By: Lorraine Eastman, Legacy Pastor
I grew up in the era of the big fold-out maps. As a kid I remember pulling out maps and planning a summer trip, marking the routes we were going to take with a yellow highlighter. With the old maps, you really needed to have a driver and a navigator, and both had to work together well if you had any hope of getting to your destination. After arriving at your destination, just maybe you could get the map folded back up again.
At least with modern technology we no longer have to deal with paper maps, but if you’re like me, I cannot be trusted to get anywhere safely without using a navigation system. Partly because I’m directionally challenged, but also I just need help choosing the best route! I need something to give me turn-by-turn directions and help me know which areas to avoid. What we need is something to point the way.
God did just that for us. In Malachi 4:5-6 (NLT), the last book of the Old Testament, the prophet tells us, “Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives. His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and hearts of children to their fathers.” This is one of the last things God says to his people before he goes silent for over 400 years. Can you imagine not hearing from God for that amount of time? Sometimes it can feel like God has gone silent in our own lives. Especially when we feel he is taking longer than we expect in answering our prayers. Have you gone through times when you felt God was silent?
Even though God appeared to be silent, he was working. During those silent years, God was preparing his people, and he was putting everything in place for the last prophet to point the way to someone even greater: his son, the Messiah.
The second half of the story begins with a very unlikely couple. We have Zachariah, who is a priest and Elizabeth, who is the daughter of a priest. Jewish tradition tells us this should make them a very blessed couple. But unfortunately, Elizabeth cannot have children, which means they’ve lived their married lives in complete shame. They are quite old now, and society has labeled them as a disgrace. People whisper as they walk by, and the assumption is that God has cursed them. Yet in Luke 1:6 (NLT), we read how God truly sees them, “Zachariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations.” Society may put labels on us, but God sees past those labels and peers into our heart and soul. No matter what the world sees, God knows who we are; he sees us as his children, and he loves us dearly.
Zachariah was one of roughly 18,000 priests in Judea who were separated into divisions. Each division would travel to the temple and serve roughly five times a year. Let’s continue the story in Luke 1:9 (NLT), “As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense.” This was coming together exactly how God had planned it. Having your lot drawn for a priest was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and God orchestrated this for Zachariah just at the right moment. When we pray, at the right time, God will open doors and point us in the right direction.
Zachariah relished this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He entered the Holy of Holies, where God was present with His people. He burned the special spices on the incense altar. The aroma of the incense symbolized the prayers of God’s people ascending to God. At that moment, an angel of the Lord appeared to him. In Luke 1:12-13 (NLT), “Zachariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. But the angel said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Zachariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John.’” They had prayed for a child for years and had given up in their old age. This was going to be their miracle. Are there prayers you have given up praying? John’s whole purpose was to point the way to Jesus and remind us that He is bigger than any of our problems. Don’t stop praying!
The angel explains all God has planned for their son in Luke 1:15b-17 (NLT), “He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. He will be a man with the Spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.” God is bringing to life what was foretold in Malachi over 400 years ago through the son of Zachariah and Elizabeth. God was creating a plan for a man, full of the Holy Spirit and the power of Elijah would point the way to his son, Jesus Christ.
Unfortunately, Zarcariah was afraid of the angel and asked how he could believe all this was true. Because he questioned the angel, his voice was taken until his son was born. This made the next several months difficult, but when his son John was born, he and Elizabeth rejoiced and praised the Lord.
John 1:8-9 (NLT) “John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.”
Through this story we see God working to point the way to the light, a way for us to find revival and renewal, and for us to realize that our God is bigger than we think he is. None of our prayers are too big for Him to handle. Let’s remember this season is about joy coming into the world. It’s about us having the opportunity to spread that joy to others. Will you join me in trying to be a little more like John? Let’s point the way to the light!