PROPHECY FULFILLED Luke 1:5-25 In chapter one, the persons included in the account of Luke are Luke himself and Theophilus, an honorable man to whom this book was written. Then Zacharias and Elizabeth are identified as those God could trust with a miracle boy-baby in their old age who would be the forerunner of the Messiah of Israel. Gabriel was an angelic messenger of God who knew where to find those to whom he was sent. An angel found Zacharias in the temple doing the service of God. Gabriel found Mary, a humble virgin girl living in a humble home in Galilee village.
We learn from John when he was still in the womb of Elizabeth that personhood is in the unborn, and his birth would open the way for the Dayspring from on high to come to His people, Israel. The angel knew what Joseph was like as a just man and where he was to be found. He took the instructions the angel gave to Joseph seriously. He was of “the house and lineage of David,” even though both David and Joseph were sinners by nature, they knew and acknowledged the Lord as supreme. The house of David was established as the nation of Israel, but the Lord of David and Joseph were from another unique order of humanity altogether. Jesus was conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit of God. He alone is the God-Man who was born of a virgin.
The Jews were all descendants of Jacob, and the Son born to Mary would “reign over the house of Jacob forever” despite Jacob’s defects in character and life. Abraham is mentioned in Mary’s song because she was of Abraham’s seed, the seed of faith. By God's grace, her child would be the object of our faith.
John’s Birth Foretold God promised to save His people, and Luke begins his story not with Christ's birth but with John's birth. This is important because John is the prophetic link between the people of the Old Testament and those of the New Testament. We should recognize the importance of John and his ministry. The promise of the miraculous births of both John and Jesus was a cause for joy. John was the forerunner of the promised Savior, proclaiming to a religious world in the darkness of human opinion and tradition that light is coming. The Dayspring from on high has come into the world. The Messiah of the Jews had come.
Both of them were born by a special act of God and were announced by the same angel, a messenger sent directly from God. Both had a role to fulfill in the deliverance of God’s people. Both had names given to them by God, who knows the name of every person. Both were born to people who were just like the common people of the day, even though one was to be a prophet like Elijah and the other was “born king of the Jews.” John was introduced by Luke first, so we should not consider this account of his birth of little importance.
The fulfillment of prophecies in the Old Testament proves the reliability of God's word. To carelessly discount any part of the Bible as unimportant to the doctrine of redemption is to make a great mistake. God is in control of events and people. Therefore, He arranges what seems like normal events in life in a way that, when viewed with “hindsight,” makes us realize that God is in control of our history like He was of His people in the past.
Zacharias was one of around 20,000 priests in Israel who were divided into twenty-four groups of around one thousand priests at a time doing a two-week course at the temple. That was initiated when David was the king of Israel [1Chr.24:3-19]. To offer incense was a rare privilege to a priest. They were chosen to go to the altar of incense by casting lots, which is like throwing dice to our way of thinking. Likely, they had that privilege only once during their tenure. God had arranged for Zacharias to be at the altar on a particular day, and He sent an angel with a world-changing message to deliver to him.
Our lives may seem mundane and unimportant to us at times, but God can use them when a man and his wife live together in a righteous way before God and are blameless (not sinless) before people. Zacharias and Elizabeth were committed to the Lord and His word, and God could use them to fulfill His prophecy even in their older years. God does not want us to go through the motions of outward compliance with His word; inward obedience is obeying God from the heart. Outward obedience can sometimes be hypocrisy even though we obey “the letter of the law.” It is those who are upright in heart in the sight of God whom He can use.
God Uses People Zacharias and Elizabeth were not perfect people, but their life together was that of a man and wife who knew God, obeyed God, and had a good testimony before the people who knew them. It is uncommon to find people who are “righteous before God, walking in all the commandments of the Lord blameless.” How thankful we can be that we know such people in our day, and their impact on our lives would be similar to that older couple God used in His service in Luke chapter one. Our heritage as Christians is important. Our service to God will last, not our worldly success.
Both Zacharias and Elizabeth were from the priestly tribe of Levi. Zacharias’ division in the priesthood places him in the Abijah group. Elizabeth would have been aware of his responsibilities, not just because he would tell her, but because she was “a daughter of Aaron.” She would have known who she was by heritage and what was expected of someone with such a blessing.
Some of God’s people today have been blessed by having believing parents and grandparents. Some have Bible-believing forebearers who trace their lineage as far as they can. However, we must never forget the responsibilities that accompany our privileges. “To whom much is given, much is required.” Despite what we might have missed out on because we were brought up by parents who had faith in God, we have been extremely privileged. Some deliberately turned away from what they were taught and found that it is far harder to get back what they lost than it would have been to accept what they were taught as the best way to live – and to die.
