Text Study #1 Luke 1:5-25

Introduction

This text is intended to be used during one of the Sundays of Advent, the four weeks prior to Christmas. The first four texts in this series were chosen with that pre-Christmas season in mind.

Luke begins his Gospel with the story of how God’s angel, Gabriel, came to the aged priest, Zechariah, while he was on sacred duty in the Temple, to announce the joyous news of the birth of a son. This son, John, would be the Lord’s devoted, Spirit-filled prophet to prepare the hearts of God’s people for the coming of the Savior.

Commentary and Study Notes

Verse 5

In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a certain priest by the name of Zechariah, who was of the priestly division of Abijah. His wife was from the daughters of Aaron and her name was Elizabeth.
“King Herod” = This is Herod the Great who ruled from 37 – 4 B.C. by the permission of the Romans. His kingdom included all the parts of Israel (Galilee, Samaria and Judea). He was a great builder of many magnificent structures (including the renovation of the Temple in Jerusalem begun in 20 B.C.), but he was also a cunning, cruel and murderous ruler.

“Zechariah” = Both Zechariah and Elizabeth were from priestly families descended from the line of Aaron, the first high priest and the brother of Moses. King David had organized the priests into 24 divisions during his rule. Abijah was the 8th division. Each division had its members serve at the temple twice a year for a week at a time.

Verse 6

Both of them were righteous before God, living without blame according to all the commands and righteous decrees of the Lord.
“righteous before God” = The Greek word for righteous is δίκαιοs. To be δίκαιοs means “to be in a right condition before the standards of God or people.” Zechariah and Elizabeth were not sinless people who lived perfect lives. Rather they were humble, repentant believers who trusted in God’s gift of righteousness through the Savior to pardon them for their sins. In thankful faith, they faithfully and sincerely strove to keep God’s commands.

Verse 7

They did not have a child because Elizabeth was not able to have children and both of them were well along in years. “not able to have children” = This aged couple did not enjoy the personal happiness of having children. It was especially true in biblical times that the gift of children was considered a sign of God’s favor (see Psalm 128:3) and the lack of children was generally considered a sign of God’s disfavor. Because they had no children, the couple occasionally received unfair, shaming comments from others. In this way, they were like Sarah (Genesis 16:2) and Hannah (1 Samuel 1:1-18) in the Old Testament, who longed for a child and had little human hope of ever having one.

Verses 8-10

While he was serving as priest before God, when his priestly division was on duty, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. The whole crowd of people was praying outside during the hour of offering incense. “burn incense” = It was the duty of the priests to keep the incense burning on the altar in front of the Most Holy Place in the Temple in Jerusalem. The priest on duty would add incense before the morning sacrifice and again after the evening sacrifice. A single priest could have the privilege of doing this only once in his life. Some never got the chance. Because there were so many priests, the privilege was determined by drawing lots. Zechariah was serving as the incense offering priest at this time.

“the whole crowd of people was praying outside” = The assembly of worshippers prayed outside the Temple while the priest on duty offered the incense. We are not told whether this was the morning or the evening offering of incense time. Because we are told of the assembled crowd, it is more likely that this was the time of the evening offering.

Verses 11-12

An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. Zechariah was startled and overcome with fear.
“the angel of the Lord” = During this special, sacred time, God sent an angel to stand right beside Zechariah on the south side of the altar.

“Zechariah was startled and overcome with fear” = Zechariah responded as a human being would in the sudden presence of a holy being. He was shocked and afraid.

Verse 13

But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife, Elizabeth, will bear a son to you, and you will name him ‘John.’
“Do not be afraid, Zechariah” = God’s angel comforted Zechariah by assuring him he had nothing to fear.

“your prayer has been heard” = The angel announced good news. Zechariah’s prayer has been answered. This prayer may have been the personal prayer for a child that he and Elizabeth had previously offered or the prayer for the redemption of Israel that he had offered that day as part of his priestly duties.

“a son … you will name him ‘John.’” = The angel also made a wonderful announcement of a coming birth. Zechariah and Elizabeth will be given a son. God had already given the child his significant name. The name “John” means “the Lord, the God of the covenant, has been gracious.” The naming of the child by God showed that John would have a special relationship with God.

