With God, Don't Be Surprised (Luke 1:5-25)
Gary McManus, 12/04/2022Part of the Christmas series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
December 4, 2022 2nd Sunday in Advent
Luke 1:5-25
Talking with God: prayer.
Jesus prayed. (Mark 14:32, Luke 3:21, Luke 5:16,
Luke 6:12, Luke 22:32, John 14:16, John 17:1)
Jesus taught his followers to pray. (Matthew 6:9, Luke 11:2) We looked at the Apostle’s instructions, 1 Timothy 2:1. The early churches prayed. (Acts 2:42 ) Does yours? This we have in common with the Apostles: prayer.
And we pray to the same God as Jesus and the Apostles (and Abraham, Isaac, Jacob: the God of Zechariah,
the God of Mary, the God of Joseph)
Notice what Zechariah was saying to God.
Zechariah=Israel’s priest (Luke 1:5)
THAT day, Zechariah got to go into the temple to offer the incense. The Lord God had willed it.
Personal details on Zechariah and Elizabeth: childless AND upright! Really?!
AND, they were old.
Come to find out: those two WERE in God’s promise—
and they WERE in God’s promise in a very special plan. Revealed through Gabriel, the/a messenger of God. (Notice Revelation 8:4)
Pastor David Jeremiah, Why the Nativity, suggested that Elizabeth and Zechariah may have lost hope of having children. . .maybe. . doesn’t say. We can be assured that
Zechariah NEVER stopped praying about it.
Gabriel: “Your prayer has been heard.”
--prayer for a child
--the prayers of the priest, deliverance for Judah
Gabriel is there to announce the answer to the prayers.
Further answers:
--a child, a son
--a child, a joy and delight
--many will rejoice because of his birth
--great in the sight of the Lord.
--filled with the Holy Spirit
--bring back many of the people to God.
--in the spirit and power of Elijah
Did Zechariah, cry tears of joy? Doesn’t say.
Zechariah’s words in response are more words
of astonishment.
Zechariah WAS SURPRISED. . .
Zechariah was surprised BEYOND BELIEF.
Zechariah said, basically, “how is this even possible”?
It’s okay for US to be limited in our understanding.
But don’t suggest that God is limited.
Zechariah asked questions!
Pastor prefers his interpretation of Gabriel’s response:
“Look buddy, God just told me to come here and
announce to you God’s own words.
You don’t get to ask me questions.”
So what do we learn here?
Jesus Himself would teach. . .pray and never give up.
(Luke 18:1) It appears that Zechariah did keep praying. But Zechariah wasn’t prepared for the answers. Will you and I be prepared for the answer to our prayers?
(Notice Job 42:3: let us not obscure God’s work with
a lack of understanding.)
Will we be surprised that God answers prayers?
Can we in the 21st Century, hear the divine words of the angel, spoken 2,000 years ago?
It says something about our God, God’s promises, and God’s answer to prayers.
Amen.
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