The Lord Is Gracious

Luke 1:5-25 - Riley Boggs

I’ve mentioned this several times before, but there was a time where I got wrapped up in a very emotionally driven approach the worship. Every time I would read the Bible or sing worship songs, if it didn’t emotionally captivate me, it felt like nothing was happening. It wasn’t a good thing for me, obviously, for several reasons. One of the main reasons was that I began to lose the desire to read, prayer, or worship, when I didn’t feel like it. In my mind, I thought, “what’s the point in doing this? I know that I’ll be emotionally absent during this, and so there’s really no point.” Not a good approach to any of this.

After a while, as my theological convictions began to grow and change, this approach sort of fell apart for me and I found myself swinging in the total opposite direction. I swung so far, in fact, that I associated all emotionalism as bad. I wanted everything to be very stoic, because I couldn’t break the connection between this obsession with emotional worship that I used to have. And what that led me to is a very cold and hard approach to the Bible, prayer, and worship. The Bible became to be a systematic theology of sorts. It was a book full of clear-cut truths that needed to simply be believed and that was that. Again, not a good approach. 

Eventually, this too began to fall apart for me. And the way, or reason, that it fell apart was texts like the one we are in this morning. I was sitting under faithful preachers, who held to the same theological convictions as myself, and yet they were completely okay with drawing out the emotional elements of texts like this. I’m thankful for these men, because what they taught me, both directly and simply by watching them, was that either extreme is not good.

On one hand, we can’t be controlled by our emotions. Worship is more, not less, than just an emotional experience. We read, pray, and sing, even when we don’t want to. Even if we think our emotions are a bit absent, we do these things, because the Lord has asked us to and we trust that the He is going to use them to grow us. On the other hand, a cold emotionless Christian life, isn’t the Christian life seen in the Bible. We are emotional people. God gave us emotions for a reason, and it isn’t so that they would be pushed away like they don’t exist. They are an integral part of who we are. And at the same time, they can deceive us at times, so we seek to sanctify them all the same.

Here’s why I am bringing all of this up. The text we are in this morning, I think, is an emotionally charged text. If you read this text like you would read a systematic theology book, I think you’re going to miss some very important elements to this story. And just the same, if you read this text as just an emotional text, nothing more, then I think you’re going to miss some important elements as well. There has to be a balance here if we want to walk away from the text seeing what the Lord would have us see. The details that are here, are here for a reason. The way the story is told, is told for a reason.

What I want to do this morning is sort of tell the story again, so that we can all really grasp what is happening. Then, we’re going to draw out 4 different things that we should take away from this. So, let’s walk through the story one more time as we began. 

You have a man named Zechariah and his wife named Elizabeth. And we read that they have no children because Elizabeth was unable to have children during the years that she would’ve been able to. And now her and her husband are much older, and the chance of having children seems to be gone. But, one day while Zechariah was working, everything changed. He was a priest, and his division was currently on duty, and he had been selected to go into the temple of the Lord and burn the incense. So he goes into the temple to do this, and once he gets to the altar of incense, an angel of the Lord appears to him. This scares Zechariah, but the angel speaks and the first words he says, “Do not be afraid.” And then, he tells him something I’m sure Zechariah wasn’t expecting. He says, “Your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord.” The angel goes on to tell more details about how great John will be and all that he will do for the Lord. 

Zechariah has his hesitations. He wants proof that this is going to happen. He’s having a hard time believing this, and so he asks for a sign. He asks the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” The angel responds, tells him who he is and what his purpose is, and that because Zechariah refused to believe what was said, he would be unable to speak until his son is born. All the while, the people outside the temple were wondering what was taking so long. Eventually, Zechariah comes out, the people notice he can no longer speak, and they realize that he had seen a vision while in the temple. Zechariah finishes his work and goes home. After this, what seemed impossible takes place. Elizabeth becomes pregnant. But she stays hidden for 5 months, worshipping and thanking the Lord for what he has done, saying, “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”

There is so much here. This passage likely pulls or pushes each of us in a different way. But, for this morning, I am only going to draw your attention to 4 different things. I am trusting that the Lord will grant us the understanding and application of this text this morning. The first thing I want to put before us is this...

