The story of Advent is God’s story. With all the characters and events, there is one hand guiding it all: God’s hand.
We see it so clearly in the events leading up to the birth of Christ, specifically, in the story of Zacharias and Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptist.
Zacharias was a priest, and he was chosen to enter the holy place in the temple and burn incense. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity because there were so many priests.
But Luke tells us that he was chosen by lot (v. 9). Not by fate or chance, but by an ancient practice whose true inner-workings were determined not randomly but sovereignly, by God Himself. As Prov 16:33 says, the lot is cast by men, but every decision is from the Lord.
So, God directed the course of human events, including the smallest details in the life of Zacharias, to bring him into the holy place on that day.
Why? So that one of His angels could appear to Zacharias and deliver good news to him.
You see, before The Birth, there had to be another birth – a foundational one for the story of Advent and the history of the world.
So, the angel comforts Zacharias, telling him that his prayers for a child have been heard. Elizabeth will indeed bear a son (v. 13).
What’s so amazing about this is that Elizabeth was barren. Not only was she barren, but she was also “advanced in years” (v. 7)! Having a child was out of the question, humanly speaking.
This reminds us of other significant barren women in the Bible: Hannah, Rachel, Rebekah, and Sarai. Each of these women had their wombs opened by God to deliver sons who would shape the course of history.
And here was another barren woman. But God answers prayers. And He answered them in this case far beyond what Zacharias could have imagined (cf. Eph 3:20-21).
What God was demonstrating was that He remembers. He remembers Zacharias and Elizabeth. He remembers David, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, and Adam and Eve. God remembers His people and His promises to them.
He promised a Messiah, and He promise a forerunner of the Messiah – all to fulfill the many promises He made to His people. God remembers because He is faithful and true. God remembers because He is love, and He loves Israel and the world.
In remembering Zacharias, God is remembering all the patriarches and the promises He made to them – promises of salvation and a Savior, a King, a Redeemer. And that’s why He led Zacharias into the holy place on that fateful day.
His Son would be preceded by his son, whose name would be John, which means “The Lord shows grace.” A fitting name for what God was about to do through him and through Christ.
So, this Advent, remember that God remembers not just Israel, He remembers you. He chose you. He justified you. He sanctifies you. He will glorify you. He will never forsake you. That is ultimately what Advent is all about. And He has proven His heart by orchestrating all the details of the life of Zacharias and Elizabeth to bring about the birth of their son who pointed the way to Christ. To help us remember that God is faithful and good. He always keeps His promises. This is our heavenly Father. He is in control. And we can rest in Him.
And by the way, do you know what the name “Zacharias” means? It means “The Lord remembers.”
