“‘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.’”
Luke 1:25
Luke carefully contrasts the righteousness of Zechariah and Elizabeth with their infertility as a way of telling us that the inability to bear children was not a result of personal sin. Then, as now, there is a temptation to use prosperity as a measuring stick of devotion, as if God is a cosmic scorekeeper, dispensing favors based on faith. In every age, this is a temptation.
Remember how Job’s friends tried to tie his physical suffering to his sin? They whispered in his ear that perhaps it was a lack of faith that caused the loss of his children, his prosperity, and his health. But we read that Job was faithful (Job 1:22). Zechariah and Elizabeth were, too. And yet God allowed them to suffer for their good and for His glory.
Jesus is fully human and understands our deepest pains, emotions, and suffering. But He is also God, the One who fashioned us from dust and hung the stars in place. Gabriel’s words to Zechariah to “fear not” are instructive to us today; we need not fear because God has reconciled us to Himself in Christ.
Remember how Job’s friends tried to tie his physical suffering to his sin? They whispered in his ear that perhaps it was a lack of faith that caused the loss of his children, his prosperity, and his health. But we read that Job was faithful (Job 1:22). Zechariah and Elizabeth were, too. And yet God allowed them to suffer for their good and for His glory.
Jesus is fully human and understands our deepest pains, emotions, and suffering. But He is also God, the One who fashioned us from dust and hung the stars in place. Gabriel’s words to Zechariah to “fear not” are instructive to us today; we need not fear because God has reconciled us to Himself in Christ.
Scripture Focus
Luke 1:8-10
Insight
“O come, O Bright and Morning Star,/ and bring us comfort from afar!/ Dispel the shadows of the night/ and turn our darkness into light.” (J. M. Neale, 1851)
Bible In A Year
- Daniel 9-10
- Proverbs 9
- Hebrews 12