Verses 14-15

There will be joy and delight for you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, because he will be great before the Lord. He must not drink wine or other alcoholic drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit already from his mother’s womb.
“There will be joy” = John would bring great joy, not only to Zechariah and Elizabeth, but also to many more people.

“he will be great before the Lord” = Aside from Jesus Himself, John is the only human being in the New Testament who is called “great” in God’s opinion. God has great plans for John.

“he must not drink wine or other alcoholic drink” = In order to show that he was set apart for special service, John would be like the Nazirites in the Old Testament (Numbers 6:1-4) and not drink any alcoholic beverage.

“filled with the Holy Spirit already from his mother’s womb” = Unlike other human beings, John would be given the Holy Spirit and His gifts (including saving faith) while still in his mother’s womb. This truth about John is very comforting for us. It reminds us that while God obligates us to use his means of grace (the Gospel in the forms of the Word and the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion) so the Holy Spirit can bring people to saving faith in Jesus, God does not bind himself to save only by those means. In the case of John, God gave him saving faith apart from those means. The comfort for us is that in cases such as babies who die in miscarriages or by abortion and do not have the opportunity to be baptized, God can still save them from their sin and give them eternal life.

Verses 16-17

He will turn many of the children of Israel back to the Lord their God. He will go on before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers toward their children, and the hearts of the unbelieving to the understanding of the righteous in order to get ready a people who are prepared for the Lord.” “in the spirit and power of Elijah” = God’s angel explained the special mission of John. John was to be a prophet, like the great Old Testament Elijah, who was a preacher of repentance to prepare people spiritually for God’s renewing work. John’s coming was a fulfillment of Malachi 4:5-6, which foretold the coming of an Elijah-like prophet to get people ready for the coming of the Savior.

“turn the hearts” = The Greek word ἐπιστρέψαι means “ to turn back” or “to turn toward” and refers to spiritual conversion, the inward “turning” of the human soul when the Holy Spirit works true sorrow for sin through the Law and then saving faith in the Savior through the Gospel. John’s task was to proclaim God’s Word to people so they could be turned around people spiritually and be reconciled to God and His will and also to fellow human beings. God’s wonder-working Word is able to restore the precious relationships of life that are ruined by sin.

“the hearts of the unbelieving” = The Greek word that we translate as “unbelieving” is the Greek word ἀπειθεῖς. This work is often translated in English Bibles as “disobedient.” Its basic meaning is “a person who is unwilling to be persuaded”. The translation “unbelieving” is probably a better choice in this context.

Verse 18

Zechariah said to the angel: “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.” “How can I be sure of this?” = Zechariah responded to the angel’s announcement with disappointing skepticism. He does not believe God’s angel-delivered message of good news. He demands more proof and reminds the angel that he and his wife are not able to have a child.

Verses 19-20

The angel answered him: “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God. I was sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. Now you will be silenced and not able to speak until the day when these things happen because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their proper time. “I am Gabriel” = The angel answered Zechariah’s unbelief, first of all, by revealing his name. He is Gabriel, which means “God is my hero” or “mighty man of God.”

“I stand in the presence of God” = Gabriel then declared that he stood the presence of God. By this he lets Zechariah know that he is a holy angel, who enjoys God’s favor and is God’s authorized representative. Gabriel had been specially commissioned by God to deliver a most important and serious message to Zechariah.

“you will be silenced” = As a consequence of Zechariah’s unbelief, he would receive a sign, but not one that he might expect. As a rebuke to the unbelief he expressed with his mouth. Zechariah would be unable to use his mouth to speak until God’s word was fulfilled at the birth of John.

Verses 21-22

Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and were wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he was not able to speak to them. They realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. He kept making signs to them and remained unable to speak.
“the people were waiting” = While Gabriel spoke with Zechariah, the assembly of worshippers were kept waiting for him to appear. When he did leave the Holy Place, he found that he could not join the other priests in speaking the words of blessing on the people.

“realized that he had seen a vision” = The people did not know exactly what happened to Zechariah but realized that he had seen some vision from God.

