ANSWERED PRAYER RESULTS IN REJOICING
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard.
Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a
joyG5479 and delightG20 to you, and many will rejoiceG5463 at his birth, for he will be great in
the sight of the Lord. He shall never take wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the
Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb.
Luke 1:13-15
This was a huge moment in Zechariah’s life even before the angel startled him. It was truly a “once in a lifetime opportunity” in his service to the Lord as a priest:
Each of the twenty-four divisions served in the temple for one week, twice a year, as well as at the major festivals. An individual priest, however, could offer the incense at the daily sacrifice only once in his lifetime since there were so many priests. Therefore this was the climactic moment of Zechariah’s priestly career, perhaps the most dramatic moment possible for the event described to have occurred. God was breaking into the ancient routine of Jewish ritual with the word of his decisive saving act. (41)
Expositor’s Bible Commentary
Zechariah would have been offering incense on behalf of all the people of Israel. Incense burned before the Lord was a symbol of prayer. The angel said the Lord had heard Zechariah’s prayer. What prayers would Zechariah bring before the Lord?
13 This is the first indication of prayer on the part of Zechariah. The specific petition probably refers to both his lifelong prayer for a child (probably a son) and his just-offered prayer in the temple for the messianic redemption of Israel. (42)
Expositor’s Bible Commentary
At that moment in the Holy Place, Zechariah would have been praying for the Messiah to come to redeem Israel. However, he and Elizabeth had probably prayed often for a child, particularly a son to carry on his name. Both prayers were being answered in the birth of John. He would not only be a joy and delight to his parents, but the entire community would rejoice because a barren woman had been given a son!
The angel foretold that John would be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in Elizabeth’s womb! He would be set apart as a special servant of God from the start. In fact, he first recognized Jesus as the Messiah while they were both still in utero! Susan says, “John was the first holy roller as he jumped for joy inside his mother’s body at the sound of Mary’s voice!” When he was an adult, as forerunner of the Messiah, John would prepare the Jews for great rejoicing. He would be the prophet that first identified Jesus as the Messiah, the “Lamb of God”.
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Do we recognize the tremendous gift God has given us in the form of His Son born as a human baby? Do we rejoice at the sound of His name? Does the “Good News” of God’s grace in sending Jesus to die in our place, still make us want to shout praises? Heart check: do you need to rejoice (return to your joy) today?
Father, help us to rejoice, to remember the Source of our joy daily.