The Advent season is upon us. Now is the time for retelling the story of Jesus’ birth in Christmas pageants across the globe. Tradition paints us a picture of a diverse cast of characters from the very young to the elderly, the poorest in ancient society to the most powerful. The word of the Lord was rare in those days. So, when God broke through the silence, people were taken by surprise.
Prior to the birth of Jesus, history records a period of prophetic silence lasting over 400 years. Biblical scholars find no record of miracles or divine messages during this time. It was as if God took an intermission between the Old and New Testaments. But did He? Only God could have orchestrated the series of circumstances which came together during this spiritual silence.
After the Babylonian exile, the Hebrew people scattered far from Israel. By the 1st century, they had established Jewish communities and synagogues in every major city. During the reign of Alexander the Great (356 to 323 BC), Greek became the universal language from Spain to India. Then in the mid 2nd century BC, Rome conquered Greece and established their rule. At the time of Jesus birth, the Romans had constructed over 50,000 miles of roads connecting their empire.
These three factors—relatively easy travel, a common form of communication, and Jewish populations outside the Middle East— made possible the explosive spread of the gospel throughout the ancient world. God had set the stage for the appearance of Messiah according to His divine plan.
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son.
Galatians 4:4 NKJV
No one would have understood the Messianic prophecies better than the 1st century Jewish priests. Yet events even surprised them. A certain priest named Zachariah was one of the first characters Dr. Luke mentions in his narrative of the Christmas story. This man and his wife had spent years praying for a child. But the Gospel tells us the couple was advanced in age and Elizabeth was barren.
As it happened, Zachariah was chosen by lots to burn incense in the temple of the Lord. When he entered the Holy inner chamber alone, an angel appeared to him next to the altar. Zachariah felt confused and afraid. “Fear not,” the angel said then proceeded to tell him his prayers had been heard and Elizabeth would bear a son. They were to name him John and he would lead many in Israel to turn back to the Lord. John would prepare the way for the coming Messiah.
Yet when God broke through the silence, Zachariah dared to question the messenger.
And Zachariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”
Luke 1:18 NKJV
This encounter marks the first in a series of angel sightings after 400 years of silence. In the year following this conversation with Zachariah, angels will appear with messages for Mary, Joseph, and finally, the shepherds. All these divine appointments happened to set the stage for the arrival of Jesus. And each person who witnessed angels reacted to the heavenly message in a little different manner.
Zachariah responded with unbelief. Yet, even in his weakness, God used him mightily to prepare the way for Jesus through his son, John the Baptist. Zachariah had a special role and purpose within the Christmas story designed with him in mind. This should give every one of us hope. Hear the words of the messenger.
“I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.”
Luke 1: 19-20 NKJV
Did you get that last part? God’s plan didn’t change. All the angel’s words were “fulfilled in their own time” despite Zachariah’s’ unbelief. Over the nine months before John’s birth, it was Zachariah’s thinking that changed. When asked what name to give the baby at his circumcision, he wrote, “His name is John.” At that moment, God restored Zachariah’s speech. He praised God for all He had done and was about to do.
As I reread the Christmas story during Advent, I can’t help but imagine myself as a character in this narrative. Would I have responded any differently than Zachariah? It’s hard to say. We live in an age of skepticism in which miracles and prophets are questioned and even scorned. Many people either refuse to hear or won’t acknowledge the word of the Lord in our present day.
What if God broke through the silence (although self-imposed) in our modern world by sending you or me a message through an angel? I’m sure I’d be afraid just like everyone else in the Bible who has experienced angels. However, after I recovered from the initial shock, I pray I would have the courage to speak up and proclaim . . . I believe.
How would you respond to an angelic message?
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
Psalms 19:1-4 NIV
