Luk 1:8-23 | KingComments | STEP | The priestly division to which Zacharias belongs is on duty. At that time, there were approximately 18,000 priests, divided into twenty-four divisions. Each division came in turn to Jerusalem to serve there. Every day the lot determined which priest who had not done so before, was allowed to burn incense. Given the large number of priests, each priest would have this privilege only once in his lifetime. How many times Zacharias will have been in Jerusalem in the turn of his division? And every day the lot was cast. Every day, Zacharias will have prayed that he should now have the privilege to burn incense. Each time it had been cast and so far each time it had not fallen on him. So he waited for it, just as he waited for a son and always in vain. Then, finally, the lot falls on the old man. He may burn incense. This is a privilege and a beautiful and at the same time responsible task. He must represent the people and may approach God. Zacharias was probably one of the few priests who did this work with devotion to God and love for the people. The priesthood as a whole is in great decay. The attitude of the chief priests toward the Lord Jesus shows how much the priesthood is not focused on God but on themselves. It is not about whether God gets what is due to Him, but whether they themselves can benefit from it. Zacharias is an exception to this practice. Because he is faithful, God can inform him about His plans. He wants to give Zacharias insight into this. Faithfully fulfilling the task we have been given is always, even today, one of the conditions for receiving and understanding communications from God. We will see later that faith is also needed. The lot has determined that Zacharias may burn incense. There is still the question of the lot here. God then used that to make known His sovereign will. That fits in with an Old Testament situation. When the Lord Jesus has gone to heaven, the lot is used for the last time. That is in the case of choosing an apostle instead of Judas ( ). That is even before the Holy Spirit is poured out and has come to earth to guide the believers. Once the Holy Spirit is here, we no longer read anywhere about the use of the lot. From His coming on earth the Holy Spirit guides the believers in making decisions. Zacharias must enter the temple of the Lord, Yahweh , to “burn incense”. The incense offering symbolically represents the Lord Jesus in the loveliness He has for God. Thus the believer may now tell God how excellent He is and thus, as a priest in a spiritual sense, burn incense in a spiritual way. When the offering of incense is brought, the priest stands in its scent. In the same way the believer is pleasant in Who Christ is for God. Incense is a picture of the prayers of the saints ( ; ) and it is a picture of the personal glory of the Lord Jesus ( ). Our prayers are only pleasing to God through Him ( ). Zacharias works in the temple on earth in accordance with the law. In the course of this Gospel we see the transition from law to grace, from earth to heaven. The Gospel ends with the good news for all nations and a Christ Who is taken up into heaven to perform His high priestly service there. This Gospel begins with a scene in the temple and ends with a scene in the temple. In the first chapter we see a mute priest. In the last chapter we find people who are anything but mute. They praise and worship God as people destined to be priests in a new dispensation, that of the church. This Gospel begins with a believer who cannot speak, it ends with believers who cannot stop praising. The fact that the whole multitude of the people is outside is the typical characteristic of the Old Testament. The mass is thus in prayer. Prayer is common in this Gospel. Eight times we find the Lord Jesus in prayer ( ). The people are in prayer, which does not mean that they have a real longing for God. Yet there will also be faithful believers present who are praying in real reverence. They realize that God can only deal with them on the basis of the incense offering. Prayer is part of their religion. They may not approach God themselves. It has to be done via a mediator. Wherever in professing Christianity someone occupies a position between man and God, it is holding to this Old Testament situation. It is the privilege of the believer that he may now approach God himself. Every believer is a priest and is called to bring spiritual sacrifices ( ).

‏ Luke 1:8-23

The Priestly Service of Zacharias

The priestly division to which Zacharias belongs is on duty. At that time, there were approximately 18,000 priests, divided into twenty-four divisions. Each division came in turn to Jerusalem to serve there. Every day the lot determined which priest who had not done so before, was allowed to burn incense. Given the large number of priests, each priest would have this privilege only once in his lifetime.

How many times Zacharias will have been in Jerusalem in the turn of his division? And every day the lot was cast. Every day, Zacharias will have prayed that he should now have the privilege to burn incense. Each time it had been cast and so far each time it had not fallen on him. So he waited for it, just as he waited for a son and always in vain. Then, finally, the lot falls on the old man. He may burn incense.

This is a privilege and a beautiful and at the same time responsible task. He must represent the people and may approach God. Zacharias was probably one of the few priests who did this work with devotion to God and love for the people. The priesthood as a whole is in great decay. The attitude of the chief priests toward the Lord Jesus shows how much the priesthood is not focused on God but on themselves. It is not about whether God gets what is due to Him, but whether they themselves can benefit from it. Zacharias is an exception to this practice.