Verses 23-25

When the days of his priestly service were completed, he went back to his home. After those days, his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant. She kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying: The Lord has done this for me. In these days He has shown His favor by taking away my reason for shame among people.” “he went back to his home” = After Zechariah completed his week of service, he returned to his nearby home in the hill country of Judea. We may wonder what Zechariah communicated to Elizabeth about his experience in the Temple. One pastor has suggested that perhaps Zechariah wrote a letter to Elizabeth that may have gone like this:

Dearest Elizabeth: I have some important things to tell you about the remarkable things I have seen and heard this week. This week I received the highest honor of my life. God, the blessed and holy One, chose me to burn the incense in the Temple. I slowly entered the Holy Place carrying the censor filled with glowing coals. I saw the golden candlestick, the table of showbread, the golden altar of incense. I was so excited that I hardly dared to look at the curtain. As I was putting incense on the coal, an angel of God appeared. His name was Gabriel. He was standing on the right side of the altar in this sacred place. Elizabeth, I was scared to death. He talked to me. He called me by name. He knew me. He told me not to be afraid. The he told me the astounding news that you and I would have a son. We are going to have a baby, Elizabeth. You and I, an old and childless couple, are going to have a child. The angel Gabriel told me that this boy, our son, is going to be a very special child with a most important mission. He is going to be the long-promised prophet who prepares the way for the Messiah. The Messiah is coming, Elizabeth. The Messiah! Our Savior! What favor God has shown us – and the whole world! I should have believed Him, Elizabeth, but I didn’t. Your husband didn’t that believe God remembers His promises and keeps them. So I received a penalty for my unbelief. The angel told that told me that I would not be able to talk until our baby is born. That is what has happened and that is why I have to share this news with you by writing it down. I am embarrassed by my weakness of faith, Elizabeth. But the good news is that our prayers have been heard. We are going to be parents. The Messiah is coming. Our son is going to prepare the way for him. So, get ready, my dear, for some very big changes in our lives that will bring wonderful blessings for the whole world. Your loving husband, Zechariah

“Elizabeth, became pregnant” = Zechariah had sexual relations with his wife, Elizabeth, and she became pregnant as the angel had said she would.

“in seclusion for five months” = Elizabeth kept out of public view for 5 months, probably until the time when she would be showing her pregnant condition, and have visible proof that God had shown His favor toward her and had removed any stigma about Elizabeth being a childless woman.

Law and Gospel In This Text

Take a little time to identify some Law and Gospel teaching elements in the text.

Some Law Elements

1.v. 6: the obedience of Zechariah and Elizabeth, they lived without blame according to the commands and righteous decrees of the Lord 2.vs. 8-9: Zechariah fulfilled his duty as a priest 3. v. 10: People worshipped and prayed at the Temple 4. vs. 11, 13 and 19: Gabriel served as God’s faithful messenger 5. v. 18: Zechariah expressed disbelief at God’s announcement 6. vs. 19-20: Gabriel rebuked Zechariah for his unbelief and announced God’s punishment 7. v. 22: Zechariah experienced the consequences of his unbelief 8. vs. 23-24: Zechariah obeyed God when he returned home 9. v. 25: Elizabeth rejoiced in God’s gift

Some Gospel Elements

v. 6: Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous before God (this righteous verdict was God’s gift to them through faith in the coming Savior)
vs. 13-17: the message that God gives a son who will bring joy and will bring many to faith in the Lord
v. 25: the contents of Elizabeth’s praise: God has shown gracious favor toward her

Preaching/Teaching Points in This text

Suggest two or more teaching points in this text. A teaching point is a truth found in the text that could be explored and expanded within the sermon. Here are a few suggestions by the author of this lesson.

God works in surprising ways to accomplish His will (an angel messenger, a miraculous birth)
The Messiah is coming.
Be prepared for the coming of the Savior with a turned-around (repentant) heart.
Receive God’s Word by faith. Do not reject it in unbelief.
God remembers and keeps His ancient promises to bring salvation to the world.
God gives us joy by means of His Word and those who proclaim it faithfully.
God plans a great mission for the Forerunner of the Messiah.