Many people have no Christian heritage or background of righteous living people, and they struggle to find lasting satisfaction and meaning in their existence. Believers in Christ already know why we are here and where we are going after we die. We can discern a person's spiritual condition to see if they are walking in the commandments of the Lord. Do they obey the ordinances of the word of God that we read in the Bible? Are they blameless in that their righteous life is consistent despite being naturally sinners?
Two things are essential for serving our Lord: real faith and obedience to God. Without faith, we can’t please God; we can’t be trusted without obedience. Zacharias and Elizabeth missed out on one major experience in life even though they had prayed and longed for it: they had no children. Even in their old age and never having the child they longed for, they remained faithful to God and consistent before men.
As we age, we look back and may wonder what we would do differently if we were starting over. We may even wonder why some of our hopes have never been fulfilled. Yet, in faith, we press ahead, trusting our Lord, who wants us to do God's perfect will. Perhaps God is not done with us yet. Zacharias and Elizabeth are not known by us only for their exemplary lives but for being the parents of a miracle son, John the Baptist.
The promise given to Malachi four hundred years before was fulfilled through these two relatively obscure people who lived for the Lord, serving their day and generation. God uses available people to do His work, not based on their ability or position, but on their availability and personal testimony.
Remarkable things can happen when we are in the sanctuary of God. For years, Zacharias had done his duty and been in his place, faithfully carrying out the simple duties of a priest consistently. Then, the once-in-a-lifetime lot was cast, which made him the priest who offered incense in the temple at the golden altar. That was a very significant act that every priest would hope to be able to do: stand at that altar on behalf of the people and offer incense while the people were praying outside.
However, when Zacharias’ turn to offer incense came, as he approached the altar, an angel stood at the right side. More than that, the angel spoke to him. It wasn’t just a vision. He had not expected this, so he was gripped with fear. His focus now was not on the altar or what he would do but on what God was doing and God's message for him.
If we are not careful, we may serve our Lord simply out of duty rather than loyalty. We can only do the right thing with the right motive if we are conscious of our calling to serve Him, not just people or our interests. To do what we do to establish a good reputation among the Lord’s people is not right. Nor is it right to serve the Lord for our own personal satisfaction that we are doing what is right. As we get older, we realize we are simply a small cog in God's great work worldwide. What is important is what God can do through us. A willing and available servant will find plenty to fill his or her heart, mind, and hands. There is a role to fill in God’s assembly, the household of faith, and the great harvest field that will bring glory to God and blessing to other people. We are not our own. We are to “glorify God in our body and spirit, which is God’s.”
The news that John would be born to Zacharias and Elizabeth to fulfill the prophecy and that their son would take his place among the great past prophets was overwhelming to Zacharias. It was understandably more than he could take in, and he expressed his doubts. He had been praying for a son, but to have that prayer answered was more than he believed would have happened. His muteness was a sign that the promise would be fulfilled.
The angel’s message regarding John, whose name means “God has been gracious,” was first of all that John would be “great” as God counts greatness. Second, he would be set apart to be used by God and live a life different from most people. Third, he would be filled with the Holy Spirit even before birth. Fourth, his testimony would be so strong as the forerunner of the Son of God that many Jews would turn to the Lord. Andrew and John were two we know of by name who were part of the fulfillment of that prophecy. “The spirit and power of Elijah” in John opened the dawn of a new day that had long been anticipated.
When our Lord opens doors for those who love and serve Him, they will never know all that the future holds. All we need to know is that God loves and is faithful to us, whether we are popular with people or imprisoned for His sake. Who would have thought that a man as popular and impacting on a nation as John was that he would be imprisoned and beheaded? Our doubts, like the doubts of Zacharias, may have consequences over which we have no control. It is well for us to accept what God says without question, but when doubts arise, press on anyway in the best possible way we can despite our feeble faith. God is faithful to His word and His people despite their doubts.
Elizabeth believed in God’s promise despite being beyond normal childbearing age. Her response was to praise the Lord and accept the miracle happening with grace, dignity, gratitude, and thankfulness. That godly woman is an example to all who look beyond what is common so we can see what is divine and accept God’s promises as real and as good as already accomplished. She knew the Lord did it for her and the whole nation and rejoiced.
In this age of fulfillment, remarkable things are expected to happen. Preparation took a long time, but God's power became very obvious at the dawn of the age of salvation. God can turn disappointment into joy and what is impossible to us into an event that brings glory to God and the actions of God’s grace to bless many.