Because he is faithful, God can inform him about His plans. He wants to give Zacharias insight into this. Faithfully fulfilling the task we have been given is always, even today, one of the conditions for receiving and understanding communications from God. We will see later that faith is also needed.

The lot has determined that Zacharias may burn incense. There is still the question of the lot here. God then used that to make known His sovereign will. That fits in with an Old Testament situation. When the Lord Jesus has gone to heaven, the lot is used for the last time. That is in the case of choosing an apostle instead of Judas (Acts 1:26). That is even before the Holy Spirit is poured out and has come to earth to guide the believers. Once the Holy Spirit is here, we no longer read anywhere about the use of the lot. From His coming on earth the Holy Spirit guides the believers in making decisions.

Zacharias must enter the temple of the Lord, Yahweh, to “burn incense”. The incense offering symbolically represents the Lord Jesus in the loveliness He has for God. Thus the believer may now tell God how excellent He is and thus, as a priest in a spiritual sense, burn incense in a spiritual way. When the offering of incense is brought, the priest stands in its scent. In the same way the believer is pleasant in Who Christ is for God. Incense is a picture of the prayers of the saints (Psa 141:2; Rev 5:8) and it is a picture of the personal glory of the Lord Jesus (Rev 8:3). Our prayers are only pleasing to God through Him (Heb 13:15).

Zacharias works in the temple on earth in accordance with the law. In the course of this Gospel we see the transition from law to grace, from earth to heaven. The Gospel ends with the good news for all nations and a Christ Who is taken up into heaven to perform His high priestly service there.

This Gospel begins with a scene in the temple and ends with a scene in the temple. In the first chapter we see a mute priest. In the last chapter we find people who are anything but mute. They praise and worship God as people destined to be priests in a new dispensation, that of the church. This Gospel begins with a believer who cannot speak, it ends with believers who cannot stop praising.

The fact that the whole multitude of the people is outside is the typical characteristic of the Old Testament. The mass is thus in prayer. Prayer is common in this Gospel. Eight times we find the Lord Jesus in prayer (Lk 3:21 ; Lk 5:16 ; Lk 6:12 ; Lk 9:18 ; 29 ; Lk 11:1 ; Lk 22:41 ; Lk 23:34a). The people are in prayer, which does not mean that they have a real longing for God. Yet there will also be faithful believers present who are praying in real reverence. They realize that God can only deal with them on the basis of the incense offering. Prayer is part of their religion. They may not approach God themselves. It has to be done via a mediator.

Wherever in professing Christianity someone occupies a position between man and God, it is holding to this Old Testament situation. It is the privilege of the believer that he may now approach God himself. Every believer is a priest and is called to bring spiritual sacrifices (1Pet 2:5).

The Birth of John Announced

For many years, the daily incense offering was brought. Zacharias has never heard of anything unusual happening during the offering of the incense. Then, when it is his turn, it happens: Zacharias is visited by an angel from heaven. Such a visit with a message for people on earth was a long time ago. An angel “went down at certain seasons” for the healing of all kinds of diseases (Jn 5:4). That was certainly a gracious intervention by God, but now an angel is coming for a far more glorious purpose, for he announces the birth of the predecessor of the Messiah.

The angel takes place to the right of the altar of incense. This emphasizes the connection between his message and the altar of incense. The message he brings is connected to the power of the incense offering. Only because Christ is so pleasing to God, God can make this visit to the earth and communicate His plans. The fact that the angel stands to the right of the altar also has a meaning. The right side speaks of favor (Mt 25:33-34) and power, the place where the Lord Jesus is, at God’s right hand. The message is about the favor of God that He grants to people and about the power He has to actually grant that favor.

Zacharias has prayed many times in his life and has become accustomed to the holiness of God through his priesthood. Yet he’s troubled and gets scared of this visit from heaven. We sometimes have the same experience. We can be faithful to the Lord, read His Word and speak with Him, and yet be troubled when He suddenly shows us something of Himself. How familiar are we really with Him?

The angel reassures him and encourages him that his petition has been heard. The pious priest often prayed for the blessing of a child, but so far the answer has not been given. Now an angel comes to tell him that his prayers, which have been sent up so long seemingly in vain, have been heard.

The angel does not speak of ‘your petitions’, but of “your petition”. All the petitions of Zacharias formed one petition for God. The answer to a prayer that has been sent to God in sincerity many times must sometimes be waited for a long time. Sometimes it seems as if God does not hear. Here we see that He does not forget all these petitions, but waits in His wisdom with the answer until the time He has determined.

