Angels We Have Heard on HighНамуна

It had been four hundred years since the Lord spoke to his people, Israel. The silence broke when the angel Gabriel met with a righteous priest named Zechariah in the temple. Zechariah was one of 20,000 other priests who served annually in the temple. When it was Zechariah’s division's turn to serve, the lot landed on him to light the incense. Many priests served their whole lives and never entered the temple, but as God ordained, Zechariah would enter the Holy Place and receive holy news.

Carrying a candle that cast shadows around the room, Zechariah saw him from the corner of his eye. Standing in the shadows to his right loomed the most majestic and terrifying being he’d ever seen: the angel Gabriel.

His message to Zechariah fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy given four hundred years earlier. Soon, Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth would welcome a son, and they would name him John. Their son would be the one who Malachi foretold would come in the spirit of Elijah, turning the hearts of the fathers to their children and preparing the people’s hearts for the Lord.

Everything about this day overwhelmed Zechariah. He never imagined he’d serve inside the Holy Place, meet an angel, or hear the most astounding news of a new baby! For decades, he and his wife had walked faithfully before God, but they carried a deep sadness and unfulfilled dreams. They had prayed for a house full of children, but their home remained quiet, and the chairs around their table were empty. By now, they were old, well beyond child-bearing age, and they had probably made peace with God’s withholding of children.

Perhaps during those lonely years, Zechariah believed God could answer his prayers but decided he wouldn’t. When an angel delivered the news Zechariah had always wanted, he didn’t rejoice but instead responded with disbelief. Since the first words out of his mouth were doubt, the angel decided he’d needed time to think about his heart before the Lord. So, for the next ten months, Zechariah would be mute.

Maybe you can relate to Zechariah’s heart-sickness. You’ve prayed for God to act, and until now, his answer has been "no." Take heart in Gabriel’s first words to Zechariah: your prayers have been heard. Even though God hears our prayers, our spiritual state can be like Zechariah’s—full of doubt and disbelief.

Unlike during Zechariah’s day, we don’t need angelic messengers to hear from God. Instead, he speaks directly to us through His Word and the Holy Spirit. While Zechariah’s last words before becoming mute cast doubt, when his tongue was loose, his first words were of delight. “Blessed by the Lord God of Israel for he has visited and redeemed his people.”

The Lord who hears has come to redeem. This Christmas, keep praying and going to His Word. He speaks to us there if only we’ll listen.