Unwrapping Christmas - Viewing the Nativity Through Luke's EyesSample

Day 6

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.  Luke 1:11-12

We follow Zacharias’ and Elizabeth’s story all the way to the Holy of Holies in the temple of God in Jerusalem. There, a priest would twice daily burn incense on the Lord’s altar. However, a priest might never win this priestly lottery in his lifetime to enter this hallowed room, yet God had other plans.  This was Zach’s divine appointment with an angel.

Immediately, fear fills the elderly priest. Ahem…that would probably be my response, too! However, God’s Word tells us that angels – these messengers of the Most High – minister among us today. Yes. Really. 

Often, we won’t even know that angels have been assisting us. We are never to worship them, but the Scriptures reveal that these heavenly assistants bring strength, comfort, and direction. They wage spiritual warfare on our behalf, and they can provide understanding for what is to come (Daniel 10:11-14). 

Angels have a hierarchy and placement by God Himself. From seraphim to cherubim, to chief prince, the Bible tells us their form ranges from the appearance of a man to astoundingly beautiful beings. All of them worship the Lord of Hosts. 

I am convinced that I met up with an angel. I won’t take the time to share it here, but I tell you, it was a tender, profound, and very memorable encounter that brought me closer to Jesus. Because that is what angels do. They point the way to God and His limitless possibilities in our lives, just the same as Zacharias’ experience. The angel announced that the impossible was about to happen. 

Zach and Elizabeth were about to conceive a miracle.