Luke 1:8-25 — A(ngel)l things are possible!

READ THIS: Luke 1:8-25

8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. 

11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: 

“Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” 

18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” 19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.” 

21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 22 When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak. 23 When his time of service was completed, he returned home. 24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. 25 “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY?

While Zechariah was doing his priestly duties, the angel Gabriel appeared to him and told him that Elizabeth would have a baby. Zechariah didn't believe it because it was impossible, but the angel told him that it was true! Because Zechariah didn't believe, the angel took away his voice, and then Zechariah and Elizabeth became pregnant, just like Gabriel said!

This story is so funny to me for this reason: Zechariah stares directly into the impossible and asks how an impossible thing can happen. Could you imagine going to school or to your job and BAM an angel appears with a message from God that directly answers a prayer of yours? And then can you imagine responding to the angel by pointing out how that prayer actually can't be answered?! That is insane...especially when you're staring at an angel, which is living proof that what some people call impossible/fake is not only possible, but real! No wonder Gabriel's response is to repeat that he is the Gabriel...the one who stands in the presence of God Himself. Of course what we think is impossible is possible! God makes the determination of what is possible or not! 

THINK ABOUT IT:

1. When is a time that you have seen something impossible happen? How does that relate to your relationship with God? (For example, Zechariah saw an angel, and it ended up causing him to doubt God in the moment. Meanwhile, Elizabeth became tighter with God when the impossibility of pregnancy happened to her!)

2. What would be an answered prayer that Gabriel would have said to you if he was coming to tell you about an answered prayer? How would you react? Would you believe it?

TRY THIS:

In Matthew 19, Jesus talks about this idea of all things being possible with God! Your challenge today is to fill in the bolded parts below with something about YOU that you think would keep you from entering the kingdom of God (aka being able to live with Jesus now and for forever in Heaven!) and then reading these verses knowing that ALL things are possible....that it is possible for ALL types of people who make all types of mistakes to be with God!

23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” 26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

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