YOUR PRAYER HAS BEEN HEARD

Luke 1:5-25 / Keywords 1:13

But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.

 

The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

1:5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. 7 But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

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

19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 22 When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.

23 When his time of service was completed, he returned home. 24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. 25 “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

Footnotes

a. Luke 1:1 Or been surely believed

1. At this time Judea was ruled by Herod. Zechariah and Elizabeth were descended from the priestly line of Aaron, and they maintained a life of obedience to God and his word, but they were childless into their old age. So, whether at a national or a personal level, it might seem that the Lord was absent. This was the very time the Lord appeared. Zechariah was called to be a prayer servant for the nation. There an angel appeared to him. The Lord would answer his prayer, not only for the nation, but also for a son. The Lord was coming, and he would use John the Baptist as a source of joy for the people of Israel, to prepare them for the coming of the Lord. Outwardly the times looked dark, but the Lord was present and fulfilling his purpose, answering those who prayed so faithfully.

 

2. Zechariah could not believe what he saw and heard. Then the angel Gabriel struck him with silence until John’s birth. The Lord was coming to fulfill his word at the appointed time. When Elizabeth became pregnant, she prayed and saw that the Lord shows his favor and takes away the disgrace of his people.

 

Prayer Lord, the world looks dark. Help me to pray until I can see the Lord who shows favor and takes away disgrace. Make me a person prepared for the Lord.

One Word The Lord answers prayer