Faith Amidst Doubt: The Story of Zechariah and Elizabeth

When nativity scenes are set up at Christmastime, Jesus is always at the center.

The nativity was the scene that ushered in the promises of God for salvation and the presence of God to live among us. Immanuel - God with us.

It is my desire in this few weeks to bring Zechariah and Elizabeth, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds to the forefront. These individuals brought the good news of Jesus’s birth. In the end, their individual scenes all center around Jesus and remind us to center our individual lives around Jesus too.

Picture of Melissa as Mary in the live nativity

Today, we will be in Luke chapter one.

Summary:

This passage recounts the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth, an elderly couple who, despite their long-standing prayers for a child, faced disappointment. Over and over again.

The angel Gabriel visits Zechariah, announcing that they will have a son, John the Baptist, leading to a moment of doubt from Zechariah, who questions the possibility given their age.

I am hoping this teaching will help many of us who struggle with doubts and fears, to invite us to surrender our uncertainties to Him. We will address the importance of prayer, patience, and the belief that God's timing is perfect, waiting on Him to reveal His divine plan.

Prayer

Central idea for today: Even in our doubts, God remains faithful to His word, and His plans may unfold in ways we least expect, this should sustain our faith amidst uncertainty.

Luke 1:37 (NLT)

“…For the word of God will never fail.”

There are four important truths that we can learn from Luke 1:

The first is…

1. Faithful Service Amid Silence

Luke 1:5–7 (NLT)

When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron. Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations. They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old.

Childless…not able to conceive…very old.

Jewish people often attached every facet of their existence to God’s covenant with Abraham. Luke evokes the story of Abraham and Sarah from Genesis…with the same verbiage: Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old.

Genesis 11:30 (NLT)

But Sarai was unable to become pregnant and had no children.

There are other examples of childless parents

Hannah

Rachel

Rebekah

Childless parents lacked support in their old age, and many people assumed that such a condition reflected divine punishment for sin.

In the culture of this time, there would be mounting pressure for a woman to give birth to a child. If the wife did not give birth to a child, the husband had rights to divorce his wife, so he could father a child with a different wife.

This certainly wasn’t Zechariah and Elizabeth’s story.

Luke 1:8–10 (NLT)

One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week. As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying.

Zechariah and Elizabeth’s had unwavering dedication to God despite their unmet desires.

This portion of scripture shares their righteous character and faithful service amidst personal disappointment. It is important to note that people who are devoted and God-fearing people still have tremendous difficulty in their lives.

Zechariah and Elizabeth viewed their circumstances as beyond repair and hope. For both of them, their childlessness was no doubt a point of sadness, judgement, embarrassment, and loneliness. If a priest were faithful and honorable toward God’s laws, children were to be their reward.

Lets step into their humanity for just a bit. What do you suppose they were thinking? -

Maybe they questioning their validity in serving In the priesthood.

Struggling with feeling disqualified.

Feeling looked over, forgotten, scared of how their future would look with no one to care for them in their old age.

Maybe your here this morning and you would share that you are experiencing doubt and feelings of abandonment.

God knows and sees. He loves and is faithful.

God's faithfulness, may not align with worldly expectations but unfolds in God's perfect timing.

2 Peter 3:8–9 (NLT)

But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

The second is…

2. God’s Promise Begins

Luke 1:11–17 (NLT)

While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. 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 often sent the angel of the Lord in the OT to announce tidings, sometimes including special births.

I really enjoy how the author Luke gives comparison between Zechariah and Mary’s encounter with the Angel of the Lord.

Zechariah vs. Mary Encounter with the Angel

Zechariah is “startled” | Mary is “troubled”

Angel says “Don’t be afraid” to both Zechariah and Mary

Zechariah “You are to call him John” | Mary “You are to call him Jesus”

Zechariah “He will be great in the sight of the Lord” | Mary “He will be great”

Zechariah “He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born” | Mary “The Holy Spirit will come on you”

Zechariah “He will turn people back to God” | Mary “He will reign”

Zechariah “How can I be sure…?” | Mary “How will this be…?”

Angel’s response to: Zechariah “You did not believe my words” | Mary “Blessed is she who has believed”

God’s has overarching plan that is always for our good, often unfolding through ordinary lives to achieve extraordinary ends.

How would you respond? Would you respond like Zechariah or like Mary? Would you believe or doubt? The reality is that we may respond either way, depending on the circumstances.

The third truth is…

3. Dealing with Skepticism

Luke 1:18–20 (NLT)

Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.”

Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”

I invite you to reflect on Zechariah’s natural human skepticism when faced with divine prophecy.

His doubt is met with a temporary silence, serving as both a sign and a period of reflection.

