Please turn with me tonight to Luke chapter 1. This morning we considered a portion of our Lord's history when He was a year, maybe two years old. Tonight we go back in time, even before the angel came to Mary to announce that she would be the mother of our Lord. Considering the parents, especially the father of John the Baptist, Zechariah. We'll read together verses 5-25 of Luke chapter 1. Hear now the Word of God. 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. Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well along in years. Once, when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshippers were praying outside. Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him 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 give him the name 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 from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back 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 fathers 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 answered, 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 proper time. Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 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. When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. 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. Again, this evening hour, may God add His blessing to the reading and consideration of His Word, and if it pleases Him, to impress its powerful truths upon our hearts. Well, dear people of God, it began as an ordinary day for Zechariah. Zechariah is identified here in Scripture as a priest belonging to the priestly division or we might say household of Abijah. And considering the priesthood, it is reported that there were probably around 20,000 active priests like him at that time. And those 20,000 were divided into 24 divisions and each of these divisions on rotation served for one week at a time in Jerusalem at the temple carrying out the duties that were to be carried out there. And so for most of them, they conducted this business for two times, two weeks throughout the year. And there were about 50 priests on any given day that were needed to do the work that was required in the temple. Now, the most solemn part of the daily sacrifices was offering the incense in the holy place, that room just outside the most holy place, separated from that most holy place by that thick veil, that thick curtain. And the offering of the incense, that sacred part of the offerings, symbolized Israel's prayers rising up to and being accepted by God. And this incense was offered both morning and evening. Now, there was only one priest who was chosen by lot to offer the incense. So two priests per day, one in the morning, one in the evening. And if the lot ever fell on a particular priest, that priest had this honor only one time in his entire career. But maybe not at all. Now, in God's providence, Zechariah's day came. He was already an old man by his own testimony. And he and Elizabeth, as we read, are described here as being upright in the sight of God and blameless. It doesn't mean that they were perfect, as we will see, especially with regard to Zechariah. But given the spiritual climate of the day, and even unlike many of the priests of that day, Zechariah and Elizabeth were true believers. Their walk matched their talk. They were holy before God into their heart by the grace of God, and they were blameless in their walk before men. They desired, they strove to be obedient to the commandments of God. Their faith was indeed evidenced by works. But this day which began as an ordinary day became unordinary for Zechariah because on this particular day the lot fell to him for that important task of offering incense while the other priests and the assembled worshipers prayed outside into the court. He was by himself offering that incense on behalf of the people, again, representing their prayers, offering it to God. And again, the rest were praying. Most likely they were praying, it is suggested, prayers of thanks for Israel's past deliverance, praying, asking for a present blessing and peace, but also seeking the future promises, especially of the Messiah, would God fulfill His promises. But this once-in-a-lifetime high point for Zechariah would be nothing compared to what God had planned for him as Zechariah encounters the good news. He encounters the good news as he comes face-to-face with an angel of the Lord, Gabriel. Suddenly, Gabriel was alone with Zechariah in the holy place. Of course, we're not told exactly what Gabriel looked like. Yet, Zechariah understandably was startled. It's also translated, he was very troubled. He was gripped with fear, the text says. Fear filled his very being with that helpless sort of feeling when you are terribly afraid. And of course, that's an appropriate response for a sinner before the glory of God is we can be sure that Gabriel, who stood in the presence of God, reflected the glory of God. We can be sure that there was nothing in the priest's seminary that could have prepared Zechariah for such an event. Yet Gabriel, this very one who was the reason that Zechariah was filled with fear, Gabriel speaks words of comfort to Zechariah, do not be afraid. You see, Zechariah's destruction was not God's plan on this day. Instead, Gabriel speaks the hoped-for announcement. Notice again, beginning at verse 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. 