The Opportunity of a Lifetime (Luke 1:1-25)
Journey with Jesus to the Cross -- Day 1: Ash Wednesday
(The first in a daily series of meditations through the Gospel of Luke during Lent, 2022)
Read Luke 1:1-25
It was the opportunity of a lifetime: Zechariah was chosen by lot to offer incense in the temple, an honor most priests never received in a lifetime of ministry. No doubt, he eagerly awaited the day to come. It would be the high point of his career; he would never forget it.
Zechariah was right. It was an unforgettable experience – but not at all what he expected. For as soon as he approached the altar, an angel appeared to next him! And if that was not shock enough, he was dumbfounded (literally) to learn that at long last his barren and aging wife would welcome a baby boy into her arms. It was too much to take in.
We can hardly fault Zechariah for his disbelief. After all, who could have expected an angel to show up in the middle of his ministrations? Who could have thought that after all these years they would become parents? It was too much to take in.
Why does Luke begin the story of Jesus in this way? Why does he start with the birth of John rather than the birth of Jesus? Several reasons come to mind....
No doubt, he wants us to see that Jesus’ birth is in direct fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel. This is why he is careful to mention Zechariah’s priestly qualifications and righteous character -- an upright man deeply rooted in the Jewish tradition. We thus see at the outset that Luke's Gospel is not a departure from Israel's past; it grows directly from it. (Zechariah's prayer at the close of this chapter stresses this point: see 1:68-80.)
Perhaps, too, Luke is drawing a parallel between Israel’s long-awaited Messiah and the long lost longings of a couple for a child of their own. The dreams of their youth were fulfilled beyond their wildest imagination: “You will have joy and gladness,” the angel said.
Perhaps, too, Luke is drawing a parallel between Israel’s long-awaited Messiah and the long lost longings of a couple for a child of their own. The dreams of their youth were fulfilled beyond their wildest imagination: “You will have joy and gladness,” the angel said.
Indeed they did, as Luke reminds us: "Elizabeth ... bore a son. And her neighbors and relatives ... rejoiced with her" (1:57-58). Later, their personal joy was multiplied on a world-wide scale when that same angel made a similar announcement to startled shepherds on a hillside: "I bring you good news of great joy which shall be for all the people" (2:10-11).
Finally, we can’t help but wonder whether Luke has us in mind by opening his gospel with a story of lost longings and unexpected blessing. Like Zechariah in the temple, we too may be astounded and dumbfounded by the amazing story unfolding in the pages of Luke's carefully researched book. We may see it as something far distant from our own experience.
But God has not forgotten about us, either. He has heard our prayers. As he did for Zechariah and Elizabeth, he will bring us joy and gladness through the gloriously unexpected birth of a baby -- the baby Jesus. And if we are speechless, we are in good company.
“Lord, open my heart and eyes to the unexpected things you want to do in my life today.”