Luke’s Gospel begins with an the announcement of John the Baptist’s birth. John, of course, was the messenger sent by God to prepare the world for the arrival of Jesus.
Luke introduces us to Zechariah, an aged priest. He is married to Elizabeth, who came from a family of priests. They had spent their lives serving God faithfully through a very dark time in Israel’s history. They were blessed, but their neighbors probably thought otherwise: Zechariah and Elizabeth had no children. There was a painful stigma attached to those who were barren/infertile in those days. Their friends and family probably assumed they had failed to receive God’s blessings due to some secret sin. But Luke describes them as “righteous” and “blameless” (Luke 1:6).
Zechariah was granted a unique opportunity in his old age: he was chosen by lot to burn incense at the altar. He would go to the Holy Place within the temple. He would get to stand at the veil of the Most Holy Place and keep the incense burning. He would smell the fragrant smoke, which represented the prayers of God’s people.
It was here, at this holy moment and place, that Zechariah got more of a divine encounter than he had bargained for. He received a personal visit from Gabriel. He was understandably afraid, but Gabriel had some incredibly good news: Zechariah and Elizabeth would have a child. The boy would be named John, and he would be a prophet like no other. John the Baptist would prepare the way for Jesus Christ Himself.
I’ve been thinking about one particular detail of Luke’s account for the past few days:
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.”
-Luke 1:13
“Your prayer has been heard.”
Based on Zechariah’s response (vs. 18), he had not prayed for a child in a long time. I wonder just how long it had been.
I imagine it went something like this:
Zechariah and his wife married when they were young (it was common for women to be engaged by the time they were 15 in the ancient world). They thought they would be changing diapers within their first year or two of marriage. But those first years passed by with no sign of new life. Tearful prayers were lifted to heaven, but to no avail (or so it seemed at the time). More years went by, then decades. Zechariah’s prayers for a child eventually ceased as time and age suffocated all hope. He and Elizabeth were advanced in years, and they would have no heir to receive their rich spiritual heritage.
Zechariah had long since forgotten his prayers for a child by the time Gabriel showed up.
But God had not.
God would answer Zechariah’s prayer in a time and in a way that only He could. Zechariah and Elizabeth were graciously included in His story of redemption.
Zechariah’s name means “Yahweh has remembered.”
God remembers. God remembers our prayers–even those we have forgotten. Isn’t He amazing?