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 from birth. Many of the people of Israel will He bring back 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 fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Zechariah encounters the good news as Gabriel speaks, the hoped-for message. Hoped for, first of all, personally, for Zechariah and Elizabeth. They desired children. Psalm 127, verse 3 says, Sons are a heritage from the Lord. Children are a reward from Him. Difficult words we know for a childless couple. And at that time, those who were childless were looked down upon. Childless couples felt the stares. They understood the silent whispers of others. As Elizabeth herself says, the Lord has taken away my disgrace. Zechariah and Elizabeth prayed for children for years until they knew that their age and the changes that age brought upon their bodies made it impossible. Yet they were deprived of children in God's providence not because they were unfaithful as we have already seen. Her barrenness was not a punishment. But now in God's providence, they would be blessed with a child. That verse 13 again, 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. Your prayer has been heard. What prayer? It seems to suggest that immediately we are to think that he was praying for a child. many, and I included, find it hard to believe that Zechariah at his age on that morning fulfilling his priestly duties on behalf of Israel that he was praying for a child. But I believe that the prayer that Gabriel is talking about that he's talking about the prayer of many years of Zechariah and Elizabeth for a child as well as the prayers of Zechariah and the people on behalf of the nation and her redemption. Notice, Gabriel lists both. He lists the child first. And then the glorious work of that child. And we cannot separate the child from the work that that child was called to do in redemptive history. They would be blessed with a child, and this child would indeed be their child, fathered by Zechariah, given birth to by Elizabeth, so that these two whose given up hope, the hope they had given up, would be fulfilled. And this child was to be a blessing. Notice the resume that Gabriel gives of the characteristics of the accomplishments that this child would enjoy. Especially verses 14 and 15. He will be a joy and delight to you. Isn't that the wish of every parent? That their children will be a joy and delight to them? But Zachariah and Elizabeth had the assurance even before this child was conceived that he would be a joy and delight to them. 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 will be great in the sight of the Lord. He would be the one of whom Jesus would say in Matthew 11, verse 11, I tell you the truth, among those born of women, there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist. He would be a blessing even as His name testifies. Notice, His name testifies through the grace of God, John means the Lord is gracious. What an announcement. The Lord is gracious. And therefore, it points to the hope not only personally for Zechariah and Elizabeth, but it points to that hope corporately for the nation. Notice the summary statement of the child's resume of all his characteristics and all the things he would accomplish. to make a people prepared for the Lord. Again, what a powerful announcement. The time has come. The Lord's 400-year silence from the time of Malachi had been broken. Scripture was to be fulfilled even in this One who was to be born to Zechariah and Elizabeth. He is the One that Isaiah spoke of in Isaiah 40, verse 3, when Isaiah says, a voice of one calling in the desert, prepare the way for the Lord. It would be this voice of John the Baptist. Malachi says something similar in chapter 3, verse 1. See, I will send my messenger who will prepare the way before me. And Gabriel also, in explaining what this child would be like, he draws from Malachi 4, verses 5 and 6. See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers. The time had come. This was the announcement that they had hoped for for so long. And it couldn't have come at any better time in a sense or any later should it come because these were desperate times spiritually. Conversion was needed and that's indeed what John would be used for. John would be filled with the Holy Spirit like Elijah. He would be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit like Elijah to call to repentance, to work on God's behalf, working with God's people to bring them back, to be used of God, to bring them to conversion. He would go as a herald before the king, a herald who announces the king is coming. He would go pointing to Jesus even as he does in John 1 verse 29 where John the Baptist says, Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And therefore, this hope was not only personally for Zachariah and Elizabeth, not only corporately for the nation, but this is a hope universally for the church. John was to prepare his generation for the Savior of all who would believe, the very same One who is our only hope and heart's desire still today. That's why we celebrate Christ's first coming with confidence. Because the Savior has come. And the Savior, 2,000 years later, is still for you and for me. The angel's announcement was an announcement of the Gospel. It was an announcement of the good news of Jesus Christ. The Gospel, not the Gospel because of John himself. John is not the content of the gospel, but because of the sin from which he would call for repentance. And because of the salvation, that message of hope that he would preach in preparation for Jesus. And that message of hope, beloved, is the same message that we are to continue to preach today. It must be preached that there is hope