Luke 1:5-25

In the days of Herod, King of Judea,

there was a priest named Zechariah

of the priestly division of Abijah;

his wife was from the daughters of Aaron,

and her name was Elizabeth.

Both were righteous in the eyes of God,

observing all the commandments

and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly.

But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren

and both were advanced in years.

Once when he was serving as priest

in his division’s turn before God,

according to the practice of the priestly service,

he was chosen by lot

to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense.

Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside

at the hour of the incense offering,

the angel of the Lord appeared to him,

standing at the right of the altar of incense.

Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him.

But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah,

because your prayer has been heard.

Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,

and you shall name him John.

And you will have joy and gladness,

and many will rejoice at his birth,

for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.

He will drink neither wine nor strong drink.

He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb,

and he will turn many of the children of Israel

to the Lord their God.

He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah

to turn the hearts of fathers toward children

and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous,

to prepare a people fit for the Lord.”

Then Zechariah said to the angel,

“How shall I know this?

For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”

And the angel said to him in reply,

“I am Gabriel, who stand before God.

I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news.

But now you will be speechless and unable to talk

until the day these things take place,

because you did not believe my words,

which will be fulfilled at their proper time.”

Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah

and were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary.

But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them,

and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary.

He was gesturing to them but remained mute.

Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home.

After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived,

and she went into seclusion for five months, saying,

“So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit

to take away my disgrace before others.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you sent your angel Gabriel in the fullness of time to announce the day of your salvation. I welcome your saving grace. My mouth is filled with your praises, and I sing to your glory! Be my rock of refuge and rescue me from the hand of the wicked.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Zechariah Offers the Tamid (the Daily Sacrifice) and Encounters Gabriel: The past two days, we read the first chapter of Matthew’s Gospel. Today, and the days leading up to Christmas, we will read the first chapter of Luke’s Gospel. The Gospel opens with the priest Zechariah being chosen to burn incense in the sanctuary of the Temple. He was a member of one of the twenty-four divisions of priests. Twice a year, each of the twenty-four divisions served in the Temple. One of their tasks was to offer the daily sacrifice, called the tamid, in the morning and in the evening. There were so many priests at the time that this responsibility was chosen by lot. At the time, a priest would only offer this sacrifice once in their lifetime. When Zechariah entered the sanctuary, he encountered the angel Gabriel, who announced that Zechariah, despite his old age, would father a son.

2. The Nazirite Vow: Among the things that Gabriel says about Zechariah’s future son is that his son will take the Nazirite vow. Gabriel says: “he will drink neither wine nor strong drink.” This was one of the three things that characterized a Nazirite (Numbers 6:1-21). The other two things were not to cut their hair and not to touch a dead body. Zechariah’s son, John, will be dedicated or consecrated to the Lord for special service like a Nazirite (Numbers 6:5; Judges 13:4). John will not only be consecrated for service but be filled with the Holy Spirit as a prophet. He will be a New Elijah who will bring the people to repentance in preparation for the coming (advent) of the Lord and his Messiah.

3. Zechariah’s Unbelief: The situation of Zechariah is very understandable. He is now old and childless. His wife is barren, and they have no one to carry on their line. He and his wife were righteous and blameless. And yet, when the angel of the Lord assured him that he and his wife would conceive a son, he doubted. He was righteous and blameless, yet not perfect. Would any one of us have done better? Don’t we usually think in natural, human terms, and aren’t we slow to trust in God’s supernatural power? The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth invites us to lift up our gaze toward heaven and entrust our petitions to the Father, who will grant us what we ask in Jesus’ name. Zechariah’s unbelief was punished with nine months of silence. This enabled him to ponder the angel’s message and God’s power. His nine months of silence, however, came to an end in a beautiful prayer of benediction, which the Church prays every morning in the Liturgy of the Hours. 

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I am your servant and desire to grow in faithfulness to you. I consecrate my actions, words, and thoughts to you today.

Living the Word of God: Can I pray and meditate on Zechariah’s Benedictus (Luke 1:68-79) today? How can I model my daily prayer on this hymn of praise?