"When The Time Has Fully Come"
<The Annunciations, (Close Encounters of the Fifth Kind?)>
Part 1 - "The Forerunner" -
Luke 1:5-25; Malachi 4: 2-6; Isaiah 40: 3, 5;
Galatians 4: 4; Daniel 9: 24-27
Introduction
Throughout the centuries, men sent by God pointed to a time in the future when the promise made in the Garden of Eden would be fulfilled. That promise was the first mention of the Good News given by God of the Messiah. Gen. 3: 15 - I’m declaring war between you and the Woman, between your offspring and hers. He’ll wound your head, you’ll wound his heel.” (Msg).
The Messiah came at a time which Paul writes, in his letter to the Galatians as when, the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, (v4).
There is always the question as to why Jesus was born when He was in the 1st century. By human reasoning things occurring during the 1st century made it ideal for Christ to come:
One- Rome unified much of the world, from Rome east to Parthia, Syria, north to Gaul, west to Iberia (Spain) and further north to Britain.
Two- This made much of the known world relatively peaceful and her network of roads made travel easy & therefore the spread of the gospel.
Three- There was a common language for trade and business, the common Greek, (different from the classical Greek), making it easier to communicate the gospel to many, many people through this one common language. Much as English is almost worldwide because of the time of the British Empire.
Four- The Roman Army stationing soldiers in the outlying provinces brought the gospel to these provinces – Briton was introduced to the Gospel by Roman soldiers stationed there.
But all of this is man looking at the conditions at that time & speculating on why at that particular point in time it was good for Christ to be sent. These may or may not have been some of the reasons why He chose this particular time for sending Christ.
Isaiah 55: 8-9 says – That our thoughts are not God’s thoughts and that His ways are not our ways; that His ways & thoughts are higher as the heavens are, than our ways & thoughts.
One thing we can be sure of, and that is Christ came when He did, in fulfillment of a specific prophecy. Daniel 9: 24-27 is the prophecy of the “seventy weeks. In the message of March 9, 2015 titled “Look Your King is Coming” we calculated Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem as being by our calendar April 6, 32 AD, or 10th of Nisan 32 AD.
Count back some 33 and a half years you come to the approximate time when Christ was born and can know the historical occurrences of that time.
Gospel According to Luke
Luke’s Gospel is one of the finest historical writings in all of ancient history. I’m not going to go into detail as to why this is so; we’ll leave that for another time. I will say this much, Sir William Ramsey, awarded the noble Prize for chemistry in 1904 and a skeptic of Luke’s history, eventually changed his mind after reading the facts, wrote, “Luke’s history is unsurpassed in regards to its trustworthiness.” Luke crossed all his t’s and dotted all his i’s.
For the next four Sunday’s this season of advent we’ll cover the beginning of this period of which Paul calls or says of it, “When time fully came.”
The Prophecy
In verse 78 of chapter 1, Luke records the words of Malachi the sunrise shall visit us from on high- Before that sunrise it had been a long and dark night –
Malachi assured those who loved God that the sun of righteousness would rise with healing in its wings and that they like calves would go out leaping from the stalls.
Really a cool metaphor for those raised on a farm, or think of toddler’s when all they can do is jump for joy when they are happy or see something that excites them.
Before Malachi’s writing, Isaiah had promised, prophesized that before the glory of the Lord would be revealed, there would be one who would come crying – “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. (40:3).
Similarly Malachi wrote in his final words to his prophecy, “I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord.”
Now four hundred years have passed since the Lord spoke to the people a word of prophecy – or a sign of a prophet of God – But the long dark night was about to end, dawn was closing in on the horizon.
The Annunciation, Part 1, The Forerunner
The characters in this marvelous play – Zechariah a country priest, his wife Elizabeth, and the extraterrestrial messenger of God, Gabriel.
Zechariah an ordinary country priest, and it is always amazing to me how God seems to always pick whom we think as being the least qualified to do a something that is above-and-beyond.
Zechariah means “God remembers” was a popular priestly name and in this case it would prove to be dramatically prophetic. Elizabeth was also of priestly descent and was named after Aaron’s wife, which is also a preferred name for a priest’s wife. They were both righteous before God; beautiful people in God’s sight. Not that they were sinless, but they conformed to God’s law. Their home, we can pretty much be sure, enjoyed the happiness where both husband & wife are righteous except for one thing – the couple has not been able to have children.
Infertility in any culture is an aching disappointment & for some almost an unbearable stress, especially in the ancient Hebrew culture. Baroness carried a moral stigma & in Jewish thinking it was not the fate of the righteous, (Lev. 20: 20, 21). You can rest assure that Elizabeth more than likely suffered smug reproach. We are told they were advanced in years & natures planned obsolesces had taken its course, & there was no hope. They more than likely never heard of Hippocrates who said it perfectly, “A man, when his growth is over, is dry & cold.” They were, I’m sure, familiar with what Abraham said when, “falling flat on his face. And then he laughed, thinking, “Can a hundred-year-old man father a son? And can Sarah, at ninety years, have a baby?” (Gen. 17:17).
So then the fountains of maternity were dry, the spotted worn hands would never hold a child of their own. And now you know why grandparents love their grand-babies……
The Occasion
The Mishnah says that before each of the two daily services, four sets of lots were used to determine the participants. Zechariah’s division, the one he was in, Abijah, served two one week periods per year. Each division had 300 priest & 56 were chosen by lot to participate each day. So when Zechariah’s division was serving and the lots were cast, one of the lots fell to him to enter the Temple & burn incense. The honor of offering burning incense was the grandest event in his earthly existence. There were many priests who never had the privilege & no priest was allowed to offer it more than once.