in Jesus Christ. The hope that every single man, woman, and child on earth needs. The hope apart from which each and every one of us is completely and utterly, eternally hopeless. But there is hope in Jesus Christ. That hope that we hear about from Lord's Day to Lord's Day. The hope that we are called to bring to the ends of the earth. Zechariah heard that hope. He heard it as he came face to face with the angel. He heard it with his own ears. And he responds in the second place with the hard-to-believe doubt. Notice verse 18. Zechariah asked the angel, how can I be sure of this? Well, what is he talking about? He makes it clear in the very next phrase. I am an old man and my wife is well along in years. Can you believe that response? Zechariah's response. From that response, it is clear to us that obviously he only heard a part of the good news. only a part of it sank in. The part about a son for him and Elizabeth. He didn't hear anything else. He didn't hear what the son was going to do. After all that Gabriel said about John, about what John would be, and what John would do, that he would prepare, make ready a people prepared for the Lord, Zechariah's only response is, Huh? What? zacharias and elizabeth's hopes and dreams of many years was going to be fulfilled and he doubts it in fact he objects to it based on old age he wants a sign he wants proof when gabriel went to mary later on and told her what the lord had planned for her she responds in verse 34 of this chapter. How will this be, Mary asked the angel, since I am a virgin? You see, hers was not a question of doubt because humanly speaking, it was impossible what the angel was saying to her. She needed understanding. And when the angel gave her that understanding, she readily received it. But Zechariah doubted. He wanted a sign. Abraham and Gideon also asked for signs, but they asked for signs in order to strengthen their faith. They were like the man with a demon-possessed son who said to Jesus, I believe, help thou my unbelief. Zechariah's was a doubt of unbelief as the angel says, you did not believe my words. Now, I don't know about you, but I kind of want to shake Zechariah and say, have you forgotten? You should know this. Have you forgotten about Abraham and Sarah? Have you forgotten about Samson's parents, Manoah and his wife? Have you forgotten about Hannah and her son Samuel? Have you forgotten? Or are you skeptical about the angel because God was silent for so long? Or have you just been going through the motions of worship and prayer without confidence in God? Have you just been doing your priestly work for the paycheck, but you've really given up on God? What's the deal, Zechariah? What's going on? You see, beloved, Zechariah limits God's power. Indeed, he was a man of faith, we know. He believed in God, but he wavered as to whether God could give them a son, a child. After all, nature, old age, forbade it. Yet, beloved, God is not bound to the laws of nature that He created. But the laws of nature are bound to God. Sometimes our faith is stronger, isn't it, on behalf of others than ourselves? If someone we know is going through a very, very difficult, distressing time, it seems oftentimes our confidence for them, our faith for them is strong. Oh, just have faith. Hang in there. God is with you. He will help you. Sometimes our faith is stronger on behalf of others than ourselves. Indeed, we trust in Jesus Christ for the big things. We trust Him for the forgiveness of all of our sins and for salvation. Or do we? But we doubt with the ordinary things of life. Can He really comfort me when I'm suffering? Can He really provide for me when I have a lack? Sometimes we doubt Him with the ordinary things of life. We treat God as if the details of my small life are not important to Him. In a sense, that's what Zechariah did. That was his response. But notice Gabriel's response. Now we can almost imagine Gabriel, as Zechariah says these things, We can almost imagine Gabriel looking around as if Zechariah was talking to somebody else. Only then maybe to say, did you hear what I said? You see, after Mary asked her question to Gabriel, Gabriel said to Mary in verse 37, for nothing is impossible with God. A most comforting, powerful statement of truth. For nothing is impossible with God. But as Zechariah, Gabriel says in verse 19, 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. Again, Zechariah says, how can I be sure of this? And Gabriel responds, I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God. And that's all you need to know. That should be enough. Now Gabriel, some say, means God is great or God is mighty. Calvin believes it has something to do with the strength or the power of God. But even more important than what Gabriel's name means, Gabriel tells where he is from. I stand in the presence of God. He tells who sent him. He sent me. He sent me to speak this good news. And the word for God that is talking about the preeminent God, the all-powerful God, he makes it clear that he comes with the authority of God, not the authority of himself, and he comes with the truth of God alone. He comes with the good news, the gospel. And to doubt this good news is to doubt the one for whom John was to prepare the way. Well, finally then, as Zechariah encounters the good news, we notice the humbling sign. Zechariah, if it's a sign that you want, it's a sign that you are going to get. Verse 20, the angel says, 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 proper time. With his mouth, Zechariah, in his doubt, had asked for a sign. And so the sign