will not like it.

why? Because the angel Gabriel is the sign. Matthew Henry is so right when he says the appearance of an angel was sign enough. And Gabriel is not just any angel either.

This is exactly why he responds to Zacharias the way he does in verse 19. Look at this, the angel answered and said to him, I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. What Gabriel is saying in part is, Zacharias, I am the sign. I am God's token of assurance.

What more do you want? I'm Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I've been sent from God. And from his direct presence, To speak to you and to bring you this announcement. My presence here answers the very need you're expressing.

When you're speaking in code saying that you want a sign. But These words have already left Zacharias' mouth, and Gabriel is not about to let a request go. Unrewarded Since Zacharias has essentially asked for a sign, Gabriel is now going to give him one. Observe what Gabriel says in verse 20.

He says, and behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their proper time. We see both Chastisement and sweet mercy. In verse 2 Zacharias will not be able to speak. And the reason he won't be able to speak is specifically because he didn't believe Gabriel's promise.

And what Gabriel had spoken. But there's mercy here too. Gabriel says you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place. Notice the assurance.

In his words there God is still going to show Himself true. To Gabriel's promise. And nothing in Zacharias' doubts are going to hinder. That Zacharias will still get to be the father of the forerunner of the Messiah.

And this is a precious mercy. Being given to this man who's wavered in faith as he stands before the angel Gabriel. What we do know is that in making Zacharias unable to speak, Gabriel is actually making him deaf also. Because we see in verse 62 that people had to communicate to Zacharias using signs as well, just as Zacharias will be communicating in signs in verse 22.

So, this all creates a delicious irony for Zacharias. Zacharias wanted some extra sign from Gabriel because he wasn't content with the sign that Gabriel already was. Fair enough. Zacharias will now spend the next 9 months of his life swimming in signs.

Having to give signs to people, to communicate with them and having others having to communicate in nothing but signs to him. Be careful what you wish for. Anyway, remember that Zacharias is in the holy place while this exchange is. Taking place.

We were told earlier that all the people were waiting outside the temple for him, according to the Jewish Talmud. As one commentator says, it was customary for the priest whose duty it was to offer incense to leave the altar as quickly as possible, lest unwittingly he commits some act of profanation. or doing anything, saying anything profane. But Zacharias is taking much longer than usual here because of this exchange that he's having.

And observe what happens starting in verse 21. The text says the people were waiting for Zacharias. And we're wondering at his delay in the temple. Things normally happen much more quickly.

There's a delay here. That's causing a murmur to begin to spread. What's going on? But eventually, Zacharias comes out and it's at this point that the gathered crowd expected him to deliver the Aaronic blessing, the blessing of Aaron from Numbers chapter 6, but observe what happens instead, verse 22, but when he came out, he was unable to speak to them.

And they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple, and he kept making signs to them, and remained mute. You might want to underline that word mute. The Greek word translated mute here, clearly means unable to speak, but it's also translated as deaf in other places of the New Testament, clearly indicating once again that Zacharias is both deaf and unable to speak as he comes forth from The temple And seeing that he's unable to speak and seeing his countenance and A man clearly in a state of shock and realizing how long he's been in the holy place, everyone.

In the crowd is assuming that he's seen a vision of some sort.

And little do they know the full truth of it. Well, what does a man do after experiencing such an amazing Conversation with the angel Gabriel, perhaps some men would have headed straight home to somehow try to communicate that to their wife and, and what does a person do after being struck, unable to speak and unable to hear. Some might have, filed for worker's comp. I gotta go home, but He doesn't do that.

He had duties to fulfill through the full week of his priestly service, and Zacharias makes sure that he does his part on the priestly team that he's on. Although he had to do all of that while getting used to the new reality of not being able to speak or to hear. But then observe what happens beginning in verse 23. When the days of his priestly service were ended.

He went back home. What happens next? is wonderful. And this brings us to the final development in this story of the incredible conception of Christ's forerunner, John the Baptist, and that is that God enables Elizabeth to become pregnant with John the Baptist.

Eventually, Zacharias and Elizabeth come together. After he returns home, they come together in physical intimacy. Verse 24, after these days, Elizabeth, his wife became pregnant. What a great precious miracle this is that God has done in her body and in Zacharias's body, empowering him to father a child.

And wonderfully, after Elizabeth becomes pregnant, she's rejoicing in God's goodness as years of pain and longing melt away. Look at the rest of verse 24 and 25, and she kept herself in seclusion for 5 months, saying, This is the way. This is the way. The Lord has dealt with me in the days when he looked with favor upon me to take away my disgrace among men.

This is the way. She's having this aha moment. This is what God has been up to all along. This is the way.

I guarantee you guys, whatever your unanswered prayers may be. Your unfulfilled longings may be, I promise you that a day is coming in this life or in the life to come when you will say, oh, this is the way. This is what God was doing. We don't know why Elizabeth would have kept herself in seclusion like this.

There was no custom for doing such a thing, but she may have realized that if I go telling people all of this and tell people now before I'm showing that I'm pregnant, People are not gonna believe me. And they're probably going to think that I've lost my mind. And my grief So she's just staying in seclusion for these 5 months, but she's spending these 5 months speaking to herself, and she said this over and over again. This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when he looked with favor.

Upon me She's feeling looked upon by God. She's feeling seen. By God and she appreciates that God has given her a child and taken away her disgrace from among men. This disgrace that she endured from people over the years has been most unfair, but it was real.