1.) The effects of the fall are felt by all people

When you saw this point pop up on the screen, many of you probably thought, “Well, that’s pretty obvious.” And in one sense, it is. If you’ve been in Bible-believing churches for any amount of time, this has likely been drilled into you. That is, that when Adam and Eve sinned, they plunged all of humanity into sin. And as a result of that, things aren’t the way they should be anymore. God told Adam that he would live forever if he refrained from eating from the tree of the knowledge good and evil. But instead, because he ate of it, he was cursed to die. Not just Adam, but the whole world. Things die, things decay, things break. Sin is everywhere and the ramifications of sin are everywhere. We have sinned against a Holy God, who told us what the consequences would be, and they are here.

And though we know this, the world preaches a different truth. The world says that “good things happen to good people, and bad things happen to bad people.” There are several issues with this statement, but let me tell you just 2 of them. First, I would contend that there are no “good people” apart from Christ. So the whole notion that someone would be innocent and good, and only deserving of good things, stands in opposition to what the Bible says. That is, that every person is born with a sinful nature, not inclined towards obedience, and needs saving. They need someone good, Jesus Christ, to change who they are.

The second issue with this statement you can see right here in our text, in verse 6. We read that Zechariah and Elizabeth were “righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statues of the Lord.” Now this doesn’t mean they were sinless, but they were living lives of obedience. They are called righteous before God. And so if we were to operate on this, “Good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people”, principle, then would expect that good things are happening to them. Yet, the very next sentence gives us heartbreaking information. They were unable to have children, because Elizabeth was barren, and now they were both advanced in years.

You see, the effects of the fall are felt by all people, not excluding followers of Christ. Though we have been redeemed, though we are seeking to follow Him, that doesn’t mean we are excluded from the pain and suffering that came as a result of sin entering the world. It’s important we understand this, because one day you’re going to feel the effects of the fall. Like Zechariah and Elizabeth, you’re going to hear the news you were hoping you’d never hear. And in that moment of disappoint, worry, and pain, you’re going to be tempted to say, “Lord, what did I do to deserve this?” You’ll start running through all the things you have done trying to figure out why the Lord has placed you under judgement in this way, because this isn’t right.

Do you remember the story of Job? Job was suffering immensely. He lost his children, his wealth, and was physically afflicted. All of his friends kept telling him that he must be under judgment for something he has done. But, if you know the story, that isn’t the case. Job wasn’t under judgement, but rather the Lord was using it for purpose that he couldn’t yet see. The same is true here with Elizabeth. Look at final sentence, verse 25. She says that the Lord has done this, “to take away my reproach among people.” I think people were accusing her of the same thing that Job’s friends were accusing him of. They were saying, “Elizabeth, what did you do to deserve this? Everyone else is getting pregnant and you’re not, so it must be something you’ve done.” But as we know, that wasn’t the case, she was living a righteous life. This pregnancy will silent all those who assumed otherwise, and she is thankful for that.

And just like Job’s friends and the people around Elizabeth, you might begin to do the same thing in those times of suffering. You’ll begin to condemn yourself, thinking that it must be something you’ve done to deserve this. You haven’t been good enough. When that happens to you, or if you are helping someone else who is struggling with this, I want you to call this text to mind. It isn’t that you are under judgement for a specific thing you have done, it is that you are living in a fallen and broken world. Yes, the Lord doesn’t discipline us at times for things, but don’t think fall into the temptation that your hardships are a result of your lack of good deeds. The effects of the fall are felt by all people, including those who are seeking and following Christ faithfully. And though we may suffer because of that, we know that we have a God who hears our prayers. That is the second thing I want you to see this morning.

