The plot is complicated as we follow the Advent story; the characters are many. The conception and birth of John the Baptist is a small scene in the bigger adventure. The angel gave Zechariah the word: “Your wife, Elizabeth, is going to have a baby.” He answered, “How in the world? We’re both old!” Angel: “You will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words” (Luke 1:20).
Religious though he was, Zechariah didn’t trust the word, and I’m not sure I do either. We’ve been through this Christmas drill so many times. Do we trust the word that this baby is my Savior, your Savior? The word to us about Jesus can seem as unbelievable as Gabriel’s word was to Zechariah. Do we honor with our lips while our heart is far from trusting God’s word? (Isaiah 29:13).
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:1-3). The baby, who can’t even change his diapers, is the Creator of all? Do you believe that?
He’s also your eternal judge. “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:10). The baby will come back in all the glory of God and judge you. Your inmost thoughts, feelings, urges, sins, what you hide from others… everything will be laid bare before Him (cf. Hebrews 4:13). Do you believe that?
When Zechariah saw that Elizabeth was indeed pregnant, he realized the word of God is to be trusted (Luke 1:57-79). For me, I confess I’m slow to surrender my own judgments to the Word. Martin Luther: “It is certain that man must utterly despair of his own ability before he is prepared to receive the grace of Christ” (Heidelberg Disputation 18). Do you believe that about yourself? Advent is an adventure of introspection.
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