The child being announced must be named “John”, which means ‘Yahweh is gracious’. Thus, every answer to a petition is an expression of the Lord’s grace. The angel does not only announce the birth of a son with the name that this son should have. He also announces what the birth of this son will mean for Zacharias and many others. His son will be one who causes happiness and joy. When God answers prayers, the result is happiness.

Not only his parents and other people will rejoice over John. Especially God will rejoice over him. John will be a Nazirite, completely separated for God. It will be the joy of the Holy Spirit to guide this son throughout his ministry. The answer to each of our prayers is also a great joy for God. We may give Him what He gives us. We do this when we use what He gives us to His glory.

The effect of his separated life and his powerful message will be that many of the sons of God’s people who have departed as a whole will turn back to the Lord their God. John will be a special instrument for restoring the broken relationship between the people and God.

Not only will he restore the relationship between many of Israel and God, but also between people. Therefore he will go out before the Lord Jesus, He is Yahweh, sent by Him as His ambassador. His Sender can be seen in him. He does not come up in his own strength and with an invented story. His performance will be reminiscent of Elijah (Mal 4:5).

When we see Elijah at Mount Carmel (1Kgs 18:20-46), we see his spirit and power manifested there in a special way. What an unshakeable and fervent zeal for the glory of the LORD, the God of Israel! And what a result! The broken relationship between Israel and the LORD is being restored when we hear the people shouting: “The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God” (1Kgs 18:39). John’s call for repentance has such spiritual power that he is compared here with Elijah who led the people back to the LORD, Yahweh.

By forsaking God there is no unity in Israel, but division. Everything in Israel is broken. Sin always brings such disruptions. John is sent “TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN”, that is, what he will be used for by God is to reunite them in love (Mal 4:6). He will do this by telling them that their mind is one of disobedience. Instead, he will teach them “the attitude of the righteous”. Disobedience must be condemned and instead teaching must be given in what is pleasing to God.

The purpose of his performance is to prepare for the Lord, Yahweh, that is the Lord Jesus, a people ready to receive Him. In this respect God wants to equip every believer to do a service like that of John. Like John, we too live in a time of transition. It is an end time and at the same time a time that announces a new beginning. Judgment is about to come in the coming of Jesus Christ. We must point out to people that He comes and that only through repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ one can endure the day of His coming and be saved from judgment.

The Unbelief of Zacharias

Zacharias does not believe the angel at his word. He shows himself to be an ‘unbelieving believer’. He ignores everything the angel says about the announced son and asks for a sign (cf. 1Cor 1:22a) to confirm that God has indeed answered his prayers. What do his prayers mean then? Did he pray in faith that God is able to do what he has asked? Do we trust God when we pray? How is our relationship with Him and how do we know God?

It is significant that a man who has lived with God for so long and has been in His presence so many times, doubts a message from heaven. He doubts that God is able to change the course of nature where necessary. The Scriptures, that Zacharias knows, bear witness to this in the examples of Sarah, Rebekah and Hannah. What about our faith in Scripture?

The angel’s response sounds almost indignant. Does Zacharias know who he is dealing with? The angel is not personally offended, but the reaction of Zacharias is an insult to God. Gabriel points this out when he declares that he stands (present tense) in the presence of God, not that he stood (past tense) in the presence of God. He is aware of God’s presence and that he is the spokesman of God. Doubting his words is doubting what God says. He has said nothing but what God has told him. Therefore, Zacharia’s doubt is proof of his unbelief.

We also don’t like it when someone does not believe our words, how much more an angel who speaks on behalf of God and how much more God Himself when He speaks. Often we do not read the Scripture with sufficient intimacy in our hearts. We read the Scripture as if we wanted to become familiar with words and phrases. But if, by reading the Scripture, I do not enter into the presence of God with my heart and conscience, I have not learned the lesson that the Scripture would like to teach me. Zacharias is not in the presence of God with his heart and conscience, so he cannot believe that what is said comes from God.

Zacharias receives the requested sign, but it is a sign of judgment. The sign he receives fits his unbelief, just as speaking fits faith (2Cor 4:13). The priestly service is silenced by unbelief. However, it is a temporary judgment. The words of God will be fulfilled in their time, despite his unbelief. The punishment will be removed by mercy at the right time.

While the conversation takes place in the temple house, the people outside are waiting for Zacharias. The people are not only literally outside the temple house, they are also outside the announcements made in the temple. They are not used to a priest staying in the temple house that long. Something must have happened.

When the priest appears, he cannot give them the usual blessing. Between the mass on the temple square there will have been several faithful, people who all expect the salvation of Jerusalem (Lk 2:38). The muteness of Zacharias is also a sign for the people, that all may reflect on it. Zacharias makes the gesture that they can go. He himself remains mute. He keeps on fulfilling his service the prescribed time. When the service of his division is ended, he goes home.