People wrongly viewed Childlessness is a sure sign of God's disfavor upon A person And it's wrong for them to view Elizabeth in that way, but that's was her reality for many years. But God has now removed that unfair stigma. He's removed her disgrace from among men, and she will discover also that all of her years of barrenness were not wasted either. Through all of that time, God was forging her character and Zacharias' character in a way that now can be brought fully to bear upon the raising.

Of this great one, John the Baptist. She's in seclusion right now, but she's thinking deeply, she's savoring what God has done. Soon enough, the world will know what has transpired. The time for the telling will come in due course.

But for now, Elizabeth is processing this miracle and speaking this way within the walls of her own home. And this is where our story ends. For today Yet as amazing as what this passage tells us has happened. The story is going to get more amazing in the coming verses.

As we're gonna see next week, and then even beyond Luke one through the rest of Luke and through the rest of the New Testament. Think about it this way, guys. This is what struck me this week. In our passage today, Zacharias literally hears the first promise spoken in the New Testament era.

And he has trouble believing that first promise. He blows fuses in his head, trying to comprehend and believe that first promise, and it's just a simple promise about the forerunner of the Messiah. The first promise that was spoken to him did not even contain 1%. Of all of the glories that will unfold over the next 35 years.

Like a virgin, giving birth to Jesus, the Messiah. Who is both God and man in the flesh, born of a woman. Zachariah has no comprehension. No thought of any of that, that is going to come.

This Messiah will grow up and give sight to the blind and heal the lepers and make the lame able to walk again and raise the dead, and then he's going to die on a cross and be buried in the ground and then he will come forth and resurrection power from the grave. And then ascend to the right hand of God and then pour out His Spirit on all who believe. Zacharias is already blowing fuses in his head, trying to wrap his faith around the New Testament's first promise, when that promise merely represents a tiny portion.

of the full glories that are revealed.

In the New Testament. And all of us in this room probably should not be too hard on him, right? I think we often have the same struggle as Zacharias. And we have less excuse than he had, right?

Even as Christians, we struggle sometimes to believe the fullness of the gospel and we fail to believe the full scope of it as we should. And we have a far greater sign to look at than Zachariah's head. The sign that Zacharias had to look at was Gabriel. The sign we have is Jesus.

Yet sometimes, Even with that, We hear God's gospel promises to us through Christ as God. speaks amazing promises to us and we respond by saying, well, how can I know for sure that you love me? How can I know for sure that you've freed me from the power of this particular sin? How can I know for sure that I'm really forgiven and no longer condemned?

How can I know for sure that you will really cause all things to work together for my good? How can I know for sure that you are really for me and will truly meet all of my needs? And implied, guys, in our doubts. is that God maybe hasn't done quite enough to demonstrate that these things are really true.

When in fact God has given us the greatest sign of all, a sign far greater than Gabriel. And that is Jesus Christ Himself, the God man. Who came from the presence of God Himself, who is the very presence of God Himself, who was born as a baby in Bethlehem and died on a cross for our sins. He's the sign.

That God has provided that should convince all of us. That all of God's gospel promises to us are absolutely true. In Romans 5:8, the apostle Paul says God demonstrates his own love toward us, and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 8:32, if God spared not his own son, but delivered him over for us all, how will he not also with him freely give us all things?

You see, the pointing to Jesus, his incarnation, and his death on the cross is the sign that should persuade us. That God loves us And that all of his gospel promises are true. So will you this morning look full into the wonderful face of Jesus. When you look at all that he is and all that he has done for you.

And believe every single promise that God speaks to you through him. Will you believe and fully believe this morning? If you're here today and you have never believed in Jesus Christ, I pray that God's spirit has been preparing your heart. And making you ready to receive him even this morning.

Don't respond to what you've heard this morning by saying, how can I know for sure that all these things are true? God has already given to you the ultimate sign, and his name is Jesus. Believe in him. Call upon his name today and be saved.

And then join us here at Cornerstone. And opening your mouth together with ours as we tell the world about him. Let's pray together. Lord God, we So appreciate the unfolding of these initial events in our New Testaments.

We are all the richer for The fact that Luke chose not to just begin with talking about the public ministry of John the Baptist, but to go further back in time to tell us This story, and I think part of why he has Zacharias at the beginning of Chronologically speaking, the New Testament who's struggling to believe. The glories of what's being promised is to alert us to the fact that this book. Called the New Testament is gonna blow us away. It's gonna destroy categories, our, our minds as they exist.

Cannot even contain the fullness of all that's gonna be revealed. God is a God who does exceeding abundantly beyond all that we could ask or think. And even beyond all that we would believe. Or be ready to believe on the front end.

But this is our story. This is The gospel by which we are saved. And we thank you for The details of your plan of redemption as you set in motion these amazing things that would lead ultimately to The coming of the Christ and His death on the cross, the shedding of His blood, so that through his shed blood we might be saved. We give praise to you this morning, Lord, for your goodness to us.

And ask that you would enlarge our faith that we might believe. We thank you for the opportunity to give of our offerings to you, Lord, and we ask that you would receive. The money that we give in this offering and use every penny that is given for the glory of Jesus and for the spread of This message that we've been marinating in this morning. At the same time, we surrender and give ourselves to you.

In the name of Jesus, and all God's people said,