Some minor teaching topics could include • The holy angels are God’s messengers • The sadness and pain of being childless • Children are a gift from God • God has a use for old people • Strive to live a faithful, pious life as God’s believer • God can give the Holy Spirit to a person apart from the means of grace • Sinners are afraid in the presence of holiness • God takes away our natural fear of Him • A chastened believer learns to obey • God hears our prayers and answers them • God will use afflictions to rebuke our unbelief and to train us • Strive to turn sinful people back to God by sharing His Word • John is the “second Elijah”

Sermon outline with Theme and Parts

Suggest a sermon theme and parts for this text.

Like any text, there could be many different themes and parts.

GOD GETS US READY FOR REMARKABLE THINGS

This outline covers the whole text:

He Surprises Us with An Angel Messenger for An Aged Couple (verses 5-13)
He Delights Us with The Gift of The Coming Savior’s Prophet (verses 14-17)
He Cautions Us Against Refusing to Believe Him (verses 18-22)
He Comforts Us by Fulfilling His Saving Promises (verses 23-25)

GOD SENDS HIS PROPHET TO BRING US JOY (verses 13-14)

This outline focuses on the part of the text that discusses the person and work of John:

He Equips John with Special Gifts for His Mission (verse 15)
He Employs John to Change Our Turned-Away Hearts (verses 15-17a)
He Empowers John to Direct Us to Our Savior (verse 17b)

ZECHARIAH ANNOUNCES THE COMING OF CHRISTMAS

This outline uses the text with a sermon preached from the viewpoint of Zechariah:

I Was Startled by God’s Message Of Wonderful News (verses 11-17)
I Was Rightly Rebuked When I Would Not Believe Him (verses 17-22)
I Became Fully Convinced That God Does Keep His Word (verses 23-25)

Two Potential life Applications Suggested by the Text

What are two applications for the faith and life of God’s people that you could make from this text?

Do not doubt that God will keep his promises
God remembers the promises he makes to us, even though we may have to wait a long time for them to be fulfilled
God hears your prayers, even we do not always see evidences of it
God wants your heart to be turned back to him and to those you have conflicts with
God has joy for you in the coming of the Savior
God wants to use you in his service, even when you are old

Bible Study

Develop A 5-6 Question Bible Study That Leads Others To Grasp The Meaning Of The Text And Identify Applications For Their Lives.

There are many possibilities. Here are some questions that could be used:

What information does Luke give us about the people who would be the parents of the man who would prepare the way for the Savior? (vs. 5-7)
Why do you think that Zechariah and Elizabeth would be a good choice to be the parents of a child with such a special life mission?
Why do you think that Zechariah and Elizabeth would be an unlikely choice to be the parents of a child with such a special life mission?
What important work was Zechariah doing when God’s angel appeared to him? (vs. 8-10)
Comment on Luther’s statement: “God often likes to make His will known to people when they are busy doing their appointed tasks.”
How did Zechariah react, at first, to the angel’s appearance? (vs. 11-12)
What surprising, good news did the angel give Zechariah? (v. 13)
What are some of the special features that would be part of this child’s life and character? (vs. 14-15)
What special mission would this child carry out when he was older? (vs. 16-17)
How did Zechariah respond to the angel’s astonishing news? (v. 18)
Why did Gabriel rebuke Zechariah for his response? (v. 19)
Give three reasons why it should not have been so hard for Zechariah to believe Gabriel’s message to him.
What chastising penalty did God place on the skeptical Zechariah? (v. 20)
In your opinion, what purpose(s) would Zechariah’s silence serve?
How did the silence placed on Zechariah affect him and the people he was serving at the time? (vs. 21-22)
What happened when Zechariah returned home from his temple service? (vs. 23-24a)
How did Elizabeth react to her pregnancy and the special news associated with her baby? (vs. 24b-25)
“By announcing the birth of John the Baptizer, God reveals Himself to be the God of good and great surprises.” Explain what this comment means.

A Sample Sermon by Pastor James Witt

COME LORD JESUS WITH PROOF FOR US WHO DOUBT

Luke 1:11-20

Then an angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 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. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 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. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 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.”

Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”

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. 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.”

Blessed are those who read and hear the words of the Lord and take them to heart. The time in near for Jesus to come.

