But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid,
Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear
you a son, and you will give him the name John. (Luke 1:13)
A promise given when Zacharias and Elizabeth were old. Not a promise given when they were young and were eager to have children. Wonder when they must have finally reached a conclusion that Elizabeth was barren. After years of prayers, now a promise of a miracle, not the miracle itself.
Zacharias couldn't believe his ears. So he asked the angel a question which resulted in his getting tongue-tied. At the face of it, it didn't seem like a threatening question or an argument against the prophesy, yet it happened probably because of his lack of faith in the promise.
Zacharias said to the angel, "How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years." The angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. "And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time." (Luke 1:18-20)
Again some more waiting period and several months later, the miracle was there for all to see.
And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zacharias, after his father. But his mother answered and said, "No indeed; but he shall be called John." And they said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name." And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. And he asked for a tablet and wrote as follows, "His name is John." And they were all astonished. And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God. (Luke 1:59-64)
All's well that ends well.
A promised fulfilled in God's time. This is the John of whom John the Apostle writes:
There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. (John 1:6)
This is the John of whom Jesus said,
I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." (Luke 7:28)
The miracle was worth the waiting period.
God is great. We may not understand his ways but he is perfect in timing and giving.
A promise given when Zacharias and Elizabeth were old. Not a promise given when they were young and were eager to have children. Wonder when they must have finally reached a conclusion that Elizabeth was barren. After years of prayers, now a promise of a miracle, not the miracle itself.
Zacharias couldn't believe his ears. So he asked the angel a question which resulted in his getting tongue-tied. At the face of it, it didn't seem like a threatening question or an argument against the prophesy, yet it happened probably because of his lack of faith in the promise.
Zacharias said to the angel, "How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years." The angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. "And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time." (Luke 1:18-20)
Again some more waiting period and several months later, the miracle was there for all to see.
And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zacharias, after his father. But his mother answered and said, "No indeed; but he shall be called John." And they said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name." And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. And he asked for a tablet and wrote as follows, "His name is John." And they were all astonished. And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God. (Luke 1:59-64)
All's well that ends well.
A promised fulfilled in God's time. This is the John of whom John the Apostle writes:
There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. (John 1:6)
This is the John of whom Jesus said,
I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." (Luke 7:28)
The miracle was worth the waiting period.
God is great. We may not understand his ways but he is perfect in timing and giving.
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