would focus on his mouth. It would focus on his voice. And he would learn that the one who could open or shut his mouth was able to open a closed womb. You see, but now Zechariah would not be able to speak the Aaronic blessing to those who were waiting outside. That was the last part of his task at this time. The people outside would have expected him to come out and to raise his hands as Aaron did and say, the Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you His peace. The people delighted. They desired that blessing. But it wouldn't come this day from Zechariah. The humbling sign would take place with his mouth while with his mind and with his heart he would now have time to meditate silently on the Word and the promise of God. He would see with his eyes the very Word fulfilled over the next nine or ten months as he saw it visibly with his dear wife as the angel's words would come true at their proper time. But notice too, this humbling sign is given with a promise. Indeed, this was a punishment for Zechariah. But notice, it was a punishment that would be limited. In God's grace, it would be limited only until the words were fulfilled. And notice, Zechariah was not deprived of that promise. God did not give up on him and turn his back on him and say, you know what, you don't deserve it, which is true. I'm going to go elsewhere. God is merciful. God is forgiving of the sin of doubt and unbelief. And therefore, with his mouth, Zechariah would give evidence that his unbelief was overturned as he would praise God in song repeating John's commission after the child was born in Zechariah's song beginning at verse 76 and you my child will be called a prophet of the most high for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins because of the tender mercy of our God by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death to guide our feet into the path of peace. Beloved Zechariah, like you, like me, like all of mankind, he also needed his heart prepared for the King to come. He needed his heart prepared as his doubt would be overcome by the power of the truth of the Word of God. If Zechariah was not able to believe that God could give them a child in their own age, how could he ever, he would never be able to believe that God could come in the flesh and accomplish salvation. If God could not accomplish this which he had accomplished before in history, then how could Zechariah ever believe any of God's promises concerning the Messiah? Through Zechariah's silence, God proved the truth of his word to Zechariah, giving Zechariah confidence in the truth of the one for whom John was to prepare the way. The power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ overcomes doubt, beloved. It overcomes the doubt of unbelief as the Holy Spirit is able to soften even the hardest of hearts to believe. To show one their sin and their inability to find favor with God and at the same time to point to the only hope. And those who think that they are too sinful to be forgiven, that God certainly couldn't forgive them because they've been too bad are called to look to Jesus Christ and hear the Word of God that nothing is impossible with God. Praise God for Jesus Christ. The Son of God come in the flesh to do that which was impossible for you and me to do. To save and rescue us from sin and the hell that we so much deserve. And instead to reconcile and restore us are the favor and the blessing of God which we do not deserve. And our God has given us humble signs of this truth. The manger, which is empty. The cross, which is empty. The grave, which is empty. Satan and death could not keep their prey. Jesus Christ has conquered, and by faith we see the heavenly throne filled with the presence of Jesus Christ. And therefore, beloved, our voices are not silent. Our voices are not to be silent. How can they be? But our voices are to be filled with praise today and every day. God's Word is powerful and true. Jesus Christ has come, and we who are more than conquerors in Him, we are called to celebrate, to rejoice, to give thanks, and sing as we do in a powerful way tonight. As we look forward to, to join our voices with the shepherds, glorifying and praising God, as Scripture says, for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. Beloved, salvation has come. May we rejoice and be glad in it. Amen. Let's pray together. father once again we praise your holy name for indeed in your providence in your time joy has come to the world in your son whom you sent who came to fulfill our greatest need to accomplish and provide that salvation apart from which there's no hope for any one of us. Father, indeed, it's easy to get sentimental at Christmastime. But may we always remember that Christmas is about a gift. Your gift. Your indescribable gift of Your Son to Your people. And we praise You, Father, that Jesus Christ lives and reigns today. That indeed He loves His people. that you love your people with an everlasting love. And may we always rejoice, give thanks, and sing. Father, we thank you for this evening hour. We thank you for the special program that we look forward to. We pray for your blessing upon it. We thank you for all who participate in various ways. We thank you for the gifts and talents that you have given to your people, those gifts and talents to be shared among God's people. We thank you for those who put in so much work to make this possible. And for those who provided goodies for afterward, we pray too for your blessing upon that time. So hear our prayer we ask for Jesus' sake and in his name alone. Amen.