Gabriel Surprises Priest At Temple Altar!

Fear fell on Zacharias, the priest, whose lot was to burn incense in the Lord's temple at Jerusalem. He had seen an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense who said he was to have a son (Luke 1:11-13). Unable to quite believe what the angel told him, he asked, "Whereby shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years" (Luke 1:18).

God could not have chosen finer people for John's parents. This priest and his wife had a reputation for being righteous before God, and for walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless (Luke l:6). Then, the angel revealed himself to Zacharias as being Gabriel, the one who stands in the presence of God. And he answered Zacharias, saying, "Behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed" (Luke 1:19-20). That was how Zacharias should know! And the angel had said, "Thou shalt call his name John".

Elisabeth, the priest's wife, gave birth to the child when the time came, and her neighbors and kinsfolk named him after his father. But she answered, "Not so; but he shall be called John." They said, "There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name" (Luke 1:60-61).

"And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called." And Zacharias "asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, 'His name is John'. . . And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God." And then "Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied" (Luke 1:62-67).

So God had sent Gabriel with the glad tidings of John's birth. John would make ready a people prepared for the Lord. And Gabriel's words were fulfilled in due season though Zacharias was troubled by them, feared and had a hard time believing.

Too many are troubled and fear because of God's word and don't believe and obey. Later on Jesus said, "Marvel not that I said unto thee, 'Ye must be born again'" (John 3:7). "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:15-16).