A Series on Advent
The candle of joy – Zechariah
(Click on the link below to read the
verses.)
Luke 1:5-25; 1:57-80
[Advent is the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus
Christ. Tradition includes lighting four candles: hope, love, joy and peace. To
celebrate Advent, we will be looking at four people plus one who were
intimately involved in the Christmas story, and then relating their part of the
story to one of the Advent candles.]
Last Christmas, my wife gave me this beautiful National Park Quarters Collector’s Map. There are fifty-six slots to fill, and after a year of collecting I still need eight!
Recently, I
received an advertisement in the mail to buy the complete set. It’s tempting, but
for me, the whole idea of collecting is that you do the collecting, not
somebody else who sells it to you.
Plus, the
anticipation of completing the set, results in greater satisfaction when it’s all
done. There’s something special about faithfully waiting rather than having it
handed to you on a platter. Such was the case for Zechariah… or Z as I will
call him.
Z and his wife
Elizabeth, are described as being “righteous in the sight of God, very old and
childless”. On one occasion Z, who was a priest, was responsible to burn
incense in the temple. While there, he encountered an angel.
Terrified, the
angel comforted Z and told him to not be afraid. That his prayer had been heard
and that his wife was going to have a son and that he should be named John.
Even more amazing though, was what else the angel told Z about his son.
17 He
will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people
for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and
he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.” NLT
The phrase “prepare the people for the coming of the
Lord”, was a direct reference to the Messiah! But, Z didn’t believe the
angel. As a result, he was struck dumb and couldn’t speak until after the child
was born.
As the angel had prophesied,
Elizabeth became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When it came time to name
him, Z confirmed the name of John by writing it down. Only then was he filled
with the Holy Spirit and finally able to speak.
76 “And
you, my little son,
will be called the prophet of the Most High,
because you will prepare the way for the Lord.
77 You will tell his people how to find salvation
through forgiveness of their sins. NLT
You can feel the
pride and joy in his words. His son was going to be an integral part of the
coming Messiah on whom the nation of Israel had been waiting for centuries. However,
Z was most joyful about the coming Messiah.
Jesus… Immanuel… God
with us. That is worth waiting for. That is worth lighting the
candle of joy.
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