“Oh, don’t be such a doubting _______. Were you ready to say the name “Thomas?” That’s the name we often want to put there to complete the sentence. Thomas is the most famous of the doubters of the Bible. He did not accept the other disciples’ testimony about the risen Savior and expressed his stubborn reluctance to believe that Jesus was alive again. But we are now in the Advent season, so we have a different name to use. It is the name of another famous doubter. He is Zechariah, an aged priest, the husband of Elizabeth, and the father of John the Baptist.

Zechariah is an interesting case. He teaches us what doubt is. He shows us that doubt is the thought that something may not be true or right. It is the attitude of uncertainty, a mood of disbelief. Zechariah also shows us that doubting has no age limit. Young people can doubt. Middle aged people can doubt. Older people like Zechariah can doubt. Zechariah shows us that even believers in God can be plagued with doubts. More importantly, Zechariah shows us that doubting God and His Word is sinful and insulting to the Lord who always speaks the truth. Even more importantly, he also shows us that God can help the person afflicted with sinful doubts and deliver them from the damage doubt causes.

Let’s take a closer look at this Advent poster-child for people like us who can also struggle with doubts about God and His ways. Many of us know the basic story of Zechariah fairly well. Luke introduces him to us right at the start of His gospel about Jesus. Zechariah lived at the time of Herod the Great, who ruled Israel with Roman permission, from 37-4 B.C. Zechariah was a priest, who was married to a priest’s daughter. He was a devout believer in the true God and looked forward to the coming of the Messiah who would save people from their sins and spiritual enemies. Zechariah was old and childless because Elizabeth was infertile.

As Luke’s account unfolds, we learn that Zechariah’s priestly division, Abijah, is taking its twice-a-year turn at serving in the temple. Zechariah has been chosen by lot to be the priest to keep the incense burning on the altar in front of the Most Holy Place on that day. Because there were so many priests and only so many opportunities, this was a rare privilege for Zechariah. The Jewish regulations for priests state that this was often a once-in-a-lifetime event. It was on this very special day in Zechariah’s life and career as a priest that God sent His angel Gabriel to deliver an important announcement to Zechariah. Gabriel appeared to Zechariah while he was tending the altar of incense. God’s angel stood at Zechariah’s right side and startled him. Gabriel told the fear-filled priest to set aside his fear and then assured him that God was answering a prayer he had offered. The angel announced that God was going to give him and Elizabeth a son whom they were name “John”. The name “John” means “God is gracious.” This son would bring Zechariah and Elizabeth great joy and he would also do much more. John would cause many to rejoice and he would be great in the sight of God. Zechariah’s special child was live a special life as a Nazirite who would never drink alcohol. He would be given the Holy Spirit to fill his heart with faith and strength even before birth. The angel also announced the special mission that John would have – he would be a powerful Elijah-like prophet who would proclaim the word of God to lead many people to repentance and who would prepare their hearts to welcome the coming of the Messiah. Gabriel told Zechariah that his son would play a most important role in God’s plan of salvation. He would be God’s great messenger to get people ready for the Savior. The promise of God’s salvation was the great thing that Zechariah believed in and longed for. It was astoundingly good news that the angel delivered to him.

Instead of welcoming this announcement with faith and joy, the priest in the temple responded with doubt. He expressed his uncertainty with the question: “How can I be sure of this?” Then he gave the reasons for his disbelief. He was an old man and his wife was an old woman, well beyond the age and ability to have children. The angel’s message did not make sense to him. The opportunity for he and Elizabeth to have a child, much less such a special child. was long past. That ship had sailed, that train had left the station, that letter had already been mailed long ago.

Now, we must understand that not all doubting is wrong or sinful. God has given people the ability to doubt. It is a helpful ability. There are times when doubting is the proper thing to do. If the person or the thing that we are asked to believe is dishonest or unreliable, then thinking that the report or the promise may not be true or right is the correct reaction. God calls us to be discerning people. He commands us to “test the spiritual messages and messengers” we hear. He doesn’t want us to be deceived by lying people and their phony promises. He wants us to put our faith in people and things that are true and reliable. While there is such a thing as good doubt, there is also such a thing as bad doubt. Zechariah’s doubt was bad. It was bad because of whom Zechariah was doubting. He was doubting God, the God who does not lie and always tells the truth. He was doubting the God who is almighty and for whom nothing is impossible. God had selected and sent one of His most loyal, honored and powerful angels to give Zechariah this divine message. God had given Zechariah a message that was in full agreement with all the truth that He had revealed in the Old Testament. God has given Zechariah a message that revealed God’s knowledge of the deepest, most personal longings of Zechariah’s and Elizabeth’s hearts. It should have been easy for Zechariah to accept this message.

