Advent Challenge Day 23
Nothing Will Be Impossible
Read Together
Isaiah 7:14 & Luke 1:5-38
Light four candles and say together
Come, O Key of David.*
Reflection
Two miraculous pregnancies. Two angel announcements. Two different reactions. Here are the stories surrounding two women, connected through family ties, who are both facing motherhood in baffling ways.
Elizabeth was old and barren, so she and Zechariah had no children. If this reminds you of Abraham and Sarah, you're not wrong, and it is beautiful to watch how God’s miracles aren’t one-and-done. But while Abraham talked with God underneath the night sky, Zechariah was from a tribe of priests who met with God in the Holy of Holies, a restricted sanctuary in the temple. It was in this place where a priest (and only a priest) could expect to find God, so they would take turns entering this Holy place to pray and offer sacrifices for the nation of Israel. Each division of priests would be on duty twice a year for a week at a time, and while they were on duty, a priest from that division would enter the Holy of Holies. However, entering this sanctuary would only happen once in a priest's lifetime. And now, it was Zechariah's turn.
One would expect to find God in this place where God's presence is supposed to rest, but when an angel of the Lord shows up, Zechariah is incredulous. It is perhaps likely that the priests hadn't been expecting much from God throughout the years, as this time before Jesus is born is often considered a period where God was apparently quiet. So maybe Zechariah entered the sanctuary understanding the role he had to play, but not at all expecting God to actually show up and answer the prayers he was sent there to pray. Yet despite Zechariah's apathy, Gabriel does something really beautiful. He assures Zechariah that his prayer has been heard. This would have been assumed to be the prayer for the nation of Israel, which was Zechariah's duty to pray. And it was, of course, as this baby promised would announce the coming Messiah. But instead, the angel speaks to the deepest desire of Zechariah and Elizabeth's hearts. This prayer Gabriel mentions is one that was likely prayed in earnest years earlier — An answered prayer for a child that will bring joy to his parents and to the nation of Israel.
So we see the angel Gabriel foretell the birth of John the Baptist immediately before we see Gabriel foretelling the birth of Jesus. These stories often stand alone, but together they offer an incredible comparison.
Zechariah received a message that would bring honour to his family. Mary received a message that was likely to bring dishonour to her and her fiancé. Zechariah was standing in the very place where God was most likely to show up. Mary was not. And yet Zechariah met the angel's message with disbelief while Mary, still questioning, met the angel's message with curiosity.
We are less than a week from Christmas and despite many of us hoping for a holiday that would finally feel a little more like normal again, we are instead in a new wave of this pandemic facing uncertainty and isolation once more. For many of us, exhaustion has set in, hope is waning and joy is out of reach. We may not even be sure if it is wise to show up in the places where we have experienced God's presence in the past. And we're wondering if God even cares about our personal prayers when the whole world is in so much distress.
And yet, still, this applies: “Nothing will be impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37)
From Zechariah, we are invited to seek Him in the place where God is known to show up. But from Mary, we are assured that God meets us where we are.
From Mary, we can know that God has a plan even when our lives are complicated. And from Zechariah, we are assured that through this plan, God will meet the desires of our hearts.
Don't lose hope, don't grow apathetic. Jesus was born in a manger, not so God could be distant, but so that He could be near. Expect Him to show up this Christmas.
Talk About
- Are you expecting God to show up in your life?
- Where have you experienced God's presence in the past?
- Have you lost hope that God will answer certain prayers?
- How can you change from a Zechariah posture to a Mary posture?
Pray Together
O Key of David, O royal Power of Israel controlling at your will the gate of Heaven: Come, break down the prison walls of death for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death; and lead your captive people into freedom.*
Amen.
Put it in Action
Plan a time of prayer this week & be deliberate about the location where you pray. Create a space where you are most likely to experience God's presence, whether at your home, in nature, or at church. Pray for the concerns of your community & invite God into the deepest longings of your heart. Expect to experience His presence.
* During the final days of Advent, we will pray seven ancient prayers based on biblical prophesies about Jesus called the O Antiphons. Each prayer begins by addressing Jesus with one of the titles used for Him in Scripture.