Have you ever experienced a significant moment where all you could do was enter into confession (of your doubt) and trust in divine promises over reliance on human reasoning.

Often, we try to reason what God will do.

Reason how God will move.

Reason how God will fulfill his promises and plans in our lives.

Reasoning is not faith…

Zechariah’s response to the angel’s proclamation was not simply one of curiosity and wonder but of incredulity—he simply couldn’t and wouldn’t believe it (Luke 1:18–20).

In this season, we are invited to consider again how much we trust God’s willingness to answer our prayers.

In addition, we are called to revel in the mystery that God still moves in ways we simply cannot explain.

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 (NLT)

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

We must just be willing to accept them for what they are: acts of God. God blessed Elizabeth: she would have a baby born to her in her old age.

The testimony of Zechariah and Elizabeth is one that speaks to the faithfulness of God and to his timing when answering prayers. I love what Howard Marshall, a Scottish N.T. scholars says about Zechariah…

“Zechariah’s joy will be occasioned not merely by the birth of his son as such but above all by the work of his son in preparing the people for the coming of the Lord.”

I. Howard Marshall

Prayer is essential if we are to experience the presence of God.

Prayer is everything if we want to life as apprentices of Jesus, being aligned to His heart.

Without prayer, we have no hope.

Which brings us to our fourth and final truth from Luke 1…

4. Hope in God’s Timing

Luke 1:21–25 (NLT)

Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary, wondering why he was taking so long. When he finally did come out, he couldn’t speak to them. Then they realized from his gestures and his silence that he must have seen a vision in the sanctuary.

When Zechariah’s week of service in the Temple was over, he returned home. Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months. “How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.”

Despite Zechariah’s initial disbelief, Elizabeth embraces hope and renewal.

I encourage you to trust God’s unexplainable ways, celebrating the moments when whispers of doubt are silenced by louder acts of grace and love.

Just being faithful to your calling is critical.

Being faithful in your prayers is important.

Simply being obedient can result in life-changing opportunities for generations to come. There is a story of Spokane’s very own Carla Peperzak,

Carla Peperzak is a remarkable figure from World War II, remembered for her courageous efforts as a young resistance fighter in the Netherlands during the Nazi occupation. Born in 1923 in Amsterdam to a Jewish family, Carla was only a teenager when she became involved in resistance activities to save Jewish lives, inspired by the growing injustices around her.

Her Resistance Work

Carla joined the Dutch underground resistance and took extraordinary risks to protect Jewish people from persecution. Her activities included:

1. Providing Fake Identification Cards: Carla helped create and distribute fake IDs, enabling Jewish individuals to evade capture by the Nazis. These documents were crucial for helping people "disappear" or live under false identities.

2. Hiding and Rescuing Jews: Carla worked tirelessly to shelter Jews in safe houses, including members of her own extended family. She also assisted in finding hiding places for others, helping them escape detection.

3. Couriering Information and Resources: As a member of the resistance, Carla served as a courier, delivering crucial information, food, and supplies to those in hiding or in need.

On December 27, we will be airing the documentary of Carla Peperzak. Our very own Clement Lye has directed and edited this documentary. Clement is graciously making it available for our church before it is at a national level.

VIDEO

What I love about the story of Carla is that she remained faithful despite uncertainty. She remained faithful to God in service and her calling. She was able to see God move in ways that were unexplainable.

Zechariah and Elizabeth’s story shows us that they were well advanced in age and God was still answering prayers in exciting ways.

In this season, we are invited to see that God is still working to amaze us. The incarnation of the eternal Son of God is still just as real for us today as it was for the characters in the Christmas story.

Application: As you leave today, remember this: Even in our doubts, God remains faithful to His word, and His plans may unfold in ways we least expect, this should sustain our faith amidst uncertainty.

Prayer:

Henri Nouwen - scholar and thinker in spiritual formation.

Dear Lord, Your ways are not our ways, and Your thoughts are far beyond what we can see or grasp. Yet, in the stillness of our hearts, we hear the whisper of Your faithfulness, calling us to trust You even when the path ahead feels hidden in shadows.

Help us, Lord, to surrender our need for certainty and control. Let us rest in the assurance that You are near, gently guiding us through the unknown. Teach us to embrace our doubts, not as signs of weakness, but as opportunities to deepen our faith in Your abiding presence.

We thank You, Lord, for being a God who fulfills His promises in ways that surprise and transform us. Let us have open hearts to receive the unfolding of Your plans, knowing that You are always leading us closer to Your heart.

May our lives reflect the peace that comes from trusting You fully, even when we do not have all the answers. And may we find joy, not in our understanding, but in the knowledge that we are held by You, always.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.