2.) The Lord hears and answers our prayers

I imagine that Zechariah and Elizabeth had asked the Lord for a child many times when they were younger. As each month, each year, passed they continued to pray and ask that the Lord would do this for them. But now, since they were much older, I wonder if they had stopped asking the Lord for this. Now it seemed out of reach, impossible, and so maybe they asked the Lord from time to time, but not like when they were younger. 

So when the angel looks at Zechariah and says, “your prayer has been answered”, there was a moment where Zechariah probably thought, “What prayer?” And then the angel says, “your wife is going to have a son”, he couldn’t believe it. We’ll look at how Zechariah responded more in depth at the end of the sermon. For now, I just want to remind you that the Lord does hear your prayers and does answer them, according to His will. He may not answer them in the time that we want them, but that doesn’t mean He doesn’t answer them. It might have been years since they had prayed this prayer, thinking that it would never be answered, and then, when they least expected it, He answers it. 

Matthew Henry says, “Prayers made when we were young and entering the world, may be answered when we are old and going out of the world”. This text shows us that very clearly. Though our prayers may not be answered when or how we’d always like, according to our own desires, the Lord certainly hears them and delights to answer them. The angel wants Zechariah to see this. It’s not just that she is going to become pregnant, it’s that their prayer was heard and answered. The Lord cares for His people and He delights to answer hear and answer their prayers. 

But let’s be very honest. All of have prayed prayers that have not been answered. We’ve asked for things we haven’t gotten, been given things we asked not to get, and all the rest. How do we reconcile this? How can we say that the Lord does hear our prayers and does answer them, while at the same time acknowledging that you prayed fervently for this person to get well, but they never did. What if your story doesn’t end like Zechariah and Elizabeth’s? We most trust and know this, that…

3.) The Lord brings about all things for the good of His people, and so that His glory might be put on display

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” We just sang a song proclaiming this same truth. The Lord brings about all things, every single thing, for the good of His people, and so that His glory might be put on display. 

We have to get this. Though it seems like your unanswered prayer isn’t in your best interest, we have to trust that it actually is. We have to trust that what we read in His Word is true, that everything is being worked out for our good. I think this story gives us a picture of how this is the case, very obviously, for Zechariah and Elizabeth, so that we might trust that the same is true for us.

Here's what I mean. I want you to notice all the “Just so happens” in this story that forces us to see the goodness and glory of God in all of it. And then, when you see it here in this text, I want you to know that the same is true in your life, even if you can’t see it. 

Alright, let’s work through this one piece at a time. Zechariah was one of lots and lots of priests at this time, and yet there was only one temple. The opportunity that Zechariah has here to go into the temple and burn the incense is likely a once in a lifetime opportunity. His division just so happened to be on duty and when they casted lots, it just so happened to land on him. This would have been the pinnacle of his role as a priest. It’s in this moment that the Lord decides to tell him all of this. He tells him what that his prayer is answered, as we have seen, but he also tells him a lot about who his son is going to be.

He tells him that he is to name him John, which means “The Lord is gracious.” Then he tells him that he’s going to be a special man, one devoted to the Lord in a unique way. He’s going to be filled with the Holy Spirit from birth, which makes him the only New Testament person that this is said of. Even further, he’s going to play a pivotal role in the redemption of Israel. Because of what he does, families are going to be restored. He’s going to go before the Lord himself, in the power spirit and power of Elijah. That is, he is going to be the one fulfilling the prophecies seen in Malachi 3 and 4. He is going to prepare a way for the Lord when he comes. 

In a few weeks, as we work through this Gospel, we will see this story played out. We’ll see John the Baptist do these very things. But for now, just see how the Lord has orchestrated all of this. When you read it, what are you left with? You are left marveling at the sovereign hand of God. You are met with the glaring truth that none of this is happenstance, there are no “just so happens”, but the Lord has carefully and perfectly put everything into place so that we would see how awesome he really is. 

