Lesson 2The Importance of Being in Your Place at the Right Time Luke 1:8- 23

Preparing the Man and woman for a Son, John the Baptist 1:8- 13

English Standard Version (Chapter 1)

8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John

400 years of silence between the Old and New Testament has been broken by this encounter in the Temple. Just think, how would have this have looked if Zechariah had called in sick or just not awakened to be at his post. I think back to Genesis 24 and the story of Abraham’s servant who found a wife, Rebekah, for Isaac. and he said:

...”blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who has not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my masters brethren.” Genesis 24:27.”

Zechariah was like that servant, he was along the way God was taking. He was in his place when he should have been. There was even the point of the temple ministers drawing lots to see who got the privilege of going in to burn incense. There was a tremendous amount of possibility on the line. No one had any idea that Zechariah would meet the angel. But the angel was there for a specific purpose.The connection was made with the angel and things started happening. An angelic conversation was started because Zechariah was “on duty.” Zechariah was a bit player in a larger scheme of things but his place was very needful. He offered up the offering of incense. This is symbolic of acceptable prayer, that is, prayers were offered up to the Lord. God was pleased and His presence was manifest. This was the inner court of the temple and probably took place in the morning. It was an historic and a spiritual encounter for God’s man.

The angelic visitor may have been the Lord Himself because it says it was the angel of the Lord standing at the right side of the altar of incense. But in later verses he identifies himself as Gabriel. It was a great honor for Zechariah to offer incense because many of his division never got the opportunity to do so in their entire lives. This was also probably the only time in Zechariah’s life that he was able to do so and boom, the angel of the Lord shows up. The division of the duties in the temple were divided up during the time of King David. There were 24 groups of priests who took turns to minister throughout the year. But now he also gets the blessing of the angelic presence. Zechariah was an Aaronic priest and his service time was according to the the family of Abia. Elizabeth, John the Baptists mother, was a cousin to Mary, the mother of Jesus. Both of them were of the Aaronic priesthood, and the house of David. John the Baptist receives prophetic authority from his mom and the house of David.

The temple was an extremely busy place to be and the multitude had no idea that something was going on until Zechariah did not come out of the inner area by the altar of incense. The angel appears and the minister is troubled. Zechariah was covered with the fear of his life. Literally this was a life or death contact. The angel quickly dispels the fear and gets down to business and tells him that he and his wife are going to have a baby, a son. His name will be called John!

The nature of the child Luke 1:14- 17

English Standard Version (Chapter 1)

14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.

16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

Lets list John’s qualities:

He will bring, joy, gladness and rejoicing because he will be born.

He will be great before the Lord

He must not drink wine or strong drink

He will be filled with the Holy Spirit right from the womb

He will turn many of the children of Israel back to the Lord their God.

He will operate the power and spirit of Elijah

Malachi is quoted in verse 17- He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just

His job was to make a people ready and prepared for the Lord.

Preparation is a key ingredient in God’s plan. After all, this preparation is for His Son Jesus who is about to come to earth. The preparation will take time.

What all of this Means for the Parents and the People 1:18- 25

English Standard Version (Chapter 1)

18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.

20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” 21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple.

22 And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. 23 And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.

24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”

Zechariah and Elizabeth’s lives are going to be drastically changed. The man questions the angel, “how can this be? We are old people!” Gabriel tells him he had just come from the presence of God to bring him this great news! Because Zechariah did not believe Gabriel, he was unable to speak and did not speak until John’s birth. When he finally emerged from the incense table, people knew he had some kind of God encounter. He continued mute until his temple service ended. Soon after that Elizabeth conceived, kept herself hidden for five moths and then revealed the news. God has taken away her reproach of barrenness.

Both husband and wife became beneficiaries of faithfulness in the service of God. They also became the instruments of joy and gladness to every one around them. They have also been remembered in the gospel record as key players in God’s plan to turn their generation back to God. It’s kind of hard to top that. But every time we come and try to say it can’t get any better, just remember, God is about to take it up another notch with a message to Mary about the coming Redeemer, Jesus Christ, son of the Most High! Nothing will top the sending of His Son. God’s plan continues in motion today for the world to see that they might believe.