Think of how thrilling this must been for him. Here he stands in the court of the priest where the sacrifice would be made – then comes the moment when he steps into the Holy Place. There to his front is the embroidered curtain of the Holy of Holies, to his left is the table of showbread, immediately to his front is the horned altar of incense, and to his right the golden candlestick. He purified the altar & waits with joy for the signal to offer the incense so that the sacrifices went up to God wrapped in incense of prayer ---
The Close Encounter
As the fragrance rose, suddenly it all spasm’d in divine arrest – when “Unannounced, an angel of God appeared just to the right of the altar of incense. Zachariah was paralyzed in fear. (Luke 1:11 - Msg).
There is no indication if the angel was in the conventional image of a man, or whether it assumed a dramatic form like the pyrotechnic display of the angel of the Lord in Judges 13:19-23.
The angel’s appearance to Zechariah had to be dramatic because he was paralyzed in fear.
There may be a parallel drawn by Luke under the guidance of the Holy Spirit between this encounter and Daniel’s encounter with the angel Gabriel. Gabriel appeared to Daniel at the time of the evening sacrifice, (Dan. 9: 20-21) & now he appears to Zechariah probably at the time of the sacrifice. Daniel falls face down to the ground (8: 17) & Zechariah matched his terror, (1:12). Daniel was rendered temporarily speechless as would be Zechariah. Daniel’s encounter & vision had to do with future revelation of Messianic times & Zechariah’s encounter with Gabriel signaled the dawn of Messianic times.
For now, the eastern sky had assumed a pre-dawn glow and in a moment messianic fulfillment would light the Jewish landscape.
Prophecy Given (vv 13-20)
Gabriel comforted him, telling him not to be afraid “that his prayer was heard”- There are some who think that he had been praying for a son, but because he didn’t comprehend and didn’t believe when told he would have a son, more than likely he ws praying for the redemption of Israel.
Whichever may be the case; Gabriel spoke, & prophecy that had ceased, occurred for the first time in 400 years.
Zechariah is told a bombshell; his wife Elizabeth will bear him a son and they are going to name him John, Yohanna, which means “God is gracious”, or “God has shown favor.”
Zechariah’s prayer in the Temple & possibly also the people outside, their prayers had been offered for favor and or grace & they were heard. A son will be born and will be named “God has been gracious”.
The Character of this Son
A beautiful joyous description of the son is given by Gabriel – He would bring joy to his parents & to the public because of his inner greatness of soul.
The Baptist would have a great heart – Jesus will say of him, “Let me tell you what’s going on here: No one in history surpasses John the Baptizer (Msg); I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. (ESV).- (Matt. 11:11)
His Spiritual Formation
Verse 15b tells us he would be a Nazarite, a man set apart to be especially devoted to God. – There is one thing I found interesting while studying this & in v15c it says he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. Biblical scholars Joseph Fitzmyer, S.J. & John Nolland, Anglican priest, have shown the grammar & context demand the meaning to be “while still in the womb.” It just gives more umph as to when life begins……
The Ministry
Gabriel then prophesied the effect of their son-to-be’s ministry: He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God,17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared. Gabriel quotes in part Malachi’s final verse to summarize his ministry, (Mal. 4: 5-6).
Elijah had denounced the apostasy of his own people – withstood the pagan prophets of Baal, God reigned down fire on his behalf – The Baptist would minister in the same power & spirit.
Jesus said to His disciples, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
Just picture again old Zechariah serving in the Temple, offering his prayers for the redemption of Israel, it’s the grandest day of his life when suddenly a supernatural being appears to him –
Talk about Cardiac terror!! And on top of that, the being speaks!
Gabriel invoked the final lines of the Old Testament as the script of this son-to-be regarding his character, is spiritual formation & his ministry – (Mal. 4:1-6)
The Response
Gabriel waits for Zechariah’s response – there is a lesson here for everyone – Zechariah responded in unbelief, v18 - said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.
Should he have doubted? Before we come down to hard on him remember we are on this side of the resurrection – Hindsight is 20/20.
But listen, Zechariah was, as we should be also, familiar with Scripture, he was a priest, not an atheist – we too should be familiar with Scripture – He knew of divine intervention – Isaac, Samson, Samuel – If God did it then, He could do it again – Can He do it today? Intervene?
As a priest he was a man of God noted for piety & faith, “a righteous man”.
Confronted by a being he knew to be supernatural, (thus his terror), so he knew it was a message from God.
But he disobeyed – And Gabriel reacted decisively to his doubt. (vv19-20).
Gabriel’s emphatic words, I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. May have been to shame Zechariah rejecting the good news, or Gabriel’s annoyed that a human would disbelieve a word coming directly from the throne of God.
Either way, the penalty for man’s unbelief was fitted for the offense. Zechariah’s tongue which uttered unbelief would now be silent for nine months – A good time to reflect on the situation.
Elizabeth Concieves
Elizabeth, her old body experienced maternal bloom in fulfillment of God’s promise- Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people. (v25).
The true sunrise won’t come until the birth of Jesus, from this moment on, the small rays of light will break through the dark of the dawn.
My friend Larry Galati videoed the sunrise at the beach in Panama; it took a while but when he showed it in time lapse, it was beautiful as the colors changed from blackness through the hues as the rays of the sun rose over the horizon and then you saw the round globe of the sun as it rose and it was nothing but bright light.
Zechariah & Elizabeth will host, in six months, the young mother-to-be of the Son of God & nurture her faith.
They will hear her sing the Magnificat – And Zechariah would one day sing his song of faith, The Benedictus.
In Closing
Think of the stupendous spiritual events that were on the horizon – all leading to the birth of the Messiah who would die for our sins & give to us for our asking eternal life.
Jesus’ words as recorded are very clear: Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. - They said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God; that you believe in him whom he has sent. (John 5:24; 6:28-29 respectively)
