December 6, 2021

And they [Zacharias and Elizabeth] were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years. Luke 1:6-7

In the days of pagan Roman rule over the known world, the blameless pair were living a quiet life (see 1 Thessalonians 4:11) in the hill country of Judea. The notoriously wicked Herod was king over Judea. Largely unnoticed by the world, the faith of Zacharias and Elizabeth must have shone brightly to the host of heaven in contrast to the darkness of those evil days. To them the promise of a son came (delivered by Gabriel!) as the aged Zacharias served in priestly duty in the holy place at the altar of incense.

Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.” v.11-14

Their son John was to be the forerunner to the coming Messiah. He would be a prophet of the Most High, preaching the knowledge of salvation by the remission of sins.

“For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.” v.15

If the general leadership of God’s people had been true to their charge, the people as a whole might have followed. It would have been their joy to herald the birth of the Messiah to the world. Yet, God had called the nation of Israel to preserve among men the knowledge of His law of love, as well as to teach the prophecies and symbols that pointed to the Savior. The prevalent indifference, or lukewarm state, of the majority of the very people through whom the message of salvation was to be proclaimed to the world at that time in history has a profound and prophetic significance for His people today as the return of Jesus is fast approaching.

Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:7-8