But God’s intimate message and reliable messenger was not enough for Zechariah. In his reluctant mood, he asked for a sign beyond the proof that God had already given him. This was wrong. It was a failure of faith, a sinful weakness that plagued the elderly priest and that plagues people like you and me.

Like Zechariah, we have our difficulties in fully trusting God and what He has promised and what He is working out for us. Like Zechariah, we can question, complain to and demand of God, when we should just believe Him. We can and, at times, may doubt things about God, wondering whether He really is good or sincere or caring or watchful or wise or strong. He can also and, at times, may doubt things about God’s Word, questioning whether the Bible really is God’s Word, or that God is telling us the truth, or that the message of God’s Word is relevant to our lives, or that the promises God gives us will be kept. We can doubt that the Word is powerful to accomplish God’s purposes or that our prayers are actually heard and answered or that our sins are all forgiven by Christ or that we will be raised from the dead to a life of endless glory.

The sinful world in which we live conditions us to be doubtful of God. We live in a culture that has long cultivated the idea that the skeptical person toward God is always smarter than the one who believes Him. That thinking can infect and damage our thinking about our Creator and Savior. In addition, our sinful nature is a defiantly skeptical creature, always questioning and challenging God and His Word, continually trying to lead us into the pit of bad and sinful doubt. Our sinful doubts would betray us into losing the blessings that God would give us. Our sinful nature is forever resisting the evidence God gives us, dismissing His proofs as insufficient, demanding still more signs that, if met, will only be followed by more unreasonable demands. With Paul, we have to confess, “What wretched people we are! We are prisoners to the power of sin. Who will deliver us from our bodies of death with their sinful doubts?”

God came to the rescue of doubting Zechariah. God’s angel rebuked Zechariah’s sinful doubt. He let Zechariah know that he was doubting the One who should never be doubted. He told Zechariah that he would receive a sign. This sign would not the kind that Zechariah might be asking for, but it would the divine sign that would help him set aside his doubt. From that moment until the promised child would be born, Zechariah would not be able to speak. The mouth of the man who had uttered his disbelief would not be able to say anything for months. The pain and inconvenience of the sign to Zechariah would be relatively mild, but it would be effectively real. In addition, God did not withdraw the promise he had made to Zechariah. He graciously kept His Word and included His wobbly in faith priest in working out His great plan of salvation for sinners. Elizabeth did conceive. Zechariah has more confirmation that God was right and he was wrong to doubt. By the time, the baby was born, Zechariah had given up his doubting ways and was stronger than ever in his confidence that God’s words are true and that God is not to be doubted.

In this Advent season, we can gain God’s help in our personal fight against sinful doubting of our Lord. We can take heart in the way God patiently and lovingly helped Zechariah escape his debilitating doubts. His rebuke of our groundless disbelief can help us recognize and repent of sinful skepticism. His fulfillment of all His promises can help us see and be sure that He always tell us the truth and is to be fully trusted. He gracious pledge of pardon in the Savior, whose birth we celebrate again, assures us that God is with us and for us and moves us to be more and more willing to follow His commands for our life. As God’s powerful, reliable Word works in our hearts, we see the truth of the statement: “There will be haters, doubters and non-believers, and then there will be God proving them wrong.” As the Holy Spirit works persuasively through God’s Word and Sacrament, we will come more and more to agree with the confession of Russian writer: Fyodor Dostoyevsky: “It is not as a naive child that I believe and confess Jesus Christ. My hosanna is born out of a furnace of doubt.” In Jesus, the Savior born in Bethlehem, we come to know the truth. That truth gives us full confidence and sets us free from the disabling damage and the devastating doom of our doubts. Amen.

←Previous