In fact, the God has uniquely done this throughout the Bible by granting barren women with children. We see this happen with Abraham and Sarah and their son Isaac. Then with Isaac and Rebekah and their sons Jacob and Esau. Again with Rachel, Hannah, Manoah’s wife, and so on. Over and over it happens. Why? Because by granting these women with children, the grace and glory of God is placed right before us. The fall has brought painful realities to each of them, and yet the Lord healed them, in His timing. 

And what we need to remember, what we have to cling on to, is that this same thing is true of our lives. In the same way that God orchestrated each and every thing in this story to for the good of Zechariah and Elizabeth, and so that God’s glory might be put on display, He’s doing that in your life as well. I’m sure they had doubts about the Lord using their years of disappoint for the good of His people, and look what happened. Their son would go on to pave the way for the Savior of the world, putting to death all sin and all of its effects in eternity. 

Though you might not feel it, though you might not see it, though you might struggle to believe it, it is true. The Lord is working out all things for your good, even the prayers that seem unanswered. And our response must be one of faith, trusting what the Lord has said, which is the final thing I want you to see this morning.

4.) We must have faith, trusting what the Lord has said

Whenever Abraham and Sarah walked through the same thing we see here with Zechariah and Elizabeth, Sarah didn’t respond in faith. In fact the Bible tells us that she laughed at the idea that she would have a child at her age, but she did. In our story this morning, Zechariah is the one who doesn’t respond in faith. The angel tells him what is going to take place, and his immediate response is, “Okay, but how can I know what you’re telling me is true?” To which the angel says that he is the angel Gabriel who stands in the presence of God almighty, and it was He who sent me to tell you this. That alone should be enough. But, because Zechariah asked for the sign, he is going to be given a sign. He becomes unable to speak until his son is born and named John.

Now you might be thinking, why did the Lord do this? Why did he quiet him like this? I think there are 2 clear reasons and one a bit more speculative. First, him being unable to speak is the sign that he asked for. He wanted something to prove this was true, and he was given that. Second, I think this is a judgement. He didn’t respond in faith, he didn’t believe what the Lord was saying, and so the sign he receives is also a bit of disciplining act by the Lord. And lastly, the more speculative one, I think that the Lord didn’t want him to cause Elizabeth to doubt any more than she already would.

When Zechariah gets home and can’t speak, Elizabeth is going to know that someone happened. Just like those outside the temple knew that he had seen a vision. And when he figures out how to communicate this to her, I think she is going to be more prone to believe. On the other hand, if he didn’t receive the sign and came home, I think he could’ve been a bit more hesitant. He could’ve qualified what the angel had said, saying things like, “I mean, I think I believe Gabriel. I don’t know. Let’s just not get our hopes up.” But that’s wrong, it is exactly the time to get your hopes up. The Lord said it was going to happen, so it will. And we see that Elizabeth, even after conceiving, kept herself hidden for 5 months. Why? Likely because she was having a hard time believing that she was going to see the pregnancy all the way through, and she didn’t need a doubtful husband pulling her that way anymore.

For us this morning, this text is a call to have faith, and trust what the Lord has said. At times this is going to be hard. I’m sure that there were times where Zechariah and Elizabeth cried out to the Lord asking, “How can you use this for my good? I don’t see a way.” And yet, their son would play a pivotal role in preparing the way for the redemption of the world. Had they known that, of course they would’ve trusted. Of course they would’ve had faith. But they didn’t, and yet they were still called to trust and have faith. And they did, they sought the Lord and were righteous before Him.

That is what we must do. We don’t know the reason why. We don’t know how the Lord is going to use this for our good. But we do know that He will, because He has said so. He keeps all of His promises, each and every one. He is a God we can put all of our faith in and never leave disappointed. He is a God whose every word we can trust, and we will never be deceived. Let us be men and women of faith, bold faith. And when we reach eternity, where all sin and death is done away with, we will look back on our lives and be thankful for each and every moment where we trusted, because we will know the one whom we trusted better than we ever have. Let’s press forward towards that end.